THE SPIRIT'S SWORD
Published by
Mt. Baker church of Christ
Bellingham, WA (1860 Mt. Baker HWY)
(360) 752-2692

Editor/Evangelist  Joe R. Price
Volume IX,  Number 09
 
November 06, 2005

"All material is written by Joe R. Price, unless otherwise noted."
 


Times of services:

Sunday:
Bible Classes............9:30 AM
Worship......10:30 & 6:00 PM

Wednesday:
Bible Classes............7:00 PM

Web sites:
Mt. Baker church of Christ  Bible Answers

"...Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers..." (1 Peter 5:2)
Elders
Morris Bass, Rick Holt , Joe Price

"...let them serve as deacons, being found blameless..." (1 Tim. 3:10)
Deacons
Aaron Bass, Rich Brooks, Mike Finn
John Hague, Dan Head

"And take...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph. 6:17)

In this issue:


What Did Saul "See" While Blind? (Acts 9:9)
Jarrod Jacobs

And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.  (Acts 9:9)

1) Though sincere in his beliefs (Acts 26:9), he was “sincerely” wrong!

2) Certain things are a “must” with God (Acts 9:6).  It is not left up to man to choose his own “path” to Heaven!  (Matthew 7:13-14)

3) His faith alone in Christ was not enough to save him.  He needed to be baptized in order to be saved (Acts 22:16).

4) You cannot separate Christ from His church, for when you fight against the church of Christ, you fight against Christ (Acts 8:1, 3, 9:2, 4-5).

-Jarrod Jacobs
Southside church of Christ bulletin
(http://www.southside-churchofchrist.com/)

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Two "Churches Of Christ"?
Steve Wallace

While speaking to the elders of the church at Ephesus Paul said, “Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:30). When this came to pass, it would result in at least two groups emerging from what had been the church at Ephesus: those who continued to faithfully follow the Lord, and those who followed after men. Further, it is often the case that those who apostatize continue to profess religion (Cf. 1 Kgs. 12:26-33; 2 Thess. 2:3, 4). If this happened at Ephesus, the result would be two churches in town--one right and the other wrong. If you came to Ephesus, how would you decide which church to be a part of? Remember, both could trace their origins to the apostle Paul’s preaching. The only thing you could do is take your Bible out and see which one was keeping harmony with it.

1. Such things as “First Principles” and the “Church Name” would be insufficient standards to measure by. Inasmuch as Christians would be drawing away disciples from “the flock” of v. 29, the two groups could both consist of baptized believers and teach the truth on how one is saved from sin. They could both call themselves “the Church of Christ.” Modern day Christian churches which baptize believers and take on the name of “Church of Christ” (many do) show that such a scenario is not farfetched. The simple point that we seek to make here is that one can follow men and still teach parts of God’s will. In such instances one cannot say someone is wrong for teaching what truth they do. They are wrong wherein they have departed from the truth and followed men.

2. You would have to compare what each church is teaching with the New Testament. Inasmuch as Paul expounded “all the counsel of God” to the brethren there at Ephesus (v. 27), you would want the same in your seeking the true church. You would want to hear what a church taught with reference to such moral questions as drunkenness, homosexuality, divorce and remarriage, etc., and compare it with the Scriptures (Matt. 19:8, 9; 1 Cor. 6:9, 10). This would also be the case in doctrinal matters. You would open your Bible to compare what is written therein to what a given church taught. Jesus’ words of Matthew 15:9 tell us that His word must be taught on all matters: “But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

3. You would have to compare each church’s activities with the New Testament. The Bible teaches us the danger of “saying and doing not” (Matt. 23:3; Titus 1:16). We realize, therefore, that it is not enough for a group of brethren to simply claim to be a true church, or to say that they recognize Christ as their head, or to profess belief in the Bible principles such as the oversight of elders, or the autonomy of the local church, etc. When it came to the church’s activities, you would want book, chapter, and verse for everything the church was involved in (Col. 3:17; Acts 20:32; 2 Jn. 9). This is born of the realization that Christ can only be “head over all things” to a church if that church submits to Him in all things (Eph. 1:22, 23).

Conclusion
Such a scenario as we have sought to picture in this article exists today. Churches of Christ exist that teach and practice different things from one another. Do you want to be just a Christian? Do you want to be just a member of Jesus’ church and nothing more? Please, follow the steps we have outlined herein.

-(http://www.biblework.com/)

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You can find the complete outline of this sermon at BIBLE ANSWERS

Understanding Authority

Scripture Reading:  Matthew 8:5-13

 Contrast the faith of the centurion & the “sons of the kingdom” (8:10-12):

  – Great faith, but not in Israel (8:10).
  – Gentile inclusion into the kingdom due to faith (8:11).
  – Sons of the kingdom (Jews) cast out for lack of faith (8:12).

I.  THE RIGHTS OF AUTHORITY, Matt. 8:8-9 (Lk. 7:7-8); Matt. 28:18.  -JESUS-

  A.  The One with Authority has the Right to Rule, 8:9; Psa. 2:6-7, 10-12; Eph. 1:21-23.
  B.  The One with Authority has the Right to Bless, 8:8 (Rom. 13:3-4); Jno. 17:2.
  C.  The One with Authority has the Right to Judge, 8:9; (Jno. 19:10); Jno. 5:26-29.
  Lesson:  Our faith must acknowledge Christ possesses the right (power) to rule, to bless & to judge our submission to Him (His will).

II. SUBMISSION TO AUTHORITY, Matt. 8:8-9; Lk. 7:7-8.

  A.  Some are not Willing to Submit to Authority; 2 Kgs. 5:1, 9-14; 1 Sam. 15:13-14, 19; Isa. 30:8-11.
  B.  Some Willingly Yield to Authority, Matt. 8:8; Jno. 9:6-7; Acts 26:19.  
   Lesson:  We will receive the blessings of faith from the authoritative one (Christ) only by submitting to His authority, Matt. 8:8, 13; 28:18-20; 7:21.

III. FAITH AND AUTHORITY.

  A. Living by Faith is Respecting & Obeying Divine Authority, Jno. 12:48-50; Rom. 10:17 (8).
  B.  Shall we be Faithless or Believing?  Matt. 8:12-13
   Lesson:  Living by faith is really a question of whether we will submit to the authority of Christ in all things!  (Col. 3:17; Matt. 7:21-23)

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You can find the complete outline of this sermon at BIBLE ANSWERS

"Stop trying to make it to heaven!"

Scripture Reading:  John 6:25-29

1.  A preacher recently said from his pulpit, “stop trying to go to heaven!”
2.  Now, I understand he was trying to say that sinners cannot earn (merit) their salvation, but his application was that there is nothing you can do that affects your salvation – that you must simply and only believe.
3.  He also said: “heaven is not a reward” (for your good deeds), Psa. 19:11, Heb. 11:6 (Matt. 5:12; Heb. 10:35; Rev. 22:12)
4.  Obeying Jesus is not earning heaven (Lk. 17:8-10; Eph. 2:8-9).
5. 
If we should “stop trying to get to heaven,” then there are other things we should also “stop trying to do” ----

I. STOP TRYING TO OBEY JESUS, Heb. 5:8-9.

II. STOP TRYING TO “WORK OUT OUR OWN SALVATION,” Phil. 2:12-13.

III. STOP PRESSING TOWARD THE GOAL OF HEAVEN, Phil. 3:11-16.

IV. STOP HEARING & FOLLOWING JESUS, Jno. 10:27-28 (3-5); 8:51 (12, 31-32).

V. STOP LABORING FOR THE FOOD THAT ENDURES TO EVERLASTING LIFE, 6:26-29.

VI. STOP EXPECTING TO REAP WHAT WE SOW, Gal. 6:7-9.

VII. STOP WALKING IN GOOD WORKS, Eph. 2:10 (2 Cor. 5:17); cf. Rev. 14:13.

VIII. STOP ENDURING THE TRIALS OF LIFE, Heb. 12:1-2 (1 Cor. 9:24-27).

IX. STOP SEEKING A HOMELAND, Heb. 11:13-16.

     Heaven is the reward of the faithful – not because they earn it – but because they trust (believe) Jesus and follow (obey) Him, 2 Jno. 8; Jas. 1:12.

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NOTEWORTHY NEWS
(Current events in the light of Scripture)

The more things change...
Joe R. Price

I didn’t get usual dose of news over the past month due to unexpected travel to be with my ailing mother.  But, the news I did absorb reminds me of the old adage, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”  News reports of war, politics, crime and riots, diseases, etc. – all of these make it evident there is “nothing new under the sun” (Eccl. 1:9).

There are some unchangeable things that reinforce faith and assure our hope.  Among these are:

1. God’s character:  “For I am the LORD, I do not change” (Mal. 3:6).  Man’s character fluctuates; God’s is constant.  Thus, Moses wrote, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent.  Has He said, and will He not do?  Or has He spoken, and will he not make it good?”  (Num. 23:19)  God’s integrity of character is unblemished and worthy of our reverence:  He is holy, just and eternal (1 Pet. 1:17; Psa. 7:11; 1 Jno. 1:9; Psa. 90:2).

2. God’s counsel:  “Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us” (Heb. 6:17-18).  By His oath, God has shown the redeemed (heirs of the promise) that their hope is secure; His promise of salvation is confirmed.

3. Christ’s priesthood: “But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood” (Heb. 7:24).  His priesthood does not pass to another; and being eternal, He is continually able “to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him” (Heb. 7:25).

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Created by Chuck Sibbing - 03/11/2009

The Spirit's Sword is a free, weekly publication of the Mt. Baker church of Christ, Bellingham, WA
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