And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND HIM ONLY YOU SHALL SERVE.’”
(Luke 4:8)

Satan tempts us to bow down and pay homage to other things than God. For example, some choose to worship material things (1 Tim. 6:10). The word of God says covetousness is idolatry (Col. 3:5). Any person or thing we put before the Lord God and serve rather than him is our object of worship.

Today is the first day of the week, the day of worship ordained by the Lord (Acts 20:7). Use your time today to worship God “in spirit and truth”. By doing so you will be numbered among those whose worship God accepts (Jno. 4:23-24). Fully give your heart to praising and honoring God. And, worship him according to his revealed will: with prayers and singing, with giving and eating the Lord’s Supper, and by listening to the teaching of his word (Acts 2:42; Eph. 5:19; 1 Cor. 16:2; Acts 20:7).

Worshiping God is the Christian’s first priority on the Lord’s Day. Do not yield to Satan’s temptation to forget God and fail to worship him. If you have, then repent and return to him with praise and adoration for his mercy and grace in Jesus Christ, our Lord. 

-Sword Tips, #14

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But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.” (Ruth 1:16-17)

The story of Ruth is a great story of love’s devotion. A young widow and stranger in Israel, her steadfast devotion to her mother-in-law Naomi is a striking example of love’s unselfishness and trust in the face of uncertainty and adversity. To whom have you devoted yourself: Your husband or your wife? An ailing parent? A child? A friend? Ruth’s fidelity is a model worthy of imitation.

The Christian’s first devotion must always be to Jesus Christ. To love anyone or anything more than him makes us unworthy of him (read Matthew 10:37-39). Like Ruth, we must “lose” our life for Christ’s sake in order to “find” it. Ruth was greatly blessed because of her devoted love for Naomi, her people and her God. Show love’s devotion to those in your life today. Give up every selfish impulse and serve Christ by serving others. 

-Sword Tips, #121

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Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

What you focus on in your life says a lot about who you are and where you are going. The Christian walks by faith in this world of sin. With the eyes of faith, we see the eternal glory of things that transcend this world. We do not despair when we watch our bodies age until finally we die. We are not discouraged when we are opposed because we follow Christ. Our faith is invigorated daily because we anticipate eternal glory. We live for heaven while walking this earth. That is something those who do not know God cannot grasp. For what do the faithless have to live? Nothing more than this life, and after that comes an eternity of despair. How sad that they do not come to Christ for salvation and the hope of heaven.

My brother and sister in Christ, do not let the world turn your focus away from your heavenly home. Your hope is laid up in heaven, so live for heaven every day. 

-Sword Tips, #108

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You can find the complete outline of this sermon plus PowerPoint and MP3 Audio files at BIBLE ANSWERS
 

Walk in Wisdom

Scripture Reading:  Ephesians 5:15-21

1. Eph. 5:1-7: Walk in love (imitate God).
2. Eph. 5:8-14: Walk in light (fellowship).
3. Eph. 5:15-21: Walk in wisdom (careful).

I. WALK IN WISDOM, Eph. 5:15-20.

  A. Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom, Prov. 9:10; 1:7. 2 Tim. 3:10.

II. HOW TO WALK IN WISDOM.

  A. Redeem the Time, Eph. 5:16; 6:12; Jno. 4:34-35.
 B. Understand the Will of the Lord, Eph. 5:17; 3:3-4. (cf. Phil. 1:9-11)
 C. Be Filled with the Spirit, Eph. 5:18; Gal. 5:16-17. Lk. 1:15; Acts 6:3; Prov. 20:1; 1 Pet. 4:3; Tit. 2:6-8.
 D. Speak to One Another in Song, Eph. 5:19; Eph. 4:25-26, 29, 31-32.
 E. Be Thankful Always for All Things, Eph. 5:20.
    1. We must learn contentment, Phil. 4:11; 1 Tim. 6:6-10.
    2. We must trust God, Heb. 13:5-6.
 F. Submit to One Another in the Fear of God, Eph. 5:21.
    1. Subordinate yourself to each other, 1 Pet. 5:5; Phil. 2:3-4.
    2. Fear of God: Loving devotion to please Him, Eph. 5:10.

Conclusion
Wisdom respects the uncertainty of time (5:16), learns the will of the Lord (5:17), lives under the control of God’s Spirit (5:18), worships in spirit and truth (5:19), is always thankful (5:20), and submits to fellow Christians in the fear of God (5:21).

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You can find the complete outline of this sermon plus PowerPoint and MP3 Audio files at BIBLE ANSWERS
 

Following Jesus at a Distance

Scripture Reading:  Matthew 26:51-58

1. The night of Christ’s arrest was a night of extremes for Peter, Matt. 26:33-75.
2. Do we follow Jesus at a distance? (Matt. 26:58; Lk. 22:54)

I. WE ARE TO FOLLOW JESUS, NOT GO BEFORE (AHEAD OF) HIM.

  A. He is the Light of the World, Jno. 8:12.
  B. He is the Good Shepherd, Jno. 10:27.
  C. He is the Lord (Master), Jno. 12:26.
  D. Examples of Going before Jesus, 2 Jno. 9; Matt. 26:51-54; 19:9; Gal. 5:4.

II. WHEN WE FOLLOW JESUS AT A DISTANCE…

  A. We are Unprepared to Resist Sin and Error, Matt. 26:69-71; 2 Cor. 6:17-7:1.
  B. We are Closer to the Enemy than to Christ, Jno. 18:17-18; Jas. 4:4; 1 Jno. 2:15-17.
  C. We are Spectators rather than Participants, Matt. 26:58.

III. FOLLOWING JESUS AT A DISTANCE…

  A. Tempts Us to Believe Moral Purity is not Distinctive, 1 Jno. 3:2-3; Rom. 13:11-14.
  B. Tempts Us to Believe Truth is not Absolute, Jno. 8:31-32.
  C. Tempts Us to Question the Authority of the Scriptures in All Things, cf. Matt. 22:34-35; 1 Thess. 5:21; 2 Tim. 1:13.

Conclusion
1. We must draw near to God:
  a. For His mercy and grace, Heb. 4:16.
  b. To have heaven’s favor, Heb. 10:19-22.
  c. To sustain our fellowship with God, Jas. 4:8.

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On Wednesday, General Robert B. Neller, the United States Marine Corps Commandant, told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense that recruitment for the Marine Corps is “hard work” because “less than 30 percent of the young men and women of our nation are qualified just to join the military, either because of physical, mental or moral issues” (Marine Corps Commandant: ‘Less Than 30% of Young Men and Women’ Qualified to Join Military, Susan Jones, cnsnews.com). A capable fighting force requires soldiers who are competent to meet the requirements of being a soldier and fit to go to war.

So it is in the Lord’s army. Old Testament men and women of faith “quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens” (Heb. 11:34). Like them, we must be spiritually fit to be courageous in battle against sin (1 Tim. 4:7-11). We have been enlisted to wage war against a wicked enemy, but one who is defeated by the power of Christ (Eph. 6:13).

Our struggle against evil requires that we be spiritually fit. We must “put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). To do so requires living by faith and trusting in the power of the Lord, not devising our own battle plans against the devil (Eph. 6:10; 1 Pet. 5:8).

Our struggle against evil requires that we not be hindered by the business of this life (2 Tim. 2:4). We are too easily sidetracked by temporal things (Matt. 6:31-34). We must first seek the rule and reign of God in our lives, not the things that pass away with time and use (Matt. 6:19-21).

Fighting the devil requires our undivided attention. It requires spiritual growth (1 Pet. 2:1-2; 2 Pet. 3:18). It requires faith to look beyond the moment, into eternity.        

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