The Spirit’s Sword, April 13, 2014

And take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17

THE
SPIRIT’S
SWORD

Volume 16, Number 46
04/13/2014

Published by
Mt. Baker
church of Christ

Location:
1860 Mt. Baker HWY
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 30821
Bellingham, WA 98228
(360) 752-2692

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

Wednesday:
Bible Classes.........7:00 PM
All sing last Wednesday

Web sites:
Mt. Baker church
Bible Answers

Editor......Joe R. Price

Elders
Morris Bass
Rick Holt

Deacons
Aaron Bass
Rich Brooks
Mike Finn
Dan Head

In this issue:

Gospel Meeting Mt. Baker church of Christ, April 27 - May 2, 2014
Evil's Test of Character By Steve Wallace
Sermon Outlines:
- Will Jesus Include You?
- Messages of the Cross
Noteworthy News: Jesus and Mao

Gospel Meeting

Mt. Baker church of Christ
Gospel Meeting

April 27 - May 2, 2014

Evangelist
Micky Galloway
(Lancaster, California)

Bible lessons nightly, Mon-Fri at 7:00 PM
Sunday, April 27th at 9:30 and 10:30 AM; 6:00 PM

Back to the Bible Preaching!

Sunday Bible Class: Faith Learned Early
Sunday AM: Faith, Success or Failure
Sunday PM: Faith Under Fire

Monday: Faith In A Faithless Nation
Tuesday: Lacking In Your Faith
Wednesday: Lord Increase Our Faith
Thursday: Dangers To Our Faith
Friday: If Any Man Be In Christ He Is A New Creature

(From I-5 take Exit # 255 and go East 4.2 miles)
For more information please call (360) 752-2692

Evil's Test of Character

Steve Wallace

Proverbs 14:16, “One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.” (ESV)

Evil is all around us and manifests itself in many ways. Therefore, all people will be tried and tempted by its allurements. Lists of sins can be helpful in identifying it (Rom. 1:20-32; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Pet. 4:3). Inspired records of sinful actions and their consequences are intended to inform and educate (Rom. 11:20; 1 Cor. 10:1-12; Heb. 3:7-12). All people will show themselves wise or foolish by their reaction to the presence of evil. These two contrasting reactions are described in the above proverb.

Fear of the Lord leads one to depart from evil (Prov. 16:6). Thus, fear encourages caution in the godly person. The wise are educated about the dangers of evil and foresee it (Prov. 22:3). They are apprehensive of this world, the things common to it, and are on guard (Rom. 12:2; 1 Cor. 10:12; 2 Tim. 3:1-5). They tremble at the word of God and fear of coming short of its promised blessings (Isa. 66:2; Heb. 4:1). Their reaction to evil is a decisive ‘turning away’ from it.

Fools’ reaction to evil is pictured as being quite the opposite of the wise. They are either untrained or have forgotten the right ways they have learned (Prov. 1:7, 22; 15:5; 17:10). They do not know God’s ways (Jer. 5:4). In such a state they enter each situation in life guided by nothing more than their own foolish heart and the folly which they have fed it (Prov. 28:26; 15:14). As they behold evil they may be gullible, passionate, hasty, and even bold. What is vitally important to all is what God’s word reveals about their end. They fall. Their ways destroy them. They die for lack of understanding (Prov. 10:8; 1:32; 10:21).

As we contemplate the thoughtful, prudent person and the self-confident, daring, presumptive fool we must ask ourselves, What is our reaction to evil? What is our reaction to filthy talk, whether it be from neighbors and work colleagues or professionals from the entertainment media? How do we respond to opportunities to steal or deceive? What is our response to titillation, lust, and open opportunities to fulfill the lusts of the flesh? What do we do when given the chance to drink modern intoxicants or participate in recreational drug use? The evil in this world tests the character of us all. Do we appear as wise or foolish in our reaction to it?

-The Way of Truth and Life, January 5, 2014

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

Will Jesus Include You?

Scripture Reading: John 3:1-5

1. Sign at the Christ Lutheran Church (Ferndale WA): “Jesus includes you unconditionally”.
2. Religiously this translates into open fellowship, unity in diversity and compromise.
3. There are some things in which Jesus includes us unconditionally; There are also things in which we are only included conditionally.

I. JESUS UNCONDITIONALLY INCLUDES YOU IN…

A. His Condemnation of Sin, Rom. 3:9-19, 23; 6:23. Ezek. 18:32
B. His Call to Be Saved, Matt. 11:28-30. Mk. 16:15; 1 Tim. 2:3-4; Acts 2:21, 36-41; Rom. 10:8-13; Acts 10:34-35; 22:16
C. Future Resurrection from Dead, Jno. 5:28-29; 1 Cor. 15:21-22.
D. His Promised Judgment, Acts 17:30-31; Heb. 9:27; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:12; Matt. 25:34-46 (our works, Rev. 20:12).

II. JESUS DOES NOT UNCONDITIONALLY INCLUDE YOU…

A. In the New Birth, Jno. 3:3-5. Matt. 7:13-14, 21; Lk. 13:23-24; 1 Pet. 1:22-23; 3:21.
B. In True Worship, Jno. 4:23-24. Matt. 15:7-9; Jer. 6:20; Col. 2:20-23
C. In Divorce without the Cause of Fornication, Matt. 5:32. 1 Cor. 7:10-11
D. In His Church, Matt. 16:18; Acts 2:41, 47. 1 Cor. 12:13; cf. Acts 9:26-28; Rom. 16:1-2

Conclusion
1. Jesus includes everyone in the call to salvation by the gospel, Rom. 1:16.
2. Only those who believe and obey God will be saved, Matt. 7:21-23.

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

Messages of the Cross

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:17-25

1. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Simple question which all must ask and find an answer. Yet, answer sums up whole Bible.
2. 1 Cor. 1:17-31: Gospel is the message of the cross. The death (cross) of Jesus sends out many messages which we must hear and heed.

I. GOD MADE THE CROSS AN OBJECT LESSON LIKE NO OTHER, 1 Cor. 1:17-25.

A. Cross Seems Like a Strange Object to Teach Greatest Message Ever Heard; 1 Cor. 1:17-23; Rom. 9:32-33.
B. The Cross is the Focal Point of the Bible, 1 Cor. 1:23; 2:2; Heb. 9:22.

II. THE MESSAGES OF THE CROSS.

A. The Power and Awfulness of Sin, Isa. 53:10; Heb. 10:4-10.
B. Love of God Magnificently Revealed, Jno. 15:13; Rom. 5:6-8.
C. God’s Grace is Revealed in the Cross; Rom. 3:24; Eph. 2:5, 8-9; 1 Jno. 4:9-10.
D. God is Declared both Just and the Justifier, Rom. 3:25-26; 5:10; Col. 1:20.
F. God’s Power Fully Revealed, 1 Cor. 1:18, 24; Jno. 3:16-17.
G. God’s Wisdom is Revealed, 1 Cor. 1:21, 25.
H. We See Our Ultimate Example for Living and Dying, 1 Pet. 2:21-24.
I. Righteous Suffering is a Powerful Attraction to Men, Jno. 12:32-33; 4:14-15 (Mk.15:43).

Conclusion
1. In the cross God shows us our hopeless condition in sin (on our own) and His great love for us.
2. Its central message is salvation.

NOTEWORTHY NEWS
(Current events in the light of Scripture)

Jesus and Mao
Joe R. Price

Researchers at Tea Leaf Nation, an E-zine that addresses current events in China, say Jesus is more popular on Weibo, China’s social media version of Twitter, than Mao Zedong (former leader of the Communist Party in China). “For example, a search for the word ‘Bible’ yielded over 17 million recent results, while the iconic Quotations of Chairman Mao, a widely distributed collection of writings by the former leader of the Chinese Communist Party known in the West as the Little Red Book, received fewer than 60,000 mentions” (“Infographic: Jesus More Popular Than Mao on China’s Twitter”, Bethany Allen, tealeafnation.com).

This is not a scientific study, and factors such as censorship likely distort these figures. Nevertheless, here are some brief, Bible-based observations:

Talking about Jesus does not mean one has faith in Jesus as the Son of God (see Jno. 6:40-44). The devil is happy to have you talk about Jesus as long as you do not believe and obey Jesus (see Jno. 12:42-43).

Talking about Jesus does not make one a Christian. One becomes a Christian by hearing and believing the gospel, confessing faith, repenting of sins and being baptized into Christ (Mk. 16:15-16; Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 2:37-38).

Talking about Jesus but not obeying Jesus means one remains lost in their sins. Jesus said, “not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matt. 7:21).

The word of God lives and abides forever (1 Pet. 1:23). The words of Mao, which prop up a failed economic system, continue to fade with time. The gospel continues to save souls 2,000 years since it was first recorded; it “endures forever” (1 Pet. 1:25).

The Spirit's Sword is a free, weekly publication of the Mt. Baker church of Christ, Bellingham, WA
Send all questions, comments and subscriptions to the editor at: ssword@bibleanswer.com

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