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

THE
SPIRIT’S
SWORD

Volume 17, Number 15
09/07/2014

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 September 21-26, 2014

  Christian Vacation

  Sermon Outlines:

  • The Grace of Christ: Things Concerning Christ (#5)
  • Filled With All Unrighteousness (#1)

  Noteworthy News: Humor and Heaven

Gospel Meeting September 21-26, 2014

Mt. Baker church of Christ
Gospel Meeting

September 21-26, 2014

Evangelist
Steven J. Wallace
(Lubbock, Texas)

Bible lessons nightly, Mon-Fri at 7:00 PM
Sunday, September 21^st at 9:30 & 10:30 AM; 6:00 PM

“The Truth that Shall Make You Free”

Sunday Class: Truth Misunderstood in Bible Times
Sunday AM: Truth Misunderstood Today (1)
Sunday PM: Truth Misunderstood Today (2)
Monday: The Truth Concerning the Truth
Tuesday: The Truth Concerning Suffering
Wednesday: The Truth Concerning Jesus as the Son of God
Thursday: The Truth Concerning Christ and the Church
Friday: The Truth Concerning Salvation by Grace through Faith

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

Christian Vacation

Joe. R. Price

We are not discussing Christians going on vacations. We are discussing Christians taking vacations from putting the Lord first in their lives. Christians should never take a vacation from “seek(ing) first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matt. 6:33).

We recently learned about the Allen Creek Community Church (AC3) in Marysville, WA, where regular worship services are suspended for one month annually. They call it “PAUSE” and explain, “we suspend our regular weekend services from August through Labor Day to give our volunteers a well-deserved rest & PAUSE” (Calendar of Events, August 2014). We are not surprised that a man-made denomination would PAUSE from worshiping the Lord in spirit and truth. But, we cannot be so blind as to think that New Testament Christians may do the same sort of things and escape God’s judgment (Rom. 2:1-3, 21-24).

Apparently, some Christians think they deserve to PAUSE from worship. They choose to take off on a weekend and do not worship God. (Some only come to worship once when the church meets twice each Sunday.) Do they reason, "I go to worship services 51 weeks a year...what’s wrong with taking one or two Sundays off?" I would venture to say the same thing that is wrong with being faithful to your wife 50 weeks out of the year, but being unfaithful to her two weeks each year! Is that too harsh? You tell me. Or, better yet, tell the Lord Jesus.

This really gets down to a matter of the heart. If we can PAUSE from worshiping God, then what prevents a PAUSE from anything else the Lord commands of us? Why not PAUSE from moral purity and living “soberly, righteously and godly" (1 Pet. 1:13-16; Tit. 2:12; Col. 3:17)?

“I deserve a break today”! This sort of excuse-making for doing other things than worshiping God and putting Him first in all things boils down to some clear troubles: a weak faith, selfishness and self-justification. Do we really believe we are so righteous that we “deserve a break” from serving the Lord? Wasn’t this at the heart of the Pharisee’s problem in Luke 18:9-14? He was not like other men...he was so active in God’s work, fasting twice a week and paying his tithes! In his own mind he was faithful and righteous -- yet, he was the center of his attention. God did not justify him, nor will God justify us if we have the same self-righteous mindset (v. 14). We cannot successfully PAUSE from faithfulness by appealing to our record of obedience.

“It’s a burden to be at every worship service.” This excuse reflects a heart unwilling to sacrificially love God. It takes sacrifice to love God! “This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 Jno. 5:3). The Lord commands us to worship and not forsake the assembling of ourselves together (Jno. 4:24; Heb. 10:25). Shall we PAUSE from loving God? If worship is burdensome to you, a change of heart (repentance) is in order.

“I just need to get away.” This Christian sees worship as a job. Only so much work, and then he gets weary. Being a Christian is not a job, it is our life, our calling (Eph. 4:1). So, “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Gal. 6:9).

Vacations from employment are good and helpful. But, there is no acceptable, Scriptural PAUSE from following God. Put Him first in all things, without making excuses (Lk. 14:15-27).

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

The Grace of Christ: Things Concerning Christ (#5)

Scripture Reading: John 1:14-18

1. Jesus is “full of grace and truth”, Jno. 1:14-17.
2. To be “strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” we must know it, trust it and be thankful for it, 2 Tim. 2:1; 2 Pet. 3:18.

I. DEFINING GRACE: WHAT IT IS.

A. Divine Favor, Unmerited by Man, yet Freely Offered by God, Eph. 1:4-7; Tit. 2:11.
B. Sinners Access God’s Grace by Faith, Rom. 5:1-2; Eph. 2:8. Acts 15:8-11; 13:38.
C. By Definition, God’s Grace is not Earned, Rom. 11:5-6; 4:1-5; Gal. 5:4-7; 1 Cor. 15:10.

II. THE GRACE OF GOD...

A. Saves Sinners, Eph. 2:4-9.
B. Justifies Guilty, Rom. 3:23-24 (Tit. 3:7).
C. Makes Us Accepted in the Beloved (the Son), Eph. 1:6; Tit. 3:4-7.

III. WHAT GRACE OF GOD DOES NOT DO.

A. Grace does not make it Impossible for Christians to Sin and Fall Away (to be lost), Gal. 5:3-7 (1:6-9); Jas. 5:19-20; 1 Co. 10:11-13.
B. Grace does not Turn Sin into Righteousness, Rom. 6:1-2, 12-14; Gal. 2:18.
-Grace does not...
1. Turn vain worship into true worship, Lev. 10:1-2 (Jno. 4:24).
2. Turn immorality into purity, Rev.9:20-21.
3. Turn error into truth, Gal. 2:20-21.
C. Grace does not Sanction Fellowship with Sin or with those who Condone the Practitioners of Sin, Heb. 13:9; 2 Jno. 9-11.

Conclusion
1. God’s grace will not save in spite your sins.
2. God’s grace offers salvation to all.
3. Gospel of grace calls the lost to be saved by grace through faith. Heb. 5:8-9

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

Filled With All Unrighteousness (#1)

Scripture Reading: Romans 2:3-11

1. Christians are to be "filled with the Spirit", Eph. 5:18.
a. Walk in, be led by and live in the Spirit-given word, Col. 3:16; Gal. 5:16-18, 25.
b. Bear the fruit of the Spirit, Gal. 5:22-23.
2. The worldly "fulfill the lust of the flesh", Gal. 5: 16-21.
3. The degeneration of individuals and whole societies is explained in Romans 1.
4. Filled with all unrighteousness, Rom. 1:29-31:
a. First Group: General designations of sin.
b. Second Group: Envy and consequences.
c. Third Group: Variety of sins...dangerous to social fabric as well as souls.
5. God's judgment, Rom. 1:32.
6. Warning: We must not learn what they teach, think as they think or live as they live.

I. FIRST GROUP: GENERAL SINS OF DEFILEMENT, Rom. 1:29.

A. Filled With: Full of, Consumed by (filled to the brim), State of Completion, Eph. 4:17-19. Given over to all manner of evil.
1. Unrighteousness: Lack of right conduct toward men, injustice, Rom. 1:18; 1 Jno. 5:17; Matt. 7:12; 22:39.
2. [Sexual immorality]: Fornication. Heb. 13:4; 1 Cor. 6:13, 18-20; 1 Ths. 4:3-5; Mk. 7:21.
3. Wickedness: "Defectiveness", "Intentionally practised evil will" and "unceasing baseness" (Kittel), malice, evil purposes and desires. Plots sin, Prov. 1:10-16.
4. Covetousness: Greed. 1 Tim. 6:6-10; Phil. 4:11-13; Heb. 13:5-6
5. Maliciousness: Malice, meanness, desire to injure. Development of evil motives and desires, Acts 8:22; Tit. 3:3; 1 Pet. 2:1; Ro. 12:2.

Conclusion
1. To the defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure, Titus 1:15-16.
2. Sin begins with refusing God...ends in eternal refusal by God, Rom. 1:18, 32; 2:2, 6-9.

NOTEWORTHY NEWS
(Current events in the light of Scripture)

Humor and Heaven
Joe R. Price

Two famous comics died in America this past month, Robin Williams (suicide) and Joan Rivers (complications during out-patient surgery). Williams was 63, Rivers was 81. Like the rest of us, comics say what is in their heart. And like us, their words will justify and condemn them (Matt. 12:34-37).

Rivers is being eulogized as "groundbreaking", a "no-holds-barred", "envelope-pushing" and "edgy" comic. While listening to the radio news about her death, some of the clips of her routine were bleeped out due to vulgarity (very common these days).

There is a "time to laugh" in life (Eccl. 3:4). Humor is good for us. But, we must take care that the humor in which we participate (both giving and receiving) is moral and pure instead of vulgar, profane and hurtful to others. "Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth...neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks" (Eph. 4:29; 5:4). The humor Christians engage in is not to be "edgy" and "no-holds-barred", but restrained by holiness, purity and kindness (Eph. 4:31-5:3).

Furthermore, if one prefers to take up permanent residency in the "house of mirth" he will likely overvalue humor and devalue its counterweight. There is also a time to weep and mourn (Eccl. 3:4). "The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of the fool is in the house of mirth" (Eccl. 7:4). Some of the world's saddest people are comedians. Why is that? Ultimately, humor cannot satisfy the purpose and longings of the soul (Eccl. 12:13).

Rivers recently summed up her attitude: "Think it's been easy?" she said. "I have gone up, I've gone down; I've been bankrupt, I've been broke. But you do it. And you do it because ... because we love it more than anything else." ("Joan Rivers, An Enduring Comic Who Turned Tragedy Into Showbiz Success, Dies", Eric Deggans, npr.org) Too bad. We must not love anything more than the Lord our God (Matt. 22:37). Do you?

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