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

THE
SPIRIT’S
SWORD

Volume 24, Number 10
04/10/2022

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

In this issue:

• Making Bible Applications
• Sermon Outlines:
  • The Body and Blood of Jesus
  • Christ Will Give You Light
• Noteworthy News: Churches and Schools

Making Bible Applications
Joe R. Price

Many people (including some Christians) are uncomfortable with Bible preaching that makes specific applications. Teach on the principles of truth all day long, and they are ardent supporters. But start applying the principles of truth to real-life situations and real-life people, and they become squeamish, even adversarial. These people have missed the fundamental point that we must apply God’s truth to our lives for it to save us. A good grammar instructor teaches the principles of grammar and then applies those principles to sentence structure, etc. Likewise, a faithful Bible teacher shows the Scriptural principle and applies it to our lives. He makes the application.

Some have little problem with the Bible teacher making applications as long as he applies them to someone else. Someone said, “The average person’s idea of a good sermon goes over his head and wakes his neighbor up.” We are hypocritical and sinfully judgmental when we are satisfied with applying truth to those around us but unwilling to apply it to ourselves (Matt. 7:1-5).

Jesus taught the principles of truth along with specific, pointed applications. Read Matthew 23; 16:22-23; 15:1-14; John 9:40-41 for just a few examples of Jesus applying the truth to His audiences. The apostles followed His example and made specific applications of divine truth to those they taught (Acts 2:36; 8:20-23; 24:24-25). They even named names when it was necessary to identify who was worthy of imitation and who was not (3 John 9-12).

Some brethren warn, “You will run people off if you name names and make specific applications.” The determining factors for whether truth is being taught and its applications being made are not “will it run folks off,” “will it hurt someone’s feelings,” or “will they be offended.” How people react to truth does not determine whether we should teach it (Ezek. 2:3-7). The whole truth must be preached and applied to save souls (Acts 20:27; 1 Tim. 4:16; 2 Tim. 4:2).

After Jesus roundly rebuked the scribes and Pharisees for nullifying the word of God with their traditions, the apostles said to Him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying (Matt. 15:12)?” The word they used (skandalizō) means “to put a stumbling-block or impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and fall; to be a stumbling-block…to entice to sin…to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey...to cause to fall away” (Thayer, 576). The apostles told Jesus His teaching placed an impediment before the Pharisees. It is as if they said, “Jesus, you are causing the Pharisees to stumble!” (Some Christians say this when applications of truth expose sin and false doctrine.) Jesus denied their claim and explained the scribes and Pharisees were already blind guides leading the blind (Matt. 15:13-14). Applying the truth when we teach is not why people reject the truth. Truth is rejected when the hearer’s heart is not right (Matt. 15:15-20; 13:18-23).

We make applications from God’s word because it profits the hearer (2 Tim. 3:16-4:2). Paul said, “I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you…” (Acts 20:20). When we refuse to accept and follow the God-given pattern of applying Bible teaching, we become an impediment to sound teaching, not a supporter of it. -Reprint (edited), The Spirit’s Sword

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

The Body and Blood of Jesus
Joe R. Price

Scripture Reading: Matthew 26:26-30

1. Lord’s Supper is a weekly reminder of and fellowship with Christ’s death (body and blood), 1 Cor. 11:24-25; 10:16.
2. Enrich our understanding, gratitude, faith, and memory of His body and blood.

I. THE BODY OF CHRIST (Matt. 26:26).

A. Jesus Suffered in the Flesh, 1 Pet. 3:18; 4:1 (2:21, for us); Luke 22:42-44, 63-65; 23:10-11, 33; 1 Pet. 2:24; Luke 24:26, 46 (Acts 17:3).
B. Jesus Sacrificed His Body (John 10:18), Heb. 2:9-10; 9:26; 10:5-7, 9-10; Isa. 53:10-12.
C. Jesus’ Body was Raised for Our Salvation, Rom. 5:9-10; 4:25; 1 Cor. 15:19-20.
-Body of Christ: Suffered…Sacrificed…our Salvation.

II. THE BLOOD OF CHRIST (Matt. 26:28).

A. Life is in the Blood, Lev. 17:11, 14; John 19:33-34.
B. Christ’s Blood Dedicated the New Covenant, Matt. 26:28; Heb. 9:16-22; Rom. 3:25; 5:9; Eph. 2:13 (16).
-Blood of Christ: Lifeblood dedicated the new covenant that gives remission of sins.

III. THE DEATH OF CHRIST (1 Cor. 15:3).

A. God’s Love, Rom. 5:6-9.
B. Christ’s Obedience, Heb. 5:8-9.
C. Our Salvation, Rom. 6:3; Acts 22:16.

Conclusion
1. When we remember the death of Jesus we must remember what it accomplished: Redemption, reconciliation, salvation, justification, sanctification.
2. Christ’s death—Victory over sin, 1 Cor. 15:57.

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

Christ Will Give You Light
Joe R. Price

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 5:8-14

1. God spoke light into existence, Gen. 1:2-3. God is light (1 John 1:5).
2. Light (Jesus) shines in the dark world and dispels the darkness, John 1:4-5, 9-10; John 8:12; 9:5; 1 John 2:8.
3. When we follow Jesus we have life-giving Light, John 8:12.

I. CALLED OUT OF DARKNESS INTO LIGHT, Eph. 5:11 (1 Pet. 2:9).

A. Darkness of Ignorance, Eph. 4:17-18; Rom. 1:21; 2 Cor. 4:4; 1 John 1:6-7; 2 Cor. 4:6.
B. Darkness of Immorality, Eph. 4:19; Rom. 1:24-32; 1 John 2:9-10.
C. Gospel Call: Conversion from Dark to Light, Acts 26:17-18, 20; Col. 1:13; Eph. 5:11.

II WHEN DOES CHRIST GIVE YOU LIGHT? (WHEN DOES HIS LIGHT SHINE ON YOU?) Eph. 5:14 (11-14)

A. When You Walk as a Child of Light, Eph. 5:8; John 8:12; 12:35-36, 44-48; 1 John 1:5-7.
B. When You Bear the Fruit of the Spirit, Eph. 5:9-10; Luke 8:15; Gal. 6:16, 18, 22-26; John 15:7-8.
C. When You Refuse to have Fellowship with Darkness, 5:11-13; 2 Cor. 6:14 (Eph. 5:7); 2 John 9-11; John 3:19-21; Eph. 5:5-6.
D. When You Wake Up from Spiritual Sleep and Death, Eph. 5:14; Luke 15:17-20 (Joel 1:5); Rom. 13:11-14; 1 Cor. 11:30-31 (27-29).

Conclusion
1. Sin fills the world with great darkness.
2. We are filled with great darkness when we refuse “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ,” 2 Cor. 4:4, 6 (Matt. 6:22-23).
3. Walk in His light and have eternal life, Jn. 8:12.

NOTEWORTHY NEWS
(Current events in the light of Scripture)

Churches and Schools
Joe R. Price

Educating children is crucial for a nation’s survival. Evidence shows this nation’s education system has been in decline for some time now.

Should churches build and maintain primary and secondary schools to educate youth? Many churches do it, including many churches of Christ. (I read this morning about a large denominational church in the Los Angeles area is launching two elementary schools this fall.)

Neither the current state of secular education in America nor that many churches fund and operate schools in the name of “Christian education” is Biblical authority to do so. Whatever we do must have Christ’s approval in His word (Col. 3:16-17; Matt. 28:18). The church belongs to Christ, not to us to do with it whatever we please by calling it a “good work” (Matt. 16:18). We must do His will, not ours (Heb. 13:21).

The education that churches should provide is training in the word of God. The arrangement of local churches is adequate to satisfy this work of spiritual edification (Acts 9:31; 11:22-26; 20:28-32; Eph. 4:11-16). The Bible is silent (giving no authority from God) on local churches operating and funding daycares, K-12, and colleges. Silence is not consent. It is going beyond what is written (Lev. 10:1-2; Heb. 7:13-14; 1 Cor. 4:6; 2 Tim. 3:16-17).

The work of local churches is not social, political, medical, or recreational. Their work is to preach the gospel to the lost (evangelism, 1 Thess. 1:8), strengthen the saints (edification, 1 Cor. 14:26), and relieve needy Christians (benevolence, Acts 4:34-35; 6:1-6; 1 Tim. 5:16).

The end does not justify the means. Doing “good” is not defined by the outcome, but by whether God says the work is “good” (approved by Him, 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Eph. 2:10).

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