What Do You Count Gain?
Timothy 1 6:1-12, Phil. 3:7 I: What Does the World Count Gain? 1. The world counts him successful that excels in knowledge, popularity, power, wealth, etc. 2. Paul said these were thrown on the trash heap that he might know Jesus. The world counts gain for Godliness and will sacrifice Godliness for gain. II: Godliness with Contentment. 1. Godliness means separation from sin, consecration to God, and dedication to do His will. 2. Contentment: a. Content with what God gives. b. Peace with God. c. Peace with self. d. As far as possible, living at peace with men. e. It means to cease from contention and useless strife. 3. Godliness with contentment is great gain. There is a piece of God that passes all...
Workmen That Need Not Be Ashamed
Timothy 2 2:15-16 I: Study, Plan, and Purpose: 1. Study God’s word, study the needs of your class, study the individual. 2. Good plans make for a good building. Plans help us to count the cost and keeps our eyes open as to where we are going. 3. Purpose in your heart to plow the field thoroughly without a backward look. II: Practice What You Preach. 1. “Teachest thou not thyself?” 2. “Thou that preachest a man should not steal, doust thou steal?” Do you steal from God’s time, talent, or tithe? 3. Doest thou commit sacrilege? 4. Do you bring dishonor to God? 5. Your actions will speak louder than your words, you will teach by example whether you want to or not. III: Work As One Body. Cor. 1 12:13-22 1. Jesus Christ as the head....
Weary in Well Doing
Thess. 2 3:13, Matt. 25:31-36 I: What is Well Doing? 1. Any work that exalts Christ. 2. Feeding the hungry, thirsty, clothing, etc… Matt. 25:31-36. 3. The poor, widows, the ignorant, sick, fallen, despondent, discouraged, and the wayward. II: What Causes Weariness in Well Doing? 1. Unreasonable and wicked men, Verse 2. 2. The disorderly walk of Christians, Verse 6. 3. Lazy, disorderly, busybodies. III: “Be not Weary in Well Doing.” 1. The athlete trudges on to victory. 2. The false religions to two by to. 3. The world puts us to shame in its drives. 4. Remember that Jesus grew weary and tired, but always went about doing good. Let us not give up and drag His banner in the dust of Grover...
“What Went Ye Out for to See?”
Matthew 11:1-14 Context: John sent from prison to ask Jesus a question that had began to bear upon him. I: The Man Called John Baptist: 1. He was a cousin to Jesus. 2. He was a child of promise. 3. He was possessed by the one idea of preparing the way for the Lord. 4. His appearance was rugged, his speech was plain, and his heart was on fire. II: What Was There To Cause the People To Go Out into the Wilderness To Hear Him? 1. There was a general looking for the appearance of a prophet. 2. His message was heart searching. 3. He was a country preacher. III: John was Stable in An Unstable Generation. 1. He was not a reed shaken by every wind. 2. He was not like Reuben. 3. He was not “tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine.” 4. He...
Where Is the Lamb?
Gen. 22:1-14 I: God Tested Abraham. 1. God’s children are tested by trials and temptations. 2. Satan attacks from every point. 3. But when God imself tests us it is to bring out the best in us and glorify His name. 4. Abraham had come to the greatest testing of his life. II: God Laid His Hand on Abraham’s Most Precious Possession. 1. “Here am I.” Abraham was not out of place. 2. “Take your son.” The gift God had given him. 3. “Go to the land of Moriah and offer him as a burnt offering.” 4. “Abraham rose early in the morning.” III: “Where is the Lamb? God will Provide.” 1. “I and the lad will go yonder and worship and come again to you.” Heb. 11:19. 2. Abraham was called on to give...
Wedding Garment or Filthy Rags
Matthew 22:11-14 Clothes may not make the man, but there is one garment that means the difference in where we spend eternity. I: The World is Very Conscious of Clothing. 1. Paris strives to set the pattern. 2. Hollywood influences the world. 3. Advertisement influences the clothes our children wear. 4. The place we go quite often dictates the type of clothes: Formal, social, tennis, beach, mountains, or church. 5. Our standing in life influences the clothes we wear: Farmer, business, playboy, musician, or preacher. 6. Our financial standing. II: Jesus told of A Man that Attended A Wedding not Properly Clothed: 1. Many were invited that refused. a. Some made light of the invitation and went to their farms and stores. b. Some killed his servants. 2. This man had no...
Why Do Men Continue In Sin?
Eccl. 8:6-13 We see men controlled by the spirit of the age and blindly given over to the ways of sin. Sin obeyed to the destruction of mind, body and soul. Sin openly practiced with no ability to blush. Sin seems to be the popular thing to do. As we view the end of the men of worldly, we are brought to ask why do they continue? Soloman the wise old King, gives us the answer. I: “Who is As the Wise Man?” Verse 1. 1. “Wisdom maketh his face to shine” (a clean conscience). 2. “Keep the King’s commandment.” (No command like his). 3. “Be not hasty to go out of his sight.” (No hiding place). 4. “Stand not in an evil thing.” (Persist not). 5. “For He doeth.” (God inflicts the punishment on...
“With What Body Do They Come?”
Cor. 1 15:35-54 I: What Does the Bible Reveal About Our Change From Time To Eternity? 1. How long does the change from time to eternity take? a. The thief on the cross dies at a late hour in the day. b. Stephen’s eyes already were seeing heavenly scenes as he died. c. Dr. Bateman, “What glory, the angels are waiting for me.” 2. What will we know of self, of family, of friends of the past? Divies & Lazarus. a. Identity: There will have been a change, but we will still recognize each other, (Uncle Sid Jones). b. What amazement will one behold when the spiritual eyes look for the first time upon eternal things? No splendor of earth can compare. Paul’s wind was staggered. c. We will know where we are & why we are there. d. We will know...
“Where is the Guest Chamber?”
Mark 14:12-17, Hebrews 13:2 Many a home has entertained angles unaware. I: Hospitality in the Old Testament: 1. Abraham made his tent a place of hospitality. 2. The widow of Zarephath shared a handful of meal and a little oil. 3. The Shunamite woman said: “Let us make a little chamber.” II: Many Homes Were Opened to Jesus: 1. He had no home to call his own. 2. He was invited to the wedding at Cane. 3. He was visiting in Peter’s home when he healed his mother-in-law. 4. Zacharias entertained the Master. 5. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus made their home a place for Jesus to come. III: Where is the Guest Chamber? 1. Paul Brutian — 98 churches, only four homes invited him as guest. 2. Rev. Jackson of Brazil, two California homes. 3. 25,000 Chinese...
“Who Hath Believed Our Report?”
Luke 2, Isaiah 53:1-12 When we see how far the world has strayed from the true spirit of Christmas, we feel like raising our voice with Isaiah of old and ask “who hath believed our report?” I: Do We Believe the Christmas Story? 1. Do we believe that Bethlehem took its place in fulfilled prophecy? 2. Do we believe that there was a purpose and mission that the Christ child came to full-fill? 3. Does the Christ-child’s birthday give us the real hope of eternal peace & salvation? 4. Dare we believe the angels appeared to Zaccariah, Mary, Joseph, & the Shepherds? 5. Was there really a star that led Wise Men to that child’s bedside? II: “Through Thou Be Little Among the Thousands of Judah.” Micah 5:2. 1. “How far to...
Victory Through Christ
Romans 8:37 I: Victory through His Word: 1. The early Christians recognized the Word of God as being literally the message, plan, & command of God. 2. It was a faith more rock like than any human certainly. 3. Their lives demonstrated faith against a pagan background. II: Victory through Love: 1. From every walk of life he called them with words of love. 2. They loved one another, their fellowship, & their church with an unquenchable love. 3. They loved a lost and dying world, from door to door, from crowds to individuals, from city to country, from Kingdom to kingdom. 4. Their entire attitude was changed by love. III: Victory through Joy: 1. Christianity was full of joy but never a joy ride. 2. Not a performance to please an external God. 3. To them it...
Unashamed
Phil. 3:17-19 We live in a world that seems to have lost the ability to feel shame. Shame: “Painful feeling from a wrong or foolish act, disgrace.” I: “Whose Glory is in Their Shame?” Phil. 3:19. 1. The world about us glory in things we ought to be ashamed of. a. Hollywood glorifies Immorality. b. The Political world. c. The Churches shame of dead indifference. 2. Why does the man or woman of high standards fail to capture the public eye? 3. “Whose God is their belly?” China, Russia, lean & hungry for their cause (China 18 million in 15 years). 4. “Who minded earthly things?” a. Spiritual things given lip service 90% belong to a church. b. Seventy-five percent to a skating party — 11 to a Christian...
