“That I May Know Him”
Phil. 3:1-10 I: “And Have My Confidence in the Flesh.” 1. To know the power of sin makes us to love confidence in the flesh. 2. Paul could have boasted in the flesh verses 4-6. 3. But “There I counted lost for Christ.” 4. The knowledge outweighed all his fleshly boasting. 5. “I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them, but during, that I may win Christ.” II: “That I May Know Him.” 1. That I may know the power of his resurrection. 2. “The fellowship of his suffering.” 3. “Made comfortable unto his death.” III: Christ is the Answer. 1. He is the answer to a sin rich world. 2. He is the answer to every sorrow. 3. He is the answer to every broken heart. 4. He is the answer to every...
The Ecclesia of God
Cor. 1 1:1-2 Scriptural Context: Paul addresses a letter to the church of God at Corinth. I: The Letter Was to the Church of God. 1. It was not addressed to an individual but to an organized called out people of God. 2. Paul dealt with individuals in the church membership. 3. “There are two senses in which the word church is used: a. All believers, whether they are thought of as existing on earth, or on earth and in Heaven at any particular time, or as the total assembly of the redeemed in the life to come. Eph. 5:25-27. b. The great majority of New Testament passages indicate a local body composed of believers in Jesus Christ who are associated together for the cultivation of the christian life, the maintenance of the ordiances and discipline, and for the...
The Wisdom of Man
Cor. 1 1:17-31 I: Man’s Wisdom Hides the Cross of Christ. 1. Not by night nor by power, but by my Spirit saith the Lord of host. 2. Our leaders in the schools of our land have hid the cross by the wisdom of man. 3. “The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness.” 4. God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. (Job 38). 5. The wisdom of the world can never know God except thru the preaching of the cross. 6. Jews require a sign and Greeks seek after wisdom. 7. The power and wisdom of God is manifested in the cross of Christ. II: The Foolishness of God is Wiser Than Men. 1. Not many wise, not many noble, not many mighty according to the flesh. a. It was foolish Israel to leave by the Red Sea in to a howling wilderness. b. It...
The Needs of A Boy
Eph. 6:1-4 Be ye follower of me. I: The Needs of A Boy Are Many. 1. There are the many needs of his baby life. 2. Those needs change and enlarge as he grows older: Knife, slingshot, bicycle, wagon, etc… 3. His need for different food and clothing began to change. 4. He needs companions, play, and guidance. II: Every Boy Needs A Storehouse of Memories. 1. Memories of duties well performed. 2. Memories of failure and success. 3. Memories of a dad that loved, guided, & led toward the highest ideals of life. 4. Memories of the pleasures of a well organized christian home. (Old Oken Bucket) 183. III: Every Boy Needs A Christian Father. 1. Because his father is his ideal and pattern. 2. His life will be influenced by the way daddy leads. 3. He will remember...
The Child Grew & Waxed Strong
Luke 2:40 What would we know of the Christmas story if the child had never grown into manhood and died on the cross? It is also said of John that he grew and waxed strong in the spirit and the grace of God was upon him. Luke 1:80. I: There is No Room for Arrested Growth if the Grace of God is to Be Upon Us. 1. The baby must advance beyond the bassinet beyond the baby bed & venture beyond the four walls of home. 2. He must learn more than cooling & crying. 3. His continued growth will lesson the burdon of those that care for him. 4. If he remains on baby food, talks baby talk, & depends upon others, he becomes a dwarf. We all love new-born babies, but our hearts would be broken if told they would never grow up. II: “The Child Grew and Waxed...
The Basis of Forgiveness
Matthew 6:14, Matthew 18:21-35 I: The Need for Forgiveness: 1. All human race needs God’s forgiveness. a. All have sinned & come short. b. All have failed to live up to what we knew God wanted us to do. “If we say we have no sin, we lie.” c. We need a continual forgiveness. (If we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive). 2. Man’s forgiveness to man: a. Men fail one another. b. The only way to restore broken fellowship. II: The Bases of Forgiveness: 1. God’s way of forgiveness: a. He paid the price of pardon. b. He forgives freely and completely. c. He expects us to live in the full freedom of forgiveness. 2. Man’s basis of forgiveness: a. As God has forgiven us we forgive others. b. Our forgiveness before God...
The Vine is Different
Ezekiel 15:1-5 The vine is different. It is useless as lumber, it is fit only for the fire when it quits bearing fruit. I: Israel Called A Vine. Isaiah 5: 1. Planted in a fruitful hill. 2. Fenced it and gathered out the stones. 3. Then he looked for fruit and it brought forth wild grapes. II: The Vineyard of the Slothful Man. Prov. 24:30-34. 1. “I went by the field of the slothful.” 2. “The vineyard of the man void of understanding.” 3. “And it was all grown over with thorns and nettles had covered the face thereof.” 4. “And the stone wall thereof was broken down.” 5. The cause was: Sleep, slumber, and folded hands. III: The Christian the Fruit Bearing Branch. 1. Jesus is the true vine. 2. The father is the...
The Righteousness of the Pharisee
Matt. 6:1-7, Luke 18:11- The Pharisees were a religious party numbering about 6,000 and holding great power over the Jewish nation. They were noted for their self-conceit, arrogance, long prayers, tithing, fasting, & keeping of tradition. I: Some Things that the Scriptures Tell Us & the Talmud: 1. The Talmud says: “There were seven kinds of Pharisees.” a. Shechermites: Who keep the law for what it will prophet them. b. Tumblers: Always hanging down the head & dragging the feet. c. Bleeders: Who to avoid looking at women shut their eyes and so bump their heads. d. Mortars: Wearing caps in the form of mortars covering the eyes from seeing impurities. 2. Jesus constantly opposed them. a. “Woe unto you scribes, and Pharisees,...
The Land of Forgetfulness
Lev. 16:20-28 Context: The great day of atonement, death of Aaron’s sons, God’s way of worship followed completely. I: Aaron, the High Priest. 1. Clothed in simple linen. 2. The animals to be sacrificed are brought before the Tabernacle. 3. A sacrifice for Aaron and his family. 4. A sacrifice for the people. II: Aaron Confesses the Sins of Israel Upon the Head of the Scapegoat. 1. The people stood in reverence as Aaron confessed their sins. 2. All their sins were placed upon the goats head. 3. Not a single Israelite could atone for his own sins. III: The Goat Taken to the Wilderness. 1. He bore their sins to a land where no man could find them. 2. A great day came to a close with the disappearance of the scapegoat. 3. Every Israelite turned to his...
The Unexpected Hour
Thess. 1 4:13-18, Peter 2 3:1-17 I: The World Will Know that There Is A Difference. 1. Just as sure as He made a difference in Egypt. 2. At the Red Sea or the River Jordan. 3. There will be a difference in the jails. 4. In the hospital there will be a change. 5. There will be a tremendous change in some mortuaries. 6. The far-flung battle fields and military grave yards. 7. Tombstones will be a mockery. II: “For This They Are Willingly Ignorant Of.” 1. Scoffers walking after their own lust. 2. Where is the promise of His coming? 3. The heavens are reserved against the day of fire. 4. The Lord is not slack concerning His promises, if he promises destruction, it will come. 5. “As a thief in the night.” III: “What Manner of Person...
Thou Shalt Not Steal
Exodus 20:15 The positive side of this command is “Be Honest.” This recognizes the right of ownership. The word Property means “peculiar to one” or personal to one. There are some things we have no right to. I: Property of Men that Can Be Stolen.1. Man’s right to freedom (slavery and men-stealers). Tim. 1 1:10. 2. Man’s right to the affections of family and friends (no insurance covers this). 3. Time can be stolen from Employees and Employer. 4. A man’s right to work. 5. A man’s good name. 6. A man’s tangible property. II: Stealing and Cheating Begins in the Heart. 1. “Thou shalt not covet.” 10th Commandment. 2. Cheating on taxes, prices, goods misrepresented, or school exams comes under this...
Ten Years Old in A Pinch
Cor. 2 6:1-10 Some men are good soldiers on the parade ground but break and run on the field of battle. Some people talk a good Christian life, but never seems to have what it takes to die daily for Christ. Too many men are 10 years old in a pinch. I: “Receive not the grace of God in vain.” (Continue in Sin). 1. The grace of God is not to be received like water into the Dead Sea. The Jordan river has life until it enters the Dead Sea. Water that has no outlet becomes stagnate. God urges upon us the urgency of spiritual exercise. 2. A lifeless Christian is a stumbling block to others. He becomes a burden to His church and often a source of trouble. Others are often persuaded to follow his example. Sinners see no difference in their lives and His. II:...
