Shadows of Change
Deut. 6:10-12, Jeremiah 2:32, Nihamiah 8:14-18, Psalm 19 It was the Autumn of 1607 that religious principles of conformity began to change the lives of many Englishmen. John Wycliff had much to do with independence that agitated the currents of England. Henry VIII added to the fires of Independence by becoming head of the Church of England. The Puritans held that the Bible was paramount higher than any man even though that man be King. They believed in the responsibility of the Individual conscience. They placed all men equal before their Creator. They denied the claim of any power to prescribe in matters of the soul. In 1606, James V determined to break the Puritans or run them from the land. William Brewster led in 2 attempts to flee Holland, and most...
“He Giveth Songs in the Night.”
Acts 16:23-40, Job 35:10 I: From Prayer Meeting to Jail. 1. The Church at Phillipi was founded in prayer. 2. It was on the way to prayer that Satan tried to stop them. 3. It was from a prayer meeting that Paul and Silas were taken to prison. II: Paul, Silas, and God. 1. Whipped and abused. 2. Thrown into prison and fastened with chains. 3. They prayed and sang, (were these men Baptist)? 4. There, prayer was not one of petition. 5. Adoration and worship. (Spiritual joy) 6. The other prisoners listened. “Attentively.” 7. Their closeness with Jesus gave songs in the night, and shook the jail doors open. 8. It’s impossible to shut one up from the fellowship of God. III: Paul, Silas, and the Jailer. 1. A brutalized Roman jailer was sleeping. 2. He...
“Your Love has Meant Hard Work”
I: Work in the Bible 1. The Greek gods never worked. 2. The ancient world never thought of their gods working. 3. They played, made love, fought wars, but work never. 4. The God of the Hebrews introduced himself as a God of work. 5. God’s plan for man included work from the very start. He was to care for Gods creation. 6. Mans very existence calls for work. 7. Do we know how to use leisure time? II: Man’s Life Comes to a Focus in His Vocation. 1. The Christian, “A high degree of maturity when he looks upon all of life as a trust from God.” 2. Choice of vocation should be made with the aim of doing our best for the cause of Christ. 3. The development of personality often determines the choice of vocation. 4. Trust, dependence, personal...
Worship and Conduct
Jeremiah 7:1-16 Jeremiah 2:13 I: What Is Worse Than Having No Religion? 1. Worse than no religion is have the wrong kind of religion. Cults, Devil Churches – Rituals counted by numbers. 2. The only kind of Christianity worthy of the name is that which is related to personal behavior and the rise of moral standards. 3. Judah’s worship was not related to her daily living. 4. Worshippers tha† go away from worship unaffected and unchanged in their daily walk have not worshipped. 5. Worship that fails to produce character is without value and a curse to God. 6. Judah thought God was fortunate to have them for His people. 7. “The essential value and proof of religion is that of the affect it produces on conduct.” Morgan. 8. Judah thought they...
Witnessing at Home
Mark 5:1-20 I: “Jesus Suffered Him Not.” 1. The man may have been afraid of the return of the demons. 2. He may have been ashamed to face his friends. 3. He may have thought he could be a better disciple away from the people that knew him so well . 4. Or he may have thought it necessary to leave home to do a great work for the Lord. 5. Jesus stayed where he was. II: “Go Home to thy Friends.” 1. The best place to start is at home. a. With your own family. b. With your neighbor. c. With those you associate with. d. With those you work with. 2. One will never overcome the world when he can’t live victorious at home. 3. You will never be successful abroad when your own family doubts your salvation. III: What did He have to Tell and Why...