What must I do to be saved?

Judges intro

Judges used as a title 2:16-19. Lord raised them up to deliver sinful people out of compassion of God. Usually the stories tell of the Judge’s deliverance not their actual judging. This passage gives us 3 insights into the judge; Theological source of authority and power (Lord), recorded history was primarily salvation didn’t focus on judiciary, their focus was primarily external enemies and not internal tribal strife although there is acknowledgment of its existence throughout the book.

Judges ruled over Israel from Joshua to Samuel, entering into the land until the first king. It is a time of unclear earthly authority over the nation. The people selected as judge all appear to have some “negative” trait that would make them unideal candidates for leadership. Othneil is not an Israelite native, Deborah is a woman, left-handed Ehud is considered “handicapped”, Barak is unmanly, Gideon lacks faith, Jepthah is illegitimate, Samson chases “worldly women”. Their selection was divinely authorized highlighting how God uses who He wants and is selecting them based on a criteria all His own. None of the Judges appear to be special people apart from God’s utilization of them.

Judges describes a people in transitory leadership between strong centralized Prophet/military figure in Moses & Joshua to nationally recognized and divinely selected king in Saul then David. The period detail a nation in crisis steadily going away from God in a situation where collectively people understood who their God was in times of need, but did not follow Him faithfully and abandoned Him when they experienced relatively stable periods in life. The central problem during the period of the Judge’s is that Israel didn’t recognize God as their King and His Law as their rule for life so the book ends with a refrain acknowledging that sentiment. The Israelites failed not because their neighbors were stronger but because they were spiritually weak. The Judges established little or no spiritual/religious change within the people they delivered by the strength of God. The salvation afforded had relatively minuscule impacts on religious restoration. The book never recounts a collective meeting at the Tabernacle for worship or cultic celebration yet God still claims them as His people. This shows the grace afforded through relationship with God. The non-removal of all the people settled in the land that they were instructed to conquer had a devastating effect on the fidelity of the people to God.The book starts with the concept that people did what was evil in God’s eyes and ends with that they did what was good in their eyes. It’s concluding account of Samson has some irony with him loosing his eyesight symbolizing God’s people’s loss of seeing things God’s way. Judges and kings both end with the leaders getting eyes plucked out by enemy and in chains. This similarity of how both periods end shows that despite earthly authority if God’s authority is not honored then our outcome is the same.

The period of the Judges reflects our modern context because in the Church there is no centralized earthly leadership and everyone is doing what’s right in their own eyes which is having a negative religious and social impact. The Judges highlight the importance of godly leadership and is a reminder that God has not given up on His people even when they have forsaken Him. The hard times should cause us to realign with God’s Word and the people who He raises up to direct people back to Him.

10 week series on judges

1. We are in situation we are in due to compromising with Gods commands, but God is faithful and will show mercy through providing a leader to rescue from hard times

Judges 1:28; 2:1-5, 16-23; Deu 20:10-18

1. God has made it clear how we are to destroy these things that will draw us away from Him.
2. Rather than destroy we find a way to profit off what’s unprofitable for us.
3. What we allow to remain in our midst after God instructs us to remove it will eventually destroy us.
4. God leaves obstacles out of our disobedience and as a way for us to prove faith.
5. God will provide the leadership out of bad situations but it is up to the people to follow.

2. Othniel: We are included in God’s people because of faith despite our bloodline.

Judge 3 :8-11; 1:12-15; Joshua 14:6-14; Gen 36:9-11

1. Proper faith allows you to realign who you identify with as family (Esau to Jacob).
2. We can be a faithful inspiration (Caleb) and follow faithful examples.
3. Faith builds faith (Othniel’s previous faith propels to greater act of faith).

3. Ehud: Sometimes 1 person can inspire the rest.

Judges 3:12-30

1. At times you will have to be the one to inspire change.
2. Many know what the problem is but few are willing to address it.
3. Our differences sometimes are what gives us the advantage (left handed man in a right handed world).

4. Deborah / Barack: We need men and women to do God’s work.

Judges 4

1. God utilizes men and women for His work.
2. Allow God to use you and be willing to assist those who’s faith is weak.
3. Understand that you limit your blessings when you seek aid when it’s not needed.
4. We all can play a part From Deborah to Barak to Jael.
5. Singing a song of praise to God and the people that allow God to use them (appreciation for salvation and faithful people who aids in its reception).

5. Gideon: God will do the fighting if we apply the faith

Judges 6:11-15 , 36-40; 7

1. We don’t always start with the faith we grow into.
2. Some times we need reassurance from God, at those times ask for it, it is better to ask for help developing faith than remain induct and do nothing for God.
3. God doesn’t need our help, just wants our participation.

6. Jephthah: Our past is a problem for people not God

Judges 11:1-11, 13-24, 30-31 & 34-40

1. People will judge you based on undesirable worldly standards (usually beyond your control).
2. There is value in knowing history of God’s people.
3. We all come from worldly context, some forced upon us others we revel in and find success. There could be some skills learned from life’s situations that could be beneficial for leading God’s people out of oppressive conditions.
4. We don’t have to barter with God, just need to function in faith.

7. Minor Judges: We all are important even if our story isn’t known

Judges 3:31, 10:1-5, 12:8-15

1. Although story unknown to people, God knows of deeds.
2. All we really need is our name recorded in God’s book.
3. We are not faithful for man’s recognition.
4. None of the Judges knew that their deeds would be recorded in Bible, but if they did what difference would that make; live your life as if your faith was to be recorded for future generations.
   

8. Samson: There is a difference in the source of strength and our action can cause us to lose out on our true strength which is God

Prov 22:6, Judges 13:1-5, 14:1-5, 15:14-19, 16:4-5 & 16-21

1. There is a way to raise up our kids that aligns with God’s Will that will guide them through life.
2. Only God might know initially how He plans to use you, your path might not make sense to anybody from the start.
3. Our weakness can nullify our strength if we allow it to (recognizing triggers Samson’s first wife foreshadowed Delilah).
4. God will strengthen us for victory.
5. Are we aware when we are functioning on our strength, The Lord’s Strength or when the Lord has departed from us?.

9 Micah: Our religion can easily conform to the world if we’re not careful

Judges 17, 18:18-20 & 30-31, Exodus 20:4

1. When we set the rules for worship we can do what we want (make idols, consecrate people).
2. Is God pleased with us because we do a semblance of what He wants?
3. What is our cost to compromise like the Levite did?
4. The size of audience does not validate priest.
5. It doesn’t matter who you have as priest if they are not upholding Law.

10 In those days…. God is our King, Civil war if we don’t respect God we will eventually destroy ourselves

Judges 17:6,7, 18:8, 19:1, 21:25, 19:9-16

1. Our earthly authority is supposed to submit to God’s authority, but often does not due to people seeking a physical representative to rule over them.
2. When people do not respect God they they can’t respect people.
3. When there is no proper regard for God we are not safe amongst our own people.
4. God’s people can and will do what condemns the world (concubine rape & Sodom).
5. Our fighting solves nothing if we are fighting for the wrong reason.

   Femi Osibin

Sometimes when I have chosen a specific text on which to preach, I do not always grasp the significance of it at first reading. Not only do I not preach always from “easy” texts, I intentionally try to preach from all the texts, particularly from the NT. I have a Bible on my desk where I bracket on Monday morning the text which I exposed on Sunday. I’ve done it since 2008; one Bible was for my preaching time in Paris, KY and one I have used since I moved here to Swartz Creek.

Sometimes in our studies, we need to do an in-depth study of specific words. The words which the inspired writers used where words which the Holy Spirit chose. Listen to Paul’s message in this regard from 1 Corinthians 2:9-13:

“just as it is written, ‘Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.’ For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.”

It seems to me that the process of inspiration taught in the Bible means that the Spirit penetrated the mind of the writer and used his own background, experiences, and vocabulary in order to reveal the precise message the Holy Spirit wanted to convey. While Jesus spoke Aramaic in His earthly ministry, when Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John recorded that message in the Greek language, the word/s they used were from their own background, but chosen by the Holy Spirit.

To give one example of the importance of a word, we direct you to Luke 20:41-44. In this text, Jesus expands on the text from Psalm 110:1 relative to Who the “Lord” is in the text. The Hebrew text uses two words for “Lord:” the first word is “Jehovah” (Yaweh) while the second word is “Adonai.” The “Adonai” was understood to be the Son of David, the Messiah. In the Greek of the NT, both words are the same (Kurios). The question was, how could David refer to his son as “Adonai?” The only way that could be true was for the “Son of David” to be divine, to be the “Son of God.”

Sometimes our own Bible study needs to go more in-depth in how words and phrases are used in the Word of God. Enjoy going deep! Relative to word studies, I would recommend either Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words or Mounce’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words. Mounce’s is more recent, but there are times when Vine’s is more biblically accurate.

Paul Holland

When Rachel and I lived in Kentucky, there was an elderly widow in the congregation named Virginia. She has passed away now. But she lived alone and she was very independent. One day she was out mowing her yard on a riding lawn mower and the mower got stuck. So, she proceeded to push the lawn mower out of the ditch! At 88 years old! And she cracked some vertebrae in her spine. That, of course, caused pain. It wasn’t but a few months after that when she was doing something and broke a bone in her shoulder, her clavicle or something (I don’t remember).

Rachel and I were visiting with her and she was complaining about her pain and I just happened to ask her if she was taking her pain medicine. She said, “no.” I said, “why not!?” She said, “I don’t want to get addicted.” I said, “Virginia! You are 88 years old, who cares if you get addicted!”

Well, I was just being funny, but Virginia was concerned about getting addicted and the biggest danger with this type of chemical addiction, is that when something we take affects our minds, then it puts us in a dangerous position when Jesus comes back.

HE IS COMING UNEXPECTEDLY:

Jesus is coming back unexpectedly. He will catch every living person by surprise. That’s why it is imperative that we keep control of our minds as much as possible, even when we are under supervision of a doctor with medications.

MARIJUANA:

What I understand is that the primary mind-altering drug in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol or “THC” for short. Just like when we discussed the difference between wine / alcohol in biblical times versus the alcohol content today… the amount of THC in marijuana in the 1980s was 4%. Ten years ago, the National Institute on Drug Abuse said that confiscated marijuana now has THC levels that average about 15%. The potent mind-altering drug in marijuana has quadrupled in thirty years. In some of that tested, THC has been as high as 30%.

JESUS WARNS US TO KEEP CONTROL OF OUR MINDS – Luke 21:34-36:

In this context, Jesus is discussing the destruction of the world (ver. 35). So Jesus says, “be on your guard.” Jesus warns that our hearts (our “minds”) should not be weighted down with “dissipation” – that’s a loss of energy, a loss of concentration, a loss of focus. In other words, if you are under the influence of marijuana or some other drug, opioids or whatever, and you have lost concentration on glorifying Christ in your thoughts and heart and your actions, then you have sinned against Jesus and you are not ready for heaven!

The bottom line is that addiction has serious negative repercussions. They affect your physical health, your mental health, your financial health, your self-image and your self-esteem, but mostly, it affects your relationship with God. It is for that reason that addictions have to be avoided. But if we find ourselves trapped, we need to back out of it, stop it, and start avoiding those people, places, or atmospheres that contribute to the addiction.

Don’t get addicted to this world; become addicted to Christ and let His life fill your life with joy and happiness.

Paul Holland

“Think of a kindergartner taking a calculus test. Because he’s only 5, the little tyke bombs the test and receives an ‘F’ atop his page. The teacher might show mercy, tear up his exam, and forgive his failure. But the lad will not rejoice when a fresh, identical test is placed in front of him for a second attempt. While some Mensa-in-waiting kindergartner might pass calculus, there’s zero chance a fallen human can pass the test of God’s law. As Scripture declares, ‘None is righteous, no, not one’ (Rom. 3:10). And since there’s zero chance humans will obey God perfectly, why would Christians spread news of a God of second chances? Is it good news to get a second chance at the impossible?” (Aaron Wilson, “He Is Not ‘The God of Second Chances,’” The Gospel Coalition, July 7, 2016)

OT history is full of examples of Israel failing their exam given by God and the loving Father patiently and graciously giving them another chance after another chance. When you and I study the history of God in the OT, it should give us hope and encouragement that God is not a God of “second chances,” but a God of seventy-times seven chances. Consider this outline of Psalm 106…

GOD’S FAVOR – 106:1-3:

When you meditate on the nature of God, you cannot help but speak about Him! “Who speak of the mighty deeds of Jehovah?” He will proclaim all His praise. Who can? Actually, no one can fully tell of all of God’s wonderful works! He leaves you breathless.

REMEMBER ME O LORD – 106:4-5:

When we see, experience, and feel the goodness of God, you must rejoice in it with God’s other people. Faithfulness, neither in the OT, nor in the NT, is an individual matter. It is to be done with God’s people. Then he can “glory” with God’s inheritance, His people.

WE HAVE SINNED LIKE ISRAEL IN EGYPT – 106:6-12:

WE HAVE SINNED LIKE ISRAEL IN THE WILDERNESS – 106:13-18:

WE HAVE SINNED LIKE ISRAEL WITH THE GOLDEN CALF – 106:19-27:

WE HAVE SINNED LIKE ISRAEL AT BAAEL-PEOR – 106:28-31:

WE HAVE SINNED LIKE MOSES AT MERIBAH – 106:32-33:

WE HAVE SINNED LIKE ISRAEL IN THE TIME OF THE JUDGES – 106:34-39:

WE HAVE SINNED LIKE ISRAEL IN THE CAPTIVITY – 106:40-43:

WE HAVE SINNED AND WE NEED LOVINGKINDNESS – 106:44-46:

WE HAVE SINNED AND WE NEED TO BE GATHERED – 106:47-48:

WE HAVE SINNED:

You and I are blessed to live on this side of the cross. We have the forgiveness of our sins and we still have a God who is characterized by lovingkindness.

“If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. “And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.” Luke 17:3-4. Imagine Jesus saying this to His heavenly Father: “If your child sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

Don’t be weighed down by guilt. God longs to forgive you. Repent and experience His endless grace and forgiveness.

Paul Holland

Music is the language of the heart. The true expression of a people. We pass it down year after year, note by note, generation to generation. It is one way that generations connect from one to the next.

Music also joins one culture to another. When we lived in Romania, there was a Christian there, Benone, who liked listening to religious music especially non-instrumental. For a few years, whenever we came back to the states, I would find some acapella music on cassette or CD and take it back to him. I think I gave him maybe half a dozen or more.

My wife and I live about 70 miles from Detroit. Detroit is the home of “Motown.” The designation came from the nickname of Detroit, home of General Motors, Ford, and what used to be Chrysler. Detroit’s nickname is “Motor City.” The guy who was instrumental in getting the black singers onto the national stage who was from Detroit altered “Motor City” to “Motown” and helped these artists create the “Motown sound.” Rachel and I have been to the Motown Museum twice and they are right now going through a major renovation and expansion. It should be very interesting once they get it built. The current museum has a video for the visitors to watch and the man on the video talks about the influence that music had on the culture in the 50s and 60s. Specifically, he said that when the artist began singing, the blacks were on one side of the auditorium while the white people were on the other side. But as the singers continued their show, the people would mix and mingle and the crowd would forget that races even existed.

That is what the Gospel and Christian singing is supposed to do: join everyone together in praise to our heavenly Father through our common Savior, Jesus Christ. When Paul writes in Romans that the gospel is God’s power to salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, in Romans 15, Paul quotes from the OT to prove his point (15:6):

In verse 9, he quotes Psalm 18:49: “Therefore I will give thanks to You among the nations, O Lord, and I will sing praises to Your name.”

In verse 10, he quotes Deuteronomy 32:43: “Rejoice, O nations, with His people.”

In verse 11, he quotes Psalm 117:1 “Praise the Lord, all nations; Laud Him, all peoples!”

Finally, in verse 12, he quotes Isaiah 11:10: “Then in that day the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; and His resting place will be glorious.” Isaiah is talking about the coming of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. There are two things that unite each of these quotations from the OT as Paul applies their teachings to Christians and specifically unity in the church of Christ: Each verse contains the word “nations” or “peoples,” or as Paul translates it in the book of Romans: Gentiles. There is one other word or idea that connects these quotations: praise. Praise, praise, praise.

Praise God more!

Paul Holland

“To infer” means to “derive as a conclusion from facts or premises.”

We absolutely have to infer what the Bible implies. Nowhere does the Bible teach that Paul Holland must do anything. I infer that I am obligated to do something because the Scriptures imply it. Let’s look at some examples.

In Matthew 22:29-31, when Jesus is asked about the nature of humanity after death, Jesus infers from Exodus 3:6 that God implied Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were still alive. He does so based on the present tense verb in the text (the Greek translation, the Septuagint).

In Romans 10:13-14, Paul refers to Joel’s statement from Joel 2:32: “Whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Paul infers that Joel’s statement implies that if you call on the name of the Lord, you must believe. But the implication of that command is that someone must hear first. But the implication of that command is that you must have a preacher. But the implication of that inference is that the preacher must be sent. The whole series of inferences are drawn from one implication to the next. Indeed, the Bible teaches through inference.

In 1 Corinthians 15:27, Paul quotes from Psalm 8:6. Listen to David: “You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet.” Now listen to Paul’s inference from God’s implication: “But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him.” The word “evident” is used also in Matthew 26:73 and Galatians 3:11. It is another way of saying, “It is common sense.” Paul says it is “common sense,” that is, one naturally understands (infers) that if someone makes all things subject to someone else, the one who subjects all things is excluded from the submission himself. So, God the Father is not submissive to God the Son, even though every things else is.

In Ephesians 4:8-10, Paul quotes from Psalm 68:18: “You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives; You have received gifts among men.” Paul inferences that if one has ascended, then the implication is that he must, at first, been lower. So, Jesus had first to descend before He could then ascend. Isn’t that common sense? Yes, and it is an inference  from what the text implies.

Finally, in Hebrews 4:1-11, the writer quotes from Psalm 95:11 as he contrasts Joshua with Jesus. “Therefore I swore in My anger, truly they shall not enter into My rest.” There are a number of implications of this concept of “promising rest” illustrated ion Psalm 95:11 that the reader must infer…

1) Since God has a rest to give and the wilderness generation of Israel did not inherit that rest, then the implication is that others will receive the rest.

2) David (who wrote Psalm 95) lived generations after Joshua; therefore the rest was still future from his standpoint.

3) Since Israel lost out on their rest due to their unbelief and disobedience, Christians might too lose the promised of rest for the same reason.

4) Christians ought to be careful to give attention to obeying every word from the mouth of Christ.

We will have more to say in the near future. But, not all inferences are implications of the text. When the “households” of Lydia and Cornelius were baptized, some religious groups infer that babies out to be baptized. But that inference is not necessary. In fact, not only does it violate the context (they could not hear and believe the message preached), but it also violates broader biblical theology (babies are not susceptible to the gospel message). So, before we infer, we need to make sure that we are not putting words or concepts into the mouth of the Holy Spirit but only infer what He has implied.

Paul Holland

First, the Bible: “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you” (Jonah 3:1-2).

Jonah did not want to do what his Father told him to do. In fact, he ran in the opposite direction of responsibility. So, to use modern terminology, God put Jonah in a “time-out” chair. The time-out chair typically serves as a tool for punishment, separating a disobedient child from his or her siblings, toys, or whatever else that might give them joy. The child is usually in the time-out chair for some specified length of time.

When God Jonah into “time-out,” it was in the belly of the fish. But God did not put Jonah there simply to punish him. Nor did God put him there for a set period of time. God put Jonah in the belly of the fish so that Jonah would have a change of heart. Chapter 2 is a poem composed by Jonah from the belly of the fish and we see that he experienced a change of heart, which led to a change of behavior. When God commanded Jonah the second time to go to Nineveh, Jonah obeyed.

Perhaps something that is missing from the “time-out” method of discipline is this focus on encouraging the child to change his or her heart. Neither repentance nor humility come easily. They are not miraculous gifts or abilities; they do not drop out of heaven into the heart of a child (or adult for that matter!). Rather, they are choices that have to be made.

Giving your child time to think and change their heart can be a helpful and positive method of training your child. Rather than escalating a confrontation between the parent and the child, Mom or Dad can require the child to sit in the chair, perhaps in the corner, and think about what they have done or said. Mom and Dad can even stipulate that they can get up and rejoin the family once they have had a change of heart.

This “tweaking” of the time-out chair idea offers a couple of advantages to the other approach. It turns the method into a disciplining process rather than just a punitive process. It puts the focus on the child’s heart as it guides their behavior, rather than just the behavior itself. It also makes the time spent in the chair dependent on the child’s choice to humble himself or herself as opposed to an arbitrary time set by Mom and Dad. Of course, if the child comes back and has not humbled the heart, they can also be sent back.

Paul Holland

INTRODUCTION:

1. One of the great needs of the world today is God-fearing fathers talking to or advising their sons.

2. One great cause of the “generation gap” – fathers are too busy to train their sons.

3. Eph. 6:4; Deut. 6:6-7; 32:45-46.

4. If fathers fulfilled their responsibility along this line, it would mean:

a. Far fewer rebellious children

b. Fewer crimes by young people

c. Save many young people from leaving the church.

5. David spoke to admonish his son, Solomon, many times.

6. Our lesson text is one such example.

7. If we are Christians, we are God’s children: Matt. 6:4-6, 9; 23:9; Rom. 8:16-17; 2 Cor. 6:17-18.

AS DAVID ADMONISHES SOLOMON, LET US THINK OF GOD ADMONISHING US:

1. One must know God (1 Chronicles 28:9-10).
   1. Vast differences in knowing God and knowing about God.
      1. Too many just know about God.
      2. One may know about G. Washington, A. Lincoln, Ronald Reagan without knowing any of them.
      3. Difference in knowing facts of the Bible, and knowing the God and the Lord it reveals.
      4. 2 Tim. 1:12; Phil. 3:10.
      5. Compare a child who knows only of his deceased father with one who knows a living father.
      6. Do you really know God?

1. Serve Him (God):

A. Many serve self: worldly pleasures, wealth, evil desires, etc. 2 Tim. 3:1-5; Luke 8:14; Gal. 5:19-21.

B. One must serve God: Matt. 4:10; John 12:26.

C. Explain what it means to serve God!

D. Can’t serve two masters: Matt. 6:24.

3. How shall I serve God?

A. A perfect heart:

1. Prov. 3:1; 4:23; Matt. 5:8; Psalms 24:3-4; James 4:8.

2. We sing a song, Is Thy Heart Right with God?

B. A willing mind:

1. If I love God I have a great desire to serve Him.

2. We are creatures of choice: Deut. 30:19; Joshua 24:15; 1 Cor. 13:1-3; 2 Cor. 9:7.

3. Even the four great Bible invitations point to choice: Isaiah 1:18; Matt. 11:28-30; Rev. 3:20; 22:17.

4. One must seek God… Who will find Him (ver. 9):

A. Today we seek health, jobs, happiness, financial security, etc.

B. Man left God; God has never left man.

C. Not a game of hide ’n seek (God is not hiding from man).

D. James 4:8; Matt. 5:6; 6:33; 7:7; etc.

5. Forsake God … He will cast you off (ver. 9):

A. We read of children being abandoned, forsaken – our “blood boils.”

B. Sometimes husbands forsake their wives or wives their husbands.

C. Nothing can compare with God casting one off forever.

1. Again, He never forsakes us, but we forsake Him

Note: “If you forsake Him…” Isaiah 59:1-2; Psalm 37:13; 73:19

2. John 15:1-5 (fruitless branches); Matt. 25:26-30.

6. We, too, are to build a temple to glorify God (ver. 10):

A. The church – 1 Tim. 3:14-15.

B. Our bodies – 1  Cor. 3:16; 6:19-20

CONCLUSION: Be strong and do it (ver. 10).

A sermon preached by the late Wayne Holland at:

Bayou La Batre, AL (6/17/1979)

Hiawassee, GA (6/15/1986)

Roxboro, NC (6/18/1989)

INTRODUCTION:

1. One of the great needs of the world today is God-fearing fathers talking to or advising their sons.

2. One great cause of the “generation gap” – fathers are too busy to train their sons.

3. Eph. 6:4; Deut. 6:6-7; 32:45-46.

4. If fathers fulfilled their responsibility along this line, it would mean:

a. Far fewer rebellious children

b. Fewer crimes by young people

c. Save many young people from leaving the church.

5. David spoke to admonish his son, Solomon, many times.

6. Our lesson text is one such example.

7. If we are Christians, we are God’s children: Matt. 6:4-6, 9; 23:9; Rom. 8:16-17; 2 Cor. 6:17-18.

AS DAVID ADMONISHES SOLOMON, LET US THINK OF GOD ADMONISHING US:

1. One must know God (1 Chronicles 28:9-10).
   1. Vast differences in knowing God and knowing about God.
      1. Too many just know about God.
      2. One may know about G. Washington, A. Lincoln, Ronald Reagan without knowing any of them.
      3. Difference in knowing facts of the Bible, and knowing the God and the Lord it reveals.
      4. 2 Tim. 1:12; Phil. 3:10.
      5. Compare a child who knows only of his deceased father with one who knows a living father.
      6. Do you really know God?

1. Serve Him (God):

A. Many serve self: worldly pleasures, wealth, evil desires, etc. 2 Tim. 3:1-5; Luke 8:14; Gal. 5:19-21.

B. One must serve God: Matt. 4:10; John 12:26.

C. Explain what it means to serve God!

D. Can’t serve two masters: Matt. 6:24.

3. How shall I serve God?

A. A perfect heart:

1. Prov. 3:1; 4:23; Matt. 5:8; Psalms 24:3-4; James 4:8.

2. We sing a song, Is Thy Heart Right with God?

B. A willing mind:

1. If I love God I have a great desire to serve Him.

2. We are creatures of choice: Deut. 30:19; Joshua 24:15; 1 Cor. 13:1-3; 2 Cor. 9:7.

3. Even the four great Bible invitations point to choice: Isaiah 1:18; Matt. 11:28-30; Rev. 3:20; 22:17.

4. One must seek God… Who will find Him (ver. 9):

A. Today we seek health, jobs, happiness, financial security, etc.

B. Man left God; God has never left man.

C. Not a game of hide ’n seek (God is not hiding from man).

D. James 4:8; Matt. 5:6; 6:33; 7:7; etc.

5. Forsake God … He will cast you off (ver. 9):

A. We read of children being abandoned, forsaken – our “blood boils.”

B. Sometimes husbands forsake their wives or wives their husbands.

C. Nothing can compare with God casting one off forever.

1. Again, He never forsakes us, but we forsake Him

Note: “If you forsake Him…” Isaiah 59:1-2; Psalm 37:13; 73:19

2. John 15:1-5 (fruitless branches); Matt. 25:26-30.

6. We, too, are to build a temple to glorify God (ver. 10):

A. The church – 1 Tim. 3:14-15.

B. Our bodies – 1  Cor. 3:16; 6:19-20

CONCLUSION: Be strong and do it (ver. 10).

A sermon preached by the late Wayne Holland at:

Bayou La Batre, AL (6/17/1979)

Hiawassee, GA (6/15/1986)

Roxboro, NC (6/18/1989)

When Rachel and I lived in Romania, our mission team decided that we would take 3-4 years to mail an advertisement for Bible study into all 100,000 homes in that city of 350,000 people. On one occasion, we mailed these flyers into a neighborhood of Iasi where college students live. There was a security guard named Constantin who picked up one of those flyers and mailed it in to us. He lived in a village about 15 miles north of Iasi called Podu Iloaiei.

For five or six weeks in a row, I traveled by train up to Podu Illoaiei to study with Mr. Constantin. He was a very pleasant man to visit with. He is married and has at least one daughter. His wife and daughter would not sit in our Bible study; I studied with him through the Jule Miller Bible study series. But, his daughter, in particular would come into the living room when we finished with our study and she would ask me questions. She was in her early 20s at the time, if my memory is correct.

One question she asked me was whether we in the churches of Christ used icons in our worship and if not, why not. It was very typical of people from the Orthodox faith to ask that question of all non-Orthodox people. As I discussed with her, I pointed out that the Bible teaches that we have one mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 2:5). And where the Bible speaks, we are obligated to remain silent. She pushed back, as you could imagine, but then I used this illustration that many of you will recognize.

I asked her if we could add sarmale (a Romanian dish of stuffed grape leaves) and Coca-Cola to the Lord’s Supper. She responded with an empatic “no.” I asked her why not. She said because the juice (she said “wine”) and the bread (the Orthodox church actually does not use unleavened bread) were what Jesus used and that’s what He taught us to use.

Now, even though her Bible knowledge was rather shallow, she knew enough to correctly understand that If Jesus commanded something, then anything else is without His authority.

When Jesus was tempted to worship Satan, Jesus responded with words from Deuteronomy 6:13: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only” (Matt. 4:10). Jesus also taught in John 4:24 the proper manner in which to worship God: “in spirit and in truth,” which is Jesus’ parallel to Joshua’s words in Joshua 24:14: “in sincerity and truth.” As we studied the first Sunday of this month from Hebrews 1, Jesus Himself is worthy of our worship.

Our worship of God reflects the nature of God. If God were a naturalistic God, man would worship Him through some type of naturalistic rites. If God were a philosophical principle, it could be worshipped through meditation. But because of Who God is, then our worship has to reflect His nature and what He has required of us.

Without going into further detail, the NT reveals to us that our God is approached through five acts of devotion:

1) Prayer. As we pointed out earlier, our prayers are not authorized to be addressed to God through anyone except Jesus Christ.

2) Singing. Our song service is to teach and instruct one another in the doctrines of God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

3) Lord’s Supper. This act of religious devotion is uniquely attached to the Lord’s Day and through it, we are reminded weekly of the love of God and His power, His promises, and His provisions.

4) Giving. It is through our giving that we truly show that we love God supremely and that our heart is in His mission for the church of His Son. Giving shows our love and our trust in God’s provisions.

5) Bible study. When we come together to help one another understand God’s message better and then we challenge one another to live according to His teachings, then we show that God is worthy to be obeyed to the ultimate extent.

Put your spirit into your every act of worship, reflecting your love for your Savior, letting your light shine and showing the presence of God in your life.

Paul Holland