What must I do to be saved?

    When I was young, our family would watch That’s Incredible every Sunday evening after worship. The hour-long TV show ran from 1980 to 1984 and starred John Davidson, Fran Tarkenton, and Cathy Lee Crosby. It was a reality show that featured people doing amazing stunts or showcasing special talents. In 1980, Time magazine called it the most sadistic show on TV. One type of segment they aired frequently was different people setting up domino shows. I even had to go out and buy a few packages of dominoes myself and set them in interesting patterns and knock them over.

    Back in August of 2018, some people in Nidda, Germany were trying to set a Guinness world record by setting up a domino show. It took them two weeks to set up nearly 600,000 dominoes. But before they could break the world record, a small fly landed on one of those little dominoes and set up a chain reaction that destroyed their effort to break a record. The little guy did not knock down all the dominoes, but it still took 15 minutes for them to fall. And the organizers won three less famous world records.

    The impact of “small things” can be quite out of proportion to those small things. James warns us of the destructive nature of our tongue (words) that might remind us of this little fly: “So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!  And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell” (3:5-6).

    Let us be very careful about the words we use. We can apologize for them, but we cannot take them back. The damage done might also be irreparable.

Paul Holland

In Galatians 5.16-26, Paul presents us with two opposing perspectives on how we can live our lives. They are…

1) walking in the Spirit
2) fulfilling the lust of the flesh (v. 16).

Walking in the Spirit is being led by the Spirit (v. 18), bearing fruits of the Spirit (vv. 22,23), and living in the Spirit (v. 24).

Fulfilling the lust of the flesh is giving in to the works of the flesh (vv. 19-21a), practicing them in daily life (v. 21b) and excluding ourselves from the kingdom of God (v. 21c).

What Paul is revealing to us is two, very different, guiding influences in life that can determine how we think, what we do, and even shape our lives for eternity. By the way, it is not possible to live by both influences and be right with God. Paul says, in verse 17, that “the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another.”

It seems to me that our perspective on life is often shown when we have to make critical decisions. Consider the following…

1. whether we dress modestly or immodestly will depend on our perspective on life (guided by the Spirit or fulfillment of the lust of the flesh).
2. Whether we are kind or rude to others is determined by our perspective on life (a biblical verses a worldly perspective).
3. Whether we choose to commit a sin or avoid it is decided by the guiding influence in our lives (spiritual or worldly guidance).

We have a decision to make on a daily basis! What is it? Live a life guided by the Holy Spirit, not by ANY OTHER guiding influence in life! Really, we actually made that decision at baptism. We simply live every day either faithful to our decision or unfaithful to it.

Think about it!

Kevin Williams

Whenever the news media carries a story about the execution of a criminal there is typically coverage of protest groups that assemble to voice opposition to the practice of capital punishment.  This is true even in instances where the convicted criminals were found guilty of horrible and repeated offenses.

What is particularly surprising about these protests is that they are often conducted in the name of ‘religion.’  Representatives of various denominations will be present to argue that capital punishment is contrary to God’s will.  We believe they are sadly mistaken.

Romans13:1-7 discusses the God-given role of civil governments.  They are “ordained of God” for the purpose of “executing wrath upon him that doeth evil.”  In this context it specifically states that “he beareth not the sword in vain” (vs. 4).  No clearer reference to the act of execution could have been given by inspiration.

When the apostle Paul was defending himself against false charges he said: “If I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar” (Acts 25:11).  His statement obviously implies that he (as an inspired apostle) understood and accepted the concept of capital punishment.

In light of these clear references, we wonder how any person can reject the concept of capital punishment on religious grounds.

– by Greg Gwin

If you search your Bible for the word “pastor,” you’ll be hard-pressed to find it. One of the most popular English translations today, the ESV, does not contain it all. The KJV, NIV, NASB, and NLT only print it once in the New Testament, at Ephesians 4:11.

Pastor is a Latin word; it means shepherd. The New Testament, written in Greek, contains numerous references to shepherds. Because the word “shepherd” communicates more clearly in English than does the word “pastor,” most English translations have “shepherd” instead of “pastor.”

Does the Lord’s church have pastors? The answer to this question really depends on what we mean by “pastor.” In the denominational world, the pastor is usually the primary officer of the local congregation. He may answer to a board, even an elder board, upon which he may sit but over which he does not have authority. He crafts the vision for the church, and under the denomination’s framework, may set the doctrinal tone and stances of his congregation. These details vary by denomination, of course. If this is what we mean by pastor, then no, the Lord’s church does not have pastors.

According to the New Testament, the Lord’s church does have shepherds. In Acts 20:17 Paul calls the elders of the church in Ephesus. He tells them in Acts 20:28, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (NASB). In this chapter we see the three aspects of congregational leaders: we learn from the term elder that they are to be experienced (mature), from the term overseers that they are to watch out for the congregation (oversee), and from the phrase “shepherd the church” that they are to care for the congregation (shepherd). Elsewhere, we find local leadership called elders (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5), overseers (Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:1), and shepherds (Ephesians 4:11; cf. 1 Peter 5:1–2). Thus, we can appropriately refer to men who meet the qualifications in 1 Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 1:5–9 as elders, shepherds, or overseers.

Since the New Testament always presents local congregations under the care and oversight of a group of men, it is not appropriate (or biblical!) for a congregation to have only one elder, shepherd, or overseer. Biblical congregations do not have a pastor, but they should have elders/shepherds (pastors)/overseers if there are qualified men available to serve in this good work.

The work of the evangelist is a separate work. His role is to “keep a close watch on [himself] and on the teaching” (1 Timothy 4:16) and to “preach the word…in season and out of season…with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2). Unless he has also accepted the role of elder/shepherd/overseer, the preacher is not a pastor.

Clay Leonard

1. Saul meets the woman and demands cooperation. Bring up
SAMUEL. I Sam 28:8-11
2. Samuel appears, the woman screams and accuses Saul.
I Sam 28:12
3. Samuel is asked about what Saul should do. I Sam 28:15
4. Samuel gives the same message that Saul already heard, that
the kingdom will be taken away from him and given to David,
I Sam 28:17 also I Sam. 15:28; 13:13-14
5. Samuel tells Saul that tomorrow he and his sons would be with
him (dead). I Sam 28:19
6. Saul falls on the ground exhausted and hungry. I Sam 28:20
7. The witch (Diviner) feeds Saul and his men. I Sam 28:22
8. They leave the same night. I Sam 28:23
This woman screamed when Samuel appeared, like she was
surprised. The prophecy of Samuel was not one the woman could
have guessed. But, it was in agreement with God’s earlier
information that Saul had hoped to reverse. (This was not what
Saul wanted to hear).

LESSONS WE CAN LEARN;
1. How far someone can fall into sin, King Saul…God’s man…. in
the company of mediums, seeking spirits.
2. God’s word repeatedly warns us to stay away from and avoid
this kind of other-world searching, Deut. 18:9-14.
3. God wants our trust to be IN HIM and not in fortune-tellers, signs
of the Zodiac, spiritualists, mediums, crystal balls, Ouija boards,
tarot cards tea leaves horror-scopes, seances and such like.
4. With God and His word, we have all we need, II Tim. 3:16-17..
5. When people wander away from God and leave his word, all
sorts of bad things are likely to come one’s way.

Ivy Conner

Jesus, The Real Thing! 

There is a single, powerful word that appears in the book of Mark over and over again. It is the word “immediately.” Think about that word in connection to seven miracles that Jesus performed in the book of Mark.

• Mark 1:31 says, “So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.”
• Mark 1:42 says “As soon as He had spoken, immediately the lep- rosy left him, and he was cleansed.”
• Mark 2:12 says, “Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We never saw anything like this!’”
• Mark 5:29 says, “Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.”
• Mark 5:42 says “Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement.”
• Mark 7:35 says, “Immediately his ears were opened, and the im- pediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.
• Mark 10:52 says, “Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.”

What is the point here? In the modern days of our society there are many religious charlatans who claim to be what they are not, miracle workers. With all the fake and false actions of people who claim to work miracles, it might cause us to be skeptical of miracles that Jesus, Himself, performed. However, Jesus did not try to show Himself to be something that He was not. He was the true miracle worker! He did not need extra time for a miracle to be done. He did not blame His audience on His ability to perform miracles. He did not tell those who were in need that they did not have enough faith to be healed. He did not even need a person to have faith (e.g. Lazarus). He was not a charlatan! He was, and is, THE REAL THING!

Think about it!

Kevin Williams

The Holy Spirit was an active person at the beginning of the Christian age. His activity is seen in three measures of power: (1) Baptismal, (2) Laying on of hands, and (3) The indwelling. Jesus promised the apostles, “for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:5). In Luke’s Gospel he describes this event by saying, “You are clothed with power from on high” (24:49). Acts 2:1-4 records their baptism with the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem. The only other time the baptismal of the Holy Spirit occurred is recorded in Acts 10 and 11 where Luke tells about the household of Cornelius, a Gentile, being baptized with the Spirit. When that happened Peter said, “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 11:15-16). The baptism of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles was to empower them; the baptism of the Spirit on the household of Cornelius was to let the Jews know that the Gentiles could be baptized in water and become part of the church. When Peter explained what happened, those who had challenged him then said, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life” (Acts 11:18).

Laying on of Hands Measure

One of the abilities the apostles had because they were baptized with the Holy Spirit was to give individuals one of the manifestations of the Spirit’s power, such as the gift of performing miracles (I Corinthians 12:4-11). Luke notes this when he wrote, “Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands” (Acts 8:18). “The Spirit bestowed” means that a manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s power was given to an individual. There were nine of these manifestations of the Spirit’s power (I Corinthians 12:4-11). The Bible records five examples where this power was used by the apostles to given another person miraculous power: (1) Acts 6:6; (2) Acts 8:18; (3) Acts 19:5-6; (4) Romans 1:11, (implied); (5) 2 Timothy 1:6. In Acts 6, when seven men were chosen to meet the needs of the Hellenistic widows, the apostles laid hands on them (Acts 6:6). Stephen, one of the seven, began “performing great wonders and signs” (miracles, Mark 16:17-20; Acts 6:8). From the time when the Spirit had been poured out on the apostles, this is the first person, other than the apostles, to perform miracles. The purpose for those who had received the power to perform miracles was to confirm that the word which was preached was from God (Mark 16:20).

Indwelling of the Spirit

     The third measure of the Spirit’s power is when the Holy Spirit is given to one who is baptized. When the people on the day of Pentecost asked what they had to do to be saved, Peter gave them two commands and two promises. He said, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). The two commands were: (1) Repent, (2) Be baptized. The two promises were: (1) Forgiveness of sins, (2) Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Later Paul refers to one having the Spirit by saying that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19). This measure of the Spirit’s power is non-miraculous while the other two measures of the Spirit’s power were miraculous.

Ephesians 1:13-14 give the primary reason Christians have the Spirit. “You were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession.” The two reasons Paul says we have the Spirit is to be a “seal” which is a sign that something is authentic. There is a seal on one’s marriage certificate to prove that it is authentic. He also says that the Spirit is a “pledge.” The King James Version has the word, “earnest” which is like “earnest money” one puts down when purchasing a house. It shows that one is “in earnest” about the purchase and will give the rest of the money later. God gives us the Holy Spirit as a “down-payment” – as our “earnest” to show He will give us the rest of the payment later – heaven.

One of the works that the Spirit does for us is to help our prayers when we do not know how or for what to pray. “In the same way the Sprit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26).

Applications of the Information

     The primary work of the Holy Spirit in the early days of the church’s history was to guide the apostles and prophets as they preached and wrote. Jesus explained this to the apostles before He ascended back to the Father’s right hand. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (John 14:26). This cannot apply to Christians today because we did not hear Christ teach in person. This is a promise to the apostles.

The Spirit also guided the apostles and prophets when God would give them more information. Jesus said, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13). He guided them as they wrote those revelations down.  Paul explained, “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” (I Corinthians 2:12-13). The “we” does not apply to all Christians, but to the apostles and prophets of the first century. They were the ones who received the baptism of the Spirit or who had hands laid on them. Even the first part of I Corinthians 2 shows this as Paul is talking about his experience.

Application: Miracles Ceased

     A miracle is a supernatural event, something beyond natural power. God used miracles to be a testimony that those who were speaking were speaking the word of God. Mark explained this when he wrote, “They went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed” (16:20, see also Hebrews 2:1-4). The only people who could perform the miracles in the first century were the apostles and those on whom they laid their hands to give them a miraculous gift. Thus, when the apostles died and they on whom they laid their hands, died, miracles ceased to be performed.

The second reason that we do not have miracles today is that they are not needed. Miracles were performed to confirm the word. Once that word (the New Testament) had been confirmed, miracles were no longer needed. The written word of God can do the same thing that the miracles could do – cause people to believe. The apostle John explained, “Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name” (20:30-31).

Wayne Burger

REVIEW OF PREVIOUS LESSON:

Last week our focus was on the essential role of teaching the Word of God. While many different roles contribute to the overall work of the church, perhaps none are as central to the purpose of the church as the teaching and preaching of God’s Word.

Today our focus is on the significance of growing in grace and knowledge as we seek to find our place in the church. Great emphasis is typically given to preparation for the workplace, for the athletic field or the cultivation of some other skill, but what about preparing ourselves for the Lord’s service?

PETER’S CHARGE

The apostle Peter ends his second letter charging his brethren: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…” (2 Pt. 3:18). These two areas are essential for the Christian not only finding their place in the work of the church, but excelling in them.

GROWING IN GRACE

Earlier in the letter Peter specifically instructed his readers to “add to their faith.” Peter stated, “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love” (2 Pt. 1:5-7). Growth in these attributes enables one to be fruitful in the Lord’s work (see v. 8).

The virtue and personal growth of the Christian cannot be separated from the contribution he or she can make to the work of the church. Surely this is evidenced when Paul instructed the young preacher Timothy to “set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12).

The conduct and spirit of the Christian “adorns” or complements the Gospel of Christ (see Titus 2:10). Of course, when the the Christian’s spirit is not so exemplary, it casts a dark shadow on the Christian faith. When Christians are light, they reflect the image of Christ!

With good-hearted souls, Jesus’ character was endearing and favorable (see Lk. 2:52). Our character and attitudes as God’s children can be either a great catalyst or a detriment to the work of Christ. Let’s grow in our character! Let’s be gracious!

GROWING IN KNOWLEDGE

The second part of Peter’s final admonishment at the end of 2 Peter is to grow in knowledge (see 3:18). Knowledge, knowledge of God’s Word, is vital to the Christian’s place and usefulness in the church.

Paul says that the word of God throughly equips the Christian for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17). From the negative perspective, no Christian can be properly equipped for the work of the Lord without the word of the Lord. God’s word is our sword! (see Eph. 6:17).

Knowledge is vital to the work of every Christian for many reasons. Here are just a few:

(1) Knowledge directs one’s steps (see Ps. 119:105). (2) Knowledge provides a reservoir to teach from (see Heb. 5:12). (3) Knowledge leads to the purification of the soul and guards against sin (see Jn. 17:17; Ps. 119:11). (4) Knowledge prepares Christians to defend the faith (see 1 Pt. 3:15). (5) A knowledge of the truth is also the basis for unity in the Lord’s body which is critical to the non-believer accepting the Lord (see Jn. 17:20-23).

In 1 Peter 2:2 the apostle states: “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation.” This wholesome desire fuels the Christian’s growth and helps provide the motivation he needs to grow in his service to the Lord.

The more we grow in grace and knowledge the more useful we will be in finding our place in the church and the more souls will be touched with the Gospel of Christ.

Daren Schroeder