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The Message of The Church

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The apostle Paul said “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” 2 Timothy 4:1-2. In a closely related passage the apostle Peter said, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God”, 1 Peter 4:11. Paul’s and Peter’s charge is clear. It reveals the message the church is to teach and/or preach is the Word of God.

The Reason Behind The Charge is “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16. The Scriptures are “God breathed” (the meaning behind the word translated “inspired of God”). This points to the authoritative nature of the Scriptures.

The Benefit of The Charge is “that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” The Scriptures “are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” 2 Timothy 3:15.

The Seriousness of The Charge is seen in that it is given before two faithful witnesses – God and Christ, 1 Timothy 4:1. Notice these faithful witnesses will judge “the quick (living) and the dead”. Since we will stand before Christ in judgment, Christians should take the charge very seriously.

What The Message Is Not. Some preach/teach to tickle the itching ears of their hearers (2 Timothy 4:3-4), some serve their own belly (Romans 16:18), and some love the praise of men (John 12:43). Some preach the teachings of men, Matthew 15:2-3. Some preach from their creed books that are of human origin. Friends, these things ought not to be.

Included in the Message of The Church. Preach the Word, 2 Timothy 4:2. Listeners must demand, must tolerate, nothing less. The message must include the whole counsel of God, Acts 20:27. The message must begin with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1 Corinthians 15:2-3. This is the foundational principle of the Gospel of Christ.

Our Attitude Towards The Message. One of the greatest gifts God has given to the world is His Word. Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” We must be like the noble Bereans and receive “the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11.

Only a Few Will Receive the Message. How sad it is for people to see “the glorious gospel of Christ” and be blinded by “the god of this world”, 2 Corinthians 4:4. Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

The Choice Is Yours. Will you receive the message, God’s Word, obey it, live according to it and be ready to stand before God in judgment?

For further study read “Biblically Speaking About The Church by Chuck Northrop”  

 

–Jerry D. Sturgill

Lesson Audio – Gospel Meeting – David Lipe – Assurance In The Age of Skepticism

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03.26.17 AM Bible Class – David Lipe – Unbelief – Fact of it and Reasons for it

03.26.17 AM – David Lipe – Unbelief – The Christian’s Response to it

03.26.17 PM – David Lipe – One Can Know God Exists

03.27.17 PM – David Lipe – One can Know the Bible is the Word of God

03.28.17 PM – David Lipe – One Know Jesus is a Child of God

03.29.17 PM – David Lipe – One can Know He is a Child of God

Help My Unbelief

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Jesus told the father who came to him wanting his son to be cured, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23).  To this the father replied in tears, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24). There is a part in each of us which believes and there is a part which doubts.  Christians often have questions or doubts that challenge their faith.  The good news is there are good answers to our questions.  There is solid, adequate evidence for the existence of God, the deity of Christ, and the inspiration of the Bible.  But we must devote time to weigh the evidence; only by asking our hard questions and exploring the answers can our faith be fortified.  A person who never tests the validity of Christianity cannot really be helped out of unbelief.  We cannot simply ignore our doubts and deny that we have any.  We are commanded to “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

The skeptic will rarely admit it, but he actually holds beliefs that cannot be proven.  Often skeptics say, “There is no absolute truth,” which is itself an absolute statement.  How can they be absolutely sure of it and be consistent?  A skeptic may try to reduce the Christian’s beliefs to their cultural and historical condition, saying, “Well, if you were born to different parents who were Muslims in Saudi Arabia, you would believe in Islam.”  But what about the skeptic?  If he were born to Muslims in Saudi Arabia would he believe Islam?  You see, even his skepticism does not stand on an island apart from the historical and cultural condition in which he lives.  Skepticism flourishes at certain times and in certain cultures as well because people can be influenced into skepticism.  The skeptic can’t make an exception for himself and say, all beliefs about religion are conditioned by history and culture except for the belief I am stating right now. Or if he says, “no religion can have an exclusive claim to truth; it is arrogant for any religion to claim to have the whole truth of spiritual reality,” then he himself has made an assertion that he says cannot be made.  How could the skeptic possibly know that no religion can have the whole truth unless he had such superior, all-inclusive knowledge that he claims no religions can have?  In short, the skeptic ought to be fair enough to admit his own doubts.  He must be willing to consider if he is wrong in his skepticism.

This week we will be examining the evidence that gives us assurance in an age of skepticism.  Dr. David Lipe will be with us to help us think critically about these vitally important subjects that undergird the Christian faith.  Brother Lipe has spent his life studying these subjects and asking hard questions.  Whether you have faith, doubts, or some of both, you will be benefited by coming to these lessons.  Will you come?

 

–Mark Day