OceanSide church of Christ

 Previous Return to Sermons Next  Click to download Audio

THE SAME BATTLES OVER AND OVER (1)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     Battles are not a pleasant thing to fight.

1.       They divide.

2.       They waste precious resources.

3.       They destroy property.

4.       They wound and take lives.

 

B.      Sadly, there are times when we seem to fight the same battles over and over.

1.       Once the kingdom of Israel was formed, they seemed to fight the same battles with the Philistines and the Amalekites.

2.       Husbands and wives seem to fight the same battles over and over in the home.

3.       Parents often fight the same battles with their children.

4.       Political battles seem to the same thing over and over.

 

C.     Within the church, we have fought our battles.  Sadly, the battles that we fight are “The Same Battles Over and Over.”

1.       In this lesson, let’s look at some of the battles that have been waged in the past. 

2.       Let’s also show how we seem to be fighting those same battles today.

 

I.                    IMMORALITY IN THE CHURCH

 

A.     Morals involve things that are right and wrong.

1.       Morals begin with a standard of morality.  In our case, the standard is the Holy Word of God.

a.       “The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart” (Ps. 19:8).

b.      “Through thy precepts I get understanding:  therefore I hate every false way” (Ps. 119:104).

c.       “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (II Tim. 3:16).

2.       Those who choose to abide by God’s standard are considered to be moral.

3.       Those who reject and rebel against God’s standard are said to be immoral.

4.       NOTE:  There are times when members of the church choose immorality instead of morality.  Their immorality can impact the church in a very negative way.

 

B.      Past:  Corinth:  fornicator (I Cor. 5:1-2)

 

It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.  And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

 

1.       The sin:  fornication conflicts with God’s law of holiness

2.       The scope: no so much as named among the Gentiles

3.       The sinner:  one who had taken his father’s wife (possibly his stepmother)

4.       The saints:  were puffed up and did not mourn and refused to discipline the sinner

 

C.     Present:

1.       There are many sins that are tolerated in the church today:  adultery, drinking, cursing, and, even the LGBTQ movement.

2.       In the mind of God, there is still a Right and a Wrong. 

3.       If the church is going to be acceptable to God, we must take bold stands against immorality.  Paul did (I Cor. 5:3-5).

 

For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan, for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

II.                 DISREGARD FOR DIVINE AUTHORITY

 

A.     All that we do in word or deed is to be done in the name of Jesus Christ (Col. 3:17).

 

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

 

1.       Doing all in the name of Jesus means doing all by His authority.

2.       Where God has legislated, man has no right to disregard it.  To disregard the will of God brings the displeasure of God upon us.

 

B.      Past:  Cain

1.       In Genesis 4, we find Cain in rebellion to God’s authority.

a.       He came to worship God and brought an offering from what he had.

1)      He was a tiller of the ground (Gen. 4:2).

2)      He brought “of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord” (Gen. 4:3).

b.      His offering was rejected by God (Gen. 4:5).

 

But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect…

 

c.       Genesis 4:7 reveals that Cain had not done well. 

 

If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?  And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.

 

2.       How do we know Cain rebelled against the authority of God?  An explanation is given in Hebrew 11:4

 

By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts:  and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

 

a.       Abel’s offering was by faith. 

b.      Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Rom. 10:17).

c.       Abel heard what God commanded and did it.  

d.      Cain did not.  He disregarded divine authority and brought what he wanted to bring to the Lord instead of what was commanded.  Because of this, he was rejected.

 

C.     Present:

1.       Divine authority is just as important now as it was in the days of Cain and Abel (See Matt. 28:20).

 

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:  and, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.

a.       The apostles were commanded to teach only what Jesus had commanded.

b.      If that were true of the apostles as God’s divine ambassadors, then it must be true of us today.

2.       Many refuse to adhere to divine authority in many areas.

a.       Instrumental music

1)      God has authorized singing (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16).

2)      He has not authorized singing and playing instruments of music.  To add an instrument is to disregard diving authority.

b.      Women’s role

1)      God has forbidden women from speaking in the assembly (I Cor. 14:34-35).

2)      There are many who disregard God’s command and allow women to take a public, leadership role in the worship of God.

3.       The consequences of not adhering to God’s Word will be found out on the Day of Judgment (John 12:48).

 

He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him:  the word that I have spoken, the same judge him in the last day.

 

III.              HOW TO GROW THE CHURCH

 

A.     The Lord wants His church to grow both spiritually and numerically.

1.       The prophecy of the growth of the kingdom (Isa. 2:2, “and all nations shall flow unto it”).

2.       The Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matt. 13:31-32) and The Parable of Leaven (Matt. 13:33) both reveal the growth of the kingdom.

3.       Growth comes by individuals being added to the body of Christ (Acts 2:47).

4.       The first century church grew tremendously in the first century

a.       About 3,000 (Acts 2:41).

b.      And the number of the men was about five thousand (Acts 4:4).

c.       The disciples and churches were multiplied (Acts 6:1, 7; 7:17; 9:31; 12:24).

 

B.      Not only does God tell us that He wants the church to grow, He has also revealed how the church is to grow. 

1.       The how of church growth is evangelism, that is, proclaiming the good news (Mark 16:15).

2.       The how of church growth is planting seed into good ground (Luke 8:11-15).

3.       The how of church growth is fulfilling the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20).

4.       The how of church growth is each one teaching one (Acts 8:26-39).

5.       The how of church growth is soul-winning (Prov. 11:28).

6.       The how of church growth is loving others enough to tell them of the Savior (Eph. 4:15).

7.       The how of church growth is not being ashamed of the gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16).

8.       The how of church growth is each member producing fruit (Rom. 1:13).

 

C.     In the 70s and 80s, we forsook God’s plan for church growth and relied on the unscriptural schemes of men to “grow” the church.

1.       The Crossroads Movement

2.       The Master Plan of Evangelism

3.       Big “F” and Little “f” Fellowship

4.       There are Christians scattered throughout all the denominations.

 

 

D.     We have forsaken the Bible’s plan for church growth and have implemented man-made schemes for church growth.

1.       Entertaining worship

2.       Forsaking the Bible’s pattern for worship

3.       Fellowship with error

4.       Refusal to condemn sin and error

5.       Refusing to proclaim the plan of salvation

6.       Less Bible in our messages to the masses

7.       Accepting denominational baptism

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     Yes, sadly we face the same battles over and over in the church.

 

B.      There are many causes for this.

1.       False teachers who infiltrate the church

2.       Weak elderships that will not support sound doctrine

3.       Unfaithful preachers who will not preach all the counsel of God

4.       Youth who are not properly taught by the previous generation

5.       Members who want to be like the denominations around them

 

C.     The only way to bring the battles of the past to a halt is for sound, strong, courageous men to arise, and put on the whole armor of God, and confront the enemy (Eph. 6:10-13).

 

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.