Benchley, June 12, 2013

• Overview:
  • Galatians 1-2 are a defense of Paul’s apostleship.
  • Galatians 3-5:12 - Paul shows the sufficiently of the new law in contrast to the insufficiency of the old law.
  • Galatians 5:13-6 - Paul exhorts them to hold fast to the teaching he has given them.
• Galatians 1:1-2 - Paul had preached in Galatia on all three of his missionary journeys.  The letter was written roughly 57-58 AD.
• Galatians 1:4 - See Ephesians 1:3-4.  God had His plan of salvation in place before the creation of the world.

Benchley, June 9, 2013

• Matthew 21:28-32
• The time to repent and obey is now.
  • II Corinthians 6:2; Hebrews 3:15
  • People heard, believed, and immediately obeyed the gospel.  Many today want to repent later.  There is not time to procrastinate!
• In the parable, the critical issue is obedience.
  • Many of us profess to obey God much more than we actually obey God.
  • Genesis 6:22; 3 - The same example of obedience vs. disobedience was played out with Cain and Able and the people of Noah’s day.
  • Matthew 7:21 - It’s not about who says, but who does the will of God.
• In the parable, the cause of obedience is repentance.
  • II Corinthians 7:10
• The critical question:
  • Where am I in this parable?
  • Do I say, “I go, sir” but go not?
  • Do I repent of disobedience and get to work?
  • Do I need to make God my Father?

Benchley, June 9, 2013

• I Corinthians 10:1-13 - We need to make sure we are getting the lessons we should from the Israelites.
• Don’t waste a good foundation (I Corinthians 10:1-5)
  • I Corinthians 9:22-27
  • Acts 7:36-39 - The Israelites had the good foundation that Moses had helped lay, but not all took advantage of it.
  • Romans 1:20 - We have a creation that points back to our Creator!
  • I Corinthians 1:23-24; 2:6-7 - We have a sacrificed Savior!
  • We have cheap, easy access to the scripture!
• Take the way of escape (endure!)
  • Exodus 32; Numbers 25,21,16
  • “so that you will be able to endure it”
  • I Corinthians 10:13 - The temptations we face now are the same ones man has always faced, just wrapped up in new paper.  God will always make a way for us to escape the temptation.

Benchley, June 9, 2013

• I John 5:1 - See I John 4:7.  The tense of the word “born” here shows that this is a continuing action.
• I John 5:3 - God’s commands are what is best for us.  It is certainly easier for us to just do what we want, but God’s way is better for us and has a great reward.  In the big picture, obeying God is a small thing relative to what God has done for us.
• I John 5:4 - See Hebrews 11:1,13-16.

Benchley, June 5, 2013

• Choosing specifics:
  • Genesis 6:14 - Noah instructed to build the ark of gopher wood
    • Noah was at liberty to pick particular trees and use what tools he wanted as long as the trees were gopher wood.
  • Singing
    • God commands us to sing, which means we are allowed what tools we would like in order to sing (song books, song leader, pitch pipe, etc.)
  • Assembly (I Corinthians 14:23,26; Acts 20:7; Hebrews 10:25)
    • God commands us to assemble, but we are free to choose the place.  Renting or buying a building is within the realm of what God has authorized.
  • PowerPoint – this falls within the realm of edifying the saints
• Remember WHO we’re dealing with!
  • We shouldn’t go by our view of authority but by God’s view.
    • Revelation 22:18-19
    • II John 6,9
    • I John 2:3-4
    • Hebrews 8:4-5
    • Hebrews 7:14
    • Numbers 3:10
    • Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32
    • Hebrews 10:28-29
  • Carrying the ark of the covenant
    • Exodus 25:14
    • Numbers 3:27,31; 4:15; 7:6-9; 10:13,21
    • I Chronicles 13:6-14
    • I Chronicles 15:1-15

Benchley, June 2, 2013

• I Kings 22
  • v5-9 – Micaiah is summoned by the kings.
  • v11-12 – The false prophets prophesy victory.
  • v13-14 – Micaiah declares that he will only tell the truth.
  • v15 – Micaiah responds sarcastically.
  • v16-18 – Micaiah prophesies defeat.
  • v34-35 – Ahab killed in battle.
• King Jehoshaphat of Judah (I Kings 22:5)
  • “Please inquire first for the word of the Lord.”
  • Lesson:  Before I act, I should ask, “What does God want me to do?”
  • Matthew 22:37
• Ahab’s false prophets (I Kings 22:6)
  • “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”
  • Lesson:  I shouldn’t replace God’s word with a poll of my friends.
  • Romans 1:26-28 - Homosexuality is wrong in God’s eyes.  Society permitting it does not make it right!
• King Ahab of Israel (I Kings 22:8)
  • “I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.”
  • Lesson:  I must develop the right attitude toward Divine truth.
  • I Corinthians 3:1-3; 4:18; 6:5; Luke 9:23
• Micaiah the prophet (I Kings 22:14)
  • “As the Lord lives, what the Lord says to me, that I shall speak.”
  • Lesson:  I should emulate people who hold to God’s truth.
  • Galatians 1:10; 4:16 - “Have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?”

Benchley, June 2, 2013

• I John 4:7-11 - We must love others the way God loved us when He sent Jesus to die for us.
• I John 4:9 - See Romans 5:6-11; 3:23-26.
• I John 4:15 - See Romans 10:9-10.
• I John 4:17 - The world should see God’s love manifested in us.

Benchley, May 29, 2013

• The Bible teaches us that unavoidable conclusions authorize, continued:
  • Genesis 2:24 => Matthew 19:6
• Notice some unavoidable conclusions in Scripture:
  • Acts 8:35-36 - Preaching Jesus includes preaching baptism.
  • Matthew 26:17,26 - Unleavened bread to be used in the Lord’s Supper.
• How to be saved:
  • Hebrews 11:6
  • Acts 17:30
  • Romans 10:10
• Part 2:  All authority is specified to a certain degree.
  • “Please go buy me a dog.”
    • In order to do what is authorized, I need to comply to the degree at which things are specified.
  • “Son, I want you to mow the lawn on Monday.”
    • In order to do what is authorized, the son needs to comply to the degree at which things are specified.
  • Genesis 6:14:  “Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood.”
    • In order to do what is authorized, Noah needed to comply to the degree at which things were specified.
  • Musical worship in the New Testament
    • Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26; Acts 16:25; Romans 15:9; I Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 2:12; 13:15; James 5:13 - singing authorized
    • In order to do what is authorized, we need to comply to the degree at which things are specified.
  • Work of the local church
    • God authorized the church to provide for:
      • Needy saints (II Corinthians 8:3-4; 9:1)
      • Worship and edification
      • The preaching of the gospel
    • In order to do what is authorized, we need to comply to the degree at which things are specified.

Benchley, May 26, 2013

• Luke 15:11-32
• Luke 15:1-2 - Jesus told three parables trying to teach the scribes and Pharisees to rejoice over saving a lost sinner.
• The elder brother
  • Respected his father’s will as long as it pleased himself.
    • Luke 7:36-39
  • Was self-righteous
    • Luke 18:10-14
  • Lack of love and resentment robbed him of a joyful reunion with his brother.
    • The elder brother should have rejoiced at the return of his brother, just as the Pharisees should have rejoiced when sinners returned to God.
  • Lost sight of the blessings of his father’s fellowship.
• Lessons for us
  • Let us be sure we respect the Father’s will even when it does not conform with our first choice.
  • Let us realize we are not righteous of ourselves because of much lawkeeping, but by the grace of God, the blood of Christ, and our trust in Him.
  • Let us be sure we never let self-righteousness and resentment rob us of joy when a sinner repents.
  • Let us never lose sight of the great blessings of fellowship with the Father.

Benchley, May 26, 2013

• Acts 16:9,12-40 - Paul’s time in Philippi (roughly 50 AD).  Philippians was written about 12 years later.
• “Not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence.”
  • Paul was in prison at the time.  He wanted them to continue obeying, even while he was not there with them.
  • We must do right even when no one but God is looking.
  • Acts 8:26-28 - The Ethiopian was reading by himself.
  • Ephesians 6:5-8 - Our relationship with God should be the driving force in all our other relationships.
• “Work out your salvation”
  • We must do our part to receive God’s git!
  • Matthew 7:21; II Corinthians 5:10; Hebrews 5:9
  • Philippians 1:9-10; 2:14-15; 3:11-15 - We must work toward the goal!
  • James 1:3
• “With fear and trembling”
  • We must revere God!
  • Philippians 2:10; Hebrews 12:21; Mark 9:48
  • II Thessalonians 1:6-9 - God will punish those who do not know Him in eternal destruction.

Benchley, May 22, 2013

• Matthew 16:5-12
• To “imply” is to send a message.
• To “infer” is to receive a message.
• Dad may never actually say he wants the son to “use the lawnmower,” but the boy understands that through what has been said (“fill the mower with gas,” etc.).
• Unavoidable conclusion?
  • Acts 16:15; 16:33; I Corinthians 1:16 - infants were baptized?
    • This cannot be unferred because we can’t know that there were infants in the house.  Based on other scriptures which state that people must believe before being baptized, we could argue that infants could not possibly be included in the meaning here.
• The Bible teaches that unavoidable conclusions authorize.
  • Acts 10:10-16 + 19-20 + 22 => 28b
    • Vision of animals no longer unclean
    • Spirit:  “Go with them.”
    • “Angel told Cornelius to hear your message.”
    • Thus:  “God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.”
  • Psalms 110:1 => Matthew 22:41-46; Acts 2:32-36
    • The Christ would descend from David.
    • David called Him “Lord.”
    • Thus, Christ is superior.
  • Genesis 14:18-20 + Psalms 110:4 => Hebrews 7:11
    • Melchizadek blessed Abraham, Abraham gave tithes to Melchizadek.
    • Lesser is blessed by the greater.
    • Levites descended from Abraham.
    • Jesus is a priest after the order of Melchizadek.
    • Thus, Jesus is a superior priest.
  • Exodus 3:6 => Luke 20:37-38
    • Genesis:  Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob die.
    • Exodus:  “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
    • Thus, “But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the burning bush …”

Benchley, May 12, 2013

1. Functions of a Christian that rest upon the peculiar grounds of his being a Christian
2. And which are also authorized for performance together with other Christians
3. Are functions for which a local church is authorized to make provision.

• Luke 10:30-35 - We have a duty to help those in need on an individual basis.
• James 1:27 - caring for widows and orphans
• I Timothy 5:14 - This is a family relationship, not an obligation of the church.
• I Timothy 5:16 - helping widows
• I Corinthians 9:1-14 - churches supporting preachers
• Assembling – Hebrews 10:25.  This is a function that a local church is authorized to make provision for.
• Discipline – I Corinthians 5:4-5.  The church is authorized to make provision for discipline of its members.
• The local church is to meet for worship, preach to the lost, edify the saved, and help the needy in certain cases.

Benchley, May 5, 2013

• Ephesians 6:1-3
• Mary celebrated the dignity of her role (without riches and a life of ease)
  • Luke 1:28-38; 2:24; 1:46-49
  • Mark 6:1-3 - Jesus’ earthly family was evidently thought of as a regular family.
  • Mary did not live a life of royalty.
• The Syrophoenician woman showed humble persistence.
  • Matthew 15:21-28
  • Ephesians 5:22,33
• Lois and Eunice exemplified sincere faith.
  • Acts 16:1-5
  • II Timothy 1:5; 3:14-15