God loves us!

• John 3:16 – The word “so” here may be more accurately translated “in this way.”
• Psalm 8
  • Astronaut Eileen Collins said spaceflight deepened her faith because she could see just how tiny humans are in the universe.
• Isaiah 40:22-31

“He was moved by his entreaty …”

• II Chronicles 33:13
• II Chronicles 33:1-13 – Manasseh was a very evil king, but he turned to God and God heard his prayer.
• Have you ignored God in your life?
• II Chronicles 15:1-4
• I Chronicles 5:20
• This was a pattern – it was not just Manasseh.
• II Kings 20:1-6 – God heard Hezekiah’s prayer
• Exodus 3:7
• Luke 18:7
• Acts 10:4
• God loves you more than anyone else has loved you or can love you!
• II Peter 3:9
• God’s love makes it easy for us to repent.
• I John 4:19

Review of Galatians 1-2

Galatians 3

• Old Covenant vs. New Covenant
• Old Covenant teachings are still being taught as required today by various groups.
• I Corinthians 10:11
• Romans 15:4
• Romans 3:28-31
• Hebrews 8:13
• I John 3:21-24
• John 6:20

Introduction

• Ephesians 4:4-6

Do I believe in a religious tradition simply because it’s a tradition?

• II Thessalonians 2:15
• Traditions can be either good or bad – we must go back to God’s word.
• Mark 7:1-8
• II John 1:9

Do I carry stuff over from the Old Covenant?

• Jeremiah 31:31-34
• Galatians 3:24-25
• The Old Covenant is no longer in effect.
• Hebrews 8:6-13 – The Old Covenant is obsolete.
• Hebrews 10:9-10
• Hebrews 10:1

Do I just believe what my family believes?

• Matthew 10:32-38 – Jesus must be our priority, even if it disrupts family relationships.
• Galatians 1:13-14; I Timothy 1:15 – Paul followed the traditions, but it made him the chief of sinners!

Do I just go along with the experts?

• Who decides who the experts are?
• Matthew 16:6-12 – Beware of the teaching of the experts!
• Matthew 23:1-3, 15
• Acts 4:1-3, 17-18 – The “experts” tried to stop the apostles!
• Acts 5:34

Do I just follow whatever is popular?

• John 6:60-66 – Jesus was not getting good reviews.
• If you’re going with popular opinion, you’ll be against Jesus.
• Matthew 7:13-14

Do I just believe what seems right to me?

• Proverbs 14:12
• Jeremiah 10:23
• Acts 23:1; 26:9 – Paul was doing what seemed right to him.

Why SHOULD I believe something?

• John 17:17
• John 12:48-50
• Can you find these in the Bible?
  • Saved by faith only
  • Once saved, always saved
  • Homosexuality is acceptable
  • Infant baptism
  • Praying to Mary
  • Having an ordained clergy class
  • God’s people can divide into denominations
  • Holy Spirit “irresistible grace”
  • Etc.
• Because I can find it in the Bible!

I Corinthians 4

I Corinthians 4:1-6 – Paul is just a servant.

• I Corinthians 4:4 – It is the Lord who judges! Don’t look to human wisdom.
• I Corinthians 4:6 – These principles apply to all of us. Do not go beyond what is written. Regarding arrogance, compare I Corinthians 4:18, 19; 5:6.

I Corinthians 4:7-13 – Paul’s condition, contrasted with the Corinthians.

• I Corinthians 4:8 – Paul is using irony and sarcasm here to point out their arrogance. Compare Revelation 3:17-18
• See Philippians 3:4-7.
• I Corinthians 4:11-13 – Paul completely refutes the “health and wealth gospel” that is popular today. Being a Christian doesn’t mean everything will suddenly be easy for you. It might be the opposite!

I Corinthians 4:14-21 – Paul admonishes as a father.

• I Corinthians 4:16 – Can we teach someone the gospel and also say, “Be just like me?” That should be our goal!

Words translated as “gossip” in the NASB NT

• Diabolos [1228] – I Timothy 3:11; II Timothy 3:3; Titus 2:3 – devil, malicious gossip, slanderer
  • “a common term for ‘devil’ found in about forty contexts”
• Psithyristes [5588] – Romans 1:29
  • Gossips, whisperers
  • “A whisperer, a secret slanderer” (Zodhiates)
  • We should not applaud those who practice gossip.
• Psithyrismos [5587] – II Corinthians 12:20
  • Gossip, whisperings
  • “A whispering, particularly of slander and detraction, hurtful gossip” (Zodhiates)
• Phlyaros [5397] – I Timothy 5:13
  • Gossips, tattlers
  • “A tattler, an idle or trifling talker, one who boils over with impertinent talk” (Zodhiates)

But lets realize that not ALL personal or negative communication is gossip.

• II Timothy 4:14-15
• I Corinthians 1:10-11
• Galatians 2:11-14
• III John 1:9-10

Definition of gossip

• “The sharing of personal or negative information about someone else, either true or false, without righteous intent.”

Questions to ask myself before talking about someone

What’s my goal?

• John 4:35

Should I say something now?

• James 1:19
• Proverbs 11:13; 17:19; 26:20

If the roles were reversed, would I want someone saying this about me?

• Matthew 7:12

Am I telling the right people?

• Proverbs 16:28