Introduction

• Matthew 12:35
• What is the reasoning we need to have in place to determine what is obscene?
• Ephesians 5:12

Principles

• Ephesians 1:3-14 – If you have hope in Christ, there is a direct connection between your thoughts, conduct, and speech.
  • Why did God adopt us?
  • What was God’s aim in choosing us?
• Ephesians 2:1-10 – Paul describes a transformation in the Gentiles (and himself). They had died to sin, as we should.
• Ephesians 4:17-24 – Is what we are doing, saying, and watching after the likeness of God?
• Matthew 7:15-20 – We are known by our words!
• Matthew 12:33
• Ephesians 4:29 – What should our speech be? Something that is timed appropriately and will build another up.
• Ephesians 5:1 – Be imitators of God.
• Ephesians 5:4
  • Filthiness: disgraceful or improper
  • Silly talk / foolish talking: the talk of the unwise
  • Coarse jesting / crude joking: speaking in a crude, debased way
• Ephesians 5:3, 5 – See II Corinthians 12:21; Galatians 5:19; I Thessalonians 4:3

Application

• Is it wholesome?
• Who am I trying to impress?
• Galatians 5:12
• Harsh language in the Bible was used to point out sin.

Introduction

• I John 3:16
• Luke 10:30

We ought to look for opportunities to help people

• Luke 10:30-37 – Parable of the good Samaritan.
• Helping people means some amount of sacrifice.
  • The Samaritan sacrificed time, money, and goods to help.
  • The more we can live with a little bit of margin, the better we position ourselves to be able to help when the need arises.
  • I Timothy 6:18
• Love your neighbor! Luke 10:27-29
  • The Samaritan felt compassion for the man.
  • Ephesians 4:28, 22-27 – Work so that you can give to others.
  • James 1:27 – God always made provision for widows and orphans.
• Generosity is part of our service to God.
  • Matthew 25:40

When a Christian is in need, the church can jump in

• Pertinent passages:
  • Acts 2:44-45
  • Acts 4:32-35
  • Acts 6:1-3
  • Acts 11:27-30
  • Romans 15:25-26
  • I Corinthians 16:1-3
  • II Corinthians 8:3-4, 14
  • II Corinthians 9:1
  • I Timothy 5:16, 5
• There is a difference between personal funds and church funds. God has limited what church funds can be used for.
• II Corinthians 9:12 – Being generous builds fellowship between saints.

What’s the best way to help someone?

• Acts 6:1-2; Philippians 3:7-11
• Money is not the answer to everything. The most valuable things are spiritual.
• The best thing to give someone is the gospel.

Therefore, did that which is good become a cause of death for me (Romans 7:13-16)?

• Paul emphasizes again that the law is good but sin is the problem.

The struggle against sin (Romans 7:17-25)

• Temptation does not go away just because we are Christians. We must continually fight against temptation. Our victory will come through Christ.
• Compare Galatians 5:17.
• Paul was writing to Romans here. His message was to Christians.

No condemnation in Christ (Romans 8:1-17)

Flesh vs. Spirit

• There are differing views on what the word “spirit” means in this passage. Whatever spirit is it is in contrast to the flesh. What is the contrast?
  • Is it fleshly mind vs. spiritual mind?
  • Is it flesh vs. the Holy Spirit (through the Word of God)?
• Jeremiah 10:23; Acts 26:9 – A spiritually-minded man can only be spiritually-minded by the word of God.
• Romans 1:9; John 4:24
• Can the same word refer to different things in the same passage?
  • Yes!
  • I Corinthians 2:10-13 – “spirit”
  • Luke 9:60 – “dead”
  • Romans 9:6 – “Israel”
  • II Corinthians 5:21 – “sin”
  • I Peter 3:1 – “word”

• I Samuel 8:4-22

Obey God precisely

• I Samuel 10:8 – This order to wait was apparently a standing order.
• I Samuel 13:7-14; 15:3-28 – This occurred some years after the events of I Samuel 10:8. Saul waited seven days, but not the full seven days.
• I Corinthians 10:5-14 – All these things were written for our instruction.

Take responsibility

• I Samuel 13:11-13 – Saul made excuses for his sin.
• I Samuel 15:13-24 – Saul blamed the people for sin, but took ownership for good things. This is not an honorable way to handle sin. Contrast Saul’s behavior with that of David when he sinned.
• Ephesians 6:4 – Being the spiritual leader of the family is a duty given to fathers. Don’t pass the buck!
  • Current day example: Dads on Duty
• Genesis 3:12-13 – Blaming others didn’t work. Everyone got punished.
• Stop making excuses and be the kind of person God wants you to be.

Step up and get involved

• I Samuel 17:2-25, 37, 45 – David was willing to face Goliath.

Trusting in the Lord

• David trusted in God to defeat Goliath.
• Daniel 3:17-18 – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego trusted in God.
• Proverbs 3:5

Get involved

• Titus 1:9-11 – Action is required to combat false doctrine.

Defining violence

• Deuteronomy 19:16-20
• Exodus 20:16 – Do not bear false witness. Bearing false witness is an attempt to do violence to another.
• Exodus 23:1-2
• I Kings 21:9-10 – Ahab and Jezebel did violence in taking Naboth’s vineyard.
• Psalm 97:12
• Psalms 35:11-15
• Psalms 55:9-11
• Isaiah 59:3-8

God’s attitude toward violence

• Violence is punished!
• Genesis 6:11-13
• Psalms 7:14
• Psalms 11:5-7
• John 18:36

How do we prevent violence in our lives?

• On earth, we will be faced with violence.
• Proverbs 1:10-14 – We can be enticed to violence by others.
• Psalms 73:3 – Envy can lure us to violence.
• We may have a strong emotional desire to right wrongs. This tests the righteous man (Psalms 11:5). The righteous man fails the test when he is violent himself (James 1:12-15).

Examples of violence

• Religious Violence and Abortion: The Gideon Project
  • Men blew up an abortion clinic and were convicted for it.
  • They saw an evil and decided to correct it through violent means, which was not right.
  • The men belonged to a denominational church that practiced tongue-speaking. This might have contributed somewhat in that false, modern-day tongue-speaking can lead people to believe God said things He did not say.
• “Hatchet Granny” tearing up bars to fight against alcohol.
• Dinah was violated, so Simeon and Levi committed violence to avenge her (Genesis 34; 49:4-7).
• Current events may cause otherwise good people to be tempted to violence.

With so many wrongs surrounding us, what can we do?

• Jesus was cruelly treated with great violence, but responding with violence was not the answer. Acts 2:38