Faith, love, and obedience

• We see the evidence of God’s love for us (Creation, care, the sacrifice of His only Son)
• How do we show love to God?
• God tells us what it means to love Him.
• John 14:15
• In modern terms, this is God’s love language.
• There is a direct connection between faith in God, loving God, and obeying God.
• We show our faith and our love by obeying God and through this obedience, we become more like Him, and our faith grows.
• II Peter 1:10-11
• Romans 6:12-13
• I am compelled to worship in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24). I serve God from the heart and in harmony with the truth as revealed in the gospel.
• I Corinthians 9:27 – Disciplining our body is part of obedience.
• We want to please God by obeying Him and worshiping Him the way He wants us to.
• What does obedience look like?
• II Peter 1:5 – I will try to develop these qualities in my everyday life.
  • My activities will be more virtuous.
  • I will strive for more knowledge.
  • I will develop self-control.
  • I will learn patience.
  • Godliness will be my goal.
  • I will try to show kindness to all.
  • In all things I will show a spirit of love.
• II Peter 3:17-18
• Hebrews 11:6
  • Note again two elements:
    • Believe that He is (faith)
    • Action (seeking Him)
  • God rewards those seeking Him and God does what He says.
  • The action (obeying Him) from faith (love of God) is diligently seeking Him (obeying Him and wanting to be like Him).
• If we fail, we have faith that God will forgive us.
• I Thessalonians 5:22
• Romans 3:23
• Romans 6:1-2, 12-13
• I John 1:8-9
• That should make us love Him more.

Introduction

• Acts 16:11-34, 40 – The examples of Lydia and the Philippian jailer.

Pual gives an excellent example of unselfishness.

• Philippians 1:1-8 – Paul was focusing on them. Paul was writing from prison, but didn’t focus on himself.
• If someone asks you how you are doing, do you always answer with complaints? Are you always focusing on the negative?
• Philippians 1:12-14 – Paul spoke about his imprisonment in a way that focused on the good that was being done because of it.
• Philippians 2:1-5, 19-21
• Philippians 4:1, 17

Paul exemplifies the joy and peace Christians have in the face of distress and death.

Paul’s example of staying positive

Pray

• Philippians 4:6-7 – God won’t necessarily take away the storms of life, but He will give you a raincoat and hold your hand.

Engage with brethren

• Philippians 1:3

Stay busy

• Philippians 1:13 – Paul was busy and productive, even in prison.
• I Kings 19:2-4, 14-18 – Elijah was literally running for life. God gave him something to do to help his depressed spirit.
• Philippians 1:21-24
• Philippians 2:17
• II Corinthians 12:15
• Philippians 3:5-11
• Philippians 3:20

Joshua 10

Joshua 10:1-15 – Five kings align against Gibeon

• Joshua 10:1-2 – Adoni-zedek feared greatly because of how Israel had conquered Ai.
• Joshua 10:9 – The Israelites marched all night – a distance of 15-20 miles and then they had to fight in a supernaturally long day.
• Joshua 10:12-15 – The sun and moon stand still at Joshua’s request so the Israelites have time to finish the fight.
  • A story has circulated on the Internet for a while claiming that NASA had “found” Joshua’s last day. This is a hoax. See https://apologeticspress.org/the-sun-stood-stillreally-5529/.
• Joshua 10:13 – The Book of Jasher (also mentioned in II Samuel 1:18) was evidently known to the people of the day, although we do not have copies of it today.

Joshua 10:16-27 – Five kings killed

• Joshua 10:24 – Placing the foot on the neck was possibly a customary way to show dominance over an enemy in those days.

Joshua 10:28-48 – Quick listing of more battles

Joshua 11

Joshua 11:1-23 – Israel fights another coalition

• There are many similarities between this fight and the one in Joshua 10.

• Joshua 11:9 – God did not allow the Israelites to add the military resources to their arsenal.
• Joshua 11:20 – Compare Exodus 9:34-10:1.
• Joshua 11:21-23 – The Anakim that the spies were originally so scared of were defeated and nearly eradicated.

Introduction

• Luke 23:33, 39-46

Answering the baptism question

• Acts 2:38 – People sometimes try to use the case of the thief on the cross to prove that baptism is not necessary for salvation.
• The simple answer is: the thief was living under the Old Covenant, and baptism into Jesus was not yet in force.
  • Luke 3:3
  • John 3:5
  • Matthew 28:19
  • Mark 16:15-16 – These are Jesus’ words after His resurrection.
  • Acts 2:37-41 – This is the first time baptism into Jesus was commanded.
  • What about David, Moses, and Abraham? They weren’t baptized either.
  • Hebrews 9:15-17 – Jesus’ sacrifice covered those under the Old Covenant.
  • Galatians 4:5 – Jesus redeemed those that were under the law.
  • The transition to the New Covenant took place in Acts 2.
• Romans 6:3-6 – Baptism is “into His death.” No one could have experienced that baptism BEFORE He died.
• Romans 10:9 – If the thief proves that baptism is not required, he also proves that belief in Jesus’ resurrection is not required.

The other thief

• If he had humbled himself in his last moments, he could have been saved. What regret must he have now!

The penitent thief

• Matthew 27:38-44 – At first, both criminals mocked Jesus.
• Luke 23:40-42 – One thief evidently had a change of heart.

Jesus

• Luke 23:43 – In some of Jesus’ last breaths, He made time for one more soul.
• Jesus loves you too!

Faith dispels fear (continued)

• Let go of fear.
• Be introspective. What are you so afraid?
• Pray for help and healing, Philippians 4:6-7.
  • James 4:13, 15 – “pray for your plan”
• Evaluate past storms.
• Look beyond storms to the ultimate ends.
  • I Peter 1:6-9; Matthew 10:28
• Choose faith
  • II Timothy 1:7; Hebrews 13:6
  • God loves us and always wants our good.
• II Peter 1:5
• I John 4:17-19
• I John 4:20