Sermons - Benchley church of Christ

DW

July 22, 2018

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  • Introduction
    • Colossians 1:1
    • Colossians 3:5 – Being a Christian in the first century was tough!
    • Colossians 2:8 – There was a lot of false doctrine going around!
    • Why would anyone go through all of this? God’s blessings!
  • Clean conscience
    • Colossians 1:13-14, 21
    • II Corinthians 1:12
    • Acts 9:9
  • Sense of purpose
    • Colossians 1:9-10
    • Colossians 2:6
    • Colossians 3:1-3, 17
    • II Timothy 2:21
  • Brethren
    • Colossians 1:3-4
    • Acts 2:44
  • Hope!
    • Colossians 1:3
    • Colossians 3:4
    • I Thessalonians 4:13, 16-18
    • Hebrews 6:19
  • What should we do with these blessings?
    • Enjoy them!
      • Genesis 3:1
      • I Timothy 1:5
      • We should be happy to be in a good relationship with God.
    • Help others desire and acquire them!
      • Philippians 2:14

For further study, see also:

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Classes - Benchley church of Christ

JJ

July 22, 2018

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  • 3 John 1:9-15; Jude 1:1-5
  • 3 John 1:10 – This is a case of people being put out of the church in which the people being put out were innocent, but the one putting them out was not.
  • Jude 1:1 – Jude is the writer. The Holy Spirit is the author.
    • Luke 6:13-16 – It is generally assumed that Judas the brother of James wrote the book of Jude.
    • The writer uses triplets 14 times in this book.
    • “Kept for Jesus Christ” is not something permanent. People who are obeying God must work to maintain that relationship lest they fall away.
  • Jude 1:4 – When one teaches that one cannot so sin as to be lost (i.e., “God’s grace is greater than my sin”), he is turning God’s grace into licentiousness. It’s possible that Jude was trying to combat Gnosticism, which taught that the spirit was good, and the physical was evil. Therefore, you could give in to lust as long as you kept your spirit pure.

For further study, see also:

Questions or comments? Join our Discord server for further study.

Classes - Benchley church of Christ

DW

July 18, 2018

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  • John the Baptist, continued:
    • I should love my brethren regardless of externals, continued:
      • Luke 7:24-28
      • I Corinthians 1:27-28
      • May we learn not to make superficial judgments (John 7:24).
    • I need to develop spiritual courage and take strong stands for truth.
      • Matthew 3:5-10 – John was willing to step on people’s toes for the sake of serving God.
      • Matthew 14:3-5, 10 – John refused to back down from Herod the tetrarch who had the power to kill him.
      • Luke 11:1 – John was a man of prayer and taught his disciples to pray.
    • I have work in front of me, so I should get to it!
      • Luke 1:13-17; 3:2-6, 10-18; John 1:20, 29-30, 34; 3:26-30 – John had a very specific and limited role to serve. Isn’t it refreshing to see the humility and acceptance of his role?
      • Romans 12:6-8
      • What does the world need from me right now? What does the congregation need from me right now?

For further study, see also:

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Sermons - Benchley church of Christ

JJ

July 15, 2018

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  • Ephesians 6:1-24
  • Ephesians 6:4 – Compare Colossians 3:21.
  • Ephesians 6:12 – We know from comparing other scriptures that “heavenly places” is referring to the highest of whatever class or category is under consideration.
  • Ephesians 6:14 – Truth is to be our clothing.
  • Ephesians 6:15 – Make the gospel your walk of life.
  • Ephesians 6:18 – The battle is not for us to fight alone. We depend on each other for strength.

For further study, see also:

Questions or comments? Join our Discord server for further study.

Sermons - Benchley church of Christ

DW

July 15, 2018

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  • Does the Holy Spirit directly or miraculously change our hearts so that we will be saved?
    • Calvinism says yes.
      • Irresistible grace?
  • People were saved by learning and obeying the gospel.
    • Pentecost (Acts 2)
    • Second sermon (Acts 3-4)
    • Samaritans (Acts 8)
      • Acts 8:16-17 – They believed before they received the Holy Spirit in a miraculous way.
    • Ethiopian (Acts 8:25-39; 13:2-4; 16:8-10)
      • The Holy Spirit intervened to get Philip to the right place, but the Ethiopian believed on his own.
    • Cornelius (Acts 10-11, 15, cf. 19)
      • Being saved and receiving the Holy Spirit were two separate things!
      • Acts 11:13
    • Mark 16:15-16
    • Romans 1:16
    • Romans 10:17
    • Hebrews 2:1-4
  • Then what about … II Thessalonians 2:13? “sanctification by the spirit”
    • Context and harmony:
      • Acts 10:34-35
      • II Thessalonians 2:14-15
      • I Thessalonians 2:13; 4:1-8
      • Acts 7:51; 17:1-4
    • The message was preached and they had to decide to obey it in their lives.
  • So, what about … Ephesians 1:13? “sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise”
    • Context and harmony
      • Ephesians 3:4-6; 1:13a
      • Colossians 1:5-6
    • They could read Paul’s Holy Spirit-inspired words and know they were saved.
  • What about … John 6:44? No one can come to Me unless the Gather who sent Me draws him”
    • Context and harmony
      • John 6:45
      • Hebrews 2:1-4
    • God draws men through the message preached.
  • What about … John 6:33? “it is the Spirit who gives life”
    • Context and harmony
      • James 2:26
      • John 6:45, 67-68, 63b
    • Probably not the Holy Spirit, but an analogy: “Just like your spirit gives life to your flesh, my spirit gives life to your soul.”
  • What about … Ephesians 5:18? “be filled with the Spirit”
    • Context and harmony
      • Ephesians 5:19
      • Colossians 3:16
  • What about … Acts 9:17-19? “be filled with the Holy Spirit”
    • Context and harmony
      • Acts 9:3-6, 15-16; 26:15-20; 10:44-48; 22:16
  • What about … Acts 16:14? “the Lord opened her heart to respond”
    • Context and harmony
      • Acts 16:13-15
      • Romans 1:16; I Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 2:12
      • II Corinthians 7:6; John 6:44-45
    • He opened her heart through the words from Paul.
  • Take-aways
    • The conversions in Acts consistently show that people simply heard the gospel and obeyed.
    • Calvinism assumes that many Holy Spirit passages involve something supernatural.
    • Don’t wait for the Holy Spirit to do something to your supernaturally – He’s already given the Bible to you!

For further study, see also:

Questions or comments? Join our Discord server for further study.

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