Classes - Benchley church of Christ

JJ

September 16, 2015

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  • Lesson 5, continued:
    • Discipline (I Corinthians 5:1-7): This is to try to save the erring, keep the church pure, and cause others to fear, i.e., to know that sin will not be tolerated (I Timothy 5:19-20).
      • II Thessalonians 3:6; Titus 3:10-11
    • Negatively: Any effort to put the church in the entertainment field or in business is without Bible authority.
    • Conclusion: Though a church may be right in name, worship, and plan of salvation, if it corrupts the functions of the church, it cannot long remain of Christ.
  • Lesson 6:
    • Introduction: In this lesson, we emphasize the necessity of respecting the structure (organization) in and through which Christians function collectively in spiritual matters.
    • Relative to Christians, the word church is used in three senses:
      • The assembly of the whole church (I Corinthians 14:23, 34-35)
      • The whole family of God; all saved by Jesus’ blood (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 3:15; Hebrews 12:23)
        • There is no organization for the church universal.
        • There are no collective functions assigned for the church universal.
        • There is no assigned common oversight for the church universal.
        • Christ is the head of the body, king of the kingdom, shepherd of the flock, and all saints are brethren (Ephesians 1:22-23; Acts 2:30-33; John 10:11, 16, 27; Matthew 23:8)
      • The local church – a relationship where saints agree to work together under a common oversight and pool their resources to finance the work Christ assigned to it.
    • The local church is the only structure known to the New Testament in and through which saints are to worship and work together under a common oversight in the things of Christ.
      • It is an independent unit answerable only to Christ (Acts 20:28).
      • Each church is to have elders as soon as men attain the qualifications (I Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5).

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Sermons - Benchley church of Christ

JJ

September 13, 2015

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  • In the New Testament, when people or things are referred to by several names, each name depicts a certain characteristic of those people of things. Examples:
    • Elder, bishop, shepherd
    • Christian, saint, disciple, brother
    • Kingdom, body, flock, bride, church
  • The devil is called by several different names:
    • Beelzebub – Mark 3:22
    • Serpent – Genesis 3:1
    • Wicked one – I John 3:12
    • Satan – Matthew 4:10
    • Father of the lie – John 8:44
    • Devil – Matthew 4:1
  • Consider each of these names:
    • Beelzebub (Mark 3:22) – prince of devils, supremacy of evil spirits
    • Serpent (Genesis 3:1)
      • II Corinthians 11:3
    • Wicked one (I John 3:12)
    • Satan (Matthew 4:10)
      • Mark 4:15; I Peter 5:8
    • Father of the lie (John 8:44)
    • Devil (Matthew 4:1)
      • Genesis 3:5; Job 2:1-6; II Timothy 3:1-5; Titus 2:3

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Sermons - Benchley church of Christ

DW

September 13, 2015

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  • Psalms 127:3
  • Leviticus 20:1-5
  • Life begins in the womb
    • The word brephos (baby)
      • Luke 1:30-44; 2:12, 16
      • Used in several other verses:
        • Luke 18:15
        • Acts 7:19
      • The word huios (son)
        • Luke 1:57, 36
      • The word syllambano (conceive)
        • Luke 1:36, 24, 31; 2:21
      • Exodus 21:22-25 – No further penalty for a successful premature birth, but if the unborn baby dies, God says the punishment is life for life!
        • Yeled = child/youth
        • Yasa = go out, come out, bring out
        • Yeled yasa
      • God’s protection of the baby still in the womb shows that an unborn baby was already considered a life.
    • Therefore, abortion is murder.
      • Abortion deliberately ends a life. That’s murder, which is a sin (Romans 1:29) because it is the unlawful taking of a life of one who was made in the image of God (Genesis 9:6).
      • James 2:26 – God appears to be granting a soul at the point of conception.
    • What about criminal cases?
      • What is it that makes abortion wrong in the first place? It’s that an innocent life is being ended.
      • If that child is born and reaches its 5th birthday, then his mother decides the painful memories are just too much, could she kill him then?
    • How can we help?
      • Teach the gospel.
        • Matthew 21:23, 31-32
      • Stand firm against false arguments.
        • I Corinthians 6:15
        • “A woman’s body belongs to her. She can do what she wants with it.”
        • “This is a woman’s health issue.”
        • “This fetal tissue is used for life-saving research.”
      • Encourage responsibility
        • Philippians 2:3-4

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Classes - Benchley church of Christ

DW

September 13, 2015

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  • Luke 2:21-3:6
  • Luke 2:24 – Note that Joseph and Mary offered birds as a sacrifice rather than a lamb, indicating that they were not well off. Jesus came from humble beginnings on Earth.
  • Luke 2:25-35 – Simeon prophesies about Jesus’ life to come.
    • Luke 2:32 – Simeon specifically mentions Gentiles here. Jesus would bring salvation to all.
  • Luke 2:41-52 – Jesus is accidentally left behind in Jerusalem. Notice that He was in subjection to His earthly parents.
    • Luke 2:52 – Compare Luke 2:40.
  • Luke 3:1 – Tiberius Caesar reigned from about A.D. 14-37, so that puts the start of John’s teaching in A.D. 29. See Luke 7:27-30.
  • Luke 3:3-6 – John’s work.
    • Acts 18:24-26; 19:1-5; Ephesians 4:5 – John’s role and his baptism was only in a limited timeframe.

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Classes - Benchley church of Christ

JJ

September 09, 2015

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  • Lesson 5, continued:
    • Benevolence under restricted circumstances, continued:
      • From these passages we learn, continued:
        • When one church sent funds to another church, the funds were delivered to the elders of the church where the need was (Acts 11:27-30).
        • Each sending church selected its own messengers (I Corinthians 16:3; II Corinthians 8:23); no sponsoring church was used in sending the alms.
        • The extent of this help from one church to another was until there was freedom from want. (II Corinthians 8:14)
        • The local church administered relief unto its own needy members within its own framework, no outside organization was built and maintained to administer this relief. No church sent its own needy to another church or to a benevolent society for the administering of relief (Acts 11:27-30; Romans 15:25).
        • As a result of this, thanksgiving went up to God and He was glorified (II Corinthians 9:12) and Jewish brethren in Jerusalem longed for their Gentile brethren (II Corinthians 9:14).
      • Thus, the local church is authorized to use its funds for benevolence under only two conditions:
        • When a local church has destitute members.
        • When another local church has more destitute members than it can relieve.

For further study, see also:

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