• Lesson 2, continued:
  • His name is above every name (Philippians 2:6-11) (continued):
    • Christians belong to Christ because He purchased them with His own blood and they were baptized in His name; thus, they are identified by the name of Him to whom they belong.
  • Conclusion: Regardless of what good traits a church may have, if it is identified by a name given by man, a name that does not point ownership to heaven, it is not the church of the New Testament.
• Lesson 3:
  • Introduction
    • In this lesson, we learn what local churches in Paul’s time taught one to do to be saved.
  • Hear the Word
    • God’s drawing power (John 6:44-45)
    • That which produces faith (Romans 10:17)
  • Believe (Hebrews 11:6; John 3:16; 8:24)
    • Faith and opinion
      • Faith is produced by hearing (Romans 10:17); without testimony there can be no faith.
      • Anything practiced without testimony is just opinion.
    • We walk by faith (II Corinthians 5:7)
      • Opinion is unsafe (Jeremiah 10:23)
      • We cannot walk by sight, for we have not seen Jesus.
    • Therefore, based upon testimony one must believe: that Jesus is the Son of God and the savior of man (John 8:24) and that the gospel is God’s power to save (Romans 1:16).
  • Repentance (Acts 17:30; II Peter 3:9; Acts 11:18)
    • Repentance is a change of mind (Matthew 21:28-29), brought about by godly sorrow (II Corinthians 7:10), and resulting in changed actions (Matthew 21:29).
    • It is hard to get one to repent.
      • Most profess to believe in Christ, but they will not do His will. (Luke 6:46; Matthew 7:21)
      • They need to repent – change their mind and their lives.
      • When one repents, obedience is easy; it is getting one to renounce his will that is difficult.
    • Confession (Romans 10:9-10)
      • With the mouth, one must confess that Jesus is Lord.
      • When one believes and repents, confession is the natural result.
    • Baptized (Mark 16:16)

• Is the church essential?
  • It has always been God’s choice to save man where He chooses and upon what conditions He chooses.
    • II Kings 5:1-14 – Naaman had to respect God’s place and conditions to be cleansed.
    • Ephesians 3:10-11
  • Notice the importance God has put upon the church.
  • Some say they love Christ, but the church is non-essential.
  • Some say the church does not save; Jesus saves
    • Exodus 20:24; II Samuel 7:12-14 – God accepts people’s service in all places where He records His name. The saved relationship is now that place.
  • If saved out of the church, saved without a Savior.
    • Ephesians 5:23; 1:23
  • If saved out of the church, saved without being saved!
    • The church is the saved relationship.

• Introduction
  • Matthew 22:23-32
  • Matthew 16:11 – Jesus warns about the Pharisees and Sadducees
  • II Peter 3:16
• We only use a favorite set of verses
  • Acts 15:13-18
  • II Peter 3:1
  • Acts 20:26-27
  • Matthew 23:23-24
• We overanalyze it
  • II Timothy 2:15, 23
  • I Timothy 1:4-7
  • I Timothy 6:4
  • Titus 3:9
  • Matthew 13:23
  • Don’t take Jesus’ illustrations further than He intended.
• We oversimplify it
  • Matthew 22:36-40 – Jesus sometimes simplified the law.
  • Romans 1:29-30
  • God sometimes gives specific instructions that must be followed.

Word of the Day, Part 10: Speak

• Speak, continued:
  • God speaks (continued):
    • New Testament
      • Through His Son – Hebrews 1:1-3
      • Through His Holy Spirit – John 16:7-13
      • Through the writings of inspired saints
        • I Corinthians 2:1-7; II Peter 3:1-2; II Corinthians 13:1-3
        • Hebrews 2:3-4; I Thessalonians 2:13
      • Man also spoke, but not always inspired
        • The writer recording it was inspired
        • The person recorded might not be
          • The blind man Jesus healed – John 9:31
          • Job’s friends
            • Eliphaz the Temanite
            • Zophar the Naamathite
            • Bildad the Shuhite
            • Job 5:17; 42:7-8
          • Take care whether to speak
            • Takes contemplation – James 1:19
            • Takes caution – Ecclesiastes 5:2
            • Takes wisdom – Proverbs 10:19; 13:3; 15:2
          • Why?
            • Tongue is a dangerous weapon
              • Must be tamed – James 3:1-12
              • Can be unfitting – Ephesians 5:3-4
              • Can defile – Matthew 15:11
              • Brings evil back to life – Colossians 3:5-11
            • James didn’t say NOT to speak
              • Ecclesiastes 3:1
              • We need to take care how we speak
            • Take care how to speak
              • Things in “good taste” – Colossians 4:6
              • Things that are exemplary – I Timothy 4:12
              • Especially to brethren – Titus 2:6-8
            • There are things which must be said
              • Jeremiah 20:8-9
            • Be wary of how others speak
              • Romans 16:17-18

• Lesson 2, continued:
  • Individuals
    • Saints (Ephesians 1:1) – set apart from the world to the service of Christ.
    • Disciples (Acts 11:26) – learners of Christ
    • Christians (Acts 11:26; I Peter 4:6) – belonging to Christ
    • Citizens (Ephesians 2:19) – subjects of the King
    • Brethren (Galatians 6:1) – relationship to one another
  • The saved relationship is spoken of as the bride of Christ, thus is must be identified by His name (Ephesians 5:22-25, 28):
    • To wear the name of another will bring His disfavor.
    • The Bible does not speak of hyphenated Christians.
      • The Bible says nothing about Baptist-Christians or Catholic-Christians. We are to simply be Christians.
    • His name is above every name (Philippians 2:6-11)
      • Why would anyone want to be identified by an inferior name?
      • Let us always give preeminence to Christ by identifying ourselves by His great name. Colossians 1:18
        • Psalms 89:20, 27 – “Firstborn” refers to preeminence.
      • Martin Luther made an appeal to his followers to not call themselves “Lutherans” because they were not baptized in the name of Luther and Luther was not crucified for them. What a noble and scriptural appeal! I Corinthians 1:13
      • Christians belong to Christ because He purchased them with His own blood and they were baptized in His name; thus, they are identified by the name of Him to whom they belong.