3/18/19

"THE EPISTLE OF JAMES" A Servant Of God And The Lord Jesus Christ (1:1) by Mark Copeland


"THE EPISTLE OF JAMES"

A Servant Of God And The Lord Jesus Christ (1:1)

INTRODUCTION

1. In our introductory study, we concluded that James, the Lord's
   brother, was most likely the author

2. If this is so, then it is interesting that James does not identify
   himself as such, but rather as simply "a servant of God and of the
   Lord Jesus Christ" (1:1)

3. Perhaps it was a case of humility; yet, calling himself a "servant"
   was not peculiar to James
   a. Paul described himself as such as well - Ro 1:1; Php 1:1
   b. So did Peter (2Pe 1:1) and Jude (Jude 1)

4. Why did these men refer to themselves as "servants"?
   a. The Greek term (DOULOS) literally means "a slave"
   b. Why use such a term to describe themselves?
   c. And why should WE think of ourselves as "servants"?

5. In this lesson, I shall explain why, and make some other observations
   concerning the idea of being a servant

[First of all...]

I. BEING A SERVANT IS "WHAT A DISCIPLE OF JESUS IS CALLED TO BE"

   A. JESUS STRESSED THIS TRUTH ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS...
      1. While pointing out the faults of the scribes and Pharisees
         - Mt 23:8-12
      2. During the Last Supper, with a vivid demonstration of servitude
         - Jn 13:12-17
      3. Even by His own example, as He came to serve - Mt 20:25-28;Php 2:5-8

   B. SPECIFICALLY, WE ARE CALLED TO SERVE...
      1. God - Jm 1:1; He 9:14
      2. Jesus Christ - Jm 1:1; 1Co 4:1
      3. Righteousness - Ro 6:17-18
      4. Each other - Ga 5:13; 1Co 9:19-23

[The early Christians called themselves "servants", because that is what
they were!

But what is so good about being a "servant"?  For one thing...]

II. BEING A SERVANT IS "A MARK OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY"

   A. AN IMMATURE PERSON IS USUALLY VERY SELFISH...
      1. For example, newborn babies are very ego-centrical
      2. Normally, as people grow older, they begin to concern themselves
         with the needs of others
         a. If they do, they are becoming mature
         b. If they remain selfish, it is an indication of immaturity

   B. A PERSON WHO SERVES OTHERS...
      1. Is certainly not selfish, but concerned with the needs of others
      2. And thereby demonstrates mature behavior

   C. JAMES' DESCRIPTION OF HIMSELF FITS IN VERY WELL WITH THE "THEME"
      OF HIS EPISTLE...
      1. Remember, the theme is:  MARKS OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY
      2. By being a servant, James is demonstrating his own spiritualmaturity
      3. And we can make the point that one of the marks of spiritual
         maturity is truly being "a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus
         Christ"!

[Are we trying to be servants of God, and of His Son, the Lord Jesus
Christ?  If so, then we are on the road to spiritual maturity!

But before we answer too hastily, let's consider that...]

III. BEING A SERVANT HAS SEVERAL "IMPLICATIONS"

   A. IT IMPLIES "ABSOLUTE OBEDIENCE"...
      1. In a slave-master relationship...
         a. The slave knows no law but his master's word
         b. He has no rights of his own
         c. He is the absolute possession of his master
         d. He is bound to give his master unquestioning obedience
      2. Does this describe our relationship to Christ?
         a. It should, especially in light of 1Co 6:19-20
         b. We have to come to Jesus on HIS terms, not our own 
            - Lk 6:46; Mt 7:21

   B. IT IMPLIES "ABSOLUTE HUMILITY"...
      1. Otherwise, absolute obedience is not possible
         a. When we have a humble opinion of ourselves, we are receptive
            to the idea of complete obedience
         b. For example, consider Paul's self-estimation 
            - 1Co 15:9-10;Ep 3:8; 1Ti 1:15
      2. Does this describe our relationship to Christ and His Will?
         a. Jesus said it should! - Lk 17:10
         b. But if we murmur or complain about what Jesus tells us to do,
            can we really be considered "servants"?

   C. IT IMPLIES "ABSOLUTE LOYALTY"...
      1. Since we become servants FREELY, it should be expected that we:
         a. Are to be loyal to Him first - cf. Ga 1:10
         b. Do not consider our own profit or preference important, but
            that of the One we freely serve!
      2. But it is amazing how anyone can claim to be servants of the
         Lord Jesus Christ, while:
         a. Complaining about having to do the will of God, OR...
         b. Being negligent or slothful in carrying out His will
      3. But some act as though they are being forced against their own will!
         a. They don't "have to" serve the Lord Jesus...
            1) Of course, the alternative is not very inviting
            2) If we don't serve Jesus, by default we serve Satan, and
               are destined for hell!
         b. But God by His grace has offered salvation, and how dare we
            ever grumble or complain that He calls us to life of service
            in grateful appreciation!

[These are some of the implications of being called a "servant".  It
is costly in terms of service, pride, and allegiance.

But consider also that...]

IV. BEING A SERVANT IS "A GREAT HONOR"

   A. FAR FROM BEING A TITLE OF DISHONOR, IT WAS THE TITLE BY WHICH THE
      GREATEST MEN OF THE OLD TESTAMENT WERE KNOWN...
      1. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob - Deut 9:27 ("Thy servants")
      2. Moses - 1Ki 8:53 ("Thy servant")
      3. Joshua - Josh 24:29 ("Servant of the Lord")
      4. Caleb - Num 14:24 ("My servant")
      5. Job - Job 1:8 ("My servant")
      6. Isaiah - Isa 20:3 ("My servant")
      7. The prophets - Jer 7:25 ("My servants")

   B. HOW WONDERFUL IT WOULD BE IF GOD LOOKED UPON US AS COMPANIONS OF
      THESE GREAT MEN...
      1. Who found freedom, peace, and glory!
      2. Who found it in perfect submission to the Will of God!

CONCLUSION

1. He will, IF we are willing to accept the call to serve Him and His
   Son Jesus Christ with...
   a. Absolute obedience
   b. Absolute humility
   c. Absolute loyalty

2. And when we are serving God, His Son Jesus Christ, and even each other
   in this manner, we are making great strides towards SPIRITUAL
   MATURITY!

"...a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ" - can this be said
of us?

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

eXTReMe Tracker 

Don’t Bank Your Bucks in Big Bang Theory by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=1483

Don’t Bank Your Bucks in Big Bang Theory

by Eric Lyons, M.Min.


For the past several decades, untold millions of students around the world have been taught that the Universe and everything in it is the result of a tiny ball of matter exploding 13-15 billion years ago (e.g., Hurd, et al., 1992, p. 61). Immediately following this “big bang,” the exploding material supposedly expanded in less than a millisecond to cause “most of the growth” of the 14-billion-light-year observable Universe (see Coles, 2007). This expansion, called “inflation,” has purportedly been “well established as an essential component of cosmology” (Coles, 2007, p. 33, emp. added). In fact, in an article penned in 2007 titled “Boomtime,” Dr. Peter Coles recognized that the theory of “[i]nflation puts the ‘bang’ in the big bang” (p. 36). Now, however, scientists are inching closer and closer to the conclusion that “the theory seems to have failed” (Brooks, 2008, 198[2659]:31).
The journal New Scientist recently ran an article by Michael Brooks titled “Inflation Deflated” (2008, 198[2659]:30-33). In the article, Brooks admitted that “[i]nflation is arguably the most important theoretical idea in cosmology since the big bang” (p. 31). Inflationary theory has “suggested that the major problems in cosmology could be solved if the universe had blown up like a balloon, inflatingfaster than the speed of light in the moments after its birth” (p. 31, emp. added). Yet now, the theory first proposed nearly 30 years ago to solve “major problems” with big bang cosmology, and the theory that has been advanced in classrooms all over the world as fact, is sheepishly “starting to look a little vulnerable” (p. 31). “[T]he theory seems to have failed,” wrote Brooks. Why? First, “there is the lack of any solid scientific idea for why or how inflation might have happened” (p. 32, emp. added). Second, “satellite measurements of the cosmic microwave background radiation...seem to contradict the predictions of inflation” (p. 31). In short, although Brooks and others believe it is still “too early to say that simple inflation is definitely on the skids” (p. 33), “the theory seems to have failed” (p. 31). Atheistic cosmology’s “best theory of the early universe is starting to look a tad insecure” (p. 30, emp. added).
That must surely be a depressing thought to atheists: their “best theory” for the origin of the cosmos is “insecure,” lacking “any solid scientific idea for why or how inflation might have happened.” A better alternative to ultimate origins is found in the first verse of the Bible: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth” (Genesis 1:1). “For He commanded and they were created” (Psalm 148:5). So, “[l]ift up your eyes on high, and see Who has created these things” (Isaiah 40:26).

REFERENCES

Brooks, Michael (2008), “Inflation Deflated,” New Scientist, 198[2659]:30-33, June 7.
Coles, Peter (2007), “Boomtime,” New Scientist, 193[2593]:33-37, March 3.
Hurd, Dean, George Mathias, and Susan Johnson, eds. (1992), General ScienceA Voyage of Discovery (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall).

Does the Holy Spirit Know When Jesus Will Return? by Eric Lyons, M.Min.


http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=1650

Does the Holy Spirit Know When Jesus Will Return?

by Eric Lyons, M.Min.


One question that various individuals have submitted to Apologetics Press in recent years involves the Second Coming of Christ and the omniscience of the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4) and thus omniscient (Psalm 139), why did Jesus say about His return, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 13:32, emp. added)? Why would the “Father alone” (Matthew 24:36, NASB) be aware of the time of Jesus’ Second Coming? Does this awareness exclude the Holy Spirit?
When Jesus came to Earth in the flesh, He willingly “made Himself of no reputation” (Philippians 2:7; He “emptied Himself”—NASB). He moved from the spiritual realm to put on flesh (John 1:14) and voluntarily became subject to such burdens as hunger, thirst, weariness, and pain. Our omnipotent, omniscient, holy God chose to come into this world as a helpless babe Who, for the first time in His eternal existence, “increased in wisdom” (Luke 2:52). While on Earth in the flesh, Jesus was voluntarily in a subordinate position to the Father (cf. Jackson, 1995).
It has been suggested that, similar to how Jesus chose not to know certain information while on Earth, including the date of His return, perhaps the Holy Spirit also willingly restricted Himself to some degree during the first century (see Holding, 2012). Perhaps the special role of the Holy Spirit in the first century in regards to spiritual and miraculous gifts (Acts 2:38; 1 Corinthians 12:7), special revelation (John 14:26; 16:13), divine inspiration (2 Timothy 3:16), intercession (Romans 8:26), etc., is somewhat similar to the role that Christ played. That is, could it be that both God the Son and God the Spirit voluntarily restricted their knowledge on Earth in the first century? And thus, could that be why Jesus said, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 13:32, emp. added)? Considering that a number of Christians and scholars believe that even God the Father may freely choose to limit His own knowledge of certain things (cf. Brents, 1874, pp. 74-87; Camp, n.d.), many would likely explain Mark 13:32 and Matthew 24:36 by contending that the Holy Spirit freely limited His knowledge for a time regarding Christ’s return.
Given especially the indisputable fact that the Son of God voluntarily chose not to know certain things for a time, it may be possible that the Holy Spirit could choose the same. However, the Holy Spirit Himself revealed through the apostle Paul that He, the Spirit, “searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10-11). Furthermore, there are no explicit statements in Scripture about the Holy Spirit’s willful unawareness of certain things as there are about Jesus (Mark 13:32; cf. Luke 2:52). All one can cite is Jesus’ statement about “only the Father” knowing the date of the Son’s return and conclude that this declaration implies the Spirit of God was unaware of that day. What’s more, in context, Jesus placed much more emphasis on the words “no one knows” than the qualifying statements “not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son.” Jesus wanted His hearers to understand that just as those in Noah’s day “did not know” the day of the Flood (Matthew 24:39, emp. added) and just as the servants in the parable of the servants “do not know when the master of the house is coming” (Mark 13:35, emp. added; Matthew 24:50), so “you do not know what hour the Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42, emp. added; Mark 13:33). Thus, Jesus taught the all-important central message in these chapters of “watching” and being “ready” for the unknown time of Christ’s return (Matthew 24:36-25:46; Mark 13:32-37). Even though we may learn something of the Messiah’s voluntary, self-imposed emptying of some of His omniscience (Mark 13:32), Jesus’ “purpose was not to define the limits of his theological knowledge, but to indicate that vigilance, not calculation, is required” (Lane, 1974, p. 482)—a lesson that all “end-of-time” false prophets need to learn.
Rather than quickly dismiss the omniscience of the Holy Spirit during a particular period of time in human history, a better explanation exists: expressions such as “no one,” “only,” “except,” “all,” etc. are oftentimes used in a limited sense. Consider what Paul revealed in Romans 3: “Jews and Greeks…are all under sin. As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one…. They have allturned aside… there is none who does good, no, not one” (vss. 9,10,12, emp. added). In this passage, Paul was stressing the fact that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), but he was using these inclusive and exclusive terms (e.g., “all,” “none”) in a somewhat limited sense. Paul was obviously not including Jesus in this passage, as elsewhere he wrote that Jesus “knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21; cf. Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 1:19). Neither was he including infants (see Butt, 2003), the mentally challenged, or angels. Who then has sinned? All humans of an accountable mind and age (see Miller, 2003), with the obvious exception being the sinless Son of God.
In John 17:3, Jesus prayed to the Father, saying, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, theonly true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3, emp. added). Are we to believe, as some do (cf. “Is There Only…?” 2009), that Jesus was implying neither He nor the Holy Spirit is divine? Not at all. Rather, when the Bible reveals that there is only one God, one Savior, one Lord, one Creator (Isaiah 44:24; John 1:3), etc., reason and revelation demand that we understand the inspired writers to be excluding everyone and everything—other than the members of the Godhead(see Lyons, 2008). Throughout the Gospel of John, the writer repeatedly referred to Jesus’ deity (1:1,3,23; 4:25; 9:38; 10:30-33; 20:28)—Jesus most certainly was not denying it in John 17:3. Unless the biblical text specifically mentions what a member of the Godhead does not know or do, we should be careful alleging ignorance, limited power, etc.
In Matthew 11:27, Jesus stated: “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (emp. added). Are we to believe that the Spirit of God does not fully comprehend the Son of God or God the Father? After all, Jesus said, “[N]o one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son.” Once again, the terms “no one,” “anyone,” and “except” must be understood in a limited sense. Jesus was in no way suggesting that the Spirit of God, Who “searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10), does not fully understand the Father as Jesus does. The Son of God was revealing that aside from the “one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (Matthew 11:27), “no man or angel clearly and fully comprehends the character of the infinite God…. None but God fully knows Him” (Barnes, 1997, emp. in orig.). Once again, Jesus was alluding to His deity. Mere humans cannot truthfully speak in this manner. “The full comprehension and acknowledgment of the Godhead, and the mystery of the Trinity, belong to God alone” (Clarke, 1996). Jesus was and is God. We should no more exclude the Holy Spirit from Jesus’ statement about Himself and God the Father in Matthew 11:27 than we should exclude the Father or the Son from Paul’s statement about the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 2:10-11.

CONCLUSION

It is unnecessary to conclude that the Holy Spirit must at one time have given up some of His omniscience because Jesus stated of His return. “[N]o one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” In light of the way in which God and the Bible writers oftentimes used exclusive terms in limited senses, especially as those terms relate to the Godhead, it cannot be proven that Jesus was excluding the Spirit of God in this statement. If we should not exclude Jesus and the Holy Spirit from the God that Jesus praised in John 17:3, and we should not exclude the Holy Spirit from the Divine that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 11:27, it seems entirely unnecessary to infer that in Mark 13:32 and Matthew 24:36 Christ was implying that the Holy Spirit was unaware of the day of His return.

REFERENCES

Barnes, Albert (1997), Barnes’ Notes (Electronic Database: Biblesoft).
Brents, T.W. (1874), The Gospel Plan of Salvation (Bowling Green, KY: Guardian of Truth Foundation, 1987 reprint).
Butt, Kyle (2003), “Do Babies Go to Hell When They Die?” Apologetics Press, http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=13&article=1201.
Camp, Franklin (no date) “1 Peter 1:1-2,” Redemption Through the Bible (Adamsville, AL: Brother’s).
Clarke, Adam (1996), Adam Clarke’s Commentary (Electronic Database: Biblesoft).
Holding, James (2012), “Mark 13:32 and the Holy Spirit,” Tekton, http://www.tektonics.org/lp/mk1332.html.
“Is There Only One True God?” (2009), Jehovah’s Witnesses Official Web Site, http://www.watchtower.org/e/200602b/article_01.htm.
Jackson, Wayne (1995), “Did Jesus Exist in the Form of God While on Earth?” Reason & Revelation, 15[3]:21-22, March, http://www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=10&article=354.
Lane, William (1974), The Gospel of Mark (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans).
Lyons, Eric (2008), “The Only True God,” Apologetics Press, http://www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=10&article=983#.
Miller, Dave (2003), “The Age of Accountability,” Apologetics Press, http://www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=1202.

Does the God of the Bible Exist? by Kyle Butt, M.Div.


http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=2314

Does the God of the Bible Exist?

by Kyle Butt, M.Div.





Copyright © 2009 Apologetics Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

We are happy to grant permission for items in the "Existence of God" section to be reproduced in part or in their entirety, as long as the following stipulations are observed: (1) Apologetics Press must be designated as the original publisher; (2) the specific Apologetics Press Web site URL must be noted; (3) the author’s name must remain attached to the materials; (4) textual alterations of any kind are strictly forbidden; (5) Some illustrations (e.g., photographs, charts, graphics, etc.) are not the intellectual property of Apologetics Press and as such cannot be reproduced from our site without consent from the person or organization that maintains those intellectual rights; (6) serialization of written material (e.g., running an article in several parts) is permitted, as long as the whole of the material is made available, without editing, in a reasonable length of time; (7) articles, excepting brief quotations, may not be offered for sale or included in items offered for sale; and (8) articles may be reproduced in electronic form for posting on Web sites pending they are not edited or altered from their original content and that credit is given to Apologetics Press, including the web location from which the articles were taken.

For catalog, samples, or further information, contact:

Apologetics Press
230 Landmark Drive
Montgomery, Alabama 36117
U.S.A.
Phone (334) 272-8558

http://www.apologeticspress.org

Does God’s Existence Rest Upon Human Consensus? by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=2767


Does God’s Existence Rest Upon Human Consensus?

by Kyle Butt, M.Div.


Three minutes and 45 seconds into Dan Barker’s opening statement in our Darwin Day debate on February 12, 2009, he presented an argument that he has often used in other debates and writings. In his list of “probability” arguments, he included as his fifth argument against God’s existence the following comments: “There is no agreement among believers as to the nature or the moral principles of this God that they are arguing for. They all differ with each other” (Butt and Barker, 2009). According to Dan, since those professing Christianity come down on either side of moral issues such as abortion, divorce, and the death penalty, then the God Who wrote the Bible “in all probability” does not exist, and the Bible must not be a sufficient guide for human morality.
Is Dan correct in his assessment that disagreement among professed believers nullifies the existence of God? Certainly not! Barker is incorrect for a number of reasons, the majority of which are quite clear after the briefest consideration of the argument. First, we could simply say that Dan’s argument, used against his own brand of atheism, refutes itself, since he admits that atheists do not agree on moral issues. In his book godless, Barker stated: “Most atheists think that values, though not objective things in themselves, can be objectively justified by reference to the real world.... Although most atheists accept the importance of morality, this is not conceding that morality exists in the universe” (2008, p. 213-214, emp. added). Notice that Barker qualifies his statement with the word “most,” implying that some atheists do not see morality as he does. In his discussion of human free will, Barker wrote: “By the way, this contributes to my compatibilist position on human free will. (Not that all atheists agree with me.) I am an determinist, which means that I don’t think complete libertarian free will exists.... I admit that my definition of free will is subject to debate” (2008, p. 128, emp. added). If Barker’s statement about disagreement of professed believers is true, we could, with equal force, use it on atheism and say that since there is no agreement among atheists on moral issues, then atheism “in all probability” is false.
Of course, Barker does not want to extend his “truth” criterion to atheism. And his statement is inherently flawed in the first place. If two or more people disagreed on whether the holocaust happened, but they all professed to be honest historians, would their disagreement prove that there never was a holocaust? If two people, who both claim to be honest geographers, disagree on the fact that the continent of North America exists, would that negate its reality? Or if two or more people adamantly disagreed on the idea that Dan Barker exists, would his existence be jeopardized based on their disagreement? No, on every count. Agreement among people cannot be used as evidence of the truth or falsity of any proposition.
Barker’s atheistic colleague, Sam Harris, has eloquently written on this truth. He disagrees with many atheists about ethical questions. In spite of his atheism, he contends that objective right and wrong do exist (an impossible proposition for a true atheist to maintain, by the way). He wrote:
The fact that people of different times and cultures disagree about ethical questions should not trouble us. It suggests nothing at all about the status of moral truth. Imagine what it would be like to consult the finest thinkers of antiquity on questions of basic science: “What,” we might ask, “is fire? And how do living systems reproduce themselves? And what are the various lights we see in the night sky?” We would surely encounter a bewildering lack of consensus on these matters. Even though there was no shortage of brilliant minds in the ancient world, they simply lacked the physical and conceptual tools to answer questions of this sort. Their lack of consensus signified their ignorance of certain physical truths, not that no such truths exist (2004, p. 171, emp. added).
The irony of this quote from Harris is that it manifests the atheistic community’s lack of consensus on ethical issues, which should disprove atheism according to Barker’s line of reasoning. Furthermore, it hammers home the self-evident truth that consensus among professed followers of any concept or entity has no bearing on its existence or its claim to truth. Harris further remarked: “It is quite conceivable that everyone might agree and yet be wrong about the way the world is. It is also conceivable that a single person might be right in the face of unanimous opposition” (2004, pp. 181-182, emp. added).
While it is true that the lack of consensus on moral issues by those who profess Christianity does nothing to discount the existence of God, it is appropriate to ask why such disparity exists. Again, it is ironic that Dan Barker has answered his own question in this regard. In his speech, “How to be Moral Without Religion,” given at the University of Minnesota on October 19, 2006, Barker stated: “A tendency that we all have, we look through our documents to try to find what supports our already prejudice views about what we think morality should be like.” In one succinct sentence, Barker explained why there is a lack of consensus among professed believers on moral issues. It is not because God does not exist. It is not because the Bible is hopelessly confusing and cannot be understood. It is not because there is no objective moral truth. It is simply because humans bring their already prejudiced views to the text of the Bible and try to force it to say what they “think” it should say.

REFERENCES

Barker, Dan (2006), “How to be Moral Without Religion,” [On-line], URL:http://www.ffrf.org/about/bybarker/CASH1.mp3.
Barker, Dan (2008), godless (Berkeley, CA: Ulysses Press).
Butt, Kyle and Dan Barker (2009), Butt/Barker Debate: Does the God of the Bible Exist? (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press).
Harris, Sam (2004), The End of Faith (New York: W.W. Norton).

Your Next Step by Ben Fronczek

http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=1560

Your Next Step


Your Next Step        
Matthew 14:22-33  Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Whether you realize it or not, when we became a Christian, we all were given the opportunity to have a fresh start it was a new step as we entered into relationship with Jesus Christ by receiving Him as our Savior. When we accepted Him as our Lord and Savior and then allowed Him to remove our sin in the waters of baptism the Holy Spirit came into us and that’s when we became a new creation that fresh start. But the ever looming question at least for me is what should we do next? What is the next step we are to take now that we are born again? Maybe you don’t know what to do next.
As you know, this fresh start leads to eternal life. We have that eternal life the moment we enter into relationship with Jesus Christ. But to live the full and abundant life that Jesus came to give, is obtained through a series of next steps that make up the journey of life. There is a next step for everyone in this room today no matter where you are on the journey of life. There is a next step you can take as an individual, and there is a next step we can take collectively as a church. But if you and I do nothing, and don’t take that next step, we aren’t going to go anywhere new as an individual, nor collectively as a church. Nothing is going to change.
Maybe you have been a Christian for a while and the His Spirit is prompting you to take a step of faith that the Lord has placed in front of you: Maybe to – teach a Bible class or host a prayer and devotions time in your home. Maybe you feel like you are being prompted to start reaching out more to your neighbors and practice some friendship evangelism, or maybe you feel prompted to study and read more on your own. Or Maybe for you, you feel like God is prompting and challenging you to give more money or time to his cause as your next step. Those steps are meant to take us to a higher level.
I also believe we can be prompted and challenged as a group, as a church to take the next step. I personally feel that we are being prompted to take the next step as a church to more out of our present facility into an area where we can do more good, where there isn’t another church group on every other corner trying to do the same thing we are.
My dad had a saying regarding the success of a business. He use to say that a business will either go up and move forward, or go down and lose money, but it will rarely stay the same. In many ways I believe the same could be said of a church; it’s either going to grow, or lose members, its numbers won’t stay the same very long. And taking no new step to grow or change what’s not working will only lead to a downward spiral.
Whether as an individual, or as a congregation, if we choose not to take the next step, if we don’t do anything different than what we are doing, then we should not expect anything to change. If anything we will become stagnate and maybe even loose what we have.
So what do we need to take the next step on this journey of life so that we can experience the full and abundant life that Christ desires for us? In Matthew 14:22-31 Peter took some amazing steps. I believe we can learn something from this story that will help us take our next step on our journey. In Matt. 14, we read that Jesus had just finished performing the miracle of feeding the 5000. He fed 5000 men, not even including the women and children with 5 loaves and 2 fish. Everyone had finished eating and the disciples picked up 12 basketfuls of leftovers.
After that we read that He sent His disciples on ahead of Him in a boat to the other side of the lake. But later that night we read that He came to them walking on the water. After Jesus identified Himself, we read that Peter got out of the boat and takes an amazing step. Let’s learn from this Scripture what helped Peter take those first steps on water so that we might be able to take our next step in our journey. One of the first things we see is that taking the next step requires courage. In Matthew 14:27 Jesus said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “ When we find ourselves faced with what may be our next step in life, very often we feel a bit unsure and it can even be a bit scary. Maybe it involves a change in your job or even the prospect of starting a new job or career. Maybe it involves the prospect of moving to into a new home, an new church or even to a new area. Maybe it involves changing your life style or even talking to someone about your faith… There are so many new things that we may be prompted to do that can seem quite scary at first.
When faced with some of these things we don’t always know how we are going to make or get thru it. Peter could have thought the same thing but just before he stepped out of the boat but Jesus told them to, “take courage.”     In 2 Corinthians 5:7 Paul tells us to “live faith, not by sight.” But notice, He doesn’t just tell them to be courageous. Look at the reason He gives them to have courage. He said, “It is I.” (Ego eimi (ego amee) or   ‘I am’ Those are the same words that God used to declare His name, ‘I am.’                 Jesus is saying, ‘Take courage because it is Me, God in the flesh. There is no reason to be afraid when you trust in me.’ Now think about this a second. Jesus told them to not be afraid because it was Him, and that He was with them.
You may feel uneasy or afraid to take that next step… you may need more courage, the kind of courage that can come when someone else encouragesyou.
We can do amazing things when we believe that there is someone watching our back, rooting for us, and willing to give us the support we need if we need it. And when we believe and know that it is God prompting us to take that next step it will give us the extra measure of courage to take that step.
(Illustration: My daughter Hannah kissed her frightened daughter hand and told her to hold them close to her cheek if she got scared on her first bus ride to school. It gave her courage because she carried mom’s kiss was with her.)
Peter needed that encouragement, and when he got it, it was all that he needed to take that first step. There are times when we all need some extra courage, and even our church needs courage to take the next step. We have to believe that God had a plan and that Jesus has our back. But we need more than just courage to take the next step. It also requires obedience, actually stepping out and doing, or taking action.
Year ago I preached a sermon, and I have to admit, I don’t remember the name of the sermon or even what it was about, but one thing I do remember is an acronym I used in the lesson. It was the letters JDI, and those letters stood for, ‘Just Do It.’ I believe it was in reference to those Bible Characters who walked by faith. God prompted them and the JUST DID IT.
There come a point after you know what lies before you, and you have the courage to step out, where you just have to do it, no matter how hard it may seem, no matter what anyone else says. If you believe what lies before you is from God, it’s something that is good and will please Him, there comes a point you just have to have to stop putting it off and step out of the boat and take the first step like Peter.
Now there are some things you my be prompted to do that are not from God. You have to be very careful when it comes to those things. Obeying God is always the safe way to go. Notice something else here in this text. Peter steps our out the boat and begins to walks on the water, but then he begins to sink. Why, because he takes his eyes off Jesus and begins to focused on what was going on around him. His faith waivered and he began to sink. Notice a couple of things here: Peter was not walking on water by his own power. That would have been impossible. Rather Peter’s ability to walk on water was totally dependent on his faith in obeying Jesus.
I don’t think it took a super amount of faith to do what he did. Rather, at that moment in time, when Jesus said come, he simply had to take courage, trust Him, and then he had to just do it. But the more he thought about the water, and the waves, and what He was doing, that’s when he got in trouble.
I think that happens to us. Our next step is plainly clear to us, but then all of a sudden we start looking at everything else going on around us We start to over think what could happen if… and before we know it we take our eyes off Jesus and we begin to sink, or worst yet we don’t take a step in the first place.
But the story doesn’t end there. We read that the Lord was not willing to just let Peter sink and drown. He likewise can rescues us and give us more opportunities. Peter cried out“Lord, Save me.” and Jesus did. Jesus only gave him a little rebuke by saying, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” I wonder how often He says that to us? ‘Ben with my help you could have done this.’ ‘Church don’t you know that I had your back?’
Even though Peter did not persevere and hang in there that day, I believe he learned a lesson and went on to become a great leader who persevered in extreme situations because he learned to keep his eyes on Jesus. I believe God is interested in doing some amazing things in you and thru you, individually, and with us collectively as a church. What is the next step that the Lord has placed in front of you? In front of us? I believe that when the Lord has placed a step in front of you, or in front of us as a church it is impossible to move forward in our faith without first taking that step. Maybe that first step is trusting Him to give up some sin or bad habit you have in your life. Living according to His directives is really the best way to live.
Perhaps it is a step of faith to take on a new personal ministry, or maybe to start tithing or helping support a needy widow or even a missionary. Or maybe visiting other members or inviting them or others into your home for a meal. If the Lord has been laying something on your heart to take a step by serving Him, don’t get caught up in trying to over think it, JDI, just do it.
Maybe today you are feeling weak and weary and truly unable to take that next step. Ask the Lord for the courage to follow Him. Ask Him for the strength to be obedient. I don’t believe the Lord is going to give you anymore than you can handle. He’s not a slave driver, He is a God who is trying to encourage you to rise above your trials and burdens and even yourself so that you can serve Him in a way that will give you real joy and purpose. So are you ready to take the next step? Are we as a congregation ready to take the next step? Then we need to take courage and draw our strength from Him, like Peter, and JDI, Just Do It.
For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566
All comments can be emailed to: bfronzek@gmail.com

“Bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). by Roy Davison

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Davison/Roy/Allen/1940/bringthemup.html


“Bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

It is the responsibility of parents to discipline their children.
“Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of correction will drive it far from him” (Proverbs 22:15).
“The rod and rebuke give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother” (Proverbs 29:15).
“He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly” (Proverbs 13:24).
“Correct your son, and he will give you rest; yes, he will give delight to your soul” (Proverbs 29:17).
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
“Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:9-11).
Let us examine an important text about raising children: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’ And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:1-4).

“Children obey your parents in the Lord.”
Children are told to obey their parents and their parents must teach them to obey.
To do this effectively, the parents must give the child a good example by obeying God themselves!
The man must fulfil his responsibility as leader in the home. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Ephesians 5:25). “Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them” (Colossians 3:19).
And the wife must submit to her husband. “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord” (Colossians 3:18). “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church, and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything” (Ephesians 5:23, 24).
Notice that the children are to obey both parents. But how can children obey their parents if the parents tell them different things?
When there is conflict between the parents, some bad parents even use the children as a way to rebel against the other parent. This is very bad for the children and the children will try to use one parent against the other. If one parents tells them to do something, they will run to the other parent.
Parents must support each other’s authority. As head of the house, the father may overrule something his wife has said, but he may only do so if it is something very important. Otherwise he must support what his wife tells the children to do and punish them if they do not obey their mother.
The wife may not contradict what the father tells the children to do, but must support his authority. If she really thinks he is wrong, she should discuss it with him in private, and not in the presence of the children.
This all must be done in love. Then the children can learn to obey their parents.

“‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth’” (Ephesians 6:2, 3).
Children are to obey their parents for the child’s own good. Children lack experience and can end up having a very bad life, and may even die young because of not obeying their parents. “The eye that mocks his father, and scorns obedience to his mother, the ravens of the valley will pick it out, and the young eagles will eat it” (Proverbs 30:17).
Parents who fail to teach their children to obey, harm their children and themselves. I know a couple in another country who told us once: “We do not invite that family into our home because their children do not behave. They pick up things that they should leave alone, and even break things. They do not obey their parents.” If you do not teach your children to obey, they and you will suffer. The children will also have trouble in school and in society if they do not learn obedience. And later they are more likely to also disobey God.

“And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath” (Ephesians 6:4).
There are various ways that a father can provoke his children to wrath: if he is a hypocrite and demands things of his children that he does not do himself; if he is unfair in his dealing with his children; if he favors one child above another; if he is lazy and does not meet his responsibilities in the home. Children are not stupid. They know if they are being mistreated by their parents and this can make them very angry. This is not referring to a child not liking punishment. Of course a child does not like being punished. That is the whole idea of punishment! But if the father does something that the child knows is not right, it can cause the child to develop a deep-seated anger. Fathers must avoid provoking their children to wrath.
I want to show you an elephant. This paper weight is valuable to me personally because I remember it being on my father’s desk when I was seven years old. There was something else on his desk for which I had great respect: a ruler. My father spanked me with that ruler when I did something that was very bad. When I did “little things” that were wrong, my mother would give me a swat on my behind with her hand or she might even give me a real spanking with her hand. But if I did something serious, she would say: “I’m going to have to tell your father about that!” And then I knew I was in big trouble! But I never remember being punished by either of my parents when I did not know in my heart that I deserved it. I am thankful that my parents loved me enough to discipline me when I was a child.
Parents must have great respect for the children God gives them: “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).
How you talk to your children is important. “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Colossians 4:6). This also applies to how we talk to our children.
Children may never be abused verbally! My parents always treated me with respect, and I never remember either of my parents saying anything to me that was demeaning or caused me to question whether they respected me and loved me.
If you holler and scream at your children. They will holler and scream back at you. If you say disrespectful things to your children, that teaches them to say disrespectful things to others, including you.
You must be consistent and not make fake threats. If for example you say: “You do that one more time and you are getting a spanking.” They do it one more time, but you do not give them a spanking. That teaches them not to pay attention to anything you say. Be very careful about saying what you are going to do unless you really plan to do it.
I must also point out that there is a big difference between a spanking and a beating. You may never beat your child. A beating causes physical injury. A spanking does not cause injury. There is a good, well-padded place that is suitable for a spanking. It hurts a little but does no harm.
Also, never punish your child while you are out of control because of anger. It is alright to be angry, if you still have control of yourself and do not do or say something wrong because of your anger. It is good for a child to know that certain things make his parents angry. Certain things we do, make God angry!

“Bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).
This means that we are to teach them about God. We spend much time and effort providing our children with nourishing food for their bodies. They also need spiritual food. Admonition refers to encouragement to do what is right. Training refers to teaching them to actually do what is right. We must know the word of God ourselves to teach it to our children. And we must live according to the word of God because example is the most powerful teacher.
Moses emphasized this to the people of Israel.
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up” (Deuteronomy 6:6, 7).
“Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up” (Deuteronomy 11:18, 19).
Bringing up children in the training and admonition of the Lord is a full-time job! Let us pray for wisdom and help.
Amen.

Roy Davison

The Scripture quotations in this article are from The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers.

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)