A Sermon of Attitudes (pt. 1)

The Beatitudes are a favorite study of many and rightly so, because they take us to the very heart of the type of people that we are to be as the kingdom of God. The beatitudes are set by placeholders seen in the word “blessed.” 

As a modern term, we see the idea of happiness; but, it is closer to the idea of those whom God approves. Of what kind of individual does God approve? Matthew 5:3-12 lays out the character traits that we should each desire. Verses 1-2 set the stage almost literally as Jesus “Seeing the crowds, went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them…” [ESV]. Jesus sets forth the very foundation for which the rest of the Sermon on the Mount will teach by each of these attitudes that we should be. Therefore, we might call the Sermon on the Mount, the Sermon of Attitudes.

- Wayne Rodgers

Worshipping God in Preaching

The early church of Christ “continued steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine” [teaching] (Acts 2:42). This was a part of the first worship service of the church that took place on the Sunday during the Pentecost feast in Jerusalem (Acts 2). This is indicated in the list of other activities that were taking place along with this teaching [i.e. “fellowship, breaking of bread, prayers”].

Preaching is defined as “publicly proclaiming or teaching; delivering a sermon or religious address to an assembled group of people, typically in church.” Preaching has its place throughout the Bible, but always finds priority among God’s people,  especially New Testament Christians, for regular instruction or teaching unto righteousness.

Numerous passages remind us of its purposes:

• To proclaim and teach of Jesus (1 Corinthians 2:2; 2 Cor. 4:5)
• To teach all nations / all the world (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16)
• To hear and believe in the Gospel (Romans 10:13-14)
• To grow in our faith (Romans 10:17)
• To grow unto maturity (2 Peter 1:off)
• To grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus (1 Peter 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:18)
• To become teachers (Hebrews 5:12-14)
• To be able to defend (1 Peter 3:15)
• To keep our focus on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2)
• To stay focused on the prize of Heaven (Philippians 3:14)

J. Winfred Clark wrote an article years ago and then republished in EXPOSITIONS OF THE EXPOSITOR entitled The Fruit of Sound Teaching from Titus 2:1 which reads: “speak thou the things which become sound doctrine.” This article included below reminds us of the place of Gospel Preaching in our worship services and in our daily lives.

The results of the preaching of the Gospel:

There Would Be a Balanced Life (v. 2-10)

If you take the time to read through these verses, you will find those things addressed to each group that would help them to live mature and complete lives of godliness. In fact, you will find the phrase, “in all things” in verse 7, 9, 10. That means one’s life is affected in all things, whether in his talk or his walk, whether in public or in private. Sound teaching will govern his life and lip in all that he does or says.

Not only is there balance in each life in each group, but there is also that balance to be maintained between each group. Note the term “likewise.” This means there is no double standard.

There Will Be a Blameless Life (v. 3-5)

The life that is affected by sound doctrine will be in accord with holiness. Such will mean their speech will be blameless, for they will tell the truth as they are not false accusers. This is in contrast with the reputation of those on the isle of Crete. There will also be temperance as they are able to control themselves.

There Will Be a Beautiful Life (v. 6-10)

In this section, one is able to show by his manner of life what the gospel will produce. His manner of life will attract people to that which produces such. Such a life is attractive and is made to be so by the teaching of Christ. Such a life will be well ordered and properly arranged by the guidelines set forth by sound teaching.

The preaching of the Gospel of Christ affects change to all those who believe (Romans 1:16). May we never take for granted the part of our worship services characterized by preaching and teaching.

~Wayne Rodgers

Source:

Clark, J. Winfred. Expositions of the "The Expositor": J. Winfred Clark. Ed. Michael McDaniel. Vol. 1. Memphis, TN: Memphis School of Preaching, 2001. Print.

DON'T OVERLOOK THE OBVIOUS!

by Wayne Rodgers

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. As they lay down for the night, Holmes said, "Watson, look up and tell me what you see."  Watson said, "I see millions and millions of stars."

Holmes asked, "And what does that tell you?"

Watson replied, "Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Theologically, it tells me that God is great and that we are small and rather insignificant. Meteorologically, it tells me that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow.  So, what does it tells you, Holmes?"

Holmes answered simply, "Somebody stole our tent!" (this was found in Glad Tidings of Good Things Vol. 32 - published by Jacksonville church of Christ, Jacksonville, AL)

Don't overlook the obvious!

We do a good job teaching the plan of salvation, teaching that one must hear God's Word producing faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 10:17; John 8:24), repenting of sin (Luke 13:3), confessing faith before men (Matt. 10:32-33; Rom. 10:10), and be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16) = salvation (Mark 16:16; 1 Pet. 3:20-21).

We do a good job teaching about worship "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23-24) and those acts of worship authorized by the New Testament like singing (Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:19), giving (1 Cor. 16:1-2), praying (1 Thes. 5:17), partaking of the Lord's Supper (Mt. 26:26-28), and preaching of God's Word (2 Tim. 4:2; Acts 20:7).

While doing a good job doing this kind of teaching, sometimes we overlook those things which are right in front of us!

Often in efforts to teach this sound Bible teaching, we have overlooked that people are hurting or that people are in need. These folks who have some physical needs or maybe emotional needs like a little extra love, support, encouragement, etc.

There have been those who have been converted to Christ through this type of benevolent outreach, but it's not just a program of service; it's a way of life.  Consider the following verses:

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Eph. 2:10)

"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." (Gal. 6:1-2)

"Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." (James 5:19-20)

We have to keep in mind why we were created (made Christians)... "unto good works." We have to remember to help those "overtaken in a fault." We have to help those who have "erred from the truth." Again, while we have done a good job teaching some essential matters, we have overlooked how many need to see that we care about them.  The old adage is still truth that "people do not care what you know unless they know you care." In Luke 15, Jesus spoke of some things that were lost (sheep, coin, boys). In the matter of the sheep, the shepherd obviously knowing that one of his sheep were lost, he took off in search of it. 

Do not overlook the obvious! Let's do what we can to help those around us with their needs.  So many have been won to Christ by good works, benevolent deeds, kind and encouraging words, etc.  By overlooking the obvious, we may actually shut the door of opportunity to teach those essential matters.

One other side that should be mentioned, as well. It happens often that we are busy even doing good works, helping others, etc. when we have an issue that needs to be tended.  Jesus covered this in Matthew 7:1ff.

UNITY

by Steven Ford

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1-3).  

With it we can glorify God and do much good in the world.  Yet, without it our progress is stymied and our overall effectiveness is hampered.  Of course, I am referring to unity. Unity is fundamental in realizing the great potential for all true believers in Christ.  Its importance is such that the apostle Paul, in some way, mentioned UNITY in nearly every one of his inspired letters.  In one such letter he wrote. “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10).

In an effort to highlight its significance, three questions need to be answered.  The first question is, “Why should one seek unity?”  To begin, it follows a divine pattern.  As recorded by John, our Lord prayed that we might be one.  “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;  That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (John 17:20-21).  There is no division within the Godhead.  Thus in seeking to be shaped into the image of our Lord (Romans 8:29), we follow the divine pattern of being “one” or unified.

We should also seek unity because it is a blessing to all involved.  “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion...” (Psalm 133).  In this Psalm, unity is referred to as being both good and pleasant.  There are some things in life that are good, but not pleasant.  Still others may be pleasant, but not good.  Unity meets both criteria.  Not only is unity good and pleasant, but it is “precious.”  Its quality is compared to the anointing oils running down onto the beard of Aaron and the life giving waters that descended from the peaks of Mt. Hermon.  True unity is precious and should be sought after diligently.

Finally, we should seek unity because it allows for focus and stability. “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3).  The answer quite obviously is, no. Yet, to the contrary when the two are agreed, they can walk hand in hand to accomplish the goal that is set before them.

Further where there is NO UNITY, there is NO STABILITY.  “But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth” (Luke 11:17).  Now knowing its benefits, HOW is unity ACCOMPLISHED?  First, by all men walking the same godly “walk.”  “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye WALK worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called” (Ephesians 4:1).  The apostle Paul encourages us to walk a “WORTHY” walk and NOT a “WORLDLY” walk. “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world...” (Ephesians 2:1-2).  One must also “walk” in good works according to the eternal plan of God.  “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

The second question to be answered is, “how is unity achieved?” We achieve unity by having the right attitude.  “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2). There must exhibit an attitude of lowliness.  That means we should be humble; recognizing that it is not about us, but our Lord.  Further, we should have an attitude of meekness.  We should be gentle, kind, and under control.  This would make us like Christ himself.  For it was He that said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart...” (Matthew 11:28-29).

In achieving unity Paul says we should be longsuffering.  We should be patient with each other.  To compliment the longsuffering, he says we should “forbear one another in love,”  [literally to hold up, endure, and tolerate each other].  We should not be so quick to write someone off just because they don’t act like we would hope they would.  Consider the ways of God, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Finally, unity can be achieved by making the effort to do so.  “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).  Unity will not be achieved by sitting idly by and wishing for it.  By use of the word “endeavoring,” Paul indicates that we should exert ourselves, strive for, and make an earnest effort to be one through Christ.

Having noted the benefits and methods for attaining unity, the final question to answer is, “in which we are to be unified?”  Brother Winston Temple noted that Paul knew that on the divine side (the Godhead), there was perfect unity.  However, he also knew that to bring such a great number of people with different backgrounds into one body, the Church, could cause divisions. Therefore to curb these potential divisions he presented the perfect standard of unity as recorded in Ephesians 4:4-6.

1. There is “one BODY” - Therefore we have unity in ORGANIZATION.
2. There is “one SPIRIT” - Therefore we have unity in GUIDANCE.
3. There is “one HOPE” - Therefore we have unity in ASPIRATION.
4. There is “one LORD” - Therefore we have unity in AUTHORITY.
5. There is “one FAITH” - Therefore we have unity in DOCTRINE.
6. There is “one BAPTISM” - Therefore we have unity in OBEDIENCE.
7. There is “one GOD” - Therefore we have unity in WORSHIP.

We do not strive to accomplish “uniformity” wherein we all dress alike, have the same hobbies or interests, or even think alike on trivial matters. Yet, as it relates to all things spiritual, believers must be “perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement” (1 Corinthians 1:10).  

We should seek unity because it follows a divine pattern, blesses those involved, and gives us focus toward our spiritual goals.  Unity is accomplished by walking the right “walk,” having the proper attitude, and exerting oneself.  Finally, we are unified by appealing to the sacred standard as presented in Ephesians 4:4-6.  

When Christians stand as one, arm in arm, upholding the truth, and contending for the faith without any divisions, we can do exactly what the church should to do: Bring glory to God through faithful service in the name of Jesus the Christ.  “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen (Ephesians 3:21).

Steven's Bio: Steven Ford is the local evangelist for the Highway church of Christ in Benton, Arkansas. Benton is located in Central Arkansas just minutes from the capitol city of Little Rock. Steven is also a 2013 graduate of the Memphis School of Preaching. He, along with his wife Carlisa, and two daughters Savannah and Summer are originally from Detroit, Michigan. While in Michigan Steven was blessed to serve with two faithful congregations both both in the pulpit and with their youth.

Links:
http://www.highwaycoc.com

EVANGELISTIC IDEAS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO CHURCH GROWTH

By Ryan Tuten

The year was 1985, the song was Ronnie Milsap’s 27^th number 1 hit. The song was praised by critics and fans alike, and remains as one of Milsap’s most popular recordings.  The title of the song was… “Lost in the Fifties Tonight.”

I believe the title of this song well describes the mentality of many congregations of the Lord’s church today.  In other words, if the 1950’s ever come back around, we will be ready.  No doubt, during that period of time the church experienced phenomenal growth that we have not seen since.  Yet how sad it is that many leaders in the church today want to recreate those days of old not realizing that times have changed and what worked then, regardless of how good and effective it was, may not work today.

I believe for most of us it has been a long time since we put ourselves in the place of a guest visiting with us.  We have forgotten how intimidating it was the first time we visited the church.  We have forgotten the questions we once had, “Am I late?” “Am I early?” “Where do I go?” “Will my children be safe?” “Will my family be comfortable?” “Will I know what to do in the service?” “Will someone call on me or point me out?” Experts believe that most visitors may determine whether they return to a church based on the experience they have in the first five minutes.  If that is true, should we not be asking ourselves if anything is standing in the way of our guest having a positive experience at our services?

Yet before we can ever discuss “keeping” our visitors coming to services, we must first be able to get them to visit us.  What can we do to encourage our community to visit the Lord’s church for the first time?  What evangelistic ideas can we use that will contribute to church growth?  Can we get out of the fifties and into the 21^st century before it is too late?

Communicating our Identity:

I believe in order to have an effective community outreach program, we must first be able to communicate our identity. This is done when we equip our members to be inviters.  The Scriptures teach that Jesus had an outreach mentality (Luke 19:10) as well as the early church (Acts 8:4).  It is sad but many congregations have had to close their doors because they refuse to change.  Of course, we realize that we are not talking about changing the message (Gal. 1:6-9; Rev. 22:17-19), but changing the way we communicate that message to the lost.  Any congregation that does not change from ‘status quo ministry’ to ‘mission outreach’ will slowly die or become hopelessly irrelevant.  If we want the church to be effective in evangelism, then we must all cultivate a true heart for seeking the lost.  

To have successful church growth and evangelistic success, we need to consider several stepping stones that will help contribute to that success.  We must be able to effectively communicate God’s saving message with the lost.  We must be able to tell them who we are and what we are about.  We must know our “product” and be able to present that product to the world.  Let us consider some stepping stones that will help communicate our identity:

1. What is our mission?  Again, we know that Jesus and the early church had a mission, but what is our mission and how well do we communicate that mission to our members?  Our mission should be the foundation for all that we build upon. It should define our heart and passion. It should establish our priorities, direct our resources and focus our goals.
2. Who are we trying to reach?  In order to be effective in outreach, a congregation must know the community they are trying to reach.  What are the Geographic’s of the area (where are the homes, how close are they to the building, etc…)?  What are the Demographics or make up of the people in your community?  What are the Psychographics of the community (the spiritual mindset)? Knowing this will help us direct and focus our attention. There are several websites that give this information and many of them are free.
3. What are our resources and how are we using them? We need to evaluate our resources often and ask what are their outreach potential.  For example:  Are we utilizing our members’ talents and abilities.  What do we use our building for? Does every program or ministry have our evangelism mission in mind? How well do we communicate to others about our resources?
4. What about our image?  Everything from our signage, brochures, advertising pieces, communication materials and even our building communicate our image.  This is often overlooked today because we know that the church is the people and not the building.  But again, I want to encourage you to step inside the shoes of a visitor who has never visited the church of our Lord and knows nothing about the Bible.  The truth is that the community makes judgments about the church based on the image they see.  We must be up to date and not back in the fifties.

Learning Evangelistic Outreach From Acts 2

Let us now turn our attention to attracting visitors by communicating our identity.  Let us consider Acts 2 as a model of effective evangelistic outreach.  Consider these four principles from this chapter.

1. Strategic Timing:  Why did God wait 40 days after the death and resurrection of Christ to establish the church?  Could He have started the church the day after the resurrection? Sure He could have; then why wait several weeks?  It may have something to do with strategic timing.  Remember Jesus told His apostles to “tarry” (wait) in Jerusalem (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4).  Again, why wait?  No doubt it was because the masses of people would soon be gathered there. What about us today?  How can we be more effective in evangelism using the same principle of strategic timing? I believe we need to evaluate what we preach and when we preach it.  For example:  What about the religious holidays we share in our Nation? In our culture today the two most attended services of the “church” are Christmas and Easter.  Yet how many good brethren have written articles for their bulletins and preached lessons on why we should not celebrate these holidays and condemned people for doing so?  I did not say what they preached was wrong or in error, but was it using strategic timing?  Put yourself in the shoes of a visitor. You come to services for the first time on those particular holidays and you read those articles and hear those sermons. Would you ever come back?  Why not use these times to take people from where they are and take them to the cross?  Instead of condemning people for celebrating these holidays, use it as a spring-board to teach them the truth.  We could also use secular holidays and shared cultural events, like elections, world catastrophes, wars, divorce recovery, new parents, money management, etc… The lessons we design and deliver should help bring people closer to God.
2. Targeted and receptive audience: Again, why wait or “tarry” in Jerusalem?  It may have something to do with the audience that would be gathered there shortly.  In Acts 2 we see the Jews are gathered together for the feast and it would be the Jews who would hear the gospel first (Rom. 1:16).  If we are ever going to be effective in our evangelistic outreach efforts, we need to know our audience.  We must consider the Geographic proximity, the Demographic proximity and the Spiritual proximity.  We need to know and understand the audience that makes up our community. Are they young or old, what ethnic group, median age, miles of travel, etc… How are we ever going to reach those that are lost if we do not know who it is?
3. Compelling Message:  In Acts 2 one quickly realizes that the message Peter and the other apostles were preaching was compelling because of the content.  The message was about the Messiah, His death and resurrection.  This message got their attention, captured their interest and prepared their hearts to hear the Gospel.  We all realize that the power to save souls is the Gospel (Rom. 1:16) but are we speaking to people in their language?  Are we answering questions that people are asking?  Too many preachers today are preaching and have given little or no thought to their audience.
4. Appropriate Communication Methods: In our society today we have access to every form of communication and we should use every one of them.  Mass communication through radio, TV, newspaper, billboards, yellow pages, etc… Direct communication through direct mailing and even door to door.  Also, personal communication through personal invitations, emails, websites and brochures.

Equip the Members:

We know that the early church grew through relationships (Acts 2:41-47).  The church cannot sustain growth beyond its ability to care for people. Let us consider four ways to equip our members to be better inviters and show how much we really care.

1. Provide invitations:  We need to be able to provide business cards, post cards and brochures to be used as invitations.
2. Special Messages:  Plan a special message series, events and other activities designed for members to invite their non-Christian friends.
3. Evangelism class:  Start an evangelism class designed to help the members become more familiar and comfortable with teaching the lost.
4. Communicate your identity: Constantly communicate your identity to the congregation and community reminding them who we are and what we are about.

If we want our congregations to grow and be more effective, we must have a true heart for seeking the lost so that Jesus can save them.  Evangelism must permeate every part of our congregation.  Our ability to reach the lost will be determined by the passion and strength of our outreach identity and mentality.

Ryan's Bio:  Ryan Tuten currently preaches for the Forrest Park church of Christ in Valdosta, Georgia, where he has labored since October 2010.  He also served as the minister of the Lake City church of Christ in Lake City, FL from May 2001 to October 2010. He is a 1998 graduate of the Memphis School of Preaching.  He has taught in several preaching schools, gospel meetings and lectureships in the states as well as foreign countries.  He has been on twenty two mission trips to Central and South America, Russia, Africa, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. He has also served as session director for the Florida Bible Camp and Georgia Bible Camp. He is very active in his community, coaching and serving on various school councils. He and his wife Michelle have been married since February 1996, and are greatly blessed with two children, Noah (14) and Chloe (12). 

Links:

http://forrestpark.org