Loving God with all my heart, mind and soul and loving my neighbor as myself by making disciples, baptizing and to teach all things commanded by Jesus Christ in the Gospels, the Acts, the Epistles and the Revelation. HEAR THIS GOSPEL - Romans 10:17 BELIEVE ON CHRIST - John 6:47 REPENT OF EVERY SIN - Luke 13:3 CONFESS JESUS AS CHRIST - Matthew 10:32 BE BAPTIZED FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS - Acts 2:38 LIVE FAITHFULLY - I John 1:7 SPREAD THIS SAME GOSPEL - Acts 8:4
NOTE: I began today to preach through the Gospel of John every 2nd Lord's Day of each month. The Series is entitled; "What A Friend We Have In Jesus!" I am preaching in the 1st person as if I am John himself. I will, Lord willing, not take any theological license in these presentations.
Good morning! Welcome to the Ephesus church of Christ. My name is John and I want you to know my friend Jesus. As we stand before you I am 95 years old and thank God for the opportunity to serve this congregation as one of your elders. In these series of sermons I want to recall my time with Jesus Christ of Nazareth who was...AND IS... my friend. I want Him to be your friend too!
We became alarmed in 2006 when the ""emergent" among us began to depart from the truth in regards to the instrument.(1) That, however, was not the end but the beginning of apostasy. That same "silence" argument has now been (mis)applied by many to reject the necessity of baptism as commanded by both Christ and His apostles.
In today's LinkedIn feed (05.30.17), Joe Becker, the preacher for the Steamboat Springs church of Christ in Colorado Springs, CO posted this:
"One of the difficulties with the question, "Is baptism necessary for salvation?" is that the question--as it is generally presented--assumes that one's salvation can be pinpointed to specific moment in time. But that is not the picture of salvation presented to us in the New Testament. According to the Bible, salvation is made up of two major components--justification and sanctification. In justification, we receive imputed righteousness; in sanctification, we are made actually righteous. Those who have been justified are identified, in the New Testament, both as the, "saved," and as the, "being saved." Justification is granted on the basis of faith alone, but justification cannot complete one's salvation. Sanctification is required, and sanctification is a life-long process, which is inaugurated upon justification, but will not be consummated until the Last Day. We have been justified, and we are being sanctified, and the two, together, make up salvation."
Many have falsely argued that the use of the instrument is "not a heaven and hell issue" and is a matter of
choice, convenience, and tradition. The argument begs the question, of course. Any Bible believing Christian MUST CERTAINLY reject this allegorical eisegesis application to BAPTISM. One is saved not by water, but in water where the "powerful working of God" is applied (2) as one is buried "into His death" (3) where the blood of Christ is contacted "for remission of sins." (4) Justification and sanctification are not possible unless one is "in Christ." The only way to get "into Christ" is to be baptized into Him. (5) God's salvational work is applied at no other time or place.
In our time when the internet connects us all continuously, potential falsehood travels to every congregation faster than the speed of light. Everyone, especially the elders, must be constantly aware of these matters so as to "convict the gainsayer." (6) No straw man here, there is a real wolf always at Jude's metaphorical "side door" walking right in and sitting next to us. Water is in God's Plan, Satan wants us all to stay dry as fodder for eternal fire.
(1) For more the most detailed info available information on the so-called "emerging church" movement among churches of Christ, obtain a copy of: EMERGING TOWARDS APOSTASY. The book is available through P & D Sales of Rock Hill, SC. Their number is 803.817.1869.
An exposition of Mark 12.18 - 27 examining the deadliness of error. Preached by Russ McCullough on 28 May 2017 at the Archdale church of Christ in Charlotte, NC. Questions and comments can be posted through LinkedIn or by writing to: russellspeaksandwrites@gmail.com.
Thesis: When
We Honor Caesar, We Honor God. When We
Pay Our Taxes, We Honor Caesar Which in Turn Honors God. We Cannot Play Word Games With God!
1Introduction
A. The greater context begins in 11.27 – “…they
came again to Jerusalem; and as He was walking in the Temple there came to Him
the Chief Priests, and the Scribes, and the Elders…”
1.The Levites
2.The Levitical Lawyers
3.Representatives from The Sanhedrin –
The 70 elders of Israel made up of both Pharisees and Sadducees.
B.“By what authority?” – “Was the
baptism of John from God or from men?” – 11.27 – 11.33
C.The parable of the vineyard – 12.1 –
12.12
D.Having humiliated these, they (L, LL,
S) sent the most unlikely of allies to “catch Him in His words,” the Pharisees
and the Herodian’s!
1.Pharisees – Ultra nationalists who
continuously fought against Roman occupation and the influence of Greek
culture.
2.Herodian’s – Pro Roman collaborators,
the otherwise enemies of the Pharisees.
3.Only their common hatred of the
Christ brought them together for the very first and very last time!
E.These delegations singular purpose
was to “catch Him in His words,” to “entangle Him in His talk,” and to “take
hold of His Words” so they might build a case for His murder.
1.They proposed to put Christ into a
“semantic stew” as it were.
F.They proposed to do this by a classic
“catch 22” move, no matter what His response, He would convict Himself, a
classic “between a rock and a hard place” rhetorical trick. We might call this a “loaded question.”
1.The Pharisee’s wanted to hear “YES”
as this would politicize Christ as pro-Roman and destroy His standing with the
people.
2.The Herodian’s wanted to hear “NO” as
this would politicize Christ as anti-Roman and make Him an enemy of the state.
3.Either way, they thought, Jesus would
incriminate Himself and they then could arrest Him.
G.What they did not know was that they
were attacking the King of Rhetoric!
1.Jesus Christ is the greatest
Rhetorical Power the world has ever seen or will see!
a.Jesus Christ defeats ALL arguments
against Him!
b.If one wishes to master rhetoric, if
one wishes to master argumentation, if one wishes to master debate…study Jesus
Christ!
H.What Jesus Christ is about to do here
is to pull a “rhetorical reverse” …it will put the delegation in the vice that
they themselves created!
I.This account is found in 3 of the
synoptic gospels: Out Markian text today, in Matthew 22.15 – 22 and Luke 20.20
- 26
2Mark’s
and Matthew’s account are vertically identical:
A.Pharisees
and Herodian’s
B.“Trap
/ entangle” Him in His talk
C.He
is called Teacher
D.“We
know You are True”
E.“You
don’t care for other’s opinions”
F.“You
are not swayed by appearances”
G.“You
truly teach the Way of God”
H.They
ask the same question; “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?”
I.Jesus
asks the question; “Why test Me?”
J.Jesus
asks for a coin
K.“Whose
likeness and inscription is here?”
L.Same
response; “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars’s, and to God the
things that are God’s.”
M.The same result; “And they marveled
at Him.”
3In
Luke’s account, (Read Luke 20.20 – 26) we discover a wide variety of additional
facts:
A.Luke
calls the delegation “spies.”
B.He
says the delegation “pretended to be sincere.”
C.Their
purpose was to deliver up Christ to the authority and jurisdiction of the
governor.
D. They were unable to do so in the presence of
the people to catch Him in what He said.
E.They
became silent.
4Motives,
Questions, and Answers:
5CONCLUSION:
6The
Meaning of the Text in It’s Theological, Historical & Cultural Context:
A.
7The
Challenge of the Text for Christians Today
A.
8“The
Gospel Call”
·My fifth great uncle was Hugh Gaston who was
rector at the Ballywillan Presbyterian Church (pictured above left) in County
Antrim, Ulster Plantation (Northern Ireland) and wrote the most dangerous book
of his time; Gaston’s Collections. It
allowed “the ploughman to know more Bible than his clergyman.” Hugh fled to South Carolina where he died
prematurely of the measles. He is buried
just one hour south of Charlotte in Chester County, S.C. in “Burnt Meeting
House Cemetery.” Uncle Hugh continues
to inspire my ministry to this very day.
You can read more about Uncle Hugh here: http://www.ballywillanpci.org/rev-hugh-gaston
Thesis: I am a member
of the church of Christ “Because It was Founded on the Scriptural Foundation”
1Introduction
A.Vice
Admiral Horatio Nelson “turned a blind eye” to Admiral Parkers signal to
retreat at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801.
B.In
the age of sail before the discovery of latitude and longitude coordination, at
the top of the tallest mast on the ship was the “crow’s nest.” So-called for it contained just that, a nest
of crows in a cage. When released the
crow would immediately fly to land in the shortest and fastest route possible,
thus the saying “as the crow flies.”
2To
What Does “Upon This Rock” Reflect?
A.Petros
– Peter
B.PETRA
– the CONFESSION
C.“IF”
there would have been the office of the pope then:
1.Paul
would have been pope for he was the one who chastised Peter in Galatians and
not the other way around.
2.Paul
would have been pope since he was the “apostle to the gentiles.”
3.Paul
would have been pope since he was not married and Peter was.
3I
Corinthians 3.11
A.No
other foundation
4Ephesians
2.20
A.Christ
is the chief cornerstone
1.Psalms
118.22 – rejected corner
2.Matthew
21.42 – Jesus applied this to Himself
3.Acts
4.11 - Peter applied this to Christ
B.The
witnesses are one and the same as they are part of the foundation
a.Acts
1
5CONCLUSION:
The one Singular Jesus Christ build his one and only singular church on the one
singular foundation of which He is the only singular chief and cornerstone!
6The
Meaning of the Text in It’s Theological, Historical & Cultural Context:
A.Jesus
promised, built, and is head of only one church – HIS!
7The
Challenge of the Text for Christians Today
A. We must continue to strive to “contend for the
faith that was once delivered to the saints.”
8“The
Gospel Call”
·My fifth great uncle was Hugh Gaston who was
rector at the Ballywillan Presbyterian Church (pictured above left) in County
Antrim, Ulster Plantation (Northern Ireland) and wrote the most dangerous book
of his time; Gaston’s Collections. It
allowed “the ploughman to know more Bible than his clergyman.” Hugh fled to South Carolina where he died
prematurely of the measles. He is buried
just one hour south of Charlotte in Chester County, S.C. in “Burnt Meeting
House Cemetery.” Uncle Hugh continues
to inspire my ministry to this very day.
You can read more about Uncle Hugh here: http://www.ballywillanpci.org/rev-hugh-gaston
