Every obligation a man has grows out of a relationship.

Adam – humanitarian

God: I Corinthians 15:45-49

Man

Train children à schools

Good citizen à civil government (Romans 13:3-4)

Compassionate à Benevolent society

No authority for:

Worship society

Missionary society

Edifying society

Christ – spiritual

God: Galatians 3:26-27

Man

Worship God

Edify the saved

Save the lost

Benevolence for needy saints (I Corinthians 16:1-2; etc.)

Discipline unruly/disorderly

All these are achieved with the local church. God provided the structure in which we are to do all these things.

No authority for:

Worship society

Edifying society

Missionary society

Benevolent society

Disciplinary society

Colossians 1:9-12

Colossians 1:9

Paul believed in prayer and in prayer for specific people in specific places.

“filled with the knowledge of His will”

Too many times there is a famine of knowledge of God’s will in the church.

Hosea 4:6 – Lack of knowledge will cause us to perish!

Knowledge of the Bible means nothing without the wisdom to apply it.

Colossians 1:10

We must walk worthy of God. We can walk worthy of God.

Titus 2:11-14

Proverbs 12:26

A walk worthy of God is a better walk.

Titus 3:5

Christians are better than other people because they are obeying God. If we weren’t why would we try to teach others to be Christians?

“bearing fruit in every good work”

Colossians 1:11 – “strengthened with all power according to His glorious might”

Colossians 1:12 – “giving thanks to the Father”

Too many are not thankful for the blessings we enjoy as Christians.

Too many times we think we are limited by what we can’t do as Christians, but that is judging by the wrong standard.

I John 1:7

Colossians 1:13 – What a translation this is!

Ephesians 2:8-9

Naaman – II Kings 5:9-14

Greek baptizo – dip, immerse

Many baptized in Acts: Acts 8:12, 38; 16:15, 33, and more!

Scriptures relating to baptism:

Mark 16:16

Acts 2:38 – Some argue that “for forgiveness of sins” means “because of the forgiveness of your sins” but this does not match the Greek meaning of the phrase. Compare Matthew 26:28.

Acts 22:16 – Paul definitely believed in Jesus at this point, but he still needed forgiveness of his sins via baptism.

Romans 6:3-4

Jesus (physical) – death, burial, resurrection

Me (spiritual) – dead to sin, buried in baptism, newness of life

I Corinthians 12:13

Galatians 3:27

I Peter 3:21

Outward sign of an inward grace?

This phrase is not in the Bible. Is the concept? No!

Baptism is the moment when God washes away one’s sins with the power of Jesus’ blood!

Sense of urgency:

Acts 2

Acts 8 – Ethiopian eunuch

Saul

Philippian jailer

Rejoiced after baptism

Philippian jailer

Ethiopian

If baptism is required for salvation, what more would God have to say to communicate that?

Acts 19:1-5 – One may still need to be baptized into Christ if a previous baptism was a different kind of baptism.

Introduction

The word autonomy is not in the New Testament.

Is this concept in the Bible?

Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 5 – Jesus has all authority and the church is subject to Him. Specifically, all members are subject to Christ, therefore all local churches are also subject to Christ. The church cannot be autonomous as relates to Christ.

The Herald of Truth was a work by multiple churches with a single church’s elders overseeing. This violated local church autonomy.

I Peter 5:1-3

One church is not to oversee any function of another local church. Each local church is to be self-governing.

Autonomy is lost when multiple churches send money to another church to do a work.

Philippians 4:15-16 – Money was sent directly to the preacher (Paul, in this case).

I Corinthians 16:1-4

I Corinthians 4:4-5

Acts 14:23

Genesis 3:1-7, 23-24

I John 2:16

Lust of the flesh

Ecclesiastes 2:8, 11; 5:10 – It is our spiritual appetite that needs attention!

I Timothy 6:7-19 – We should be content with basic necessities.

Philippians 4:11-12 – Paul had learned to be content. Accumulating things won’t make you content. You have to learn to be content with what you already have.

Lust of the eyes

Job 31:1 – Job knew how important it was to guard his eyes.

Matthew 5:27-29 – Be careful of the thoughts of your mind.

Matthew 18:6-7 – Be careful of causing others to lust and sin.

I Timothy 4:12 – Do people see us as believers or do they see a lack of purity in us?

Pride of life

Proverbs 12:15 – It is easy to stop listening if we think we are right.

Proverbs 26:4-5 – Don’t answer a fool with the same type of foolishness.

John 2:19-21; Matthew 26:59-63 – Jesus refused to answer their misunderstanding.

Matthew 27:39-40

Acts 6:14 – This could be the same confusion coming up again.

Sometimes the wisest thing to do is to be silent.

God loves us and has warned about the temptations of Satan. Let us take God’s warnings to heart!

Introduction

Mary was called “Magdalene” because she was from the town of Magdala.

She was mentioned in all four gospels.

Eyewitness of Jesus’

Death – Mark 15:40

Burial – Mark 15:47

Resurrection – Mark 16:9

There is no evidence that Mary …

Is the sinful woman of Luke 7:36-50.

Was ever a prostitute.

Was an “apostle to the apostles.”

Ever had romantic feelings or relationship with Jesus (this idea was popularized by The Da Vinci Code and Jesus Christ Superstar).

The value of women

Luke 18:1-3

She was a traveling disciple.

She was a healed disciple.

She was a contributing disciple. Mark 15:41.

Luke 23:50-24:3

Courage

Mark 15:43; John 20:19 – Joseph and the disciples feared the Jews, but Mary was right there anyway!

Mark 14:26-31, 50 – The apostles fled! Mary did not.

John 19:26-27, 25 – Mary Magdalene was standing by the cross. Despite his bold claims, Peter was gone, but Mary Magdalene was there, along with Jesus’ mother and aunt.

Matthew 27:57-61 – Mary was there when Jesus’ body was taken down.

Mark 16:1-3

The importance of the resurrection

I Corinthians 15:14-19 – The resurrection is crucial to our faith!

John 20:1-18 – If the body was stolen, why were the wrappings set aside?

One word each!

Mary!

Rabboni!

Acts 1:14 – Is Mary Magdalene included in this group?

The time, place, and who will lead us to the right church.

Ephesians 4:5; I Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 1:23

If the church was established in the days of John the Baptist:

The church had no head.

The church was not purchased with blood. Matthew 20:28

Christ could not be preached. Matthew 16:20; Luke 24:46; Acts 1

The church would lack a foundation. Acts 4:10-12; I Corinthians 3:11

It is critical to learn the time, place, who, and what of the right church.

Time: Pentecost, 33 AD

Isaiah 2:2-3

Joel 2:28-32

Place: Jerusalem

Who: Jesus

Daniel 2:44

Acts 2:36

I Corinthians 15:27-28

Matthew 16:18

Acts 20:28 – Jesus purchased the church with His own blood.

What: Christ’s church

I Corinthians 3:11; 1:2

I Peter 3:15

Ephesians 3:10-11

Was the church at Benchley started in AD 30-33 in Jerusalem?

No, but its teaching and practice had its start in AD 30-33 in Jerusalem.

For example, the local Mormon church wasn’t started in 1830 in New York, but we can tell from its teaching and practice that it is a Mormon church.

Mark 14:27

What if everyone around you turned from God?

Noah chose to walk with God

Genesis 6:5-8

Noah chose to be righteous! We have to make that same decision.

James 4:4; Matthew 6:24

Noah took action for many years.

Genesis 6:3; 7:6 – This verse could be referring to a changing lifespan for man or the time until the flood would come.

II Peter 2:5

John 14:15 – There is work involved in serving God!

Ephesians 6:1-4 – Parents must be authorities in the home.

Titus 2:3-5

Being a good parent involves much work and love over years!

Noah developed a heart for worship.

Genesis 8:14-22 – Noah worshiped as soon as he got off the ark.

Matthew 22:37

Do we only have a heart for worship while we are in the pew?

II Timothy 4:10

Daily Bible reading is important!

Responding to big events in the right way is an important example to children.

If you lived back then, would your family be on the ark?