Sermons – Eastside church of Christ

This is a topic that many shy away from in Biblical discussions. The pulpit is certainly not the place for political speeches. It would be inappropriate to endorse any candidate/party. However, the New Testament does address government; therefore, we ought to address it. God has given a particular role to civil authorities. We need to understand this and how it applies to us.

We spend our lives getting ready for what is coming in the future. This includes getting ready and being ready for certain things that are of a spiritual nature. To be ready, we must (1) know what needs to be done, (2) prepare ourselves to do what needs to be done, and (3) be willing to do what we have prepared ourselves to do. What are we to be ready to do in our service to God?

Balaam is mentioned three times in the New Testament. Each time false teachers were likened to him – motivated by greed (2 Peter 2:15; Jude 11) and led God’s people astray (Revelation 2:14). The most memorable incident in his life was his argument with a talking donkey (Numbers 22:21-31). His character was on display in this event. There are some important lessons for us to learn in this.

When Paul wrote to the Colossians, he warned about human philosophy leading us away from Christ. Today, many promote the philosophy of minimalism. Some concepts in this philosophy will be appealing to many, even if they don’t embrace it in its entirety. What is minimalism? What place, if any, does it have in the life of a Christian? Let us consider it in light of the Scriptures.

Our society, as a whole, has rejected the idea that we can identify anyone’s chosen behavior as wrong. This has led to numerous practices being accepted that were once largely looked down upon. Now, the only thing that is condemned by many is the “intolerance” and “bigotry” that identifies sin as sin. However, Jesus’ point in this passage is different from the point that many people try to make from it. This passage and others talk about judging and being judged. Let’s consider what the Bible says about it.

The law of Moses contained several tests to determine if one was infected with leprosy (Leviticus 13). This was a dangerous and contagious disease that would eat away at their body and spread to others. It needed to be detected, properly diagnosed, isolated, and (hopefully) cured. We can draw a parallel between this and sin. Sin is like a disease. It eats away at us (Psalm 32:3), can spread to others (1 Corinthians 5:6), and leads to death (Romans 6:23). Both diseases needed to be addressed. Let us notice some parallels.

Our bodies can be used one of two ways – either for God or for sin. How can we use the members of our bodies as instruments of righteousness? Let’s consider what the Bible says about how we can use the different parts of our bodies.

Jesus used two widely-held stereotypes to make a point in this passage. Pharisees were recognized as religious leaders (officially or unofficially) who scrupulously kept the law. Tax collectors were often viewed as traitors because of their work for the Romans. In Jesus’ parable, both men went to the temple to pray; yet the result was probably not expected by many. It is important that we understand what Jesus was teaching here.

God has abundantly blessed us in this life. More than this, He has also promised something far better after. Yet we are still tempted to envy those around us as the wicked often seem to prosper in this life. This is nothing new. In Psalm 73, Asaph wrote about the same thing. God was good to Israel, yet he came close to stumbling because he was envious of the wicked.

When Jesus came and preached to the Jews, many “did not receive Him.” This is about receiving Jesus as the Son of God and obeying Him as Lord (John 3:16, 36). Many today are like “His own” who “did not receive Him” – why? This is not an exhaustive list, but we will notice some reasons recorded for us in the gospel of John.