OceanSide church of Christ




Click here to see all of the YouTube videos belonging to OceanSide
(opens in a new browser)

 Previous Return to Sermons Next  Click to download Audio

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS (20)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.  Questions of men have led to great discoveries.

1.    Columbus:  “Why do the masts of ships slowly sink beyond the horizon as they sail out to sea?”

2.    This led to the discovery of the New World.

 

B.   Questions of men have led to unbelievable inventions.

1.    Ford:  “Why can’t more than one car be produced at a time?”

2.    This led to the invention of the mass production line.

 

C.  Our questions are intended to increase our knowledge of the Word of God and of spiritual things.

 

I.         QUESTION #1:  Earthly Blessings for the Christian

 

A.  Stated:  What are the earthly blessings we have as Christians?

 

B.   Answer:

1.    This is one of those questions on which I would like to have more elaboration.  If you asked this question, and the answer is not sufficient, please rephrase it and put another question in the box.

2.    Blessings the Christian has in the here-and-now.

a.    We have the Bible to reveal to us how to be right with God and to guide us in this present world.

1)     Darkness is a fearful thing:  vulnerable, danger, don’t know how to go.

2)    Satan and sin cause darkness to be in the world (John 1:5).

 

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

 

3)     The Word of God gives us light (Ps. 119:1-6; Prov. 6:23; II Pet. 1:19; II Tim. 3:16-17; Tit. 2:11-12).

b.    We have prayer to sustain us.

1)     Prayer is our communication line with our heavenly Father.

2)    For the Christian, when the going gets tough, he bows his head in prayer to God (Ps. 3:4-6).

 

I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill.  I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me.  I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.

 

a)    The psalmist prayed, laid down, slept and awoke.

b)    The Lord heard and sustained him.

c.    We have an Advocate to plead our cause for us.

1)     The Christian is not perfect.  He can sin.

a)    I John 1:8

 

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

 

b)    Examples:  Ananias and Sapphira, Simon the sorcerer, Simon Peter

2)    When we go into the divine courtroom, we do not go alone (I John 2:1).

 

My little children, these things write I unto you that ye sin not.  And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

 

a)    Satan accuses us before God.

b)    Jesus, as our lawyer, intervenes.  He points to His shed blood.

c)    God declares us to be just, innocent, and blameless.

d.   We have a pure conscience.

1)     The conscience is an emotion that originates in the mind of man that either approves or condemns one’s actions based upon his knowledge.

2)    Sin should plague the consciences of men.  It should cause us to feel dirty and shameful.

a)    We have wronged God.

b)    We have stained our precious souls.

3)     Under the Old Covenant, the conscience would not be rid of sins.  Every year, the sins of Israel were remembered again (Heb. 10:3).

4)     Not so under the New Testament.  Christ completely purges our conscience of evil (Heb. 10:22).

 

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

 

5)     It is a blessing to be able to lie down at night without the nagging and pain of conscience.  It is a part of the Christian’s peace.

e.    We have a fellowship of believers to encourage us.

1)     We are not alone in our spiritual warfare in this life.

2)    We are part of the household of God (I Tim. 3:15).

3)     Members of this household have a responsibility to each other (Gal. 6:2).

 

Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

 

f.    We have a hope that motivates us and keep us saved.

1)     Hope is something that one does not presently possess, but anticipates it with earnest.

2)    One element of our hope is heaven (Col. 1:5).

 

For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel.

 

3)     The fact that there is something better beyond this life motivates us to live as God directs us to live now.  Thus, our hope helps to save us (Rom. 8:24).

 

For we are saved by hope…

 

II.       QUESTION #2:  God’s Concern for All Men in the Old Testament

 

A.  Stated:  God created the Universe and all that is in it.  Why did he have a chosen people in the OT?  Did God not care about anyone but the Jew?

 

B.   Answer:

1.    God’s view of things and man’s view of things can be radically different.

a.    Man tends to see things in sections.  Too, his view is very short-sighted.

b.    God, however, sees things from the beginning to the end.

2.    God’s scheme of redemption was set in motion when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden.

a.    God knew that He would send the Christ (Gen. 3:15).

 

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

 

1)     The seed of the woman is Jesus.

2)    Satan’s bruising the seed’s head is the crucifixion.

3)     The seed’s bruising Satan’s head is the death and resurrection of the Christ.

b.    God told Abraham that his seed would bless “all families of the earth” (Gen. 12:3).

1)     NOTE:  God’s plan included all man.

2)    When the gospel came, it was to be taken to “every creature” (Mark 16:15).

3.    Too bring the Messiah into the world as a human being, God had to separate a lineage of people unto Himself.

a.    The lineage went from Abraham to Mary, the mother of Jesus.

b.    More specifically, the lineage was Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, David, Solomon, and Mary.

c.    Jacob had 12 sons who became the nation of Israel from whom the Christ would come.

d.   Their purpose:

1)     To be a holy people

2)    To be a prepared people

3)     To be an exemplary people

e.    The law they were given showed sin to be exceedingly sinful and to be a heavy burden for man to bear.

4.    Even though God was working to bring the Messiah into the world, He did not forget the other nations.

a.    Prophets were sent to the other nations.

1)     Obadiah to Edom

2)    Jonah to Ninevah

3)     Nahum and Ninevah

b.    The Jews could also proselyte people from other nations and make them Jews (Matt. 23:15; Acts 2:10; 6:5; 13:43).

5.    NOTE:  For the most part, the Gentile world forsook God and turned to idolatry and immorality (Rom. 1:21-24a).

 

Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, nether were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness.

 

CONCLUSIOIN

 

A.  We have learned two powerful lessons tonight.

1.    The Christian is blessed with many blessings in this life.

2.    Many give up on God, but God does not give up on man.

 

B.   God has not yet sent His Son the second time.  This is for a reason (II Pet. 3:9).

 

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.