QUESTIONS & ANSWERS (78)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     There are four primary types of questions in the English language.

1.       General or Yes/No Questions

2.       Special or Wh- Questions:  who, what, when, where, why, how, how many

3.       Choice Questions

4.       Disjunctive or Tag Questions:  You are going to the store, aren’t you?

 

B.      Most of the questions that are asked on our Q&A Sundays fall into the category of Special Questions.

 

C.     Q&A is challenging.  Q&A is informative.  Q&A is unique.  Q&A is fun.

 

D.     In our lesson today, we will be examining three of your questions.

 

I.                    QUESTION #1:  The Prayer of a non-Christian

 

A.     Stated:  If a non-Christian is praying a public prayer (i.e., wedding, funeral, school program, dinner table, etc.) should a Christian bow their head in prayer?

 

B.      Answer:

1.       Christians often find themselves in situations where there are non-Christians who are the ones who taking the lead at the time.

2.       Sometimes prayer is involved in the occasion (Ex., a non-Christian friend invites you to his home for dinner and a prayer is first offered).

3.       Three words immediately came to my mind as I thought about the answer to this question.

a.       Kindness (Col. 3:12)

 

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering.

 

b.      Respect (1 Pet. 2:17)

 

Honour all men…

 

c.       Courtesy (1 Pet. 3:8)

 

Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another; love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous.

 

1)      The Greek word for “courteous” is composed of two words:  one means “friend” and the other means “the mind.”

2)      Thayer, therefore, defines the word as:  “with friendly thoughtfulness.”

4.       Most likely the thought of the individual is that if I participate in the prayer in any way, then I am giving approval to that action.

a.       Some believe that if they simply listen to a false teacher then that is giving approval of him.

b.      Some believe that if you go to a gospel meeting that your denominational friend has invited you to go to, you are approving of that religious group.

c.       Some believe that if you go to a restaurant that has a bar that you are approving of drinking alcohol.

5.       Answers:

a.       Appearance does not indicate the truth.  We are to judge righteous judgment (John 7:24).

b.      The apostles often went into the temple area and synagogues to teach (Acts 3:1).

 

Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

 

c.       By associating with others, we often create doors of opportunity for teaching (Luke 15:1-2).

 

Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.  And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

 

d.      It is impossible for us to go out of the world.  Thus, our associations with those in the world are different than how we associate with those in the body of Christ (1 Cor. 5:9-10).

 

I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:  yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs to out of the world.

 

II.                 QUESTION #2:  The Holy Spirit and Prayer

 

A.     Stated:  How do we pray in the Spirit?  (See Jude 20)

 

B.      Answer:

1.       Jude 20

 

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.

 

2.       Questions:

a.       Is praying “in the Holy Ghost” some special state in which the Christian must place himself?

b.      Some will answer the question:  “Yes.”  Thus, we ask:  What kind of a state is it?  It is a highly alert, emotional, and powerful state of being.  This state is produced by some type of direct operation of the Holy Spirit.

c.       If he reaches that state, how can he be assured that it is one that involves the Holy Spirit?  (NOTE:  Evil spirits have caused individuals to act in strange ways as well).

d.      In Revelation 1:10, John writes:  “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day…”

1)      John was referring to the fact that he was inspired of God.  Is this what it means to pray “in the Holy Ghost”?

2)      It is interesting that John KNEW he was “in the Spirit.” 

3)      Too, John was not in some crazed, hyper-emotional state when he wrote the Revelation.  He was rational and knew exactly when things were being experienced.

3.       Answer:

a.       Let’s read two other verses:

1)      Galatians 5:16

 

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

 

2)      Galatians 5:25

 

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

 

b.      If we know how to “walk in the Spirit” and “live in the Spirit,” then we will understand how to “pray in the Spirit.”

c.       The Holy Spirit has regulated “how” men are to walk and live in this world.  This life is plainly mapped out in the pages of God’s holy Word.

1.       There is a very close relationship between the Spirit and the Word of God.

a)      Proverbs 1:23

 

Turn you at my reproof:  behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

 

b)      John 6:63

 

It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing:  the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

 

2.       When we live as the Word of God directs us to live, we are living after the manner of the Holy Spirit.

a)      Philippians 1:27

 

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ…

 

b)      1 Thessalonians 4:1

 

Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

 

-          They received of Paul how they ought to walk.

-          What did they receive?  They received the teachings of Paul by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

-          If they walked and lived by those things, they would be living and walking in the Spirit

c)       2 Timothy 3:16-17

 

All Scripture is given my inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

 

d.      If we live “in the Spirit” and walk “in the Spirit” by adhering to the teachings of the Bible, the same would be true of praying “in the Spirit.”

1)      The Holy Spirit has authorized prayer in the Scriptures.

2)      The Holy Spirit has laid down the conditions of acceptable prayer in the Bible.

3)      When we pray according to the Holy Spirit’s stipulations, we are praying “in the Spirit.”

III.              QUESTION #3:  Latin American Missions

 

A.     Stated:  Please tell us some things that we need to know about Latin American Mission since we are supporting them during the month of September.

 

B.      Answer:

1.       The year was 1958.  The church was the Forrest Park church of Christ in Valdosta, GA.

 

 

2.        Several men traveled to Panama, Central America on a mission trip.

 

  

 

3.       There were some churches, but there were no full-time preachers in Panama.

4.       Because of all of the workers attracted to Panama due to the Panama Canal, a church was planted in the area known as Cristobal.

 

   

5.       After a few trips to Panama, the church saw the people there were hungry for the gospel of Christ.  The church, therefore, began medical campaigns to Panama.

6.       In September 1965, the Bible School of the Americas was started. 

a.       Men from Central America were trained to preach the gospel.

b.      The gospel spread to Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador.

c.       Later, the gospel began to be taken to Peru, Columbia, Argentina, and Chile.

7.       Results:

a.       There are not over 80 full-time preachers in Panama.

b.      The Preacher Training School is no longer a single classroom.  It is now located on a sprawling campus located on 25 acres in Mananitas.

c.       A children’s home was also started in Panama City.

d.      From the most recent newsletter:

1)      We have seventeen students at the Bible School who are training to become ministers of the Gospel and will return to their native countries for a lifetime of preaching.

2)      We have 86 preachers in eight different Latin American countries who serve as ministers of the gospel for 52 weeks of the year.

3)      There are 195 congregations and 372 individuals who are part of our long- term mission efforts.

8.       There are four main works that LAM engages in:

a.       The training of preachers:  there is the main campus and also three satellite schools in other cities.

 

 

b.      Medical and Evangelistic Campaigns, often going into the interior of the Latin American countries.

 

c.       Benevolence

1)      Medical needs of the ministers and their families

2)      Temporary funding for preachers who have lost their support

3)      Minor repairs to preachers’ homes and church buildings

4)      Assistance in times of disasters

 

            

 

d.      Translating and printing material to be used in the Latin American Countries.

1)      This work began in 1990.

2)      Charles and Martha Renfro raised their support and the money to put a printing shop at Forrest Park.

3)      Tracts, study materials, books, and other materials have been printed for both the church and the word in Latin America.

 

 

9.       Pictures

 

                

 

          

 

 

    

 

    

 

                         

              

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     Our Q&A Lesson has focused on many things.

1.       How we are supposed to handle unique situations with those who are not Christians.

2.       What is means to “pray in the Holy Ghost.”

3.       The support of Latin American Missions during the month of September.

 

 

B.      There is mission work to be done right here at home as well. 

1.       There are many lost souls in Atlantic Beach and the surrounding area.

2.       Each Christian should consider himself to be a missionary to this community.

3.       People need to hear the saving message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.