Faith Baptist Church of Newborn GA

1 Corinthians 4:7-21

[7] For who maketh thee to differ from another ? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it ? [8] Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you. [9] For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. [10] We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. [11] Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; [12] And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: [13] Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day. [14] I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. [15] For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. [16] Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me. [17] For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church. [18] Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you. [19] But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. [20] For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. [21] What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?

Paul is writing to the church at Corinth. It is a congregation that is plagued with many problems of the flesh. They had brought over into their new lives many of the customs and philosophies of their old culture. Corinth was a place of riches, education and idolatry. We can learn much from studying the problems they faced, as the present day is very similar in many respects. Let’s consider:

1. The EXCESSES of Pride.  Pride is:
   1. DECEIVING – The flesh tells us that we are different from others. While we are all unique, there is not any other just like you. Because all are unique, this means that we are all alike in this way. We live in a time of great riches and idolatry is rampant in the popular culture. Sport stars, musicians and actors are lifted up and put in places worship. The world, the flesh and the Devil sell the idea that all that is required for happiness is to be rich and famous.  But the evidence of the truth that these things can’t buy happiness or contentment is revealed in the news and seen in the sorrowful end of the lives of many of these people. As far as riches, the recent events of the pandemic show the vulnerability of worldly riches to the unforeseen.
   2. DANGEROUS – Seeking the things of this world is not only futile in the end, because they cannot endure, but also is a dangerous distraction from the proper focus of life, that is the spiritual. The things that we see and think of as old and permanent are temporal and will soon disappear. Most people are chasing a mirage. It seems so real, but is just an illusion that Satan uses to detour us from the path that God has for us.  Also there is great danger in reliance on these things because of the fragility and undependability of them. In the moment when they are most needed they are liable to fail. 
2. The EXAMPLE of the apostle – Even though they were God’s chosen and could have demanded to be treated in a special way  We see this done today in many churches of differing denominations. The preacher or priest is considered to be on a higher level that the ‘ordinary’ members. We see that the apostles were willing to:
   1. SUFFER:
      1. Reduced material goods – they went without sufficient food, clothing and shelter all to further the Gospel. They also were setting the example for the brethren to follow. 
      2. Rigorous labor to earn their keep. In addition to the work of the Gospel of study, prayer and witnessing they labor in hard tasks to earn what is needed to continue in the ministry and provide themselves in the needs of this life. 
      3. Rejection by the world. They were reviled and cursed because of their witness for the Lord. 
   2. STEADFAST in the ministry – The suffering and labor was a tremendous load to carry.  They were despised by the world and had to labor to earn a living and yet reacted to the abuse that they suffered in loving Christian spirit. 
3. The EXHORTATION to:
   1. RECOGNIZE the ones God put into the positions of teachers, preachers and pastors etc.  The Holy Spirit will make clear His choice for the leadership in the church. It is the job of all believers to seek His will in prayer and then act on it. 
   2. RESPECT those who have the position of leadership. One fact often not stated or overlooked is that the true leader does not seek his job. He is chosen and placed there by God. When one rebels or disrespects the man of God he is rebelling against God. 
4. The ERRAND of Timothy – Paul sent Timothy to minister in his stead because he had confidence in him.  He knew that they shared a great love and dedication to the Gospel. Timothy was sent to:
   1. RESOLVE the problems that were there in Corinth. The problems there were caused by the flesh and the only cure is an application of the Word of God. Only when the Word is preached, taught and accepted can the problems in a church, whether they be spiritual or carnal be ended. 
   2. REINFORCE the teaching that had already been done. It is a truth that we must learn and relearn our lessons. If you think about it in any school the first thing that occurs in a new school year is to review (re-teach) the things that had been taught before. If we could read the Word once or hear our lesson one time and then have it down pat we wouldn’t need to hear preaching so often. The reality is that we learn slowly and forget quickly. 
   3. We must strive to REMEMBER what we are taught. We are in a war and are part of an army. As soldiers in any army train to react properly in the moment of crisis. We should read and pray to prepare us for the test that is certain to come our way. 
5. The EXPLICIT warning – Judgment is coming. We will all answer for our conduct and this should be our motivation for all we do, for our words, our thoughts and our actions. 

God bless you all,

Brother Mike

Psalm 121:1-8

[1] I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. [2] My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. [3] He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. [4] Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. [5] The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. [6] The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. [7] The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. [8] The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. 

1. The PERSON who is our help – We are to look not to the creation (the hills) but to the maker of the hills, the Creator of all things. His power and love are seen in the creation around us. By the Scriptures we learn that He is also our:
   1. PROPITIATION – propitiation is defined by Webster as “the atonement or atoning sacrifice offered to God to assuage His wrath and render Him propitious to sinners.”  Christ by offering His body and blood on the cross made Himself the propitiation for our sin. There is nothing that we could ever give that would be sufficient as an offering.  Everything that we have is something that God has made and already owns. Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”  Even our very life comes from God and it is already His. The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is the most precious thing that has ever existed in this world. Only that precious blood and perfect life given in vicarious sacrifice was sufficient to propitiate the anger of God against sinners. 
   2. PRIEST – Hebrews 3:1 “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;”. The role of the priest is to go to God on behalf of the sinner. Christ is our ‘mediator’ 1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”. Neither you nor I have any merit to approach God to seek His favor. Jesus, by His sinless, perfect life given in sacrifice has the merit and the will to use it on our behalf. He is our priest and mediator. \
   3. PLEADER – 1 John 2:1-2 “[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: [2] And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”  An advocate as defined by Webster is “One who pleads the cause of another”.  Christ is our advocate He is sitting at the right hand of God the Father making intercession for the saved. Romans 8:34 “[34] Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”  He is the only capable advocate that we can have. 
2. The POWER that is our help. Matthew 28:18 “[18] And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” The word ‘power’ in this verse has manifold meanings. It means ability, authority or right,  Consider the power of God It is:
   1. Shown in His CREATION – Whatever level of the creation that we consider the wondrous power of God is evident. As we think about the microscopic world God’s ability to make such tiny and elegant things that we can observe under a microscope or whether we look to the stars and the great galaxies that were flung into place by His hand we see His ability and might. He has not only the ability to do His will but the moral right to do so.  He has this right by the fact that all is His creation.
   2. CONSTANT – Our passage tells us that He “will not slumber”.  My attention will waver and I must sleep. If we set a guard there must be a schedule of relief or the watch will fail. Our protector and help doesn’t sleep nor does He need relief. 
3. The PROTECTION by His Power – “The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil”. His protection and help is:
   1. COMPLETE – There is nothing that can touch a believer that God does not either send or allow. Many times we are confused and mistaken about the things that occur in our lives.  One of the men I really admired, Dr. James W. Crumpton, often said “the greatest blessings of my life came disguised as heartache, trial and tribulation”.  The Scriptures promise that Romans 8:28 “[28] And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  
   2. COMFORTING – In the passage it speaks of ‘shade’. For those who have labored long days in the hot summer sun, the picture of a cool shade gives a beautiful picture of the comfort that God’s help gives to those who are suffering whatever trial.  Reading God’s word, talking to Him in prayer and experiencing His grace and help is a great comfort to all who seek Him. 
4. The PRODUCT of His help is:
   1. PLENARY – The provision is for all of God’s people. It matters not whether we are rich or poor, famous or unknown, young or old, God’s grace and help is available to us all. 
   2. PERSONAL – It speaks of ‘thy soul’. The soul is the very essence of who we are.  It is more us than our physical bodies are. Our body is ’our earthly house’ 2 Corinthians 5:1 “[1] For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” God is concerned about you!  He is not someone who is just watching disinterestedly. Hebrews 4:15 “[15] For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”  Christ understands our feelings and problems. He is able and willing to help us in the time of trouble. 

Matthew 5:21-28

“[21] Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: [22] But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. [23] Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; [24] Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. [25] Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. [26] Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. [27] Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: [28] But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

1. The PURPOSE of the Law
   1. To INDICT us – Romans 3:19 “[19] Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” James 2:10 “[10] For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”  Man’s ability to self-exonerate is almost beyond belief. We can justify the most heinous actions. People often say things such as “I have rights”, “they can’t treat me this way” or “they deserved that” in defense of an action which they know is wrong. A man may say that his wife doesn’t understand me or my boss isn’t paying me enough to justify adultery or theft.  The law of God makes it plain that lying, stealing or other such acts which men count as small things are sins and are as serious as idolatry or murder. The Scriptures make it abundantly clear that we are all guilty. Romans 3:23 “[23] For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 3:19 “[19] Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.  God has taken away all the excuses that we might give for our sins.”  
   2. To INSTRUCT us – Acts 15:10 “[10] Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?”  Many people want to think of themselves as “good people” whom God will accept on their own merits. When we try to measure up to the standard that God has set, that is perfection, we quickly realize that no one has or can meet that goal.  The only one who can or has is our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  
   3. To INTRODUCE us to Christ as our only hope Galatians 3:22-25 “[22] But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. [23] But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. [24] Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. [25] But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”  When we recognize some things about ourselves we are faced with a dire situation. The Bible shows that first, we are sinners and that without exception all men are guilty of sin before God. We are guilty and facing the penalty of eternal death. We are helpless and hopeless before the Law.  The law then shows us that perfection of the Saviour. This perfection is demonstrated in the demands of  the Old Testament ceremonies, such as the requirement for the sacrificial lamb to be ‘perfect and without blemish.’  The law leads us to the only perfect one, Jesus.  
2. The POWER of the Law is to condemn and prescribe the punishment. It has no ability to show mercy. Even in our system of human justice the law can only mandate a punishment. It is up to a judge to show mercy if it is to be shown. Praise God that our Saviour is also our advocate and the judge is the one who sent the Savior to redeem us from our sins. The law has condemned us, but Jesus by His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead has obtained for us the forgiveness of sin and assured us of a home with Him forever in Heaven. 
3. The PENALTY of the Law – Death – Many men today want to make a joke of sin and the penalty of Hell.  But it is a very serious matter.  Let’s consider a few aspects of the consequences of sin and its penalty. Look at these characteristics of the death mandated for sin.  It’s:
   1. ETERNAL – when we think of death we think of an end to existence, however it’s not that at all. Death is a separation. Physical death is a separation of the body from soul. If the person has be born again there is also the separation of body from spirit.  It is not the end of existence of the person, the soul will exist forever in some place. For the believer that place is Heaven, in the presence of God. For the lost person that place will be Hell until it’s cast into the Lake of Fire and there will be his abode for all eternity. It is a place of separation from God and therefore all that is good and holy. It is a state of death without end, a constant eternal dying with an end to existence. 
   2. EARNED – Everyone is a sinner and has earned the punishment that comes with being a sinner. Men live a life time of sin and thereby amass a terrible account that must be settled. If a man doesn’t accept Jesus and His death as payment for his sin he must pay the account himself. Sinners will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire to pay that debt. 
   3. EVENLY Applied – It matters not who your mother or father is.  It doesn’t matter what your race or nationality is. It doesn’t matter how much money you have, all have sinned and the wages of sin is death. Black or white, young or old, famous or unknown, all are guilty before God and those who remain rebellious and refuse to receive the salvation offered in Jesus are condemned. John 3:18 “[18] He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
4. What PERTAINS to us as believers in regard to the Law
   1. To OBEY the letter of the law (with the exception of that which prescribes the sacrifices and that which is countermanded in the New Testament). The commandments concerning the sacrifices for sin have been perfectly fulfilled by Jesus on the Cross of Calvary. Any attempt to supplement the offering that He gave there would be blasphemy. Anything that I could do or offer would be imperfect and thereby pollute the precious offering of His blood. Also the New Testament makes clear that we are not bound by the law as regards to things such as diet 1 Timothy 4:3-5 “[3] Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. [4] For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: [5] For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”  However we should look to learn from the Law. 
   2. To OBSERVE the spirit of the Law – we must seek out the principle that is being taught in the Law.  In the passage we read in the beginning of this study Jesus makes it clear that we have a greater obligation than just to avoid the physical action of sin in regards to murder and adultery.  We must seek out the root cause and tear it out root and stalk. I could never kill if I did not first hate. I could never commit adultery without first lusting in my heart. I could never commit idolatry without first in my heart forsaking the true God. The Law is perfect, the problem is the flesh and its propensity to go astray and then to follow the example of our father Adam, who when confronted with his sin blamed Eve and God instead of taking responsibility.  

May God bless you with this study. 

Brother Mike Scott 

The Danger we Face 

Psalm 56:3 “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”

We are living through a unique time in the history of our country. The news is filled every day with accounts and predictions of sickness and disaster. We are told that not only do we face a virus that could cause a death toll akin to that of the plague of the Middle Ages. We have been prohibited from many of our normal activities. We recently had a death in the church and the funeral was a very abbreviated service. A trip to the grocery store has become a foray into ‘dangerous territory’.  We have witnessed the panic that have resulted in empty store shelves and worse the suspension of worship services in our churches. While due precautions are necessary, it seems to me that we have put a great strain on our social structure due to fear. Let’s look a three points to consider in this situation. 

First let’s consider our:

1. SITUATION – In the present conditions we are:
   1. POWERLESS
      1. We cannot see our enemy – it’s an invisible pathogen which invades without being detected until it begins to do it damage. This is analogous to the evil influence in our lives that invades from the culture that has been corrupted and is carried by contemporaneous music and entertainment and even by the news media that portrays good as evil and evil as good. 
      2. We cannot change our situation – We are told to “shelter in place” meaning basically hide and hope it goes away. But we live in a world that is replete with danger and if it’s not the Coronavirus then it will be something else.  The Scriptures and history show us that due to Adam’s actions sin entered the world and death by sin. We cannot escape the danger by remaining in our homes. The greatest danger facing our nation is not some physical disease but the spiritual disease of sin that causes the second death. It seems that we have become inured to the reality of the wickedness around us every day. The newspapers, the television, the news programs and the internet are filled with stories that are degrading and tend to lower our spiritual sights and diminish our hunger for the things of God while feeding our carnal nature. While we cannot escape while we remain alive and in this world it is essential that we stay aware of the danger around us  Just as we should practice defensive driving we should practice defensive living; anticipating and trying to avoid the hazards that we find along the road of life. 
   2. We have PRECAUTIONS in the Bible. We are told in Job 5:7 “Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.”  And in 1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”. The lesson is that we live in a dangerous world and the only safety is in the Lord. The greater danger is not the physical but the spiritual. The physical is under the curse of sin and will perish by some means but the spiritual is eternal. 
2. Our SECURITY – As our theme verse tells us we may be afraid. I have experienced fear many times in my life. Sometimes the fear was reasonable, but many times it was an unreasoning fear brought on by an emotional reaction. We should consider that even the hairs on our heads are numbered and God knows the count. The Scriptures tell us the He cares for even the sparrow and that we are worth much more than a sparrow. Think about:
   1. We say that we TRUST God. We do many things each day that show we trust many things.  One of the most vivid for me is that people get into their automobile and hurl themselves down the road at incredible speeds trusting in things that can fail without warning,  The brakes in a car depend on parts such as a rubber cup in the master cylinder (I know that these days that the brake system has two). If this small fragile piece of rubber fails you have no way to safely stop your car. We depend on a piece of rubber for our lives yet many won’t trust God with their safety. I am not preaching taking foolish chances, I refer you to Luke 4:12 “And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” 
   2. We profess to TRUST God for our eternal salvation. Then why can we not trust Him for our protection here. Again I’m not saying that we should seek out danger, but rather know that if we are in danger that God is capable of removing us or guiding us through the danger. He can also take us home by means of the danger. Think of the trial of the threes Hebrew children in the book of Daniel. They told the king that God could keep them out of the furnace, He could save them out of the furnace or they could die in the furnace, but in any case they would be delivered from the hand of the King. If you are saved be not afraid, Heaven awaits. 
3. The Course we STEER
   1. Take REASONABLE precautions – avoid crowds, wash your hands etc. 
   2. Don’t PANIC – Think of all those who came before us who faced much greater dangers than we. Some were delivered alive through their trials, some died in their trials and some lived with the results of their trial until the time that God called them to Himself. But they all are enjoying the presence of God, as shall we if we have received the forgiveness of sin by faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ. 

God bless, 

Brother Mike