SERMONS

LUKEWARM FAITH

A. Introduction
1. Definition of faith
a. Dictionary – confident belief or trust in thing(s) unseen
b. Faith NOT crutch, something we want to be real, blind leap, or probability
c. Bible – substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb 11:1)
d. Substance – tells us of guarantee, we can expect
e. Evidence – means proof/certainty
c. “One Lord, one faith, one baptism” – Eph 4:5
2. Faith is necessary
a. Jesus said we will die in our sins without faith (John 8:24)
b. Cannot please God without faith (Heb 11:6)
c. Faith helps us make it through life – walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor 5:7)
d. Saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8)
3. What must our faith be in?
a. God & Jesus as His Son
b. Word of God (Mark 1:15, 16:16)
c. Promises of God (Heb 11:3)
B. Lukewarm faith
1. Rev 3:15-17
a. Result of lukewarm faith is thinking you’re OK when not!
b. v. 17 those with LW faith actually wretched, miserable, poor, blind, & naked – won’t seek God in that state!
c. Won’t care what Christ says in that state!
2. “And why call me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46) – what does Christ say today?
a. Heb 1:1-2 – God has spoken to us in last days by Son.
b. 1 John 2:18 He speaks to us now. Christ given authority in last days (Mat. 28:18)
3. When we’re baptized into Christ, we’re babe in Christ.
a. “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby “ (1 Peter 2:2)
b. Hebrews writer stated some needed teaching when they should be teaching others (Heb. 5:12-14). Still feeding on milk rather than meat – lukewarm faith keeps from growing!
4. Those with lukewarm faith still follow worldly pleasures & merely have pseudo-godliness (2 Tim 3:4-5)
C. Evidences of lukewarm faith
1. Lack of Bible study and lack of prayer
a. Bible study/prayer communication with God
b. Rom 10:2-3 – “For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”
c. Knowledge of Word can allow us to be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (2 Tim 3:16-17)
d. Need to study word to please God (2 Tim 2:15)
e. Need to put premium on prayer to Father (1 Thes 5:17)
f. Prayer and Bible study opportunities to exercise our spiritual health!
1. Muscle w/ no exercise atrophies
2. Min. recommendations for physical exercise 3, 30-minute sessions/week
3. 1 Tim 4:8 spiritual exercise vastly more important!
2. Lack of good works
a. Why works? Faith without works is dead (James 2:17-20)
b. Spread gospel a command, not option (Mat 28:19-20, Mark 16:15-16) – faith works through love (Gal 5:6), do you love your neighbors?
c. Heb 10:23-24 – “Let us hold fast to the profession of our faith without wavering, considering one another to provoke unto love and to good works”
d. 1 Tim 6:18 – be rich in good works
e. Titus 2:7 – show pattern of good works
f. Christians should be zealous to perform good works (Titus 2:14)
3. Poor attendance in assembly
a. Heb 10:25 tells us not to forsake “the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another” – I look forward to being w/ bro/sis in Christ
b. Heb 13:17 tells us to obey & submit to elders – they have appointed Bible studies & evening service to benefit us spiritually
D. Solution to lukewarm faith
1. Mat 6:33 – “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness,” Bible study, assembly, prayer methods
a. Paul lived by the faith of Jesus Christ (Gal 2:20)
1. The faith – same we earnestly contend for (Jude 3)
b. God will provide us the things we need (Mat 6:31)

New Testament Restoration

I. Introduction
A. Definitions
a. Restoration: an act of restoring or the state of being restored
b. Restore: to bring back into existence or use; to bring back to an original condition
B. Illustrations
a. Restore dilapidated building – one didn’t establish building
b. Mat. 12:13 “was restored whole” – doesn’t imply new state but former state

II. Why would the New Testament need restored?
A. Apostasy
a. Prophesied in New Testament
1. Mat. 7:15-20 – Jesus warns of false prophets (wolves in sheep’s clothing)
2. Mat. 24:11 – Jesus warns false prophets shall rise and deceive many
3. Acts 20:28-30 read
4. 2 Thes. 2:1-12 – Day of Christ will not come until a falling away comes first
5. 1 Tim. 4:1-3 – In the latter times some shall depart from the faith
6. 2 Peter 2:1-2 – false teachers shall bring damnable heresies, following their pernicious ways – when we follow doctrines of men, we are obeying a pestilent system not of God, which shall be rooted up (Mat. 15:13)
b. Occurred throughout centuries following church establishment
1. 185 – infant baptism
2. 251 – pouring
3. 325 – Nicene creed
4. 380 – state religion
5. 394 – Latin mass
6. 451 – Chalcedon creed
7. 593 – purgatory
8. 667 – instrumental music
9. 1063 – celibacy
10. 1248 – indulgences
11. 1311 – sprinkling
12. Change in church organization, designation, ordinance of baptism, worship, doctrine and practice
c. Occurred during reform era (1500s)
1. Martin Luther – studied Catholicism & discovered they didn’t follow scriptures
2. John Calvin
3. God’s word was virtually a sealed book & the priest-ridden people were kept in ignorance
4. Reformed RCC, producing denoms, not restoring the COC
d. Denominationalism is sinful
1. John 10:16 – Jesus’ sheep shall be of one fold
2. John 17:11, 21 – Jesus prayed His followers be one
3. 1 Cor. 1:10 – we are to speak the same thing, there are to be no divisions (denominations) but are to be perfectly joined in the same mind
4. Gal. 1:6-8 – we are to follow only the Bible, those that follow other doctrine are to be accursed
5. Eph. 4:4-5 – There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism
6. Phil. 1:27, 2:1-3 – stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; we are to be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind
7. Col. 1:18 – Jesus is the head of the body, the church

III. “Restoration” era
A. Men associated with time period
a. Thomas & Alexander Campbell
b. Barton Stone
c. Walter Scott
B. First widespread effort to restore COC
a. No church can trace its way back historically to Jerusalem 33 AD
b. Plenty of examples of COC congregations before “restoration age”
c. None of men above are responsible for establishment of COC
C. Mat. 16:18-19 tells us church = kingdom
a. Seed of kingdom = word of God (Luke 8:10-11)
b. What happens when seed planted? Acts 2:37-41
c. Word (seed) lives & abides forever (1 Peter 1:23-25)
1. Same word preached 2000 years ago can be preached today
2. Seeds of corn only produce corn – seed of kingdom can only produce kingdom, the COC
d. Soil must be right for planting (Mat. 13:3-9)
1. Heb. 1:1-2 Christ speaks today, will you hear?
e. When planting, we are not planting RC Catechism, Episcopal Prayer Book, Lutheran Catechism, Baptist Philadelphia Confession of Faith, Methodist Discipline, Presbyterian Confession of Faith, Book of Mormon or Science & Health – if not seeds, can these not be the Devil’s tares bent on choking the life out of the Lord’s truth and church?
D. Some are more loyal to “restoration age” than Christ
a. Alexander Campbell was a fallible man
1. Postmillennialist: “Just in so far as the

ABORTION

LINKS

HOME
Christian Courier
Truth for the World

My Favorite Products

Download AOL Instant Messenger