May elders make decisions the church must follow? Should members follow if elders lead into unauthorized activities? Should elders emphasize spiritual or physical work? May they oversee individual activities?
The gospel teaches that each local church should develop and appoint qualified men to serve as elders or bishops to oversee the local congregation (Acts 14:23). The purpose of this study is to consider the work these men should do and what work they should not do.
Are agnosticism and atheism just honest mistakes? What are the consequences of unbelief? How serious does God view people's failure to believe and obey Him?
Many people do not seem to seriously consider the consequences of believing in God versus disbelieving. Consider some quotations from agnostics: *
People often make future plans without considering their relationship with God. Consider a serious lesson about a man who failed to account for the uncertainty of the future, the brevity of life, and the need to plan according to God's will.
The following true story occurred June 8, 1971. Jerome Rodale was a health advocate who coined the term “organic.” On a late-night TV show, he said, “I’ve decided to live to be a hundred.” “I never felt better in my life!” And “I’m going to live to be 100…” Following his interview, he was seated on a couch when he suddenly slumped over. Doctors in the audience attempted unsuccessfully to revive him. He was declared dead on arrival at the hospital at age 72.
What does it take to grow up and become spiritually mature? Why do some Christians not grow as they should?View a related Video Bible Study at
https://biblestudylessons.substack.com/p/bible-principles-about-spiritual
Some people believe the Bible is not relevant today because it was written 2000 years ago. Others think we need to trace a history of religious organizations through the centuries to find the right church. What can seeds teach us about the power of Scripture?
Some people say Christians can believe in Darwinian evolution. What do the Freedom from Religion Foundation and other unbelievers say about the relationship between evolution and unbelief? Should schools and the government promote evolution but not creation?
Instead of heeding warnings, people often become angry and attack or reject the source of the warning. This is especially true in religion. People even ridicule or persecute those who show them their errors.
In 1938 a huge hurricane hit New England with winds of 200 MPH. 700 people died and 63,000 were left homeless. (The U.S. Weather Bureau was in its infancy then; no warning had been issued.) The following story is told about a man who lived on Long Island, New York:
On the morning of the disaster he had received [by mail] a barometer he had [ordered] … While unpacking it, he was irritated to see that the needle pointed to the place on the dial which read “Hurricanes and Tornadoes.” First he shook it and then he banged it against the wall, but the needle wouldn’t budge. Annoyed, he repacked it and drove to the post office to mail it back. While he was gone his house blew away. (via Words of Life, 12/20/1987)
The moral of the story is that you cannot eliminate the reality of danger by getting angry and even attacking the source that warns you.
Many people do not know the true God. Some do not want to know Him. Others think they know Him but only know facts about Him, or their conduct shows they do not really know Him. What does it mean to personally know God according to the Bible?
The Old Law had only animal offerings that could not completely remove guilt of sin. The gospel has the perfect sacrifice of Jesus' death on the cross.
Matthew 26:28 – For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
In instituting the Lord’s Supper, Jesus said we remember His blood shed for our forgiveness. I read an interesting comparison between this and the Old Law.
What work did God assign to local churches? Should they focus on spiritual work (teaching God's word, worship, and evangelism) or may they participate in recreation, entertainment, and social activities? What constitutes local church fellowship, edification, and good works?
How does a marriage license illustrate faith? Are we saved by faith only without obedience? Is baptism necessary to forgiveness? What about repentance and confession?
A news item from years ago read as follows:
“Court Clerk Everett Rains of Corbin, Kentucky, issued a marriage license to a young couple… Several days later he met the mother of the bride on the street. ‘Well, how did the marriage ceremony come out?’ Rains asked. ‘You should know,’ the woman said. ‘After all, you married them.’ Rains, taken aback, explained diplomatically he didn’t marry the couple when he issued the license. The honeymooning couple was brought back from Cincinnati, Ohio, and a preacher did what Rains hadn’t!” *
What’s the lesson?
Many think that believing in God, Christ, and the gospel is a “blind leap in the dark.” They say Christians cannot defend their faith with evidence but accept it blindly. Some who profess to be Christians would agree; they say we should simply accept the gospel without proof. What is the truth?
Consider what God’s word says about blindness vs. sight and light vs. darkness.
Gambling, including sports betting, has become a huge legal business. Does the fact it is legal make it moral? Should Christians participate? What does the Bible say?
Click here to read a more detailed study of gambling.
Fox Business was quoted as predicting that legal betting for the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament would reach more than $3 billion.* Years ago I worked in an office where office pools were regular events. Now sports gambling is legal and widely promoted.
Legal or not, why should God-fearing people avoid gambling?
A young lady described her prayer as low-key. Many people have low-key religion in worship, Bible study, devotion, and morality. Is this zealous religion or lukewarm religion?
A young woman once told our son-in-law that she and her boyfriend had fled from the police in a high-speed chase. She said she was praying for their safety, but it was a “low-key prayer.”
How do you define a “low-key prayer”? It sounds like prayer from someone with little commitment to God. They know they are wrong yet still hope God will help them in an emergency.
I suspect that many people are “low-key,” not just in prayer, but in religion in general, though they may not admit it as honestly as this young lady did. Consider some examples:
Some churches offer entertainment, recreation, social activities, banquets, parties, and other fun and games. This is the Social Gospel philosophy. Churches seek to help people spiritually by satisfying them physically. Is this the gospel of the New Testament?
I was recently handed a promotional advertisement that read as follows:
Da Vinci's painting of the Last Supper illustrates the power of sin to defile souls and the power of Jesus' blood to cleanse sin.
The following is reported as a true story: When Leonardo Da Vinci painted his picture of the Last Supper, he began by searching for a model for the face of Jesus. Finally he found a young man with a pure and noble face suitable for Jesus.
More than ten years later, the last face he needed was Judas: a face with the curse of sin, suitable for a traitor. Finally, he found a man in the most disreputable part of the city, but the man vigorously refused. When Da Vinci asked why, the man said, “Twelve years ago, I sat here in this very room. You copied my face on that wall to represent the face of Jesus, and now you want it to represent the face of Judas.” *
A few years of living in sin can change a person from the likeness of Jesus to that of Judas. This may not always be true in physical appearance, but it is definitely true spiritually.
If marijuana use is legal, does that make it moral? Does God accept use of recreational drugs? Does marijuana lead to use of stronger drugs? What does the Bible say?
I read the following some time ago from one who has experienced drug abuse:
I started getting high to be “in,” to go along with my friends. I immediately went down in school. Pot disrupts the memory banks in your brain … And pot DOES lead to the use of other drugs. People who get stoned get to where they don’t care about anything but getting high. And after a while pot just doesn’t get you high enough. I got kicked out … of school completely ‘cause I was always skipping out to get high. Finally I got kicked out of my parents’ house (after getting put in jail several times) because I became moody, restless, incommunicative and because I was out all hours of the day and night partying with my friends. I’ve been living on the streets supporting myself for a year. I’ve done every drug you can think of. I went through h--- getting off speed. Messed up my nose terribly on coke (and my arms) and three times I almost OD’ed on Acid. I’d been doing drugs for 3 years and I finally quit cold turkey a few months ago. I got some friends to talk to and I got a steady job. For the first time in 3 years I can think clearly and I’m really free. Drugs are a trap. … I’ve seen plenty of people die of overdoses. And I’ve seen several people murdered over dope deals. All of them, including me, started out just smoking an occasional joint on weekends “to go along with our friends.” I know I ruined my life. I once had a pretty bright future with a lot of opportunities. Now I work all day to stay alive. I’m 16. … - Young Once, March, 1980 (reprinted in Powerline, Vol. V, #9).
Should Christians be different from the world? What servants of God were non-conformists? What standard of conduct should we follow: the Bible or the world?
When I was young, I liked to visit an aunt and uncle who had songs I played on their record player. One of the songs was “I'm a Lonely Little Petunia in an Onion Patch.”
The Petunia was a pretty flower that smelled good, but it was surrounded by onions that are not pretty like flowers and do not smell good. The song illustrated a person who was completely different from the people around him.
In many ways, Christians are petunias in an onion patch. Consider some lessons we can learn.
Why do babies love singing even more than instrumental music? Why is singing important in worship? What does this show about creation?
From birth, every child loves to hear singing. Have you ever wondered why?
An article in a creationist magazine describes a study of MRI scans of the human brain. They determined there is a “unique area of the brain, which appears purpose-built to analyze singing” (not just to analyze sound or even music in general, but specifically vocal music).
“The results showed that ‘the response to sung music was substantially and significantly higher than the sum of the response to speech and instrumental music.’ … Research indicates that it’s a top-down ‘hard-wired’ capability…” given even to infants.*
To paraphrase, all people are born with a God-given ability to recognize, appreciate, and respond favorably to vocal music. From birth, not only can we distinguish singing from speaking and from instrumental music, but we give a “significantly higher” response to vocal music than to speech or to instrumental music.
Why is there so much disagreement, confusion, and division in religion? Even "Christian" denominations often disagree and contradict one another. Does Jesus approve of such division, or does He want religious unity?Click here to hear this material as a free mp3 audio recorded message.
Are you seeking spiritual guidance and direction in your life? Do you have serious questions about spiritual teaching and issues? This free study provides relevant Bible answers!
Christian doctrine offers true answers to questions such as: Does God exist? What is the purpose and meaning of life? What is the origin of the human race? Can we receive eternal life after death? How can we be forgiven of our sins and receive the favor and blessings of God?
This material is also available in print as part of our book on Bible Inspiration and Preservation. For more information, go to www .gospelway.com/sales/books.
Why should people be meek and humble? What problems are caused by pride, arrogance, ego, self-exaltation, haughtiness, and self-will?
Should you learn self-assertiveness, or should you learn not to be proud and haughty? What does the Bible teach about meekness, humility, gentleness, and lowliness in contrast to pride, selfishness, self-will, and arrogance?