The "One Another" Commandments

Rev Kev – Cornerstone Baptist – Sunday PM, March 27, 2011

1 John 5:1-5 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. ² By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. ³ For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. ⁴ For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. ⁵ Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Commandment [Gr. en-tol-ay'] = injunction, authoritative prescription, precept, principle, rule, guideline, law.

We have all heard of “The Ten Commandments” (Exodus 20).

We should also be familiar with “The Greatest Commandments” (Mark 12:28-33). And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? ²⁹ And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: ³⁰ And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. ³¹ And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. ³² And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: ³³ And to love him with all the heart, and with all the under-standing, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

I want us to examine “The One Another Commandments!”

1.    LOVE ONE ANOTHER. John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

John 15:17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.

Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

2.    SERVE ONE ANOTHER. Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

Ephesians 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

Matthew 20:25-28 Jesus said,.. whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

3.    BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER. Ephesians 4:32 Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Kind = good, pleasant, gracious.

4.    FORBEAR & FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER. Colossians 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Forbear = to hold up with endurance.  

Forgive = to bestow favor unconditionally.

5.    TEACH & ADMONISH ONE ANOTHER. Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Teaching = indoctrinating.

Admonishing = warning.

6.   COMFORT ONE ANOTHER. 1Thessalonians 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Comfort = to come along side of.  We are to participate in, and accompany one another in life’s journey. Our greatest friendships should be founded and fostered among those who are a part of the body of Christ (believers).

7.    EDIFY ONE ANOTHER. 1Thessalonians 5:11 Wherefore comfort your-selves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

Edify = to build a house. We are to encourage each other to be our very best for Christ.

1Peter 2:5 Ye also,.. are built up a spiritual house..

8.   CONFESS YOUR FAULTS TO & PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER. James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Confess = acknowledge openly and joyfully, to one's honour: to celebrate, give praise to, to profess that one will do something, to promise, agree, engage.

Fault = trespass, offence, sin. We are to make commitments and then keep them. Too many Christians are unwilling to make and keep commitments. This is a plague on our society in general.

The Boundary of Blood

Pastor Kevin Burden │Cornerstone Baptist Church │ Sunday AM, March 27^th, 2011

TEXT: 1 Samuel 17:1-11.

The title is taken from the text. Ephes-dammim is the name of the area in which the Philistines met the Israelites in battle. It means “Boundary of Blood.” It was named this because of the frequent battles fought there.

In our text, the Israelite's and the Philistines are once again at war. The Philistines are presented throughout Scripture as . . .

·        Permanently at war with Israel.

·        A cruel people who never lost the will to fight – for very long.

·        Always quick to invade Israel at the slightest sign of weakness.

The Philistines represent all things that Obstruct, Oppose and Oppress the people of God.

In our world we experience continual…

·        Conflicts of morality (abortion, homosexuality, porn, addiction, etc…)

·        Battles for truth (creation, science, philosophy, politics, labor)

·        Struggle for the souls of lost humanity.

I believe the “Philistine mentality” existent then – is entrenched in today’s culture.

·        They promote violence and pervert morals.

·        They have God's people cringing in fear far away from the battle front.

·        The Philistines have managed to attract once stalwart segments of Christianity into their snare of defeat.

Today, I want us to understand how modern Philistines operate by exploring “The Boundary of Blood.” The battle is set in array; the enemy is taunting.  

Let’s begin by considering…

^#1.  THE CAMP OF THE ENEMY:  Please notice the...

Philistine Encroachment (v 1): The Philistines were gathered at Shochoh, which belonged to Judah. Shochoh = defense. They were occupying that which belonged to the people of God. Let me point out a couple of unsettling truths…

1.     The enemy can only occupy what we yield or fail to defend. Historically, the Philistines took what Israel gave up through Neglect, Disobedience and Compromise. We are doing the same TODAY!

James 4:4, 7 Know ye not that friendship with the world is enmity with God? ...Resist the Devil and he will flee from you.

Ephesians 4:27 Neither give place to the Devil.

Romans 6:12-13 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin.

2.    This Philistine occupation could have been prevented.

·        What was needed was one who would claim God's promises and confront the enemy in God's power. Ezek 22:29-30 The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. ³⁰ And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

·        God is looking for men, women, committed teenagers who will stand in His strength and confront the enemy. 1 Cor 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Point of Engagement (v 2-3): And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah [oak, curse, perjury], and set the battle in array against the Philistines. ³ And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.

The valley is broad and open.  Running down the middle is a steep deep ravine. The sides of the ravine are nearly vertical. It forms a natural barrier that can only be breached in a few places. As the armies faced each other, they knew exactly where the conflict would take place. As a result the points of conflict were clearly defined.

·        The points of conflict are clearly defined today. Some of those points are…

1.     Who will define the family? Are we going to accept the Biblical definition of marriage as one man and one woman for life?

2.    Who will define human sexuality? Homosexuality, pedophilia, bestiality, necrophilia. 

3.     Who will define morality? TV Ceo’s? Hollywood? Secular Psychologists? 

4.    Who will define the ethics of healthcare? Euthanasia, asst. suicide, abortion.

5.     Who will define the values of our educational system?

6.    Who will define the direction of our system of government?

The Philistines still exist and are taunting us at Ephes-dammim.

^#2. THE CHAMPION OF THE ENEMY:

His Appearance (v 4). And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

·        He is not the product of an over-zealous scribe. When the Bible says his height 9 feet. He was bigger than any single man in Saul's Army. We would be foolish to underestimate the threat he posed.

His Armor (v 5-7): And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. ⁶ And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. ⁷ And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.

·        The shaft of his spear was a 4 x 4, his spear tip weighed 15 pounds. Protecting his upper body, a coat of mail weighing 125 pounds. On his head was a helmet of brass; and brass "chaps" protected his legs. Goliath represented all the might of the enemy, and he looked invincible.

The Philistines are always going to meet us with things that are bigger than we are. It is only natural that we ask ourselves how we can possibly win against such giants.

We must remember, God anticipated these battles. He knew there would be times when we could not match our enemies in size or strength (Deut 20:1, 4│Eph 6:10-18).

^#3. THE CONCEIT OF THE ENEMY: 

Distinction (v 8a). Am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul.

·        They recognized there is a difference between us.

Declaration (v 8b-9). …choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. ⁹ If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.

·        This is what the battle is all about. Our enemy wants to bring us into bondage; to make us servants of its agenda, to conform us to its image, to bring us into bondage to secular values and worldly principles.

Defiance (v 10).  And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.

·        Have you noticed how the media laughs off the threat of Christianity? They parade their giants of humanism, evolution, socialism, sexual perversion.

·        They defy us to impede their progress. They have labeled us "socially irrelevant." They are defying us to make a difference.

CONCLUSION: DO NOT BE DISMAYED! (v 11). “When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.”

·        This is a sad note on which to end a message, but Saul’s entire army was rendered powerless by the sight of a solitary Giant.

·        They were crippled by fear when they should have been triumphing in faith. They saw only the size of the Giant, and forgot the size of their God.

Thankfully the story doesn’t end here: 1 Samuel 17:37 David said moreover, “The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee…” ⁴⁰ And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine… ⁴⁹ And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

Let's forget about the larger issues of life and talk about your life.

·        Is there a part of your life the Philistines control?

·        If there is, will you let them continue to set up camp in your life and obstruct God’s purpose for you?

Four things in Hell that ought to be in church

Cornerstone Baptist Church, Sunday PM, 02/27/2011

TEXT: Luke 16:19-31

You don’t hear much preaching on Hell anymore.  We’d much rather hear a message about Heaven.  

Isaiah 30:10 says, “Speak unto us smooth things.” 

2 Timothy 4:3-4 “The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;...”

Hell is a real place! It is described in the Bible as, a place beneath the earth were wicked persons, fallen angels and Satan himself will ultimately spend eternity (Rev 20:10-15).

Jesus says Hell was created as a place of eternal confinement for Satan and his horde of fallen angels.

Matthew 25:41 “Then shall he say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Isaiah 5:14 says, “Hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.”

• Hell is a place of torment! Luke 16:24 said, “I am tormented in this flame.
• Hell is a place of weeping, wailing & gnashing of teeth (Luke 13:28).
• Hell is a place of darkness!

Why does Hell exist? It exists because God is Holy, Just and Righteous, and as such – He must punish sin.

Jesus spoke about Hell more often than He did Heaven!

If it were possible to look into hell we would see many terrible things.

Rev 21:8 “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. ⁸ But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abomin-able, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

• We’d also find many good and upstanding people like the rich man.
• People do not go to hell because they are sinners; they go to hell because they reject God’s plan of salvation.

It is possible for us to look into Hell! In Luke 16 I have found some very unexpected things.

I our text I have found “Four things in Hell that belong in Church!”

^#1. UPLIFTED EYES (v 23). “In hell he lift up his eyes.”

We should look to the Saviour…

• For Sacrifice – The place of sacrifice (Genesis 22:4). The sacrifice (v 13).
• For Salvation – Isaiah 45:22 “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”
• For Service – Psalm 123:1-2 “Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.”
• For Sowing – John 4:35 “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”
• For our Savior – Philippians 3:20 “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:”

^#2. TEARS (v 24). “And he cried.”

Common reasons for tears…

• There was a time when tears were common in the church!
• We find time to weep over many things – Movies, Novels, Soup Operas…
• Things worthy of tears – War, Death, Famine, Natural disasters etc...

Eccl 3:4 “There is time to weep,.. a time to mourn.”

We Should Weep For…

• The Lost
• The backslider
• For joy when someone is saved or restored.

^#3. PRAYER (v 27).  “I pray thee therefore father.”

·         Prayer is communication with God! Daily answer to prayer is suppose to be typical.

Luke 18:1 Jesus “Spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”

1 Thessalonians 1:17 “Pray without ceasing.”

Philippians 4:6 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

1 Timothy 2:1 “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;”

2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

^#4. CONCERN FOR THE LOST (v 27-31). “Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: ²⁸ For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. ²⁹ Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. ³⁰ And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. ³¹ And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”