“Wish I Could Have Been Abraham!” — Really?

Posted by David on January 17, 2010 under Bulletin Articles

Abraham performed some of the most astounding acts of obedience that occurred in scripture! Yet, scripture does not use Abraham as an outstanding example of obedience, but as an exceptional example of faith.

“Oh, I wish I could be Abraham!” Really? “Yes!” Do you mean you wish you had what Abraham had materially, or do you mean you wish you could develop the faith that led Abraham to do what he did?

Do you mean you wish you could leave your homeland and your family, recover from mistakes, make huge material sacrifices for a self-centered nephew, tell your son (Ishmael) good-bye, knowingly be prepared to kill your son whom God promised (Isaac), and have serious conflict with your spouse?

Abraham had an astounding faith in God which resulted in astounding obedience. However, without that remarkable faith there could not have been the remarkable obedience. Because he had that faith, he simply did what naturally expressed his trust in God. His faith demonstrated itself through his obedience. As James said:
“You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected (completed) …” James 2:22, NASV

Walking with God in genuine trust commonly requires great costs. Spiritual maturity is neither simple nor easy. No matter what we do as Christians, salvation always will be a product of God’s mercy and grace. Never will it be a matter of what we have done for God, but what God did for us in Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Grace for All Ages

Posted by Chris on January 10, 2010 under Sermons

You must teach what is clearly healthy teaching. Teach the older men to always be thoughtful, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and healthy in faith, in love and in patience. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach by setting a good example. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be responsible with matters in the home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will criticize the word of God.

“Dear Titus …”

• Paul released from prison (63 A.D.). Visits mission sites.
• Later writes to Titus who is on Crete.

Why did Paul Write?

• 1:5 – Two Things Titus should be doing. The reason Titus was left on Crete
• 1:10-16 – Troublemakers on Crete
• 3:12-15 – Titus has “until winter.” Then he must leave. Limited Time!

What will become of the church on Crete? Who will lead them?

Sound Doctrine = Healthy Teaching.

What is the function of elders? Character and virtues are listed, but why are these mentioned? Consider the function and role of elders/bishops/shepherds – they teach us how to live. It is incarnational.

I remember my Grandma Curtis …

– Zatha Mae Blumenberg from MN. Moved to WF as a teen. She was Cuckoo Grandma. Because of the clock. Her little house with little rooms on a corner of two little streets. The little kitchen, so narrow. It was like an afterthought and there was a step down into it.
– PB cookies in the glass decanter with the fork marks on top. Tab Soda beneath the sink. She had an old phone on the sitting room desk, and a little metal calendar that the date changed when you flipped it over. In the back yard was the little seat for the frogs. And the Cuckoo clock. To see the bird come out was a big event.
– The quilting bee. Saved fabric scraps. All were there – aunts, cousins, mom.
– A strong woman in difficult times. Depression – the grape foam, the water that had been saved. Family crises – she was an anchor. Her own father deserted her and her family. She was the heart of her own family – this little woman with German parents. She was a poet. Her boys were overseas in the war and she expressed her fears and feelings in a poem my mom has. My mother admired her.
– She gave every granddaughter a quilt that she had made in the last two years of her life. Things in her modest little house were labeled for after her death. She knew there would be arguing over her things, but she refused to let it tear her family up.
– My first hospital visit. She was dying. She convinced me everything was okay. As though she were not sick. She was “reverent in the way she lived,” even as she died.

These people were teachers, but also lessons. Older men and women who modeled healthy, godly teaching for the younger men and women they knew.

Living Curriculum:
– Paul’s advice to Timothy on Crete: Forget the debates, don’t get anxious and worried.
– Don’t suppose that you have to have better, snappier curriculum than your opponents. Develop a living curriculum!

1. Older men who model the healthy teaching
2. Older women who model the healthy teaching and are not given to vices that create stereotypes.
3. These will mold and shape the generation of younger men and women.
4. You also, set a good example for them all, but especially the younger men.
5. Everyone, even the household servant, ought to live out the grace of God in healthy, holy ways – and the Way of God will be catch people’s attention

Grace for All Ages, Genders, Classes:
– Why? Why do it like this? Wouldn’t it be better to develop a formula for salvation? Wouldn’t it be reasonable to create a code of behavior? [It’s interesting that one of the earliest extra-biblical documents, the Didache, is not canonized]
– We are not called to be rule-keepers. We are called “to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in this present age.” (2:12)
– Lists of rules can change from generation to generation. They change with styles and cultures. They are not absolute. Smoking has been taboo in the south, but you say not a word against it in Kentucky churches! As a teen I heard sermons and lessons against dancing, but these lessons were written for a generation before me. Lessons spoke of “what dancing led to” – and I often pointed out that there’s no more “leading to.” My generation skipped dancing and started with “the what it leads to.”
– Rules and lessons can become outdated or inappropriate in some circumstances – but self-control, righteousness, and godliness are always appropriate!
– Why? Because they spring from the transforming message of the gospel of Christ. His sacrifice and his expected return (Read 2:11-14)
– Whether we are young or not so young, whether we are men or women, whether we are rich and independent or poor and indebted. No exceptions! All of us are called to demonstrate the power of God to change lives in ways that fit our role and situation.
– That takes more than rules it takes character. And the gospel of Grace, the healthy teaching, produces healthy lives.

Who’s the Living Lesson that you remember. Who’s the Living Lesson you see?

1. Look at them and ask, how does the grace of God makes them “zealous for good works?”
   – Older men, older women – don’t retire from faith! Serve us!
   – Younger women, learn from the older women – learn to love your family!
   – Younger men, let’s be wise, let’s start living for more than just looking forward to cashing in our investments!
2. Then ask, how does it train me to be like them. How can I follow them as they follow Christ?
3. Let God shape you into a living lesson for this present age.

First Things First

Posted by Chris on under Sermons

Intro: “Start your new year right. Get a turkey for $26.95.” I didn’t know that a good start to a new year was as simple as an affordable turkey. I didn’t know it was that easy. But I believe that an affordable turkey, as good and as tasty as that may be, just isn’t the universal key to starting off the year right. Surely there are some things that are more important.

In the opening weeks of 2010, you and I are going to be presented with options and offers that will start our year out right. It may be any number of things focused on our health, our weight, our mental attitude, our relationships, our finances, our entertainment. Many of these will be fine offers and generally good. They may connect to some important things in our life, but some of them are just turkeys, because they are not really the “First Things” that matter the most.

What is the secret to understanding what is first? It seems like the urgent or the prominent push aside the important. Jesus was once asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” It was a test, and not a bad one. His answer would reveal what he consider to be of first importance:

Matthew 22:34-40 – Two greatest commandments: God and Others. Deuteronomy 6 and Leviticus 19
It really is this simple to identify the first things. Putting the first things first however, can be more challenging …

1. The Challenge of Balance – The call to love God is total. Love God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind. There is no part of who we are that is left out. In fact, our social network is included. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves. So even in our relationships with others at every level, we are to love.
   • We can become unbalanced and that keeps us from putting first things first:
   • Suppose I give my whole heart to God and my soul seeks to magnify him. I may really do that and yet if I have not put first things first in my mind I may give in to worry and self-doubt or depression.
   • Suppose I give my mind to reflecting on God and I meditate daily on his teachings and spend time in prayer. I may really do that but if in my heart I have not put first things first, then my emotions and my passions may be my own rather than God’s.
   • Suppose that in my heart and mind both, and even in my soul, God and the things of God are first, but my strength – my time, energy, and resources, are not sold out to God. I am unbalanced in putting first things first.
   • Here’s the good news – God is one, and he can balance us and we can be one in putting first things first.
2. The Challenge of the Urgent – The greatest commandment begins with a call to listen. We are distracted by many things. The urgent things in our world demand our attention. They are not bad things, they may even be very good things, but are they FIRST THINGS?
   • When Jesus instructs us to love the Lord our God with all of heart, soul, strength, and mind I do not see much mention of stuff.
   • This is the most difficult time to focus on resolutions and new beginnings because the urgent wants us to look back. We have to go back through receipts from 2009, we will spend hours, maybe days and weeks just trying to wrap up last year and then we will find that this year is nearly a quarter gone!
   • Urgent things may or may not be important. They may be idle, worthless, or ensnaring distractions. Or they may be important things that are indeed vital, but they should not be first.
   • There are urgent things that do matter – Our finances, our work, our health to name some of the most common. Notice that these are not specifically mentioned – rather all that is mentioned is our heart, soul, strength, and mind.
   • We ought to give thanks for our means and be faithful in how we use our wealth no matter how much or how little we have. But it is not a first thing. If we put it first, God will not follow it, but it will follow God.
   • We ought to give thanks for our work if we have work to do – employed or not. We can seek out work, change careers, but this is not a first thing. If we put it first, God will not follow it, but it will follow God.
   • We ought to give thanks for our health, however much we have. We ought to pray if we are sick. We love God with all of our strength, but the commandment never promises how much we will have. If we put health first, God will not follow it, but it will follow God.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:33-34

Putting Second Things Second …
The second greatest commandment is like the first: Love your neighbor as yourself. Our family, friends, church, can be a source of great strength, but they can also be the center of distress. We still have to put first things first. We can love others in ways that may seem right, but they can be unhealthy. If we love God first, then we begin to regard others as God does. We notice them as men and women made in his image. His children that he loves. It allows us to see how we might love others appropriately and how we might be loved by others.

A truthful community that strives to put God first is vital to putting God first. If we do put first things first, then second things will be put second – not third and fourth. I can love God with all my heart soul strength and mind, but that teaches me to love others.

You cannot master this in a 20 minute time frame. This is the beginning of a journey. Who travels with you?01.10.10 is a good day to put first things first. Just as 01.11.10 will be and so will 10.10.10. Or any other day at all, because if the First Things are First in our life, all the other things follow – I didn’t say that would just magically be taken care of, I mean that they will follow.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:33-34

No Condemnation – Seriously!

Posted by Chris on January 3, 2010 under Sermons

(Reference comics and editorials about 2009 ending.)

I feel as though 2009 has been condemned. Like a broken down building with a huge warning sign on it. Like a cabinet of tainted food. Condemned.

It’s ironic that the media should condemn 2009. They were the chroniclers of the so-called disaster and seemed to emphasis the severity of problems. Odd now that they should look back with such condemnation.

Was this year really more horrible than previous years? For some it may have been. For others, maybe not. Economically we’ve been better, but it wasn’t as if we all should have been surprised by it. You have to pay the piper. But economics isn’t everything.

For our congregation, there have been blessings. [We have added to the staff – Youth Minister, Children’s Minister, Interns: These are signs of healthy growth. 15 families, that’s 43 people – placed membership, 11 baptisms – thank God for this.] And yet, we’ve had our challenges too. But to jump to condemnation of the whole year because of challenges and troubles? Why would we do this?

It reminds me of the old story about a man who ran a filling station at the edge of town. People moving into that town would ask the man, “We’re settling into the city. Can you tell us what it is like?” And the man would reply, “Moving eh? Moving from where? What was it like where you came from?” And to those people who said, “We are coming from one of the worst cities. Unfriendly, rude people live there. Everything about the city is so frustrating. Nothing ever goes right. The leadership of the city are inept.” The man would reply, “Yeah, well that’s pretty much what you are going to find in this city ahead of you.” And to those people who said, “We are coming from one of the best cities. Friendly, decent people live there. There’s always something good going on. The leadership of the city is hard working, not perfect, but they have good hearts.” The man would reply to them, “Yeah, well that’s pretty much what you are going to find in this city ahead of you.”

I wonder how those who have condemned the year past can really have a sense of hope about the coming year. One writer said, “It can’t get worse.” Well, I don’t think he’s trying hard enough.

What 2010 will be for you, what it will be for us, will depend on what we do with the spirit of condemnation. What we do with condemnation all depends on whether or not we are in Christ.

Read Romans 8:1.

Can I say again what this text says so plainly: “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” I need to say this again, we need to speak it to one another because as soon as I say this, some of you will say to yourselves, some of you will hear from others, or some spirit of guilt and cynicism will say, “Well that’s all true, but then there’s this …” We will make some exception: No condemnation – except me. We have been set free in Christ, but we return to being shackled and enslaved. That’s the spirit of condemnation and guilt. That’s the voice and the work of the accuser.

Some resist this pronouncement of God’s graciousness and freedom. The concern is that people will take advantage of it and do whatever they want. We cannot control people, and the solution is never to limit God’s grace.

God did not set us free just so we could do whatever we want. He freed us from sin and condemnation because sin is not our master. And yet, there’s another way that we run back into slavery. We worry that God’s grace isn’t enough. We shackle ourselves to sin through our worry, our regret, and our failures. We keep digging up the past and trying to resurrect what God has put to death. Instead of living like saved people we worry whether we are saved.

We need to hear and proclaim that there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus because the enemy is tricky. The enemy will accept slavery on any terms. If our self-indulgence and self-gratification enslaves us, that’s fine with the enemy. If our self-doubt and self-incrimination enslaves us, then that’s fine with the enemy. You will find that the enemy accepts any terms that lead to our condemnation.

But there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ! Are you in Christ? Then you are not condemned. Your time, your gifts, your life is not condemned. It is redeemed. If we are in Christ Jesus, then our fellowship, our congregation is not condemned – and there should not be condemnation if the spirit of Jesus rules. Rather we live and sing the song of the redeemed.

So What?

1. Stop carrying the old junk around. Accept the new life God gives you.
2. Put First Things First. (More on that next week.)

Good Intentions, Temporary Resolve, or Commitment?

Posted by David on under Bulletin Articles

It is amazing that there is once a year when “sensitive” subjects are magically, if briefly, “good ideas.” Consider an example. A “meddling ole doctor” suggests we need to seriously consider losing weight (what does that doctor know, anyway?). A nosey spouse suggests it might be a good idea if “we both stopped eating so much sugar” (something sweet tastes mighty good after a meal!). A well-meaning nutritionist who never ate anything good in her life suggests our family needs to cut down on our fat intake (she never once ate good fried catfish and hush puppies!). Then, suddenly, losing weight is a great idea from December 26 to 4 PM on December 31. For those few days eating too much food, reducing sugar, and reducing fat are good ideas openly discussed instead of sensitive subjects never to be mentioned. After all, it is great to dream about weighing 20 to 50 pounds less-just imagine what I could wear! However, “good-intention” dreaming and “determined commitment” are entirely different subjects!

Consider a much more serious matter than the problem of being overweight. Consider spiritual existence. What God does for each of us in Jesus Christ defies human imagination! That God could forgive all a person’s sins-from the worst to the most common, that He could respond to our flaws with “closed eyes”-from our most glaring to our “best kept secret,” that He could justify the inexcusable-if those in Christ repent, and that He could sustain hope with mercy and grace for a lifetime is beyond imagination.

And how shall we repay Him? By never making another mistake? By pulling out our wallet? By never being needy again? We must be kidding! We do the “faith” thing! We say, “Thank you!” We show our genuine gratitude by being responsible in who we become in Christ Jesus and by refusing to stop spiritual growth. Who we are and where we go does not matter, as long as it makes us more like Jesus.

With you, is that a good intention or a firm commitment?

The Undenominational Church

Posted by Michael on January 1, 2010 under Articles

A “denomination” signifies a division or a segment.
“Denominationalism” means devotion to denominational principles or interests.
All the religious denominations of our day were established by men, hundreds of years after Jesus Christ established His church in Jerusalem on Pentecost, about 33 A.D. (Acts 2).

We claim that the modern-day “church of Christ” is NOT a denomination.
Please consider with us why this claim is made.

DENOMINATIONALISM IS WRONG
Christ established but ONE church (Matt. 16:18, Acts 20:28, Col. 1:24, Eph. 4:4).
Christ is not divided. The apostle Paul said that religious division is wrong (I Cor. 1:10-13).
Jesus prayed for the unity of all believers (John 17:20-21). Our Lord did not work against His own prayer for unity by establishing conflicting and contradictory denominations.
Denominationalism retards the salvation of lost souls (John 17:21). Denominationalism breeds skepticism and doubt. Different doctrines cause many to lose respect for the Scriptures.

IN APOSTOLIC TIMES CHRISTIANS BELONGED TO NO DENOMINATION
Christians were members of the universal church for which Christ died.
When one accepts Christ, there is no need to accept anything else (Col. 2:9-10). When you accept Christ only, you become a “Christian,” a disciple of Christ. Others in any place who do the same thing will be, like us, Christians only.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE UNDENOMINATIONAL CHURCH

1. It has no denominational founder.
“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it,” said Jesus (Matt. 16:18).

2. It has no denominational head.
“And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Col. 1:18).
Christ is the Sovereign Head of the church.
The undenominational church does not recognize any human head or headquarters.

3. It has no denominational creed.
We have no creed but Christ. “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” is our confession of faith (Matt. 16:16, Acts 8:37).
We have no book of discipline or rule of faith. We practice only the Scriptures. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (II Tim. 3:16).

God’s Word is sufficient to cover every problem of congregational organization and activity.
THEREFORE, HUMAN CREEDS ARE UNNECESSARY.
“As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (II Peter 1:3).

4. It has no denominational name.
The church of the New Testament was known as:

"The church"             (Eph. 3:10, Col. 1:24)
"The church of God"      (I Cor. 1:2, I Tim. 3:15)
"The body of Christ"     (I Cor. 12:27, Eph. 4:12)
"The church of the Lord" (Acts 20:28)
"The church of Christ"   (Matt. 16:18, Rom. 16:16)

The individual members of the church were known as:

"Disciples"       (Acts 11:26)
"Christians"      (Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, I Pet. 4:16)
"Saints"          (Rom. 1:7, Phil. 1:1, Col. 1:2)
"Brethren"        (Col. 1:2, James 1:2)
"Children of God" (Gal. 3:26, I John 3:1)
"Priests"         (I Pet. 2:5, Rev. 1:6)

5. It has no denominational organization.
There is no ecclesiastical organization, no popes, no cardinals, no archbishops, no church councils or conventions.
Each congregation of the Church of Christ is independent, under the authority of Christ as revealed in the New Testament. We have a plurality of qualified elders (Acts 14:23), just as was found in the first century church.

6. It has no denominational worship.
We have no denominational rites or ceremonies. We seek to worship “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24), following the pattern of the first century church.
Each Lord’s day worship consists of:

Lord's Supper       (Acts 20:7)
Contribution        (I Cor. 16:2)
A cappella Singing  (Eph. 5:19)
Praying             (Luke 18:1)
Preaching           (II Tim. 4:2)

7. It has no denominational requirements for membership.
We ask people to do only what men and women in the New Testament were commanded to do:

Hear and understand God's Word    (Acts 8:30-31)
Believe                           (Acts 8:37)
Repent                            (Acts 17:30)
Confess                           (Acts 8:37)
Be baptized for remission of sins (Acts 2:38)

After obeying the gospel, TO WHAT DENOMINATION DID THE FIRST CENTURY CHRISTIANS BELONG?
Catholicism had its beginning in the 7th century.
Protestantism had its beginning in the 16th century.
New Testament Christians belonged simply to the undenominational church.

THE CURE FOR DENOMINATIONALISM
We must have an unreserved commitment to the Bible as the sole, objective standard in religion. Unity can exist only when there is allegiance to a single objective religious authority. When all men will lay down their creeds, disciplines, manuals, confessions of faith, catechisms, think-so’s, maybe’s, and subjective feelings, and with an unprejudiced and receptive heart turn to the Word of God, then, and ONLY then, will unity result. We must be committed to being nothing, calling ourselves nothing, obeying nothing, and saying nothing except that which is authorized by the Word of God.

CONCLUSION
Surely, it is possible to occupy an undenominational position. It is our plea for all to abandon the things that divide those who profess to be Christians, and occupy, with us, this undenominational ground.

If we preach ONLY the gospel, it will produce in our day the one, true New Testament church that it produced in the days of the apostles, when no denominations existed.

“YOUR CHURCH AND MINE“

Consider:

God rewards those who obey Him.

Could Abel offer the sacrifice of his choice?

Could Noah use the wood of his choice?

Could Moses build a tabernacle of his choice?

Can we be saved by the blood of our choice?

Can we believe the gospel of our choice?

Can we attend the church of our choice?

“Worship”

Posted by Michael on under Articles

“You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.“ — Matthew 4:10

The following text does not constitute any kind of an authority or creed for settling questions or disputes.
Rather, look to the Bible and allow God to speak the final word. To worship anything or anyone besides the one God, our Father in Heaven, would obviously be wrong.

Please consider these two important questions:

1. Is it possible to offer sincere, but unacceptable, worship to God?
2. What does the Bible tell us about how to worship?

Early in the Bible we learn that men worshipped God with sacrifice. Cain brought an offering for which God had no regard or respect (Gen. 4:5). King Saul unlawfully offered a sacrifice in I Samuel 13. Later, he was told that “to obey is better than sacrifice” (I Sam. 15:22). God had given instructions about how He was to be worshipped. He was pleased only with those people who did “all” that was commanded (Josh. 1:7, I Kings 11:38, Jer. 7:23).
Jesus talked about how God did not accept the prayers of the Pharisees (Matt. 6:5, Luke 18:10-14).

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and truth” (John 4:24). The opposite of true worship is vain worship. Any worship not ordained by God is vain worship because it originates with man.
“And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:9).
Our only assurance of practicing acceptable Christian worship is to disregard man-made creeds and turn to God’s Word as our only authoritative guide to worship. The early church “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). If we pattern our worship after the instructions given to the first century church, we can be confident that God will approve of our worship in the twenty-first century.

CHRISTIAN WORSHIP
Men under the Law of Moses were to worship God on the Sabbath, Saturday (Ex. 20:8). In the New Testament we find that the church assembled on the first day of the week, Sunday, to worship God (Acts 20:7, I Cor. 16:2).
Christians have been instructed not to neglect assembling together because this is also an important time for fellowship and encouragement (Heb. 10:25).
In regards to the worship service, the apostle Paul said, “Let all things be done decently and in order” (I Cor. 14:40).

PRAYER
After Christ established His church, the Bible contains no record of anyone being told to pray until after they obeyed the gospel and became Christians. Prayer is a privilege for those in the church, rather than a means of entrance into it.
Prayer is the means by which we communicate with God (Phil. 4:6). God communicates with us through His written Word (Heb. 1:1-2). Prayer is a daily essential in the personal life of every Christian (I Thes. 5:17). Prayer also plays a prominent role in worship assemblies (Acts 12:5, 12).

Christians are instructed to pray for:

1. FORGIVENESS for day to day sins which are committed through ignorance, weakness, or negligence (Acts 8:18-24, I John 1:9).
2. ADORATION and PRAISE of God (Matt. 6:9).
3. THANKSGIVING for all God’s innumerable blessings (Eph. 5:20).
4. WISDOM for better understanding (James 1:5).
5. OTHERS, including Christians (Eph. 6:18), rulers (I Tim. 2:1-2), and even our enemies (Matt. 5:44).
6. DELIVERANCE FROM TEMPTATION. God allows us to be tempted (Matt. 26:41), but He does not tempt us (James 1:13, I Cor. 10:13).
7. UNITY of all who believe in God (John 17:20-21).
8. PERSONAL NEEDS in our daily living (Matt. 6:11).

When we pray in faith and according to God’s will, He will hear us and will answer our prayers (Matt. 7:7-11, Matt. 21:22, I John 5:14).
Jesus Christ is the one mediator between God and man (I Tim. 2:5). We do not need to pray through any other person, whether saint, prophet, or priest. We pray to our Father in Heaven “in Jesus’ name,” through the One that God has appointed (Heb. 4:14-16, Col. 3:17, John 14:6, 14).

SINGING
We know that Jesus and the apostles sang hymns (Matt. 26:30, Acts 16:25).
Christians are instructed to sing to one another and to the Lord. We are to sing “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Eph. 5:19). No Christian is excused from this command, whether a talented singer or not (Psm. 100:1-2).

Singing serves two purposes:

1. Just as we are to praise God in prayer, we are also to praise Him with our singing (Psm. 66:1-2). It is a medium of expressing our cheerfulness to God (James 5:13).
2. Our singing is to teach and give friendly earnest encouragement (admonishment) to fellow Christians (Col. 3:16).

A choir cannot serve as substitutes for the command that ALL Christians are to sing. Therefore, a choir serves no purpose, being merely an addition by man to God’s plan for worship. The New Testament has no references to church choirs, since they were not introduced until centuries after the days of the apostles. The music of congregational singing in the first century church was vocal only. “A cappella,” which means singing without instrumental accompaniment, comes from Latin for “at church.” Though we find musical instruments mentioned in the Old Testament, there is not a single New Testament reference to anything but vocal music in worship. Historical sources indicate that instrumental music did not appear in worship until about the sixth century.

Since mechanical instruments of music cannot speak, teach, or admonish (Eph. 5:19, Col. 3:16), they do not accomplish anything God wishes when we sing in worship. We should not permit the use of instrumental music as a form of worship, because this practice was not found in the early church nor has it been authorized by God. Unless we pattern our worship after the instructions given to the first century church, we can have no assurance that God approves of our worship.

GIVING
“It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Christians in the first century were commanded to contribute to the church every Sunday (I Cor. 16:2). All things belong to the Lord (Psm. 24:1). As God has prospered us, we are to return a portion of our wealth to Him for the work of the church. (I Cor. 16:1-2). God showed us how to give by the sacrifice of His Son (John 3:16).

While men were to tithe (give 10%) under the Law of Moses, the early Christians were expected to give liberally and sacrificially without any mention of a specific percentage (II Cor. 8:1-5). We are to give willingly and cheerfully (II Cor. 9:7). When we give we will be blessed by God (Luke 6:38). The money collected is to be used wisely to help the needy and to spread the gospel (Acts 2:45, Rom. 10:14-15, I Cor. 9:14).

COMMUNION
Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper on the night before His crucifixion (Matt. 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:17-20, I Cor. 11:23-26).
The Lord’s Supper is the Christian’s memorial of what it cost God to deliver him from the slavery of sin. As Christians remember Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross they become conscious of their past need (they were sinners without hope), and their present responsibility (to live a life of purity and devotion to God).
To partake in a worthy manner, each participant is to examine his life in light of the terms of the New Testament (I Cor. 11:27-29). When observed in a worthy manner, the Christian leaves the Lord’s Supper with renewed spiritual strength gained by (1) his reflection on why Jesus had to die and by (2) his renewed determination to live out the terms of the New Covenant.
The Lord’s Supper is made up of two elements — the bread and the cup (I Cor. 11:26).
The unleavened bread is symbolic of Christ’s body (Luke 22:19). The bread is without leaven (yeast), even as Christ is without corruption or sin (Heb. 7:26).
The cup or the “fruit of the vine” is symbolic of Christ’s shed blood (Matt. 26:28). The word “wine” is never used in the Bible to refer to the Lord’s Supper.

Christians in the first century observed the Lord’s Supper on a weekly basis (Acts 20:7).
The Lord’s Supper is a memorial of the Lord’s death, and is to be observed by every Christian, only on the Lord’s day (every Sunday) — the day Jesus arose from the dead.

PREACHING
Public reading of scripture, preaching, and teaching were part of the worship service in the first century (I Tim. 4:13, Acts 20:7). These things were not limited to Sunday. Preaching was limited to male speakers (I Cor. 14:34).
The only kind of preaching that pleases God is preaching the things He bids us to preach (Jonah 3:2). The apostles and other first century preachers were only concerned with pleasing God, not men (Acts 4:19-20, Gal. 1:10, I Thess. 2:4).

The attitude of preachers today should be patterned from the example of New Testament preachers. They diligently studied the Word of God. (I Tim. 4:13, II Tim. 2:15) They used references from the Bible to support their preaching. (Acts 2:16, 25, 34; Acts 7; Acts 8:35; Acts 18:28). They believed the Scriptures alone were sufficient (II Tim. 3:16-17, I Cor. 4:6). They condemned the creeds and doctrines of men (Gal. 1:6-9, I Tim. 1:6-7, I Tim. 4:1-3, II Tim. 2:16-18, II Tim. 3:5-9, Titus 1:9-11).
The power of their preaching was derived from the Scriptures.

Jesus clearly condemned the use of religious titles (Matt. 23:8-12). One does not earn a high place before God by appropriating an impressive religious title. In God’s sight the greatest person is the most faithful servant, not one who has assumed an elevated position (Matt. 20:25-28).
According to the Bible, pastors (elders, bishops) are to pastor (shepherd) the flock (Acts 20:28). And preachers (evangelists) are to preach (II Tim. 4:1-2). When the evangelist is doing the pastoring, God’s divine plan is being ignored.

Faithful New Testament evangelists preached the gospel in this manner:

1. Fully       (Rom. 15:19)
2. Forcefully  (Acts 18:28)
3. Simply      (II Cor. 11:3)
4. Urgently    (I Cor. 9:16)
5. Boldly      (Eph. 6:19-20)
6. In Love     (Eph. 4:15)

Preachers are to labor in the word, preaching, teaching, exhorting.
Preaching strives for these results:

1. converting the lost to Christ,
2. restoring the wayward Christian,
3. keeping the saved saved.

CONCLUSION
All that men need to believe, be, know, do, or teach to please God is written in the Bible.
We know that Christians in the early church were pleasing God with their worship. If we worship God as they did, we can be sure that God is pleased. When we add to or take away things from the worship service that God ordained, we must fear that our worship is unacceptable, no matter how sincere.
“Let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.” — Hebrews 12:28

Romans Road Map to Freedom from Sin

Posted by Michael on under Articles

Romans 3:10-12
As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”

Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 10:8-11
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

Romans 2:4
Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

Romans 6:3-7
Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.

Organization of the Church

Posted by Michael on under Articles

Jesus said, “On this rock I will build My church, and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it.“ – Matthew 16:18

THE CHURCH
The church that Jesus built was HIS church. Jesus Christ is Himself its foundation (I Cor. 3:11). He is the Savior of the church (Eph. 5:23). It was purchased with His blood (Acts 20:28). He is the Head of the church (Col. 1:18). The church is the bride of Christ (II Cor. 11:2). The church is the body of Christ (Eph. 1:23). The Bible says there is only one church (or body) (Eph. 4:4).

Since the church belongs to Jesus Christ, the New Testament is our only reliable guide to the church’s organization and the regulations for entering His church. No man-made churches are described or authorized in the Bible (Psm. 127:1).

The New Testament often refers to “the church” in a universal sense, encompassing the entire family of God throughout the world (Mark 16:15). Also, the scriptures frequently refer to “the church” in a local sense (I Cor. 1:2).
The Bible authorizes no organization for the universal church, except Jesus, who is the absolute ruler (Eph. 1:20-23) with absolute authority (Matt. 28:18). The New Testament does present Christ’s plan for the organization of the local church.

The only way to construct the true, original organization that God approves of is to look into the scriptures. Let us examine the organization of the local congregation in the first century.

MEMBERS
The church was established in Jerusalem on Pentecost, about 33 A.D. (See Acts 2). After this, the New Testament makes no reference to anyone being saved without being in the church. God automatically adds the saved to the church (Acts 2:47). Entrance into the church (the body of Christ) occurs with baptism (Gal. 3:27, I Cor. 12:13, Acts 2:38-41).

In the first century church, members were simply called “Christians” (Acts 11:26, I Pet. 4:16). They were also referred to as “saints” (Acts 26:10, Rom. 1:7, I Cor. 1:2, Eph. 1:1). Christians were also considered to be “priests” (Rev. 1:6, I Pet. 2:9).
The New Testament is filled with instructions for Christians, including how to act, how to respond to others, and how to serve God (II Tim. 3:16-17, Titus 2:2-8).

Though men and women are equally valuable in God’s eyes, they are to fill different roles in His church. It is by God’s design that women are not permitted to assume positions of church leadership (I Cor. 14:34, I Tim. 2:12).

From among the members are chosen teachers, preachers, deacons, and elders.

TEACHERS
All Christians are expected to be able to teach the lost (I Pet. 3:15, Matt. 28:19). All Christians were told to “teach and admonish” one another in the first century (Col. 3:16). Those qualified with considerable knowledge of the Scriptures can teach in a more formal manner. Those who do, have greater responsibility (James 3:1).
God expects teachers to present the Word accurately and fully (II Tim. 2:15, Acts 18:26, Matt. 28:20). The scriptures gravely warn Christians about false teachers (II Cor. 11:13-15, II Tim. 4:3-4, I Tim. 4:1-3, Matt. 24:24).

PREACHERS
Men who choose the ministry as an occupation (I Cor. 9:14) are called preachers (Rom. 10:14), ministers (Col. 1:23), and evangelists (Acts 21:8). They have no duty to God different from any other Christian, just greater responsibility to work full time for the Gospel.
The apostle Paul instructed the young evangelist Timothy to “Preach the Word” (II Tim. 4:2, 5). First century preachers were primarily concerned with pleasing God (I Thess. 2:4, Gal. 1:10); therefore they preached the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).
A minister is to serve (Matt. 20:26-28). The preacher can be a leader in the church (Phil. 3:17). But no where does the Bible authorize him to be a ruler.

New Testament preachers diligently studied the Word of God, using references from the Bible to support their preaching (Acts 2). They believed the Scriptures alone were sufficient and condemned those who taught otherwise (I Tim. 4).

Faithful New Testament evangelists preached the gospel fully (Rom. 15:19), forcefully (Acts 18:28), simply (II Cor. 11:3), urgently (I Cor. 9:16), boldly (Eph. 6:19-20), and in love (Eph. 4:15).
Their preaching was aimed at converting the lost to Christ, restoring the wayward Christian, and keeping the saved saved.

DEACONS
The word deacon comes from a Greek word meaning “servant.” We find the first deacons being chosen because of a specific need in Acts 6. The needs and circumstances of a given situation in the New Testament church determined when deacons were appointed and how many were required. The deacons had authority only as they were assigned to be over some specific business.

The Bible has clearly instructed early Christians (and us) about the qualifications for men who serve in the office of deacon (Acts 6:3, I Tim. 3:8-13):

1. Good reputation
2. Full of the Holy Spirit
3. Full of wisdom
4. Reverent (serious)
5. Not double-tongued
6. Not addicted to wine
7. Not greedy for money
8. Hold faith with pure conscience
9. Found blameless
10. One wife (who is reverent, temperate, faithful, and not a slanderer)
11. Manages his own family well

The Bible makes no indication that deacons were permitted to rule in the early church. They were to serve under the oversight of elders (or bishops).

The local congregation in the first century had “bishops and deacons” (Phil. 1:1).

ELDERS
By God’s design “elders” are to rule in the local church (I Tim. 5:17). The office they hold is also referred to as “bishops” (I Tim. 3:1), “overseers” (Acts 20:28), and “shepherds” or “pastors” (I Pet. 5:2, 4; Eph. 4:11).
Each church should be governed and supervised by a plurality of such men, not by one “Bishop” or one “Pastor.” There were “elders” over the church in Ephesus (Acts 20:17), and “bishops” over the church in Philippi (Phil. 1:1). Paul instructed Titus to “appoint elders in every city” (Titus 1:5, Acts 14:23).
As a ruler in the church, an elder is only authorized to maintain those rules already set down in the New Testament (Acts 20:30, Gal. 1:9). He is not to be domineering, but is to lead by his example (I Pet. 5:3).
All Christians have been commanded to submit to the leadership and authority of the elders of their congregation (I Pet. 5:5, Heb. 13:7, 17).

The qualifications of men who may serve as elders can be found in I Tim. 3:1-7:

1. Desires the office
2. Blameless
3. One wife
4. Temperate
5. Sober-minded (sensible)
6. Good behavior (dignified)
7. Hospitable
8. Able to teach
9. Not given to wine
10. Gentle (not violent)
11. Not greedy
12. Not quarrelsome
13. Rules his own house well
14. Submissive and respectful children
15. Not a recent convert
16. Well thought of by outsiders… and in Titus 1:6-9:
17. Believing children who are not unruly
18. Steward of God
19. Not self-willed (or arrogant)
20. Not quick-tempered
21. Lover of goodness
22. Just (upright)
23. Holy
24. Self-controlled
25. Firm hold on God’s word

Elders were instructed to watch over the flock (church) as shepherds (Acts 20:28-32). They are caretakers of souls who are to perform their duties willingly and eagerly (I Pet. 5:2). Without partiality they are to teach, instruct, and direct all of the members in the way of sound doctrine (Titus 1:9).

CHRIST
No man is head of the church on earth, but Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God (Eph. 4:15-16). Christ is the only head of the church, His one body (Col. 1:18). Therefore, every member of the body must be in subjection to Him (I Cor. 12:12-13, Eph. 5:22-32).
This means that in matters of religion we do not have to submit to any man-made authority, but only to the divine authority of Christ as revealed in the New Testament.

GOD
Though Christ has equality with God (Phil. 2:6), their roles are different. “The head of Christ is God” (I Cor. 11:3).
Jesus said, “Call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven” (Matt. 23:9).
Cast all your anxieties on God, for He cares about you (I Pet. 5:7).

We cannot expect to be rewarded by God unless we live “according to the rules” (II Tim. 2:5) we find in God’s Word. We can conclude that God will not be pleased unless we play by His rules.If we are to reconstruct the church of the first century, we must have an organization with baptized Christians, who are served by teachers, preachers, and deacons. All of these are to be governed by elders who accept Jesus Christ and His Father as the ultimate authority.

Noah’s Ark – Truth or Myth?

Posted by Michael on under Articles

For various reasons, many people today find the story of Noah’s Ark quite difficult to believe. I have always found it quite fascinating myself and searched for the truth for many years. Let’s examine whether this could have actually occurred or if the tale is merely a myth invented many centuries ago. The real issue is: can we trust the words of Genesis chapters 6 through 9?

Before the Great Flood the Bible tells us that mankind’s behavior degenerated to where people’s minds were thinking about “only evil continually” and “the earth was filled with violence.” Our righteous God became sorrowful for having created people who became so wicked. So, God decided to destroy all people, all land animals, and all birds. (Gen. 6:5-7, 11).

Noah was trying to live righteously in this wicked world, so God was merciful to him and his family. (Gen. 6:8-9; 7:1). Noah was given instructions about how he was to build a big boat–450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. (Gen. 6:14-16). I am told that its dimensions were similar to today’s oil tankers, making it practically impossible to overturn even in the worst storm at sea.

God told Noah, “Everything that is on the earth shall die” by a flood. (Gen. 6:17; 7:4). Noah was also told that the Ark would save his family (four married couples) and a male and female pair of every kind of “unclean” animal and 7 each (or 7 pairs) of every “clean” animal. (Gen. 6:18-19). Noah was also instructed to store food in the Ark for his family and for all the animals. (Gen. 6:21).

Noah did “all that God commanded him.” (Gen. 6:22; 7:5).

Seven days before the rain started, God ordered Noah, who was 600 years old, to come into the Ark with his family and all the animals. (Gen. 7:1-4, 6). God sealed them in the Ark. (Gen. 7:16). God caused water to both rise up from below the earth and to fall from the sky for 40 days, until the water was 22 feet deep over the highest mountain. (Gen. 7:11-12, 19-20). Everyone and everything that had lived on dry ground was drowned. Only those in the Ark survived. (Gen. 7:21-23).

After 150 days the water began to subside. The Ark came to rest on a high mountain of Ararat. Three months later the tops of the mountains could be seen. (Gen. 8:3-5). When the surface of the ground was dry enough, the Bible says that God told Noah to go out of the Ark, 365 days after he entered it. (Gen. 8:16).

Later, God made a promise that “never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” The rainbow is the sign of His covenant. (Gen. 9:8-17).

From both believers in God and non-believers, there have been many objections to the credibility of the story above. Also, there have been many attempts to concoct different versions of what might have really happened. In other words, many people don’t believe God really meant what He tells us through the writings of Moses in the first 11 chapters of Genesis. I will try to address all of the objections to a Great Flood that I have heard. Please keep in mind that some of my responses are merely my own opinions.

I believe that God said what He meant to say and that He revealed to us things that we can understand. I do not believe God gave us incorrect information in the Bible, especially in passages that seem very easy to understand what He said. The writings of Moses about Noah and the Flood are too simple to misunderstand, in my opinion.

OBJECTIONS TO THE BIBLICAL ACCOUNT

1. The story is a myth based on other flood fables told by various ethnic groups who populated the Middle East at the time of Moses.
   There are many cultures all over the world which have tales of a flood that completely covered the earth and destroyed all but a few people. I argue that the reason that there is so much similarity between the myths and the Genesis account is that this was a real event. All men and women being descendants of Noah, they passed down the story of this major episode in the life of their ancestor. The only truly accurate account is the one which God reveals to us in Genesis through the pen of Moses.
2. By the days of Noah there were not enough people on the earth to require a worldwide flood.
   I estimate that 12 to 15 generations had been born on the earth by the time of the flood. (Genesis chapter 5 tells us that Noah was the ninth generation from Adam.) Easily, there could have been a billion people alive on the earth by the 600^th birthday of Noah.
3. The flood was only a local flood and not worldwide.
   I see two major problems with the local flood theories. You cannot cover the highest mountains with water for several months if the flood was only regional. (Gen. 7:20). Secondly, and even more significant is the covenant which God made after the Flood. God promised, “Never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” (Gen. 9:11). If the flood of Noah was merely a local flood, then God would have broken that promise hundreds of times since then. Other problems include that a population as large as one billion would not likely be contained within a single valley that would be amenable to local flooding. Besides, some people and animals could have simply gone to higher ground as happens during local flooding today. Even if the world’s human population was not widely spread, nothing would have kept the birds and all the animals confined within that local flood area. Genesis 7:21-23 says that all creatures outside the Ark who lived on the land were destroyed. I also object to the possibility of a local flood because God could have merely instructed Noah and his family, along with the animals to be saved, to migrate out of the area that would be flooded.
4. There is not enough water to cover the entire earth.
   There is nothing to convince us that the oceans were as deep or that the mountains were as high prior to the flood. Consider Psalm 104:5-9. “You who laid the foundations of the earth, so that it should not be moved forever, You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. At Your rebuke they fled; at the voice of Your thunder they hastened away. The mountains rose; the valleys sank down to the place which You did establish for them. You have set a boundary that they may not pass over, that they may not return to cover the earth.” From these verses we might reasonably conclude that God made the mountains higher and the valleys deeper to make adjustments for the greater quantity of water on the earth after the Flood.
5. There was not enough extra water to cover the entire planet.
   The Bible says, “all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened,” in Genesis 7:11. This is consistent with saying that volcanoes erupted and that previously stored water high in the atmosphere was released. A great quantity of water is released with a volcanic eruption. If hundreds of volcanoes erupted both above and below the surface of the oceans, then the amount of water spewing forth on the earth is unimaginable to me. Genesis 1:7 tells us that the earth originally had water above the sky. With the greater surface area at a very high altitude in the earth’s atmosphere, the thickness of water, probably in a gaseous state, would not have to be very great to store an incredible quantity of water which God could release upon the earth. This water would have been thin enough to allow adequate sunlight through. Also, the weight of this water would have caused there to be a greater barometric pressure prior to the Flood. Worldwide atmospheric barometric pressure drops and increased sunlight penetration would have created a world that was very different after the Flood. These changes provide reasonable theories about the decreasing life spans and the extinction of numerous species after the Flood.
6. Noah and his family could not have traveled to all lands and caught all those animals.
   Fortunately for Noah, he did not have to search the world and capture them. God caused these animals and birds to come to Noah. (Gen. 6:20).
7. The animals could not have all migrated to the Ark because of natural barriers like high mountains, rivers, and seas.
   We cannot be sure what the earth’s geography was like prior to the Flood. Five or six generations after Noah, we can read in Genesis 10:25 that in the days of Peleg (which means “division”) that “the earth was divided.” Many believe that this means that God divided the earth into the continents we now see (though, I have to admit, it might instead mean that God divided people by language). If the land prior to the Flood was one big continent, this would indeed have facilitated the migration of animals to Noah’s location. After the Flood it would have provided a way for the animals unique to Australia to get there.
8. The Ark was not big enough to hold all those animals and carry enough food for a year.
   A very real possibility was that the animals Noah put in the Ark were not full grown. It would not take as much food for young samples of each species. According to calculations in The Genesis Flood, by Whitcomb and Morris, 1961, page 69, the Ark could hold the equivalent of 522 standard two-decked railroad stock cars. To carry the no more than 35,000 estimated individual vertebrate animals, the average size being that of a sheep, would require no more than 146 such railroad cars.
9. The animals would be out of control in the Ark during the rough weather.
   We must remember that God did not abandon Noah in the Ark. The Lord did not say get into the Ark at the beginning of the trip, nor come out of the Ark at the end. God told Noah to join Him in the Ark. (Note “Come into the Ark” in Genesis 7:1 and “Go out of the Ark” in chapter 8:16.) There is no doubt in my mind that God could have calmed the animals during the storm, as easily as Christ calmed the Sea of Galilee. (Mark 4:37-41). It is entirely possible that God even caused many of the animals to hibernate throughout much of the trip.
10. The Ark could not have carried enough fresh water for a year.
    This is clearly not true when we consider that the Ark’s cargo space was equivalent to 522 railroad cars, as mentioned above. Also, the Ark was surrounded by drinkable water. If we assume that the ocean’s salt content was the same as today, then the excess Flood water likely diluted it sufficiently for drinking.
11. Saltwater fish could not have survived in fresh or less salty water.
    Freshwater fish certainly cannot survive in saltwater. But, there are numerous examples of saltwater fish being able to survive for extended periods in fresh water. Keep in mind that the whole Flood period was a miracle of God, and I see no reason not to believe that He could keep saltwater fish alive during the event.
12. There wouldn’t be enough oxygen for them at the high altitude at the peak of the flood.
    Atmospheric pressure and oxygen concentration are relative to sea level. As the sea rose, so also did the air we breathe. No matter if the Flood waters were as high as Mount Everest (which isn’t likely, as I explained above based on Psalm 104:5-9), the oxygen necessary to sustain life would have been more than adequate.
13. The Ark had no rudder or sails.
    The Ark needed no means of propulsion or steering. There was no particular place that it needed to go. After exposing the land to the incredible Flood waters, it is unlikely that Noah’s family could have recognized any landmarks after the Flood. The Ark came to rest where God wanted it to come to rest.
14. Noah and 7 other people would not be able to care for that many animals.
    This might be true if they were out of control or if they were all fully grown or if they were always awake or if they had no assistance from their Creator. The God who was powerful enough to destroy the earth with a massive Flood, was unquestionably able to care for those in the Ark for a year.
15. God would not have killed innocent children in the Flood.
    History is filled with examples where children were destined to suffer because of the choices of their parents. If we believe these children were innocent, then we should be comforted to know that by their drowning, God removed them from a wicked society and took their souls to eternal peace and rest.
16. There is not enough evidence that the whole earth was under water.
    I am told that prior to the theories of Charles Darwin, most educated men explained the vast quantities of fossils as evidence of the global Flood from the days of Noah. In spite of what you may have heard elsewhere, animals and plants decay rapidly under normal circumstances, rarely leaving any trace for very long that they ever even existed on the planet. The mechanism for creating fossils requires unusual circumstances where an organism is buried before it can be eaten by other animals and bacteria. It is my opinion that the fossil record and sedimentary layers are best explained by a worldwide Flood. The Bible tells us that this Flood occurred during the life of Noah to destroy evil men who refused to walk in the righteous ways of their Creator.

IN CONCLUSION

I am convinced of the truthfulness of the story of Noah, because my Savior Jesus Christ believed it to be true. He said:

• “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (Matthew 24:37-39).

The writer of Hebrews believed it–

• “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” (Hebrews 11:7).

The Apostle Peter believed it–

• “Who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.” (I Peter 3:20).
• “And did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly.” (II Peter 2:5).