Home Worship Services Sermons Location Contacts Bulletins Links |
FAMILY NEWSPOTLUCK NEXT SUNDAY: Remember to bring a dish and plan to stay. After the potluck we will conduct a worship service at Timbers at 2:30. CASS FAIR STARTS TODAY: If you did not sign up to help at our booth, please get your name on the sheet. We still have time slots we need people to fill. If you have signed up for a time slot, see Bill Gibson about getting a pass to get in. THANKS FROM SHULT-LEWIS: Tuesday morning Shults-Lewis picked up the commodities that were brought in as well as a check from the congregation and several individual donations. They sent a thank you note for our help. We had the pew in the lobby piled up with canned goods and several hundreds of dollars in checks for them. We want to thank everyone for their response to this need. God tells us to take care of children and those who are in need, and this congregation always rises to every need that we are presented with. “Then the king will say … Come, you who are blessed by my Father … For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink …” (Matthew 25:34-35). TODAY'S LESSON
INTRODUCTION
A. The Bible speaks of Satan 43 times — many names — Not a humanlike being
I. SATAN WORKS BY BRUTE FORCE.
B. “Satan” means opposing spirit in Hebrew — 2 Peter 2:4 C. Two realms of existence — physical and spiritual 1. Ephesians 3:8-10
D. Our purpose in existing is involved in choice.2. Ephesians 6:11-12 3. Job 1 & 2 and 42:5 4. Revelation 21:3-5 A. Herod and the slaying of the babies — Genesis 3:15
II. SATAN SOWS BAD SEEDS THAT ARE HIDDEN.
B. The death of Jesus C. Entering into a human — Judas John 13:27 D. Modern leaders of evil causes A. Matthew 13:24-30
III. SO HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT IS FROM SATAN?
1. Not obvious that the seed is bad
B. Satan imitates God's good things
2. Not done in the open — always hidden 1. Marriage, family, some forms of love
2. 2 Corinthians 11:14 A. Jeremiah gives five tests in Jeremiah 23.
1. Do they have high moral standards? Verses 9-14
B. Matthew 7:15-20 — The fruit test
2. Do they offer vain hopes? Verses 16-17 3. Do they have integrity and oppose evil? Verses 21-22 4. Speak where God has not spoken? Verses 29-32 5. State opinions as God’s Word? Verses 33-36 1. Fruit includes Jeremiah's tests.
2. Fruit includes how they use what God has given. 3. Fruit includes how they use their time and energy. 4. Fruit includes obeying God. THE BACK PAGETHESSALONIAN MESSAGESIn our Wednesday night class we are studying the letters from Paul to the congregation that met in Thessalonica. This was a congregation that had many similarities to us here in Dowagiac. This is a positive letter from Paul that speaks to many twenty-first century issues, and while it is designed to encourage the brothers and sisters in Thessalonica, it should also be an encouragement to us. We need to understand how the work of a congregation in one place encourages brethren in other places. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 1:7-8, “You became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord's message rang out from you throughout Macedonia and Achaia — your faith in God has become known everywhere.” The M 51 congregation is well known in this area. Shults-Lewis was very encouraging as they talked about our role in their effort. In 1 Thessalonians 2 Paul talks about the spiritual strength of the congregation and about the leadership in this small group. In verse 13 Paul talks about how the congregation received the words he presented to them, “You accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is in, the Word of God.” We work very hard to stay with the Bible in all we teach. Our Sunday morning class is on biblical personalities, and recently we have been looking at women in the Bible who were strong examples of serving God. Sunday evening we are looking at Proverbs and how the words of Solomon apply to the twenty-first-century world in which we live. Another interesting facet of the Thessalonian congregation is that their resources went entirely to the work of the church. No one was paid to do the work of others. Paul says, “We worked night and day in order not be a burden to anyone …” (verse 9). There was so much to do there, and here, that everyone needs to be working to meet the challenges. Paul also speaks of his own conduct among them acting like a father who deals with his children (verse 11). Our family functions very much like theirs. Let us keep it up! — John Clayton For the Scriptures for 1 Thessalonians, please go to the BibleGateway site to view the Scriptures! Our sign by the street!
Scripture links/references are from BibleGateway.com. www.dowagiaccoc.org |
