office hours & scripture reading. easter? · while easter observance isn’t found in the...
TRANSCRIPT
“EASTER?” For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the traditions of men
as the washing of pots and cups: AND MANY OTHER SUCH LIKE THINGS YE
DO. And He said unto them, full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye
may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:8-9). Easter
EASTER is a man-made holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus
Christ. The egg is a symbol of a new beginning while the rabbit represents
fertility. Nothing is said of either in God’s Word. The word Easter (KJV) appears
only once in the Bible and is a mistranslation for passover, “And when he had
apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of
soldiers to keep him; intending after easter to bring him forth to the people” (Acts
12:4)
When we set aside the word of God in order to observe man-made
tradition, as stated above, it is sin (Mark 7:8-9). Likewise to bind man-made
tradition on others is sinful too, but to observe a man-made holiday or to thank
God for some act He has performed on our own, is not sinful, “One man
esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth everyday alike. Let every
man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it
unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it.
He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not,
to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks” (Romans 14:5-6). While Easter
observance isn’t found in the Bible, the importance of the resurrection should
Cla
ss &
Serm
on T
itle
s
Marc
h 2
7,
2016
Sun
day A
M C
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“C
olo
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hapte
r 2 ”
Sun
day A
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on
“EA
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“”Sun
day P
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erm
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“Qu
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“Wedn
esday P
M C
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3/30
“2 C
ori
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ian
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hapte
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****
****
****
****
****
****
****
****
****
Hea
r:
Ro
man
s 1
0:1
7;
Mat
t. 7
:24,
25
Bel
iev
e:
Heb
rew
11
:6;
John
3:1
6
Rep
ent:
A
cts
2:3
8,
Act
s 1
7:3
0;
Lu
ke1
3:3
Co
nfe
ss:
Mat
thew
10
:32
; A
cts
8:3
6, 3
7
Be
Ba
pti
zed
: A
cts
22
:16
; 1
Pet
. 3
:20
, 2
1;
Mar
k 1
6:1
6;
Gal
atia
ns
3:2
7
Rem
ain
Fa
ith
ful:
R
evel
atio
n 2
:10
EL
DE
RS
Jim
Gro
ves
417-2
56
-5092
Jam
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. G
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4
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PR
EA
CH
ER
Larry
Ya
rb
er
Ho
me:
417
-962
-52
29
larry
ya
rb
er@
cen
tury
tel.
net
Floyd & Marcella Brown, Ron
Eagleman, Monna Farmer,
Melissa Givens, Larry Grisham,
Wayne Halford, Mary Henry,
Everett Johnson, Jim Lashley, May
Ann Legler, Kelly Marsh, Mary
Sue Marsh, Bettie Maxwell, Linda
Perry, Charles Riley, Gerry
Roberts, Eddie Robinson, Betty
Sage, Linda Ward, Leona Willard,
& Sibyl Wright.
BrookeHaven Sue Ellen Moore
National HealthCare Loeta Barr
Imogene Dold
Jackie Wells
Velnora Wilkening
Pleasant Valley Manor Leota Crawford Dorothy Luna
Pat McFarland Joe Powell
West Vue Louise Cook
Elsie Croney
Joann Eagleman
Bobby Jo Gish
Hazel Henry
Dennis Smithson
Lucy Tackitt
Charlie Ward
CHURCH OF CHRIST “I was glad when they said unto me; Let us go into
the house of the Lord” (Psalm 122:1)
111 South Curry St.
West Plains, MO 65775
417-256-3925
Office Hours 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. / T - F
COME JOIN US IN OUR
WORSHIP!
Sunday Bible Study 9:30 a.m.
Classes for all ages!
Morning Worship 10:30 a.m.
Evening Worship 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday
Bible Study 7:00 p.m.
KJV Requested For Pulpit, Classrooms & Scripture Reading.
Ch
urc
h o
f C
hri
st
11
1 S
. C
urr
y S
t.
We
st
Pla
ins
, M
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57
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R
etu
rn S
ervic
e
R
equ
este
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No
n-P
rofi
t
Org
.
U.S
. P
ost
ag
e
PA
ID
Perm
it N
o. 95
West
Pla
ins,
MO
6577
5
Those We Love
In Need Of
Prayer
Nursing Home
Residents
Volume 30, No. 12, March 27, 2016
www.cschurchofchrist.church
Room 201
Room D13
Room A14
Room A13
Room C-12
Room 206
Room 405
Room 505
Room 404
Room 327
Room 425
Room 404
Room 412
Room 713
Room 411
Room 602
Room 808
Continued on page 3
prepared for the dev
“STRENGTHENING YOUR
MARRIAGE” CLASS
Thursdays at 7:00 p.m.
Ivie Powell – Instructor
6th
WEEK: The Fight is On!
“Conflict Management”
March/April
Birthdays &
Anniversaries
27 - David & Joyce Stewart
Rondia Wood
28 – Jack Hammond
Charles Riley
31 – Norris Cozort
Tim Redburn
April 1 – Caitlin Green
2 – Brent Roberts
A Warm Welcome
To Our Visitors!
We want to welcome each and every one of
you to our worship services today! We hope
you will stay after services, so that we may
become better acquainted with you! If you
would, please fill out an attendance card located
in the pew in front of you and drop it into the
collection plate, so that we may have a record of
your attendance.
Our next quarter begins April 3rd
. See
Lance Shipley if you can teach.
Ladies Bible Study will meet on Tuesday,
March 29th
, 2016. We will eat at 6:00 p.m. with
bible study at 6:30. Please bring finger foods!
Brother Gene Bench will be starting a class
entitled: Problems of Everyday Christian
Living” Wednesday evening, April 13th
.
OTHER AREA
MEETINGS (See Bulletin Board )
Fordland church of Christ
Annual Ladies Retreat
April 1-2, 2016
“Let the Beauty of Jesus Be Seen In
Me!” Guest Speaker: Cindy Colley
Crider church of Christ Gospel Meeting
April 10-13, 2016 lectures
Bill Dillon
Annual Ladies’ Day East Oakland church of Christ
Saturday – April 16, 2016
Mammoth Spring church of Christ
3rd
& Bethel
April 17 – 20
Billy Bland Instructor at Memphis
School of Preaching
Fill in the Blank 1 John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we _______of him, because we keep his ____________ and do those things that are _________ in his sight.
Congregational News
Answer from Last Week:
elements; works; burned up
In Sympathy
Our love & sympathy
to Wayne Halford at the
passing of his sister, Wanda Slater of
Atascadero, CA.
James Gunter’s sister, Roberta Goss had a
heart attack last week. Please keep her in
your thoughts and prayers. She had a stent
put in and is home now.
Joe Powell sends thanks for all the visits,
cards and calls and asks for our prayers.
Word Search 2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER NINE
T A H T E W O S O Y E D N I M D
S S O N W O S O N N Y T E A R A
A F T E W Y O A D O T U S E S E
O V A N T A M I N T S R Y E I R
B E A N I O N T U R N A O I L B
S Q U I D A N T O U R S T H E N
R O B I N I S O B P L E E N X O
B E D A O R B A A B A A S E P E
B L A C K E R A E R O F E B D O
T O A D T U G C O H E R E O N E
A O F H Y O E H P E A L S T H E
H E G L S U M A O N B V S O Y Y
T I C P A L O I O A B I I R O L
M Y E A R H C A R A R E E N O P
C L E A R S E A T H E V L A G A
T R A E H G A B C H E E R E D H
ABLE HAVING ABOUND HEART ABROAD
LEST ACHAIA MANY BEFORE MIGHT
BEHALF MIND BOAST POOR BOUNTY
PRAYER BREAD READY CHRIST SAINTS
COME SEED EVERY SOWETH EXHORT SOWN
GOSPEL THAT GRACE VAIN HAPLY WANT
Gospel Meeting At
Curry Street
April 3 – 6, 2016
Allen Webster
Topics Sunday 9:30 am
“Little Known Facts about the Bible”
Sunday 10:30 a.m. “Were You There When They Crucified
My Lord?”
(A Trip Back to Calvary)
Sunday 6:00 p.m.
“Up From The Grave He Arose!”
Monday 7:00 p.m.
“Jesus Loves Me, This I Know”
Tuesday 7:00 p.m.
“Five Views of Mark 16:16”
Wednesday 7:00 p.m.
“Words Written on an Asylum Wall”
But if ye have respect to persons, ye
commit sin, and are convinced of the law
as transgressors. James 2:9
never be overlooked. It lies at the hub of Christianity itself. Paul wrote to those
of Corinth, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how
that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1st Corinthian
15:3-4), and, “For if the dead rise not then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be
not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins” (1st Corinthians 15:16-17).
It is sad that the Sadducees rejected the doctrine of the resurrection for
without a resurrection there is no hope, “For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both” (Acts
23:8).
However; we are not told to commemorate the resurrection, but rather the
death of our Lord, “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered
unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took
bread: and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, take eat: this is my
body, which is broken for you; this do in remembrance of me. After the same
manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the New
Testament in my blood; this do ye, as off as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come” (1st Corinthians 11:23-26). This is the Christian’s Passover and is
to be observed the first day of every week, “Purge out therefore the old leaven
that ye may be a new lump, As ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: (1st Corinthians 5:7), and, “and upon the first day of the
week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto
them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight” (Acts 20:7).
To neglect this ordinance is indeed a grievous sin which may cost many there
eternal salvation, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to
good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner
of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day
approaching. For if we sin willfully after that we received the knowledge of the
truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries” (Hebrews
10:24-27).
THE RESURRECTION I Corinthians 15:12-20
In Matthew 22:23ff, “…the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection…” came to Jesus and asked him a question concerning the resurrection. Their attitude and influence was still prevalent during Paul’s time. Paul asked the question in I Cor. 15:12, “…how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?” Paul continues (vs. 13-19), to give several arguments against those that did not believe in a bodily resurrection. First, he says, “…if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen, (vs. 13, 14). As we search the Gospel accounts, we know that Jesus arose from the dead. The eyewitnesses that saw him: the women, the disciples and apostles, and over 500 saw the risen Lord prior to his ascension. Even the Apostle Paul testified to the fact of the resurrection of Jesus. He had been with Jesus. Paul continues his reasoning by stating, “…if Christ be not risen, then our preaching is vain (empty).” This results in his conclusion that vain/empty preaching would depict himself and all preachers of the Gospel as being false witnesses, i.e., they would be preaching a fabricated message that God had raised Jesus when He actually had not done so. This type of preaching would then produce within listeners, who had placed their trust in a preacher of the Gospel, a false sense of hope and trust – a vain/empty faith. Next, Paul states probably the most severe concern of all, i.e., those who have placed their faith and trust in the resurrection of the Christ, have no hope because they “…are yet in their sins,” (v. 17). What a tragedy, to know that you do not have any hope of a resurrection and an opportunity to be with the Lord in eternity and for all eternity! “If…” as Paul states, “…only in this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable,” (pitiable – NKJV). He further reasons in the last part of verse 32, “If the dead do not rise, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die’ To think that we are only living for today, is depressing to say the least; that after we die, that’s it…it’s over. In verses 12 thru 14, Paul stated a proposition followed by his arguments against those not believing in a bodily resurrection. Then in verses 20-23, he gives us the facts – the real facts, the truth. In verse 20, he emphatically states, “But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” As we learn from Leviticus 23:10-16, under the Mosaic Law, the offering of the firstfruits were a pledge of the full harvest yet to come. Christ, being the firstfruits of the resurrection, is therefore the pledge of the full harvest (the general resurrection) to come at the end
“EASTER?” By Larry Yarber
By Randy Carr
of time when everyone will be raised to stand before Him in judgment. “But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming,” (v. 23). What further meaning would there be for us today if Christ had not risen from the grave? Our very foundation of who we are as Christians would be undermined and meaningless. God’s Word would be just another novel written to entertain mankind rather than being the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible’s laws, commandments, judgments and statues would be meaningless and useless. As pertaining to the church (God’s people), we would be mocked and ridiculed. The ‘church building’ would only be a gathering place like any other social club. There would be no need for worship for what would that accomplish. Sin would run even more rampant than it is today; no forgiveness and no deliverance from sin. And as Paul said in chapter 15, there would be no hope; no anchor for the soul, (Heb. 6:19). Heaven would only be a casual dream. But, we have God’s Word; we have the Lord’s Body-the church; we have every opportunity for worship; we have hope; AND, we have Heaven waiting for us – the faithful, for Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people, because CHRIST IS RISEN!
Spiritual Stenosis Jesus said, “Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that
leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait is the gate and
narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matt. 7:13-14).
Luke’s record of this teaching reads, “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say to
you, will seek to enter in and shall not be able” (Lk. 13:24). In both passages the Greek word
stenos is used and translated as strait (narrow NKJ). We get our English word stenosis from
the same word. Webster’s says of stenosis, “A narrowing or constriction of a bodily passage or
orifice.” There is carotid artery stenosis, renal artery stenosis, spinal stenosis, etc., etc.
Matthew’s record of Jesus using this term is in what we call the Sermon on the
Mount. Immediately following verses 13 and 14 we have a warning against wolves in
sheep’s clothing (Matt. 7:15-20), a reference to those whom Jesus “never knew” (v. 21-
23), and His teaching on what it means to truly be wise (v. 24-27). Luke’s record of this
teaching was in response to a question: “Lord, are there few that be saved” (Lk. 13:23)?
Luke, by inspiration, used the word strive which means, “a wrestling or fight.” Both
passages indicate that the search for spiritual life is indeed narrow. Jesus was “narrow-
minded!” That is hard for people in our time to comprehend. In our tolerant, non-
judgmental society narrow-mindedness is frowned upon. For many, truth is subjective.
“You can’t say I’m wrong in my beliefs and I cannot say you are wrong in your beliefs”
is the cry of many. Yet, Jesus still says, “Many will seek to enter is and shall not be able”
(Lk. 13:24).
Jesus’ teaching in the above mentioned verses goes hand-in-hand with something
else He said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No cometh unto the Father but by Me”
(Jn. 14:6). Jesus taught these same truths to His apostles and promised them that, when
He left the earth, He would send the Holy Spirit to guide them into all truth (Jn. 14:26;
15:26; 16:13-14). After the establishment of the church, the message of the apostles was,
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given
among men whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The church began to be persecuted
for her “narrow-mindedness” (Acts 7:51-8:3; 9:1-2; 12:1-4). It was during this
persecution that the church began to be referred to as “the Way” (Acts 9:1-2; 19:8-10, 23;
22:4; 24:14, 22). Is there any significance to this terminology? Did the Holy Spirit use
this description for a reason?
When studying the book of Ephesians it becomes clear as to why the church
became known as “the Way.” The Christians to whom Paul was writing in that letter had
heard the gospel from him (Acts 19). Paul had to first correct some teaching in Ephesus
that had been put forth by Apollos on the baptism of John (Acts 18:24-28). Once those
disciples heard the truth, “they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:5).
So, what about Ephesians, the Way, and narrow-mindedness? No less than 28
times Paul, in Ephesians, uses phrases such as in Him, by Him, and through Him. 9 times
he uses the word church and 9 times he uses the word body. The body is the church
according to Paul. “And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head
over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all”
(Eph. 1:22-23). He then states that there is one body (Eph. 4:4). Many would be shocked
and would say, “That is too narrow-minded Paul!” Yet, Paul goes even further with this
thought. Ephesians 5:23 reads, “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is
head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body (i.e. the church).” Ephesians is all
about being in Christ and having access to all the spiritual blessings therein (Eph. 1:3).
Paul also stated that salvation is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 2:10) and that baptism is the way
to get into Christ (Gal. 3:27). If we want the promise of the abundant life now and
eternal life later, we must come to God on His terms. Remember the words of
Christ: “Many seek to obtain it (salvation), but will not be able” (Lk. 13:23-24).