God is Always with Us



Are We Losing Our Identity?INTRODUCTION We hear a lot today about identity theft. Unscrupulous people have found ways to discover personal information related to one’s identity and use these things for illegal/immoral purposes. In some cases individuals have gone into debt overnight for cars, RVs, and real estate because they lost control of their personal information. Psychologists like to talk about identity, referring to individualism or uniqueness. When one’s sense of purpose “evaporates” like the morning mist, they “don’t know who they are anymore” and they seek help to rediscover their identity. Not too many years back, a gospel preacher said that the churches of Christ were in an “identity crisis”. He said we were going to have to change our identity if we wanted to be relevant in the modern world. Obviously, there are some minor cultural things that can be changed as culture changes, but the major aspects of our identity must never change if we are to maintain our identity as the church of Christ. Today we will look at a few of these things…..I. We must not change our worship. A. First, it’s not about the song book we use (if we use a song book), the order of the activities of worship, or if we use Power Point on a computer with a projector and screen. B. It IS about our actions in worship. 1. Prayer - 1Tim 2:8 ESV I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands* without anger or quarreling; 2. Singing - Eph 5:19 ESV addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 3. Hearing/studying God’s Word - 2Tim 2:15 MKJV Study earnestly to present yourself approved to God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. 4. Giving - 2Cor 9:7 ESV Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 5. Observing the Lord’s Supper every 1st day of the week - Acts 20:7a ESV On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, C. This includes honoring God’s prescribed roles of authority for men and women in worship. 1. 1Tim 2:12 ESV I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. (underline added) a. Women are directed to teach the younger women to learn the role of Christian women - Titus 2:3-5 ESV Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. D. How we worship affects our relationship with God as His people because God demands those who worship Him do so in spirit and truth. II. We must not change God’s plan of salvation. A. Some in “Christendom” have gone so far as to say that even faith in Christ isn’t necessary for salvation. necessary for salvation. 1. Some teach that faith alone is necessary, even rejecting repentance. 2. Most believe that baptism is not necessary for salvation. B. The Bible clearly teaches, however, that baptism is prerequisite to salvation - 1Pet 3:20-21 ISV who disobeyed long ago in the days of Noah, when God waited patiently while the ark was being built. In it a few, that is, eight persons, were saved by water. Baptism, which is symbolized by that water, now saves you also, not by removing dirt from the body, but by asking God for a clear conscience based on the resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah, C. Heb 5:9 LITV and having been perfected, He came to be the Author of eternal salvation to all the ones obeying Him, (bold emphasis added) 1. This passage teaches that obedience is as much a part of God’s plan for man’s salvation as anything else. D. We must not change our teaching regarding the necessity of baptism. III. We must not change what the Bible teaches regarding the church. A. The church is a necessary institution for which Jesus died and shed His blood - Acts 20:28 LITV Then take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit placed you as overseers, to shepherd the assembly of God which He purchased through His own blood. (underline emphasis added) 1. There is only one body (as we have studied in earlier lessons) which is: a. the church and Christ its’ head - Eph 1:22 LITV and He "put all things under His feet" and gave Him to be Head over all things to the assembly, 2. It is NOT a body composed of many bodies - 1Cor 1:10 LITV Now I exhort you, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you all say the same thing, and there be no divisions among you, but you be united in the same mind and in the same judgment. 3. Its’ organization is outlined in 1 Tim 3 and Titus 1. a. If the local church is governed based on man’s opinion then “anything goes”. 4. We must not change God’s pattern for the church’s organization.IV. We must not change what the Bible teaches regarding morality. A. “Christendom” has already abandoned Bible teaching on the above subjects and now we see it abandoning Bible morality. 1. We must not change God’s teaching on marriage, divorce, and remarriage - Matt 19:9 ESV And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery." 2. We must not change His teaching on human sexuality, pure speech, and godly living. B. The doctrine of “once saved, always saved” has wreaked havoc in the church. 1. We must be faithful to the Lord and the church to be saved - Heb 6:4-6 LITV For it is impossible for those once having been enlightened, and having tasted of the heavenly gift, and becoming sharers of the Holy Spirit, and tasting the good Word of God, and the works of power of a coming age, and having fallen away, it is impossible for them again to renew to repentance, crucifying again for themselves the Son of God, and putting Him to open shame. (underline emphasis added) C. We must withdraw from those who refuse to live faithfully - 2Thess 3:6 LITV And we enjoin you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to draw yourselves back from every brother walking in a disorderly way, and not according to the teaching which you received from us.CONCLUSION Some churches of Christ are experiencing an “identity crisis” because they have compromised on exactly some or all of these things. This shows that we only have this “crisis” if we lack the desire to let the Bible rule over us. If we don’t know who we are, we haven’t been studying it. Let us be zealous, study, and apply the Word FAITHFULLY to maintain our identity as the church of Christ. ................
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