The Epistles to the Churches Encouraged Morality: full transcript and answers

▶ 0:00 We’re going to look at the epistles today. And we’re going to find that they encourage. Morality. That the writers of these epistles and there are 17 churches that they’re writing to plus there’s more than 17 but I got 17 listed here Rome current galatia ephesus philippi colossa. Thessalonika and so forth asia all right we’re going to take a look at some of the statements in these epistles and see what the early church. Stood for and we’re going to find that they address the signs of moral decline in the roman empire. In Romans 1:16 the just shall live by faith. What comes before living by faith.

▶ 0:53 Just. They are morals. They believe in morals they’re moral people. And live by faith means if you know your english language they live by faith in what. Morals. What is just what is right. We’ve been told for decades that just shall live by faith focusing on faith the focus is not on faith the focus is on being just. Are you there. When I was a boy I was told this but the emphasis was faith or if I just believe it isn’t believing the just you decide to be moral you decide to live right you decide to live honest and you do that by your persuasion in being just.

▶ 1:51 Hallelujah and faith in the just one who is the just one Jesus yes. Number two. Creation he talks about creation back there why because creation was a problem back then some say the world always existed some say the world you know was created by some other method and so forth and and uh they said the earth was flat and they said that the when the Bible says it was a sphere and they say that the earth was held up by atlas. Hallelujah. When the Bible says it was hung on nothing. And so they addressed. These theories back there because they’re not new in our generation. People are always coming up with theories to. Distract people from the moral standards of the Bible.

▶ 2:46 The Bible says God created it and you can tell there was a creator by looking at creation. So he hid it. Next in verses 26-32. He hits same-sex. Relationships why because the roman. Caesars and the roman government was into homosexuality let alone the nation. So he hits homosexuality woman with woman man with men. Along with a list of other things. You see. Backbiters haters of God violent proud boasters inventors of evil thing disobedient to parents and on and on and on. See he hits it why he’s addressing the moral decline of the roman empire.

▶ 3:45 He’s speaking out against it. And he goes on to say. They are deserving of death now is he talking about killing backbiters. Okay what death is he talking about. The spiritual death the second death in the lake of fire these people are going to be judged and burned in the lake of fire therefore don’t approve of them speak out on standards so you can save them from the eternal death the second death in the lake of fire isn’t that just common sense yeah. Romans 6:6. People say that water baptism is a sacrament of the church. That’s like saying being born again is the sacrament of the church.

▶ 4:40 Being born again is a spiritual experience a new creature. The old things passed away. And in water baptism this is what. Was written to the church in Rome our old man is crucified with Jesus that old man of sin that evil behavior that immoral person. In water baptism that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin reckon yourself therefore to be dead to sin you see water baptism is another step to get you connected with moral standards of the Bible. Hallelujah. And you relate to Christ when he went into the grave we go under the water we’re dead we come up when Christ rose he was a eternal being no blood he couldn’t die again that body Christ the spirit never died he could never die but the body died.

▶ 5:42 So water baptism is very important. For believers who follow Christ. It’s a work of God to kill your old immoral nature. Romans 13 government punishes evil doers and praises good doers see they don’t close the door of the church. Of morals. And right behavior they don’t do that. They punish evildoers and they honor good doers what is he doing addressing the moral decline in the roman empire. We are to pay taxes to them and we got people today that don’t want to pay taxes but the Bible says to pay taxes to your government but it should be a fair tax. And it should be by the representation of the people.

▶ 6:36 And then he says this tremendous statement in the same context. Love does no harm to a neighbor therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. You see love doesn’t harm anyone. See love doesn’t brag about itself love is patient love is kind. Love. Doesn’t uh bring up. Old issues of harm done to it love never quits it never quits on morals. And so we find. Everything that was taught in the Old Testament taught by Jesus and taught the apostles now being addressed in the churches in Romans 14 he hits what you food you eat and holidays why because there’s always people want to bring spiritual things down to natural.

▶ 7:38 Yeah okay Bible says don’t eat pork so but don’t eat pork the Bible says that was a shadow law. You can eat pork all day and it won’t do anything to your spiritual man Jesus said it’s not what you eat that defiles the man it’s what comes out of your mouth. It’s not what goes into your mouth and so see these aren’t new things today we got people telling us we can’t eat this and can’t eat that and so forth and then the holidays oh my gosh if you don’t have a Christmas tree at Christmas and and and you know just just go all out you’re just a stick in the mud I’ve heard it over and over and over. And Paul simply said hey if they want to keep a holiday then keep it if they don’t want to keep a holiday they don’t have to keep it why why do we want to fight and quarrel over nonsense.

▶ 8:38 Morals is the high priority of the Bible. Could that be an amen. Yeah. Then in chapter 16 verse 17 he plainly says mark those. Who cause divisions and offenses offenses is causing you to roam from Christ and truth morals. Contrary to the doctrine you have learned what’s the doctrine they taught morality. Righteousness. Truth honesty. You see avoid these people don’t don’t get around these people except to try to preach the gospel to them you young ones need and I’ve said this over and over for 40 years you need to be around mature Christians. Whose life will bring you up to a higher level and not hang around your peers.

▶ 9:34 Who are going to approve of your low level of christianity. He says they serve their own appetite their own lust their own desires not Jesus they do what they want to do because they feel like doing it they can drink they can smoke they can chew and they can run with people that do it don’t bother you know everything’s okay I’m I’m under the blood you know hallelujah I’m saved by grace through faith and not of works hallelujah I can do what I want. And they deceive by their speech the simple. You see. How do they offend. Because by their talk they convince people to. Deviate from morality and when they do they’re deviating from Christ.

▶ 10:29 Hallelujah. Again in Corinth. Corinth is over here in greece. I got a picture of the temple of Apollo there and the last one I had a picture of the coliseum in Rome. And. The hand pointed to Rome the seat of the roman empire the government washington d.c in our day first Corinthians 1:10 speak the same thing let there be no divisions among you we’ve got hundreds of denominations in America. And we’re not speaking the same thing we don’t even speak the same thing on salvation we don’t speak the same thing on what about them just the basic stuff we don’t speak the same thing. And so we can’t unite because oh they believe different than we do I can’t I can’t associate with them you can associate and you better associate with anyone that stands up for moral standards to fight against the immoral harm that’s going to happen to people amen and let Jesus and the Bible work out the spiritual doctrines but we need to stand for morality.

▶ 11:50 Amen. First Corinthians 5:11 don’t even keep company with someone who says they’re a brother. Who is sexually immoral. Covetous an idolater. A reviler. Or a drunkard or an extortioner. Don’t even eat with such a person. My goodness we not only eat with them we approve of them. We gotta love them and I was down debating the homosexuals at one of the chick-fil-a things and some Calvary chapel people come over and says this is not the way to do it we got to love them we got to show love for them we showed love because coming down here and buying chick-fil-a I said buying chick-fil-a ain’t going to tell these guys anything.

▶ 12:44 They need to hear they are wrong they are criminals they are breaking moral laws they are liars. Hallelujah. Got to love them I mean you know a good parent will spank and discipline their kid because they love them they will correct their child absol that’s what the Bible says. First Corinthians 6:9 do not be deceived fornicators idolaters adulterers homosexuals sodomites thieves covetous. Drunkards revilers nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God and such were some of you now this is powerful. They used to be people that drank and got intoxicated they used to be homosexuals they used to be sexually immoral people they used to be thieves they’re not now why because they put to death the old man and they’re serving Christ in the new man they are a new creature all that stuff is passed away amen.

▶ 13:50 They’re addressing. The moral decline. In the church. As well as the nation. Second chronicle Corinthians 2:6 punishment inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man now forgive and comfort him they disciplined a man for having sex with his stepmother. Now the man has changed and he’s realized he’s wrong now Paul has to write and said hey forgive. I mean no forgiveness is a powerful weapon in your spiritual toolbox powerful weapon yes we got to forgive ourselves we got to forgive others and we’ve got to comfort people. All right second Corinthians 5:10 we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ according to what we believe. Is that right.

▶ 14:46 According to one’s faith. No according to one’s denomination. No how do we get these things so mixed up it’s according to what he has done. His behavior his lifestyle. Whether good or bad he just narrows it down there’s good and there’s bad there’s no in between. Knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men. Our nation talks about the terror of the isis group and the terrorists and the extreme muslim terrorism and all that but they forbid you talking about the terror of Jesus Christ to judge you and punish you for eternity. And that is a healthy fear. See the terrorists put on unhealthy fear into us afraid to go to the mall afraid to go shopping somebody be there and blow us up.

▶ 15:47 But the terror of the Lord is a healthy fear to get you to behave in a manner to avoid eternal damnation in the lake of fire and our government has shut the church’s door on the issue. And we want give freedom. For the American church to speak out on morality and put terror and the godly fear in people to turn change their behavior. And avoid the eternal punishment and damnation of the league of fire does that make sense. Our government terrorizes us isis terrorizes us and there is a terror of the Lord that is healthy and we’re not afraid of God anymore in America.

▶ 16:45 Galatians 1:4 Jesus delivers us from the present evil age immoral age Galatians 1:8 if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than we have preached let him be accursed and what is this gospel that Jesus was born of a virgin that Jesus was at the beginning of creation he with God created things and he died before the world was created. And then he came and lived in a fleshly body and carried it out he died he was born of aversion died on the cross rose from the dead they couldn’t take his life he had to lay it down he picked it back up. And he ascended into heaven waiting for his church to make all of his enemies his footstool. Hallelujah.

▶ 17:40 Ah that’s the gospel and when we come in saying that same-sex marriage is okay and sin is okay and a guy murders someone and we got two or more witnesses and they rape a woman they cut off her arms and and and her feet and leave her for dead and they get seven years in prison. That’s not justice. The average is is seven years the last time I looked for murder in America. Seven years like a person’s life is only worth seven years. With honest proof not not circumstantial evidence but real evidence. That’s not justice folks when a child is raped and molested and beaten his bones broken drowned.

▶ 18:35 And we give them. A mental. Discharge because they have to be insane to do such a thing. And then later we put them back in society. That’s not justice. Galatians 5:19 the works of the flesh are these sexual immorality uncleanness lewdness idolatry sorcery hatred. Contentions quarreling. Uh jealousies wrath selfishness divisions heresies envy murders here it is again drunkenness intoxication whether it’s drugs or whether it’s alcohol whatever and partying. That’s the works of the flesh and they will not inherit the kingdom of heaven Galatians 5:22 but he says the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long suffering gentleness goodness kindness faithfulness and self-control.

▶ 19:36 Self-control. Against such there is no law you don’t need a law for these things because these things don’t hurt anybody. Ephesians 2:10 we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for what faith works. Faith works. Denominational doctrine works. No good works let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and bring honor. To your God up in heaven it’s good works that brings honor to Christ it isn’t faith in Christ that brings honor to Christ. Ephesians 4:4 there is one body.

▶ 20:28 One spirit and his first name is Holy Spirit there’s only one spirit folks there isn’t a Holy Ghost for the for the catholics and the Holy Ghost for the baptist and Holy Ghost for the pentecostals and holy ghosts for the presbyterians there is one Holy Ghost. And he is holy. He is a comforter he is a friend he is an empowerer. He empowers you. You shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you it is not gotten in water baptism it is gotten when you get it. There’s one Lord one Jesus. One faith. And that’s the scriptures truth the truth of the scriptures one baptism. And one God.

▶ 21:21 Ephesians. 6 4 and Colossians 3:21 both say the same thing fathers do not provoke your children to anger at least they become discouraged. Now he’s addressing the children issue. And he’s specifically talking to parents. Don’t you speak wrong to your kids don’t you behave wrong to your kids don’t you teach wrong to your kids don’t you discourage the little ones. And don’t do things that make them angry. You can do things and you won’t let them do things because they’re not old enough yet to drink to smoke. Kids start getting an independent thinking mind and begin to realize as they get older that this is hypocrisy.

▶ 22:16 You’re telling me not to throw a tantrum and yet you throw tantrums. I hear you and dad throwing tantrums when I’m laying in my bed at night and you won’t let me throw a tantrum. And then ii Timothy look at this II Timothy 3:15 from a child you have known the holy scriptures. Verse 22 bond servants a bond servant is one who got themself in debt or they can’t make it so they sell themselves to someone that will let them work off their problem. Obey your masters not with eye service as men believers pleasers but sincerely fearing God. Colossians 4:1 masters give your bond servants what is just and fair.

▶ 23:10 Employee employer we all got to be fair. But first Timothy 1:9. Separates it off. The law is not made for a righteous person. Because the law is there to punish evil doers. And if you’re doing right you’re hurting no. One you know you never have to be arrested you never have to be brought before the judge but the law was made for murderers sexually immoral people sodomites that’s homosexuals. Kidnappers. Liars perjurers telling a lie in court ungodly sinners and any other thing contrary to moral doctrine sound doctrine moral doctrine say moral doctrine with me moral doctrine see when you behave and do things against morals.

▶ 24:07 It’s wrong and the law should be there to correct you and discipline you but here we have menstealers kidnappers a kidnapper forces you you’re not in debt. You’re not poor that you can’t make it on your own there’s no reason for you to be. A bond servant they came and they took you by force. You see. They kidnapped you and the Bible Old Testament if you kidnapped someone what was the penalty death. So when these people say that the Bible approves of slavery they’re not reading their Bible right neither the Old Testament or the New Testament the Old Testament did approve of bond slaves why because people that made mistakes could sell themselves.

▶ 25:01 To a person in the community and work off their debt and and the seven years was the most six years really the seventh year they went free was the most they could do. Are you there. But kidnapping for slavery was forbidden in the Old Testament and forbidden in the new. And you know in our own nation we had many people using the scriptures to approve of slavery both the blacks and the indians in America. Britain approved of it when they kidnapped Americans and made them fight in the war with france napoleon bonaparte. You see. People will use the scriptures very conveniently for themselves but we need to use the scriptures correctly.

▶ 25:57 Amen if you go into debt you deserve to pay that debtor off. But no one should be able to kidnap you. I submit to you this morning we need to stand for morality in America.