God Speaks TODAY

Speaks

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Material prepared by Jerry A. Jenkins

G O D S P E A K S T D D A V

The God who took time to create man and send His Son to redeemman would surely, if He had the power and desire, communicatewith man. The Scriptures reveal that God has both the ability anddesire to communicate with man. The Scriptures teach that indeedGod does speak to us. Since God does speak today, in this lessonwe are trying to ascertain the method He uses.

G o d S p o k e i n T i m e P a s t

H e b r e w s 1 : 1 - 2' God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in timepast to the fathers by the prophets, ^ has in these last days

spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of allthings, through whom also He made the worlds.

G o d S p o k e a t Va r i o u s T i m e s

ADAM and EVE (Gen. 2:17)

...but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall noteat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.

1

NOAH (Gen. 6:14)

Make yourself an arkof gopherwood; makerooms in the ark, and

cover It Inside and outside with pitch.

ABRAHAM (Gen. 22:2)^ Then He said, "Take

now your son, your onlyson Isaac, whom you

love, and go to the landof Moriah, and offer himthere as a burnt offering

o n o n e o f t h e m o u n

tains of which I shalltell you."

' . " C

~T:

fl.

MOSES (Ex. 20:22)

Then the LORD saidto Moses, "Thus you

shall say to the childreno f I s r a e l : ' Yo u h a v e s e e n

that I have talked with

you from heaven.

2

G o d S p o k e i n Va r i o u s Wa y s

H e b r e w s 1 : 1

^ God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time pastto the fathers by the prophets....

B i b l i c a l E x a m p l e s o f D i f f e p a n t : Wa y s G o d S p o k e

S O L O M O N : I N ADREAM (1 Ki. 3:5)

^ At Gibeon the LORD

appeared to Solomon ina dream by night; andGod said, "Ask! What

shall I give you?"

M O S E S : AT T H E B U R N I N GBUSH (Ex. 3:2)

^ And the Angel of the LORDappeared to him in a flameof fire from the midst of a

bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burningwith fire, but the bush was

n o t c o n s u m e d .

3

m m' M

B A L A A M : F R O M H I S D O N K E Y

(Num. 22:28)Then the LORD opened the mouth f

of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, - . M ^iT; igMfaB ^"What have 1 done to you, that youhave struck me these three t imes?"

BELSHAZZAR: A HAND (Dan. 5:3,5)^ Then they brought the gold vessels that had

been taken from the temple of the house ofGod which had been in Jerusalem; and the

king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. ^ In the same hourthe fingers of a man's hand appeared and

wrote opposite the lampstand on the plasterof the wail of the king's palace; and the king

saw the part of the hand that wrote.

^

In the past...GOD SPOKE TO PEOPLE OF OLD BY THE PROPHETS

(Hos. 12:10)I have also spoken by the prophets, and

have multiplied visions; 1 have given symbols through the witness of the prophets.

.

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T h e B i b l e T e a c h e s t h a tG o d S p e a k s T o d a y

H e b r e w s 1 : 1 - 2

' God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time

past to the fathers by the prophets, ^ has in these last daysspoken to us by His Son.

T h e Q u e s t i o n I s :" H o w D o e s G o d S p e a k To d a y ? "

N O T I C E S O M E WAY S M A N S AY S G O D S P E A K S TO D AY. . .

« ' • '♦ I

Through ad r e a m

Througho n e ' s

pa ren ts

Through a church leader

Through one'sfeelings

(Pro. 14:12)There is a way

that seems right toa man, but its end is

the way of death.

Through an adWanted: Someone to guide me to thec i t y o f . Wo u l d y o u w a n t o n ewho dreamed the way, told of the way,felt the way or knew the way because It

w a s h i s h o m e ?

5

G o d S p e a k s To d a y T h r o u g h H i s S o n

H e b r e w s 1 : 1 - 4

' God, who at various times and in various ways

spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,2 has in these last days

spoken to us by His Son,whom He has appointed heir of ail things, throughwhom also He made the worlds; ^ who being thebrightness of His glory and the express image ofHis person, and upholding all things by the word

of His power, when He had by Himself purged oursins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty onhigh," having become so much better than the

angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a moreexcellent name than they.

H o w D o e s H e S p e e k T h r o u g h H i s S o n ?

Does Jesus knock on your door?

An Exampe of Speaking Indirectly

I f a m o t h e r s e n d s h e r s o n f o r h e r h u s b a n d

with the message: "Come home," and yousaw the husband and ask him where he was

going, he would say:" My wife asked me tocome home. " THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF

SPEAKING INDIRECTLY.

Does Jesus speak to us Indirectly?

B

Chr i s t Speaks Th rough the Apos t l es

From Jesus' disciples, He selected 12 apostles (Luk. 6:13):And when It was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from

them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles

JESaS TAUGHT AND TRAINED THESE APOSTLES

J o h n 1 7 : 8

® For I have given to them the words which You have given Me;and they have received them, and have known surely that I came

forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.

Jesus knew these men would not be able to remember everything they had learned from Him so He sent them the Holy

Ghost (Jn, 14:26): But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom theFather will send in My name. He will teach you all things, and

bring to your remembrance all things that 1 said to you.

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There were some thingsJesus had not yet revealed

to these apostles. TheHoly Ghost was given toguide them into ^ truth.

f NGuided Into ^ Truth

(Jn. 16:13)

However, when He, theSpirit of truth, has come,He will guide you into all

truth; for He will not speakon His own authority, but

w h a t e v e r H e h e a r s H e w i l l

speak; and He will tell youthings to come.

Q u B S t s i o n : I n t o h o w m u c h o f t h e t r u t h d o e s t h i s v e r s e t e l lu s t h e s e m e n w e r e g u i d e d ?

5 0 % 7 5 % A l l T r u t h

G O D S P E A K S TO U S T H R O U G H H I S S O N J E S U SA N D

J E S U S S P E A K S T O U S T H R O U G H T H E A P O S T L E S

How do the apostles speak to us today?

Do the apostles knock on our door?

Do the apostles speak to us indirectily?

B

GUIDED BY THE HOLY GHOST,T H E A P O S T L E S W R O T E T H E B I B L E

Ephesians 3:6' For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of

Christ Jesus for you Gentiles—^ if indeed you have heard of the dis

pensation of the grace of God whichwas given to me for you, ^ how that byrevelat ion He made known to me the

mystery (as 1 have briefly written already,by which, when you read, you may un

derstand my knowledge in the mysteryof Christ), ^ which in other ages was notmade known to the sons of men, as ithas now been revealed by the Spirit toHis holy apostles and prophets: ® thatthe Gentiles should be fellow heirs, ofthe same body, and partakers of His

promise in Christ through the gospel.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

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 becomplete, thoroughly equipped for

every good work.

The apostles speak tous through the Bible

DO THE SCRIPTURES FURNISH US TO EVERY GOOD WORK?

9

H o w D o e s G o d S p e a k To d a y ?

2 P e t e r 1 : 3 ^^ ...as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain tolife and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called 1

us by g lo ry and v i r tue . \

D O E S T H E B I B L E G I V E U S A L L T H I H G S T H AT P E RTA I N TOL I F E A N D G O D L I N E S S ?

Is the Bible al l sufficient?

Is the Bible enough?

R e v e l a t i o n 2 0 : 1 2

And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, andbooks were opened. And another book was opened, which is the

Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works,by the things which were written in the books.

A L L M A N K I N D W I L L B E J U D G E D O U T O F T H E T H I N G S

WRITTEN IN THE

1 □

J o h n 1 2 : 4 8

He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath onethat judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall

judge him in the last day.

W e W i l l B e J u d g e B y W h a t ?

1 . D r e a m s ?

2 . P a r e n t s Te a c h i n g s ?

3 . C h u r c h L e a d e r s ?

A . O u r O w n F e e l i n g s ?

5 . T h e W o r d s o f J e s u s ?

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G O D J E S U S

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A P O S T L E S

1 1

W h a t D o Y b u R e m e m b e r ?1. If man says one thing and the Bible says something differ

ent, which should we follow?

A. What the Bible says.B. What man says.

2. If our parents say one thing and the Bible says somethingdifferent, which should we follow?

A. What our parents say.B. What the Bible says.

3. If we dream one thing and the Bible says something different, which should we follow?

A. What the Bible SaysB. What we dream.

4. If our friends say one thing and the Bible says somethingdifferent, which should we follow?

A. What our friends say.B. What the Bible says.

5. If the preacher or priest says one thing and the Bible sayssomething different, which should we follow?

A. What the Bible says.B. What the preacher or priest says.

6. If the bishop or some other church official says one thing andthe Bible says something different, which should we follow?

A. What the bishop or church official says,B. What the Bible says.

7. If the church says one thing and the Bible something different, which should we follow?

A. What the Bible says.B. What the church says.

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G O D S P E A K S T O D A Y

T H R O U G H T H E B I B L E

M u s t O n e O b e y E v e r y C o m m a n d i n t h eB i b l e t o P l e a s e G o d ?

M U S T O M E B U I L D A N A R K ?

G e n . 6 : 1 4

Make yourself an arkof gopherwood; makerooms in the ark, and

c o v e r I t i n s i d e a n d o u t

side with pitch.

Must one obey this command?

Why?

M U S T O N E S T O N E H I S S O N ?

D e u . 2 1 : 2 0 - 2 1

And they shall say to the elders of hiscity, "This son of ours is stubborn andrebellious; he will not obey our voice;

he is a glutton and a drunkard." Thenall the men of his city shall stone himto death with stones; so you shall putaway the evil from among you, and all

Israel shall hear and fear.

= J


Why?

M U S T O N E O F F E R A N I M A L S ?


Why?

N u m . 2 9 : 2

^ You shall offer a burnt

offering as a sweeta r o m a t o t h e L O R D :

one young bull, oneram, and seven lambsin their first year, with

out b lemish.

N u m . 1 5 : 3 2 - 3 6

Now while the children of Israelwere in the wilderness, they found

a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. And those who found himgathering sticks brought him to Mo

ses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. They put him under guard,

because it had not been explainedw h a t s h o u l d b e d o n e t o h i m . T h e n

the LORD said to Moses, "The manmust surely be put to death; all thecongregation shall stone him with

stones outside the camp." So, asthe LORD commanded Moses, allthe congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with

stones, and he died.


Why?

M U S T O N E S T O N EA P E R S O N ?

2

It; is not necessary for* us to build an ark, offer as o n , s t o n e a b r e a k e r o f t h e S a b b a t h . W h y ? Tohelp us understand, p lease not ioe:

C o l o s s i a n s 2 : 1 4 - 1 7

having wiped out the handwritingof requirements that was against us,

which was contrary to us. And Hehas taken it out of the way, havingnailed i t to the cross.. . So let no

one judge you in food or in drink, orregarding a festival or a new

moon or sabbaths, " which are ashadow of things to come, but the

substance is of Christ.

T E L L 3 T H I N G S W H I C H H A P P E N E D TO T H E H A N D W R I T T E NO R D I N A N C E S .

1.2.3 .

Since these things have been blotted out and taken away,should another person judge us about:

1. Eating meats?2. Observing special holy days?3. Keeping Sabbath days?

Why should no person judge another In these matters?1. Because they have been taken away.2. Because they are so difficult to keep.

3

I f t h e O l d C o v e n a n t h a s b e e n n a i l e d t o t h ec p o s B , w h a t a b o u t t h e Te n C o m m a n d m e n t s ?

O L D C O V E N A N T N E W C O V E N A N T

IYou shall have no other gods

before Me (Exodus 20:3).I I

You shall not make for yourself acarved image (Exodus 20:4).

IIIYou shal l not take the name of the

LORD your God in vain (Exodus 20:7).I V

Remember the Sabbath day, tokeep it holy (Exodus 20:8).

V

Honor your father andyour mother (Exodus 20:12).

V IYou shall not murder (Exodus 20:13).

V I IYou shall not commit adultery

(Exodus 20:14).V I I I

You shall not steal (Exodus 20:15).I X

You shall not bear false witness

against your neighbor (Exodus 20:16).X

You shall not covet your neighbor'shouse (Exodus 20:17).

I

You shall worship the LORD yourGod, and Him only you shall serve

(Matthew 4:10).I I

Little children, keep yourselves fromidols (1 John 5:21).

I I I

Do not swear at all (Matthew 5:34).I V

V

Honor your father andmother (Ephesians 6:2).

V I

Whoever hates h is bro ther isa murderer ( 1 John 3:15).

V I I

Do not commit adultery (James 2:11).V I I I

Let him who stole steal no longer(Ephesians 4:28).

I X

Therefore, putting away lying, "Leteach one of you speak truth with his

neighbor" (Ephesians 4:25).X

Thou shalt not covet (Romans 13:9).

W h i c h c o m m a n d m e n t i s n e v e r

given in the New Testament?

4

O l d o r N e w T e s t a m e n t : — ^ W h i c h A r e W e t o f o l l o w ?

We have seen that not all the commands of the Bible are given forpeople today. Those commandments given to the Hebrew peoplewere nailed to the cross. From you knowledge of the Bible, pleasecheck which of the following ended when Jesus' New Testamentwent into force:

M a n y W i v e s A n i m a l S a c r i fi c e s S i n g i n g

Confessing Sins to a Priest Sabbath Worship

Rev iew Quest ion : WHEN WAS THE OLD LAW PGT ASIDE FORT H E N E W L A W ?

5

I t i s a f a c t t h a t J e s u s

worshipped on Saturday(Luke 4:16). So He came toMazareth, where He had beenbrought up. And as His custom was, He went into thesynagogue on the Sabbathday, and stood up to read.

H e b r e w s 9 : 1 6 - 1 7

For where there is a testament, there must also of

necessity be the death of thetesta tor. For a tes tament isIn force after men are dead,since it has no power at all

while the testator lives.

Why did Jesus worship onSaturday if the Old Law wastaken away?

Was the Old Law in fo rce until it was taken away by Jesusw h e n H e d i e d o n t h e c r o s s ?

T O D AY: D O E S G O D S P E A K T O U S B Y T H E O L D L A W

G I V E N T H R O U G H M O S E S O R T H E N E W L A W G I V E N

T H R O U G H C H R I S T ?

B

G o d S p e a k s To d a y a n d W e M u s tR e s p e c t W h a t G o d S a y s

W H I C H O F T H E F O L L O W I N G I S S H O W I N GP R O P E R R E S P E C T ?

Cursing God

Obeying God

Loving God

Robbing God

Thanking God

Hating God

If we try to change God's Word, we do not show proper respect.

WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO CHANGE GOD'S WORD?

D i d A d a m a n d E v e h a v ethe right to change

God's word (Gn. 3:23)?^ therefore the LORD

God sent him out of the

garden of Eden to till theground from which he

w a s t a k e n .

f

f

uDid Moses have a right to

change God's Word(Nm. 20:12)?

Then the LORD spoke toMoses and Aaron, "Because you

did not believe Me, to hallowMe in the eyes of the children

of Israel, therefore you shall notbring this assembly into the land

which I have given them."

y

A

Did the priest Nadab andAbihu have a right to change

God's word (Lev. 10:1-2)?' Then Madab and Abihu, thesons of Aaron, each took his

censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profanefire before the LORD, which He

h a d n o t c o m m a n d e d t h e m .2 So fire went out from the

LORD and devoured them, andthey died before the LORD.

There were two altars at the Tabernacle. One was the brazen Altarand the other was the Altar of Incense. Fire was to be taken fromthe Brazen Altar to use on the Altar of Incense. Evidently Madaband Abihu disregarded this instruction (Lev. 16:12,13) and used firefrom some other source. Even these Priest of God could not ignoreGod's direct ions.

W H AT H A P P E N E D T O A L L O F T H O S E W H O T R I E D T OC H A N G E G O D ' S W O R D ?

1 . B l e s s e d 2 . P u n i s h e d

S I N I S

A F A I L U R E

T O R E S P E C T

W H A T G O D

S A Y S

1 J o h n 3 : 4

W h o e v e r c o m m i t ss i n a l s o c o m m i t s l a w

lessness, and sin islawlessness.

S

W h a t I s S i n ?

S IN IS NOT RESPECTING WHAT GOD SAYS

There are a number of ways to show this disrepsect. In thissection we notice some ways we sin.

We sin by doing whatG o d h a s f o r b i d d e n

(Gen. 2:17)"...but of the tree of the

knowledge of good andevil you shall not eat, forin the day that you eat ofit, you shall surely die."

Give a modern example of doing what God has forbidden. In otherwords, can you name something that people in this community aredoing that God has forbidden?

f

We sin by refusing tod o w h a t G o d h a s c o m

manded (Jon. 1:3)^ But Jonah arose to flee

to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

Give a modern example of refusing to do what God has commanded. In other words, can you name something that people in yourcommunity are refusing to do that God has commanded?

3

Ai • • .

We sin by substituting for what Godhas said (Lev. 10:1)

' Then Nadab and Abihu, the sonsof Aaron, each took his censer

and put fire in it, put incense on it,and offered profane fire before the

LORD, which He had not comm a n d e d t h e m .

Give a modern example of substituting for what God has said, inother words, can you name something that people in your community are doing which they put in the place of that which God hasc o m m a n d e d ?

We sin by adding toG o d ' s W o r d

Example: If Noah had addedmahogany to the gopher

wood, would he have been doing what God said?

We sin by taking from God'sW o r d

Example: If Noah had built theark 290 cubits, would he have

been doing what God said(Gen. 6)?

1 □

R e v e l a t i o n 2 2 : 1 8 - 1 9

For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will addto him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy,God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from theholy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

D o e s a n y o n e h a v e an igh t t o add on t ake f r omG o d ' s W o r d ?

W e A l l S i n

T h e r e h a v e b e e n t i m e s i n

my life when 1 sinned by notrespecting what God said.H a v e t h e r e b e e n t i m e s i n

your life when you sinnedby not respecting what Gods a i d ?

When anyone does not respect what God's Word says,they commit

W h a t N a m e S h o u l d M e m b e r so f G o d ' s F a m i l y W e a r ?

I MUST RESPECT WHAT GOD 'S WORD SAYSABOUT THE NAME I WEAR!

Would you name one of your children "Rover"?Should a wife take a man's name other than her husband?

N A M E S A R E I M P O RTA N T TO G O D !

God changed Abram's name toAbraham (Gen. 17:5)

^ No longer shall your name be called Abram,but your name shall be Abraham; for 1 have

made you a father of many nations.

God changed Jacob's name toIsrael (Gen. 32:28)

And He said, "Your name shall no longerbe called Jacob, but Israel; for you havestruggled with God and with men, and

have prevailed."

God promised to give Hispeople a new name seven

hundred years beforeChrist (Isaiah 62:2)

^ The Gentiles shall see

your righteousness, And allkings your glory. You shallbe called by a new name.W h i c h t h e m o u t h o f t h e

LORD wi l l name.

God gave His people anew name! (Acts 11:26)

A n d w h e n h e h a d f o u n d

him, he brought him toAntioch. So it was that for awhole year they assembledwith the church and taughta great many people. And

the disciples were firstc a l l e d C h r i s t i a n s i n A n t i o c h .

What new name did God give His people?

T h e N a m © G o d G a v e H i s C h i l d r e n

B Y W H AT N A M E D O E S G O D C A L L H I S C H I L D R E N ?

A c t s 11 : 2 6

And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. Soit was that for a whole year they assembled with the church andtaught a great many people. And the disciples were first called

Chr is t ians in Ant ioch.

God ca l l H is ch i ld ren

A c t s 2 6 : 2 8

Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me tobecome a Chr is t ian . "

Paul wanted Agrippa to become a

1 P e t e r 4 : 1 6

Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed,but let him glorify Cod in this matter.

God's children are to glorify Him in the name:

TO C A L L O U R S E LV E S B Y N A M E S N O TI N G O D ' S W O R D C A U S E S D I V I S I O N . i

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W h a t N a m e S h o u l d M e m b e r s o fG o d ' s F a m i l y W e a r ?

Thought QuestionsDo I honor God in the Religious Namethat 1 am presently wearing?

If I wear a name which is not in the Bible, more than the Bible Is required formy religious name. Is more than theBible required for my religious name?

I F S O M E S H O U L D A S K :

"What Are You Trying To Be?"

M Y A N S W E R W O U L D B E :

"1 am trying to be a Christian."

I F S O M E O N E S H O U L D A S K :

" W h a t k i n d o f a C h r i s t i a n ?

M Y A N S W E R W O U L D B E :

"1 am trying to be a simpleB i b l e C h r i s t i a n . "

I F I F A I L T O R E S P E C T W H A TG O D S A Y S A B O U T T H E

NAME I WEAR, I COMMIT

H O W A R E W E T OW O R S H I P G O D ?

I M u s t R e s p e c t W h a t G o dS a y s A b o u t W o r s h i p

WHAT IS WORSHIP? = The act of paying divine honor to a deity.

C A I H D I D N O T R E S P E C TW H A T G O D S A I D !

G e n e s i s 4 : 4 - 5* Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the

LORD respected Abel and his offering, ^ but He did not respect Cainand his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

N A D A B A N D A B I H G D I D N O T R E S P E C T W H AT G O D S A I D !

/j L

L e v i t i c u s 1 0 : 1 - 2

' Then Nadab and Abihu, the

sons of Aaron, each took hiscenser and put fire in it, put in

cense on it, and offered profanefire before the LORD, which Hehad not commanded them. ^ Sofire went out from the LORD and

devoured them, and they diedb e f o r e t h e L O R D .

i ^

1

If I change God's Word and worship according to man's teaching, my worship is vain [worthless].

M a t t h e w 1 5 : 9

® And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines thecommandmen ts o f men .

W h a t d o e s G o d S a y M y W o r s h i p M u s t B e ?

J o h n 4 : 2 4

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship inspirit and truth.

G o d ' s R e q u i r e m e n t s o f A c c e p t a b l e W o r s h i p ;

T h e p r o p e r o b j e c t o f o u r w o r s h i p G o d

The proper att i tude of worship " in Spir i t"

The proper standard or guide of worship "In Truth"

WHERE WOULD I LOOK TO FIND THE TRUTH?

J o h n 1 7 : 1 7

Sanctify them by Yourt ru th . Your word is t ru th .

TRUTH IS REVEALED IN GOD 'S WORD.

W h a t A m I t o D o i n M y W o r s h i p t o G o d ?

G O D ' S W O R D S AY S W O R S H I P M U S T I N C L U D E :

B I B L E S T U D Y

A c t s 2 : 4 2

And they continuedsteadfastly in the apostles'doctrine and fellowship, Inthe breaking of bread, and

in prayers.

Early Christians worshipped by

God's Word says my worship must include:

A c t s 1 7 : 11

" These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that

they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

GOD'S WORD SAYS WORSHIP MUST INCLUDE:

P R A Y E R

1 T h e s s a l o n i a n s 5 : 1 7

" Pray without ceasing.

Early Christians worshippedG o d b y .


G O D ' S W O R D S AY S W O R S H I P M U S T I N C L U D E :

G

I

V

I

N

G

G O D ' S W A Y

1 C o r i n t h i a n s 1 6 : 1 - 2

^ Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given ordersto the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: ^ On the first day ofthe week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he

may prosper, that there be no collections when 1 come.

X8 \ 41. \ 47 \ <>•»-\ 39 \ 54

35^5^

Early Christians worshipped God by


4

GOD'S WORD SAYS WORSHIP MUST INCLCJDE:

B R E A K I N G B R E A D

A c t s 2 0 : 7

Now on the first day ofthe week, when the disciples came together to

break bread, Paul, ready todepart the next day, spoket o t h e m a n d c o n t i n u e d h i s

message until midnight.

ACCORDING TO GOD'S WORD, WHEN DID THE EARLYC H R I S T I A N S H A V E C O M M U N I O N O R B R E A K B R E A D ?

Y E A R L Y ?

M O N T H L Y ?

W E E K L Y ?

D A I L Y ?

Early Christians worshippedG o d b y .

God's Word says myworship must include:

5

G O D ' S W O R D S AY S W O R S H I P M O S T I M C L U D E :

THERE ARE THREE WAYS TO MAKE MUSIC

To P lay a Mus i ca l I ns t rumen t .To S i n g

To s ing and P lay a Mus ica l ins t rument .

FOLLOWING IS A L IST OF EVERY PASSAGE IN THE NEWT E S TA M E N T R E G A R D I N G T H E M U S I C O F T H E C H U R C H :

(In each verse check the kind of music that was used.)

And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the Mount ofOlives (Matthew 26:30).

[ ] Playing [ ] Singing [ | Singing and Playing

And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the Mount ofOlives (Mark 14:26).

[ ] Playing [ ] Singing [ ] Singing and Playing

B

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God;and the prisoners heard them (Acts 16:25).

1 ] Playing [ ] Singing [ ] Singing and Playing

And that the Gentiles might glorify God for [His] mercy; as it is written, For this cause 1 will confess to thee among the Gentiles, andsing unto thy name (Romans 15:9).


What is it then? 1 will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with theunderstanding also: 1 will sing with the spirit, and 1 will sing with theunderstanding also (1 Corinthians 14:15).

[ I Playing [ 1 Singing [ ] Singing and Playing

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord(Ephesians 5:19).


Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching andadmonishing one another In psalms and hymns and spiritual song,singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord (Colossians 3:16).

[ I Playing [ ] Singing [ ] Singing and Playing

Saying, 1 will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of thechurch will 1 sing praise unto thee (Hebrews 2:12).

[ 1 Playing [ ] Singing [ j Singing and Playing

Is any amoung you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let himsing psalms (James 5:13).


J J P P P P P P P P- 7

T H E M U S I C A U T H O R I Z E D B Y G O D I N T H EN E W T E S TA M E N T C H U R C H

G E N E R A LA U T H O R I T Y

S P E C I F I C

A U T H O R I T Y

A R K

If God had said usewood, what kind

could man have used?

God said use gopherwood. What k ind ofwood was required?

P A S S O V E RS A C R A F I C E

If God had said usean animal, what kind


God said offer a lamb.What k ind of an imal

was required?

W O R S H I P

If God had said usemusic, what kind


God said worship bysinging. What kind of

music is required?

We often use general and specific authority, for example, inwriting a letter

Not Frank/Not Bob Not New York/Not Texas

B

A N E X A M P L E O F G E N E R A L A N D S P E C I F I CA U T H O R I I T Y F R O M O U R W O R S H I P

W h a t a r e t h e t w o i t e m s o n t h e L o r d ' s t a b l e ?

Would one be doing what God said if candy were added to theLord's Supper?

Would one be doing what God said in worship by playing inaddition to singing?

Following is listed again every New Testament passage whichmen t i ons t he mus i c God des i res :

Matthew 26:30, Mark 14:26, Acts 16:25, Romans 15:9, 1 Corinthians14:15, Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16, Hebrews 2:12, and James 5:13.

In which passage does the New Testament show that it would be acceptable to God to use an instrument?

T H E R E A R E T H R E E W A Y S T O M A K E M U S I C

1. To play a musical Instrument.

2. To sing

3. To sing and play a musical instrument.

Which way should the church make music to do what Godsays?

S


0

W h a t D o V o u R e m e m b e r ?1. Name the five avenues through which Christians are to honor

God in worship:

2. God speaks today and tells us that:

( ] anyone has a right to change His word[ ] no one has a right to change His word

3. God speaks today and tells us that the wearing of a humanname in religion causes:

( ] unity[ 1 division

4. God speaks today and tells us that we show proper respectw h e n w e :

[ ] obey[ ] disobey

5. God speaks today and tell us we must worship Him in:

[ ] spirit[ 1 truth[ 1 following the commandments of men

6. God speaks today and tells us our worship must include:

[ 1 Bible Study[ 1 bingo( ] communion( ] eating candy[ 1 singingI 1 playing[ I prayer[ ] giving

W h e n I f a i l t o r e s p e c t w h a t G o d s a y s e n d d o n o tw o r e h i p a s H e d i r e c t s , I

1 □

B E C O M I N G A C H R I S T I A N I NG O D ' S W A Y

I M u s t R e s p e c t W h a t G o d S a y s A b o u tB e c o m i n g a C h r i s t i a n

J o h n 8 : 2 4

Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if youdo not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.

What does God's Word say I must do?

A c t s 1 7 : 3 0 - 3 1

Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but nowcommands all men everywhere to repent, because He has

appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assur

ance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.

What does God's Word say Im u s t d o ?

What does it mean to repent?

//

1

B i b l e R e p e n t a n c e E x p l a i n e d

M a t t h e w 2 1 : 2 8 - 2 9

What do you think? There was a man who had two sons.He went to the first and said, "Son, go and work today in the

vineyard." "I will not," he answered, but later he changed hismind and went.

In this parable, told by our Lord Jesus, a son refused to do whathis father told him. Later he changed his mind and did what hisfather said.

B i b l e A c h a n g e o f m i n d t h a t w i l l c a u a e o n eR e p e n t a n c e t o c h a n g e h i s / h e r l i f e .

Jesus gives the bestexample In all the

Bible of Repentance.He clearly shows thatrepentance means tochance one*s m ind !

E X A M P E :

If a couple is living in sin (living together unmarried) and they repent,what change will occur in their life?

I N O U R S T U D Y S O F A R W E H A V E F O U N DT H AT A P E R S O N M U S T:

1 . B e l i e v e 2 . R e p e n t

2

W h a t A p e C D t h e r R e q u i r e m e n t s ?

M a t t h e w 1 0 : 3 2

Therefore whoever confesses Me before nnen, him 1 will alsoconfess before My Father who is in heaven.

What does God's Word say I must do?

A r e T h e r e A n y C D t h e r R e q u i r e m e n t s ?

M a r k 1 6 : 1 6

He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he whodoes not believe will be condemned.

What does God's Word say Imust do?

B I B L E B A P T I S M

How Many Baptism Are There? (Ephesians 4:4-6)

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in onehope of your calling; ^ one Lord, one faith, one baptism: ® one Godand Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

HOW /v\AhY LORDS ARE THERE?HOW MAHY GODS ARE THERE?HOW MANY BAPTISMS ARE THERE?

3

THE WORD OF GOD TEACHES ONE BAPTISM, YET IN ACTS19 THERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF THOSE WHO WERE BAPT I Z E D T W I C E .

Could you suggest a reason why these were baptizeda second t ime?

✓ "

A c t s 1 9 : 1 - 5

' And it happened, while Apoilos was at Corinth, that Paul, havingpassed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And findingsome disciples ̂ he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit

when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much asheard whether there is a Holy Spirit." ^ And he said to them, "Into

what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism."'* Then Paul said, 'John indeed baptized with a baptism of repen

tance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him whowould come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." ^ When they heard

this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

If a person discovers that he/she hasnot been baptized as the Bible says,what should he/she do?

J

4

Five Requi rements of B ib le Bapt ism

M a t t h e w 2 8 : 1 8 - 2 0

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority hasbeen given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore andmake disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name

of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teachingthem to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo,

I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

n B y W h o s e A u t h o r i t y ?

M AT T H E W 2 8 : 1 8 - 2 0

M a r k 1 6 : 1 6


W h o i s a P r o p e r S u b j e c t ?

MARK 16 :16

P H I L I P B A P T I Z E D T H E E T H I O P I A N E U N U C H

A c t s 8 : 2 6 - 3 9

Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise andgo toward the south along the road which goes down from

Jerusalem to Gaza." This is desert. So he arose and went.And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority

under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge ofall her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, wasreturning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the

prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go near and overtakethis chariot." So Phiiip ran to him, and heard him reading

the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you arereading?" And he said, "How can 1, unless someone guidesme?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. Theplace in the Scripture which he read was this: "He was led asa sheep to the slaughter; and as a lamb before its shearer issilent, so He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation Hisjustice was taken away, and who will declare His generation?

For His life is taken from the earth." So the eunuch answeredPhilip and said, "1 ask you, of whom does the prophet say this,of himself or of some other man?" Then Philip opened his

mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.Now as they went down the road, they came to some water.

And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me frombeing baptized?" Then Philip said, "if you believe with all yourheart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Je

sus Christ is the Son of God." ^ So he commanded the chariotto stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into

the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up outof the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that

the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.

3W h a t l a t h e R i g h t E l e m e n t ?ACTS 8:26-39How many were present?

B

R o m a n s 6 : 3 - 4^ Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized intoChrist Jesus were baptized into His death?'' Therefore we wereburied with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christwas raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we

also should walk in newness of life.

4 What 1stROMANS 6:,

[ ] S p r i n k l i n g

[ ] B u r i a l

[ ] P o u r i n g

n e R i g h t A c t i o n ?

,-4

A c t s 2 : 3 8

Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of yoube baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of

sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

5 W h a t I s t h e R i g h t P u r p o s e ?

ACTS 2 :38

W h i c h I s t h e Te a c h i n g o f t h e B i b l e ?

(Check correct answer)

A c t s 2 : 3 8

Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of yoube baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of

sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

[ ] 1 . R e p e n t e n c e = R e m i s s i o n o f s i n s - B a p t i s m

[ ] 2 . Bapt ism = Salvat ion = Bel ieve In Jesus

[ ] 3 . R e p e n t a n c e + B a p t i s m = R e m i s s i o n o f s i n s

M a r k 1 6 : 1 6


[ ] 1 . Be l ieve = Saved = Bapt ism

[ I 2 . Bapt ism = Saved = Be l ieved

[ ] 3 . Be l ieve + Bapt ism = Saved

S

W h o H a s N o H o p e a n d I s W i t h o u t G o d ?

Epheslans 2:12that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from

the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenantsof promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

[ ] T h o s e W i t h i n C h r i s t ?

[ ] T h o s e W i t h o u t C h r i s t ?

I s B e i n g " I n C h r i s t " N e c e s s a r yt o B e S a v e d ?

2 Cor i n th i ans 5 :17" Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old

things have passed away; behold, ail things have become new.

[ ] A r e N e w C r e a t u r e s I n C h r i s t ?

E ] A r e N e w C r e a t u r e s O u t o f C h r i s t ?

Ephesians 1:3^ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who

has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlyplaces in Christ.

[ ] A r e A l S p i r i t u a l B l e s s i n g s I n C h r i s t ?

[ ] A r e A l l S p i r i t u a l B l e s s i n g s O u t o f C h r i s t ?

9

C o l o s s i a n s 1 : 1 3 - 1 4

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom

we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

I ] 1b Fopgrveneas of Sins in Chr lat ;?

[ ] l a Fo rg i veness o f S ins Ou t ; o f Ch r i s t?

2 Timothy 2:10

Therefore 1 endureall things for the sakeof the elect, that theyalso may obtain the

s a l v a t i o n w h i c h i sin Christ Jesus with

eternal glory.

[ ] l a S a l v a t i o n i n C h r i s t ?

[ 1 I s S a l v a t i o n O u t o f C h r i s t ?

1 John 5 :11

And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life,and this life is in His Son.

[ ] I s E t e r n a l L i f e i n C h r i s t ?

[ ] l a E t e r n a l L i f e O u t o f C h r i s t ?

1 □

G a l a t i a n s 3 : 2 7

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have puto n C h r i s t .

R o m a n s 6 : 3^ Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into

Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

W h a t : A c t o f F a i t h P u t s U s I n t o C h r i s t ?

The Most ImportarrG Decision In Your Lifel

God gives us many reasons to become Christians, i.e., the fear ofbeing lost, the rewards of the abundant Christian life. But the greatest of all reasons for becoming a Christian is a loving appreciationfor what Jesus did at Calvary.

R E V I E W T H E S T O R YO F T H E C R O S S

M a t t h e w 2 7 : 1 - 5 0

L u k e 2 3 : 1 3 - 4 6

J o h n 1 9 : 1 - 3 0

WHY DID JESCJS DIE ON THE CROSS? (Be personal in youranswer.)

DO YOG TRGLY LOVE JESGS?

How does Jesus say we show this love?"If you love Me, keep My commandments. (John 14:15)

L e t u s b r ' l e fl y r e v i e w w h a t w e h a v e d o n e :

Do you believe in Jesus?

Are you willing to repent of your sins?

Do you believe with all your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son ofGod?

What do you now need to do to become a Christian like the Biblesays?Do you know any reason why you should not be baptized as theB i b l e t e a c h e s ?

1 2

To enrol l in a free Bible course by mail

B I B L E C O R R E S P O N D E N C E C O U R S E

In order to encourage a greater interest in the Scriptures, a specialFREE Bible Study Course is now being conducted.

T h e c o u r s e i s :

* Completely undenominational

* Absolutely free of charge

* Conducted entirely by mail

* Based directly on the Bible

To enroll in this free Bible Course, fillout and return to us: Re tu rn to :

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