Church of Christ Renton

09/18/2023

03/25/2022

“…in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 2:2)

The prince of the power of the air is a reference to Satan. He has the kind of power seen in a hurricane or a tornado – destructive power that eventually evaporates into thin air. And how does that power work exactly? What is the general essence or spirit behind Satan’s schemes?

The spirit of disobedience. Satan’s power is found in his ability to stir us up into insurrection and rebellion. When we are tempted by selfishness and personal authority, the devil gleefully wreaks his chaos. He does it in marriages, friendships, churches, and society. A ‘me first’ culture leads to the whirlwind of division, hatred, pain, and rebellion against God.

Satan’s power is in turning each of us toward disobedience. If he can get us to shake our fist at God and say, “Who are You to tell me what to do?!”, then he has infected us with his deadly poison of rebellion.

Obedience to God is not weak. Subjection to the gracious, kind intention of our Lord is the strongest thing you can do with your life. Weak souls must rebel to “prove” their strength. Be strong; don’t follow the pack. Choose obedience.

Matthew 4:4
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09/06/2021

“…through Him, everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.” (Acts 13:39)

The Law of Moses, also known as the first five books of the Old Testament, was a revolutionary legal document. It included divine laws that offered protection to women, showcased the value of immigrants, and enacted regulations to meet the needs of the poor and disenfranchised. As the apostle Paul said, the Law is “holy and righteous and good”.

So, with such a perfect law… why would we need the New Testament? Why would we need Jesus if God had already given Moses such a great law?

The answer is sin. The law of Moses was holy, but we aren’t. It is full of righteous commands, and we fail to follow them. Its goodness highlighted our wickedness. The Law of Moses shackled everyone as criminals.

Shame, guilt, and worthlessness are the consequences of examining our lives closely. Everything that we accuse others of, hate in society, and despise as selfish can be found in our own lives with even a casual level of introspection. We are slaves to sin, and it is a cruel master that taunts us every day.

And then Jesus came. He brought hope through forgiveness, freedom through His sacrifice, and a path to acceptance by God. Jesus sets us free from our guilt and restores our worth. In Him, we are freed from what law alone never could.

Matthew 4:4
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09/02/2021

“And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory…” (Acts 12:23)

What was Herod’s sin? He chose flattery. He accepted praise which belonged to God.

Be wary of the love of flattery; it will own you with its beguiling, velvety touch. Flattery is the sin that teaches us to accept lies because they make us feel good. If you read through the Psalms and Proverbs, you will find that flattery is often paired right next to words like ‘lying’, ‘falsehood’, and ‘seduction’. Many a marriage has been destroyed by the flattery of another.

Flattery seduces us to believe lies about ourselves that deceive our own hearts. We are seduced by those who flatter because they cause us to feel like a high-quality person without having to put the work into actually becoming that person… but honesty requires a humble assessment of ourselves (flaws and all!) that cannot happen when surrounded by yes-men.

Beware the allure of flattery. Flattery often comes with a hidden price.

Matthew 4:4
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08/20/2021

“and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it [the church] continued to increase.” (Acts 9:31)

How did the early church grow? Fear and comfort.

Both of these ingredients are necessary. If we have comfort without fear, we quickly become complacent and will begin to indulge in sinful behavior. If we have fear without comfort, we slowly devolve into hopeless languor.

However, if we fear Him, we need not fear anything else. If we find our comfort in Him, we will not seek comfort in darkness. He is both our warm blanket of hope and the roaring lion of Judah.

The human heart needs both fear and comfort. Preach accordingly.

Matthew 4:4
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08/18/2021

“He is the Son of God.” (Acts 9:20)

If you were to summarize Paul’s early sermons, it would be these six words.

He is the Son of God.

Jesus is Immanuel, God with us. It is that truth that changes everything. It is why Paul went from persecutor to disciple. Jesus is the Son of God, and we all ought to follow.

The world has had many good teachers and it has had quite a few philosophers, but only one Man is also God.

We cannot afford to ignore these six words. The Son of God has spoken. Will we listen?

Matthew 4:4
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08/09/2021

“They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” (Acts 7:59)

The mob yelled at Stephen to try and drown him out – he spoke truth anyway.
They covered their ears – he tried to reach them anyway.
They gnashed their teeth at him – he forgave them anyway.
They kept on stoning him – he kept on calling on Jesus anyway.
They killed him – he is resurrected in Jesus anyway.

Don’t let the world dictate your character. Be a Stephen.

Matthew 4:4
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07/30/2021

“…for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown, but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.” (Acts 5:38-39)

The conviction that Christianity is from God also includes the conviction that we already know the end of the story.

Spoiler alert: Christ wins.

We already see evidence of this ultimate victory in the endurance of the Scriptures and Christianity through 2,000 years of persecution. You can’t destroy what God is willing to defend.

Stand firm, brethren. Victory is already His.

Matthew 4:4
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07/29/2021

“Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this life.” (Acts 5:20)

When the angel instructed the apostles to preach about Jesus, he calls the gospel “the whole message of this life”… not the partial message, the whole one.

The message of Jesus Christ is the entire recipe for life here on earth. As Peter described, it is “everything pertaining to life and godliness”. The Scriptures will tell you how to be right with God and how to live your life here under the sun.

Why should we be evangelistic? Because we have the answers to life – all the answers. The Bible answers the questions of pain, suffering, hope, fear, life, death, and purpose. It equips people to live, move, and breathe. We have the answers! Why wouldn’t we share it with others?

The great thing about the whole message is that you can share it with the whole world!

Matthew 4:4
(www.biblegrad.com)

07/22/2021

“grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence.” (Acts 4:29b)

Confidence gets our attention. A speaker with confidence is more persuasive. We are more likely to be attracted to someone with confidence, and we are more likely to listen to someone who exudes confidence in their position.

The apostles understood that evangelism required confidence. Mealy-mouthed preaching that vacillated and wavered wouldn’t convince anyone. Words like “might”, “potential”, or “possibly” would not persuade anyone to follow Jesus. We most speak with confidence in the authority of the Scripture. The tomb is empty. Jesus is King. The Scriptures are God’s Word. Baptism in His name does save you and salvation is available in no one else. These are truths that are absolute and must be said as such if we expect to reach the lost. After all if they “might” be lost and we are “likely” saved… there isn’t much “potential” for repentance.

The apostles prayed for confidence. We should, too.

Matthew 4:4
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07/13/2021

“But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.” (Acts 2:24)

‘Agony’ was originally a word that referred to mental anguish alone. Only later did we begin to introduce the idea of agony involving physical suffering, too.

When Jesus was raised from the death, His death didn’t put an end to the physical suffering of this life, that still happens to all of us. He made it so that you no longer need to face the mental agony of it though. No one need fear death – Jesus has conquered it. He’s removed its sting and bite.

For those baptized into Christ, death becomes only a doorway to heaven, not a pit to destruction. Is that a wonderful thought? Knowing what comes after makes what we face here so much more palatable. It isn’t goodbye, just see you later.

Matthew 4:4