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Introduction:
Think all the many hazards this world faces today.
Hazards of wars and rumors of wars, nations rising against nations, and
kingdom against kingdom. Christ tells to not be worried or afraid when we
hear of these things, for they must come to pass before this world comes to
an end. I think of the dangers the nation of Israel is presently under and
how many nations are against her existence. Think of the many nations on
this earth who would completely destroy another nation if it would gain them
something in this life.
Hazards against the family. Divorce today is a way of life. Many people
divorce for nearly no reason at all. Many people do not get married, but
simply live together.
Hazards against the morals of this nation, therefore hazards against our
personal morals. Mention the immorality of homosexuality, abortion, the
nakedness of people all over this world. Many people today think nothing of
going to town ¼ undressed. I used to say people were ½ dressed, but today
they are not ½ dressed, they are only ¼ dressed. Today, people think it is
normal to go to town ¼ dressed, with their nakedness showing to all.
II Timothy 3:1 states that perilous times shall come in the last days,
which is now.
There is no provision in the entire Bible for the defeat of God’s
children.
a. Deuteronomy 20:1 – God instructs his children to not be afraid of
their enemies.
b. Deuteronomy 20:2-4 – The priests would encourage the Israelites to
not be afraid, but to trust in God.
c. Deuteronomy 20:8 – Any Israelite who was afraid was allowed to go
home from the battle.
d. Deuteronomy 20:10-15 – Instructions for capturing the cities a
long way off.
e. Deuteronomy 20:16-18 – Instructions for capturing the cities of
the enemies who were close.
Hazards to the Local Church:
I. What is the church?
A. Definition - Local, visible body of saved baptized believed gathered
together for the purpose of worshipping God.
1. There is no such thing as a universal visible or invisible church.
2. This organization is a figment of men’s imagination so they can do
what they want to do.
B. The church is losing its identity today because there are so many
social religious groups.
1. Some identifying marks:
a. Local, independent body of saved, scripturally baptized believers
who free covenant together to worship God.
b. The way of salvation is by grace, through faith without works on
our part.
c. Scriptural baptism: (1) proper subject (2) proper mode (3) proper
method (4) proper purpose.
d. Christ is the only head.
2. There are many false assemblies today.
a. Matthew 13:30 – Both the wheat and tares grow together until the
harvest.
b. Matthew 13:31-32 – Parable of the grain of mustard seed –
becomes great until the fowls of the air lodge in the branches.
c. Matthew 13:33 – The leaven is hid in three measures of meal.
d. Do not be overly concerned or anxious about this perversion of the
truth, but remain true to God, for he knows all about it.
e. Many assemblies are not even calling themselves churches, but
family life centers, or some such.
1.) In some of these assemblies, honest people are trying to get
away from denominationalism, but not away from the Lord’s church.
2.) They accept believers baptism, not church baptism, but they are
honest in their acceptance.
f. Some of these assemblies will have something for every member of
the family, but very few things the family can do together.
g. In many of these organizations people are busy instead of
worshipping God.
C. What are the identifying marks of a true New Testament Baptist Church?
1. Can you tell why this church is not like the church down the street?
2. Why do you come to this church and not the church down the street?
3. Some go to a certain church because their family or friends go to
that church.
4. We have had some people leave our church because we didn’t have a
lot of organized activities for our youth like a lot of other churches
have.
5. Those people never think that a church is for worship, not social
activities.
II. What is the mission of the church?
A. Matt. 28:18-20 - Go, witness to the lost, baptize the saved, and teach
them the all things.
B. Not:
1. To save people, Christ alone can do that. Our message is to proclaim
the good news.
2. Fun and games, but remember that saved people can have fun.
3. A social institution, but remember that we can have social contact
with fellow church members.
III. Ignorance in these last days.
A. Hosea 4:6 - My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
B. II Tim. 2:15 - Study to show yourself approved unto God.
IV. Influence of the world.
A. Rev. 3:14-22 - The Laodiceans were lukewarm, not hot or cold.
B. II Tim. 3:3-5 - People that keep religion, but don’t keep Godliness.
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No
man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he
may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 5 And if a man also
strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
1. Doing anything and everything on Sunday except giving that day to
God. (Sometimes people believe they are doing right if they go to church,
then do what they want the rest of the day.)
2. Wanting to dress, act, listen to the world’s music, and generally
be like the world while retaining their "religion".
3. People say it doesn’t matter what is on the body, it is what is in
the heart that counts. (But what is in the heart will show up in the
body!)
C. II Tim. 4:1-3 - People will not endure sound doctrine, but will follow
their own lusts.
1. How many Baptist know what they believe, and why they believe it?
2. It’s not what I think that counts, it’s what the Bible says that
counts.
D. I Tim. 4:1-3 - People will begin to depart from the faith, because
they have given heed to seducing spirits, then accepting false doctrines,
then speaking hypocrisy concerning marriage and eating meat.
E. I John 2:18,19 - There were many Antichrists 2,000 years ago, and this
leads to just one Antichrist, who will rule the world for 7 years (3½ with
peace and 3½ with war).
F. Looking to the rapture as a fire escape and not trying to do anything
for God. Accepting evil and not fighting sin because it is "the last
days".