Christian Class
Sermon/Lecture Manuscript
“But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good
to them which hate you, 28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which
despitefully use you. 29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer
also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy
coat also. 30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh
away thy goods ask them not again. 31 And as ye would that men should do to
you, do ye also to them likewise. 32 For if ye love them which love you, what
thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. 33 And if ye do
good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do
even the same. 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what
thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again;
and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest:
for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 36 Be ye therefore merciful,
as your Father also is merciful. 37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged:
condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:”(Luke
6:27-37).
The
church of Christ is the place where the different dwell and find a welcoming
place of abode. It is the place of habitation where the truly transformed live,
move, breath, and find their very being or essence. The church is the place where
clear distinctions are realized concerning behavior traits, addictions,
weights, and sins, in relationship to a pre and post connection or lack thereof
with Christ. There was a time when all members of the church did not walk with
Christ, and were in actuality the antithesis of anything governed by God or
spirituality. Peter said, “But it is
happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own
vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire” (2 Peter
2:22). “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified,
but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our
God” (1 Corinthians 6:11). Please note that sanctification and
justification are not fixed Salvatore positions in Christ. They are forever
connected and calibrated with your faith and obedience to Christ.
With his fellow saints in Galatia, Paul arrived at a
peculiar place with them because of their headlong wayward slippage
backward. Paul, keenly aware of the
church being a place for the changed, holy, and separated was appalled by the
spiritual retardation at work in the lives of even those he taught. Before
taking offense at the verbiage, notice his words: “Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by
nature are no gods. 9 But now, after
that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the
weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 10 Ye
observe days, and months, and times, and years. 11 I am afraid of you, lest I
have bestowed upon you labour in vain” (Gal 4:8-11).
The institution known as the church, body of Christ, bride
of Christ, is the classiest outfit on the earth. It often seems over used,
abused, and sometimes misunderstood, but God’s people are the salt of the earth
and light of the world. It is not a mere statement, neither something of
automation or robotics, it is a succinct way of describing the behaviors,
customs, and contributions of Gods practicing children. Hence the emphasis on
the word “practicing”, for if one fails to maintain their classiness in Christ,
they simply dim their light and de-taste their salt. The church is where the
world should be able to look to find the best of all that pertains to life and
Godliness.
The Words of Christ in the lecture text provides a detailed
rubric for those who have been set apart by Christ. Jesus instructs His called
out, His sanctified, His redeemed, His holy people, His royal earthly bride to love enemies, do good to them which
hate, bless them that wish harm, and pray for them who stir up disrespect. Jesus
instructs, the way you want individuals to treat you, treat them the same way as
well. Some continue to struggle with conflict resolution in the church and are
more concerned with catching a sister or brother doing something wrong than
they are in the process of restoration.
It would
bring the carnal minded church member internal sick delight to hear that your
preacher has fallen into sin, but to the spiritually circumspect, it would be a
day of sadness and a search for resolution. God knew that not all would adhere
to His Word, therefore he instructed Paul to tell the church, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault,
ye which are spiritual, restore such an one [how?] in the spirit of meekness;
considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2 Bear ye one another's
burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if a man think himself to be
something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every man prove his
own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in
another” (Galatians 6:1-4).
In
the church, Jesus instructs His elect in how to confront, approach, and deal
with conflict and Christian maladaptive behavior. Failure to deal with sin
according to the scriptures equates to additional sin. Jesus said, “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass
against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall
hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But if he will not hear thee, then
take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses
every word may be established. 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it
unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as
an heathen man and a publican” (Matt 18:15-17).
Christians live holy lives. There must be a distinct difference
between the church and the world. Jesus said “And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye?
for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love ye
your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward
shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind
unto the unthankful and to the evil. 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your
Father also is merciful. 37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn
not, and ye
Through the journey, all Christians are striving to pass
over the tempestuous and treacherous waters of life. Allegorically and
literally, the elements within the water and surrounding the waters are
vicious, unmerciful, and self-serving. As the innocent seek to pass over, the
spiritually deficient and dispositionally evil plot like predators hunting
prey. In the natural Safari, the Wildebeests travel in mass numbers to cross
over the river in response to the changing of seasons. The waters are infested with
flesh eating crocodilian beasts. They have no choice, they must pass through the
water to get to the other side. You have no choice, as a Christian you must
pass through the world to get to the other side. In essence, your encounter
with the devil is inescapable. Will you swim past while the devil chomps at
your brother, sister, or even mother in Christ? Not every Wildebeest who died,
experienced death in the powerful clinches of a crocodile, some were trampled
to death by other Wildebeest acting out of fear, recklessness, and poor
methodology.
As the innocent wildebeest attempted passage, aside from
the crocodiles, the lions and vultures waited in the thicket or brush. Lions
capture live prey at the most opportunistic moment, but the vulture will watch
the innocent be attacked and killed, never offering assistance, but partaking in
the meal after death.
“And there came one of the seven
angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come
hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 2 With whom the kings of the earth
have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made
drunk with the wine of her fornication. 3 So he carried me away in the spirit
into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast,
full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman
was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious
stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and
filthiness of her fornication: 5 And upon her forehead was a name written,
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE
EARTH. 6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with
the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great
admiration. 7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will
tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which
hath the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast that thou sawest was, and
is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition:
and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written
in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the
beast that was, and is not, and yet is. 9 And here is the mind which hath
wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. 10
And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not
yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. 11 And the beast
that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth
into perdition. 12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which
have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with
the beast. 13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength
unto the beast. 14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall
overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are
with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. 15 And he saith unto me, The
waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes,
and nations, and tongues” (Revelation 17:1-15).
The evil
waters are influenced by the devil. As the psalmist said, This world is not
my home, I am just a passing thru…” Pass
through with love, class, and virtue toward God, self, and others. Make your
own applications and regain the virtue and class God expects of you. God expects
the best of His children in love, worship, praise, giving, communion, behavior,
attitude, dress, diet, humility, forgiveness, and much more.
AMEN!