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Brethren, Let’s Not Be Ignorant Series!

Let’s Not Be Ignorant About Giving

November 16, 2014 • Pastor Ron Finch

Let’s Not Be Ignorant About the Lord’s Table!

November 9, 2014 • Pastor Ron Finch

The Corinthian church abused many things but one of the most serious was the Lord’s Table. So bad was their abuse that Paul said it was as if they were despising the church of God! He absolutely refused to give them any praise for the way they were conducting themselves at the Lord’s Table. One writer said, “These verses are like a diamond dropped in a muddy road. One of the most beautiful passages in all of Scripture is given in the middle of a strong rebuke of worldly, carnal, selfish, and insensitive atti- tudes and behavior. The rebuke, in fact, is of Christians who have perverted the very ceremony that these verses so movingly describe.” (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1984). 1 Corinthians (pp. 270–271). Chicago: Moody Press.) If it was that serious, we need to listen in on his counsel to them.

Let’s Not Be Ignorant About Spiritual Gifts! Four VALUES of Spiritual Gifts

November 2, 2014 • Pastor Ron Finch

I. Let’s Review: What We Said In Our Last Message: 1. A Spiritual Gift is given by God so we can do the specific “good works” that He has designed for us to do! Ephesians 2:10 2. A Spiritual Gift is a special gift that comes from God’s grace, and is a super-natural ability given by God the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation, to enable a believer to minister to the Body of Christ, so that God is glorified and the church is edified.” 3. There are many gifts through which many ministries happen with many re-sults. (1 Corinthians 12:3-5). 4. Spiritual Gifts are for the profit of the whole body, not ourself! (1 Corinthians 12:7, 25) 5. Spiritual Gifts are given by the Holy Spirit as He WILLS not as we desire! (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)

Let's Not Be Ignorant About Spiritual Gifts

October 19, 2014 • Pastor Ron Finch

Let’s Not Be Ignorant About Spiritual Gifts! 1 Corinthians 12:1-31 (Part 1) The Corinthian church was a troubled church! They had many different problems that led Paul to address in his letter to them. One of their problems was regarding Spiritual Gifts! They were abusing them! So, Paul wrote to them to clear up their misunderstandings, and provide Godly guidance in how to use Spiritual Gifts in a God glorifying way. I believe this study is particularly valuable for us today because there is a lot of misunderstanding and abuse going on in the American churches regarding their use (yes, even abuse!). Let’s look in on what Paul says to them and learn from it.

Let’s Not Be Ignorant of History’s Lessons!

October 12, 2014 • Pastor Ron Finch

Many people do not see the value of history. The apostle Paul saw GREAT value in history and proved it in which he wrote to the Corinthian church. We can learn MUCH from history if we are willing to take a brief look back and allow God to use it in our lives in the PRESENT. That is what we want to do this morning. Let’s take a brief look back into Israel’s history and “Not Be Ignorant of History’s Lessons!”

Resist & Stand Firm (Part 2)

October 5, 2014 • Pastor Ron Finch

God has commanded His people to “stand firm” and “resist” Satan’s attacks against them, and He has given us the way to do it — the Armor of God! Last week we began to examine the armor and learn how to use it. We learned that three of the pieces are “put on” at the moment of our salvation: the belt of Truth, the breast-plate of Righteousness, and the sandals of the preparation of the gospel which brought peace with God. These we “have on,” now it’s time to “take up”! Three pieces MUST be taken up when Satan attacks!

Resist & Stand Firm! (Part 1)

September 28, 2014 • Pastor Ron Finch

The last two messages have focused on Satan’s schemes against believers. Satan is cunning, deceptive and destructive! We are NEVER told to defeat Him (He was defeated by Christ on the cross, Colossians 2:14-15; Hebrews 2:14-15), but we are told to RESIST and STAND FIRM. It can be done; not in our own strength, but in God’s strength wearing His armor! Remember where Paul was and to whom he was chained when he wrote this — a Roman soldier!

Let’s Be Informed About Satan’s Schemes! (Part 2)

September 21, 2014 • Pastor Ron Finch

We are at a point in our “Let’s Not Be Ignorant” series that we have turned our attention to our spiritual enemy — SATAN! I pointed out last week that 75% of “self-proclaimed” Christians DENY the reality of a real, physical Satan claiming he is a symbol of evil. Such thinking is absolutely FALSE and CONTRARY to God’s Word: Satan is real, he is active, he is God’s enemy and our enemy, too! Therefore, we must not be ignorant of his schemes! Last week we looked at two of his schemes: Unforgiveness, and Independence! This morning we look at three more (hopefully).

Let’s Be Informed About Satan’s Schemes!

September 14, 2014 • Pastor Ron Finch

Every Believer has three enemies: the World, the Flesh, and Satan. It is to the third, Satan, that we turn our attention to this morning. Satan is a formidable enemy, BUT not invincible! He is a defeated enemy — not by us BUT by Christ on the cross (Hebrews 2:14; Colossians 2:15) — but even though he is defeated, he still awaits his final demise that will come at the end of Christ’s Millennial reign (Revelation 20:10). He is not bound today, and is very active in his work to discourage, harass, and devour believers (1 Peter 5:8). How does he accomplish his work? What are his schemes? That’s the focus of Paul in our text. He was concerned for the Corinthians that they would be “outwitted by Satan”! I. Background of Paul’s Concern — 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 A. The Corinthians were being tolerant and boasting about sexual sin in the church! A kind not even tolerated among the pagans! 5:1-2 B. Paul instructs them to disciple the man from the church — purge the evil person from among you!” 5:3-13 C. The church did it! They disciplined him out! D. The man turned from the sin, but the church was not willing to restore him back into the fellowship. E. Paul wrote to instruct them to forgive him and restore him 2 Corinthians 2:5-10.

Let's Not Be Ignorant About Our Reunion

September 7, 2014 • Pastor Ron Finch

There are many questions related to death. I hear them all the time whenever I do a memorial service or funeral. A common question seems to be, “Will I ever see my loved one again?” Have you ever asked such a question? Well, we’re not the only ones who have asked it. The Thessalonian Believers did too, and Paul captured the opportunity to give them (and us) a straight answer. Let’s look at what he wrote. It’s really helpful!

Let’s Not be Ignorant About Israel

August 24, 2014 • Pastor Ron Finch

There’s an old saying, “Ignorance is bliss, “tis folly to be wise”. This was written by Thomas Gray in his poem “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College” (1742). The Apostle Paul would never have been drawn into that kind of thinking! Ignorance was not bliss, it was wrong! He wanted to guard believers from being “ignorant” or “uninformed”, or “without understanding”. Proper information was critical to right thinking, and right thinking was critical to right understanding, and right understanding was critical to right doctrine. THAT IS TRUE TODAY! Thus, this morning we begin a short series of messages that focus upon the specific things that Paul did not want believers to be “ignorant” or “uninformed” about.