MAKE THE BEST USE OF THE TIME LIKE MEN: Ephesians 5:15-16

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MAKE THE BEST USE OF THE TIME LIKE MEN: Ephesians 5:15-16

Ephesians 5:15-16

August 1, 2022 • Corey Seitz • Ephesians 5:15–16

Doctrine: Christ Jesus commands His disciples to walk carefully in these evil days by wisely redeeming their time for His glory.

I. DISCIPLES OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST CAREFULLY EXAMINE HOW THEY CONDUCT THEIR LIVES

II. DISCIPLES OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST GOVERN THEIR TIME WISELY

III. DISCIPLES OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST MAKE
SACRED USE OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS WAR THEREFORE ACT LIKE MEN: 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

May 27, 2022 • Brett Baggett • 1 Corinthians 16:13–14

DOCTRINE: The Christian life is war, therefore you and I must be watchful, stand firm, act like men, and, being strengthened by Christ, we must wage war out of love for God and love for neighbor. I. THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS WAR, THEREFORE BE WATCHFUL (v. 13a) J.C. Ryle, in his little book, “Thoughts for Young Men,” outlines 5 special dangers men need to be warned against: I) You and I must watch out for pride. II) You and I must watch out for the love of pleasure. III) You and I must watch out for thoughtlessness and inconsideration. IV) You and I must watch out for contempt of spiritual disciplines. V) You and I must watch out for fear of man’s opinion. II. THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS WAR, THEREFORE STAND FIRM IN THE FAITH (v. 13b) I) You must stand firm in the faith by devoting yourself to Private Worship. II) You must devote yourself to Family Worship if you would stand firm in the faith. III) You must devote yourself to Christian Fellowship if you would stand firm in the faith. IV) You must stand firm in the faith by devoting yourself to Public Worship in the assembly of the saints. III. THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS WAR, THEREFORE ACT LIKE MEN (v. 13c) I) You and I must act like men by refusing to act like women (1 Corinthians 6:9-10 NASB95). (I) Women are the weaker vessel (1 Peter 3:7); Men must be strong. (II) Women are softer (1 Peter 3:7), Men must be firm. (III) Women are designed and commanded to follow and submit; Men are designed and commanded to exercise authority and lead (Ephesians 5:22-25). II) You and I must act like men by refusing to act like children (1 Corinthians 13:11). III) You and I must act like men by fleeing from temptations to sin (1 Corinthians 10:13-14). IV) You and I must act like men by fleeing from sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:8). V) You and I must act like men by providing for our families both physically and spiritually (1 Timothy 5:8). (I) Men physically provide (1 Timothy 5:8). (II) Men spiritually provide (Wives in Ephesians 5; Children in Ephesians 6 and Deuteronomy 6). VI) You and I must act like men by protecting our families, our church, and our neighbors (Genesis 2:15; Numbers 1:2-3; Ephesians 5:25). (I) It was Adam that was to protect Eve in the garden (Genesis 2:15). (II) It was men who were go to war in Israel (Numbers 1:2-3). (III) It is husbands who are to lay down their lives for their wives (Ephesians 5:25). VII) You and I must act like men together (1 Corinthians 16:13). IV. THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS WAR, THEREFORE GET STRENGTH FROM CHRIST BY FAITH AND PRAYER (1 Corinthians 16:13d; Ephesians 6:10; 1 Samuel 30:6) V. THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS WAR, AND ALL THE WARFARE WE WAGE MUST BE DONE IN LOVE (1 Corinthians 16:14) I) Question 1. What if you and I are faithful to “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men,” and “be strong” but we have not love? A. If we do not have love, everything else is useless (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 II) Question 2. What does love look like in general? A. God defines what love looks like in general in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. III) Question 3. What does love look like in specific in regard to 1 Corinthians 16:13? A. God defines what love looks like in specific in 1 John 3:16. The good news is that though we fight in these battles, Christ has already won the war. We are engaged in conflicts that will one day be over! “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Romans 16:20).

LEAD FAMILY WORSHIP LIKE MEN: Joshua 24:14-15

May 29, 2022 • Brett Baggett • Joshua 24:14–15

BIG IDEA: The duty, how to, motives, arguments, and blessings of family worship. Question: What is meant by family worship? Answer: Family worship is the daily use of prayer, Scripture, catechism, and song by a family, led by the head of the household, to worship the one true God for His glory and their good. I. THE DUTY OF FAMILY WORSHIP (Josh. 24:14-15) I) You are commanded to worship the LORD in sincerity and faithfulness, putting away all your former idols (Joshua 24:14). You and I must worship the LORD because He created us (Rev. 4:11), He deserves it (Psalm 29:2), that is the chief activity He has redeemed us for (Psalm 71:23), and because that is the reason Jesus died and was raised (Psalm 22:27). II) Do not be deceived, you will worship something or someone (Joshua 24:15a). III) Those who worship the LORD, should do so with their household (Joshua 24:15b). The duty of family worship is exemplified and expected of saints many places in Scripture: Abraham commanded His household to keep the way of the LORD and offered sacrifices to Him (Genesis 18:19). Jacob set up a family altar by God’s command and worshipped the LORD with his household (Genesis 35:1-3). Asaph, in Psalm 78, says fathers are to instruct their children in the glorious deeds of the LORD (Psalm 78:3-7). In Psalm 118, David says the LORD’s praises are in the houses of the righteous (Psalm 118:15). Paul exhorts us all not to be drunk, but to be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:18-19). Paul expects husbands to wash their wives in the water of the Word of God (Ephesians 5:25-27). Paul commands fathers to instruct their children (Ephesians 6:4). Peter expects husbands to pray with their wives (1 Peter 3:7). Will you join with the saints and worship the Lord with your families? God deserves it! II. THE HOW TO OF FAMILY WORSHIP (Deut 6; Job 1; Heb. 6; Rom. 6:17; Ps. 118:15-16) Plan. Be disciplined. It will not happen if you do not plan and stay disciplined. Set a time and make it happen. Richard Cecil said, “Let family worship be short, savory, simple, plain, tender, and heavenly.”‬ It does not need to be more than 10-20 minutes. Start somewhere and improve as you go. I) Pray, thanking God and interceding on behalf of your family (Job 1:5). II) Read the Scriptures, explaining and applying to the best of your ability (Deuteronomy 6:4-7). III) Catechize, memorizing the most important questions and answers you can ask (Hebrews 6:1; Romans 6:17; 2 Timothy 1:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:15). IV) Sing, lifting your voices in praise with a Psalm, Hymn, or Spiritual Song (Ps. 118:15-16, Eph. 5:18). III. MOTIVES FOR FAMILY WORSHIP (Thomas Doolittle) Thomas Doolittle (1630-1707) in his sermon “How May the Duty of Daily Family Prayer be Best Managed for the Spiritual Benefit of Every one in the Family?” I) You should pray to God daily in your families because we receive every day family-mercies from the hand of God (Ps. 68:9). II) Because there are sins committed every day in your families (Ps. 51:3). III) Because you have many daily family-needs, which none can supply but God (Matt. 6:11). IV) Because of your families’ daily employments and labors (Ps. 127:1-2). V) Because you are all every day liable to temptations (1 Pet. 5:8). VI) Because all in your families are liable to daily hazards, casualties, and afflictions (Jn. 16:33). VII) You must pray to God in your families daily, or the very Heathen will rise up against you Christians and condemn you. I would simply add, VIII) You must worship God daily in your families because He is worthy of worship! IV) ARGUMENTS FOR FAMILY WORSHIP Oliver Heywood (1630-1702) in his book “The Family Altar”: I) Suppose a grave and pious minister, or Christian friend lodge with you, would you not reach him a bible, and desire him to go to prayer with you, lest he should suspect you to be prayerless at other times? And will not God's authority and presence have the like influence, and awe upon your spirits ? II) Suppose your friends and relations should quite disown, and disclaim you, unless you would pray in your family, would you not make a hard shift to do something that way, rather than be accounted unworthy of human society? And shall that prevail more than God's disclaiming you, or disowning converse with you? III) If your landlord should turn you out of your house, or your father should disinherit you, if you set not up this family altar, could you be content to suffer both, rather than do it? And shall a threatening of your Father in heaven, or great landlord, to reject or eject you out of heaven avail nothing? IV) If a law were imposed upon you to pay five shillings every time that you neglect prayer in your family, would you forfeit that sum as oft as you go prayerless to bed ; would you not fear that would beggar you? And shall not greater losses and heavier penalties deter you from this omission? V) If the king or a nobleman should promise you five pounds every time that you call your family together, read a chapter, sing a psalm, kneel down and pray to God, would you not strain hard to procure that money? And will not a greater profit from Almighty God prevail with you to perform this exercise to obtain a reward ? VI) Suppose a brand were set upon your foreheads, like Cain's, or a dreadful trembling should seize upon your bodies for such a neglect…would not this shame you out of your criminal omission? VII) Suppose the next time you go prayerless to bed, your loveliest child and darling should be snatched away by a sudden stroke of death, as it was in Egypt, when the first-born of Pharaoh and others died, and there was a great cry.* Would not this move you into a better course? Oh, but a greater evil befalls you, your own precious souls are endangered by neglect. VIII) Suppose a red cross, with a “Lord have mercy upon us," were set upon your doors, and the pestilence were within your house, seizing on you, one after another, and you had nothing else to do but to get ready to die would you not spend some time in prayer with yourselves and families? Behold a worse plague is upon you, the plague of sin, and will you not pray? IX) Suppose, upon every omission of family prayer you should lose a limb, or member of your body, first one finger, then a toe should be cut or torn off, till all be gone, and you dismembered; would not this force you to this duty? and yet your precious souls, which are ten thousand times more worth than a limb, yea,' than the whole body, are in hazard by willful neglect. X) Suppose a gallows were set at your door, and you must be hanged thereupon the next time you go out of your door, when you have not prayed in your family; would you venture to be hanged rather than omit this duty? do you love your lives no better? Oh! but eternal death is far more dreadful, and are eternal torments, that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, nothing to you?* Is the second death easy? V. THE BLESSINGS OF FAMILY WORSHIP (Selected Scriptures) Daily family worship will glorify God, which is why you exist and therefore will bring you and your family great joy (Isaiah 43:7), soberly remind you and your family of both the sinfulness of sin and the sufficiency of Christ (Romans 6:23), constantly nourish you and your family with spiritual food (Matthew 4:4), help you and your family keep your eyes fixed on Christ and His kingdom (Colossians 3:2), instruct you and your family as to what is right and wrong, and therefore equip you to love God and neighbor in holiness (Psalm 119:105), and daily family worship will give you a clear conscience in life and death (Acts 20:26-27). CONCLUSION: If you have not made family worship (or private worship if you are single) a daily practice in your home, today is the day. Start today.

THE NEED FOR MANLY CHRISTIAN DISCIPLINE: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

June 6, 2022 • Brett Baggett • 1 Corinthians 9:24–27

DOCTRINE: If you are going to be disciplined as God has commanded in Scripture, your life will look like a grueling race, intense athletic training, a focussed race, a boxing match, and slave-driving. I. If you are going to be disciplined, you must strive hard, exerting yourself (1 Corinthians 9:24) II. If you are going to be disciplined, you must be intentionally self-controlled (1 Corinthians 9:25) III. If you are going to disciplined, you must not run uncertainly or aimlessly (1 Corinthians 9:26a) IV. If you are going to be disciplined, you must really fight, not play at it (1 Corinthians 9:26b) V. If you are going to be disciplined, you must buffet your body and make it your slave (1 Corinthians 9:27a) QUESTION: How do I offer holy violence to myself? That is to ask how do I buffet my body and make it my slave? ANSWER I: If you are going to say with Paul “I buffet my body and make it my slave” you must mortify your sin. I. You must mortify. Colossians 3:5: “Put to death…what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” II. You must continually mortify. Galatians 5:24: “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” III. You must viciously mortify. Matthew 5:29-30: “29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.” IV. You must Spiritually mortify; that is, with the Sword of the Spirit and by the strength of the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:13: “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” V. You must mindfully mortify; that is, with the eyes of your heart fixed on Christ Jesus. Colossians 3:1-5: “1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” ANSWER II: If you are going to say with Paul “I buffet my body and make it my slave” you must devote yourself to spiritual duties. (I) You must “buffet you body” by reading the Word. Psalm 119:5: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” How can you have the light of the lamp if you never pick it up? (II) You must “make your body your slave” by hearing the Word. Luke 19:48: “All the people were hanging on [Christ’s] words.” Jesus commands ministers to “preach the word” in 2 Timothy 4:2, therefore, by implication, you are commanded to listen to it. (III) You must “buffet you body” by prayer. Psalm 88:1: “O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out day and night before you. Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry!” (IV) You must “make your body your slave” by meditating on the Word. Psalm 119:97: “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.” Thomas Watson in Heaven Taken By Storm: “I) Meditate seriously upon the CORRUPTION of your nature. II) Meditate seriously upon THE DEATH AND PASSION OF CHRIST. III) Meditate on your EVIDENCES for heaven. IV) Meditate upon THE UNCERTAINTY OF ALL EARTHLY COMFORTS. V) Meditate on GOD’S SEVERITY AGAINST SIN. VI) Meditate on ETERNAL LIFE.” I would simply add, VIII) Meditate seriously on THE LAW OF GOD AND THE PROMISES OF GOD. IX) Meditate seriously on the ATTRIBUTES OF GOD. (V) You must “buffet your body” by self-examination. 1 Corinthians 11:28: “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” (VI). You must “make you body your slave” by sanctifying the LORD’s day. Hebrews 10:24-25: “24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (VII) You must “buffet your body” by holy fellowship and conversation. Psalm 1:1: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers…” Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom…” VI. You and I must preach this and we must practice what we preach (1 Corinthians 9:27b) CONCLUSION Proverbs 5:22-23 “22 The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. 23 He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray.”