In this engaging episode of the International Gospel Hour, the conversation centers around church discipline and the essentiality of adhering to God’s commands. We examine the biblical imperatives of community accountability within the church and outline practical examples through compelling syllogisms that highlight the necessity of baptism and salvation. This episode enlightens listeners by connecting foundational Christian doctrines with everyday spiritual life.
Today we conclude our discussion of obedience, the Savior’s way. Again, that’s today from the International Gospel Hour. Please stay with us.
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It’s time for our broadcast from the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jay Webb, and welcome to our study today as we embrace God’s Word to help us meet the challenges of today. Let’s open our Bibles and open our heart for this time of Bible study with our speaker Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour, a broadcast of the Churches of Christ. Here’s Jeff.
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Well, thank you to our J-Web for his kind words and greetings to all of you. It is an honor to have you with us again for our broadcast from International Gospel Hour. We are thankful that we can come to you on the airwaves. And by the way, if you’d like to hear some other broadcast, you can go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, scroll down just a bit. You can click on our weekly 30-minute broadcast, our daily 15-minute broadcast, and even the Hispanic option, our Hispanic podcast, Cristianos de Elas with Marlon Ratano. I’d also like to mention our friends at AddedToTheChurch.com. That’s AddedToTheChurch.com. This is an awesome effort by our friends DJ and Sarah Curry of Parkersburg, West Virginia. You’ll find their exceptional articles by them and others, and you can subscribe free to their two digital publications, The Mountain Messenger and The New Testament Expositor. So please check them out at addedtothechurch.com. Once again, that’s addedtothechurch.com. In our previous two-weekly broadcast about obedience, we studied what is not obedience, such as mere promises not fulfilled, saying and not doing, partially obeying God, and substitution of God’s commands. Last week we began a discussion concerning a disciplined life, to walk rightly and to accept corrective discipline. So what we’re going to do, we’re going to come back and conclude some thoughts on discipline. Then I want to talk about some simple syllogisms about obedience. Stay with us. I think you’ll enjoy this study. But first, I’m going to defer to our J-Web for just a few seconds concerning our social media work.
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Let’s conclude our study on obedience, the Savior’s way. As we spoke about discipline according to the scriptures the last broadcast, It is also the objective of discipline to urge out the old leaven that you may be a new lump even as you are unleavened. 1 Corinthians 5.7 On one occasion, Brother Guy N. Woods related the story about an old preacher that had become sinful, thus the church was forced to discipline him. Another man, a faithful gospel preacher, went into that community for a gospel meeting. He knew of the situation there and was also aware that the brethren had done their duty. The man who had been disfellowshipped invited the visiting preacher to eat with him. He refused the invitation, saying, No, brother, I am sorry that you have lived in such a fashion that it became necessary for the church to withdraw fellowship from you. I cannot eat with you, for the Bible says, With such a one know not to eat. Human wisdom would say that this kind of approach would never do, but before that gospel meeting was concluded, that man came down the aisle in tears and repented. But what if one will not repent? What must be done? Again the text, purge out the old leaven. Remember, the brother under consideration is not a person that commits a momentary act of sin and then repents. but rather it is a person who lives a rebellious life of sin and refuses to repent and, more or less, dares the church to do its duty. In some congregations it is difficult for a person to commit enough sins to cause the brethren to withdraw from him. Of course, we are not to withdraw from those who are babes in Christ, as mentioned in 1 Peter 2. We are rather to be kind and patient with them. And we are not to withdraw from each other because of our imperfections. For then none of us could withdraw from the other. Ecclesiastes 7 and verse 20 says, For there is not a just man upon the earth that does good and sins not. Also in 1 John 1 and verse 8, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. This passage is saying that all of us commit some momentary acts of sin. However, when a person lives a life of sin, drunkenness, fornication, and such like, persisting in them with not enough godly sorrow to repent, letting you know that he does not intend to correct them, and that the entire church had better not attempt to do anything, such a one needs to be disciplined. As the church in Corinth, in 1 Corinthians chapter 5, there was a man who was living in open adultery. Not only had the church refused to attempt to correct the situation, but they had also refused to even be grieved about it. Sounds like many congregations of today, doesn’t it? The entire church at Corinth was guilty at this point. In 1 Corinthians 5, 2, Paul said, And you are puffed up, and did not rather mourn, that he that had done this deed might be taken away from you. As a Christian, you can be lost for failing to do your duty toward the erring. What should our attitude and action be toward the disfellowshipped? Well, we are told in 1 Corinthians 5.11 not to keep company with them and with such a one know not to eat. This passage is not referring to the Lord’s Supper. After a person has been disfellowshipped, that person could, if he so determined, come and eat and drink damnation unto his soul. If that be the case, one could not fellowship him, neither could one keep him from attending if he insisted. However, if you go to his home and eat a common meal with him, that is your own violation. Someone will probably say, I don’t know whether that prohibits the eating of a common meal or not. Well, friends, it says not to keep company with him. Could you eat a meal with him and not keep company with him? All of this is in the same verse. You are not to keep company with him. You are not to eat with him. At this point, someone is likely thinking, judge not that you be not judged. Yes, I know the Bible says that, and I believe it. But if you will study the remainder of that context, you will see that Jesus is discussing a man who has a big beam, something like a utility pole, in his own eye, and at the same time he is looking for the little mote in his brother’s eye. Jesus did not even say that it was wrong to cast out the mote, but he did say… You hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of your own eye, and then shall you see clearly to cast out the mote out of your brother’s eye. Matthew 7, verse 5. Paul told the brethren in 1 Corinthians 5, 12, Do not ye judge them that are within? There is a type of judgment that we are commanded to engage in. We read in 1 John 7, 24, Just not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment. Also in Matthew 7, verse 20, Therefore by their fruits you shall know them. Let’s use an example here. If a man came staggering down the aisle to serve at the Lord’s table, is there a member of that congregation that would say he should be allowed to do so? Well, certainly not. Well then, you are judging. Well, what kind of judgment are you making? You are a fruit inspector. You know him by his fruits. We cannot hide behind the idea that we are not to judge, but there is a type of judgment that we are not to do. It is a fault-finding type of judgment when one’s own life needs to be corrected. False teachers are not to be fellowshiped. In Romans 16, 17 and verse 18 we read, Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which are causing divisions and occasions of stumbling contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and turn away from them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ but their own belly, and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent. There are many of you in this audience that know that if the church had followed the New Testament instructions to mark and avoid those false teachers, we would not have the trouble and heartache that they have been able to cause. The Lord said to mark them. But how long are we to wait until we do that? Paul points out the urgency of it in Titus 3, verse 10. A man that is heretical after a first and second admonition, refuse, knowing that such a one is perverted and sinneth being self-condemned. According to Paul, just give them two admonitions. Now let us refer again to those who have been disfellowshipped. In addition to not keeping company with them, not eating with them, and knowing them by their fruits, how are we to treat them? I want to call attention to our text again. 2 Timothy 3, 6. I’m sorry, 2 Thessalonians 3, 6. Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which they received of us. And in verses 14 and 15 of the same chapter we have this, And if any man obeys not our word by this epistle, note that man that you have no company with him, to the end that he may be ashamed, and yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. So then, we are to note that man and have no company with him for the purpose of making him ashamed. We are not to count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. We cannot eat with him and we cannot keep company with him, In other words, we cannot fellowship Him, but if we come in contact with Him, we are to admonish Him to repent. Some time ago, the congregation where I preach withdrew from a couple for attending a denomination. The husband admitted to two of the elders and me that we had done everything just as the Lord had required of us. but he refused to allow us even to pray for him in his home. This departure from the truth had its beginning some years before. I had heard previously that the wife had told some of her neighbors that she was not as narrow as the rest of us and that she did not believe there was just one church. They, of course, finally openly espoused denominationalism. Now you need not pat yourself on the back if you are going around saying to people that you are not as narrow as others in the church, and that you do not believe that there is only one church, but rather you should be ashamed and repent, for you are denying the teaching of the New Testament. So we withdrew from this couple. One day, while visiting at the hospital, I saw an elder brother standing in the lobby. The man came over to the elevator. I spoke, entered the elevator, and proceeded to the next floor together. I knew I would have to act quickly, for there was not much time. So I began like this. Brother so-and-so, you don’t know how it grieved us when we were forced to withdraw from you. We have prayed for you and how it grieves our hearts that you have not repented since the withdrawal. He replied that he wanted me to know that he liked denominationalism. was happy in it, and that he cared nothing for the church of Christ. And that is the last time I have seen him. However, I did my duty, and I did so in the most humble way that I knew how. We are not to count an erring brother as an enemy, but we are to admonish him as a brother. For the remainder of this lesson, I want to discuss some truths that pertain to those of you who are not yet members of the church. These truths will be in the form of biblical syllogisms, the aim of which will be to show you the necessity of obedience. Many people accept the necessity of faith, repentance, and confession, but are repulsed by the necessity of baptism. Someone may be thinking, after hearing previous lessons, that nobody will want to obey the gospel. But I believe you would be wrong in thinking this way. This lesson will cause people to want to obey the Lord. When the Lord miraculously disciplined Ananias and Sapphira in the fifth chapter of Acts, we read in verse 14, and believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women. Now, for the benefit of those who are not Christians, I will set forth the following syllogisms. Number one. All spiritual blessings are in Christ, Ephesians 1, 3. Romans 6 and verse 3, Only those who have been baptized are in Christ. Therefore, only those who have been baptized are in possession of all spiritual blessings. Again, the text under consideration, Ephesians 1, 3 and Romans 6, verse 3. 1. Christ is the spiritual head of all saved people.
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Christ is the head of the church. Therefore, all saved people are in the church.
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All of God’s children are in His house or family.
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The house or family of God is the church. Therefore, all of God’s children are in the church. 1. Only those who have been scripturally baptized are in the one body.
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The body is the church. Ephesians 1, 22 and 23. Therefore, only those who have been scripturally baptized are in the church.
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All who are saved have been purchased with Christ’s blood.
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Christ’s blood purchased the church. Therefore, only those in the church have been purchased with Christ’s blood.
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Only those who have put on Christ are saved.
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Men put on Christ only in baptism. Therefore, only those who have been baptized have put on Christ. Galatians 3.27 1. All who comply with the will of God shall be saved. 2. Only those who are baptized for remission of sins comply with the will of God respecting salvation. Therefore, only those who have been baptized for the remission of sins comply with the will of God. In conclusion of our study on obedience, friends, I suggest that we should obey God because He is God. Psalm 90 and verse 2 says, Before the mountains were brought forth, or even thou hast formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. If you are sick, you want to go to a good doctor. If you are concerned about business, you want to consult a man who has the correct answers. If you want to know about salvation, the answers are in the book, the Bible. The passages we have used in these broadcasts are sufficient to answer the questions, What must I do to be saved? And what must I do to keep saved? The Lord made us and wants us to be saved. 1 Timothy 2 and verse 4. To become a Christian you must hear the word of the gospel and believe it. Acts 15, 7 through 9. You must repent of your sins. Acts 17 and verse 30. You must confess faith in Christ, Acts 8, verse 37, and Romans 10, verse 10. You must be baptized, Mark 16, verse 16, Acts 2, verse 38, and Acts 22, verse 16. If you will do this, the Lord will add you to His church. And if you are an erring child of God, won’t you repent of your sins, confess them, and pray to God for forgiveness? Friends, we appreciate these lessons of days gone by. This lesson from the late Garland Elkins. This has been our theme and will continue to be our theme, The Savior’s Way. And these lessons were delivered in 1965. As of this recording and probably the first time you’re listening to this, we’re talking almost 60 years ago. And they were proclaimed at the Morrison, Tennessee Church of Christ. The relevance of these lessons, they are just as powerful this day because the Scripture is relevant for us to grow. 2 Peter 3 and verse 18 says, But grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So friends, as we have discussed obedience in our broadcast, we are not bringing forth a doctrine of the Church of Christ. We are bringing forth a doctrine from the Scripture that speaks of the church we read of in the New Testament, the church of Christ, the church of which He promised to build in Matthew 16 and verse 18, the church of which He purchased with His own blood, Acts 20 and verse 28. the church that people can enter into today upon obedience to the gospel, for those in Acts chapter 2 were added to the church, Acts 2 verse 47. Jesus is the head of his church, and we note that from Ephesians 1, 22 and 23. And the body is the church, and there is only one body, Ephesians 4, 4 through 6. Therefore, friends, if there is only one body, and the body is the church, then there is only one church. That is the church of which we would urge you to seek to know. The church that we would like to encourage you to be a part. Now, friends, we’d like for you to continue to think on these matters. And again, if you’d like to listen to this broadcast again, it is available at internationalgospelhour.com. And we also have an additional Bible study by mail that our J-Web will share with you. And so we’re going to pause and allow Jay to take just a little time to explain this, how you can receive this, and also the website where you can also access it. And now, let’s hear a few words from our Jay Webb on this Bible study that is now available.
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An additional Bible study by mail is now available from International Gospel Hour. It’s titled, God and Man, How to be Saved from Sin. This study booklet addresses a number of questions about the salvation from God to man. And friends, like all materials, it’s free. Call us toll free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name, address and just say God and man. Or you can go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the Contact tab, and leave us the same information, name, address, and type God and Man in the message box. Another Bible study that is free from IGH. And our friends at godandman.com. That’s god-and-man.com. And, you know, since you can’t see it, let me just spell that out for you. God-And-Man.com We’d love to hear from you.
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Friends, we are also grateful for you tuning in. We’d love for you to listen and to receive that broadcast, or rather that material through this broadcast, God and Man. We find that study very interesting. We find it according to the Word of God, and a number of people request that study, and we are blessed to send it and to make it available to you online. And so whatever works best for you, we wish to do. Let me also add concerning our lesson today, and I acknowledge Brother Garland Elkins and the lesson itself, I am also indebted to our friend and brother Paul Sain and his good work at SainPublications.com. for the use of the book, The Savior’s Way, which he reprinted about 30 years ago. And we bring forth these lessons from that wonderful material that was documented going back to 1965. So again, I’m grateful that we can share good lessons from days gone by and in accordance with the Word of God. Let me mention to you, as I begin the broadcast today, I said the following. It is also the objective of discipline to urge out the old leaven that you may be a new lump even as you are unleavened, 1 Corinthians 5, 7. The more I looked at that, I knew that was not correct. My apologies. That should be purge out the old leaven that you may be a new lump even as you are unleavened. Of course, this is dealing with the matter of discipline or correcting ungodly living within the church, 1 Corinthians 5 and verse 7. On one hand, there are individuals who say, how can that be done? How could you do that? Well, because the Bible teaches it. But I tell you what, friends, I’d rather people fuss on us for trying to do the right thing and to correct lives than than to call us a bunch of hypocrites who are saying one thing and doing something else, wouldn’t you? I’m sure we would all agree. Well, we have a little time with this broadcast, so let me mention very quickly our friends at AddedToTheChurch.com. Please check out their website. Follow our page on Facebook at International Gospel Hour. You can keep up with the things that we’re doing there. And also, the additional Bible study by mail, God and Man, is now available from us here at International Gospel Hour. Again, all we need is your name and address, and just say God and Man, and we’ll send it to you. You can do that calling us at 855-444-6988. If you are at our website, internationalgospelhour.com, click on the Contact tab and leave us your name and address and put in the comment box, God and Man, and we’ll send that to you very quickly. The website for God and Man study is god-and-man.com, and you can go there and you can seek out that good study as well. I want to pause now and defer back to our Jay Webb. He has a few words about our friends at ApologeticsPress.org.
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A quick word about our friends at ApologeticsPress.org. For almost 50 years, these good folks have pursued and developed scripturally sound and scientifically accurate materials in the field of Christian apologetics. You’ve got to check out their website at apologeticspress.org. Peruse and download free material today.
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Well, friends, again, we thank you for being with us today for our studies from the International Gospel Hour. We hope you’ll join us each and every time right here on this station or option wherever you may be listening to our broadcast as we continue our studies of the Word of God. We will continue our theme of the Savior’s Way on our weekly broadcast. We hope that you’ll join us once again, and we will continue our studies then at that time. Thank you for joining me today on the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jeff Archie, and friends, keep listening.
