Broad Street Church of Christ

Broadstreet       Church of Christ

1213 Broad Street Phenix City, Alabama

Schedule of Services
Sunday:

Bible Study
10:00 A.M.

Morning Worship
11:00 A.M.

Evening Worship
5:00 P.M.          (winter)

6:00 P.M.        (summer)
 

Wednesday:
Bible Study
7:30 P.M.

Morning Worship

What Does It Mean To Be Lost?

Introduction:

A. Luke 19:9,10 - Jesus came to seek and save the lost

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And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

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For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

B. Have you ever been lost somewhere? What did it feel like?

I. It Means Having No Sense of Direction

A. Without God, man has no idea which way to go

JEREMIAH 10:23

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O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

 PROVERBS 4:11, 12

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I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

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When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

B. A Christian's life runs SMOOTHER BECAUSE he obeys God

MATTHEW 6:33

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But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

C. The "prodigal son" learned this the hard way:

1. Luke 15:13-16

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And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

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And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

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And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

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And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

2. vs. 32  "He was lost and is found."

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It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

II. It Means Never Going Home:

A. Alabama OR Georgia isn't our real home - Heaven is our true home.

1. II Corinthians 5:1-5 - Our bodies are just temporary... a tent

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For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

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For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

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If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.

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For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

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Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.

2. Hebrews 11:13-16 - They desire a homeland

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These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

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For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

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And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

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But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

B. II Peter 3:9 God never intended for us to go to Hell

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The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

C.  I Timothy 2:4 If I don't make it to Heaven it will be in SPITE of all God has done

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Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

III. It Means Being Separated >From Friends and Family Who Made It Home:

A. What a blessing our spiritual family is

 Ephesians 4:1-3

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I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

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With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

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Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

 Revelation 21:4

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And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Isa 25:8

b. song - . "How Sweet, How Heavenly Is The Sight"

IV. It Means Being Separated >From Our Father:

A. How does God feel when we separate ourselves from Him?

 Matthew 18:10-12

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Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

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For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

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How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

B. We live in a world where we are constantly surrounded by God:

1. Romans 1:19,20 - He is seen through the creation... all nature. One of creation's purposes is to bring us to Him.

2. Psalm 19:1 - The heavens declare the glory of God

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The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

3. 1 John 1:5 If we are lost, we will be in utter darkness.

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This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

C. If we are lost, God will not be with us like He is with His children:

1. Isaiah 59:1,2 - He will not hear our cry. Who separates us from God?

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Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

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But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

2. Luke 12:27,28 - The lost do not have this comfort either.

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Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

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If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

D. II Thessalonians 1:7-9 If we are lost, we will spend ETERNITY separated from our Father

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And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

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In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

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Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

CONCLUSION:

a. If this is what it means to be LOST, I never want to do everything God warns against so it won't apply to me!

b. Lose or found? - where are you in the sight of God?

Evening Worship

Overcoming Evil

Introduction:

A. Romans 12:21

 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good:

1. Devil/Evil:

 Matthew 6:13

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And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

2. God/Good:

Psalm 100:5

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For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

 III John 11

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Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

3. A battle between good and evil

 Revelation 12:7-12

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And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

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And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

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And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

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And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

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And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

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Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

B. Romans 12:9, 17, 21

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Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

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Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

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Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

C. God and evil? How do we live in an evil world?

I. The Problem of God & Evil:

A. How can there be a good God who is merciful but a world of pain, TURMOIL?

1. Job 40:8-14 - Do we think we can understand and handle it better?

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Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

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Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?

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Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.

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Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him.

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Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.

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Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret.

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Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.

B. We need to examine the mercies of God

Romans 12:1

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I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

1. Too easy to look at the problems and neglect to see God's mercies

2. The devil's trap: Genesis 3: All of the wonder of Eden was forgotten about in their fascination with the one exception


3. Don't be blinded to the evidence of God's mercies to say that God has not operated for our good in this world.

Isaiah 53

C. The reason we have problems is because we have decided we will act in a certain way

 Romans 12:2

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And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

1. One hand want: total control of themselves; Other hand: want God to totally control them
2. God gave us the power of choice! A reality

D. We think that every problem is settled in a day:

1. Character cannot be mass produced: it has to be done one person at a time
2. Romans 12:19 - God will bring all to judgment.

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Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Deut 32:35

3. The question is not: is there evil in the world, but am I contributing to that evil?

II. How deal with world of evil?

A. Join the evil?

 Romans 12:2, 9

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And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

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For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

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For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:

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So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

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Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

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Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;

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Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

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Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

1. Challenge - we get used to evil

 Jeremiah 6:15

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Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

a. First, abhor it; then pity it; then embrace it!

2. Sin is easier to get into than out of!

B. Second choice: Fight evil with more evil:

1. We justify evil when someone has wronged us
2. All are affected by evil
3. But the way to deal with evil is NOT to try to beat it at its own game!

C. Overcome evil with good:

Romans 12:19,20

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Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Deut 32:35

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Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Prov 25:21,22

1. When you return and continue to return good - it burns the conscience of the evil doer

2. Matthew 5:41: compelled to go one mile, go two!

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And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

III. Evil in Ourselves:

A. The life of a Christian is a consecrated life - Romans 12:1,2 - living sacrifice, transformed

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I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

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And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

B. The character of the consecration is sacrificial: have to give to him willfully

C. People become heroes of faith because they change; they become transformed

D. We have to make a difference ourselves; starts in Christ and then by the kind of life we choose

Romans 12:9-16