"You Folks"

TEXTActs 28:16-24

INTRODUCTION:

A.      THE TRUE CHURCH NOT AS WELL KNOWN AS IT USED TO BE.

          1.       Digressives have large colleges, programs, etc.

          2.       Disfavorable shadow cast by Boston movement.

B.      SAME SITUATION EXISTED IN THE FIRST CENTURY.

          1.       Thessalonica - "Turning the world upside down"( Acts 17:6 ).

          2.       Corinth - "persuading men...contrary to the law"( Acts 18:13 ).

          3.       Rome - "sect everywhere spoken against"( Acts 28:22 ).

C.      MISUNDERSTANDING.

          1.       What some have heard or said about the church.

          2.       Much of it needs clearing up.

I.      YOU FOLKS DISBELIEVE THE OLD TESTAMENT.

A.      WE BELIEVE AND VALUE THE OLD TESTAMENT.

          1.       It is inspired( 1 Pet. 1:10-11;  2 Pet. 1:20-21 ).

          2.       It is profitable( Rom. 15:4 ).

                   a.       Insights into the kingdom of Christ( 2 Pet. 1:19;  John 5:39 ).

                   b.       Lessons from OT characters( Heb. 11 - 12:1-2;  1 Cor. 10:11 ).

                   c.       Glimpses of eternal truths and the character of God.

C.      THE OLD TESTAMENT IS NOT FOR OUR OBSERVANCE.

          1.       Jesus fulfilled the law( Matt. 5:17-18;  John 19:28-30 ).

          2.       Promised a New Covenant( Heb. 8:6-9 ).

          3.       The old nailed to the cross( Col. 2:13-17 ).

D.      SOME SAY, "We take it all, Old and New."  BUT DO THEY?

          1.       What they take is what they want - Sabbath, instruments.

          2.       Take some, take it all( Gal. 5:3 ).

II.     YOU FOLKS DENY SALVATION BY GRACE.

A.      THE BIBLE TEACHES IT AND SO DO I( Rom. 3:24;  Eph. 2:4-10 ).

B.      CONFUSION OVER THE MEANING OF GRACE.

          1.       charis;  "Goodwill, loving-kindness, favor." ( Thayer ).

          2.       In the context of salvation, unmerited( Rom. 3:236:23

                    Eph. 2:8-9; Luke 17:10 )

          3.       Unmerited does not mean unconditional( Acts 5:29;  Acts 9:6; 

                   Acts 16:30;  Heb. 5:8-9 )

B.      WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE( Titus 3:4-7 ).

III.    YOU FOLKS THINK YOU ARE RIGHT AND EVERYONE ELSE

         IS WRONG.

A.      THERE IS A RIGHT AND WRONG.

          1.       We need to be in contact with reality.

          2.       If it is true that there is a God, then it is not true that there is not a God, etc.

B.      A TRAP, MAKES DISCUSSION PERSONAL.

C.      IMPROPER FOCUS.

          1.       What we ought to ask is not "Who's Right?"  but "What's Right?"

          2.       Forget defending turf.  Don't be left defending a group, right or wrong.

          3.       If we can discover "What's Right" and practice that then we don't have

                   to worry "Who's Right."  We can then know "We're Right!"

D.      HOW CAN WE KNOW WHAT'S RIGHT?

          1.       Not by human wisdom( 1 Cor. 1:21;  Col. 2:8 ).

          2.       The Bible is the answer( Eph. 3:3-4;  2 Tim. 3:16-17 ).

E.      DOES IT MATTER?( John 8:32;  1 Pet. 2:22;  2 Thess. 2:10-12 ).

CONCLUSION:

A.      TO THOSE WHO ARE NOT MEMBERS( Acts 17:11 ).

B.      TO THOSE WHO ARE MEMBERS( 1 Pet. 3:15 ).