deeds – La Vista Church of Christ

Godliness in Conflict

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 16:18:24 +0000

by Matthew W. Bassford

The book of James has the reputation of being the most practical book of the New Testament, but Paul’s epistle to Titus surely must be considered in the same light. Titus is only three chapters long, but all three chapters are light on abstraction and heavy on concrete application. Especially in the second chapter, Paul aims these applications at specific groups, but often they apply equally well to all of us.

This is true of Paul’s words to Titus himself in Titus 2:7-8. Paul is aware that when Titus travels to Crete, he’s going to run into all sorts of opponents of the gospel. If these people can discredit Titus’ preaching through criticism of the preacher, that’s exactly what they’ll do.

As a result, Paul counsels Titus on how to deprive these critics of the personal attacks they love. Today, all Christians need to listen to his advice because there are plenty of people who want to attack us for the same reason. According to Paul, if we want to put these opponents to shame, we must excel in these four areas:

Good Deeds

Christ-haters rejoice whenever they find religious hypocrites. If they can prove that we don’t obey the truth we proclaim, they don’t have to obey it either. We defeat this attack by living godly, blameless lives. When everybody knows that we practice what we preach, charges of hypocrisy have no force. What’s more, our example often proves to be as powerfully influential as our words.

Purity of Doctrine

It’s easy to dismiss somebody who doesn’t know why he believes what he believes. Christians claim to be the people of the Book; if five minutes of religious conversation with us reveals that the Bible is unknown territory to us, that makes us another kind of religious hypocrite. If we clearly don’t study the Scriptures, why should anyone else? By contrast, when the time we have spent with the Bible is evident in the way we talk about it, we show that we deserve to be taken seriously.

Dignity

Sad to say, dignity is out of fashion these days. Politicians, celebrities, and talking heads behave deplorably far too often, and far too many Christians take their cue from them, especially on social media. They gleefully share demeaning memes, sneer at anyone who disagrees with them, and engage in endless slanging matches with their opponents. Anyone with a good and honest heart will be repelled by such behavior. On the other hand, when we refuse to engage in it, we will stand out, and God-seekers will be drawn to us.

Soundness of Speech

This is the opposite of the unwholesome speech of Ephesians 4:29: speech that undermines, speech that tears down, speech that leaves its hearers worse off than they were. When we see a patron dress down a fast-food worker for getting their order wrong, that’s unwholesome speech on display. We, however, should use our words to make days brighter, lives better, and lead others toward Christ. Just like we would only use sound timbers to build a house, we should only use sound words to build God’s temple.

Obviously, conduct like this guarantees nothing. If people could reject Jesus despite His sinless perfection, we cannot expect to overcome a hard heart no matter how we behave. However, when our behavior leaves others with nothing to object to, we make it as likely as possible that they will listen to us.

Changing My Mind

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 10 Oct 2021 17:47:42 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Changing-My-Mind.mp3

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

Text: Matthew 7:15-20

I. Solomon observed about the miser that it wasn’t the man’s words or his actions that made him a miser, but his thoughts - Proverbs 23:6-7

A. People too often say things that they don’t mean

B. Given motivation, they may do things that they would rather not do

C. But it is their thoughts that determine who they actually are

D. Emerson once said, “A man is what he thinks about all day long.”

II. Our thoughts determine our character

A. What is the cause of sin?

1. At times people toy with the idea that it is the environment.

a. A mass riot breaks out in a town and people half-way-jokingly say, “It must have been something in the water.”

2. The Jews saw being unclean as a source of sinful behavior

3. Jesus said, sin originates in the thoughts of a person - Matthew 15:16-20

a. In other words, uncleanness is a cause, but it is not physical uncleanness as defined by the Old Law but the spiritual uncleanness of corrupt thoughts

B. Righteous people tend to think righteous thoughts. Wicked people tend to think corrupt thoughts - Proverbs 12:5

1. It isn’t because a person is righteous that they have righteous thoughts

2. It is the righteous thoughts that tend to produce righteous behavior in people.

C. The wicked is constantly thinking of evil - Psalms 36:1-4

III. Our thoughts precede our actions

A. We tend to do the things we think about.

B. Have you noticed Paul’s statement about his past? - Acts 26:9

1. He decided he had to act against Jesus, and so he did.

C. Simon sinned because of the intentions of his heart - Acts 8:22

D. In other words, good deeds come from good thoughts and evil deeds come from evil thoughts

1. This chain is so strong that you can often determine a person’s thoughts from his actions

a. John Locke said, “I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts.”

b. This is way Jesus told us to watch the results of a person actions - Matthew 7:15-20

E. The Gentiles walked in the vanity of their minds - Ephesians 4:17

1. Their proud thoughts led them down the path of sin

2. At one time we all were like that - Colossians 1:21

F. Thus, while it is important to correct bad behavior, it is more important to correct the bad thoughts that lead to bad behavior

1. Hatred blinds people to the direction they are going - I John 2:11

2. This is why John connects hatred to murder - I John 3:15

IV. Our thoughts foretell our future circumstances

A. Most events are beyond our control, but the way we think nudges us in certain directions - Proverbs 21:5

1. A diligent man thinks in advance about what he needs to do next and the result is toward prosperity

2. A rash man who gives no thought about what is needed will end up in poverty. He makes too many mistakes.

B. Even when bad things happen to good people, they are prepared to deal with them and get beyond them - Philippians 4:11-13

C. Samuel Smiles wrote:

Sow a thought, and you reap an act;

Sow an act, and you reap a habit;

Sow a habit, and you reap a character;

Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.

V. How do we correct our thoughts?

A. If the wicked don’t change, they will become like the people of Jerusalem - Jeremiah 4:14

B. Determine to live God’s way and your thoughts (plans) will be established - Proverbs 16:3

1. While thoughts tend to lead to action, it is also true that when you want to change your thoughts, actions can help give a pull in the right direction.

2. For example, if you are depressed, purposely doing something cheerful can counter the depressive thoughts.

3. David thought about the direction of his life and turned it - Psalms 119:59

C. Put your confidence in God and it will guard your heart and mind - Philippians 4:6-7

D. Learn and follow God’s teachings - Proverbs 6:20-23

E. Fill your mind with good things - Philippians 4:8

Ideas for the lesson came from “The Power of Our Thoughts” by Ken Weliever

In Word and Deed

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sat, 09 Feb 2019 17:00:50 +0000

In Word and Deed - Part 1 In Word and Deed - Part 2

Text: Colossians 3:12-17

I. There needs to be a consistency between the things we say and the things we do

A. “You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?”

1. People understand that it is one thing to talk about something, but often something else to actually to it.

B. Thoughts and the actions must join together.

1. One without the other is hypocrisy

2. It is by a person’s deeds, over their words, that show their true character - Matthew 7:15-20

3. Your deeds must match what you proclaim - I John 3:17-18

C. Colossians 3:17 - “Whatever” doesn’t leave much out.

1. Consistency between word and action is required.

II. The power of words

A. God created the universe by speaking - Psalms 33:6,9

B. Our salvation is taught to us by word - Romans 1:16

1. Our faith is based on listening to God - Romans 10:17

2. It is through words that we learn what we need to do - I Corinthians 1:21

a. Truth comes from Jesus - John 1:17

b. As Peter said - John 6:68

3. Thus early Christians preached - Acts 26:25

a. Reasoning and persuading - Acts 18:4

b. Breaking down false arguments - II Corinthians 10:3-5

4. And those words changed people for the better - II Timothy 3:16-17

C. Words are the vehicles which carries our thoughts

1. Our aim is to have words and thoughts pleasing to God - Psalms 19:14

2. We will be judged by our words - Matthew 12:33-37

a. Words reflect our hearts – who we are

b. Even idle words, words said without thought, will be weighed by God

c. For even idle words tell us about the person’s inward thoughts

3. Words show the thoughts and intentions - Mark 7:20-23

D. Life and death are in the power of the tongue - Proverbs 18:21

1. With our words, we can do a lot of good

a. It heals other people - Proverbs 12:18

(1) And they have joy for themselves - Proverbs 12:20

(2) Wise words are gracious - Ecclesiastes 10:12

(3) Earnest council from a friend is sweet - Proverbs 27:9

b. We can bring salvation to others by teaching - Acts 2:40

c. Protection by sound speech that cannot be condemned - Titus 2:7-8

2. But words can cause damage as well

a. To stir up anger - Proverbs 15:1

(1) A fool destroys with his words - Proverbs 18:6-7

(2) Example is Demetrius’ speech - Acts 19:25-29

b. To seduce into doing evil - Proverbs 5:3-5

(1) Removing dirty talk (sexual talk), foolish talk (empty of content), coarse jesting (sexual jokes) - Ephesians 5:3-7

c. To deceive - I Peter 3:10

d. Teaching false doctrine - Acts 15:24

(1) Idle talk and subversion - Titus 1:10-11

E. This is why we must control our tongue - James 3:1-12

1. Without a bridle, we have a useless religion - James 1:26

2. No corrupt words from my mouth - Ephesians 4:29

III. The strength of action

A. Deeds display the heart

1. Faith shown by what we do - James 2:18

2. Wisdom shown by conduct - James 3:13

B. We are judged by what we do

1. Romans 2:5-9 - Judged according to deeds

2. Revelation 20:12 - Judged according to works

3. Thus, we must work out our salvation - Philippians 2:12

C. It is by deeds we accomplish what we are told by God

1. It cannot be faith alone. It is faith that leads to action

a. Mark 16:16 - believe and is baptized

b. Acts 2:38 - repent and be baptized

c. Acts 22:16 - Why do you delay?

2. Nothing would be accomplished if everyone sat still

D. It cannot be a partial obedience - James 2:11

E. Not temporary obedience - Galatians 6:9-10

IV. Neither word nor deed alone

A. You can’t just talk about love. Love is shown in what we do - I John 3:14-18

B. James 2:14-17 - Faith can be declared, but without works it is dead.

C. Remember the teachings and conduct - Hebrews 13:7

D. Action helps us remember the words - James 1:21-25

V. In heart as well as in reality

A. Worship in spirit and truth - John 4:24

B. Is your religion consistent?