Good Intentions

 

Text—Gen. 4: 2-7 (Heb. 11: 4)

 

Introduction: The Road to Hell

A.    “The Road to Hell is paved with the bricks of Good intentions.”

B.     What are good intentions?

1.      A promise made but not kept.

a.       Jas. 2: 15-16, “If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit?”

 

2.      “I need to go back to church.”

a.       Said by many, yet no action to support it.

b.      Talked with several at work about the bible.

c.       Saying it is not enough.

 

C.     Certain things done in the name of God but unaccepted.

 

I.                   Some Old Testament Examples

A.    Cain and Abel—Gen. 4: 2-7

1.      Abel’s was better—Heb. 11: 4

 

“By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had witness borne to him that he was righteous…”

 

2.      Why? Didn’t Cain offer his best?

3.      Yes, but not what God commanded.

4.      Sacrifice: lamb of the first year w/o blemish

i.                    Cain was gardener, not a shepherd

ii.                  Where would he get lamb?

iii.                Why harvest not accepted? His intentions were good.

iv.                Could have asked Abel for help.

 

B.     Nadab and Abihu—Lev. 10: 1-2,

“And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took each of them his censer, and put fire therein, and laid incense thereon, and offered strange fire before Jehovah, which he had not commanded them. And there came forth fire from before Jehovah, and devoured them, and they died before Jehovah.”

 

 

1.      Powerful passage about obedience

2.      What the fire wrong?

a.       Not really

b.      No special powers, same type of flame

c.       Flame of a match and lighter aren’t different

 

3.      Problem is described in vs. 3

“Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that Jehovah spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.”

 

a.       God will be glorified not men!

b.      God specified, eliminates all others.

c.       “Aaron held his peace”

                                                                                                                                      i.      Perhaps recalled own sin of the Golden Calf

 

 

C.     Saul and Amalekites—1 Sam. 15

1.      Told to utterly destroy Amalekites—vs. 3

2.      Spared Agag and animals—vs. 8-9

3.      Saul’s side—vs. 13-15

4.      Good intentions—vs. 20-21 (saved animals for sacrifice)

5.      Not God’s command—Utterly destroy.

 

 

D.    Uzzah—2 Sam. 6: 6-8

1.      Ark of the covenant put on new cart, vs. 3

2.      Read passage

i.                    Uzzah’s intentions were good, didn’t want Ark to fall and break.

ii.                  Against God’s command—1 Chron. 15: 15, “ And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders, by its poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord.”

 

iii.                David’s idea for cart, yet angry with God—verse 8-9

iv.                Solution, follow God’s command—2 Sam. 6: 13

 

 

 

II.                New Testament Examples

A.    Money Changers—Jn. 2: 13-14

1.      Currency exchange for foreign

2.      Animals available for sacrifice

3.      Convenience, right on temple grounds

4.      Not God’s command—vs. 15-16

 

 

B.     Rich Young Ruler—Matt. 19: 16-22

1.      Wanted to do right

2.      Followed Law

3.      Felt he lack

4.      Told to sell all

5.      Good intentions but walked away

 

 

C.     3 Men of Lk. 9—Lk. 9: 57-62

1.      Planner—vs. 57

a.       Wanted accommodations available

b.      Jesus said, even I don’t know where I’ll sleep.

 

2.      The “Good” Son—vs. 59

a.       Would follow but wanted to bury father.

b.      Good intentions, saying Yes

c.       No proof that father was yet dead.

 

3.      The Family Man—vs. 61

a.       Similar to Good son

b.      Good intentions, saying Yes.

c.       Return home, to be talked out of it.

 

 

III.             Restoration Period (Church History)

A.    American Christian Missionary Society—created by Alexander Campbell, W.K. Pendleton, Isaac Errett (October, 1849)

 

1.      What is it?

a.       Monies donated from churches to the society and then it is distributed to preachers in the field; America and abroad.

 

2. Reasons to support this organization

                 

a.       Opportunities for smaller churches to participate in bigger work.

i.                    Those with small treasuries can help as well.

ii.                  No scripture to support this.

 

 

b.      Those who oppose are against missionary work.

i.                    Guilt trip—“Anti”

ii.                  Those who oppose make sacrifices in own personal live to do the work.

 

c.       The missionary society must be authorized because of the good it is doing.

i.                    No scripture support for this statement.

ii.                  Remember Uzzah? He did good but it cost him his life. (2 Sam. 6: 6-7)

iii.                Matt. 7: 21-23

 

B.     Instrumental Music—adding mechanical instruments to worship

1.      Prominent Religious figures again instruments. (Read from book)

a.       Thomas Acquinas—Catholic Scholar, 13th Century

b.      John Calvin—Presbyterian founder.

c.       John Wesley—Methodist founder.

 

2.      Attempts to defend use of Mechanical instruments.

a.       David used instruments of music in OT (Ps. 150)

i.                    If we follow this example then follow other commands in OT. Burning Incense, Daily Animal Sacrifices, Day of Atonement, Separate Priesthood, Tithing.

 

ii.                  Gal. 5: 3, Paul writes “I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.”

 

iii.                2 Chron. 29: 25, “And he set the Levites in the house of Jehovah with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet; for the commandment was of Jehovah by his prophets.”

 

iv.                 God’s commandment not Man’s choice.

 

b.      The piano is just an aid to our worship, just like a pitch pipe, songbook, and song leader.

                                                                                                                                                  i.      Pitch pipe plays one note only, not full song.

                                                                                                                                                ii.      Peanut butter on the unleavened bread makes it more palatable but not an aid.

                                                                                                                                              iii.      Add things to worship to make more tolerable to people and preferences, not honoring God but man.

 

c.       We like it, we want it, and we are determined to have it.

                                                                                                                                                  i.      Man’s choice not God’s command

                                                                                                                                                ii.      Nadab and Abihu—remember what happened to them?

                                                                                                                                              iii.      Lev. 10: 3, “…I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified…”

 

3.      God Commands us to Sing!

a.       Eph. 5: 19;

b.      Col. 3:16;

c.       Rom. 15: 9, “and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written:

“For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to Your name.”

 

d.      1 Cor. 14: 15, “What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.”

 

e.       To command one thing, excludes all others.

f.       No Scripture support for their statement.

 

C.     Human Institutions

1.      Examples—Orphanages, Retirement homes, Colleges

2.      Those oppose—“Anti” “You don’t like kids, old people, and support of future preachers.

 

3.      Not the work of church but individuals

a.      1 Tim. 5: 16, “If any woman that believeth hath widows, let her relieve them, and let not the church be burdened; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.”

 

b.      Jas. 1: 27, “…to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction…”  

 

 

IV.            Religion Today

A.    Salvation Army

1.      Usually seen only from Thanksgiving through Christmas

2.      Bell ringers; red kettles

3.      Help the hungry, homeless, etc.

4.      Our faith statement from website…

The Salvation Army is a Christian organization and part of the universal Christian Church.

Its message and the lifestyle it advocates are based on the Bible's teaching. Its work is to make known the good news about Jesus Christ and to persuade people to become his followers.

Everything The Salvation Army does is rooted in the faith of its members. The confidence Salvationists have in a loving and caring God finds outward expression in their love for humanity and their practical response to human need.

5.      Denomination—Methodist ties

6.      Good intentions, not the work of the church (1 Tim. 5: 16)

 

B.     Church in a Bar

[No creeds, no hymns, no confessions, no set format and no expectations. Just a chance to meet, drink, and talk]

1.      Beers and Hymns is a worship group that gathers at the First Christian Church in Portland OR.

“With mainline religious congregations dwindling across America, a scattering of churches is trying to attract new members by creating a different sort of Christian community. They are gathering around craft beer.

“Some church groups are brewing it themselves, while others are bring (sic) the Holy Mysteries to a taproom. The result is not sloshed congregants; rather, it’s an exploratory approach to do church differently.” (“To Stave Off Decline, Churches Attract New Members With Beer”, John Burnett, npr.org)

 

2.       “Church-in-a-Pub:

“Leah Stanfield stands at a microphone across the room from the beer taps and reads this evening’s gospel message. She’s a 28-year-old leasing agent who’s been coming to Church-in-a-Pub here in Fort Worth, Tex., for a year, and occasionally leads worship. ‘I find the love, I find the support, I find the non-judgmental eyes when I come here,’ she says. ‘And I find friends that love God, love craft beer.’” (Ibid)

 

C.     Works of the devil. (Gen. 3:10-13; 1 Pet. 5:8). Consider the following:


1.  We do not “do church”.

 

The church worships God; it does not explore ways to “do church differently” (Matt. 16:18). Christians do not decide what they “do” for worship; the Lord tells us what to do (Jno. 4:23-24). All else is false worship (Matt. 15:7-9).

2.  We cannot do evil that good may come.

Attracting the world with worldliness only produces a worldly church (Tit. 2: 16)! Paul condemned this human, sinful reasoning in Romans 3:8. The end does not justify the means.

3.  Social drinking is sin.

Proverbs 20:1 warns against the mockery of wine. Proverbs 23:29-35 warns against looking at the wine when it “sparkles in the cup” (v. 31). Christians reject “drinking parties” (banquetings, KJV) as “the will of the Gentiles” who live “in the flesh for the lusts of men” and not “for the will of God” (1 Pet. 4:2-3).

4.  Judge righteous judgment (Jno. 7:24). The world despises truth, so it demonizes those with the courage to use God’s truth to judge sin. Be courageous (1 Cor. 16:13).

 

 

V.               The Pattern set before us

A.    Preach and Teach the Lost

1.      Jesus said, Matt. 28: 18-20

2.      Paul writes, Rom. 10: 14-17

3.    Paul to Timothy—2 Tim. 2: 2, “And the things which thou hast heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

 

B.     Edify the Saved; Study/Presence

 

1.      2 Tim. 2: 15, “Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth.”

 

2.      Heb. 10: 24-25, “and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works; not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting `one another'; and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh.”

 

3.      1 Tim. 4: 7-8, “but refuse profane and old wives' fables. And exercise thyself unto godliness: for bodily exercise is profitable for a little; but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come.”

 

4.    Heb. 5: 14, “But solid food is for fullgrown men, `even' those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.”

 

 

C.     Abide by Scriptures and Commands

1.      Jesus, Jn. 14: 15, “If love me keep my commandments”

2.    Rom. 14: 17, “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

 

3.      1 Pet. 4: 11, if any man speaketh, `speaking' as it were oracles of God; is any man ministereth, `ministering' as of the strength which God supplieth: that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, whose is the glory and the dominion for ever and ever.”

 

4.      1 Jn. 5: 3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”

 

D.    True worship of God

1.    Jn. 4: 23-24, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

 

2.      1 Cor. 4: 6, “…that in us ye might learn not to go beyond the things which are written; that no one of you be puffed up for the one against the other.”

 

3.    2 Cor. 6: 17, “Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you.”

 

4.      Matt. 7: 21-23 (READ)

 

Conclusion

“The Road to Hell is paved with the bricks of good intentions”

Need to follow the pattern in the scriptures for true worship of God and not by man’s decisions

 

Matt. 15: 8-9 (READ)