Gospel Dynamite with J. Allen Mashburn

O, What a Morning! | Luke 24:1-12 | J. Allen Mashburn

Our Bibles are filled with statements about the morning. We are told that our Savior prayed early in the morning. Joshua, in the Old Testament, is pictured as a man who rose up early in the morning. Think of that morning in Gen. 22 when Abraham rose up early and took Isaac to Mt. Moriah to sacrifice him. What a morning it was for Jacob when he awakened from sleep in the morning and set up a pillar of stones in honor of God at Bethel. It must have been a glorious morning for Daniel when the first rays of sunshine lit up the city of Babylon after that night in the lions den. Imagine how beautiful was the morning for the disciples after they spent that terrible night on the Sea of Galilee in that storm. Yes, all of these were great mornings. However none of them can compare to the morning that is discussed in the passage we have read this morning.
I would like for us to spend some time today looking at that great morning when our Lord, Jesus Christ, conquered death, Hell and the grave forever. There has never been a morning like that before, nor shall there ever be one like it hereafter. Oh what a morning it was when Jesus rose again! Oh what a morning it was when He pulled the stinger from death and gave life eternal to all those who will place their faith in Him. Oh, what a morning that was! Now, please understand that the resurrection of the Lord Jesus has effects that reach down to this very day. You see: HE IS ALIVE this morning! Please join me for a few minutes as we journey through these verses and think on the thought: Oh, What A Morning!

Relationships with Fellow-Believers | Romans 14:1-12 | J. Allen Mashburn

The church of Jesus Christ is made up of individuals at every possible level of spirituality.  There are those who are fully aware of the freedom and the liberty that they enjoy in Jesus and they live accordingly.  On the other end of the spectrum are those who walk in fear of becoming defiled with the contamination of the world and they live accordingly.  If that were the end of it, there would be no problem.  However, those who realize and enjoy their liberty in Jesus are constantly being judged by those who think they live too loose of a life.  While those who are strict in their application of biblical standards are constantly being criticized by those who have adopted a looser standard.  One group is called liberal and compromisers, while the other group is legalistic and harsh.
Paul here discusses the proper attitude Christians should have toward each other in debatable areas of conduct (things that are not clearly stated to be wrong).  He says that we are not to judge one another in such matter because God has received, both the weaker and stronger believer (vv. 1-3), because we can differ in good conscience (vv.4-6) and because we shall all be judged by the Lord (vv. 7-12).  You see, there are some things in life that are crystal clear!  The Bible is plain when it tells us that we should not drink, use drugs, curse, commit adultery, kill, steal, lie, etc.  These things are beyond debate and people who practice such things are sinners.  That is not my judgment, but that is a clear statement of the Word of God.
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The First Resurrection Sunday | Matthew 28:1-15 | J. Allen Mashburn

This is the morning when the Christian church celebrates what we have come to know as Easter. It is the day when we commemorate and celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. May I remind you that Resurrection Sunday is not about Easter bunnies, Easter eggs or the giving of gifts, BUT is about celebrating the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ arose from the dead on the first Resurrection Sunday.
With that in our minds this morning, let's journey back to that first Resurrection Sunday morning.

The Believer's Spiritual Duty | Romans 13:11-14 | J. Allen Mashburn

Having begun this chapter talking about the duty of the believer to respect and submit to government, Paul now turns his attention to the believers duty as he lives out his daily life. While government passes laws that are designed to protect and control society, the Christian has a duty to live out the life of Christ as he passes through this world. That is the emphasis of these verses.
If you were observant as we read the text, you noticed that Paul uses the language of haste and urgency. He is telling us that the duties mentioned here are not to be put off for another day, but are to be carried out every day as the believer lives his or her life in the world.
Let's take a few minutes this evening to consider The Believer's Spiritual Duty.

The Believer's Secular Duty | Romans 13:1-10 | J. Allen Mashburn

There are three institutions that have been ordained of God in this world. In each of them, there are levels of submission and authority. Those three institutions are:
1.   The Family - The family is a small community of related people who have as their interest the mutual care of one another. There is fellowship and sharing. There is labor and provision. There is also submission and authority. God has designated the husband as the head of the family. The wife is to submit to her husband. The children are, in turn, to submit to the parents. This makes for a happy home. When things are out of place, there is confusion and turmoil in the family.
2.   The Church - The church is a small community of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. They have as their interest the worship and service of God as well as the mutual care of one another. The head of the church is the Lord Jesus Christ. The whole church is to submit to His leadership. Under Him fall the Pastor, then the Deacons, and other members of the congregation. When God's order is maintained in the church there is blessing and harmony. When that order is violated, there will division and hurt.
3. The Government - The government is a larger community of people who are brought together under central leadership. They have as their interest the mutual good of all other citizens. The submission of the citizens to the authorities of the government will produce a tranquil society.
It is the last of these three institutions that is in view in these verses. Since we are part of a secular society, we have certain responsibilities to that society. In chapter 12, Paul spoke at length of our duties on a spiritual and social level. In this chapter, he turns the focus to secular matters. How we relate to those outside the church, especially those who have the rule over us in society, it a very important matter.

Renewing Your Mind | Ephesians 4 :17-24 | J. Allen Mashburn

In the first phrase of verse 17, there is a word that beckons to focus our attention backward. It is the word “therefore.” Anytime you see “therefore” in the Bible, you should stop and see what it is “there for.”
This word calls our minds back to what Paul has been teaching us about our high calling in Christ Jesus. Because we have been given all the benefits mentioned in verses 1-16, we are not to be like the lost, pagan Gentiles who live around us. What benefits is Paul talking about?
•   Our calling to “salvation by grace” through faith, vv. 1-3.
•    Our unity in the body of Christ, vv. 3-6.
•  Our unique gifting by the Holy Spirit to serve the Lord and His church for His glory, vv. 7-10.
•  Our being built up through the ministries of gifted individuals in the church, vv. 11-16.
Because we have been given all these advantages, and made the partaker of such gifts from God, we are to walk in a manner that is different from the world around us.
In the verses that are before us today, we are called to Renew Our Minds. Paul issues some very specific challenges for all those who are saved. These challenges teach us how we are to walk, and how we are to be different from those who have not been saved. 

Thinking About the Brethren | Romans 12:9-21 | J. Allen Mashburn

This whole chapter is a plea for believers to live lives that are pleasing to the Lord. Verses 1-2 are about Thinking About The Believer. We are to consider our own life and get it where it really needs to be. Verses 3-8 are about Thinking About The Body. They have to do with our place in the whole body of Christ. They are a challenge for us to fulfill our God-given role in being everything the Lord has saved us to be. Verses 9-21 continue the theme Paul is addressing in this chapter. Now, he is going to speak for a while about Thinking About The Brethren. These verses are filled with challenges for the children of God to live together, before the Lord and the world, as a God-honoring family. These verses, if they are heeded and practiced, would revolutionize the average Christian's life.
There are three basic thoughts in view here as we think about Thinking About The Brethren.

Obeying God, Rather Than Men | Francis Schaeffer

Schaeffer was a theologian somewhat before his time.  This recording, goes along with one of his most popular books, "A Christian Manifesto."  
This was recorded in the early 1980's, but it is so relevant for today.  I urge you to listen.  You will be blown away at how "on target" he was in 1980--of today's world.