TRUTH THE HISTORICAL IMPACT OF CHRISTIANITY PT. 2

 Matthew 28:19-20

19  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father

and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20  teaching them to observe all things that I have

commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen

I. EDUCATION

Several hundred years before Christ, the ancient Greeks had their philosophers

(Thales, Xenophanes (Zee NO Phanes), Par-men-i-des, Zeno, Pythagoras,

Democritus, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle) and their poets (Euripides, Aeschylus,

Aristophanes, and Sophocles). And to a lesser degree, the Romans also had their

gifted thinkers (Seneca, Cicero, Platus, Pliny the Elder, Lucretius, Tacitus, and

others). All were learned men who functioned in the realm of what today is called

higher education. Given this literary orientation, some historians have referred to

the Greeks and Romans as having had the first “universities.” But as Charles Haskins

has noted, these brilliant men developed no permanent institutions. They had no

libraries, they had no guild of scholars or students, and they certified no one. 1.

It can be argued, they tested no theories and engaged in no research; in fact, they

ignored and even spurned the inductive method. Hence, it does not appear correct

to assume, as is sometimes done, that the university of the twentieth century is a

lineal descendant of the ancient Greek philosophers. 2

Obedient to Christ’s command that the disciples and all Christians were to teach

people “all things” that he commanded them, newcomers to the church were

instructed as “catechumens”; that is, they were taught orally by the question-and-

answer method in preparation for baptism and church membership. Both men and

women were catechized, often over a period of two to three years.

Catechetical instruction led to formal catechetical schools with a strong literary

emphasis.

 Public Schools

 Graded Education

 Kindergarten

 Deaf

 Blind

St. Benedict of Nursia (480–543?), founded the Benedictine order’s first monastery at

Monte Cassino, Italy, in 528, and soon built monasteries in many other locations.

St. Benedict has been called “the godfather of libraries.” 3

The New Testament Gospels Jesus commands his disciples: ““Teaching them” (Matthew

28:20)

The Didache (The Teaching of the Twelve) Author unknown, ca. A.D. 85-110 Catechetical

schools Justin Martyr, ca. A.D. 150

Cathedral/episcopal schools

Founder unknown,

4th cent. Monastery/nunnery schools - Founder unknown, 5th cent.

First university (Bologna, Italy) - Emperor Frederick Barbarossa,

1158 Public schools - Martin Luther,

1530s Universal (education for all) - Martin Luther, 1530s / John Calvin

1550s Tax-supported education - Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon

1530s Compulsory education - Martin Luther

1530s Graded education - Johann Sturm,

1530s First American college - (Harvard) New Towne (1636) renamed Harvard College

after John Harvard (a clergyman) in 1639

Kindergarten schools Friedrich Froebel, 1840s

Sunday schools - Robert Raikes, 1780

Deaf education (Europe) - Abbe Charles Michel de l’Epee, 1775

Deaf education (America) - Thomas Gallaudet, 1817

16th cent. Blind education (Braille method) Louis Braille, 1834

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

Every collegiate institution founded in the colonies prior to the Revolutionary War—except the

University of Pennsylvania—was established by some branch of the Christian church.” 4

in 1932, when Donald Tewksbury published The Founding of American Colleges and Universities

Before the Civil War, 92 percent of the 182 colleges and universities were founded by Christian

denominations.

 Harvard College, established in 1636, now known as Harvard University, was

founded by the Congregational Church as a theological institution

 The College of William and Mary started as an Episcopalian school, also primarily

to train clergy

 Yale University began mostly as a Congregational institution to “Educate

Ministers in our Own Way.” 5

 The Methodists founded Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

 Columbia University (first known as King’s College) began as an Episcopalian

venture.

 Princeton University started as a Presbyterian school.

 Brown University had Baptist origins.

 The University of Kentucky, the University of California (Berkeley), and the

University of Tennessee, started as church schools.

Despite the massive departure of so many formerly Christian colleges from their

original charters, the fact remains that many would not be in existence today had it

not been for their Christian initiators.

Catechetical schools, cathedral schools, episcopal schools, monasteries, medieval

universities, schools for the blind and deaf, Sunday schools, modern grade schools,

secondary schools, modern colleges, universities, and universal education all have

one thing in common: they are the products of Christianity. Thus, Kennedy and

Newcombe are right when they write, “Every school you see—public or private,

religious or secular—is a visible visible reminder of the religion of Jesus Christ. So is

every college and university.” 6

II. HOSPITALS AND COMPASSION

Matthew 25:35-36

For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a

stranger and you took Me in; 36  I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you

visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

Luke 10:30-37

  Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to

Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and

departed, leaving him half dead. 31  Now by chance a certain priest came down that

road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32  Likewise a Levite,

when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.

33  But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw

him, he had compassion. 34  So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on

oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care

of him. 35  On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to

the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend,

when I come again, I will repay you.’ 36  So which of these three do you think was

neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” 37  And he said, “He who showed mercy

on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Matthew 4:23

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel

of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the

people

Tertullian (d. ca. 220), the Latin church father in northern Africa, informs us that the

early Christians had a common fund to which they gave voluntarily, without any

compulsion, on a given day of the month or whenever they wished to contribute

(Apology 39). This fund supported widows, the physically disabled, needy orphans,

the sick, prisoners incarcerated for their Christian faith, and teachers requiring help;

it provided burials for poor people and sometimes funds for the release of slaves.

Human compassion, especially with regard to the sick and dying, among the ancients

was rare, notably among the Greco-Romans. As with the practice of charity, such

behavior was contrary to their cultural ethos and to the teachings of the pagan

philosophers. For instance, Plato (427– 347 B.C.) said that a poor man (usually a

slave) who was no longer able to work because of sickness should be left to die. He

even praised Aesculapius, the famous Greek physician, for not prescribing medicine

to those he knew were preoccupied with their illness (Republic 3.406d– 410a). The

Roman philosopher Plautus (254–184 B.C.) argued, “You do a beggar bad service by

giving him food and drink; you lose what you give and prolong his life for more

misery” (Trinummus 2.338–39).

John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends 

 Orphanages

 Child Labor Laws

HOSPITALS

The first hospital was built by St. Basil in Caesarea in Cappadocia about A.D. 369. It

was one of “a large number of buildings, with houses for physicians and nurses,

workshops, and industrial schools.” 27

THE RED CROSS FOUNDER

A decade or so before he died, his native country Switzerland allowed him to return

with honor and dignity, and in 1901 he received the first Nobel Peace Prize ever

bestowed. What seemed to matter most to him was his faith in Jesus Christ. This is

apparent from the words he spoke on his deathbed: “I am a disciple of Christ as in

the first century, and nothing more.” 28

III. ABOLITION OF SLAVERY

Slavery was indigenous to African and Arab countries before it made its way to

Europe. 7

Prevalence of Slavery (Not just an American Problem)

By the time of Christ came slaves made up about 75% of the population in ancient

Athens and well over half of the Roman population. Slavery was also widely

practiced by many tribes of the American Indians long before Europeans came to the

New World.

The tragedy of slavery continued in a number of countries for more than a hundred

years after it was outlawed in the United States in 1865. Ethiopia had slavery until

1942, Saudi Arabia until 1962, Peru until 1964, and India until 1976. Moreover, it still

exists to this day in Sudan. 8

SLAVERY

About 25 percent of the Americans in the South had slaves before the Civil War.

According to the United States census of 1830. Also 407 black Americans in

Charleston, South Carolina, alone owned black slaves. 9

Early Christian Opposition to Slavery

Philemon 1:15-16

For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him

forever, 16  no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother, especially

to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord

Gal 3:28

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male

nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus

Some Christians did not fully heed Paul’s antislavery statements.

But there were changes happening. Christians interacted with slaves as they did with

those free. Slaves communed with Christians at the same altar.

The romans and Greeks had completely different views

The Romans held slaves in contempt 10

The greeks also dismissed slaves. Aristotle argued that “a slave is a living tool, just as

a tool is an inanimate slave. Therefore there can be no friendship with a slave as

slave” (Nichomachean Ethics 8.11).

CHRISTAIN INFLUENCE BEGAN TO FREE SLAVES

W. E. H. Lecky, who says,

 “St. Melania was said to have emancipated 8,000 slaves;

 St. Ovidius, a rich martyr of Gaul, 5,000;

 Chromatius, a Roman prefect under Diocletian, 1,400;

 Hermes, a prefect under Trajan,

 1,200. [And] many of the Christian clergy at Hippo under the rule of St.

Augustine, as well as great numbers of private individuals, freed their slaves as

an act of piety.” 11

3 RD CENTURY

Constantine in A.D. 315, only two years after he issued the Edict of Milan, imposed

the death penalty on those who stole children to bring them up as slaves. 12

4 TH CENTURY

 In the fourth century Lactantius (the “Christian Cicero”) in his Divine Institutes

said that in God’s eyes there were no slaves.

 St. Augustine (354–430) saw slavery as the product of sin and as contrary to

God’s divine plan (The City of God 19.15).

 St. Chrysostom, in the fourth century, preached that when Christ came, he

annulled slavery. He proclaimed that “in Christ Jesus there is no slave. . .

.Therefore it is not necessary to have a slave. . . .Buy them, and after you have

taught them some skill by which they can maintain themselves, set them free”

(Homily 40 on 1 Corinthians 10).

5 th CENTURY

St. Patrick in Ireland condemned slavery in the 5 th century.

For several centuries bishops and councils recommended the redemption of captive

slaves, and for five centuries the Christian monks redeemed Christian slaves from

Moorish servitude.

12 th CENTURY

By the twelfth century slaves in Europe were rare, and by the fourteenth century

slavery was almost unknown on the Continent of Europe.

BRITISH SLAVERY

 William Wilberforce (1759– 1833),

In 1823, two years before he had to relinquish his seat in the House of Commons

because of ill health, he presented a petition to the House of Commons to abolish

slavery, a petition that a close associate of his, Thomas Fowell Buxton, moved “as a

resolution declaring slavery repugnant to Christianity and the Constitution.” 14

A few days before he died on July 26, 1833, he received word that Parliament had

passed the Abolition Act. This act resulted in freeing 700,000 slaves by England in its

West Indies colonies. 15

Wilberforce is a magnificent example of fighting the sin of slavery in the name of

Christ. By 1840 Slavery was totally outlawed in the British Empire making it the first

modern country to outlaw slavery.

Ex. Amazing Grace

SLAVERY IN NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA

Even after slavery came to an end in the British Empire in the 1830s, it continued in the

north and south in the British West Indies, the United States, Brazil, and Mexico. In the

United States it grew till 25% of the Southerners owned slaves.

The United States received a relatively low percentage of the ten million African slaves

imported to the New World between 1502 and the 1860s. It had received about 7%;

Brazil, 41%; the British and French colonies in the Caribbean, along with the Spanish

settlements, 47%; and the Dutch, Danish, and Swedish colonies, 5%. 16

Christian Pioneers of Abolition

 Elijah Lovejoy - killed by rioting pro-slavery radicals in his printing office in Alton,

Illinois, in November 1837, is often cited as the abolitionists’ first martyr. He was

a Presbyterian clergyman who had attended Princeton Theological Seminary. His

strong stand against slavery, prompted by his Christian convictions, cost him his

life.

 Edward Beecher, president of Illinois College, was also a strong promoter of the

abolitionist cause, largely through the auspices of the college. Black students, for

instance, were welcomed as students, a rare phenomenon in those days. The

college, a Christian institution, was labeled by the Illinois State Register of

Springfield, Illinois, as a “freedom-shrieking tool of abolitionism.” 18



Christ’s teachings definitely have to be credited with having moved Christian clergy

like Lovejoy, the Beechers (Harriet, Henry, and Edward), Mahan, Shipperd, Finney,

Weld, Torrey, and others too numerous to mention. That is also how Lyman Beecher

saw it. One researcher cites him as saying that abolitionism was the offspring of the

Great Revival that preceded it in the eastern states. 19

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) depicts the misery of America’s enslavement of the Negro. It

brought the tragedy of American slavery to the attention of the entire world.

Unfortunately, one rarely hears about the Christian motivation that moved Harriet

Beecher Stowe to write her revealing, antislavery novel. Harriet casts Uncle Tom in the

role of the suffering servant as he suffers physically under the hands of his last slave

master. Christlike, he refuses to take revenge despite powerful urgings from his fellow

slaves; he clings to the promises of Christ up to his death, which was caused by the

beatings his slave owner inflicted on him.

As one analyst has well observed, “Uncle Tom [the book] takes a Christian approach that

suffering is redemptive, and that evil will be atoned for.” 20

 On one occasion, a sea captain who met her said that he was pleased to shake the hand

that wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin. She responded that she did not write the book. “God

wrote it,” she said, “I merely did his dictation .” 21

The Black Church

In all of the pain and suffering that the American blacks endured during slavery, they

were greatly aided by Christianity’s presence in their lives through the vehicle of black

churches. The Negro church was virtually the only place where slaves were allowed to

congregate, to experience a spiritual union with other slaves, and to feel equal to the

white man, especially in the eyes of God.

Even Eugene Genovese, once a Marxist, credits Christianity as the institution that

enabled the black slaves in America to survive the prolonged dehumanization process. 22

In the North during the antebellum era, numerous black churches functioned as

“stations” “stations” of the Underground Railroad as well as centers of abolitionist

activities.

(1) opportunities for emotional release where individuals could express their oppression

(2) social interaction with other slaves

(3) educational opportunities so that many individuals learned to read and write

(4) socioeconomic assistance to the sick and bereaved

(5) social cohesion that gave a sense of belonging

(6) solace and comfort

(7) leadership opportunities

AMERICAS FIRST PROCLAMATION AGAINST SLAVERY

America’s first formal proclamation against slavery in 1688. He was Franz Daniel

Pastorius, a Mennonite. He brought 5000 acres and started Germantown Pennsylvania.

In 1688 Pastorius approached his Quaker friends in the Germantown area with a protest

against slavery. The formally written protest, which was signed by Pastorius and several

other German immigrants, invoked the Golden Rule, among other arguments. In part it

read, “There is a saying that we shall doe [sic] to all men, like as we will be done

ourselves, making no difference of what generation, Descent or Colour they are, and

those who steal or rob men, and those who buy or purchase them, are they not all

alike?” 23

The Quakers resisted him but in 1705 they did take a public stand against slavery.

AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT

Slavery ended officially in 1865 but racial segregation, which was formally legitimated by

the United States Supreme Court in 1896 in its Plessy v. Ferguson established the

“separate but equal” principle. The Supreme Court overturned the 1896 ruling in its

Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954.

Three years later, in 1957, Martin Luther King Jr. helped found the Southern Christian

Leadership Conference (SCLC), It’s nonviolent practices came from Christian roots. He

wanted the organization’s members and eventually all Americans to imitate the early

Christians, who, he said, “were small in number but big in commitment. They were too

God-intoxicated to be ‘astronomically intimidated.’ They brought an end to such ancient

evils as infanticide and gladiatorial contests.” 26

One reporter summed up the Selma event by saying, “In the age of Martin Luther,

churches discovered the individual conscience. In the age of Martin Luther King, the

churches may be discovering how to put the individual conscience to work.” 24

CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS AGAINST DISCRIMINATION

 In 1949 the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS) issued a lengthy

document in support of civil rights for American blacks,

 The Southern Baptist Convention denounced the Ku Klux Klan and its use of the

Christian cross, calling the Klan’s practice “a presumptuous sacrilege.” 25

  Also in 1949, the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ, composed of twenty-

seven denominations, moved toward supporting racial integration .

Conclusion

Both the abolition of slavery and rejection of racial segregation have their roots

in the earliest teachings of Christianity.

CHRISTIANS WHO WERE PRO-SLAVERY

 In spite of St. Paul’s words to Philemon and to the Galatians, for more than a

thousand years many Christians owned slaves. This included even prominent church

leaders such as:

 Polycarp, a second-century bishop of Smyrna

 Athenagoras, a second-century Christian philosopher.

 Clement of Alexandria and Origen,

 In the thirteenth century St. Bonaventure saw slavery as a divine institution

 In 1548 Pope Paul III granted to all men, and to the clergy, the right to keep

slaves.

Many Americans who defended slavery, called themselves Christians. Every state had

preachers who argued that slavery was compatible with Christianity. But the abolitionist

movement had a considerably higher percentage of Christian clergy than did the pro-

slavery defenders. Two-thirds of the abolitionists in the mid– 1830s were Christian

clergy. 17

I see this as the evil use and abuse of good tools. Throughout history you have had cults

who use the word of God to deceive many, there have been false prophets who use the

word to ensnare many etc. People using the words of life to enslave people is evil and

demonic. But it doesn’t subtract from the validity of the word.

NOTES

1. Charles H. Haskins, The Rise of Universities (New York: Henry Holt, 1923), 3.

2. A. B. Cobban, The Medieval Universities: Their Development and Organization

(Chatham, England: Methuen, 1975), 22.

3. Daniel J. Boorstin, The Discoverers (New York: Vintage Books, 1983), 491.

4. Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (Rockville,

Md.: Assurance Publishers, 1984), 157.

5.  Thomas Clap: cited in Donald Tewksbury, The Founding of American Colleges and

Universities Before the Civil War (New York: Teachers College Columbia

University, 1932), 82.

6. 74. D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe, What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?

(Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994), 40.

7. David R. James, “Slavery and Involuntary Servitude,” in Encyclopedia of

Sociology, ed. Edgar F. Borgatta and Marie L. Borgatta (New York: Macmillan,

1992), 4:1792.

8. Brian Eads, “Slavery’s Shameful Return to Africa,” Reader’s Digest (March 1996):

77–81.

9. United States census data for 1830, cited in Larry Koger, Black Slaveowners: Free

Black Slave Masters in South Carolina, 1790–1860 (Columbia: University of South

Carolina Press, 1995), 20.

10. W. E. H. Lecky, History of European Morals (New York: Vanguard Press, 1926),

77.

11. W. E. H. Lecky, History of European Morals: From Augustus to Charlemagne

(New York: D. Appleton, 1927), 2:69.

12.  C. Schmidt, The Social Results of Early Christianity, trans. R. W. Dale (London:

Wm. Isbister Limited, 1889), 430.

13.  Lecky, History of European Morals, 2:71.

14.  John Stoughton, William Wilberforce (New York: A. C. Armstrong and Son, 1880),

78

15. D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe, What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?

(Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1994), 21.

16. Robert William Fogel, Without Consent and Without Contract: The Rise and Fall

of American Slavery (New York: W. W. Norton, 1991), 18.

17. Sherwood E. Wirt, The Social Consequences of the Evangelical (New York: Harper

and Row, 1968), 39.

18. Donald Mundinger, “Statement by President Mundinger,” in Sesquicentennial

Papers : Illinois College, ed. Iver F. Yaeger (Carbondale: Southern Illinois

University Press, 1982), 156.

19. Ibid, 72.

20. 42. Josephine Donovan, Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Evil, Affliction and Redemptive Love

(Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1991), 12.

21.  On one occasion, a sea captain who met her said that he was pleased to shake

the hand that wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin. She responded that she did not write

the book. “God wrote it,” she said, “I merely did his dictation.”

22. Eugene Genovese, Roll, Jordan, Roll (New York: Pantheon Books, 1974), 161–68.

23. Albert Bernhardt Faust, The German Element in the United States (Boston:

Houghton Mifflin, 1909), 1:46. The original copy of this protest is housed in the

library of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

24. “Selma, Civil Rights, and the Church Militant,” Newsweek, 29 March 1965, 78.

25. “Southern Baptists Denounce Klan,” Christian Century, 14 September 1949,

1059.

26. Martin Luther King Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” in A Testament of Hope:

The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King Jr., ed. James Melvin

Washington (San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1991), 300.

27. Fielding H. Garrison, An Introduction to the History of Medicine (Philadelphia: W.

B. Saunders, 1914), 118.

28.  Cited in Gumpert, Dunant, 300.

TOP FOUR MOMS IN THE BIBLE

 TOP FOUR MOMS IN THE BIBLE

1. SARAH (Endurance)

a. Always Moving

Gen 12:1

“Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land

that I will show you

Gen 12:6

Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree

of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. 7  Then the LORD appeared to

Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an

altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. 8  And he moved from there to the

mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on

the east; there he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. 9  So

Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South…

Ex. Like a Military wife and Mom

b. Constantly Handed Off

Gen 12:10-20

Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there,

for the famine was severe in the land. 11  And it came to pass, when he was close to

entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you are a woman

of beautiful countenance. 12  Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you,

that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.

13  Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I

may live because of you.” 14  So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the

Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. 15  The princes of Pharaoh also

saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s

house. 16  He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys,

male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels. 17  But the LORD plagued

Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18  And

Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not

tell me that she was your wife? 19  Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? I might have

taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way.”

20  So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his

wife and all that he had.

Gen 20:1-5,17

And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and

Shur, and stayed in Gerar. 2  Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.”

And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3  But God came to Abimelech in a

dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the

woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” 4  But Abimelech had not

come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? 5  Did he not

say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In

the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.”… 17  So

Abraham prayed to God; and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female

servants. Then they bore children; 18  for the LORD had closed up all the wombs of the

house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

c. The Burden of the Call

Gen 16:1-2

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children… 2  So Sarai said to Abram, “See

now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing children…”

d. The Scorn of the Least

Gen 16:2-4

So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing children.

Please, go into my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded

the voice of Sarai. 3  Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and

gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in

the land of Canaan. 4  So he went into Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw

that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes

e. Her stolen child

Gen 16:6

So Abram said to Sarai, “Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please.”

And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence

f. Still cooking and cleaning at 90

Gen 18:1

Then the LORD appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in

the tent door in the heat of the day…. 4  Please let a little water be brought, and wash

your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5  And I will bring a morsel of bread,

that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have

come to your servant.” They said, “Do as you have said.” 6  So Abraham hurried into

the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead

it and make cakes.”… 8  So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had

prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.

g. Trusting Her Husband was Hearing Right

Gen 22:1-2

Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him,

“Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2  Then He said, “Take now your son, your only

son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a

burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you”

h. Raising a baby in her 90’s

Gen 21:1-2

For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which

God had spoken to him

2. MARY (Grace)

a. Self Esteem

Luke 1:34-38

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35  And

the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the

power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to

be born will be called the Son of God. 36  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also

conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was

called barren. 37  For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38  Then Mary said, “Behold

the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel

departed from her.

b. Maturity

Luke 2:15-21

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the

shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that

has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16  And they came with

haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17  Now when they

had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning

this Child. 18  And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told

them by the shepherds. 19  But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her

heart. 20  Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things

that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Matthew 2:9-11

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen

in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.

10  When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11  And when they

had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell

down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they

presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

c. Conflict Resolution Skills

Mary had four sons, Joseph, James, Jude and Simon. Because of the virgin birth

Joseph was not the father of Jesus so these were half-brothers of Jesus. These were

not the disciples of Jesus.

Matthew 12:46-47

While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood

outside, seeking to speak with Him. 47  Then one said to Him, “Look, your mother and

Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You

Matthew 13:55

Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers

James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56  And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where

then did this Man get all these things?” 57  So they were offended at Him.

d. Discernment

John 2:1-5

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus

was there. 2  Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3  And

when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”

4  Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour

has not yet come.” 5  His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do

it”

3. JOCHEBED (Vision and Selflessness)

a. Bold Visionary)

Exo 2:1-4

And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. 2  So the

woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child,

she hid him three months. 3  But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark

of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it

in the reeds by the river’s bank. 4  And his sister stood afar off, to know what would

be done to him

b. Selfless

Exo 2:7-10

Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from

the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?” 8  And Pharaoh’s

daughter said to her, “Go.” So the maiden went and called the child’s mother. 9  Then

Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I

will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him.

c. Able to let go

Exo 2:10

10  And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became

her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, “Because I drew him out of the

water.”

4. _______________

a. Praying

b. Fasting

c. Loving

d. Caring

e. Serving

f. Giving

A Mother's love is something

that no on can explain,

It is made of deep devotion

and of sacrifice and pain,

It is endless and unselfish

and enduring come what may

For nothing can destroy it

or take that love away . . .

It is patient and forgiving

when all others are forsaking,

And it never fails or falters

even though the heart is breaking . . .

It believes beyond believing

when the world around condemns,

And it glows with all the beauty

of the rarest, brightest gems . . .

It is far beyond defining,

it defies all explanation,

And it still remains a secret

like the mysteries of creation . . .

A many splendoured miracle

man cannot understand

And another wondrous evidence

of God's tender guiding hand.

Helen Steiner Rice

IMPACT OF CHRISTIANITY HISTORICALLY

IMPACT OF CHRISTIANITY HISTORICALLY

I. JESUS

1. Important Statements of Jesus

John 9:5

“…I am the light of the world.”

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the

Father except through Me

Matthew 28:19-20

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of

the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20  teaching them to observe all

things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end

of the age

Matthew 6:9-10

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will

be done On earth as it is in heaven

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever

believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life

John 10:10

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come

that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly

Matthew 24:14

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to

all the nations, and then the end will come

II. THE INFLUENCE OF CHRIST IN HISTORY

This series is about Truth. It’s about defending hot topic cultural issues of our day.

Our standard of truth is derived from the Word of God. The gospels espouse the

teachings of Christ and the New Testament continues the tradition. The effects of

this document are widespread.

Christianity has had a profound impact throughout history. A world without Christ is

one no one would want to live in. There is no doubt He (Jesus ) Has made things

better for humanity on every way. Some of His followers have not always followed

his heart or dictates. They have at times not represented Jesus well. Nonetheless all

of civilization owes a debt of gratitude to the influence of the teaching of Christ.

There is a significant effort today to demonize Christianity and Christ. But

Christianity, not without it’s stains, has been a force for incredible good in the world.

I will share a few of the historical benefits.

 In the ancient world, Jesus’ teachings lifted archaic standards of morality, stopped

infanticide, prospered human life, liberated women, abolished slavery, inspired

charities and relief organizations, created hospitals, established orphanages, and

founded schools.

In medieval times, Christianity almost single-handedly kept classical culture alive by

preserving and transcribing manuscripts, building libraries, moderating warfare

through truce days, and providing dispute arbitration. Christians invented colleges

and universities.

In this modern era, Christian teaching, properly expressed, resulted in advanced

science, greater liberty and freedom, resulted in more justice, and impacted the arts

more than any other source.

Schmidt, Alvin J.. How Christianity Changed the World (p. 8). Zondervan. Kindle

Edition.

There are several areas that Christ and His followers have made a huge difference.

They are:

 Roman Culture

 Mores and Values

 Sex and Marriage

 The Role and Status of Women

 Charity and Compassion

 Hospitals and Medical Advancement

 Education

 Labor and Economics

 Scientific Advocacy and Advancement

 Liberty and Justice

 Abolition of Slavery

 Language

 Many More

Today we will focus briefly on just a few of these areas.

1. Christianity’s Impact on Roman Culture

2. Christianity’s Impact on the Role and Status of Women

Next Week:

3. Christianity’s Impact on Education

4. Hospitals and Compassion

5. Christianity’s Impact on the Abolition of Slavery

III. CHRISTIANITY AND ROME

Early Christians defied the entire systems of Rome’s morality

The Romans had a very low view of life while Christians had a very high view of life.

The early Christians believed that every one was created in the image and likeness of

God

Gen 1:27

So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male

and female He created them.

Psalm 8:4-5

What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? 5

For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him

with glory and honor

1. Infanticide

In the Greek and Roman Culture reasons those born deformed or physically

weak were mostly killed. Mostly by drowning but some in more brutal ways.

Girls were killed the most

Saints stood up against this and as a result Valentinian, a Christian emperor who

was sufficiently influenced by Bishop Basil of Caesarea in Cappadocia, formally

outlawed infanticide in 374 (Codex Theodosius 9.41.1). He was the first one to

do so. 1

Infanticide was never eliminated but it was greatly reduced.

2. Abandonment

The Romans also practiced abandoning children for any cause. The church

Fathers such as Tertullian and others stood against this but they also rescued

and adopted the abandoned children

Many laws were passed that outlawed abandonment as a result of Christian

influence but it was not stamped out totally

3. Gladiatorial Games

Early Greeks and Romans embraced Stocism. No regard for the weak and

defenseless of society. Christianity’s high view of life had a great impact on

Society’s ending the games.

Ex. Brutality of it all. - Animals and Humans. - 5000 in one day

Ex. 911 won’t show those dying (Christian Influence)

4. Human Sacrifices

a. Jewish History

When you see Baal Worship you see Human and child Sacrifice.

Ex. Archeologist have found infants that Ahab and Jezebel sacrificed

b. Irish before St Patrick would sacrifice Humans

c. Prussians and Lithuanians even until the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries

sacrificed Humans

d. Aztec Indians in Mexico

It was the human doctrine that human life is sacred that began to put an end to

these atrocities.

5. Suicide

To take one’s own life was an act of self-glory. Hence, it is not surprising to find

that suicide was widely practiced on all levels of society.

Christian opposition to suicide over the centuries influenced and prompted

Western nations to outlaw it.

6. Cannibalism

During World War II on a remote island in the Pacific, an American soldier met a

native who could read, and the native was carrying a Bible. Upon seeing the

Bible, the soldier said, “We educated people no longer put much faith in that

book.” The native, from a tribe of former cannibals, replied, “Well, it’s good that

we do, or you would be eaten by my people today.” 2

IV. THE STATUS AND ROLE OF WOMEN

Gal 3:28

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male

nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus

What would the status of women be if Christ never came?

Ex. Lets look at countries who have rejected Christian Influence

 Some Islamic countries women still have to be veiled

 In Saudi Arabia can only drive since 2017

 Koran on Women:

A man has the right to beat and sexually desert his wife, all with the full support

of the Koran, which says,

“Men stand superior to women. . . .But those whose perverseness ye fear,

admonish them and remove them into bedchambers and beat them; but if they

submit to you then do not seek a way against them” (Sura 4:34). 3

 The Word

Eph 5:25,28

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself

for her, 28  So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who

loves his wife loves himself

1. Greeks and women

Athenian women were not permitted to leave her house unless she was

accompanied by a trustworthy male escort, commonly a slave appointed by her

husband. 4

The only woman who had some freedom was the hetaera (het era), or mistress, who

often accompanied a married man when he attended events outside his home. The

hetaera was the man’s companion and sexual partner. 5

 The average Athenian woman had the social status of a slave.

Ex. Boys school girls could not

Ex. Female infanticide was much greater than male

2. Romans and Women

While many upper-class girls informally received some education in grammar and

reading, a Roman wife, like her Athenian counterpart, was not allowed to be present

with her husband’s guests at a meal. 6

There were numerous other restrictions on women as well. For instance, a married

woman was commonly under the Roman law of manus, which placed her under the

absolute control of her husband, who had ownership of her and all her possessions. 7

A man could divorce her if she merely went out in public without a veil, according to

Plutarch (Romulus 22.3). She could never divorce him.

A woman could not even tell her husband’s slave what to do 8

This law was still in force in the early part of the fifth century and received strong

criticism from Augustine, the Christian bishop of Hippo in northern Africa.

3. Hebrews and Women

Although it did not use women sexually in religious activities, the Hebrew culture

was in some other ways as badly biased against women as was the culture of the

Greco-Romans. This was particularly true during the rabbinic era (ca. 400 B.C. to ca.

A.D. 300). The rabbinic oral law (now essentially recorded in the Talmud and

Midrash), like the customs of the Greeks and Romans, barred women from testifying

in court (Yoma 43b). 9

4. Jesus and Women

a. He treated women humanely and respectful

John 4:5-29 (Woman at the Well)

b. Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42)

Jesus taught Mary as a Rabbi against rabbinic oral law

Sotah 3:4

“Let the words of the Law [Torah] be burned rather than taught to women. . . . If

a man teaches his daughter the Law, it is as though he taught her lechery.”

c. He appeared to women and sent her to tell the disciples after His Resurrection`

Matthew 28:10

Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to

Galilee, and there they will see Me

d. Woman with the issue of Blood (Mark 5:25-34)

5. Paul and Women

a. House church Leaders

Apphia, “our sister,” was a leader in a house church in the city of Colossae

(Philemon 2).

In Laodicea, there was Nympha, who had a “church in her house” (Colossians

4:15).

In Ephesus, Priscilla, with her husband Aquila, had a church that met “at their

house” (1 Corinthians 16:19). Paul called Priscilla one of his “fellow workers”

(Romans 16:3)

Phoebe in Romans 16:1–2 is referred to by the male title of diakonos (deacon), a

position she held in the church at Cenchreae. Paul did not use any feminine form

of the word.

Pheobe  had a “position of authority in the churches.” 10

6. Other Issues

 Child Brides..

 Freedom to Dress…

 Freedom to Vote

 Ending Burning Widows

James 1:27

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans

and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world

 Jesus had compassion on the widow of Nain, whose son he raised from the dead

(Luke 7:11–15).

He chided the Pharisees for taking financial advantage of widows (Mark 12:40),

He commended the widow gave two mites in her offering (Luke 21:2–3).

Writing to Timothy, St. Paul urged him to have the Ephesian Christians, especially

the children and grandchildren, honor their widowed mothers (1 Timothy 5:3–4).

NOTES

1 Schmidt, Alvin J.. How Christianity Changed the World (p. 51). Zondervan. Kindle

Edition.

 2 Cited by James Hefley, What’s So Great About the Bible? (Elgin, Ill.: David C.

Cook, 1966), 76.

3 Schmidt, Alvin J.. How Christianity Changed the World (p. 97). Zondervan. Kindle

Edition.

4. Charles Albert Savage, The Athenian Family: A Sociological and Legal Study

(Baltimore: n.p., 1907), 29.

5 Verena Zinserling, Women in Greece and Rome (New York: Abner Schram, 1972),

39.

6 Balsdon, Roman Women, 272.

7. Ibid. p. 276

8. (Aulus Gellius Noctium Gellius 17.6). According to lex Voconia (a law enacted in

169 B.C.)

9. Schmidt, Alvin J.. How Christianity Changed the World (p. 102). Zondervan.

Kindle Edition.

10. E. A. Judge, “Early Christians as a Scholastic Community,” Journal of Religious

History 1 (1960–61): 128.

AUTHORITY TO DOMINATE | Pastor Fred Adetunji

1. Dominate: To give authority or official power; to empower

a. God gave us the right to dominate, not as in colonization 

b. God gave us the right to have Kingdom dominion

Genesis 1:26

And God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion

over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and overall the

earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in

his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And

God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth,

and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and

over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. KJV

2. Gen1:1 in the beginning God

a. Elohim: God is plural, father-son, and Holy Spirit. 

b. He is such a mighty judge that He counsels himself.

c. God gave mankind the Authority to represent Him on the earth. 

Ephesians 1:11

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of

him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

3. 3 things to know as you go through life

1. You are not where you are by accident

James 1:2

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying

of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect

and entire, wanting nothing.

2.  You are passing through

Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the

called according to his purpose.

3.  You have power over your situation

1 Peter 5:9

“…knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 10

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye

have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

 

4.  But what does “Dominion” really mean?

 It is traditionally interpreted as “to subdue” or “to rule over.” 

a. Who are we to rule and subdue?

b. If you don’t understand the word you will abuse it

Mark 10:42-45

And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers

of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall

not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and

whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be

served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

5. Authorized to Dominate

The power or right of governing; Sovereign authority; Rule; Control.

a. To exercise dominating power or influence. 

Matthew 20:26-27

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,

27 and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave—…

b. To exercise authority, dominion, or sovereignty. 

Matthew 4:19 

Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

6. God wants to make you ruler of His inheritance. But we have to humble ourselves 

Isaiah 57:15

“For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in

the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit

of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

1 Samuel 15:17 

“And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the

tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?”

James 4:6 

“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto

the humble.”

7. What is Grace?

A pleasing or attractive quality; Favor or goodwill; a manifestation of favor. 

a. To work in your authority 

● You must submit to the one who gave it to you

● Know the authority is from and for his kingdom 

Matthew 28:18 

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Acts 5:29

But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men

b. The kingdom is not about food and drink 

● Authority works with righteousness 

● As you were supposed to be 

● In the kingdom you dominate and influence by lifestyle

Romans 14:17

For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy

Ghost.

1 Corinthians 8:9-13

But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the

weak. For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his

conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? For through your

knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died.

8. You prosper from your soul

3 John 1:2 

Beloved, I pray that in every way you may prosper and enjoy good health, as your soul also

prospers

Is The Bible Still Relevant? Tre Townsley MIDWEEK

 Is The Bible Still Relevant?

 Questions of the Bible's relevance typically come from those who read

without understanding, read with pre-existing bias against it, or don't read

it at all.

 What makes something relevant? Miriam-Webster: 1) Having significant

and demonstrable bearing on the matter at hand. 2) Affording evidence

tending to prove or disprove the matter at issue or under discussion.

 Does the subject matter of the Bible have significant bearing on the plight

of man 

The Bible is relevant because it deals with issues of man’s origin, purpose, justice

(this age & the age to come), and after-life. Even if one does not believe

redemption is necessary, he/she must acknowledge that these four issues weigh

heavily on the average person and their lifestyle & worldview.

1. Purpose (Why am I here?) In order to know purpose, we must connect with

the originator.

o Genesis 1:26-27 “ 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our

likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl

of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping

thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in

the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

o Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good

works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

o Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God,

and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

2. Justice (Does God care about injustice?)

o Proverbs 21:3 “To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than

sacrifice.” (tsed-aw-kaw):rightness or righteousness

o Micah 6:8 “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD

require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy

God?” (mish-pawt) to pronounce a just verdict

o Luke 18:1-8 “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought

always to pray, and not to faint; 2 Saying, there was in a city a judge, which feared

not God, neither regarded man: 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she

came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a

while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard

man; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her

continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge

saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto

him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.

Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”

Avenge (ek-dik-eh) vindicate or mete out justice

3. After-Life (What happens next?) For many, the fear of death (or the unknown

after death) is the greatest fear of life. What does the Bible teach?

o 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4, 12-20, 51-57 “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the

gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye

stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto

you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that

which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the

scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day

according to the scriptures// 14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching

vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God;

because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not

up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ

raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18

Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only

we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20 But now is Christ

risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.// 51 Behold, I

shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a

moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound,

and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this

corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So

when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have

put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death

is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy

victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks

be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Peter 3:15 instructs us to always be ready to give an answer to every person

that asks for a reason we as believers are so hopeful. From scientific biological

agreement with eighth day circumcision (Genesis 17:12) to psychological

agreement that a joyful heart can promote physical healing (Proverbs 17:22) to

historical agreement of prophecy fulfilled down to small details (Ezekiel 26:1-14)

and so many more, the Bible has proven itself to be much more than an ancient

document to be cast aside. On the contrary, it continually proves itself to be

accurate and quite relevant even in today’s culture.

RACISM PREJUDICE AND HATRED

I. ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES

1. The Beginning

The Bible does not start off with the creation of a special or privileged race

of people. When the first human being is created he is simply called adam,

which is Hebrew for “humankind.”

Not Hebrews or Egyptians; Not White or Black nor even Semitic. Their

own particular ethnicity is not even mentioned, for the Bible seems to

stress that they are the mother and father of all peoples of all ethnicities.

Adam and Eve are presented as non-ethnic and non-national because

they represent all people of all ethnicities.

Gen 1:26-27

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let

them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over

the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the

earth.” 27  So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created

him; male and female He created them.

Adam and Eve are ethnically generic, representing all ethnicities. Thus the

Bible is very clear in declaring from the beginning that all people of all

races and ethnicities carry the image of God.

Acts 17:26

And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of

the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their

dwellings

2. The Origin of the Races

Gen 9:18-19

Now the sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

And Ham was the father of Canaan. 19  These three were the sons of Noah, and

from these the whole earth was populated.

3. Genetics

 Genes come in pairs

 Half from Mom and Half from Dad

 Let’s assign A and B to people with lots of Melanin (Dark Skinned)

 Let’s assign a and b to people with small amounts of melanin

 In very dark-skinned groups people have AABB

 In very light skinned groups they carry aabb

 If a male and a female from each group AABB and aabb got together the child

would have AaBb and would be middle brown in skin tone

 If two people carrying the AaBb genes mated they can produce children with

a wide range of skin tones

4. Division According to Genetics

Gen 11:7-9

Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not

understand one another’s speech.” 8  So the LORD scattered them abroad from

there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9  Therefore

its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the

earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the

earth.

The fall of man, the scattering of all generations and the subsequent confusion of

their language, introduced various cultures, traditions and conformations

 They were scattered linguistically and genetically

 Geographic groups began to populate with certain genetic characteristics

 Micro Evolution developed (lips and noses etc.)

II. EARLY BLACK CIVILIZATION

1. Blacks were not cursed but Cushed

In the 19 th  century, both before and after the Civil War, this text was frequently

cited by Whites to argue that the slavery or subjugation of the black races was, in

fact, a fulfillment of the prophecy in this text. These pastors and writers argued

that 1) the word “Ham” really means “black” or “burnt,” and thus refers to the

Black race; and 2) God commanded that the descendants of Ham (Black people)

become slaves to Japheth, who, they argued, represents the White races.

Gen 9:18-27

Now the sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

And Ham was the father of Canaan. 19  These three were the sons of Noah, and

from these the whole earth was populated. 20  And Noah began to be a farmer,

and he planted a vineyard. 21  Then he drank of the wine and was drunk and

became uncovered in his tent. 22  And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the

nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 23  But Shem and

Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and

covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned away, and they

did not see their father’s nakedness. 24  So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew

what his younger son had done to him. 25  Then he said: “Cursed be Canaan; A

servant of servants He shall be to his brethren. 26  And he said: “Blessed be the

LORD, The God of Shem, And may Canaan be his servant. 27 May God enlarge

Japheth, And may he dwell in the tents of Shem; And may Canaan be his servant.

 The Curse was on Canaan not Ham or Mizraim (Gen 9:25)

 Canaanites were in gross sexual sin (Lev 18:2-23) the same practice Ham did.

 Canaanites were Israel’s future enemies

 Blacks are not cursed they are “cushed”

2. Cush Descendants

Gen 10:6-12

The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 7  The sons of Cush were

Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabtechah; and the sons of Raamah were

Sheba and Dedan. 8  Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the

earth. 9  He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod

the mighty hunter before the LORD.” 10  And the beginning of his kingdom was

Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11  From that land he went

to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, 12  and Resen between Nineveh

and Calah (that is the principal city).

Cush is another name for Ethopia; Mizraim is another name for Egypt

Put is Libya

a. Mizraim (Egypt)

 Original Egyptians were Black People

One of the early Greek playwrights, Aeschylus, mentioned a boat seen from

the shores, and declares that the crew was Egyptian because of their Black

complexion.

With the rise of Islam also, there was an invasion of Egypt in A.D. 640; this

began the 'Arabisation' of Egypt with a gradual reduction of Black presence.

Prior to this, historians like Herodotus alluded to Egyptians being “black

and curly-haired”.

 First Civilization was ruled by Black People

While yet Europe was the home of wandering Barbarians, one of the most

wonderful civilizations on record had begun to work out its destiny on the

banks of the Nile.” [The History of Nations, Vol.18, (1906), 1.]

Egyptians, i.e. the Blacks, were the first civilization to emerge as a nation as

opposed to a city culture

Egypt's dominance and power started thirty-three hundred years before

Christianity with an initial amalgamation of the Lower and the Upper Egypt.

- Advancements

In his book Slavery in History, Gurowski writes, “Architects, artists, ,

mechanics, operatives, sailors, agriculturists

 John W Weatherwax in his writing, The African Contribution said,

“Modern canons, flying missiles, ship propellers, automatic hammers,

gas motors, meat cleavers and even the upholstery tack hammers

were developed in Africa's early use of power.” [John W.

Weatherwax, Ancient Africa: The African Contribution (Los Angeles: J.

Henry and M.L.D. Bryant Foundation, 1962).]

- Agriculture

 The Egyptians for example were able to employ their knowledge of

signs and seasons to determine certain days and the length of a year

and especially, to apply it to their seedtime and harvest time.

Ex. farmers’ almanac – their planting guidebook that illustrates the

phases and positions of the moon.

- Engineering

The Pyramids considered by many as the 8 th wonder of the World

were built by black people. They were built with such perfect

symmetry, emanating from the engineering skills of the early

Egyptians. One of these pyramids, known as the Great Pyramid, is

said to be large enough to adequately contain St Paul's Cathedral,

Westminster Abbey, the Basilica of Rome, the cathedrals of Florence

and Milan all together. 

 They built the Great Sphinx, and at that time it was the marvel of the

world. 

The Egyptians also built the temple of Amon that stands three

hundred and thirty-eight feet wide and twelve hundred feet long; the

largest of its kind built by human hands. 

- Wisdom

Egypt's advancement in education was known around the world. We

are told in Scripture that Moses was taught in all of the wisdom of the

Egyptians Acts 7:22

1 Kings 4:30

Thus, Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the

East and all the wisdom of Egypt

- Math

The Egyptians not only mastered architecture, they also gave the

world what has become modern calculus.

The Egyptians were the first ones to tame wild horses, breeding them

and bringing forth the finest horses on earth.

2 Chronicles 1:16-17

And Solomon had horses imported from Egypt and Keveh; the king’s

merchants bought them in Keveh at the current price. 17  They also

acquired and imported from Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of

silver, and a horse for one hundred and fifty…”

- Fashion

Isaiah 19:9

Moreover, they that work in fine flax, and they that weave networks,

shall be confounded.

Prov 7:16

I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works,

with fine linen of Egypt.











b. Chush (Ethiopia)

Ethiopia is the Greek word or term for “burnt faced people” or Black people.

- Prowess

Ethiopia controlled China, India and Afghanistan for ages. In the

words of J. Johnson, “To this very day dwellers of those lands retain

the old Ethiopian symbols, fine art and concepts of science, medicine

and then engineering. The original architectural structures and

municipalities were modified and sometimes mutilated but never

destroyed.”

- Warfare

Ethiopians were known to have engaged Persians, Hebrews,

Assyrians, Arabians and Greeks in wars. Alexander the Great

conquered Egypt easily, but when he decided to devastate and destroy

Ethiopia, he suffered grief and aggravation because Ethiopia forced

him to retreat to Egypt in 332 B.C. Augustus Caesar also fought

Ethiopia but was defeated by Ethiopia in 25 B.C.  Ethiopia was known

to be ferocious in its warfare.

- First High Rise

The Bible's account of the first high rise building was the Tower of

Babel which was initiated by a Black man, Nimrod, a Cushite; another

word for Ethiopia.

It is believed that Nimrod was the same man venerated in Greek

mythology known as Hercules.

III. ORIGIN OF DIVISION AND HATRED

1. Entrance of Shame

Gen 1:24-25

Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and

they shall become one flesh. 25  And they were both naked, the man and his wife,

and were not ashamed.

Gen 3:6-7

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to

the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She

also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7  Then the eyes of both of them

were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves

together and made themselves coverings.

2. The Fall

a. Physical Death

Rom 5:12

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through

sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned

b. Separation from God

Separation from God is spiritual death. Man’s relationship with God died with the

Fall, and he was separated from God, the source of all life.

John 3:3

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is

born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God

c. Change in Relationships

The Fall changed man’s relationships in many ways. It changed his

relationship with himself, other people and even with nature. We are told that

before the Fall the man and the woman were naked but not ashamed (Genesis

2:25). But immediately after the Fall, they realized they were naked and were

ashamed (Genesis 3:7). Shame altered man’s relationship with himself. All of us

now struggle, to some degree, with self-worth because of our sin. One of our

greatest needs is to regain a sense of our value and worth.

Sin also damaged man’s relationship with other people. Immediately after the

Fall, Adam and Eve’s relationship with one another took a turn for the worse.

Adam blamed Eve and God for his sin, and Eve blamed Satan (Genesis 3:8-13).

There was fear, shame and blame but no remorse or repentance. Relationships

began to suffer. It was not long after the Fall that Cain killed Abel (Genesis 4:8).

And not long after that, God was sorry He had even created man. He sent a flood

to destroy man but preserved the human race because of one righteous man and

his family, Noah (Genesis 6:5-8).

Even man’s relationship with nature was affected by the Fall. The world itself was

altered. Originally the earth produced all kinds of fruit. After the Fall, fruit

production was more difficult. God cursed the ground and caused thorns and

thistles to grow to crowd out the crops man needed to live. Man would have to

work hard to survive in this new world (Genesis 3:17-19). All of creation, we are

told in Scripture, was subjected to frustration through the Fall and awaits its

liberation from decay that will occur when God’s children are liberated (Romans

8:19-21)

3. The Fruit of the Fall

a. Cain and Abel

Gen 4:8

Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were

in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him

b. Perpetual Evil

Gen 6:5

  Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and

that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually

c. Perpetual Division

Shiite and Sunni ; Yoruba and Housa; Hutus and Tutsi’s; Nazi and Jews;

African and Europeans; Aztec

In 1519 a Spanish conquistador named her a non-Cortez landed in

what is now Mexico city. It was the Aztec capital empire. They had a

temple coat Templo mayor a pyramid base with two peaks. There was

a red shrine for the Sun god Huitzilopochtli and a blue shrine fr the

water god Tlaloc.

At the sun god shrine tens of thousands had their hearts cut out of their

chest with flint knives. There hearts were set on fire and held up to the

sky as an offering. Their heads were removed for public display on a

massive skull rack called the Huey Tzompantli, showcasing the skulls

of as many as sixty thousand victims. Bodies were kicked down a 180-

foot pyramid staircase to cannibals waiting below.

For the water god children were before they were ritualistically

murdered because their tears were believed to have sacred powers to

please Tlaloc.

Jer. 17:9

“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can

know it

4. The Gospel

a. A New Heart

Ezekiel 36:24-27

For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries,

and bring you into your own land. 25  Then I will sprinkle clean water on you,

and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all

your idols. 26  I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will

take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27  I will

put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will

keep My judgments and do them.

b. One in Christ

Gal 3:28

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is

neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus

Ephesians 2:14-16

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down

the middle wall of separation, 15  having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that

is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in

Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16  and that He might

reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting

to death the enmity.

5. Jesus

Jesus broke ethnic and socioeconomic barriers

 He healed he child of a Syrophoenician woman. Matt 15:21-28;

Mark 7:24-30

 He healed the servant of a Roman Centurion. Matt 8:5-13;

Luke 7:1-10

 He often ate with sinners and tax collectors. Matt 9:9-13; Mark

2:15-17

 He befriended wealthy Zacchaeus. Luke 19:1-10

 Honored a poor widow. Mark 12:43-44

 He loved little children. Mark 10:13-16

 He broke health barriers (Healed Lepers) Matt 8:1-4; Luke

5:11-14.

 Welcomed women to serve with Him in Ministry. Luke 8:1-3

 He invited everyone

John 6:37

All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I

will by no means cast out

SEXUALITY

 SEXUALITY

I. GOD’S ORIGINAL DESIGN

Gen 1:26-28

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them

have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle,

over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27  So God

created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and

female He created them. 28  Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be

fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the

sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth

Psalm 8:4

What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? 5

For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him

with glory and honor. 6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your

hands; You have put all things under his feet

Psalm 139:13-16

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will

praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And

that my soul knows very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was

made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes

saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The

days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.

The instructions in the Manufactures Handbook…

II. THE BEAUTY OF SEX

The sexual revolution that began in the late 50’s and 60’s has turned sex into

something other than the beauty God created it to be. It’s become almost a dirty

word.

1. It’s the forging of a union

Gen 2:24

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and

they shall become one flesh

1 Cor 6:15-17

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the

members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16  Or do

you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the

two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” 17  But he who is joined to the Lord is one

spirit with Him

2. It’s Covenantal and Sacred

Deut. 22:13-19

“If any man takes a wife, and goes in to her, and detests her, 14  and charges her

with shameful conduct, and brings a bad name on her, and says, ‘I took this

woman, and when I came to her I found she was not a virgin,’ 15  then the father

and mother of the young woman shall take and bring out the evidence of the

young woman’s virginity to the elders of the city at the gate. 16  And the young

woman’s father shall say to the elders, ‘I gave my daughter to this man as wife,

and he detests her. 17  Now he has charged her with shameful conduct, saying, “I

found your daughter was not a virgin,” and yet these are the evidences of my

daughter’s virginity.’ And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city.

18  Then the elders of that city shall take that man and punish him; 19  and they shall

fine him one hundred shekels of silver and give them to the father of the young

woman, because he has brought a bad name on a virgin of Israel

Ex. Hymen in a lady

Def. A membrane which partially closes the opening of the vagina and whose

presence is traditionally taken to be a mark of virginity

3. It is pure within the confines of marriage

Hebrews 13:4

Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and

adulterers God will judge

4. It’s designed to bring great pleasure.

Proverbs 5:18-19

Let your fountain be blessed and rejoice with the wife of your youth. 19 As a

loving deer and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times; And

always be enraptured with her love.

5. It should be Monogamous

Proverbs 5:15-17

Drink water from your own cistern and running water from your own well. 16

Should your fountains be dispersed abroad, Streams of water in the streets? 17

Let them be only your own, And not for strangers with you.

6. It’s a Conjugal right

1 Cor 7:3

Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the

wife to her husband

1 Cor 7:5

Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give

yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not

tempt you because of your lack of self-control

7. Sexual temptation is a good reason to get married

1 Cor 7:2 AMP

But because of the temptation to impurity and to avoid immorality, let each

[man] have his own wife and let each [woman] have her own husband.

Acts 15:19-20

Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who

are turning to God, 20  but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted

by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood

III. UNLAWFUL FORMS OF SEXUAL RELATIONS

Leviticus 18:6-29 AMPLIFIED BIBLE

1. Sex with Kinfolks is unlawful

Lev 18:6

‘None of you shall approach anyone who is near of kin to him, to uncover

his nakedness: I am the LORD None of you shall approach anyone close of kin

to him to have sexual relations. I am the Lord.

2. Sex with your Mother is Forbidden

Lev 18:7

The nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother, you

shall not uncover; she is your mother; you shall not have intercourse with

her.

3. Sex with your father’s wife is forbidden

Lev 18:8

The nakedness of your father’s wife you shall not uncover; it is your father’s

nakedness.

4. Can’t have sex with your sister or brother

Lev 18:9

You shall not have intercourse with or uncover the nakedness of your sister,

the daughter of your father or of your mother, whether born at home or

born abroad.

5. No sex with son or daughter

Lev 18:10-11

You must not have sexual relations with your son’s daughter or your

daughter’s daughter; their nakedness you shall not uncover, for they are your

own flesh. You must not have intercourse with your father’s wife’s daughter;

begotten by your father, she is your sister; you shall not uncover her

nakedness

6. No sex with your aunt or uncle

Lev 18:12

You shall not have intercourse with your father’s sister; she is your father’s

near kinswoman. 13 You shall not have sexual relations with your mother’s

sister, for she is your mothers near kinswoman. 14 You shall not have

intercourse with your father’s brother’s wife; you shall not approach his wife;

she is your aunt.

7. Sleeping with your son in law or daughter in law is forbidden

Lev 18:15

You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your

son’s wife; you shall not have intercourse with her.

8. No sex with your sister-in-law or brother-in-law

Lev 18:16

You shall not have intercourse with your brother’s wife; she belongs to your

brother.

9. No intimacy during menstrual cycle

Lev 18:19

Also you shall not have intercourse with a woman during her [menstrual

period or similar] uncleanness.

10. It’s forbidden to have sex with another’s husband or wife

Lev 18:20

Moreover, you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, to defile

yourself with her.

11. Sex without marriage is not allowed

12. Sex with animals is forbidden

Lev 18:23

Neither shall you lie with any beast and defile yourself with it; neither shall

any woman yield herself to a beast to lie with it; it is confusion, perversion,

and degradedly carnal.

13. Sex with the same gender is forbidden

Lev 18:22

You shall not lie with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination.

1 Cor 6:9-10

Do you not know that the unrighteous and the wrongdoers will not inherit or

have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived (misled): neither

the impure and immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor those who

participate in homosexuality, 10 Nor cheats (swindlers and thieves), nor

greedy graspers, nor drunkards, nor foulmouthed revilers and slanderers, nor

extortioners and robbers will inherit or have any share in the kingdom of

God.

14. New Testament uses Sexual Immorality and Inordinate Affection

1 Thess. 4:3-4

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from

sexual immorality; 4  that each of you should know how to possess his own

vessel in sanctification and honor

Col 3:5

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication,

uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness,

which is idolatry

The NT doesn’t change the Leviticus laws.

Ex. Ludicrous to think because we are under grace you can sleep with your

mom and its ok.

IV. SAME SEX PRACTICES

Three sides of this issue (1. What God says about it 2. An aggressive militant effort to

normalize it; 3. People made in the image of God and loved by God caught in the

middle)

1. What God says About it

a. It is sin and abominable.

Lev 18:22

You shall not lie with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination

Abomination. Repugnant or detestable act, person, or thing. The idea of

abomination derives from the specific demands God’s holiness makes upon

his people. Adjectives frequently used for abominations in the OT are

“abhorrent,” “loathsome,” “unclean,” and “rejected (Baker Encyclopedia of

the Bible).

Other things in the Bible that are an Abomination

 defective sacrifices (Dt 17:1)

 magic and divination (Dt 18:12)

 idolatrous practices (2 Kgs 16:3)

 Meat of certain kinds of animals that was ritually defiling, whether

touched or eaten (Lev. 11:10–13).

 three-day-old sacrificial meat (Lev. 7:18).

 idolatrous objects of pagan origin (Jer. 4:1; 7:30

b. It’s Contrary to the laws of nature

Romans 1:18-32

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and

unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

19  because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has

shown it to them. 20  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes

are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His

eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse… 24  Therefore

God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to

dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25  who exchanged the truth of God

for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator,

who is blessed forever. Amen. 26  For this reason God gave them up to vile

passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is

against nature. 27  Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the

woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing

what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error

which was due. 28  And even as they did not like to retain God in their

knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which

are not fitting; 29  being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality,

wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit,

evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30  backbiters, haters of God, violent,

proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31  undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32  who,

knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things

are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who

practice them.

 There is a such thing as unrighteousness and ungodliness v.18

 The revelation of God is in every human v.19

 The revelation of God is so clear we are without excuse. v.20

 There is a such thing as uncleanness. v.24

 It’s possible to worship the Creature more than the creator. v.25

 There is a such thing as vile passions. v.26

 There is a natural use and a use that is against nature. v.26

 There is something that is considered shameful. v. 27.

 There is a form of sex that is immoral. v.29

Chromosomes

XX in the female and XY in the male.

The chromosomes, sexual organs and reproductive organs determine sex, not

feeling or desire

Ex. My height…

Ex. My skin color…

2. The image bearers

Gen 1:27

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male

and female created he them

Ex. Bruce’s Story

Ex. Ed Silvoso Story

Ex. Woman at the well with five Husbands

PROBLEM: It’s often a root of rejection that opens the door for homosexuality.

Many view anything other than wholesale acceptance as rejection of them.

To be against homosexuality does not mean you are against homosexuals

3. The Agenda

a. Everyone must embrace it

b. If you don’t you are bigoted, homophobic and mean

c. HR5 –

This bill destroys bathroom privacy. It would welcome both

genders into every bathroom in America.  

It eliminates gender standards for religious K-12 schools and

daycare centers

It forbids counsellors from giving professional help to those

facing unwanted same-sex desires or actions

It criminalizes those who share their own story of finding

freedom in Christ from homosexuality in a book or speaking

engagement.

And there is NO RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION to this bill! 

The 1964 Civil Rights Act outlawed state-sanctioned discrimination that

caused systematic economic and material harm to black Americans. The

Equality Act is different: It forces every American to agree with controversial

government-imposed ideology on sexuality or be treated as an outlaw. The

Equality Act demolishes existing civil rights and constitutional freedoms.

All single-sex spaces will be open to both sexes under the Equality Act. The

Equality Act adds sexual orientation and gender identity rules to Title III of

the Civil Rights Act on “public facilities” as well as to public accommodations

Ex. Man in girls sauna naked with legs open

V. MARRIAGE GUIDELINES

Heb 13:4

Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and

adulterers God will judge

Ex. Use nature as a guideline… (Entrance and Exit)

Porn leads to lust and more marital dissatisfaction

Ex. Arranged Marriages

In the U.S., while the divorce rate hovers around 40 or 50 percent, the divorce

rate for arranged marriages is 4 percent. In India, where some estimate that

90 percent of marriages are arranged, the divorce rate is only 1 percent. Are

low divorce rates a sign that arranged marriages work?

VI. ADVICE FOR SINGLES

1. Marry a believer

2. Abstain from sex in the grace of God

1 Thess. 4:3

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from

sexual immorality

3. Get married if you can’t sustain yourself

Ex. Arranged Marriages

1 Cor 6:13

Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now

the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body

THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION | KEMI SEARCY

 THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION

Luke 24:1-7

Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they,  [a] and certain other

women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.  2  But

they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.  3  Then they went in and did not find the

body of the Lord Jesus.  4  And it happened, as they were  [b] greatly perplexed about this,

that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.  5  Then, as they were afraid and

bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among

the dead?  6  He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was

still in Galilee,  7  saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men,

and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ”

1 Cor. 15:3-4

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our

sins according to the Scriptures,  4  and that He was buried, and that He rose again the

third day according to the Scriptures

I. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RESURRECTION

1. The Resurrection Is A Historic Fact That Proves Jesus Was No Ordinary

Prophet – It Differentiates Christianity from all Other Religion, And It’s Prophet

from all other prophets –

2. It’s the Anchor of our Christian Faith

I Co 15:14

If Christ Is not Risen then our preaching is empty, and your faith is also empty

3. Is Proof of Life after Death -- There Shall be a resurrection of the dead both just

and unjust Act 24:15.

II. THE RESURRECTION IS POWER IN DEMONSTRATION

1. Jesus Raised Four People from The Dead In His Ministry

A. He Raised Widows Son – Luke 7:15

B. He Raised The 12Yr Old Jairus Daughter. Mk 5:42

C. Lazarus Mary and Martha’s Brother John 11:44

D. Jesus Raised Jesus From The Dead –

John 10:17-18 --

Therefore My Father Loves Me Because I Lay Down My Life That I May Take It

Again, 18 No One Takes it From Me, But I Lay It Down Of My Self, I Have

Power To Lay It Down and I Have Power To Take It Again

Romans 8:11  

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you,

he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal

bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

III. WALKING IN THE RESURRECTION POWER

1. FAN THE FLAME --

 

2 Tim 1:5

When I call to remembrance the  [b] genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt

first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am

persuaded is in you also.  6  Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God

which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  7  For God has not given

us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2. Use What You Have

Heb 5:14

But solid food belongs to those who are  [a] of full age, that is, those who by

reason of  [b] use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

3. Get to Know Him

Phil 3:10

that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship

of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

Phil 3:10 --  

that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his

sufferings, becoming like him in his death, (ESV)

Psalm 36:5

Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches

beyond the clouds.

WHAT DOES THE RESURRECTION MEAN FOR ME? | KYLE SEARCY

 WHAT DOES THE RESURRECTION MEAN FOR ME?

Luke 24:1-6

Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women

with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2  But they found the

stone rolled away from the tomb. 3  Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord

Jesus. 4  And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood

by them in shining garments. 5  Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth,

they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6  He is not here, but is risen!...

1. You Can trust Jesus

John 2:19-21

Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it

up.”… 21  But He was speaking of the temple of His body

John 10:17-18

“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18  No

one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have

power to take it again.

Ex. In relationships trust is earned

2. We have an Advocate in Jesus

Heb 7:25

Therefore, He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him,

since He always lives to make intercession for them.

1 John 2:1

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone

sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous

3. Shows the Acceptance of Jesus’ death for our sins

Rom 4:25

who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our

justification.

4. We will never experience death

John 11:25-26

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he

may die, he shall live. 26  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you

believe this?”

5. Death Defeated

1 Cor 15:54-57

So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on

immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is

swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your

victory? 56  The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57  But thanks be to

God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

6. We will have glorified bodies

Phil 3:20-21

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord

Jesus Christ, 21  who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His

glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to

Himself.

1 John 3:2-3

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be,

but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He

is.

7. Hope

Job 19:25

For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth;

8. We have access to the Holy Spirit

John 14:26

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you

all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

9. We can live a victorious life

Rom 8:11

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised

Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who

dwells in you.

Eph 1:16-20

do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers… 20  which He

worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in

the heavenly places,

10. We will Rise

1 Cor 15:20

But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have

fallen asleep.

11. Those Dead will Rise

1 Thess 4:13-14

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen

asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14  For if we believe that Jesus died

and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

12. All of Creation will be Redeemed

Rom 8:21

because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into

the glorious liberty of the children of God

13. Shows the superiority of the Christian Faith

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father

except through Me.