International Gospel Hour

Guest (Male): Hello friends, it is time to go to spiritual boot camp. Let's see God's providing power on our broadcast today from the International Gospel Hour, so stay tuned for our study.

J. Webb: Hi, this is J. Webb for International Gospel Hour. For almost 90 years, Churches of Christ have proclaimed God's word through International Gospel Hour. You are about to listen to another Bible-based lesson with Jeff Archey of International Gospel Hour, starting now.

Jeff Archey: We appreciate the kind words of our J. Webb, and greetings to all of you. Thank you for being with us for our study today from the International Gospel Hour. For almost 90 years, we've been on the air somewhere, everywhere, every week. That is amazing when you think about it.

We are able to do that because of the interest of listeners such as you. We're grateful that you tune in to listen, and we hope that our study today will be of help to you. We hope it will answer questions that you have about your life spiritually. We hope that it will help you to want to learn more about the Bible, to learn more about the church we read of in the New Testament, to move away from all denominational views and all preconceived notions, and return to the word of God that will help us and will guide us.

Second Peter 1:3 reminds us how God has given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. When we have all things before us, there is no reason for us to continue in ways that we should not go. Through our work here at International Gospel Hour, we're thankful to offer a free variety of materials for your further study in between broadcasts. Our J. Webb will have more to say about that momentarily. You'll never hear us ask for your money; we just want your interest and your time. Wherever you may be listening to us, we appreciate you taking the time to tune in and listen to our broadcast here from the International Gospel Hour.

We are from Fayetteville, Tennessee, where the oversight of our work is at the West Fayetteville Church of Christ. If you want to contact us, you can write us at P.O. Box 118, Fayetteville, Tennessee, 37334. That's the International Gospel Hour, P.O. Box 118, Fayetteville, Tennessee, 37334. You can also go through our website at internationalgospelhour.com and reach out through the contact tab. While there, peruse and see some of the things that we offer and the other opportunities that are available. You can also call us at 1-855-IGH-6988. Leave us a message. Let us know that you're listening to our broadcast and tell us where you're listening from. We would love to hear from you.

With all that being said, let's begin our study today. As we come reflecting the words of Numbers 22:38, when Balaam said to Balak, "Look, I have come to you. Now, have I any power at all to say anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I must speak." Friends, what we speak today must be from the word of God, wherein is the power that is provided unto mankind. What God places in our mouths comes forth from our heart, and what is placed in our heart is from the word of God.

Romans 10:17 reminds us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. We're reminded in Matthew chapter 15 that what comes forth from the mouth begins in the heart. It is important that God's word touch the heart of man. On the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2, Peter and the apostles preached the first gospel sermon after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is indeed the gospel message, as Paul teaches later in First Corinthians 15:1-4.

On the day of Pentecost, as Peter and the apostles proclaimed and every man heard it in their language, the Bible says they were pricked in their heart with the message. Acts 2:37 records they asked, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" We need to correct this pricked or broken heart. We need to correct a heart that has been convicted. When we can correct a convicted heart through the compassion of the power of the gospel, that will make a difference.

Peter told them, "Repent." That means change your heart. "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." He told them how the promise was unto them, their children, and unto those who are afar off, as many as the Lord God shall call. We find in verse 41 that they that gladly received his word were baptized, and the same day there were added unto them about 3,000 souls. Later in Acts 2:47, we find they were added to the church.

You can be added to the church we read of in the New Testament. It all goes back to the word that God places within us, and it is his word that makes the difference. The Bible is inspired of God, according to Second Timothy 3:16, and it is the word of God that will guide us. Continuing about preaching the word of God, in First Corinthians 2:4, the apostle Paul said, "And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power."

In John chapter 6, the context of verses 63 through 69, there were those that were following Christ and there were those that turned away. Jesus looked at his apostles and said, "Will you also go away?" Peter asked the question, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." The words that Jesus would speak within that context and all through his life, he said they are spirit and they are truth. The word of God is that sword of the spirit, as Ephesians 6:17 tells us.

Let's talk about God's providing power today. In our broadcast here, seeing this as our longer weekly broadcast, I've been trying to present two studies in one broadcast. If you're traveling and you hear the first broadcast, you get a broadcast in. But if you'd like to hear the other broadcast later, we have other options that you can use to do that as well. We're going to be looking at two studies in one broadcast. We're going to look at God's providing power from creation and then we're going to look at God's providing power unto the Christian: the armor of God from Ephesians 6. But before we get into all that, we want to pause and go back to our J. Webb. He has a little bit more information about our work here at International Gospel Hour.

J. Webb: Since 1934, the International Gospel Hour has been heard over the radio, and to God be the glory. We are blessed to remain on the air through gracious giving of congregations of Churches of Christ, faithful Christians, and devoted friends. That's why you'll never hear us asking for money from you, our listener. Our offers of material and study aids are absolutely free. We want you to grow in the knowledge of the word of God. Thank you always for listening.

Jeff Archey: Let's talk about God's providing power from creation. Listen to Psalm 33:6-9. "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; he lays up the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spoke and it was done; he commanded and it stood fast."

What a wonderful text that the psalmist penned, showing the greatness of God and his power in creation. As we read Psalm 33:6-9 that speaks of God creating the world and all that he did, that's a wonderful commentary going back to Genesis chapter 1. It is an affirmation that was written centuries after the creation of God. Through inspiration, the psalmist affirms the very thing that we read of in Genesis 1.

The book of Psalms is of great interest in so many ways. In a recent study that I shared with a group of fellow Christians, it came to my mind more accurately that the book of Psalms is a fantastic book on Christian evidences or biblical evidences. Its power in prophecy and how it has come true, how the psalmist would say one thing and how true it would come forth, the prophecies of the Messiah in Psalm 22 and how they were fulfilled within the life of Christ, and so many other wonderful things from the book of Psalms affirm the power of God. No contradiction exists between the writers of the Psalms or anywhere else. What a wonderful and powerful thought.

Psalm 33:6-9 comes out exactly as Genesis 1:1 says. By the word of the Lord, the heavens were made. In Genesis 1 and following, God's word truly makes the difference, and it made the difference in creation. By the power of his words, things happened. He spoke; it was done. He commanded; it stood fast. Think about Genesis 1 for a moment and how active God was. For example, you see the phrase, "and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." He's active; he's among it.

Nine times we read, "and God said." Five times we read, "and God saw." Three times, "and God called." The phrase, "and God made," we see three times. One time we see the phrase, "and God set," meaning he placed it. In Genesis 1, three times we read, "and God created," and twice, "and God blessed." When you take a look at all those phrases and how many times they were mentioned, there is no doubt how active God was in creation. God's providing power brought all that forth through the power of his words.

When he brings all that forward in the power of his words and we can embrace and enjoy that today, his words through the Holy Bible are as powerful today to help us. The Creator and all therein is the Creator whom it is our duty to worship and serve. In Romans 1:24-25, we read a warning of those that wanted to live their lives their own way. Here is the way Paul described them: "Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness in the lust of their hearts to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen."

There are individuals who will exchange the truth of God for the lie. There are those that will follow after lies that God accepts things when his word says that he does not accept them. They will worship and serve the world. They will follow after the world rather than God. People will follow their own ways, the world's ways. They will listen to their politicians. They will listen to those with various theories. They will listen to other areas rather than God.

It's not surprising that public worship of God has shown that the number of individuals that attend worship has declined over the years to its all-time low. It's because they have decided to worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator. Then there are those that want to talk about organized religion. Please define that for me. When I look in the Bible, religion is to be organized, but it is to be organized by God and his word.

If someone talks about organized religion or how denominationalism will take teaching and twist or mold it to where people are greatly discouraged, or when I read of lawsuits being brought forth against churches because of their abuse techniques, I see much validity there because they are violating the very word of God. We should not allow that to control us, for individuals to take God's word and twist it and rest it as Paul and Peter even warned. We should not do that. I can understand where people would be discouraged, but we don't walk away totally from God.

When we talk about organized religion, if the Bible organizes our religion, that's what it should be. You want a good definition of organized religion? Check out James chapter 1 and verse 27. "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." That's how God organizes his religion. When we think about that, we do not want to walk away from the Creator and worship and serve the creature.

Jesus in John 4:23-24 said, "But the hour is coming and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." If I worship God in spirit and truth as I am commanded, will that help keep me unspotted from the world as noted in James 1:27? The answer is yes.

If James 1:27 is a definition of pure religion, then if I worship the Father in spirit and truth by his guidelines and his ways, will my religion and my life be organized according to God? Absolutely. God's providing power from creation teaches us today that he is the Almighty and worthy of our worship. I'll be back in a little over 30 seconds. Once again, our J. Webb.

J. Webb: The quickest way to reach us is our toll-free number, 1-855-IGH-6988. You can request free Bible study courses, ask a question, or make a comment. Let us know where you hear our broadcast. The number is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That number again is 1-855-IGH-6988 or, if you prefer, 1-855-444-6988.

Jeff Archey: By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, that's Second Corinthians 6:7. It's a wonderful text to introduce our second study of the power of his might: God's providing power through the word of truth, by his power, the armor of God. Let's consider Ephesians 6:10-18.

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual host of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints."

May the Lord always bless us with the reading, the hearing, and the application of his word. What a wonderful section about the armor of God. Over the next few broadcasts, we're going to be bringing forth some thoughts on the armor of God. Today, I want us to think about, first of all, that we cannot help but pause and appreciate the military of our nations who defend us. In the United States, wherein our broadcast originates, to our military: thank you. Your sacrifice does not go unnoticed. Your dedication and love is greatly admired. We love you and appreciate all that you do.

We should pray for our military and for those that will defend us in light of Romans chapter 13. We are grateful for those that serve in the physical military for safety and to carry forth as God's ministers to stand against evil. We also cannot help but pause and to thank our veterans. Many of you continue to pay the price physically and mentally for your service and defense of our nation. As you press onward every day, coming back home to provide for your families and to be servants of your community, to you we say thank you. We here at International Gospel Hour appreciate our veterans and may you have a healthier, stronger day.

There is no doubt in this old world that the Christian must be prepared for battle, a spiritual battle. The armor must be on us; it must be the complete armor of what we just read in Ephesians 6. The armor of God is also known as the armor of light in Romans 13:12. We noted moments ago from Second Corinthians 6:7 the armor of righteousness, and the complete armor is necessary for the soldier of God.

We must emphasize that the Christian must wear the full armor. There are the occasions that we sing the hymn "Soldiers of Christ Arise" and we see that we are to take to arm us for the fight, the panoply of God. What is a panoply? Well, it is a Greek word, panoplia, where we get the word panoply in English. It means the complete armor of God. When we go to battle, we are fully prepared and dressed. If not, Satan knows the weakness. The armor of God is not simply a moral quality but rather divine strength of which we reach.

As we look upon that armor of God, first and foremost, we must understand that it is important to enlist in the army of God before we put on the armor. There is no draft to the army of God; it is all volunteer. One enlists by their obedience to the gospel of Christ. When one responds in faith, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God in Romans 10:17. We understand that we must believe in Christ, according to John 3:16. In John 8:24, Jesus said unless we believe that he is, we would die in our sins. We must respond in faith to God, but it's not simply saying "I believe," but a faith that moves us in changing our lives.

That's why Jesus taught us repentance in Luke 13:3 and 5. When a person believes in God and believes in Christ and he wants to make that change, he must repent of his sins. We noted that moments ago in Acts 2:38, when they needed to change their lives, that was their next step. In Luke 13:3 and 5, Jesus reminds us, "Unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish."

We understand that we are to confess Christ, for in Romans 10:9 and 10, we are reminded that with the heart, man believes unto righteousness. We've got that, but now with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. The eunuch confessed unto salvation in Acts 8:37 when he said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." Then we respond in baptism as that eunuch did in Acts chapter 8. Baptism puts us into Christ, according to Galatians 3:27, and baptism saves us through our faith, according to Mark 16:16.

Then we must remain faithful. The soldier of God cannot go AWOL; he must remain faithful and walk faithfully in his life, serving the Creator, as we noted moments ago in John 4:23-24, Revelation 2:10, and Hebrews 3:12. Have you enlisted in the army of God? Have you met what our commander has brought forth? Would you like to think on this a little bit more or study this matter further? We're going to pause our final time to hear our J. Webb tell you about our free Bible study course from International Gospel Hour.

J. Webb: Friends, the International Gospel Hour offers for free a Bible study course available by mail. At your own pace, you can study the Bible in your own home. It's free; give it a try. Please call toll-free at 1-855-IGH-6988 and leave your name, address, and just say "home study." That's it. You may also go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the contact tab, and leave us the same information: name, address, and type "home study" in the message box. We'll send it right away. Thank you for your interest in the things that be of God.

Jeff Archey: What a wonderful study and wonderful thought today. You see, the word of God is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. God's word is powerful. God's providing power from his creation until now is evident. Thanks be to God for all that he grants us through his word that we may study and know his will and his way. Let's continue our studies together another time. Thank you for joining me today on the International Gospel Hour radio broadcast. Friends, I'm Jeff Archey and always keep listening.

J. Webb: Thank you for listening to our broadcast today. To God goes all the glory, and we hope that our study today will draw you closer to his word to walk in his way. To listen to it again or other broadcasts, please visit our website at internationalgospelhour.com. God be with you until we meet again.