Attitudes

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“ATTITUDES”
Mike Cornwell

1. The right attitude is very important for success in any line of endeavor.

2. Whether it be a simple task or a task that requires some forethought and calculations.

3. You must enter into the task with the proper attitude.

4. When we come to worship Christ in spirit and in truth and our attitude is not what it should be .. we are worshipping in vain.

5. When we arise on the Lord’s day morning .. that is the time for us to get into the proper attitude for worship that day.

6. There are five types of attitudes we want to discuss this morning.

7. In discussing these attitudes look within yourselves and see if the attitude you find needs attention.

8. You only get out of a worship what you put into it.

9. The right type of attitude determines what we put into the worship service.

I. How Is Your Attitude Towards Christ? (Mat 22:42)

A. Jesus asked this question of the Pharisees.

1. It put an end to their questions about Him?

2. Their answer was answered with another two questions? (vs. 43-45)

3. This ended the questions .. once and for all.

B. Jesus Christ was either the Son of God .. or the son of a (mortal) man only!

1. He could not be both!

2 If He was God’s Son .. he was born of a virgin.

3. If He was not born of a virgin .. he was not the Son of God.

a. He was not the Savior of mankind.

b. He was a liar and an imposter.

C. If He was God’s Son .. he was anointed and the Christ. (Acts 2:33)

1. If anointed .. then He is King. (1 Tim 6:15) (Rev 17:14)

D. If He is the "Son of God" .. He is deity .. and not just divine.

1. The modernist .. especially the Unitarians .. believe in the divinity of Christ.

a. They deny His deity. (There are those in the church that do this as well!)

E. What about you? .. "What think ye of Christ?"

II. How Is Your Attitude Towards The Authority Of Christ?

A. Jesus declared He has all authority. (Mat 28:18)

B. If we believe His word .. then we must respect his authority. (Jhn 12:48) (Jhn 13:20)

C. Jesus spoke highly of the faith of the Centurion who said in (Mat 8:8) ..

1. "Speak the word only."

2. The Centurion respected the word of Jesus ..

a. He believed that with the spoken word of Christ .. his servant would be healed.

b. "This is the attitude we should have .. this is true faith in the authority of Jesus Christ!"

D. Death and destruction has come upon men because they refused to hear and respect the word of God.

1. Adam and Eve .. in the garden of Eden.

2. Cain .. in his banishment to the land of Nod.

3. Nadab and Abihu .. in the unacceptable fire.

4. Israel .. in their disobedience.

5. The Lord’s church .. in times past .. and I fear .. the present day and those to come.

III. How Is Your Attitude Towards False Doctrine?

A. There are some who believe/practice that it is all right to believe a false doctrine ..

1. They teach that we are all striving for the same place .. different ways to get there.

2. If it is alright for one .. it is alright for 2 .. for 10 .. for 200 .. the world!

B. There are still others with the idea ..

1. "Preach the truth .. leave the other fellow and his false doctrine alone."

2. "It is not kind to expose error in teaching .. it is not politically correct!"

3. "Don’t bother them." .. "You will cause them to think wrongly of us!" "HELLO!"

C. If Christ had followed such a course .. He would have continued to be obscure ..

1. And of no consequence in the world!

D. Had pioneer preachers followed this course .. the church would be unknown today!

1. (2 Tim 2:15) (2 Tim 4:2)

2. We have only one doctrine to preach .. that is the doctrine of Jesus Christ.

a. We are to rebuke all other doctrines.

b. All other doctrines are .. false doctrines.

E. Jesus and the apostles exposed false doctrines.

1. Most Matthew 23 .. is filled with warnings of false doctrines by Jesus himself.

2. The book of 1 John was written by the "Disciple of Love."

a. Rarely is there a page that he does not call someone a liar! We are in good company by upholding the truth of the gospels! Exposing error .. and false teachers.

F. Jesus is portrayed is the N. T. as "the lamb of God." (Jhn 1:29)

1. In respect to His person .. Jesus was a "lamb of God." (Acts 8:32)

G. In (Rev 5:5) Jesus is portrayed as a "lion of the tribe of Judah."

1. In respect of His doctrine .. He truly was a "lion of the tribe of Judah."

IV. How Is Your Attitude Towards Those Who Preach The Truth And Expose Error?

A. Herodias (adulteress wife of Herod) had John the Baptizer killed ...

1. What was his crime? He exposed her error and preaching the truth. (Mrk 6:8)

B. Some preachers preach because they love the praise of man!

1. Are the same who refuse to obey the truth and will take many to hell with them. (Jhn 12:48)

C. Demas (2 Tim 4:10) .. loved the present world and forsook Paul and the cause of Christ.

D. Paul faced stoning at Lystra .. mobs of Ephesus and Jerusalem.

1. Yet .. he preached the word of God.

E. There are some in the church today who try to apologize

1. For the type of preaching Paul did ... They want to be politically correct!

2. There messages are reconciliation of beliefs.

3. Fellowship with unbelievers of any faith!

a. Their message is: "We all serve the same God .. just in different ways!"

4. It is not acceptable to society to expose scriptural error in preaching.

a. They whimper that "We might further separate ourselves from them."

b. Unfortunately .. this is the attitude of some in our churches today!!!!

F. Paul withstood Peter face to face because of Peter’s guilt ...

1. In refusing to eat with Gentiles. (Gal 2:9-14)

G. What is your attitude towards those who preach the truth and expose error?

1. Support or Offensive?

2. This is a very important question .. Think about it before you answer.

- FINALLY OUR LAST POINT -

V. What Is Your Attitude Towards Members Of The Church. (1 Cor 15:58) (Phil 4:1)

A. Even with their sinfulness and short comings .. Paul considered them .."beloved."

1. What about you? ... how is your attitude about brethren here?

B. To John (the beloved) .. Christians were "my little children" ... (1 Jhn 2:1) (1 Jhn 2:28) (1 Jhn 3:7) (1 Jhn 5:21)

C. Every one who is a member of the Lord’s church are yours and my brethren.

D. Because they too are member of His church ..

1. I am to love them in spite of our different backgrounds ..

a. In spite of our different races ...

b. In spite of our different languages ...

c. In spite of our different congregations ...

d. In spite of whatever they do to me ... and forgive them!

e. In spite of my own desires ...

f. In spite of what we think about them ...

2. We are all members of the family of God and need to support one another.

a. If we cannot get along here in this life .. how are we going to make it in eternity?

CONCLUSION

1. What about your attitude towards your brethren?

2. What about your attitude towards this church?

3. Are attitudes important? "YES"

4. Your attitude will determine your character here on this earth.

5. Your attitude will determine where you will spend eternity.

6. Attitudes are important because they are a mirror to our attitude about Christ.