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LIFE LESSONS FROM AARON

October 24, 1999 PM

Sermon Outline

Acts 7:37-41

INTRO: Families are likely to have all sorts of personalities in them. One child may be bold and outgoing. Another may be timid and shy. One may be emotionally sensitive. Another may seem to have few real feelings. And so on! I know this must have been true among the children of Amram and Jochebed: Aaron, Miriam and Moses. Tonight I want to think about Aaron for a little while. Here is the lesson:

I. OF THE PRIVILEGE OF A GODLY FAMILY

A. Ex 2:1 Husband and wife of tribe of Levi

1. dont know much about them (Num 26:59)

2. but the adult lives of their children suggest righteous upbringing - spiritually, they seemed to know who they were!

B. Blessing of a godly family is incalculable

1. 1 Pet 3:4-7 such parent as described here - in Christ and with spiritual depth ... give to children spiritual direction, dimension

2. 1 Tim 6:6 a home with true contentment (something so seldom found now)

C. I certainly recognize my own privilege!

1. parents in unity - parents guided by the word - parents for whom the church was so essential

2. encouragement in righteousness ... even from extended family members

II. OF FAILURE TO RESIST, OPPOSE ERROR

A. Ex 32:1-6 Aaron was a willing participant

1. note v.7 have corrupted themselves

2. note v.8 have turned ... out of the way

3. there are certainly unanswered questions about Aarons part in this ... but he did oppose it!

B. Gods people need to resist, oppose error

1. the cost of unchallenged error is too great!

2. but we are children of Im O.K. - Youre O.K. and may not become involved ... but live and let live

3. resisting isnt easy; isnt pleasant; isnt popular - but gentle strength will accomplish good - Eph 5:11 with 4:15

III. OF THE ROLE OF SECOND FIDDLE

A. This was a vital role in Gods plan

1. Ex 4:14-16 and he shall be thy spokesman ...

2. Moses would be the lawgiver; he would be the leader; he would (at times) be intercessor

3. but Aaron would speak for Moses (who spoke for God)

4. there could only be one Moses ... but vital to his leadership were Aaron and Joshua

B. This can be a difficult role

1. Num 12:1,2 ... hath he not spoken also by us ...?

2. being the #2 has some built in temptations - pride, jealousy, even carelessness

3. most of us will serve in the #2 (or #10?) role ... a role which is vital to the ongoing of the Lords work ... how will we serve?

4. can we serve with the joy that wonderful things are happening? good is being done? even if we are not first fiddle?

C. This role is no excuse for carelessness, sin

1. Num 29:7-12 note v.12 - Aaron is accountable

2. it is so easy to swift blame to #1 - I was just doing what I was told

3. Aaron, of course, offered no such excuse ... point is that Aarons involvement made him as guilty as Moses

4. the role of second fiddle is a special, needed role, which, in some ways, is as demanding (more so) than first fiddle ... how well do we play second fiddle?

CLOSE: Aaron was truly a remarkable man in whose life there were many crossroads episodes. And he is well remembered as the first high priest of the Levitical priesthood ... and the brother of Moses.

Cecil A. Hutson

24 October 1999

God's Plan of Salvation

You must hear the gospel and then understand and recognize that you are lost without Jesus Christ no matter who you are and no matter what your background is. The Bible tells us that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) Before you can be saved, you must understand that you are lost and that the only way to be saved is by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:8) Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

You must believe and have faith in God because "without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6) But neither belief alone nor faith alone is sufficient to save. (James 2:19; James 2:24; Matthew 7:21)

You must repent of your sins. (Acts 3:19) But repentance alone is not enough. The so-called "Sinner's Prayer" that you hear so much about today from denominational preachers does not appear anywhere in the Bible. Indeed, nowhere in the Bible was anyone ever told to pray the "Sinner's Prayer" to be saved. By contrast, there are numerous examples showing that prayer alone does not save. Saul, for example, prayed following his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:11), but Saul was still in his sins when Ananias met him three days later (Acts 22:16). Cornelius prayed to God always, and yet there was something else he needed to do to be saved (Acts 10:2, 6, 33, 48). If prayer alone did not save Saul or Cornelius, prayer alone will not save you. You must obey the gospel. (2 Thess. 1:8)

You must confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (Romans 10:9-10) Note that you do NOT need to make Jesus "Lord of your life." Why? Because Jesus is already Lord of your life whether or not you have obeyed his gospel. Indeed, we obey him, not to make him Lord, but because he already is Lord. (Acts 2:36) Also, no one in the Bible was ever told to just "accept Jesus as your personal savior." We must confess that Jesus is the Son of God, but, as with faith and repentance, confession alone does not save. (Matthew 7:21)

Having believed, repented, and confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, you must be baptized for the remission of your sins. (Acts 2:38) It is at this point (and not before) that your sins are forgiven. (Acts 22:16) It is impossible to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ without teaching the absolute necessity of baptism for salvation. (Acts 8:35-36; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Peter 3:21) Anyone who responds to the question in Acts 2:37 with an answer that contradicts Acts 2:38 is NOT proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Once you are saved, God adds you to his church and writes your name in the Book of Life. (Acts 2:47; Philippians 4:3) To continue in God's grace, you must continue to serve God faithfully until death. Unless they remain faithful, those who are in God's grace will fall from grace, and those whose names are in the Book of Life will have their names blotted out of that book. (Revelation 2:10; Revelation 3:5; Galatians 5:4)