OceanSide church of Christ




Click here to see all of the YouTube videos belonging to OceanSide
(opens in a new browser)

 Previous Return to Sermons Next  Click to download Audio

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS (71)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     One of the most often used questions is:  “Why?”

1.       Why is there evil in the world?

2.       Why aren’t people more concerned about their souls?

3.       Why does life have to be so uncertain?

 

B.      Some questions have answers, but they may not be sufficient.  Other questions just do not have answers.

 

C.     Most of the questions that you ask for our Q&A lessons have a Bible answer.  Let’s seek to answer some of your questions in this lesson.

 

I.                    QUESTION #1:  Baptism for A Scriptural Reason

 

A.     Stated:  Can a person be baptized for “a scriptural reason” and his baptism be valid?

 

B.      Answer:

1.       Introductory comments:

a.       This teaching proclaims that baptism has many purposes.

b.      This teaching proclaims that as long as a person was baptized for one of those reasons, his baptism is acceptable even if he did not understand the other purposes of baptism.

c.       This teaching exists in order to accept people into the church even though they were not baptized for the remission of sins.

2.       Some of the supposed Scriptural reasons for baptism.

a.       To go to heaven

b.      To obey God

c.       To become a member of the church

d.      To have a good conscience

e.       To be safe

3.       Example:

a.       Someone comes forward on a Sunday.

b.      I ask him:  “Have you been baptized?”

c.       He answers:  “Yes.”

d.      I ask him:  “Why were you baptized?”

e.       He says:  “In order to obey God.”

f.        Some believe that this individual is saved and must be accepted into the fellowship of the local congregation.

g.      NOTE:  Those in the Baptist church will proclaim that they were baptized in order to obey God.  They believe that baptism is one of the first commands to be obeyed after a person has been saved. 

4.       There are secondary purposes of baptism, but the forgiveness of sins is the primary purpose which MUST be understood in order for one’s baptism to be valid.  NOTE:  Many of the secondary purposes hold true for one’s obedience to almost any command of God.  Take for instance attending the worship services.

a.       I attend to obey God.

b.      I attend in order to God to heaven

c.       I attend to have a good conscience.

d.      I attend in order for my soul to be safe instead of being in jeopardy.

e.       NOTE:  The primary purpose, however, is to worship and adore our Father who is in heaven.

5.       In order for a person’s baptism to be valid, he must believe that his baptism saves him because in baptism his sins are forgiven.

a.       Mark 16:16

 

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

 

b.      Acts 2:38

 

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

 

c.       Acts 22:16

 

And now why tarriest thou?  Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

 

d.      I Peter 3:21

 

The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 

II.                 QUESTION #2:  Work in the Philippines

 

A.     Stated:  Can you tell us something about the work in the Philippines?

 

B.      Answer:

1.       This is a work that is very new to most of us.  It involves a couple by the name of Michael and Deborah Stock whose work is overseen by the Piedmont Road church of Christ in Marietta, GA.

 

                   

 

a.       Michael was born in South Bend, IN.  Deborah is from the Philippines

b.      Michael is 51 years old and Deborah is 42.

c.       They met when Michael was a student at the Sunset International Bible Institute.  They were married on December 28, 2006.

d.      They do not have any children of their own, but are presently caring for 3 orphan children:  Christy, John and Jose.  They are trying to adopt Christy and John.

e.       Michael was in the Coast Guard and the Army.  Christy has a B.A. in nursing from East Tennessee State University and has her Doctor of Medicine from the Romualdez Medical Foundation in the Philippines.

f.        They began full-time work in the Philippines in May, 2012.

2.       The Philippines

 

  Philippines | History, Map, Flag, Population, Capital, & Facts | Britannica         Afflicted With The Poison Of Post-Truth: Duterte Government Should Back  Claims Of Red-Tagging With Credible Proof – The Organization for World Peace

 

a.       General Background

1)      The Philippines are situated in the Western Pacific Ocean.

2)      They consist of about 7,640 islands.

3)      They are known as an archipelagic country.

4)      The Philippines are named for Philip II of Spain (1543).

5)      Their official name is The Republic of the Philippines.

b.      Population:  109 million people

c.       Capital:  Manila

 

EARLY MORNING VIEW METRO MANILA, PHILIPPINES Editorial Photography - Image  of mavic, metro: 179379322

 

d.      Government:  Unitary Presidential Republic

e.       The Philippines is composed of many ethnic groups who speak 182 languages.  The official languages of the country are Filipino and English.

f.        The two major religions are Catholic and Muslim

3.       The Philippine work

a.       The Stocks began their work in full-time in the Philippines in May, 2012.

b.      The focus of their work has been in Bohol.

 

Bohol Province, Philippines Genealogy • FamilySearch

 

1)      When they arrived there were only 50 Christians there.  There were no full-time ministers.

2)      Today there are 5 churches with four full-time preachers and 230 Christians.

3)      They have been involved in 9 church plantings and in 50 medical mission campaigns.

c.       Since their arrival, they have faced four catastrophic events:

1)      October, 2013 a 7.2 earthquake

2)      November, 2013, Super Typhoon Yoland

 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e6/Haiyan_2013_track.png/1920px-Haiyan_2013_track.png

 

a)      The strongest Typhoon to every make landfall

b)      Killed:  6,352               Missing:  1,771

c)       Michael was engaged in relief efforts for 1 full year after the storm.

3)      CV19 Pandemic

a)      Flights cancelled in and out of country, businesses closed, strict curfews, only one person could leave the house, utilities doubled, food up 50%, and fuel up 40%

b)      The church never stopped meeting.  After every service a meal was prepared in order to assist those who were hungry.

c)       33 souls were added to the church

4)      December, 2021  Super Typhoon Odette

a)      Hit the Bohol area directly

 

See the source image

 

b)      200 mph winds and a storm surge of 30 feet.

c)       80% of all homes were destroyed

d)     41 members lost their homes and 34 suffered partial damage

 

See the source image     See the source image

  

See the source image     See the source image

 

e)      The Stock still have no electricity and no internet service at their home.

d.      Needs:

1)      Damages from Odette to be repaired:  $76,300.00.  They have raised half of this.

 

          

 

 

 

2)      The Tagblaran City church needs a new place of worship.

a)      Presently, 60 people meet on a double carport under a house.  There is no room for classes of any kind.

b)      They have found a ½ acres for sale.  Cost:  $156,863.00.  Other parcels of the same size are going for $250,000+.

c)       The owner will finance with $45,000 down and 3 years to pay off the loan.

d)     They will erect a 32’ x 48’ building till they pay if off.  Then they will put up walls and install electricity.

e)      They will also put in a small medical clinic on the plot and a place for housing for Michael and Deborah.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     Some people will think of anything possible in order to try to skirt the teachings of the New Testament, especially on the subject of baptism.  Instead of skirting the teachings, let’s just teach the truth and allow men and women to make up their minds about their response to the gospel. 

 

B.      Some Christians will see works like the one in the Philippines, and think:  “that is bad,” but will not respond to assist in any way.  Instead of turning away from the Philippines, the OceanSide church is going to seek to help the brethren during the month of March.

 

C.     You have responded well thus far in 2022.

 

January                       George Mcnulty                     $8,335.00                     $695.00/mo.

 

February                     MSOP                                     $6,242.00                     $520.00/mo.

 

                                                            Total:               $14,557.00                   $1,215.00/mo.

 

D.     Philippians 1:6

 

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ.