A Steadfast Mind

SPEAKER 01 : 0:00

One cannot help but to be thrilled with that sweet woman called Ruth and how she was steadfastly minded. A steadfast mind. Hey, you know, that’s a good study. So let’s do so today right here from the International Gospel Hour.

SPEAKER 02 : 0:21

It’s time for our broadcast from the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jay Webb, and welcome to our study today as we embrace God’s Word to help us meet the challenges of today. Let’s open our Bibles and open our heart for this time of Bible study with our speaker Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour, a broadcast of the Churches of Christ.

SPEAKER 01 : 0:42

Here’s Jeff. Well, thank you always to our J-Web for his kind words. And you’ll hear from Jay throughout our broadcast with some free tools that you can use in your study. And also, we are grateful for you, our listener. Thank you for tuning in to our broadcast today. You know, Psalm 119, 105 says, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. So let us take the light, let us be led appropriately through the word of God as we study together. Consider with me Ruth, the first chapter in verse 18, and the attitude that Ruth possessed when she desired to stay with her mother-in-law Naomi. The verse says, When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. That word steadfastly, it’s defined as, well, let’s think about the words, the definition. Make firm tells us it’s solid, that we’re able to have a say in how we deal with something. The word strengthen comes to mind, to strengthen what we already have. The word secure, well, if we strengthen it, it will make it secure. We’re holding on. The word harden is also a definition. Persist within and to make oneself alert. It covers so much, friends, but to be steadfastly minded on a matter, especially if it is a good matter. We are able to grow and to mature and to be aware. Ruth’s mind was exactly that way. She was steadfast. So for our broadcast today, we’re going to hone in on the word steadfastly, and we want to apply it accordingly. Before we do that, I’m going to defer to our Jay Webb, whom I mentioned earlier, whom you’ve already heard from. And Jay has, today we’re going to offer a couple of online tools for you here from International Gospel Hour. Jay has our first one. We’ll have one a little bit later. But for now, our Jay Webb.

SPEAKER 02 : 2:59

Thank you, Jeff. GospelGazette.com is another free online tool from International Gospel Hour. Our friends at GospelGazette.com have an awesome website, and among the options available is their current monthly issue, 25 years of archived material, free PDF copies to the Voice of Truth International publication, and a digital library with an enormous amount of material. Please check them out at GospelGazette.com. That’s GospelGazette.com.

SPEAKER 01 : 3:32

Let’s consider a verse from Acts 2 and verse 42 that says, And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, in fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. You know, friends, a little later in verse 47 of Acts 2, we see how the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. To think about the church that we read of in the New Testament, the church that can be found today, the pre-denominational, non-denominational body of Jesus Christ. We’re talking of the simplicity of the church, the church that Jesus promised to build in Matthew 16 and verse 18, and that he purchased with his own blood, Acts 20 and verse 28. a church of which we can be a part today and that we can be active in serving the Lord. We’re talking about the church that teaches the true simplicity of doctrine. When an individual says that doctrine is not important, what is amazing is they are teaching you that teaching is not important because the word teaching is another word for doctrine. And you know, friends, when we think about how strange that is, because of the erroneous teaching that one is doing is also called doctrine, then therefore that’s a false assumption that teaching doesn’t matter. But our doctrine within the church must be sound and according to the Scripture. In Titus 2 and verse 1 speak the things which become sound doctrine. And in 2 Timothy 3 and verse 16 all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine. We need to continue steadfastly just as they did in the New Testament. We should do the same today. Here’s a second word that we find, or a second verse, we find the word steadfast. Hebrews 6.19, “…which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, which entereth into that within the veil.” A persistent hope. A hope that is based solid. A hope that is secure and strengthened through Jesus Christ. It was asked once, what does one do when there is no more hope? The answer was simple. Friend, there is always hope. There’s always hope there that you and I can focus upon the Christ. The Christian was reminded, as Paul wrote to the Romans in 8.24, For we are saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For what a man sees, why does he yet hope for it? And we are saved by hope doesn’t mean we can walk around and say, Well, I hope I’m saved. That’s not what Paul is saying. We are saved by hope, but let’s properly define that hope. That hope that is that obedience that we trust in the Lord because it’s sure and steadfast. How about 1 Corinthians 15, 58? Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Now let’s think about this verse for a moment. Be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. When we think about that, friends, let’s go back to our definition of steadfast. What about the word strengthen? What about the word secure, the word hardened, and to make oneself alert, always abounding and knowing, abounding in the work of the Lord, steady, persistent, and alert? To be zealous of good works, as we note in Titus 2 and verse 14. So many times, folks, we look upon works and we minimize works. But friends, we’re not advocating work as a checklist to heaven. James chapter 2 explains it very carefully. That an individual expresses their faith by the works they do, the action they do. Their action will speak louder than the words. That’s what James is saying in James chapter 2. He’s writing there to the Christian. He’s writing there to the ones that need to know how their behavior is to respond according to their faith. So many times, friends, people will say, well, baptism is a work of man. Well, no, when you look at Colossians 2 and verse 12, friends, baptism is a work of God through the working of God, through the operation of God that raised him from the dead. I will tell you, friends, it’s very discouraging to find multitudes of people misled saying that baptism is a work of man when the scriptures plainly say baptism is a work of God. Just like we note from James, or rather John 6, that work is a faith, or faith, rather, is a work. God provides those things unto us. Works are not what a man does to be saved, friends. Works are what a saved man does. You see, we’re able to be steadfast and unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. For as much as you know, your labor is not in vain. Work, labor, it’s right there. Let’s continue on. How about another steadfast passage? Hebrews 3, 14 and 15. For we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end. While it is said today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. Again, that’s Hebrews 3, 14 and 15. Again, we find the definition, staying with it, persisting within, making firm. A daily partaker of the Christ increases confidence with the assurance that the endurance or the faithfulness to the end will make the difference. You see, when we daily partake of Christ, and he is, how often is he called, the bread of life, the water of life. We partake of the Christ, and how one’s confidence will increase with that assurance. You see, we continue faithfully abounding in the work. We have hope as an anchor of the soul. We continue steadfastly in the teaching and the instruction of the Bible. And faithfulness and endurance to the end makes the difference. Jesus said simply, Matthew 10, 22, He that endures to the end, the same shall be saved. And oh, what about that blessed assurance? writing to the church at Smyrna in Revelation 2, verses 8-11, of their persecution and their troubles and their trials, but yet they are told, You be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life, the words of the Christ. Be faithful unto death. Stay with it. Now, when we put it all together about this steadfastness, and how Ruth was steadfastly minded, and the pattern today, right teaching according to the Scripture, eternal hope according to the Christ, abounding work and labor within the Christ for Him expressing our faith, and persistent faithfulness, you see what all is provided when one is steadfastly minded. Friends, we’re able to do so because we study the Scripture. Let’s go back to the Bible, shall we? Here is our special online offer from our J-Web.

SPEAKER 02 : 10:59

Let’s go back to the Bible, shall we? On International Gospel Hour, we always desire to go back to the Bible for our studies, and now we are delighted to offer a special video series through our friends at World Video Bible School. It’s called Back to the Bible with our friend Rob Whitaker. A simple yet thorough study that deals with authority in religion, the church, and your salvation. It’s free, friends. Call us at 855-444-6988. Tell us your email address, say back to the Bible, and we will send the link to you. It’s that easy. You can go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the contact tab, leave us your email, type back to the Bible in the message box, and we will send the link right away. We look forward to hearing from you.

SPEAKER 01 : 11:52

Well, friends, as we think about being steadfastly minded, we hope that our online offers, the study of subscribing to the Gospel Gazette at gospelgazette.com and the Back to the Bible video. Oh, we’d love to send you that link, friends. All we need is your email address, and we’ll send you that link, and you can view that study on your own at your own pace. We would love for you to join us for our studies here, and we’ll do so at another time. And thank you for joining me today on the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jeff Arch, and as always, friends, keep listening.

SPEAKER 02 : 12:30

Thank you for listening today. To God be the glory. And we hope that our study today will draw you closer to His Word to walk in His way. Feel free to listen to our other programs at our website at internationalgospelhour.com. And join us next time.