TAXES-TAXES-TAXES!

1. TAXES-TAXES-TAXES! We live in a voluntary accountability tax country. How many are afraid of an audit? Why do you fear? Humongous tax code. No matter how careful we are we can still miss something. Seems the purpose of the confusing tax code is to catch and punish sometimes. How many are more afraid of a tax audit than they are of the judgment day?

2. Rules-Rules-Rules • The IRS has a standard for taxpayers to go by. • They give itemized instructions on virtually every contingency. • In order to avoid an audit we must all consult the tax codes (that are constantly changing). • New ones are being added daily. • To be compliant we must consult the record and when we do we have a reason for what we do in the code. We can be confident we are in compliance. • Still because taxes are man-made- we can meet up with an unfair audit even though we have followed all the rules. Any auditor can disallow something and to get it overturned we must appeal or just give up and pay.

3. What About Our Accountability To God • We volunteer for service in the kingdom. • The Lord does not draft anyone into service. • We must be in compliance with the Lord’s Word in order to be saved. • We must consult the record in order to be in compliance. • We must be diligent and careful in the lives we live always being aware God’s will- not ours.

4. Major Differences IRS codes man-made & subject to change on the whims of men. IRS codes are often designed to make things hard; are motivated by greed; and enslave by intimidation. IRS codes are imperfect, hard and difficult to understand. It can be challenged. Taxes are authorized by God (Rom. 13. Mt. 22:21) God’s Word is stable and it endures due to its’ source- God (1 Pet.1:25) God’s Word is a perfect law of liberty(Jas 1:25) It is designed not be grievous (1 Jn. 5:3) but to set us free (Jn. 8:32) God’s Word is a perfect will that can be known and easily understood (Eph. 4:3) God’s Word does not need man’s agreement to be binding ( 1 Cor. 2:11).

5. Similarities • In both cases (taxes and spiritual matters) in order to be in compliance we must consult the authority. • We must carefully study in order to “rightly divide.” • Even after what we would consider careful consideration, we can discover that we overlooked the obvious. • Just one mistake can invalidate and call into question all. Only by careful audits of what we have done can we find our mistakes and our compliance. • It is amazing that people who voluntarily comply with such complicated rules in business and financial matters, find it so hard to comply with God’s simple Word. • They take chances that they will “be alright” that God will “overlook” sin. They are not so flippant and unconcerned about any other matters except , it seems, their souls destiny (the most important matter of all).

6. God’s Simple,Understandable Word- Eph. 3:4 • Regarding salvation: • Hear The Word- Romans 10:17; Jn. 5:24; Mt. 7:24 • Believe- Romans 10:10; Heb. 11:6; Jn. 8:24 • Repent- Luke 13:3,5; Acts 2:38 • Confess- Matt. 10:32; Romans 10:10; Acts 8:37 • Water baptism for remission of sins- Acts 2:38; Acts 8:32-39; Acts 22:16; Rom. 6:2-4; 1 Pet. 3:21 • Live a faithful life until death- 2 Peter 2:22; Rev. 2:10

7. God’s Understandable Word • Regarding Faithful Living • We can fall from grace- 2 Peter 2:22; Heb. 10:26,27; Rev. 2,3 (7 churches) Gal. 5:4- Christians trying to be justified by the law of Moses. • Gal. 5:19-26- works of flesh and fruits of Spirit • 1 Pet. 2:11- abstain from fleshly lusts that war • 1 Peter 5:8- be sober, vigilant because the devil • 1 Corinthians- many were straying and we in danger of losing their souls.

8. God’s Understandable Word • Regarding the church: • Matt. 16:18-20- I will build my church(universal); Rom. 16:16- local congregations. • Eph. 4:4- One body; Eph. 1:22,23; Col. 1:18- He is the head of the body the church; Eph. 5:23- He is the Savior of the Body; Acts 20:28- the church was purchased with the blood of Christ. One body, one church. Eph. 5- Christ has one bride not many. • Acts 2:47- The Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. All the saved are in one body, that body is the church- there is only one.

9. God’s Understandable Word • Regarding Acceptable Worship • Assemblings- Hebrews 10:25- do not absent self. • Acts 2:42- Apostle’s Doctrine- preaching & teaching the word; fellowship (always spiritual fellowship in the NT); prayer; breaking of bread (Lord’s supper). • Singing (vocal)- Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16 • Giving of their means to God every first day of the week (1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:7). • Take the Lord’s supper every first day of the week Acts 20:7 (unleavened bread- fruit of the vine Mt. 26:26-29).

10. God’s Understandable Word • Regarding the work of the local church • Evangelism- Rom. 10:14,15 • Edification- Rom. 14:19; 1 Thess. 5:11 (always spiritual edification), includes bible studies, gospel meetings, bible classes, buildings (Heb. 10:25). • Limited Benevolence- Acts 6- church authorized to take care of own needy; 1 Tim. 5:3-11- widows indeed- rules of who is to be taken into the number of the local church who is a widow indeed (defined by God). • No authority for anything else. 1 Cor. 11:22- houses to eat and drink in.

11. God’s Understandable Word • Regarding Authority • 2 Tim. 3:16,17- All scripture inspired of God, so that the man of God might be complete and furnished completely unto every good work. • All Authority in Christ- Matt. 28:18-20 • Christ sent Holy Spirit To Guide Apostles- Jn. 16:13- guide into all truth; Jn. 14:26- teach them all things and call to their memory all that was said • 2 Timothy 2:15- we must rightly divide the Word. • 1 Peter 4:11- if any speak let him speak as oracles of God

12. How Did Things Get So Messed Up? • Not by doing what God has authorized and said. • Men decided to write own rules and set up their own churches. Acts 20:28-30 warns of this as well as Gal. 1:6-10. • Man teaches baptism by faith only- God denies this- James 2. Man teaches more than one church- God denies this- Mt. 6:18; Eph. 4:4 • Man teaches social gospel, instrumental music and other prostitutions of God’s plan.

13. Rules Of Man • The religions of man have perverted God’s plan and they have added to and taken away from God’s word so much that it has lost its identity as God’s word. • Later day revelation- continuing revelation- deny Jude 3 – once for all delivered to saints • Over 400 denominations with own manmade organizational structures that have altered, redefined and perverted God’s ways. • Must Go back to the Bible for the simple rules of the Lord and all go by what the Lord has said without addition or subtraction (Rev. 22:18- do not add to or take away from God’s word or suffer penalty from God).

14. What Shall It Be? • Follow the complicated and changeable, fickle ways and rules of man? • Follow the simple, clear words of God? • God’s ways are so much better than our ways (Jer. 10:28- it is not in man that walks to direct his own steps; Isa 55:8-9-For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

15. Sad But True • Many today have been deluded into following after men. • They trust in their religions rather than in God’s word. • They trust in the traditions of their relatives rather than in the Lord. • They trust in their own prideful ideas rather than heed the simple, plain teachings of God. • Many will be like those in Matt. 7:21-23- many will say and think they have been right, only to find out that they were wrong and be denied eternal life. What A sad day that will be. Honestly wrong- dishonestly wrong all in the same devil’s hell for eternity.

16. Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.