• Good Legacies…
• Abraham (Rom 4:16-17).
• David (2 Kings 18:1-3).
• Bad Legacies…
• Jeroboam (1 Ki 16:30-31; 2
Ki 13:1-2).
• Esau (Gen 25:27-34 Cf
Rom 9:13; Heb 12:16).
• Esau considered his birthright a
“common thing”…
• Common ~ shared, belonging
to generality (Jude 3).
• Common ~ unholy, unclean,
not esteemed or regarded
highly (1 Sam 21:4-5 Cf Phil
2:6 *NASB).
• The spiritual is most important
(Matt 4:4; 16:26; 19:21).
• The “birthright” guaranteed a
double portion to the eldest as
well as other privileges that
were conceded to the one who
had it…
• Authority and superiority
over the rest of the family…
• The peculiar benediction to
the father
“The Church of
• Esau”
The legacy of Esau is alive
and well even today among
churches...
• Churches are composed of
individual Christians..
• The direction of any Church
is based on the attitudes
and hearts of those
Christians…
• There are many “Churches of
Esau that exist today as
compared to Churches of
Christ...
“The Church of
Esau”
I. Many Churches Are “Churches Of
Esau” Because Of Their Regard For
One Another…
A. The Church of Esau considers
member relationships a “common
thing” no different than any
other relationship and not
special.
1. Evident by the lack of
importance placed on it.
2. Where are brethren placed in
our lives?
3. “Small” things can be quite
revealing if allowed.
B. The Church of Christ valued
their relationship not only to
Christ but to one another to the
“The Church of
Esau”
1. Because of the price paid
for it (Acts 2:36-37).
2. The standard placed upon
it (Jn 15:10-17).
3. The joy of it and the joy
from it (Acts 2:41-42; 44-
47).
4. The implications of it
(Acts 2:40 Cf Eph 2:3; Col
3:1-6 Cf *2 Cor 6:14-
18).
“The Church of
Esau”
C. Every Church of Christ will
strive to emulate the pattern
of friendship exemplified by
our brethren in the 1st
century.
1. Care for each other (1 Cor
12:25-26).
2. Their desire for each
other (Phil 4:1-3)
• yokefellow/companions
hip- of those united by
the bond of marriage,
relationship, office,
labor, study, business,
“The Church of
Esau”
II. The Church of Esau Does Not
Distinguish Things Holy Form
The Things Common…
• (Lk 20:25)
A. Regards things holy as
common… (1 Ki 9:3, 7; Mk
11:14-17).
1. The Corinthians (1 Cor
11:21-22).
a. (Acts 2:46; 5:42).
b. (1 Cor 15:26 Cf Heb
9:21-24 20:22 Cf Rom
12:1-2).
B. Regards common as holy.
1. Human Institutionalism…
2. “Entertain-ship”...
2 Timothy 2:15-21
Kataphroneo-to contemn, despise,
disdain, think little or nothing of…
(Joseph Thayer).
“Despise ye the church of God” “Ye render the sacred
assembly and the place contemptible by your conduct,
and ye show yourselves destitute of that respect which
ye owe to the place set apart for Divine worship.”
(Adam Clarke)