____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ December 24, 2000 ____________________________________________________ Submitting to the Lord by Andy Diestelkamp What is a lord? A lord is one who has power and authority over others. Lord is sometimes used as a title for people in positions of power. In the government of England there is the House of Lords. We use lord in conjunction with the authority that comes with ownership. We call them landlords. It is not unusual to hear the word lord in religious circles, but what do people mean when they use that word? People will talk about serving the Lord, putting the Lord first, and making Jesus Lord of their lives, but what does all this mean? Sometimes religious jargon loses its meaning because it is spoken so often by so many without an understanding of the meaning. God is Lord. Jesus refers to the Father as Lord of heaven and earth (Lk. 10:21). This makes sense if we understand God to be the creator of all. He made it all. He owns it all. He is Lord of all. The Apostle Paul refers to Him as King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Tim. 6:13-16). Lord means that He has authority. Lord of all means that He has all authority. To possess all authority is the mark of deity. Interestingly, this title ``Lord'' is also used of Jesus. The Apostle Peter understood and taught that Jesus is Lord of all (Ac. 10:34-36). The Apostle John reveals Jesus wears the same title as His Father (Rev. 17:14; 19:11-16). Jesus is Lord! He is Lord of all. He bears the mark of deity. No wonder the apostle Thomas, upon seeing the resurrected Jesus, said to Him, ``My Lord and my God!'' (Jn. 20:24-29). Whose Lord is Jesus? People will often talk about the need for you to make Jesus Lord of your life. Friend, Jesus is Lord of your life! Our acknowledgment of Jesus as Lord no more makes Him Lord than our confession of Him as the Son of God makes Him the Son of God. Jesus is Lord of lords whether or not we confess that. Paul writes that God exalted Jesus that at his name every knee should bow and every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord (Phil. 2:9-11). He is our Lord whether or not we'll admit it, but we will admit it, if not now, before the judgment seat of God (Rom. 14:9-12). Is Jesus your Lord? The answer is yes. The question is, will you submit to Jesus as Lord? Only you can answer that. Jesus said that most would reject the way of righteousness (Matt. 7:13,14). However, there will even be many who claim Jesus as Lord who will then be rejected by Him. ``Many will say to Me in that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!''' (Matt. 7:22,23). Why? Because not everyone who says ``Lord, Lord'' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of God (Matt. 7:21). To confess Jesus as Lord is not merely to utter the words, but to submit to the will of the Lord. To practice that which is against the law of the Lord is to fail to do His will. This gives greater meaning to Jesus' charge, ``All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth [That sounds like a Lord]. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, [How?] baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you...'' (Matt. 28:18-20). A disciple of Jesus is therefore one who has been taught to observe all that Jesus commanded. A disciple is one who has been baptized. A disciple is one who submits to Jesus as Lord. Jesus is your Lord. Have you submitted to His lordship? -- Via Think on These Things, July-August-September, 2000 ___________________________________________ FREE BIBLE COURSES are available upon request ___________________________________________ Sorrow That Saves by Dan S. Shipley God tells men they must repent in order to be saved (LUK. 13:3; ACT. 17:30, e.g.). Some say this is the hardest command to obey. I don't know whether they refer to changing the mind (heart) or changing a practice, but suspect the latter. The man who would alter his life-style without altering his attitude faces an almost impossible task. On the other hand, changing the will not only helps, it almost assures the outward change. But, as the starting point of repentance is not changing externals, neither is it in the changing of the mind, though both are vital to true repentance. Even behind these there must be godly sorrow, the seed of character alteration. ``For godly sorrow worketh repentance...'' (2CO. 7:10). Such sorrow is as necessary as the repentance it produces. Only the contrite heart is changeable, and even then its sorrow must be of the ``godly sort'' (2Cor. 7:11). Not all sorrow that pervades and influences the heart is godly. Paul writes of a sorrow that is ``of the world'' and which ``worketh death'' (2CO. 7:10). Worldly sorrow does not accomplish godly ends. Sinners may be genuinely sorry for their wrong-doing and for the shame and disgrace it has brought to them and their family without being properly concerned about sinning against God! They may confess and lament their sins, even ``come forward'' in tears -- but without Godly Grief! Their response is not Godward; it is not in reference to God; it is not out of regard for God; therefore, it is not approved of God. Only godly sorrow can change man's heart and life in the way that is ``unto salvation.'' In commenting on godly sorrow, Albert Barnes says this term ``shows the exact nature of that sorrow which is connected with a return to God'' (Barnes on the NT, 2CO.-GAL.). He continues by showing it to be the kind of sorrow approved by God; the kind which is exercised toward God in view of sin; and the kind which leads to God in seeking forgiveness. Joseph saw a connection between sin and God that all men need to see. When tempted, he asks: ``How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?``(GEN. 39:9). David came to see sin as Joseph had seen it and his prayer in Psalm 51 plainly indicates his godly sorrow. No man partakes of the divine nature while being indifferent to sin. ``The fear of the Lord is to hate evil...'' (PRO. 8:13). The God we sin against is the One we are to love above all. He so loved us that He gave His Son to save us from sin (JOH. 3:16). The cross shows the magnitude of sin -- but it shows the magnitude of God's love as well. Learning of both helps one to come to that godly sorrow that works repentance -- a repentance, as Paul says, that ``bringeth no regret.'' How true! The godly sorrow and all that it leads to -- the changed mind, the reformed life, the salvation -- has never brought regret to a single soul! Reams have been written about the regrets of men, but the first sentence is yet to be written of any regret in turning to God. Where is the man who was ever sorry for having been reconciled to God or having served Him too faithfully or too long? You'll never find such a man -- and you'll never be one either! -- via Plain Talk, December 1974 ___________________________________________ Wishing for Sin by Robert F. Turner The wealthy have many friends (Pro. 19:4), and the bread of falsehood is sweet (20:17). We may get treasures by lying (21:6), and the rich rule over the poor (22:7). Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Sometimes those who should know better are jealous of the apparent gains of sinners. When we notice such an attitude we feel it is time to lock the door and hide the sugar bowl. We cannot consider a man very pious who looks longingly toward ``the advantages'' of the worldly. Solomon knew that ``there is a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his evil doing'' (Eccl. 7:15 8:11-14); but he said this too was vanity. When we see the wicked prosper we face real temptations: (1) to consider our lesser fortune a sign of piety and become self-righteous-- ``holier than thou''; (2) to envy the wicked (Prov. 24:1); (3) to fail in our understanding of true values, distinguishing ``the meat that perisheth'' from that which endureth unto everlasting life; and (4) allowing the wish to become mother to the deeds. James says a man is tempted when he is ``drawn away of his own lust and enticed'' (Jas. 1:14). A man who is happy with his wife doesn't go around saying, ``Why couldn't I have had a woman like that one over there.'' And one who is happy with Christ does not look longingly toward Satan's realm. We envy the worldly man for one reason only--because we are worldly. The friends of the wealthy are often shallow, and the sweet bread of deceit becomes gravel. The liar's treasures are a vapor, and ``He that oppresseth the poor to increase his gain--shall come to want'' (Prov. 22:16). The proverbial wisdoms given here are backed not only by inspiration, but are repeatedly proven in life. Then, we must recognize the necessity for reviewing our goals and the standards by which we hope to achieve them. Like Abraham, if we are forever mindful of that materialistic state from whence we came, we may have opportunity to return. But we desire a heavenly country; so God is not ashamed to be called our God: for he has prepared for us a city (Heb. 11:15). -- via Plain Talk, June 1974 ___________________________________________ 2001 by Tom Edwards The year was 1949 and George Orwell's novel, ``Nineteen Eighty-Four,'' was a futuristic-look at a society in which ``Big Brother'' would be keeping close vigilance and strict control over the daily lives of each individual--with an all-seeing and untiring eye that would be difficult to hide from. For many years, the reader could wonder if the real world of 1984 would come close to how Orwell had depicted it; but for the last 16 years we have been able to see just how it actually did turn out. 1984 has come and gone. In 1968, Jimi Hendrix's song entitled, ``1983,'' also had a Sci-Fi ambience about it, in being able to ``live and breath underwater.'' As I listened in my youth to the mystical wave-like sounds he could create with his guitar, rhythmically undulating with its sometimes Eastern accent, I thought how distant the year 1983 seemed--still being several years away. But now, that year, too, has come and gone. Also in the late 60's, I remember seeing the movie ``2001: A Space Odyssey,'' when it first came to the big screen. It also made me wonder how the world would actually be when we reached that year--but it was still a few decades away. Now, however, it is but a few days. Time doesn't just creep up on us, sometimes it seems more like it makes a dash with its racing shoes on--and keeps setting new records from year to year. God wants us to be aware of the brevity of life--and likens it to the momentary vapor that exists for such a short while (Jms. 4:14). In both the Old, as well as the New Testament, this truth is brought to our attention; so we need to, therefore, make the same request to the Lord that the Psalmists did: ''...teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom'' (Psa. 90:12). As we think about our recognition of time, how can we overlook these following Bible verses? ''...behold, now is `the day of salvation''' (2 Cor. 6:2). ``Now'' is actually the only time we have. Yesterday is gone; and tomorrow might not come, so we must make good use of the time we do have. As Paul writes in Ephesians 5:14-17: ``For this reason it says, `Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.' Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.'' Soon, many will be making their New Year's resolutions: some bad habits will be discontinued; some good ones will be started. And though these actions can be beneficial, the best of all is simply becoming a child of God if you are not one already--and continuing to live as a Christian should, if you are one. As seen above, we don't have to wait for the new year to get started: for ``now is `the day of salvation.''' We hope and pray that 2001 will be a great year for you--the best one yet! That you will draw closer to God; increase in your understanding of His word; be more concerned for spiritual things; have many good meaningful relationships; be filled with love, joy, peace, and all the other attributes of God's Spirit; find life fascinating; be in good health; carry out His will with much zeal; abound in thankfulness; and have all of your needs--physical and spiritual--abundantly met! Let us each find time for God--for He has certainly taken time for us. For then our earthly moments of minutes, hours, and days will one day be replaced with an eternity in heaven, filled with all the blessings of God's Spirit forevermore--and not for just years that can be numbered. ___________________________________________ News & Notes Randy Frame will be preaching for us next Sunday morning, being the last Sunday of the month. This coming Wednesday will be our ``Sing Night,'' but I will be away preaching in East Orange, New Jersey. ________________________________________ Avondale CHURCH OF CHRIST P.O. Box 421 1606 Glen Willow Rd., Avondale, PA 19311 (610) 268-2088 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 11:00 A.M. Worship 6:00 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:00 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (610) 925-3567 e-mail: tedwards@onemain.com web site: http://www.mypage.onemain.com/tedwards/avondale ________________________________________