____________________________________________________ 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). ____________________________________________________ February 9, 2003 ____________________________________________________ Contents: 1) A World Too Busy for God (Tom Edwards) 2) We are Mortal (But We Can Become Immortal) (Steve Klein) ____________________________________________________ -1- A World Too Busy for God by Tom Edwards And the Doors Were Locked Have you ever thought of what the world would be like if everyone was just too busy for God? Could you imagine what it would be like if every church building, around the world, remained empty because everyone had "more important things" to do? Non-Christians, thinking about attending a service, wanting to learn more about the Bible or just out of curiosity, would come to the building and find it locked -- no one there. Can you imagine being that non-Christian who is now walking away from the building, disappointed, but slowly able to dispel from his mind that small burst of interest that he previously had toward investigating what the church and God's word was all about? The locked doors told him that it must not be that important. Our Lack of Attendance Can Effect Others Have you ever thought about the newborn babe in Christ, who like a lamb learning to walk, is still a little wobbly, but seeking to become more sure-footed. It was just a few weeks ago that he arose from the watery grave of baptism in order to "walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:3,4), and he's excited about his new life in Christ and wants to grow to become everything that the Lord wants him to be. But as he looks around in the thinned-out services, he has been noticing that the very ones who were there at his baptism are not even there for the Sunday morning Bible classes, the Sunday evening services, or the midweek services. His head hangs a little low with disappointment. Not only is his zeal diminished somewhat, but his joy also wanes. He presses on, however, because he knows God wants him to; but it is now with a little less enthusiasm, as he takes each rickety step. One doesn't have to be a babe in Christ, however, to experience a little discouragement when such happens. It becomes a common concern. Out of all of our duties as Christians, surely being faithful in attendance should be one of the easier ones to fulfill. As David states in Psalm 122:1, "I was glad when they said to me, `Let us go to the house of the Lord."' Today, the Lord's house is the church (1 Tim. 3:15). Are we glad that it exists? Are we glad that we can easily assemble as a local body of God's people? This surely is something we should never take for granted -- especially when we realize that there are some places at this very moment in which people would be thrown in jail for simply meeting together to have a worship service. Yet they continue to meet secretly. In addition, how can we begin to impress the importance of the Lord and His church upon others if we ourselves have made them a minor importance in our own lives -- or have even gone so far as to become totally indifferent toward them? We might not actually feel this way in our hearts toward them, but perhaps our actions are giving a different message. Putting God in Our Schedule This is not to say that secular jobs are not important. We can think of many careers in which people -- such as firemen, police officers, rescue workers, paramedics, doctors, etc. -- literally save lives by their profession. How important they are in our society. But no one can continually work 24 hours a day. As much as the paramedic might like to be on duty all the time to save more lives, it is just impossible for him to do so; but there are other paramedics. Work must, therefore, be scheduled. And in that schedule, we need to reserve time for God. The Bible teaches that we are to "...consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near" (Heb. 10:24,25). A Life that Exhorts Your very presence encourages. It gives a message. Though faithfulness in attendance is not the only requirement to a harmonious walk with God, your presence is saying that God and the church are important in your life and certainly worth taking the time for. Out of all the many things you could be doing (though not with the Lord's approval), you have chosen to put God first in this matter. Your desire appears to be one concerned with pleasing the Lord, and it gives incentive to others to do likewise. Forsaking the Assemblies Involves Several Sins We need to realize that when one is forsaking the assemblies, it is just not the one sin of forsaking, but it also involves various other wrongs. For instance, we sometimes talk about the "5 items of worship": hearing the word preached, praying together, giving of our means, taking the Lord's supper, and singing spiritual songs. These are all important. But have we trivialized them? Do we take them not as seriously as we should? Obviously, many people have minimized or even neglected these acts of worship. They have expressed that being part of a church is not necessary, and that they can worship God in their own way -- even when they're out on the lake for a weekend fishing excursion. They don't think they need to be with a group of believers and worship and work with them to be right with God. The Importance of Observing the Lord's Supper Jesus Himself, though, instructed His followers to take of the communion in remembrance of Him (Luke 22:19,20). Some of the Corinthians were guilty of not taking it for the right reason, nor in the right manner; and, as a result, they were eating and drinking judgment to themselves and suffering serious consequences (1 Cor. 11:29,30). Is it any better, however, for one to simply disregard the Lord's Supper all together by not even showing up to take it? Solemnly contemplating on Jesus' death on the cross -- and why He willingly gave up His life for us -- while partaking of the communion is one of the reasons we are to assemble on Sunday. It is to be carried out with holy reverence, total humility, and complete subjection to the Lord's command to "do this in remembrance of Me." How can we find things more important than that? Let's all, therefore, strive to be in the Lord's house, to remember the Lord's death, in the way that the Lord has commanded -- for He is Lord! The Importance and Value of the Church The fact that Jesus had to die in order to "purchase the church with His own blood" (Acts 20:28) clearly shows the importance and great value of the church. People often use prices to gauge things of value or worth: a $500,000 diamond, for example, is certainly much more valuable, monetarily, than a $5 trinket. But what Jesus paid for the church was more than $500,000 or more than $500 billion, or even more than the worth of all the treasure in the universe -- for Christ paid the infinite value of His own life by dying for us! Jesus was not merely another one of us dying; for we certainly would not have the power to atone for even one sin by our death; rather, He was God who took on human flesh, being both God and man at the same time (John 1:1-3,14; Col. 2:9), and allowed Himself to be sacrificed at Calvary to make an atonement that could blot out our sins and save us from the eternal torment that every lost soul is bound for. Yet many people today -- and not merely those who downgrade or belittle the church -- feel as if being a part of a local body of God's people is not even required of them! They go through life, watching a little religion on TV once in a while, reading a few religious books and tracts, and opening up the Bible periodically, and are quite satisfied with "their religion" or "their faith." Doesn't it make you wonder, though, how they can say that they "believe" in the Bible, when they don't even accept some of the basic teachings of it? It's hard to imagine how someone studying God's word could come to the conclusion that being a functioning member in a local congregation isn't important. And if the church isn't important than what does that say about Christ's death for it? No Regrets Now... But The Time of Opportunity is So Short Right now, non-church-goers and non-Christians might not even regret being the way they are; but, if they continue in that course of disobedience and unbelief, it will be their biggest regret in the judgment day. Think of this, too: Our lives here on earth are so fleeting -- like a vapor (cf. Jms. 4:13-17). There might be times in your life in which you wish you could just go to heaven this very day; but if that would happen, all your opportunities will be gone to try to win one more lost soul to Christ or to help your brethren become stronger in the faith and make it to heaven. Now, before you leave this life, if you are a Christian, don't you want to do some more good for the Lord? And if you're not a Christian, don't you want to become one? Think of it: out of all eternity, we are now in a small speck of time in which it is the only opportunity that we will ever be able to get right with God and help others to do so as well. Let us, therefore, use what time we have to the glory of God in striving always to carry out His will. For with the Lord's help, much good can be accomplished! Conclusion If we are getting so busy that we don't have time for God then we are way too busy. No matter how important a person's secular work is, it is not something that he or she can do 24 hours a day, continually. There must be a schedule. We need to take time to eat, time to sleep, time to work, and time for wholesome recreation; but none of that would even be possible had it not been for the Lord, who is the maker of time itself. Let us, therefore, be sure to always find time for God and put Jesus Christ in our schedule -- but not for merely "someday"; but, rather, for today! For according to my calendar, there is no listing for "someday." And, by finding time for the Lord now, we can then have the assurance that when time itself is over, we'll have a blissfulness in heaven to enjoy for all eternity! ____________________________________________________ -2- We Are Mortal (But We Can Become Immortal) by Steve Klein There was once a king named Philip who appointed a man to reside in his court and say to him everyday, "Philip, remember thou art mortal." In human history, many high ranking and famous people seem to have forgotten that they were mere mortals -- or at least they acted like they forgot it. King Philip was both wise and humble to want a constant reminder that his physical existence was temporary. Perhaps he knew that it would help to keep him from getting too big for his britches! In the stream of time, a single human being's life span is but a momentary swirl in the water. The Psalmist says that, "As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more" (Psalm 103:15,16). Any person who has lived long enough to see friends and loved ones pass from this life, ought to be fully convinced that he too is mortal. Yet many humans, living without hope of an afterlife, do not know how to deal with this realization. While they recognize that they themselves will die, they think that somehow they can cheat death and attain a sort of immortality on earth through their work, their achievements, or even through their children's achievements. As the Psalmist says, "Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever, Their dwelling places to all generations; They call their lands after their own names. Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not remain; He is like the beasts that perish" (Psalm 49:11-12). Striving to achieve this brand of immortality is a very unsatisfactory endeavor. Living forever through one's achievements isn't really living forever. As Woody Allen said, "I don't want to achieve immortality through my work; I want to achieve immortality through not dying." The only way for we mortals to gain real immortality is through Jesus Christ. He "has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Timothy 1:10). And He has promised "eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality" (Romans 2:7). We are mortal. "It is appointed unto man once to die" (Hebrews 9:27). There is no escaping it. "No one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit, and no one has power in the day of death. There is no release from that war" (Ecclesiastes 8:8). "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you" (Romans 8:11). -- Via The Bulletin of the Church of Christ at New Georgia, November 3, 2002 ____________________________________________________ MYRTLE STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST 1022 Myrtle Street Denham Springs, LA 70726 (225) 664-8208 Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM Wednesday: 7:00 PM evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520 e-mail: tedwards@onemain.com web site: http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go ____________________________________________________