____________________________________________________ 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). ____________________________________________________ September 14, 2003 ____________________________________________________ Contents: 1) The Psalmist's Soul-Winning Formula (Edward O. Bragwell) 2) "More Tolerable for Sodom" (Clarence R. Johnson) 3) Mote Hunting (Dan S. Shipley) 4) "He Didn't Ask Me" (Jim R. Everett) ____________________________________________________ -1- The Psalmist's Soul-Winning Formula by Edward O. Bragwell "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You." -- Psalms 51:12,13 (NKJV). The Psalmist may be saying that if the Lord restores the joy of his salvation then he promises to teach transgressors. Or he may be saying that when the joy of salvation is restored teaching transgressors will naturally follow. In either case, sinners will be converted. Answers to why we are not converting more to Christ are offered by the dozens. "How to" instructions abound. Several preachers specialize in "soul-winning techniques." "Specials" are held from time to time to consider the matter. Bookstores stock books and kits that are supposed to tell us how to make virtually every Christian an effective soul-winner. Yet, all the above combined produce meager results. Even what appear to be spectacular results often turn out to be nothing more than a mirage -- a flash in the pan. All this somewhat reminds me of a story that I heard several years ago about a company trying to increase its sales. They hired an expensive sales expert to lecture their salesmen on sales organization and technique. Their experienced salesmen and new recruits were required to attend so they, too, could become experts. The expert unveiled his plan. He demonstrated his sure-fire technique. He organized the territories complete with a wall map with pins placed at strategic points to illustrate the salesmen, customers and potential customers. He had refined his program to a fine art. During his lecture he spotted an old salesman sitting over in the corner who was reputed to have been the top salesman for the company over several years. After, proudly and with fanfare, presenting his technique he asked the old salesman if he had any words of encouragement or advice that he might add to what had been said. The old salesman replied, "Yes, take all those pins out of that map and stick them into the salesmen!" Could it be that our problem in teaching transgressors the Lord's way and thus converting them to the Lord is not so much poor methods, materials, and facilities as it is poor motivation with no proper foundation? It may be that the joy of our own salvation is the missing element. Pep rallies and motivational hype on the subject of soul-winning may stir brethren into spurts of action, even producing some results. A sustained effort and lasting results will likely come from one who really knows both the plan and joy of salvation. Such a one understands what it means to be lost. He knows what it means to be saved. His knowledge is not based on fleeting feelings but on a knowledge of what God's word teaches on damnation and salvation. His joy is not the superficial cartwheel turning, hand clapping, "praise the Lord" shouting variety, but a far deeper joy of thankfulness, knowing that he has been delivered from the power of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son. One with such joy understands what it means to no longer be a sinner alienated from God. He understands God's plan of salvation. He understands what the Bible teaches about being a Christian. His joy is produced by that understanding and his knowing that his life is now in harmony with that understanding. Thus, he wants others to know what he knows and do what he has done to be saved -- and is doing to stay saved. His genuine faith in the promises and blessings in Christ produces the joy of salvation that leads him to teach transgressors the Lord's ways so that they can enjoy what he enjoys. Brethren filled with the knowledge and joy of salvation will find ways (or techniques) to teach others consistent with their own temperaments and abilities and of those they are trying to reach. Their methods may vary widely but their message and results will be the same -- the gospel will be taught and sinners will be converted. It may well be that the best personal work program that a church can develop is to set about to restore that genuine joy of salvation to its membership by building them up in the faith through teaching. -- Via The Bulletin of the Church of Christ at New Georgia, July 6, 2003 ____________________________________________________ -2- "More Tolerable for Sodom" by Clarence R. Johnson Mark tells us in Mark 6:7-13 that Jesus called the 12 apostles "to Him, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics. Also He said to them, `In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place. And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!' So they went out and preached that people should repent. And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them." The names of these 12 apostles are recorded in Matthew's parallel account of this incident, along with several other facts that Mark did not mention. Matthew informs us that Jesus at this time instructed them not to go among the Gentiles or Samaritans, but only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. One interesting thing about this incident is that it points out that the so-called lost ten tribes had not become completely obliterated as many commentators assume. At the time that the Jews from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Levi returned to the land of Palestine from Babylonian exile, some from the other ten tribes returned with them as well; and some individuals from those ten tribes had never been completely removed from the land. Thus, when Ezra and the other returnees from exile sacrificed in the land, they offered sacrifices for all 12 tribes and not just for two or three tribes. See Ezra 2:70 and 6:17. This also explains how a prophetess from the tribe of Asher could be known and identified as such in Luke 2:36. They were lost spiritually, but not all of them had become lost physically. Matthew's account of this incident also gives us insight into the nature of the inspiration of the apostles: "Do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak, for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you" (Matthew 10:19-20). Some students see a difficulty between the instructions recorded in Mark 6:8-9 and those recorded in Matt. 10:8-10. A casual reading might leave the impression that Matthew is saying they should not take a staff with them, nor wear sandals on their feet, while Mark's account clearly says they are to have both. A more careful reading of Matthew's account shows that Jesus was forbidding them to take an extra pair of sandals, or an extra staff. They were to take only their immediate needs, stay wherever they were welcomed, and live on whatever provisions were made available to them until the time came to move to the next town. -- Via The Susquehanna Sentinel, July 20, 2003 ____________________________________________________ -3- Mote Hunting by Dan S. Shipley In His condemnation of hypocritical judging, Jesus speaks of one who beholds the mote in another's eye, but fails to consider the beam in his own eye (Matt. 7:3). What unusual moral vision! When focused outwardly it is able to discern the tiniest speck; yet, when looking inwardly, it cannot discern what should be most obvious. Our Lord is, of course, pointing up the need for self-discipline ("cast out first the beam out of thine own eye," v.5) -- and what a tremendously important lesson it is! But what He touches on in only an incidental way in this context may be worthy of further consideration too; namely, mote beholding. Obviously, the act of mote beholding, in itself, is not wrong for it is simply the act of perceiving or seeing the "mote," whatever it might be. When this occurs, providing we have de-beamed ourselves, we can help ("see clearly") to cast out the mote from our brother's eye. If, however, we are not careful, the mote beholding easily deteriorates into mote hunting; i.e., looking for fault in others, especially with a view to hurting or discrediting in some way. The Christian who deliberately looks for something to criticize in another has, in that disposition alone, a personal "beam" in his own eye that needs beholding and casting out. Lamentably, mote hunting is more popular than beam hunting. No doubt, if there were more of the latter there would be less of the former. But, such is not the case and, in fact, it often appears that some have declared open-season for mote hunting. Take, for instance, many of the written debates, exchanges, reviews, reviews of reviews, exposes, and the like, of recent years. It is not unusual to see the obvious intent and meaning of an action or argument ignored in a painstaking and tedious effort to search out some trifling innuendo to be used against the opposition. If one is suspicioned to have certain "leanings," his every statement is carefully scrutinized -- not for objective evaluation, but for "evidence" with which to blast him! If nothing of an incriminating nature is obvious, the mote hunter can always read between the lines and find something with which to jump to an unwarranted conclusion. The mote hunter's inferences have a way of being translated into his opponents "position." Whether real or imagined, every mote is likely to be magnified to "beam" proportions. But, such mote hunting and exploiting is by no means limited to writers and debaters. In fact, most of us have likely indulged in the practice to some extent. Ill-will, prejudice, and envy (things to which we are all susceptible) can easily send us on a mote hunt if we are not careful. If one has wronged us, we are inclined to search out and exploit the "motes" of his conduct and speech. Even the slightest conflict or controversy can motivate mote hunting. And when brethren start looking for and advertising the bad in each other, look out! You will see just what we are seeing in many places today: hate, enmity, strife, and division such as cripple the cause of Christ. The answer? "Love suffereth long" -- "is kind," "envieth not," "thinketh no evil," "beareth all things." -- Via Plain Talk, April 1983 ____________________________________________________ -4- "He Didn't Ask Me" by Jim R. Everett British Parliament passed the Stamp Act in March of 1765. It was designed to help support the British army that was stationed in America. It had been imposed without any consideration for the rights and desires of the colonists. In response to the Stamp Act, the Americans throughout the land rebelled. "No taxation without representation" became the rallying slogan against British Parliament's attempted taxation. You see, we Americans are fiercely independent. We do like to be asked about things before someone takes it on himself to act for us. Many people who came to America fled governments and religious organizations which sought to force a rule upon people. In relationships where one takes the lead without a consideration of the needs of the others, the objection might not be to what is being done but to the fact that they were not considered. Even in the marriage relationship where God appointed the husband to take the lead, the best relationship exists when the husband solicits and acknowledges beneficial input from the wife. Consideration and consultation are necessary in some relationships but not all. Our relationship with God is not based upon man's input about how he thinks God should have done things. We do not have the right to think that God should have asked our advice about how He brought salvation to man -- God had to act consistent with the nature of God. Neither does God ask me about conditions for salvation. Because God is God, He has the absolute right to tell me what to do. My choice? -- either to do it and accept God's grace or reject it and suffer the consequences. Do you think that God is going to speak to each of us and ask, "Are you ready to die?", as though He needed our permission before we pass from this life? "It is appointed to men once to die and after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). That time will come and God will not ask if we are prepared. ____________________________________________________ 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 ____________________________________________________