____________________________________________________ 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). ____________________________________________________ March 9, 2008 ____________________________________________________ Contents: 1) Reverence Toward God (Irvin Himmel) 2) The Power of a Young Person's Influence (Steve Klein) 3) News & Notes ____________________________________________________ -1- Reverence Toward God by Irvin Himmel A fundamental lesson that man must learn is to show reverence toward his Maker. It is expected that the perverse and ungodly will display irreverence, but how astounding that some professed Christians speak and act with disrespect for the Almighty! There is a proper sense in which people are to be reverent toward one another. For example, a wife is to reverence her husband (Eph. 5:33). We are to show reverence toward our earthly fathers (Heb. 12:9). Honor is to be given to the one to whom honor is due (Rom. 13:7). Notwithstanding, the reverence to which God is entitled transcends any esteem to which mortals may justly lay claim. To "reverence" God is to show honor or respect; profound esteem; sacred veneration; awe; solemn adoration. Serving God acceptably demands "reverence and godly fear" (Heb. 12:28). The following are some of the ways in which reverence toward God should find expression: 1. Respect for God's law. Today we live under the law of Christ (a system of grace), not under the law of Moses (a system of works). If our attitude toward God is one of deep and solemn adoration, we are not going to make light of the New Testament, nor flout the authority of the apostles of our Lord. The individual who makes mockery of the writings of Paul or Peter either does not understand their having been guided by the Holy Spirit or else lacks reverence for God. "So speak ye, and so do ye," said James, "as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty" (Jas. 2:12). "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2). 2. Regular worship of God. Some have the idea that one worships God day and night in everything that he does in the regular routine of business, family life, etc. The Bible speaks of worship in a more specific sense. In Acts 8:27 we are told of a man who had been to Jerusalem "to worship." What God teaches us to do to pay homage and give praise to Him is worship. We are to assemble ourselves together (Heb. 10: 25), and a chief purpose in assembling is to praise and offer thanksgiving to God. Sometimes people whisper, write notes, fall asleep, play with little children, or daydream in what is intended as an assembly for worship and edification. The problem is lack of reverence toward God. The Psalmist said in the long ago, "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him" (Psa. 89:7). 3. Honor in addressing God. Because Jehovah is Deity and we are frail creatures, we dare not encroach on His Majesty. It is one thing to feel a nearness to God; it is quite another thing to speak and act as if we are on the same level as He. The "buddy-buddy" attitude that some reflect in their approach to the Almighty goes beyond the proper limits. One young man is reported to have begun a public prayer with this form of address: "Hello Dad!" Dick Greco, the Mayor of Tampa, tells a story about attending a picnic where a large number of youngsters were present. One young man jumped up on top of a table and shouted, "Ruba-dub-dub, Thanks for the grub. Yea God!" That was the blessing. Jesus taught that we should pray after this manner: "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed by thy name" (Matt. 6:9). It is manifestly irreverent to address God in a lighthearted, backslapping, old-pal manner. Many people show more respect in addressing their Congressman, their Governor, or the President of the United States than they show in their methods of address to the Ruler of the whole Universe. 4. Dignity in teaching the word of God. Paul instructed Titus, "In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing incorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you" (Tit. 2:7,8). The same apostle admonished the young preacher Timothy to be an example "in word" or "in speech" (1 Tim. 4:12). Vulgar language is that which is offensive to good taste. Profane speech is that which is unholy, impure, or suggestive of evil. Preachers and teachers of God's word must exercise care not to appear coarse, vulgar, or profane in their speech. Reverence toward God demands that the gospel be preached with dignity. An unseemly or offensive wording of what one is trying to teach serves only to degrade the message. 5. Loyalty to the Son of God. Read the parable of the wicked husbandmen in Matt. 21:33-46. When the householder sent his servants to receive of the fruit of the vineyard, one was beaten, another killed, and another stoned. Finally, he sent his son, saying, "They will reverence my son." But they slew him! This illustrates how the Jews rejected the prophets and leaders sent by Jehovah, then finally killed the Messiah. God wanted Israel to reverence His Son. He wants us to do the same. If we do have profound respect for God and His Son, our lives will be loyal to Christ. 6. Humility in life. The man who exalts himself unduly lacks reverence toward God. The truly reverent person knows his sinfulness, his need for the grace of God, his frailty, and his imperfections. All of this makes him humble. In deep humility he serves Him who is revered above all others. -- Via Truth Magazine, XVIII:11, p. 2, January 17, 1974 ____________________________________________________ -2- The Power of a Young Person's Influence by Steve Klein Over the past 10 weeks or so, the Oakland church of Christ has been blessed to see eleven young people obey the gospel. We've witnessed scene after scene of joyous parents and friends hugging and congratulating new brothers and sisters in Christ still wet from the waters of baptism. God must be given all the praise and glory for making these things possible. Naturally, a question might arise as to why all of these young people are suddenly deciding to obey the gospel. Could it be that some of them have been influenced by their peers? Maybe so. And maybe that is the way it should be. Children are natural imitators, not only of their parents, but also of each other. Paul alludes to this inborn mimicry when he commands us to "be imitators of God as dear children." (Ephesians 5:1). So, children are "imitators." We know this. But we get so focused on "peer pressure" as a negative thing that we forget that young people can and should influence one another to do good. Yes, it is possible for them to imitate good. In fact, the Bible commands it! The Bible says, "Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good" (3 John 11). There are important reasons for young and old alike to work at imitating good. For one thing, we'll have much less to fear in the way of negative consequences for our behavior. In 1 Peter 3:13, Peter asks, "And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?" It's just not very likely that you'll ever get in much trouble or be punished severely for following a good example. Besides this, the Lord will love and appreciate you if you will allow yourself to be influenced to do good. Proverbs 15:9 says that, "The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But He loves him who follows righteousness." The fact that young people can be influenced BY others necessarily implies that they can also be influences ON others. The Bible commands the young to be good examples, so that others will have something worthwhile to imitate. The young man Timothy was told, "Let no one despise your youth, but BE AN EXAMPLE to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12). So, to the young we say BE INFLUENCED and BE AN INFLUENCE: * Let yourself be influenced to obey the gospel, and then influence someone else to do the same. * Let yourself be influenced to use pure speech, and then influence someone else to do the same. * Let yourself be influenced to dress modestly, and then influence others to do the same. * Let yourself be influenced to reverently participate in worship (no note passing, giggling, whispering), and then influence someone else to do the same. * Let yourself be influenced to be kind to others, and then influence someone else to do the same. -- Via The Exhorter, August 22, 1999 ____________________________________________________ -3- News & Notes There will be a one-day gospel meeting with five different preachers this Saturday (March 15) at the Northshore church of Christ in Mandeville, Louisiana. The theme will be "A Day with Evidences." The lessons and speakers will be as follows: 10 AM: Introduction: Why We Need Lessons on Evidences (Jeff Carr, Mandeville, LA) 11 AM: Inspiration and Revelation of the Bible (R.J. Evans, Gonzales, LA) 12 PM: Creation (Tom Edwards, Denham Springs, LA) 2 PM: Singing 2:30 PM: Prophecies (Michael Green, Lafayette, LA) 3:30 PM: Miracles (Don Davis, Gulfport, MS) The Northshore church of Christ meets at 67288 Armel Road. Driving directions are available at their website (www.northshorechurchofchrist.com) or phone (985) 871-0099. ____________________________________________________ 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 ____________________________________________________