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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" (Matt. 28:19,20).
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August 18, 2013
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Contents:
1) Can Churches Heal America? (Jeff May)
2) The Cost of My Salvation (Jason Cicero)
3) Dealing With 'Hurt Feelings' (Greg Gwin)
4) News & Notes
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-1-
Can Churches Heal America?
by Jeff May
A few years ago, the cover to a 1996 edition of U.S. News caught my
attention. It asked, "Can Churches Cure America's Social
Ills"? Hmm.
Now, as a Christian, my chief allegiance is to God's holy nation, of
which I am a citizen (1 Pet. 2:9; Phil. 3:20); but since America is
where I reside for now, I want to see it do well; for if it has
peace, I have peace (Jer. 29:7).
As I pondered the question, "Can Churches Heal America," I thought
of some things churches are going to have to do if they hope to have
an impact.
Churches must call people back to the book (the Bible).
It's what America needs more than anything else. Just this
morning, my "check engine" light came on. I didn't know what
to do. Of course, I knew to check the engine, but where do I
start? I immediately reached into the glove compartment for
the owner's manual. It told me what I needed to know.
Friend, that's what your Bible is. It's a manual from the
Owner who made us all and knows what's best. No matter how
broken down your life is, the Bible can fix it. In it, we have
all we need (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Why would so many people ignore
a book that is so good for us? Too many people just don't want
to be accountable to God. So, they reason Him away and deny
the Bible as His word. Someone has said, "The atheist cannot
find God for the same reason a thief cannot find a policeman."
He doesn't want to. America is not the first nation to try to
push God out. Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, took God's word,
cut it up with a knife and threw it into the fire (Jer.
36:23). Perhaps he thought he had done away with God's word,
but he had not, because He couldn't touch its Author. Try as
we may to push God's word out of our lives, it lives and abides
forever (1 Pet. 1:22-25). Like an anvil wears its hammers out
one by one, God's word has outlasted all its skeptics. Oh, how
we need this book!! America's hope is to come back to the
Bible.
Churches must remember the mission of the church.
People long before us saw "going to church" very simply. God's
word was highlighted above all. Some have even said that when
preachers spoke, you could "feel the heat." How do people see
churches now? As people see so many denominations with
recreation centers, cafeterias, gymnasiums and the like, are people
impressed with the need for the spiritual over the physical?
Jesus had to deal with that problem. People came in hoards
wanting physical food. When He made it clear that His mission was to
provide spiritual food, most of them walked away (Jn. 6:26-27,
66-68). A few in the religious world have been willing to
admit that without all the physical attractions, their numbers would
drastically fall off. Jesus didn't worry about that. He
sadly let them walk away. In fact, if you'll notice, every
time crowds began to build, Jesus' teaching became even more
challenging (Lk. 14:25-35). He wanted those who wanted
Him. That's it. The mission of the church is to preach
the truth, period (1 Tim. 3:15). Many years ago, a French
statesman, Alexis De Toqueville (1805 - 1859) came to America trying
to find the secret of its greatness. What he found is
interesting. Listen to this!! "I sought for the
greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her
ample rivers -- and it was not there . . . in her fertile fields and
boundless forests -- and it was not there . . . in her rich mines
and her vast world commerce -- and it was not there . . . in her
democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution -- and it was not
there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard
her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of
her genius and power. America is great because she is good,
and, if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be
great." Local churches must remember their mission.
Preaching is growing weaker in too many places. Preachers must
call sin, sin (Jn. 8:31). Faith comes by hearing God's word
(Rom. 10:17). Without God's word, America will be faithless.
Churches must encourage members to come home to family.
Too many homes hardly have anyone home. Dads must provide (1st
Timothy 5:8) but they can be gone far too much in their pursuit of
climbing the ladder of success. Moms need to focus their minds
on being keepers at home (Titus 2:4-5). Even kids can be away
from home too much. We must spend time together. I'll
never forget Brother Connie Adams telling of a yard sale at his
parent's home. Reluctantly, they decided to sell the family
dinner table he had sat around all of his growing up years.
There were so many good memories. For most of the day, it had
not sold. Inwardly, Connie was sort of glad. Then...a
buyer came, loaded it up and drove away. Connie said he cried
as he saw it go away. I understand. How many families
today would have such sentimental thoughts about their table?
We just need to come home and build our homes on Christ (Mt.
7:24-27).
Churches must teach members to deny worldliness in their lives
(Rom. 2:17-24; Mt. 5:13-16). If we, one-by-one, will let
the Lord put our lives together, the world will fall right into
place. If you want to heal America, start with you. May
God bless the United States of America.
-- Via The Bulletin of the Church of Christ at New Georgia, July 25,
2010 (originally from The Exhorter)
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-2-
The Cost of My Salvation
by Jason Cicero
"And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they
crucified Him" (Luke 23:33). In 1972, Paul S. Minear wrote:
"If it is true that Jesus never had a better press than today, it is
also true that rarely has there been less knowledge of His commands
and less inclination to obey them. Recognition of His
greatness has served as a substitute for reckoning the costs of
discipleship" (Commands of Christ, p. 11).
Many today rebel at the very idea of "the cost of discipleship" as
if it were a denial of salvation by grace. But it was Christ Himself
who first called attention to the sobering demands of following
Him. Salvation is both free and costly.
Salvation is free. "For the wages of sin is death, but the
gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans
6:23). This gift (charisma) is of grace. I deserve to be
punished for my sins. My God and Father will give me what I
don't deserve by His love, grace and mercy which are in my Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:4-9). Salvation is free.
Salvation is costly. The grace of God is not cheap. The "High
and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy" (Isaiah
57:15) sent His only begotten Son into this world to shed His blood
on a cross for the purpose of bringing unholy folks like me into
fellowship with Him. As I rejoice in my salvation, I need to
remember daily the cost. God gave His Son. The Son gave His
life. I have been redeemed "with the precious blood of Christ"
(1 Peter 1:19). Salvation is costly.
Immediate death of self. As I come to understand that
Christ died for me, my faith is to lead me to submission,
repentance, confession of Christ as my Lord and Savior and
baptism. In baptism, my "old man" is "crucified with Him, that
the body of sin might be done away with" (Romans 6:6). To be a
disciple of Christ is to put my sinful self to death. To be
"born again." To start over in Him.
Daily death of self. As I begin my life in Christ, I am
to understand that "it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in
me" (Galatians 2:20). Every day, I am to take up my cross and
follow Him. The "life I now live in the flesh I live by faith
in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me"
(Galatians 2:20).
I have died with Christ in baptism, risen with Him to walk in
newness of life, and continue to put myself to death for Him daily
for one reason: He "loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians
2:20). "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so." The
"love of Christ compels me" to deny myself, take up my cross daily
and follow Him (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).
-- Via The North Jasper Seeker; Jasper, Alabama
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Dealing With 'Hurt Feelings'
by Greg Gwin
It's easy to get your feelings hurt. All of us have suffered
such wounds, sometimes from folks who were purposefully out to 'do
us in,' and sometimes from unintentional words or deeds.
Regardless of how it happens, it still hurts.
But realizing that these things do happen, we must be prepared to
handle such situations correctly. How often have you heard of
a brother or sister in Christ who suffered 'hurt feelings' and then
decided to stop attending the assemblies? We've even known of
folks who completely fell away because of some misunderstanding,
some 'hurt' (either real or imagined). And some will use their
'hurt feelings' as an excuse to 'nurse a grudge,' or to gossip, or
to engage in some other form of harmful 'behind the scenes'
activity. This type of conduct obviously demonstrates a flawed
attitude.
Consider the Ethiopian eunuch as a model for us to imitate. In
Acts 8:26-40 we read his story. He had been to Jerusalem to
worship God. This was a round-trip journey of well over 1000
miles on rough roads and by way of very primitive
transportation. Yet when he arrived in Jerusalem he would not
have been allowed to enter the temple because he was a eunuch (Deut.
23:1). He would have been forced to deliver his gift and trust
others to see that it was sacrificed for him. And yet he was
willing to do this because of his love for God and his desire to
serve Him.
I'm afraid many folks of our day would not have tolerated such
treatment. With a good case of hurt feelings they would have
built up resentment against God and His people. And to spite
them, they would ruin themselves. May it never be so.
-- Via The Beacon, January 17, 2012
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News & Notes
Terry MacDonald recently had surgery to remove a third
malignant spot. All went well.
Efrain Perez would like prayer for his son-in-law Raul
who has "a very aggressive illness." He and his wife Dinelly
have four children, with the youngest being just ten months
old. Let those of us who are Christians be remembering him and
his family when we go to God in prayer.
Let us also continue praying for Virginia Fontenot, Jean
Calloway, Pam MacDonald, Shirley Young, and Cheryl Crews who
each have need of healing.
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation
1) Hear the gospel, for that is how faith comes (Rom.
10:17; John 20:30,31).
2) Believe in the deity of Christ (John 8:24; John
3:18).
3) Repent of sins (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9,10; Acts
8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins
(Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3,4; Gal. 3:26,27; 1 Pet.
3:21).
6) Continue in the faith; for, if not, salvation can
be lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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Park Forest
CHURCH OF CHRIST
9923 Sunny Cline Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70817
Sunday services: 9:00 AM (Bible class); 10 AM & 6 PM (worship)
Tuesday: 7 PM (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/go
(Gospel Observer website)
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html
(audio sermons)