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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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December 20, 2015
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Contents:
1) How to Avoid Spiritual Failure (Paul Earnhart)
2) Speaking Truth 'With Grace, Seasoned With Salt' (Al Diestelkamp)
3) News & Notes
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-1-
How to Avoid Spiritual Failure
by Paul Earnhart
In his final hours in Rome, awaiting an inevitable execution, a very
lonely apostle Paul suffered some additional heartbreak. "Demas," he
wrote, "hath forsaken me, having loved this present world" (2
Timothy 4:10). We are left to speculate as to the particulars --
what dread, fears or powerful allurements led this faithful friend
and co-worker to abandon the kingdom of God and to forsake his
burdened brother. It was not as though he had fled the field at the
first approach of trouble. During Paul's first imprisonment in Rome
Demas had evidently been a steadfast companion (Philemon 24;
Colossians 4:14). Now, unexpectedly, this heart-mauling betrayal and
desertion. Only those who have had a trusted companion in Christ --
one who has proven himself in many a crisis -- to suddenly turn from
God and run for the world can understand. It can numb the spirit.
What is it that can cause one who has invested so much in the
kingdom to suddenly abandon everything? Some fade early because they
have little understanding of the calling of God and even less
commitment. The first approach of temptation and hardship devastates
them (Luke 8:13). Others seem to have a deep commitment to
righteousness but not an absolute one. Their price for betrayal is
high but they have one nonetheless, and when it gets high enough
they run. The wealthy young ruler who came to Jesus was like that.
He was willing to give up a lot, but not everything (Matthew
19:16-23).
Paul said that Demas "loved this present world." The "world" is many
things. John describes it as a way of thinking where lust,
materialism and pride abound (1 John 2:15-16). What was it that got
to the faithful Demas? Was it fear of death or imprisonment? Or was
it something more subtle like a nostalgic longing for the old easy
ways free of constant unabating warfare? We are not told which one
of these undid Demas but one of them found its mark.
Breaking points can come to us too if we are not very careful. A
deep hurt we cannot find it in ourselves to forgive. A disappointing
marriage. Failures with our children. Lost health or prosperity.
Anything we had never imagined happening to us. And often it's just
plain prideful stubbornness. At any rate, don't ever say you'd never
do what others have done. You've never been all the places you could
be. Peter learned a valuable lesson about that (Matthew 26:31-35).
It is far better that we know our own weaknesses and watch and pray
that we enter not into temptation (Matthew 26:41). Satan loves an
arrogant and self-confident man.
Another lesson to be learned from the failure of others is that
those who at last go back, at first look back. Departures of
apparent suddenness are really the end of a process. Our Lord warned
that those who put their hand to the kingdom plow and look back
longingly at the world are not fit for the kingdom of God (Luke
9:62). The disciples who go back are those who first begin to
cultivate again the values of the world and like the Israelites in
the wilderness grow nostalgic amidst their trials for the fleshpots
of Egypt. They forget, of course, the galling bondage that
accompanies the life of sin. These are the ones who gradually cease
to meditate upon God's word (Psalm 1:1-2), then become prayerless
(James 4:1-2) as God and Christ seem far away. First men cease to
study, then to pray, and, finally, to care. Sometimes this all
begins as a casual flirtation, a few little compromises dismissed as
harmless. Too much time with worldly companions (1 Corinthians
15:33), too much interest in a job (1 Timothy 6:9-10), too much
concern with being accepted and making our mark in the world (1
Peter 5:5). Finally, it becomes a passionate love affair that makes
us heedless of the injury we do to our Savior, ourselves and others.
Satan is the master of the "short step" method. Slow change is more
effective in producing spiritual collapse than sudden departure. The
danger of alerting the victim to what is happening is eliminated. We
can be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:12-13).
Warning flags need to start flying the moment we feel the slightest
ebb in commitment. Beware the spiritual slow leak. The unfailing
answer to this kind of spiritual failure is the daily discipline of
an uncompromising dedication which admits of no exceptions and makes
quick and humble redress for every transgression. Burn all your
bridges and press on to the heavenly mark (Philippians 3:7-14). And
if, in spite of everything, you happen to stumble badly, don't let
despair destroy you. Remember that everyone who has faltered has not
ultimately fallen. We can all thank God for that. John Mark's
disgraceful desertion in Pamphylia (Acts 13:13) was not the end of
him because he didn't allow it to be. Paul sent for him during his
last hours (2 Timothy 4:11) and the Holy Spirit chose him to record
the gospel story. We don't have to be like Demas. In the mercy of
God we have the privilege of being like John Mark or Peter, and,
yes, even Paul.
-- Via Christianity Magazine, February 1984
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-2-
Speaking Truth 'With Grace, Seasoned With Salt'
by Al Diestelkamp
Most of us can testify that there are certain foods that are not
very palatable without adding some salt. Even the scriptures quote
Job's rhetorical questions, "Can flavorless food be eaten without
salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?" (Job 6:6).
The Holy Spirit guided the apostle Paul to use our knowledge of this
to illustrate the need to use wisdom, gentleness, and tact in our
conversations: "Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside,
redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned
with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one" (Col.
4:5-6).
While Paul's primary focus in this text is on our conversations with
"those who are outside," I doubt that anything less would be
expected when speaking with brethren. In fact, he makes this clear
in another epistle, urging Christians to "keep the unity in the bond
of peace" (Eph. 4:3) by "speaking the truth in love" (Eph. 4:15).
The wisdom of Solomon testifies that "The words of a wise man's
mouth are gracious" (Eccl. 10:12), and "A soft answer turns away
wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Prov. 15:1).
There are some foods that I hate, and no amount of salt is going to
change my mind about it. Similarly, most of the world does not love
truth. Jesus declared Himself to be "the truth" (Jn. 14:6) and, as
such, "the light of the world" (Jn. 9:5). But He warned that men
"loved darkness rather than light" (Jn. 3:19). Our task is to try to
change people's "taste" from "darkness" to "light." In doing this
our speech must "always be with grace, seasoned with salt," all the
while realizing that gentleness and tact will not make truth
palatable to those who love darkness.
Unfortunately, even some whom we may call "brethren" don't care much
for truth. Paul wrote of an approaching apostasy causing people to
"perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that
they might be saved" (2 Thess. 2:10). They who did not receive the
love of the truth had actually refused the truth in exchange for a
lie so they could have "pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thess.
2:12).
To love the truth is to regard it, which does not always equate with
liking it. Truth is not always likeable. Truth sometimes hurts. It
sometimes saddens. It may disappoint or discourage. But even so, it
is still to be loved.
Along with truth comes responsibility, and love of the truth demands
change. If while trying to reach a destination, I find that I have
been misguided as to the route I must take, or I have mistakenly
taken a wrong turn, learning the truth may be unpleasant; but it
benefits me if I regard it. In spiritual terms, this is called
repentance. There's no virtue in being unyielding.
Too Much Salt
Dieticians often warn about the dangers of the overuse of salt.
Regardless of the health risks, we know that too much salt defeats
the purpose of making food palatable. In our pluralistic society
which has taken political correctness to the extreme, there is the
danger of our speech becoming so gentle and tactful that the power
of truth is missed altogether. We do people no favor by altering
truth in an effort to avoid hurt feelings and also risk causing
genuine truth-seekers to gag at our lack of conviction. We can
"contend earnestly for the faith" (Jude 3) without being
contentious, by speaking the truth in love and using speech with
grace, seasoned with salt.
-- Via Think on These Things, July-August-September, 2015, Volume
46, Number 3
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"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of
things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1, NASB).
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-3-
News & Notes
We are glad that Danielle Howard is now back home and
continuing to improve, following her kidney transplant.
Anita Young's surgery went well in removing the bursa in her
hip that had been giving her trouble. She will return to her
doctor tomorrow for an update.
Shirley Davis has now completed several weeks of antibiotics
through an IV, which appears to have cleared up her infection.
She will, however, be requiring toe surgery probably sometime in
early January.
Deborah Medlock is still having pain in her neck and shoulder
and will be seeing her doctor this Tuesday for x-rays, a CT scan,
and an MRI.
WordPress version of this week's bulletin:
https://thegospelobserver.wordpress.com/2015/12/22/the-gospel-observer-december-20-2015/
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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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Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501
Sunday services: 9:00 AM (Bible class); 10 AM
& 5 PM (worship)
Wednesday: 7 PM (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 614-8593
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/go
(Gospel Observer website)
https://thegospelobserver.wordpress.com/
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html
(audio sermons)