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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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February 26, 2017
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Contents:
1) The Cost of Influence and Reputation (Bill Hall)
2) The Greater Love (via Brief Exhortation)
3) News & Notes
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-1-
The Cost of Influence and Reputation
Bill Hall
There are people in this world who are possessed with natural
ability to lead and command respect of others. Call it charm,
charisma, magnetism, or whatever; such people wield a powerful
influence on those who look up to them as the embodiment of all they
would like to become themselves. Peter apparently possessed such
qualities among the apostles. There were David, Deborah, Nehemiah,
and others. We have known such people in our day and have been
influenced by them. Each reader can probably think of some “hero” of
faith that he or she has looked up to through the years.
The opportunities for good that such people possess are tremendous,
but so are the responsibilities. It is true that sin is sin, whoever
commits it -- that sin will separate one person from God just as
quickly as it will another. But the adverse consequences of one’s
sins increase dramatically with the increase of the influence and
reputation he enjoys among others. The confidence of others is a
trust that must be carefully protected. Once that trust is in place,
the person to whom it is committed has responsibilities that others
of more normal influence and reputation do not have. And the more
people involved in the trust, the greater the responsibility.
Those of reputation must be prepared for greater public scandal when
they sin. Nathan told David that because of his adultery he had
“given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme” (2
Samuel 12:14). Others had committed adultery in Israel, and their
adultery had gone unnoticed by the enemies of God. But this was
David! It was inevitable that the sin of this one man of influence
and reputation would result in greater scandal than the sins of a
multitude of people of lesser influence and reputation.
Those of reputation must be prepared for sterner rebuke when they
sin than those of lesser reputation. Paul speaks of withstanding
Peter “to his face” when Peter withdrew from eating with the
Gentiles (Galatians 2:11-13). Paul’s rebuke of Peter was “before
them all.” Peter was hardly the first Jewish Christian to refuse to
eat with Gentile Christians, but Paul obviously recognized the
seriousness of Peter’s actions because of his greater reputation and
influence. Others were following his lead on this occasion,
including Barnabas. Peter could not enjoy the luxury of a private
meeting with Paul; Peter had to face the sting of immediate and open
rebuke. Peter had betrayed a trust. Nothing less than open rebuke
could counteract the harm that was resulting. Sterner rebuke is
simply a cost -- an inevitable cost -- of influence and reputation.
Those of reputation must live more cautiously than others if they
would maintain their influence and good name. Every Christian is
warned not to place a stumbling block in his brother’s way (Romans
14:13; 1 Corinthians 8:9), but one who is known and admired by
thousands of brethren in many places obviously will have to be more
cautious than one who is known and admired by only a few brethren
locally. Paul would have to give up far more to be “all things to
all men” than would some Christian who had never been outside his
home community. That’s just the cost of influence and reputation. If
one is not willing to pay that cost, if he is determined to be
unbending in his conduct “no matter what others might think,” he
needs to come to a greater appreciation of the value of a good name
(Proverbs 22:1).
Those of reputation must be especially careful to build upon Jesus
Christ, the true foundation, rather than upon themselves. The words,
“For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord,” must
become their motto (2 Corinthians 4:5). Those who place their
loyalty in men of name and reputation are in error. Their faith is
not what it ought to be. But those who deliberately use charisma and
flattery to attract a following are also in error (1 Thessalonians
2:1-13). The more natural charisma one is blessed with, the more
cautious he must be.
When “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, a star Chicago White Sox outfielder,
was involved in the “Black Sox” scandal of the 1920’s and was on his
way to trial, a small boy, hurt, disappointed, with tears in his
eyes, was heard to cry, “Say it ain’t so, Joe; say it ain’t so.”
Each reader is likely somebody’s hero. Other readers are men and
women of widespread influence. Let each one, when he is tempted, and
before he yields, look ahead to the tears and hurt and
disillusionment that he is about to bring to those who look up to
him. Let him hear their potential cries of “Say it ain’t so, Joe”
and, motivated by their confidence and his own love for the Lord,
let him “resist the devil.” If he betrays the trust that has been
committed to him, he can be saved eternally through repentance and
forgiveness, but he likely will never recover the confidence he has
lost. Right or wrong, that’s reality. It is the cost -- the
inevitable cost -- of influence and reputation.
— Via The Auburn Beacon, April 17, 2016, Volume 7, Issue 31
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The Greater Love
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s
life for his friends” (John 15:13).
In his book, “Written in Blood,” Robert Coleman tells the story of a
little boy whose sister needed a blood transfusion. The doctor had
explained that she had the same disease the boy had recovered from
two years earlier. Her only chance for recovery was a transfusion
from someone who had previously conquered the disease. Since the two
children had the same rare blood type, the boy was the ideal donor.
“Would you give your blood to your sister Mary?” the doctor asked.
Little Johnny hesitated, his lower lip started to tremble, and then
he smiled and said, “Sure, for my sister.”
Soon the two children were wheeled into the hospital room--Mary,
pale and thin; Johnny, robust and healthy. Neither spoke, but when
they met, Johnny grinned. As the nurse inserted the needle into his
arm, Johnny’s smile faded. He watched the blood flow through the
tube.
With the ordeal almost over, his voice slightly shaky, broke the
silence. “Doctor, when do I die?” Only then did the doctor realize
why Johnny had hesitated, why his lip had trembled when he’d agreed
to donate his blood. He’d thought giving his blood to his sister
meant giving up his life. Though, in reality, it was not necessary,
he was willing to give his life for his sister. In that brief
moment, his love for his sister, caused him to make his great
decision.
Let us remember that there was one who laid down His life for us.
— via Brief Exhortations
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News & Notes
There will be a Gospel Meeting at the North
Valdosta church of Christ March 5-10 with Danny Roberts
as the guest speaker. Services for Sunday will be at 9,10,
& 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. for Monday through Friday. The
church meets at 4313 North Valdosta Road in Valdosta, Georgia.
Let those of us who can pray be remembering the following in prayer:
Lawrence Anthony Montero (Bud's brother) was recently in the
hospital, due to a TIA (mini stroke), and had been experiencing some
numbness, along with high blood pressure. He was released and
is to see his doctor in a few days.
Also: Lexi Crawford, Kay Byars, La Donna Andrews, Mary
Vandevander, Charles Crosby, Tanya Terrones, Jim Lively, Shirley
Davis, Doyle and Joyce Rittenhouse, Brianna Mackey, James “Buddy”
Gornto, Billy Lowe, Tom Haney, Kelli Fleeman, Randall and Linda
Hickox, and Ray Richards
WordPress version of this week's bulletin:
https://thegospelobserver.wordpress.com/2017/03/04/the-gospel-observer-february-26-2017/
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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, living for the Lord; 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)
Tuesday: 7 p.m. (Ladies' Bible class)
Wednesday: 7 PM (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 614-8593
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://thegospelobserver.wordpress.com (Gospel Observer website with
pictures in WordPress)
http://thomastedwards.com/go (Older version of Gospel Observer
website without pictures, but back to March 1990)
http://tebeaustreetchurchofchrist.org/
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html (audio sermons)