____________________________________________________ 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). ____________________________________________________ February 16, 1992 ____________________________________________________ Sailing The Sea Of Life by Robert Gabhart Our life on this earth has been compared to many things. Shakespeare said it is a stage, and we are actors on that stage. James said it is a ``vapor which appeareth for a little while and then vanishes away'' (James 4:14). Many have compared it to a journey, and certainly it is that. The Christian's life is also called a warfare. Journeys during wartime are always dangerous. Perhaps journeys across the seas are even more dangerous than others, because there is no place to hide. This is the way a Christian's life is; he can't hide it from his fellow man very long, and he can't hide it from God at all. During wartime when two vessels meet on the ocean and do not readily recognize one another, three questions are asked, the answers to which could spell the difference between a safe journey and immediate destruction. I think these questions can be applied to a man's life with the same possible consequences. 1. The first question these ships would ask is ``In whose name do you sail?'' The ships need to know whether they have met an enemy or an ally. Thus it is in the journey of life; everything a man does signifies whose flag he is sailing under and whose authority he recognizes. Every man has some authority or standard by which he determines how to act in a given situation. Even if the only authority he recognizes is his own, he is still sailing under his independent flag. In the religious world today there are more flags than there are nations in our world. Those who uphold the banner of a particular denomination are sailing under the name of John Wesley, John Calvin, Martin Luther, Mary Baker Eddy, Joseph Smith, or perhaps even the Pope. It is to these men and the organizations which they founded that these people look for the authority for what they do religiously. Those who recognize the New Testament as God's will for mankind have little problem ascertaining whose flag Christians are to sail under. As Peter preached what might be called the second gospel sermon in Acts 4:12, he said, ``neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.'' If only sincere religious people could recognize the importance of looking to Jesus Christ and His New Testament as the sole authority for religious practice, Christ's banner would blot out all other's on life's seas. 2. The second question the ships would ask of each other is, ``What is your cargo?'' Even a ship flying a flag of a nation not at war could be carrying war supplies to an enemy. People frequently go through life flying the Christian banner high for all to see but all to often inside they are anything but Christ-like. What kind of cargo are you carrying through life? Jesus said, ``This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me teaching for doctrine the commandments of men'' (Mark 7:6,7). Jesus emphasizes man's heart or attitude must be right to please Him. Merely an outward show in worship or daily life will not suffice. This same scripture teaches that following the commandments of men is not acceptable either. Those flying the flag of a denomination are following the commandments of the men who began, organized, and now lead these denominations. 3. The final question the ships would want answered as they meet is, ``What is your destination?'' The port to which a ship is bound indicates where the authority directing the ship wants the cargo deposited. This is, of course, the most important question in any man's life. Unlike ships, a man only has two possible destinations. While ships may be bound for any one of thousands of ports, man is headed for either Heaven or Hell. This question is of utmost importance to man because, while the ships may go from one port to another, when man's journey ends the docking will be eternal. There is another great difference. The ship has a date and a time it expects to arrive in port. Jesus said in Mark 13:32, ``But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.'' This puts a great responsibility on all men to become Christians, and on all Christians to remain true to the faith. Christ's flag must be flown high; our cargo must be a soul filled with a sincere desire to everything which God requires; and our destination and reward will be a home in heaven eternally with God. The wrong answer from a cargo vessel could bring swift destruction at the hands of a destroyer in wartime. A wrong answer to these three questions will just as severely send a soul plunging to everlasting destruction in Hell. regain their health and strength. ___________________________________________ "Fast-Food" Religion We live in a time that stresses speed and convenience. Most of us live within minutes of fast-food places, where it is advertised that we can get what we want in our own way quickly and conveniently. If we have to wait long at one of these places, our anger is kindled. We want to do everything, get everything, and have everything fast. Nothing seems to happen fast enough. Not only do we want things to happen fast, but we want things to happen our own way. If they don't, we feel that we have reason to be angry; and we'll usually let a few people know about it. In this fast paced society of getting things done quickly and conveniently, true religion, as it is practiced from the heart, has suffered. We want to attend assemblies of the church, as long as they are over with in a hurry. We don't want the preacher to talk long. We don't want long prayers, and we certainly don't want to take more time then we have to in order to eat the Lord's Supper! ``Let's get it over with as fast as we can'' seems to be the attitude among many. After all, there are television programs to watch, naps to take, newspapers [``funnies''] to read, and let's not forget about beating the denominationalists to the restaurants for lunch. We don't want to take more than a few minutes to do our Bible lessons; and if we read the Bible at all, we want to speed-read it and get it over with fast so we can say that we've read it. Instead of taking the kind of time that will truly benefit us--the time to think and learn--we rush through whatever we do for God; and we are suffering for it. Have we become impatient and selfish with our time? Do we think, ``Oh, what a weariness!'' when it comes to offering service and time to God on a daily basis (cf. Mal. 1:13)? ``Fast and convenient'' are not appropriate terms to be applied to Christianity and service! They may be fine when looking for food to eat for the body, but ``food for the soul'' is a far different matter. Christianity is not a religion of convenience! To the contrary, we are called upon to offer our bodies as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1-2), to deny ourselves, take up the cross daily, and follow Christ (Lk. 9:23). This is hardly convenient, especially for most of us who desire to do things our own way. However, if we will please God, then we must leave our own way behind (Jer. 10:23; Prov. 14:12). True commitment does not ask, ``Is it fast and convenient?'' Rather, it says, ``Here am I! Send me'' (Isa. 6:8). -- author unknown ___________________________________________ SELECTED SENTENCE SERMONS ABOUT LIFE If life were a bowl of cherries, chances are two to one that the pickers would go on strike. Life's heaviest burden is to have nothing to carry. Death is not a period but a comma in the story of life. When the road of life is steep and slippery, prayer in action gives us traction. No one finds life worth living; he must make it worth living! ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 1314 Montgomery Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________