____________________________________________________ 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). ____________________________________________________ January 19, 1997 ____________________________________________________ A Sentence Sermon by Chuck Bartlett In one of the bulletins I receive each month, there is a section on the back called Sentence Sermons. Every once in a while I come across one that stands out. Here is one that I read last week: ``The great danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.'' Read it again. Isn't this a true evaluation of many people in this world? Is it true about us? Just what kind of goals do you set? If you don't have any, then you have removed the chance for failure. But, in all reality, your failure is certain! Christ expects us to aim high. The apostle Paul, speaking by inspiration wrote, ``if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of me...I press towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus'' (Phil. 3:11,12,14). Pressing towards heaven demands our all. This requires setting goals to overcome obstacles and reach the mark. It isn't that we create obstacles to overcome, for obstacles will always be there. Since Satan is relentless in his endeavor to destroy us, temptations loom everywhere about us. Thus, goals of spiritual development are what the god of this world (II Cor. 4:4) sets out to hinder. Whether it be developing our knowledge of truth, our abilities, or qualities of godliness, all are an abomination in the Devil's eyes. If we set our aims too low, the evil one will be more than gracious to help us achieve that end. The reason being, contentment can settle in, then apathy--and such will leave one lost. Our God doesn't want us to set our aims on things which are impossible. Unfortunately though, we sometimes may consider something out of our reach, when it is not. This is the reason some fail to TRY to do things, or fail to TRY doing things differently. To be afraid of change is a dangerous state to be in. The life of a Christian is nothing but change (Romans 12:1-2). When one obeys the gospel, one changes direction. In changing direction, one eventually changes in growth. In changing in growth, one changes in his abilities. These changes only come with desire to press forward--aim high. When saints start doing as the sentence sermon suggested, to aim low and reach it, one basically ends up like the Laodiceans. Here were a people that became lukewarm (Rev. 3:16). They did this by saying to themselves, ``I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'' (v. 17). If you don't see a need for change, you see little need for God to help you. These brethren were blind and couldn't see it (v. 17). Let us all put away from us, in the year 1997, goals that are too low for fear we might reach them and become satisfied. Brethren, AIM HIGH! Think about it. Reason being, God wants us to think about it. -- Via The Jordan Journal, December 25, 1996 ___________________________________________ Selected Sentence Sermons What is intended as a little white lie often ends up as a double feature in Technicolor. The giver always lives a richer life than the miser. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. To multiply your happiness, we must divide it. "Let all that you do be done in love" (1 Cor. 16:14). ___________________________________________ Remember and Celebrate by Jerry F. Bassett Many hearts are now tender with remembrances of Jesus Christ and celebrations concerning him. Surely, the sincerity of these thoughts and activities must be appreciated. However, it would be well for us to consult with the Lord himself for a better understanding of precisely what it is HE would have us to remember and celebrate. Everyone familiar with the Bible's teaching is aware of its historical description of the birth of Jesus to Mary in the ancient city of Bethlehem. What a glorious night that was! What wonderful promise it held for the redemption of mankind from sin and for his reconciliation to God! So much so, and so tender the scenes described by Matthew and Luke, that many have become infatuated with remembrance of Mary's giving birth to the child, his tiny body nestled in a manger, with celebration of the physical infant and the events surrounding that time. With this thinking so commonly expressed and so dearly held, would it shock you to learn that the Bible does not describe a celebration of the birth of Christ in the worship of those who would serve God under the New Testament? If this is so (please check your Bible and correct me if I am mistaken), what is it that Christ would have his people remember and celebrate? If not his birth, then, what? On the night in which he was betrayed and embarked on the ordeal of the cross, Jesus used the unleavened bread and fruit of the vine of the Passover feast to institute a memorial to his sacrifice for our sins. The bread represents his body which was given for us, and the fruit of the vine, his blood which was shed for the remission of our sins (Matthew 26:26-29). According to THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, Luke's history of the work of first century Christians under the direction of Christ's apostles, this memorial was observed each first day of the week (Acts 20:7). This is totally fitting; for it is here, in the cross, Jesus vanquished Satan, sin, and death. Here, then, is his glory and, by him, our salvation (1 Corinthians 1:18-31). -- Via God Hath Spoken, Volume 7, Number 6 (12/96) ___________________________________________ How Does The Holy Spirit Dwell In Us? by Wayne S. Walker There is so much false doctrine about the Holy Spirit that constant attention to basic Biblical truth on the subject is both good and necessary. ``By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit'' (1 John 4:13). Obviously, there is some sense in which the Holy Spirit affects the lives of God's people today. Since, as we saw in our last article, references to the miraculous manifestations of the Spirit's power are limited to the first century, references to the Spirit's influence today must be understood in a different sense. So the question for this final article is, ``How Does the Spirit Dwell in Us?'' The Bible teaches that Deity can dwell in man. God the Father dwells in us (I John 4:12). Christ the Son dwells in us (Ephesians 3:17). And the Holy Spirit dwells in us (2 Timothy 1:14). Since the Father, Son, and Spirit are one in their Deity, whatever is true of the indwelling of the Father and the Son must also be true of the Spirit's indwelling. While some take the extreme position that there is no indwelling of the Spirit in the Christian, the Bible teaches that there is such a thing. The major disagreements center on the manner of this indwelling. The Calvinists teach that the Spirit directly comes into the heart of the elect to produce faith and remove Adamic sin. Holiness people claim a special manifestation of the Spirit or a second work of grace essential to ``entire sanctification.'' Pentecostals and Charismatics believe that the Spirit dwells miraculously in the Christian today and still performs miracles through them. Some brethren postulate a literal and personal, though not necessarily miraculous, indwelling of the Spirit directly in the Christian's body, separate and apart from the word. Others say that the New Testament teaches no such concept but that the indwelling of the Spirit is through and by means of the word. So what does the Bible say about the indwelling of the Spirit and how it is accomplished? First, we must understand the Spirit's omnipresence (Psalm 139:7-10). God the Father is a person. He is omnipresent, but His person is said to be in heaven even though His presence is everywhere. The Holy Spirit is also a person. Therefore, to say that the Spirit dwells in us no more means that His actual person is in us any more than to say that God dwells in us means that His actual person is in us. When we say that God dwells in us we are talking about being in a right relationship with Him (I John 4:15). Why cannot we understand the same thing with regard to the Spirit? This now raises the question as to how this indwelling takes place. Paul asked, ``This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?'' (Galatians 3:2). This implies that the means by which we receive the influence of the Spirit in our lives is by the hearing of faith. Ephesians 5:18-19 says that we are to be filled with the Spirit, the result of which is singing praise to God. But Colossians 3:16 says that we are to have the word of Christ dwelling in us, the result of which is singing praise to God. The logical conclusion is that we are filled with the Spirit by means of the word of Christ dwelling in us. We need to remember that the sword or instrument of the Spirit for His work is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). All questions about the Spirit's indwelling cannot be answered in one short article. But there are just too many objections to the idea of a literal, personal, direct indwelling of the Spirit in the Christian to accept it as truth. When we speak of God's dwelling in us, we are referring figuratively to the influence of God being seen in our lives. The Holy Spirit dwells in us (I Corinthians 6:19-20). Does this not simply mean that through the influence of His word, He directs our lives to bear His fruit (Galatians 5:22-23)? -- Via Search For Truth, January 1997 ___________________________________________ NEWS & NOTES We rejoice in the recent conversion of Amy Frazier! Last Tuesday evening, Amy acknowledged her faith in Jesus Christ and was baptized into Him for the remission of sins. She is a student at Morehead University and has visited with us many times, as well as attended a couple of the home-study sessions I had at her parents' house, while she was home from school over the holidays. We pray that God will help her in her new walk with the Lord. Gwendolen Littleton writes: ``Do appreciate getting `The Gospel Observer.' Please keep them coming to me....'' Mrs. Littleton is in her 90's and says it is hard for her not to be able to go to church as she formerly did, but she enjoys reading the bulletin and then sending it to her 84-year-old sister to also read. We are happy to have her--and all of you--on our mailing list (whether through the postal service or through e-mail), for a bulletin cannot be heard--unless someone is there to read it. Thank you, therefore, for helping to give ours a ``voice.'' May its words always speak truth to your heart, instruction to your mind, and encouragement to your soul. Correction: The ``Catherine Stambaugh'' in last week's ``News and Notes,'' should have been ``Christine Stambaugh.'' I apologize for this error. I must have had my ``wires crossed,'' for I've known this woman for several years now. Free Bible correspondence courses are available upon request. We extend to you a cordial invitation to come be with us. We would love to have you as one of our guests at any of our services. (The time and location is shown below.) Do you live in our area and are in need of a ride to our services? Just let us know. We would be happy to provide transportation for you by one of the members. Also, if you live nearby, we have Bible film slides that we would enjoy showing to you. The five-lesson series, by Jule Miller, covers many highlights of the Bible from both Old and New Testament Times. ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 713 13th Street, 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@wwd.net Gospel Observer Homepage: http://www.wwd.net/user/tedwards/go My Personal Homepage: http://www.wwd.net/user/tedwards ________________________________________