____________________________________________________ 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). ____________________________________________________ August 10, 1997 ____________________________________________________ The Sin of Murmuring by Earl Fly The word ``murmur'' is defined as ``low, muttered complaints; grumbling'' (Webster). It is condemned by God as being sinful. We are commended to ``do all things without murmuring and disputings'' (Philippians 2:16). The apostle Paul warned Christians against this sin in his letter to the Corinthians: ``Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer'' (1 Corinthians 10:10). The sinfulness of murmuring is vividly illustrated by God's severity of punishment toward the guilty Jews, as shown in the following account. Korah, Dathan, Ahiram, fifty princes of the congregation and others rebelled and murmured against God's servants Moses and Aaron (Numbers 16:1-11). ``The earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up--they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the congregation'' (verses 32-33). ``And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense'' (verse 35). When the Jews murmured that Moses and Aaron were responsible for the deaths, God killed fourteen thousand, seven hundred of them by a plague (verses 41-49). This is written for our admonition and should cause all murmurers in the church to repent and reform, lest they suffer a ``sorer punishment'' (Hebrews 10:28-29). A murmurer can do great harm and irreparable damage in a congregation by creating discontent, discouragement and apathy among members, by sowing discord among the brethren (which God hates - Proverbs 6:19), by undermining the work of the preacher, teachers, deacons, and the rule of elders. This many times creates a general attitude of dissatisfaction and loss of interest, enthusiasm and zeal, resulting in decreased attendance, contribution and impairment of all work in general. The murmurer may then be the first to criticize the lack of growth, and may use the preacher or someone else as the scapegoat to bear the blame, not realizing or ignoring the fact that his own sin is responsible. The murmurer does not truly love God and is not really interested in the welfare and growth of the church, but in his own selfish desires and opinions. He is either woefully ignorant of or willfully disregards God's word regarding his sin, and is a dangerous threat to the cause of Christ. He can and does destroy or greatly lessen the influence and work of those who happen to be the object of his disgruntled attack. It is difficult to deal with such a situation because often times the murmurer does not have the courage or character to honorably discuss his complaints with the proper ones, but whispers them in secret to others. Christians should not lend receptive ears nor endorsement to murmuring, but exhort the guilty one to cease his sin. Remember, if one will murmur to you, he may murmur about you, because many times he is a pharisaical faultfinder, a chronic complainer with a hypercritical attitude who is usually never satisfied very long with any arrangement. We earnestly exhort all murmurers everywhere in the name of Christ to repent of this sin, to cease and desist in tearing down the work of God, and to get busy in the kingdom to build it up. Those who truly love God and his church have no desire to be hypercritical faultfinders, wandering about murmuring to all who will listen. If anyone should persist in this sin after proper warnings and efforts to restore, then scriptural discipline should be brought about to protect the flock of God and its work. The work of our Lord is too important to allow murmuring to run and ruin the church. -- Via Gospel Power, February 11, 1996 ___________________________________________ A Farmer's Wisdom by Jimmy Fields We live in a society addicted to instant gratification. Advanced technology has conditioned us to expect instant results. Who wants to chop the wood, stoke the fire, heat the oven, and bake a potato when he can toss a potato into the microwave and cook it in four minutes? We get sick and have pain, and we want to swallow a pill which will give us instant relief. We want a weather forecast, and we turn to the Weather Channel for instant weather information. We rush out of the office for lunch and go to restaurants which guarantee the meal is served in five minutes or it's free. This mentality surfaces in other ways. Young folks who are accustomed to instant gratification find it annoying to ``wait until marriage.'' Immorality in our society is directly linked to this attitude. Young married couples have little concept of working and saving, perhaps for several years, before getting all the material things they want. Many have every intention of starting out where their parents left off. And then the problem spills over in the spiritual arena. Some Christians are apparently trying the ``instant coffee'' approach to spiritual growth. You mix a carefully measured amount of teaching (thirty minutes, no doubt) with brief socializing and take it two or three times a week and...spiritual maturity! No. It does not work that way. It never did. What has happened to our attitude toward life? Among other things, we have lost the wisdom of the farmer. The farmer is the man who works with animals, labors in the fields, and then waits for the sunshine and the rain. He breaks the ground in early spring, and later he plants the seed. In the weeks to follow, he will plow those fields [for weeds], watch the crops mature, and harvest them in the Fall. He well understands that this is a process which takes place over a long period of time. No farmer expects to sow and reap in the same day. Spiritual growth is a process which takes time. Consequently, the person who desires maturity in Christ must pursue it with patience. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-33). We must learn patience -- with people and with circumstances. Genuine relationships must be carefully cultivated and established. Difficult situations in life are rarely resolved in one day. Be patient with your life. Hang in there. Give it some time. ``Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.'' God grant us the wisdom of the farmer. -- Via The Daugherty Street Pillar, March 16, 1997 ___________________________________________ ``Work Out Your Own Salvation'' by David A. Cox Paul writing to the church at Philippi said, ``Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling'' (Philippians 2:12). Often this verse is quoted trying to prove that it does not matter what one does toward salvation as long as one is sincere. However, this is not at all what Paul is talking about in this verse. This passage is not teaching that man does just what ever he wants or perform works of merit to earn salvation. Paul is impressing the lesson that each one has a personal responsibility toward God. Paul addressed the Christians at Philippi exhorting them to live the life of sacrifice (Romans 12:1), and to do the ``good works'' God had ordained to be done (Ephesians 2:10). Paul says that the Christians at Philippi had ``obeyed'' in the past, but what did Paul mean by ``obeyed''? In Acts 2, there is a similar statement made when Peter preached the gospel to those gathered at Jerusalem. Those that heard Peter cried out saying, ``Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward (perverse) generation'' (Acts 2:38, 40). Peter told those at Jerusalem to ``save yourselves,'' but how were they to do that? He did not mean by saving themselves that they could do whatever good they wanted and be saved. He had just told them about the gracious gift from God. Rather, when Peter said to ``Save yourselves'' he is teaching them that they were personally responsible to obey the commands of God to ``Repent and be baptized.'' In Philippians 2, these Christians had ``obeyed'' the gospel and had become children of God (Galatians 3:26-27). It is clear then that as Paul tells the Philippians to ``Work out your own salvation'' he is not referring to their complying with God's conditions to become children of God; they had already. Rather, he is exhorting them to continue to live in accordance with God's word. Paul continues to remind them of the kind of life they should live ``in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life'' (Philippians 2:15-16). Paul admonished them to run the race, work to the end, and not to be guilty of neglecting their salvation. Paul had seen others neglect their salvation and make shipwreck of their faith (1 Timothy 1:19-20) and he did not want to see this happen at Philippi. Paul told them to work as he also reminded the Corinthians to ``be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord'' (1 Corinthians 15:58). Many today have failed to work out their salvation; they have turned aside and back to the elements of this world. Let us remember the admonition ``to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling'' and to constantly live a life to ``shine as lights in the world.'' -- Via Gospel Power, February 16, 1997 ___________________________________________ NEWS & NOTES Mrs. Ernest Hamm has been diagnosed with 100% blockage on one side of her heart, and blockage on the other side at 80% to 90%. Unfortunately, nothing can be done, medically speaking, except to help alleviate the pain with medication. Her husband is also in poor health. Lalisa, granddaughter of Roy Osborne, had an appendix recently burst and the poison is in her bloodstream. She is only four years old. James Hunley has cancer of the kidney and will be operated on next Tuesday in Lexington, Kentucky. Eugene Davis had open heart surgery last week; and as soon as he heals from that, he will be undergoing additional surgery because of lung cancer. Rick Hubartt asks for the prayers of the saints. He has been diagnosed with kidney cancer and will be having surgery on the 14th; which, according to tests, will eliminate the problem. Chris Kramer requests prayer for Curtis Rouse who recently experienced a massive stroke. Dudley Ross Spears writes: ``Tom O'Neal's wife passed away last week, the result of a massive stroke. She was buried last Friday in Jasper, Alabama.'' Jason Malham writes concerning his recent firstborn: ''...He, almost immediately, went into respiratory distress and we were told he needed to be transported to Memphis, TN, to The Newborn Center were they specialize in Neonatology. He apparently had developed an infection and subsequent pneumonia which was causing his chest to literally `cave in' each time he inhaled. He is expected to be there no less than 7 days and possibly more if the antibiotics he has been given don't take hold. He has slightly improved and I wanted to solicit your prayers on his behalf.'' The meeting at the Daugherty Street church of Christ went well. There were many different visitors throughout the week. I also enjoyed the brethren's good hospitality in having me in their homes every day for delicious meals -- I think I became a ``bigger'' preacher that week . We welcome Bobbie Beasley who is visiting with us this day! She is a former member who had been with us almost 10 years, but now living in Georgia. Greetings to any others, too, who are guests with us today. Please come again. ________________________________________ 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@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________