____________________________________________________ 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 18, 1998 ____________________________________________________ The Problem of Following Men Instead of God by John F. Maddocks It was the Winter of 1991, and I was making a return trip from Jordan Station, Ontario, my hometown, to Timmins, Ontario, where I was preaching at the time. It was a trip of approximately 500 miles almost due North. For the first 250 miles I drove through a torrential rain storm, but for the last half of the trip I traveled through the worst snow storm I have ever had the displeasure to drive through. I literally could not see more than a few feet in front of my car. I was in wilderness, and to pull over, I am certain, would have risked my life. There was nothing to do but follow the tire tracks I could see in front of me. I prayed that whoever this was that I was following, hopefully, would know where they were going. I have observed that a lot of people in the world, and even some of my brethren, seem to live their lives in a similar fashion. They have placed their eyes firmly upon another person, and wherever that person goes they follow. We watched in horror a few months ago as ``Do'' and his followers were taken in body bags from their rented home in San Diego. ``Do'' had determined it was time for him and his followers to end their earthly lives; and, by so doing, connect with a space craft he believed to be in the tail of the Hale-Bop comet. Several years ago we saw the terrible end of David Koresh and his followers, the "Branch Davidian." Many of us can remember the mass suicide in Jonestown, Guyana, where Jim Jones, the leader of several hundred followers, ordered them to commit suicide. In my own family, I have a cousin who follows the supposed reincarnate Christ, the ``Reverend'' Sun Myung Moon. Perhaps hundreds of thousands of other gullible men and women follow this blasphemous, false teacher. Why? Why do people so often follow other people? I don't know! I do not claim to be learned in the ways of psychology, nor do I particularly want to be. I do believe that there is something fundamentally missing from these peoples lives, and that they therefore feel a need to follow another. I also believe that Satan, who ever looks into the hearts of this world's population for weaknesses, takes advantage of these lost souls. In truth, Peter wrote in 1 Peter 5:8, ``Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.'' As sad as it is to see people in the world caught up in the error of men following men, to me it is sadder by far to see men and women in the church of our Lord doing the very same thing. What is even sadder perhaps is that oftentimes it is done unawares. The scriptures teach us that the Berean brethren were a more noble people than those who lived in Thessalonica. Unlike the Thessalonians, these brethren eagerly received the word that Paul taught them, but rather than just accept it as God's word, they did something else first--they ``searched the scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so'' (Acts 17:11b). I can't imagine a brother or sister in Christ who is not impressed with this attitude of heart. The Bereans wanted to make sure that what they believed, and therefore what they would practice and teach to others, was in truth the will of God. This is indeed a most noble quality. But how often do we find ourselves, when faced with uncertainty about any given subject, searching our library to find out the opinion of a respected brother? How often is the phone picked up to call a brother for the very same purpose. Is it wrong to do this? I believe that depends on the heart of the individual searching the library, or making the phone call. It is easy to fall into the trap of letting others do the thinking for us. Study can be hard work, and often is very time consuming; and it is very tempting to let someone else do the thinking for us. After all, as I have had pointed out to me in times past, ``You're the preacher, and that's what you're paid to do.'' But brethren study, and the convictions that come from that study need to be individual in nature. The Bereans understood that truth. Though Paul was an apostle of the Lord, even his word would not be taken without investigation. As Paul was making his way back to Jerusalem in Acts 20, he stopped in Miletus and sent for the elders from Ephesus. When they arrived he shared these words with them, ``Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves'' (Acts 20:28-30). Paul warned these elders that they needed to be careful of false teachers from without, and even from among themselves. The danger was that there would be those who would follow these deceptive teachers. There is an obvious risk when men follow men instead of God. That is, of course, that men are not perfect and are capable, even honestly, of believing and teaching that which is false. Far too often the cry goes out today, ``Thus says brother so and so,'' rather than ``Thus says the Lord!'' Paul wrote and instructed Timothy to ``Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth'' (2 Tim. 2:15). It is only logical that Paul would instruct Timothy to do this, especially in light of these words which were also penned by his hand, ``For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad'' ( 2 Cor. 5:10). One day each of us will stand before the greatest of all judges. A judge who is not limited in knowledge or wisdom, but rather one who has all wisdom and who will be aware of every movement we have ever made. Knowing this then, it is only logical that we should make sure that what we are doing is in harmony with the will of this great judge. The Bereans were not content to face Him based upon the words of an infallible man (albeit an apostle of the Lord), so why should we be content to face Him based on the words of infallible men today? Certainly there is no harm in seeking the wisdom and guidance of men and women in whom we have the deepest respect, but there is a problem when their counsel is taken as ``Gospel.'' I have often sought the guidance of others in whom I felt confidence; but I have always been especially impressed with those who have made it a point to impress on my mind that what they were sharing with me was their opinion, and that I needed to come to my own conclusions on the topic at hand. Countless men and women have gone to their graves having lived their lives based upon the convictions of others. How foolish! Jeremiah wrote, ``O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps'' (Jer. 10:23). If we want to get through life, and do so successfully, we need to follow God, and listen to man only when he speaks, ``as the oracles of God'' (1 Pet. 4:11). I was lucky; I made it through the aforementioned blizzard without any mishaps. What normally took about four hours took more than seven, but I made it! I followed another man who fortunately knew his way. How many are not so fortunate? There are, sadly, many who will continue to follow men, and I suppose will do so until the great day when our Lord will return. We need to make it a point in our lives not to be caught up in this foolishness. The next time we are faced with uncertainty about God's will, let's turn to His word and search for the truth ourselves. It will most certainly help us to grow stronger in our faith. It will help increase our own personal convictions as we search and find the answer we have been looking for. And, certainly, it is as God would have it: ``But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen'' (2 Pet. 3:18). ___________________________________________ * Free Bible Courses Are Available Upon Request * If you live nearby and need a ride to our services, feel free to call today. * Bible film slides are also available for those nearby. ___________________________________________ THE NEW CREATURE by Robert F. Turner ``If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature'' (2 Cor. 5:17). Obviously his physical characteristics have not changed, and one does not ``partake of the divine nature'' in its essence. We suggest a comparison study of verses in the frequently parallel letters of Ephesians and Colossians as a clue to this ``new'' and different man. Eph. 4:17-f. defines the changed man. ``Walk not as the Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind...'' ``but ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him...'' ``that ye put off...the old man...and be renewed in the spirit of your mind...etc.'' Now, compare this with Col. 3:8-f., ``Put off anger, wrath...seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him....'' I have emphasized words pertaining to the common thought: the new man thinks differently, i.e., he has new and different standards; one change has taken place in his mind. The heart (mind) is not different through miraculous operation, but by teaching, hearing, learning (Jn. 6:45). But this ``learning'' is not simply the accumulation of information--stored so it may be repeated upon examination. The ``spirit of the mind'' has been affected or ``constrained'' by our recognition of Christ's love for us (2 Cor. 5:12), so that vanity has been replaced by humility and dependence (Cf. Phil. 2:5; 3:15). Expositors say, ``It is necessary, therefore, to take pneuma here as our spirit...the higher faculty in man...that makes him most akin to God.'' Without debating the intricacies of mind-spirit, the man is ``new'' because his understanding has affected his desires, and the new heart bears fruit for God. Both passages (Eph. and Col.) tell us that the whole of the ``new man'' includes his conduct. ``Just so the heart is right'' is an idle gesture. We cannot know one's heart, but ``by their fruits'' men are known (Matt. 7:20). Remission of sins, and heaven, are at the point of doing (Acts 2:38; Rev. 2:10); and short of this point there is no new creature (Matt. 7:21). -- Via Plain Truth, vol. 16, no. 1, March 1979 ___________________________________________ The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be caught (selected). ___________________________________________ NEWS & NOTES As I write this, Greg and Debbie Frazier's granddaughter is due any day! Let us pray that all will go well. Their daughter Jennifer Batten, who lives in Lexington, Kentucky, is the soon-to-be mother. This is the last month that we (the Tri-state church of Christ) will be meeting at 713 13th Street, here in Ashland, Kentucky. The whole block we are on -- except for Columbia Steak House on the corner -- has been bought in order that the buildings may be torn down and a drug store built. We must all be out by the end of January. Fortunately, I found a place right around the corner on Montgomery Avenue that I will be renting as a private residence (since it is not zoned for a church); but because we are such a small group, I plan to use one of the main rooms downstairs for our services. It is a large 2-story house with a walk-up-to attic built around 1910 to 1920. Though its renovations won't be entirely done by the end of the month, I'll be moving in the last week of January; and we will probably begin meeting there for our services February 1. Two new bathrooms have been built for it, new wiring, new air/heat, all the rooms have been either painted or wallpapered, and other renovations. If you remember where we used to meet, just go up 13th Street a short ways to the next street (Montgomery Avenue), turn right, and look for the second building on the right. (It has light-gray vinyl siding and with a large bay window on the side that will be facing you. The front has a big covered porch.) ________________________________________ 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 ________________________________________