____________________________________________________ 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 15, 1998 ____________________________________________________ Water In God's Plan by Robert F. Turner In the very long ago God chose to use water as the means of destroying a sin-cursed world (Gen. 6). I do not know why He did it this way. I'm sure there were many other means at His disposal--but God sent a great flood upon the earth, by which He removed the corruption, and saved Noah and his family (1 Pet. 3:20-f). Thus water became a ``dividing line'' between the filthy and the cleansed. When God delivered the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage, He led them to the Red Sea. This was not the regular route out of Egypt. Not far to the north was a dry-land route. But God led them to the sea and made for them a path between walls of water. They were immersed in cloud and sea (1 Cor. 10:1-f). When Pharaoh's army sought to follow them, the sea closed on it, destroying this enemy. Thus water became a ``dividing line'' between bondage and freedom. I do not know why God did it this way. When Naaman, captain of the Syrian army, came to God's prophet for healing of his leprosy, he was told to ``wash in the Jordan seven times (2 Kings 5:). It does seem a strange requirement! Naaman said ``I thought'' the prophet would do differently. He reasoned that his home-land streams were better than Jordan--if water was all that was needed. But of course water was only the medium chosen by God for this miracle. I do not know why God did it this way. But I know that when Naaman submitted to God's command, and dipped seven times in the Jordan, he was healed of his leprosy. Some may ask, ``Was there anything in the water that contributed to this healing?'' I answer, ``Yes!! Naaman was in the water, where God told him to be.'' The healing was by God's power, but it was applied to an obedient subject only. Thus water became the ``dividing line'' between sickness and health. When Jesus healed the man born blind (Jn. 9:1-f) He used water as the ``dividing line'' between blindness and sight. He anointed the man's eyes with clay, then said, ``Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.'' I do not know why He did it this way. I only know that the man was blind until he did what the Lord told him to do--and when he washed, he could see. God, with divine power, cleansed the world, freed Israel, healed the leper, and gave sight to the blind. In all these manifestations of His power He used the element water. He asked the subjects to use that water as He directed; and He withheld the blessing until their faith was thus demonstrated. I do not know why. It has not occurred to me to question. And it is difficult for me to understand why people who claim to have faith in God, will question His command to be baptized ``for the remission of sins'' (Acts 2:38; 22:16). Is it so strange that God would choose to use water as the ``dividing line'' between the old life of sin and the new Christian life? (Rom. 6:3-f) The more puzzling question is how a true believer could ``reject the counsel of God against himself?'' (Lu. 7:30) -- Via Plain Talk, vol. 3, no. 1, February, 1966 ___________________________________________ NEWS & NOTES For those of you who receive this bulletin earlier through e-mail, we will be having our services the 15th at 713 13th Street (the old address); but will soon begin meeting at 1314 Montgomery Avenue -- the next street up, turn right, and the second building on the right. Greetings to each of you who have taken the time to come out and be with us this day. We are always glad for our visitors. ___________________________________________ SEEING GOD'S GRACE by Joe Fitch ''...the church in Jerusalem...sent forth Barnabas...as far as Antioch. Who when he came and had seen the grace of God...'' (Acts 11:23). What did he see when he saw God's grace? We will hardly understand until we know what to look for. What is grace? ``Unmerited favor''--the usual definition--is not adequate. ``Unmerited'' is not essential to the definition and surely does not apply to Jesus (Lk. 2:40). Another form of the word, gracious, may produce a better mental image. Words like kindness, goodness, mercy, and love must also be considered to appreciate the meaning of the word grace. Barnabas saw the redeemed when he came to Antioch. Persecuted saints came from Jerusalem ``preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord'' (vv. 19,20). They--like the Ephesians--were without God and without hope (Eph. 2:12); they were lost and doomed to hell. In his kindness and tenderheartedness he forgave them in Christ (Eph. 4:32). Toward these ``disobedient'' and ``hateful'' people the ``kindness and love'' of God ``appeared'' (Tit. 3:5). Thus, Barnabas saw God's grace. Barnabas saw the preaching of the Lord Jesus (vs. 20). What they preached is called the ``word of his grace'' (Acts 14:3). In this preaching, God answers man's questions about himself: ``Why am I here?'' ``Where am I going?'' ``What is good for me in this life?'' What a favor! That same word is called ``the gospel (good news) of the grace of God'' (Acts 20:24). Its good news is the kindness of God in redeeming man and providing him all spiritual blessing. And this ``word of his grace...is able to build you up, and give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified'' (Acts 20:32). Barnabas saw the grace of God. Barnabas saw righteousness in the saints in Antioch. Justification is understood in respect to both grace and righteousness. Justification is by ``the grace of God'' and is a ``gift by grace''--yea, the ``abundance of grace'' (Rom. 5:15,17). Grace reigns through righteousness (vs. 21). The unselfish giving of the Macedonians is labeled ``the grace of God'' (2 Cor. 8:1) and the Corinthians must ``abound in this grace'' (vs. 7) as well as faith, knowledge and diligence. God makes ``grace abound toward you'' so that you ``abound in every good work'' (9:8). The ``experiments'' of this generous gift sent to Jewish Christians by their Gentile brethren proved their ``subjection to the gospel of Christ'' and ``the exceeding grace of God in you'' (vs. 13,14). God's goodness leads men to do good. Barnabas saw God's grace. Barnabas saw Christians praying and approaching ``the throne of grace'' (Heb. 4:16). Man ``finds grace to help'' when the prayer is answered. It is the graciousness of God that allows the lowly creature free access to so boldly approach him. It is his kindness that continually supplies help. Thus, Barnabas saw the grace of God. And when Barnabas had seen the grace of God, he was glad. And so are we when we look on the grace of God. -- Via Plain Talk, vol. 19, no. 8, October, 1982 ___________________________________________ PASTORIZING PREACHERS by Dan Shipley The denominational concept of the preacher and his responsibility as set forth in a popular creed-book reads: ``A pastor is a preacher who...is in charge of a station or circuit'' (i.e., a church or group of churches, dss). Such a concept is not only unscriptural, it betrays a serious misunderstanding of the work of both pastor and preacher. The NT pictures the pastor (shepherd) as an overseer, elder, or bishop (Acts 20:17,28) who, by virtue of meeting certain God-given qualifications (1 Tim. 3; Tit. 1), and, along with other such men, ``tend the flock'' which is among them, ``exercising the oversight'' thereof (1 Pet. 5:2), taking care of the church of God (1 Tim. 3:5). The pastor may also be a preacher, as was Peter (1 Peter. 5:1), but the terms are not synonymous--and neither is their work. The preacher, on the other hand, is a herald, a proclaimer of the word of God (1 Tim. 2:7; 2 Tim. 4:2) and is instructed to ``do the work of an evangelist, fulfill thy ministry'' (2 Tim. 4:5). The preacher has no spiritual oversight and is not a pastor by virtue of his preaching work. Most brethren understand this. However, while the idea of evangelistic authority and oversight would be opposed by most brethren, it is not always so in practice. We, even if unwittingly, often encourage the pastorizing of preachers by putting them ``in charge'' of the local church. This problem is compounded, of course, when the preacher covets such a role--especially among brethren who are unwilling to assume responsibility. Many are content to let the preacher handle whatever needs handling--except, of course, his meeting schedule, vacation time, and his raises. Good elders can be an effective deterrent to the pastor system, but rubber-stamp elders who do little more than OK the preacher's decisions only promote the pastorizing process and demonstrate themselves as unqualified to serve as true pastors in the Lord's church. Even among brethren who know the local preacher is not ``in charge'' of anything and is not to be called ``our pastor,'' there persists certain subtle indications that the clergy concept remains. One is in our language. For instance, reference is often made to a preacher as ``Brother'' so-and-so (with a capital B!), or ``our Minister'' (with a capital M!), or even ``THE Minister.'' We note that equally faithful but non-preaching brethren and ministers (servants) are not referred to thusly. In addition, some brethren feel that they have not been adequately prayed over unless the preacher does the praying. Others feel unvisited until the preacher comes calling. And, there are indications that some even feel less obligated to attend Bible classes and worship services when the preacher is out of town. In pointing out the equality among believers, someone has said, ``All men stand on level ground under the cross of Christ.'' That certainly includes the preacher. Even though he is engaged in one of the most important works on earth, he deserves no preferential treatment. To be treated as a brother is enough. -- Via Plain Talk, vol. 20, no. 7, September, 1983 ___________________________________________ Love One Another by Tracy Schell It is truly a blessing to be in a congregation where brethren love one another. This message is repeated time and time again in scripture and is one we should take to heart. ``Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, [see that ye] love one another with a pure heart fervently'' (1 Peter 1:22). We are not only commanded to love one another, but we must remember that this love is practical and entails more than just lip service: ``But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels [of compassion] from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth'' (1 John 3:17-18). Accordingly, God's love was practical. It was because God loved us that he sent his Son to die so that we might have the hope of eternal life: ``For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life'' (John 3:16). ``But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us'' (Romans 5:8). In return for this great sacrifice, we should love God with all our heart and soul: ``And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment'' (Mark 12:30). Because we have the love of God, we should seek to share this gospel with others so that they, too, might walk in the light: ``I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth....'' (Romans 1:14-16). While we are to love one another, there is something that we are not supposed to love: ``Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him'' (1 John 2:15). We must remember to keep our minds focused on eternal treasures, and not to covet the perishable things of this world: ``Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also'' (Matthew 6:19-21). -- Via The Bulletin of the North Courtenay Church of Christ, January 18, 1998 ________________________________________ 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 ________________________________________