| June 28, 1998 |
Vol. I, No. 9
|
We live in an age when many are confused as to how they ought to serve and worship God. Today there are numerous kinds of churches teaching different ways of being saved, different doctrines and forms of worship, etc. Whatever else may be said in regard to this situation, we may be assured that God is not the author of all this confusion, 1 Cor. 14:33. Jesus only build one church, Matt. 16:18. He called it His church. The inspired preachers of the first century all taught the same doctrine in every congregation they worked with. They admonished their listeners to believe, teach and practice the same things, 1 Cor. 1:10. As they went from city to city, they taught and baptized all who received Christ’s message and they set up congregations where there were men and women who were obedient to the gospel--but all these congregations were of the same kind. Paul writes of them in Rom. 16:16, Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you.”
By studying the New Testament, we can know what Peter, Paul, James, John and the other inspired apostles and prophets of Christ taught these first century converts, and by obeying those same teachings, we can be what they were. The same kind of Christians they were!
The New Testament serves as a pattern for what Christians should believe. It is a pattern for what they must teach, and what they must do, both as individuals and as congregations. The early church under inspired guidance is a pattern for what Christ’s church should be today.
A study of the book of Acts will show that when the apostles converted lost souls to Christ, they invariably stressed the need for faith, repentance, and baptism. We must follow that pattern of sound teaching.
Early Christians met every first day of the week to worship God and learn His will from His word. They remembered Christ’s death by partaking of the memorial supper He instructed them to eat, and they shared their material blessings to help further His cause, Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2. We strive to follow that pattern today. In a world filled with religious confusion, we hope you will find it refreshing to know of a congregation that seeks to do Bible things in Bible ways--that teaches and practices the same kind of Christianity in this century that Jesus and His apostles endorsed in the first century. The Susquehanna church of Christ strives to be that kind of congregation.
CRJ
The Bible says that everyone of us shall give account of HIMSELF to God, Rom. 14:12. “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).
Let the man who says he is kept away from the church because of the influence of hypocrites beware! You are not required to confess the sins of others. You are required to acknowledge your own sins, and to turn from them. It is true that there are, and always have been, some hypocrites in the church, but each hypocrite shall give account of HIMSELF to God. And YOU shall give account of your own deeds (or lack of deeds).
After all, there were hypocrites in the synagogues in the days of Jesus, but they never deterred the Lord from frequenting the place where God’s word was read and studied, Luke 4:16.
It is a curious fact that the man who says he is kept away from the church by hypocrites, is not influenced by them anywhere else. Business if full of them, but if he sees where he can make a buck, he does not hesitate because there are hypocrites making money. Society is crowded with them, yet he never seriously considers becoming a hermit. Married life is plagued with hypocrites, but that does not make him remain a bachelor. Hell will be full of them, yet he is not doing anything to avoid going there. In fact, he takes not one single step toward the only place where no hypocrites can go--heaven.
Honestly, now. Isn’t he being a bit hypocritical
--CRJ
Life's best outlook is a prayerful uplook.
The best known sermon in all the world is Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount," recorded in Matthew, chapters five through seven. In our next few lessons, we will look at some of the things Jesus taught in that sermon. Matthew 5:1-3 records: "And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them saying, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'"
The word "blessed" is usually explained to mean "happy." In fact, some translations render the phrase, "Oh, the happiness of..." And while happiness is involved, Jesus is speaking of more than a human emotion. The folks of whom He speaks are blessed by God. Their blessedness is not a result of outward conditions and circumstances. It has to do with the condition of their spirit, their "inward man."
Man often misses true happiness because he seeks it in outward things: wealth, power, popularity, and like things. True happiness does not come from what we possess, (Luke 12:15), but from what we are.
Some reason that if meaningful life does not consist in the abundance of our possessions, then surely the way to be happy is to live in poverty, to have no possessions. In reality, this philosophy is based on the same false concept that happiness is a result of outward conditions. True happiness is a result of the proper condition of the soul or spirit. "Blessed are the poor in spirit."
So, what does Jesus mean by the term, "poor in spirit"? He certainly does not mean that we should despise ourselves and the abilities God has given to us. Every human being is a creature made in the image of God Himself--and each of us possesses certain talents or abilities that came from our Maker. We must not be like the ten spies of Numbers chapter 13 or the one-talent man of Matthew chapter 25 who thought so little of the abilities that God had given them that they would not use those talents in His service. They were poor spirited, but they were not the "poor in spirit" that Jesus pronounced blessed.
What Jesus refers to is the attribute that we might more likely describe as humility. It is that trait of realizing our spiritual short-comings and our need for spiritual growth. It is that characteristic of being child-like in faith--teachable, ready to learn and willing to be led by a Higher Power. Until we attain to this child-like attitude, citizenship in God's kingdom is beyond our grasp, Matthew 18:1-3. Happy is the man or woman, boy or girl, who humbles himself before God and comes to Jesus for forgiveness of sins. The kingdom of heaven is made up of such folks.
--CRJ
Before you give anyone a piece of your mind, you ought to be sure that you can get by with what you have left.
Funny how $10 looks so big when you take it to worship, but so small when you take it to the supermarket. Funny how reading the Bible lesson is a real chore, but reading a 30 page newspaper every day is a habit you’ve grown to enjoy. Funny how long an hour is in worship, but how short it is when golfing, fishing, shopping, or attending a ball game. Funny how we applaud when the ball game goes into overtime, but we complain if the worship service is five minutes longer than usual.
Funny we can’t fit a gospel meeting into our schedule no matter how long in advance it is planned, but we can adjust our schedule for other events at a moment’s notice. Funny, but there are some people who won’t think this column is funny.
--Jack Kirby (adapted)
Mary had a little boy.
His soul was white as snow.
He never went to Bible class,
‘Cause Mary wouldn’t go.
He never learned the word of God
That thrills the childish mind.
While other children went to class,
This child was left behind.
The preacher tried and tried, and said,
“We’re just too far behind.
I tried to tell you years ago,
But you would pay no mind.”
And so another soul was lost,
That once was white as snow.
Bible classes could have helped,
But Mary wouldn’t go.