In the world" but, not "of the world.

Well, since we’re still sort of in the onset of a new year, I’d like to present another thought for consideration that, hopefully, we’ll think about as we pass through it.  As a lead-in to our thoughts today I’m going to mention some words of advice that we’re all familiar with: “Stop and smell the roses.”

 

We’re all on a journey through our lives in this world and it matters not where along the road of life we’ve arrived so far, these thoughts apply to the entire journey.  And I think about, and opine, on these thoughts because I think that all of us tend to get caught up in life in general, and in the living of it and we miss a lot of things along the way.  Things that shouldn’t be missed.  So, I guess a good way to start off our lesson here is to ask, “What are you missing?”

 

You know, Christians have to live in this world just like everyone else.  In the 15th and 16th verses of John 17, we see where Christ’s disciples are “in the world” but, not “of the world.”  In other words, we’re subject to everything about the world, but we’re supposed to avoid being caught up in the snares of it.

 

I say that because I see something “of the world” that Christians seemingly get caught up in like everyone else and we should be the last people allowing this to happen.  The “something” of which I speak is, becoming unmindful, or even blase’ about the wonders of God and His creation.  We get so busy in our everyday living that we forget to “smell the roses” and when we do, we forget about God.

 

A great illustration of how we go through life not paying attention to the beauty and blessings of God that are all around us is an experiment I once read about set up and conducted by the Washington Post newspaper.  This experiment was designed to show that society, in general, no longer noticed or paid much attention to the things of beauty found in common settings.  Here is what they did . . .

 

In a major metro train station in Washington DC a man dressed in casual clothes and wearing a baseball cap, sat down and began playing classical music on a violin.  He played six different pieces for about 45 minutes.  Now this was during rush hour and literally thousands of people passed through the station and by him as he played.

 

The results of the experiment was as follows: one middle-aged man stopped for a few seconds and listened and then hurried on his way.  A woman, without stopping, passed by and threw a dollar bill in a container.  Another man stopped for a minute or so, leaning against a wall listening, but then looked at his watch and walked away.  The ones who paid the most attention to the violinist were children who tried to stop and listen, but all the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.  In the 45 minutes he played, only 6 people actually stayed awhile listening.  Several gave money, but kept going.  He collected $32.00.

 

When he finished playing no one even applauded nor did anyone recognize him.  The violinist’s name was Joshua Bell and is reportedly one of the best musicians in the world.  He had held a concert 2 days earlier where the tickets cost $100 apiece and it was sold out.  Plus,he was playing his music on a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.  And six (6) people actually stopped “to smell the roses.”

 

The conclusion reached by the newspaper was this, and I quote: “If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing.”

 

In conclusion, here’s a penned thought entitled, “WHISPERS.”  (Author unknown)

 

The man whispered, “God, speak to me” and a meadowlark sang.

    But, the man didn’t hear.

So, the man yelled, “God, speak to me” and the thunder rolled across the sky.

    But, the man didn’t listen.

The man looked around and said, “God, let me see you” and a star shone brightly.

    But, the man did not see.

And the man shouted, “God, show me a miracle” and a life was born.   

    But, the man did not notice.

So, the man cried out in despair, "Touch me God, and let me know you're here."  Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man.

    But the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.

 

Well, maybe I'm wrong, but it just seems to me that Christians should be the most appreciative people in the world when it comes to the things that God has blessed His creation with.  That we should strive to take more notice, and to be more aware of those things, and by so doing, be aware of the presence of God all around us.  Everywhere and at all times.

 

One last thought - "roses" come in many disguises.  They can appear in the form of a beautiful older person, many views of the sky, mountains, lakes and rivers and any number of scenic views, even the arts.  And don't forget the "critters."  As you go through this new year, just think about the "roses" we're blessed to have around us and when we actually take the time to see them, to "smell them" as it were, we're really seeing God.  Don't brush the "butterfly" off when God "touches" you.

 

Anyway, that's my thoughts and I'm sticking to them.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Ron Covey 

Which church is the right church?

Blueprint: God’s Plan for the Church                                David Owens

“Christians Only”                                                                                  

Text: Ephesians 4:3-6

 

Introduction:

A.  I like the story told of the man who was shipwrecked on a beautiful, deserted South Pacific island.

1.   Five years later, he was discovered by a passing naval ship.

2.     Upon their arrival at the shore the rescue party was met by the shipwreck survivor. 

3.     He said, “I'm so glad you’re here!  I’ve been alone on this island for more than five years!”

4.     The captain asked, “If you’re all alone on the island why do I see three huts.”

5.     The survivor said, “Oh. We’ll, I live in one, and go to church in one.”

6.     “And what about the third hut?” asked the captain.

7.     The survivor said, “Oh, that’s the church I used to go to, but I don’t go to that church anymore.”

8.     I wonder why he didn’t go to that church anymore…did he get cross-ways with himself?...did he get upset with the direction the church was going?

9.     Truth is, some people change churches from time to time for many different reasons.

 

B.  Let’s begin this morning with some important questions that all of us need to be able to answer.

1. Why have you chosen to be a part of the church of Christ that meets here on Wetzel Road?
2. Do you understand who we are as a church among the many hundreds of kinds of churches in the landscape of Christianity?
3. Do you understand that we are not trying to be just another of the many kinds of churches with just a little different flavor?

a.       In other words, we are not trying to be the “Burger King” of churches while others are “McDonalds” or “Wendy’s” – with all of us just being hamburger joints with different names?

4. Do you realize that there are significant and fundamental differences that set us apart that need to be understood and embraced?
5. And, of course, the ultimate question is does any of this matter to God? 

a.       Does God care about the differences among churches?

6. Or is God’s attitude:  “Variety is the spice of life?”  “Whatever”  “To each his own!?”

 

C.    Let me state as concisely as I can who I am trying to be as a Christian, and what I understand we are trying to be as a church: We are simply trying to be Christians who belong to the church that we read about in the NT.

1. Our goal is to be a people who owe allegiance to one Lord and to His instructions only, and we show that allegiance by calling ourselves by His name – Christian – we are Christ’s followers.
2. We are simply members of the church that He established and built according to His blueprint.
3. Christ is the founder of the church and it was purchased by His blood (Mt 16:18).
4. Christ was and is the foundation and the head of the church (1 Cor. 3:11; Eph. 1:22,23).
5. The NT contains the instructions God wanted the church to have with regard to worship, organization, lifestyle and mission. 
6. By following those instructions only, we are Christ’s church; the church that belongs to Christ.

 

D.   Unfortunately, many churches over the centuries have departed from NT teachings about many things - from sexual ethics to leadership organization; and from mission to membership.

1. This should not surprise us since the Apostle Paul warned Timothy and us that this would occur (This is something we talked about last week in our first sermon from this new series):  “For a time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (2 Tm 4:3-4)
2. History records the many departures from NT principles and patterns that have occurred over the years.
3. As I said last week, you can find a church today that will teach whatever you want to hear.
4. I firmly believe that there have always been simple, NT Christians somewhere, throughout all times since the beginning of the church. 

1. Many of these simple NT Christians had to meet in secrecy, and did not have the benefit of easy access to the Scriptures, and yet they remained faithful to the simple, uncomplicated doctrines of Christ and His church.

5.   But then with the invention of the printing press in the 15^th century, and its ability to produce mass copies of the scriptures in the common language, people began to read their Bibles and many people realized how far their churches had drifted from the original church of the NT.

6.   Leaders arose during that period calling for reformation of the church and others called for more than reformation, they called for the restoration of the original church.

7.   And so those who had remained faithful to simple NT Christianity joined forces with the reformers and restorers, and Christianity was purified and rectified in many ways and places.

 

E.         We stand here today, as a result of God’s work among the restorers of NT Christianity.

1.   Many of those restorers fled the persecution of the established church in Europe, and came to the United States of America, the new land of religious freedom.

2.   Look at these words of Alexander Campbell, a man involved in the restoration movement in the early 1800’s here in our country. 

a.     He was often accused of founding a new religious system, but here was his reply: “We have no system of our own, or of others, to substitute in lieu of the reigning systems.  We only aim at substituting the NT in lieu of every creed in existence, whether Mohammedan, Pagan, Jewish, or Presbyterian.  We wish to call Christians to consider that Jesus Christ has made them kings and priests to God.  We neither advocate Calvinism, Arminianism, Trinitarianism, Unitarianism, Deism nor Sectarianism, but New Testamentism.”

3.   Look at these words of J.W. Tyler in 1882 as he explained our purpose as NT Christians, “Were you to ask of me one word which would most exactly present the central purpose of the peculiar plea presented by the disciples, I would give you the deeply significant and comprehensive word ‘Restoration’ for it was their purpose, as they declared in the beginning, and as, without variation they have continued to declare to the present, to restore to the world in faith, in spirit, and in practice, the religion of Christ and his apostles as found on the pages of the NT…They clearly saw, and from the beginning distinctly recognized, that in order to do this, they must ignore and pass back beyond all ecclesiastical councils, with their creeds and confessions, their speculations and controversies, since the days of the apostles, and take up the work just as these inspired men left it.”

 

F.   Although the early church was mostly unified in doctrine and practice, the NT shows that there were false teachers, even early on, who were trying to distort the truth and draw people into separate groups.

1. To counter those teachers and their teaching, the NT writers passed on the principles and patterns of God for the church.
2. It is to some of these principles that I want us to briefly turn our attention this morning.

 

1. Principle #1:  Division in the Body of Christ is Contrary to God’s Will.

1. Prior to His crucifixion, Jesus had prayed for His followers, saying, “My prayer is not for them alone.  I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.  May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (Jn 17:20-21)

1. Paul pleaded with the Corinthians in his first letter, “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.” (1 Co 1:10).
2. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Eph 4:3-6)

 

2. From those passages we conclude that God desires that we all be one; He desires that there be no divisions among his body.  He wants us to be unified.  Notice the unifying elements…one…one…

1. And we notice that the unity God desires will have an impact on our believability and evangelistic impact on the world. 
2. Many skeptics excuse Christianity because of the religious division they see among Christians.
3. The main hope for religious unity rests on the next principle.

 

II.        Principle #2:  The Bible is the Only Authoritative Guide in Religion.

1. We believe and we call all others to receive the Bible as the divinely inspired word of God, and therefore the final and only authority in religious and spiritual matters.

1. Look at what Paul declared with reference to himself and the other apostles, “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.  This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.” (1 Co 2:12-13)

1. The message that those Spirit directed men delivered now constitutes the New Testament.

2. In 2 Timothy 3, Paul wrote: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tm 3:16-17)

1. So, God inspired His word, and it is sufficient to thoroughly equip us to accomplish His will.

 

2. We will never have Christian unity if the variety of churches continue to accept as authoritative any writings or teachings other than the Bible.

1. To do so is to have conflicting sources of authority.
2. Our purpose and plea is for all people to respect the Bible as the only authoritative guide in religion.
3. One of the restoration mottos we have tried to practice is: “Where the Bible speaks, we speak; where the Bible is silent, we are silent.”
4. We are committed to do Bible things in Bible ways and call Bible things by Bible names.
5. We strive to be able to point to a New Testament passage to justify everything we teach and do.
6. Therefore, without addition, subtraction, or modification, we intend to follow the Bible and the Bible alone. 
7. We encourage all others to do the same which will move us all toward unity.

 

3. Principle #3:  People Become Christians, When They Do What the Bible Says to Do, and When They Do What People in the Bible Did to Become Christians.

1. How a person becomes a Christian is one of the most important and essential doctrines of the Christianity.

1. If a person follows a plan to become a Christian that is different from the plan that God has given, are they a Christian? 

a.     How can they have access to God’s grace through Jesus Christ, if they have not done what God said to do to gain that access?

b.        They may be a Christian in their own eyes, but are they in God’s?

2. None of us have the right to alter God’s biblical instructions and then conclude that it will be OK with God.
3. But why would anyone want to reject the biblical plan for becoming a Christian for a plan that is not biblical? 

1. The two reasons I come up with are ignorance and pride.

4.    When I use the word “ignorance,” I’m not using it in an ugly way. 

a.       Rather, I’m saying that they simply don’t know the difference – they are uninformed. 

b.       Someone told them a non-biblical plan, and that’s the only plan they know. 

c.       Or, they may have sincerely studied what the Bible says, but they are sincerely wrong.

5.  Pride, on the other hand, can come in to the picture from many directions. 

a.   First, the person might have a pride that says, “I have always done it this way, and believed this way, and I don’t want to change now, it would be too embarrassing.”

b.   Second, pride might say, “I’ve walked with God closely for many years, I know I am right with God.  I cannot accept that I am wrong.”

c.   Third, pride might assume, “God surely will understand and accept my attempts to be a Christian even if I did not become a Christian in the right way.  I don’t think it will be that important to God.”  That’s prideful presumption!

d.   I was dumbfounded one day when a Lutheran pastor friend of mine told me, “The Church of Christ is right about baptism being immersion. I studied Greek in seminary and learned that baptizo means to dip, plung or immerse. But we are Lutherans and we don’t baptize that way.”

 

2. So, what plan did the people of the NT follow to become Christians?

1. First of all, I must emphasize that the NT plan of salvation is based on the grace and love of God as demonstrated and accomplished in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. (Eph 2:4-8)
2. God’s plan for personal access to the grace of God for salvation consists of having and confessing a faith in Jesus, repenting of sin, and immersion in water for the forgiveness of sins.

a.        The Greek word for “baptism” is baptizo and means “to immerse, dip or plunge.

3. Jesus said, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mk 16:16)
4. Peter preached, “Repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)
5. The apostle Paul wrote, “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Ro 6:3,4)
6. The book of Acts records the beginning of the church, and when we study Acts, we notice that every person was told the same plan of salvation, and all who followed it became Christians.
7. No one in the book of Acts was told to sprinkle water on their infants to baptize them, and then to confirm their faith at age 12 or 13 - But that’s what many do today.

a.     I was baptized by sprinkling in the Methodist church as a baby, but later when I was older and studied my Bible I was baptized by immersion in obedience to Scripture.

8. No one in the book of Acts was told to pray the sinner’s prayer to receive salvation - But that is what many are told to do today.
9. No one was told to do three summer-salts and four cart-wheels and say “Jesus” five times to receive salvation.

a.     Okay, I don’t think anyone is told to do that today, but if someone were going to tell someone to do something different from what Scripture says, then anything is as good as anything else, right?

10. Can you see why it is so important that we conclude that people become Christians when they do what the Bible says to do which is exactly the same thing that the people did to become Christians in the first century?

 

Conclusion:

A.   As we move toward the conclusion of this sermon, allow me to make an important clarification: I believe that people in other churches love the Lord just as much as we do, and are sincerely trying to follow the Lord as they understand they should.

1. I respect them for their love for God and their attempts to follow God, and I pray that God’s grace is sufficient to cover both them and us who are sincerely trying to honor and obey God.
2. However, we have a different goal than most churches and we are willing to limit ourselves to reach that goal.
3. We want to be simple, NT Christians only, and we are willing to limit all that we believe and all that we teach and all that we do to what is revealed in Scripture.
4. We believe that this is the only place where Christian unity can stand, and we believe that this is the only way authentic Christianity can be experienced.

 

B.        I believe that our plea for restoration of NT Christianity is a beautiful one.

            1.         It is a call to be Christians only.

            2.         It is a call to go back to Scripture and lay aside any human philosophies, creeds, or names.

3.     It is a call to let Christ be our only confession, a call to let Scripture be our only authority, and a call to let the name of the Savior to be the only name we wear.

4.     Unfortunately, some who have made the plea for people to be “Christians only” have allowed that beautiful plea to become an exclusive and a judgmental attitude.

5.     So rather than saying, “We are Christians only,” it is turned into, “We are the only Christians.”

6.     We must beware of developing that kind of arrogant, judgmental and sectarian position.

7.     In contrast to that, God would want us to express a humility that says, “We are trying to be Christians only, and trying to only have Scripture as our authority, but God is the ultimate judge, and we will leave matters of eternal judgment with Him.”

8.    It is not our job to judge our religious neighbors, but it is our job to try to share with them the reason that we are different, and to encourage them to join us in trying to be Christians only, and have Scripture be our only authority.

 

C.    Let me end with an illustration that reveals why it is important for us to follow the NT pattern for building the church as God wants it to be.

1.    A man named Mack Lyon tells the story of what happened to him as a young missionary helping with the construction of a church building on the mission field.

2.  The foreman gave him a pattern for constructing the roof trusses for the structure.

3.  So, Mack took the pattern, measured the wood, cut it and constructed a rafter.

4.    He then set the pattern aside, took the rafter he just constructed, measured the wood with it, cut it and constructed rafter #2.

5.    He then set aside rafter #1, took rafter #2, measured the wood with it, cut it, and constructed rafter #3.

6.    He did the same with each of the rafters, measuring the new one by the one he had just made.

7.    Can you guess what happened when they tried to use those rafters to build the building? 

a.       They didn’t fit together properly.

8.    A small change in each of the rafters, so small it wasn’t even noticeable, maybe just the width of a pencil mark or the width of a saw blade, eventually added up to a difference too big to be tolerated - It was a costly error.

9.    And so it is with Christianity and the church - the only way to guarantee that we will continue to build properly is to continually use the unchanging pattern of the New Testament.

10.  Let us continually seek to be the church of Christ – Jesus’ church, the one He established, His church, doing and being what He specified through His teaching and the teaching of the apostles.

11.  May all churches find common ground for unity in that goal.

 

D.        So, are you a member of Jesus’ church?  Are you simply a Christian only?

1.   If not, then won’t you do what the Scriptures say to do to become a Christian?

2.     If you believe in Jesus, and are willing to repent and turn to the Lord, and are willing to confess your faith and be immersed in water for the forgiveness of sins, then you are ready to become a follower of Jesus.

 

E.         And if you are a member of Jesus’ church, are you a member in good standing?

1.   Are you being faithful in your walk with God?

2.   Are you being faithful in worship and fellowship and service?

3.   May God help us be faithful disciples of Christ, Christians only, and faithful to God’s blueprint.

 

James Wallace Yarbrough Mechanicsville, Virginia

The Veteran

James Wallace Yarbrough was a senior in high school in Mechanicsville, Virginia, when he entered
into military service with the Army during World War II. Because he chose to serve our country in
the military, he never graduated from high school.

On Veteran's Day, November 11, 2019, after WWII interrupted his education over 75 years ago,
Yarbrough received an honorary high school diploma from his alma mater, the former Washington-Henry
High School. In a Veteran's Day program at Washington-Henry Elementary School, Yarbrough, now
93-years-old, was presented the honorary diploma with gratitude for his service and the sacrifices
that he made to serve our country.

"Just being here with the veterans and the kids. It was quite an honor," the 93-year-old veteran
added about receiving his honorary high school diploma. "I never expected such an occasion." *

May I direct your attention to another Veteran who made tremendous sacrifices for the benefit of
every person in the world? He is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

We were not only losing - we were lost in our battle with Satan and with sin. Because of our sins,
we were destined for destruction (Romans 6:23; Matthew 7:13-14).

But God loves us so much that He sent His one and only Son to our rescue. He left heaven to come to
earth. Deity became one of us in order to save us. "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and
we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John
1:14). We can only imagine what Jesus gave up in order to accomplish the will of God to save us.

Many believe that Philippians 2:5-11 was an early Christian hymn. It "tells the story" of Jesus'
humiliation:

"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made
Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found
in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!"
(Philippians 2:5-8 NIV).

Why did He do this? He did it for us, to save us. Only Jesus, the sinless Son of God, could pay
the price for our sins. And He did when He died on that cruel cross. It cost Him His life, but
three days later, He rose from the dead and won the decisive victory over Satan, sin, and death!

The hymn in Philippians 2 culminates in the glorification of Jesus: "Therefore God exalted Him to
the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (vs. 9-11 NIV). In other words, the Veteran who
gave His life for us was honored for His sacrifice.

He deserves our highest honor, love, appreciation, and submission.

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts
16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans
10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will
continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7-9).

The One who gave His life FOR us, is the One that is worth giving our life TO. Won't YOU?

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from "Virginia veteran, 93, who dropped out of high school to fight in WWII,
gets honorary diploma" by Frank Miles of Fox News. www.foxnews.com.

David A. Sargent, Minister

Searching For Truth??? Learn more about God and His will for your life!
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Jesus Died for You so that You can Live with Him

At the outset, let me encourage you to pick up a Bible as you begin to read this study, and read all the references included. The more you dwell on Christ’s word, the stronger your faith will become.

What does this mean: Jesus died for you?

Well … sin is transgression against God’s will. 1 John 3:4. Death is the ultimate consequence of sin. Genesis 2:7-17; Romans 6:23. Everybody has sinned. Romans 3:23; 5:12. Except Jesus who never ever sinned. John 8:46; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:21-23. So when Jesus died He wasn’t dying for His own sins, but for your sins and my sins; for everyone’s sins. 1 Peter 2:24. In other words, because He was innocent and pure, he should never have died. But His dying for everyone else’s sins was God’s plan to save us from hell. Acts 2:22-23. He took the wrap for the rest of us. Romans 8:1-4; Colossians 1:21-23. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

When I tell a lie, I have sinned. Jesus never told a lie. Romans 3:4; Titus 1:1-2. His dying on the cross was a death He died for my lie.

And this same fact is true in respect of every sin every human being has committed. God forsook Jesus at the moment of His death because of our sins in His body, so that if we believe what Jesus did for us, then God will not forsake us but save us from our sins and the punishment we deserve because of those sins.

The proof that God accepted Jesus’ death on our behalf is in Jesus’ resurrection. Acts 2:24. His resurrection and death were predicted hundreds of years beforehand in Isaiah 53 and Psalm 16:8-11. Read those references.

Unless you put your trust in what Jesus has done for you - in His life, death and resurrection - then when you die, your sins will have not been atoned for, and so you will die in your sins, and face hell and destruction instead of eternal life. Matthew 10:28-33; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10.

Read the following Scriptures to see how it works:

“I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” John 8:24

But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and

honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone … 14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. Hebrews 2:9,14-17

 

He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in

return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1 Peter 2:22-25

That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his

offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. 20 No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness”. 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. Romans 4:16-25

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God … 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die — 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:1-2,6-8

 

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

… 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:9-13,1617

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For one who has died has been set free from sin. Romans 6:3-7

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” Acts 2:36-39

Believe Jesus is your Lord and Saviour who died to cleanse you from your sin.

Repent of your past life with all its sins, and turn to Jesus to start a new life.

Before witnesses, confess your faith in Jesus as Lord to qualify you for baptism that brings Christ into your life.

Be baptized into Christ to receive God’s forgiveness for your sins and the gift of God’s Holy Spirit, so that Christ can live in you forever.

God’s plan with hardships …

•      To turn us from devotion to the world to dependence on God.

•      Too much pleasure, too much materialism, too much selfishness are not good preparation for eternity.

•      Hardships give opportunities for us to love one another more, and become more like God.

•      God’s people can talk with the world about why disasters happen, and then provide gospel hope.

·         Hardships test us to see what we regard as important. Will you pass the above tests with flying colours?

David Hunter

September 11, 2001

Everybody Out!

9/11. The very mention of that date causes the minds of many to go back to the fateful day of
September 11, 2001 when terrorists attacked several points in the United States, including the World
Trade Towers in Lower Manhattan.

From the ashes of the South Tower, another hero has been memorialized. His name was Rick Rescorla.
Here is part of his story.

Rescorla was a retired Army Colonel and a Vietnam veteran who was working as the director for
security for Morgan Stanley, headquartered in the South Tower of the World Trade Center. After the
bomb attack on the Trade Center in 1993, Rescorla designed and implemented evacuation drills to
prepare employees for another attack. On 9/11/2001, he had to issue the evacuation order.

After the first plane hit the North Tower on 9/11, Rescorla ignored building announcements telling
people to stay at their desks and ordered the Morgan Stanley employees to get out of the South
Tower. He directed the employees to the stairwells to evacuate. As he directed them to safety,
Rescorla sang Cornish and Welsh hymns as he had done in times of crisis during the Vietnam War.

A conference center in Fort Hood, Texas, was dedicated in Rescorla's name in 2015. During the
dedication ceremony that day, Lt. Col. Andrew Watson told of Rescorla's heroic actions on 9/11.
"Everybody said, 'Rick your folks are out. You've done what you need to do,' but he pointed up the
stairwell and said, 'You hear those screams? There's more people up there. I have to help get them
out,'" (as reported by Military.com). Rescorla said he would run to safety only once he had gotten
everyone in the building out.

Rescorla wasn't able to get everyone out. He also perished when the building collapsed. He was
last seen climbing up the stairs on the 10th floor. He is credited with saving nearly 2,700 people
that day. He died at the age of 62.

"On behalf of the entire nation, I pledge we will forever and ever memorialize this American hero,"
said President Trump as he awarded a posthumous Presidential Citizens Medal to Rescorla's family on
Thursday, November 7, 2019. *

As Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was hanging in agony on the cross, some "who passed by hurled
insults at Him, shaking their heads and saying, 'You who are going to destroy the temple and build
it in three days, save Yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!' In the same
way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked Him. 'He's the King of Israel!
Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue
Him now if He wants Him, for He said, 'I am the Son of God'" (Matthew 27:39-43).

Jesus could have ordered twelve legions of angels to come to His rescue (cf. Matthew 26:52-54), but
He didn't. Why not? Because in essence, Jesus heard the cries of those who are lost in sin - past,
present, and future - and He knew that the only way to accomplish their salvation was for Him to die
on the cross for their (and our) sins.

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts
16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans
10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). Those
who continue to walk in the light of His Word will continue to be cleansed by Jesus' atoning blood
(1 John 1:7-9).

Jesus died to get "everybody out" of sin and into heaven. He will save YOU if you will accept His
offer on His terms.

-- David A. Sargent
* Information gleaned from "Trump awards posthumous Presidential Citizens Medal to Sept. 11 hero
Rick Rescorla" by Morgan Phillips of Fox News, www.foxnews.com.

Austin Booth

Touchdown!

 

Austin Booth is a 12-year-old football player in Florida.  And like most football players, he had always wanted to make a touchdown.  During a game last month, his wish came true – but only with the help of his teammates.

 

Austin has congenital heart disease and is in heart failure, meaning he cannot have a transplant.  In that condition, it was nearly impossible for him to be able to run a touchdown like another tailback in good health.

 

But his coach came up with a way for Austin to score a touchdown.  It would require the help of his team and the sympathetic cooperation of the opposing team.

 

A video posted by Austin’s mother onto Facebook shows Austin being sent onto the field for the special play.  The ball is snapped and handed to Austin, who climbs onto the back of a bigger, stronger teammate.  His teammate carried him down the field and crossed the goal line for a touchdown with players on both teams cheering for him.

 

“They were running the touchdown with him and it was just amazing,” said Angela Booth, Austin’s mother.  “This was so much bigger than football,” Angela told ActionNewsJax.com.

 

After the touchdown, Austin was carried off the field on the shoulders of his coach, with his hands held high in the air, with a few “dabs” along the way.

 

Due to the “failures of our hearts” (our sins), we were unable to achieve victory over sin and death.  What we could not do ourselves, Christ accomplished for us.  He paid the price for our sins by dying on the cross (Ephesians 1:7).  He died and was buried, but on the third day, He arose from the grave (1 Corinthians 15:1-3).  Jesus won the ultimate victory over sin and death!  He invites us to “climb onto His back” so that He can carry us to victory.

 

Christ has promised to share His victory with us when we place our faith and trust in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turn from our sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38).  As we continue to walk in the light of His Word, then He will continue to cleanse us from our sins by His redeeming blood (1 John 1:7-9).

 

Recognizing the failures of his own heart (his struggle with sin), the Apostle Paul exclaimed: “What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24 NIV).  Then he answered his question: “Thanks be to God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25).

 

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 15:57-58

 

YOU can share in Christ’s victory over sin and death if only you will “climb onto His back” in trusting obedience.

 

-- David A. Sargent

 

* Information gleaned from “Florida boy, 12, with failing heart scores touchdown: 'This was so much bigger than football'” by Alexandria Hein of Fox News, www.foxnews.com

Which church is the right church?

I AM A CHRISTIAN

 

(Note: The following article was written by Dr. Cecil May, Jr., dean emeritus of the V. P. Black College of Biblical Studies at Faulkner University in Montgomery, AL.  It appeared as his “Finally, Brethren” column in the October 2019 issue of the Gospel Advocate and is used here by the express permission of the Gospel Advocate company.  I highly commend Dr. May’s provocative article to all).

 

I am a disciple of Christ; I seek to learn from Him and follow Him…but I am not a Disciple of Christ.

 

I am a methodist; I try to follow the biblical method…but I am not a Methodist.

 

I am a baptist; I have been immersed in water for the forgiveness of my sins…but I am not a Baptist.

 

I am catholic; Christ added me to His universal church…but I am not a Catholic.

 

I am part of an assembly of God; we assemble each Lord’s day…but I am not of the Assemblies of God.

 

I am presbyterian; my congregation is shepherded by elders (Greek, presbuteroi)…but I am not a Presbyterian.

 

I am episcopalian; my congregation is overseen by bishops (Greek, episcopoi)…but I am not an Episcopalian.

 

I am a member of a congregation which is Christian and independent…but I am not of the Independent Christian Church.

 

I am a member of the church of Christ; He built it and purchased it with His blood…but I am not Church of Christ.

I am a member of the church of God; He purposed it before the worlds began…but I am not Church of God.

 

By the grace of God, I am a Christian.

 

Hugh Fulford

Romans 16:16 - Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.