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By Andrew BeasleyThe Bible is a beautiful book revealed to us by God through His inspired authors. This can be true while also acknowledging there are many heartbreaking aspects of what is written within the Biblical text. One that comes to mind has to do with our scripture reading. Paul, in writing to the church in Ephesus, must remind the brethren there to “be kind to one another” (Eph. 4:32). One would think this would be second nature for Christians given the kindness that God has continually shown to man.We will talk about it more in today’s sermon but there are a few different words that are often translated as kindness in the New Testament: (1) philanthropia, (2) philadelphia and (3) chrestotes. You may remember that the city Philadelphia is called the city of brotherly love. So one way we might think of kindness is that it is love put into action. Using these three words as our guide, we can learn that kindness can be understood as love put into action toward mankind as a whole, love put into action toward those with whom we share a close bond, and love put into action in our every day disposition and the way we carry ourselves.We should not need to be instructed to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” but sometimes we lose sight of who we are called to be. Aren’t we thankful that God has never forgotten to be kind to us? Let us do our best to cultivate this aspect of the fruit of the Spirit every day. |
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Andrew Beasley serves as a minister with the Northwest Church of Christ in
Greensboro, NC. He may be contacted through the congregation's website:
https://nwchurchofchrist.com/about/
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By Andrew BeasleyOne of the hymns that has commonly been sung in the church over the last century is titled The Gospel is for All. Paul declared that the Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16). It, like Christianity, is founded on the truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Matt. 16:18) and is empowered by His resurrection. Without the resurrection Christians are called the most pitiable (1 Cor. 15:19). But because of His resurrection the Gospel is given incomprehensible power.Understanding the Gospel begins with understanding the significance of the resurrection. Because of the power that our God has over the grave, as put on display in the resurrection of Christ, we have hope that our physical life is not the end. That is the good news. That Christ brought salvation to man and provided security for the inheritance that is waiting for us. Without the resurrection, we have no reason to have hope in either of those things. Yet because of the resurrection, both salvation and our inheritance in heaven are promised to those who faithfully follow him. |
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Andrew Beasley serves as a minister with the Northwest Church of Christ in
Greensboro, NC. He may be contacted through the congregation's website:
https://nwchurchofchrist.com/about/ |
By Clifton AngelJesus said, “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted" (Matt 5:4). The late V.P. Black organized mourning into three categories: natural, unnatural, and godly.Natural mourning is the result of suffering in this world of decay: “As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men” (Rom 5:12). Many may assume Jesus is speaking of natural mourning at Matthew 5:4. Truly God is the God of all comfort (2 Cor 1:3–4) and He knows and cares about our natural mourning (cf. 1 Cor 10:13; Rev 21:4); however, at Matthew 5:4, Jesus is not speaking of natural mourning.Unnatural mourning includes worldly sorrow, ungodly fear, and unnecessary guilt. Worldly sorrow is insincere and selfish. If not repented of, it leads to spiritual death (2 Cor 7:10). It is the person who is only sorry because he got caught. Ungodly fear is deceptive, futile, and destructive (cf. Matt 6:25–34; Phil 4:4–9; 2 Tim 1:7; Rev 21:8). Unnecessary guilt happens when we will not forgive ourselves for something for which we’ve already been forgiven (cf. 1 John 1:7–9; 3:20). Certainly, it is not unnatural mourning Jesus is speaking of at Matthew 5:4.Godly mourning is the result of an honest heart recognizing sin and the consequences of it (2 Cor. 7:10; Rom. 6:23). It is connected to being “poor in spirit,” since the person who is poor in spirit recognizes he is in need when he sins, and he is nothing without God. King David’s godly mourning is evident in the words of Psalm 51: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:1–3).What does it mean to be among them that mourn? It is the grief felt and expressed over the acknowledgement of one’s sin and its consequences. The blessing is that with proper direction, this soul will be comforted. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30). |
By Edd SterchiThe theme to the book of Hebrews seems to be “better.” In a stark contrast to the Old Covenant, we see that the New Covenant of God has a better Prophet and Priest who brings better promises. Of course, we know this to be in reference to Jesus Christ.One such contrast alluded to is in chapter 3. In verses 1 and 2, we see that Jesus was faithful to the Father just as Moses was, but in verse 3, we see that Jesus “has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses.” Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses because He is greater and had done greater things. Let us consider how great Moses was, and how much greater Jesus is:* Moses was the Lawgiver (Deut. 33:4), but Jesus is the Grace giver (John 1:17).* Moses wrote the first five books of the Old Testament (Deut. 31:24), but Jesus (being God) inspired the writing of the whole Bible (John 16:13-15; 2 Tim. 3:16).* Moses lifted the bronze serpent in the wilderness to bring about physical healing (Num. 21:4-9), but Jesus lifted Himself on the cross to bring about spiritual healing (John 3:14-15).* Moses was the deliverer of the Israelite people out of slavery (Acts 7:35), but Jesus is the deliverer of all people out of the slavery of sin (1 John 2:2; 4:14).Certainly we could go on and on, but I’m sure you get the idea. Without a doubt, Jesus is greater! Because of this, He can sympathize with us, bring help to us, and intercede for us in the presence of the Father (Heb. 2:17-18; 4:15). And because of that, He is worthy of more glory from us.And now a question for you to consider: Is Jesus greater than anyone or anything in your life? “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matt. 10:37-38)). |
By Bob PrichardThere is no doubt that the man we know as Neil Postman described serious problems in modern culture in his insightful 1985 book Amusing Ourselves to Death. His thesis was that public discourse has been reshaped to such an extent by television and entertainment that thoughtful discourse is missing. Show business hype has affected advertising, politics, and religion. Postman’s conclusion is that none of these changes have made for improvement.In our entertainment-oriented culture, many churches find themselves trying to out do themselves with more and more elaborate additions to worship. What began as special music by a choir becomes a full orchestra with professional soloists. A dramatic reading necessitates a full Broadway stage production. And as long as those who come to worship enjoy what is offered, anything goes. The expectation is that sermons will be shorter, wittier, and more uplifting. Anything in worship that cannot be “jazzed up” must be abandoned as boring-and there is nothing worse than being boring, we are led to believe.The problem with this entertainment orientation is that the very object of worship is forgotten. God is the audience in worship. Jesus told the Samaritan woman that ignorant worship was unacceptable to God, even though it may have been sincere or enjoyable. “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). To worship God in spirit and truth means that worship must be from the heart, not just outward acts, and that it must be done in exact obedience to God’s commands. The worship must be directed to Him, not to the whims of the worshipers.God’s regulations for worship as set out in the New Testament are neither boring nor out of date. They are God-centered, while entertainment is man-centered.Cultural relevance is important-thus many churches are implementing modern technology such as projection systems to enhance sermons, and there is nothing wrong with the worshiper enjoying worship. God intended for worship to bless His children, but when worship is merely window dressing for an entertainment performance, it cannot please God. The apostle warned, “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God” (2 John 1:9). Paul condemned things that “have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship” (Colossians 2:23). “Self-imposed worship” is that worship fashioned after man’s desires. |