Love for the Lost

By Joe Slater “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved” (Jeremiah 8:20).     September is upon us; autumn will arrive before we know it. Any fall crops still in the field will be harvested.     Jeremiah, “the weeping prophet,” lamented the condition of the immoral idolaters in Judah by comparing it to a crop failure which would, of course, result in famine. Jeremiah’s people had ignored innumerable warnings. Now it was too late. The prophet envisioned invasion by the Chaldeans and the unspeakable suffering and destruction it would bring.     True to his calling, Jeremiah had thundered God’s judgments against His rebellious people. Nevertheless, as he contemplated the impending bloodbath coupled with the misery of the survivors, it broke his heart. “Oh, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!” (Jeremiah 9:1).     Paul echoed Jeremiah’s spirit as he wrote, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved” (Romans 10:1). Unbelieving Israel’s lost condition caused “great sorrow and continual grief in my heart,” he wrote in Romans 9:2. Like Jeremiah, Paul had faithfully proclaimed God’s word to his fellow-Jews; and he had paid the price for it as they persecuted him.     Do you understand that every responsible person outside of Christ is lost? Does it bother you? Do you love the lost enough to speak the truth of the gospel of Christ to them? “How shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?”“ (Romans 10:14).     Think about it!

- Joe Slater serves as minister of the Lakeside Church of Christ in Springfield, IL. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: https://www.lakesidecoc.us/

Making An Investment in People

By Brian Mitchell     There is a dire need for Evangelism in the Lord’s church today. It is OUR JOB to reach out to the lost. If we don’t do it, who will? If we won’t do it, it won’t get done. If it doesn’t get done, a lot of souls will be unnecessarily lost—including ours if we never ever tried to reach out.     As I have said before—there is NO SUCH THING as an UNDERCOVER CHRISTIAN. If we belong to the Lord, are a part of the body of Christ, then we have the obligation to sow the seed of the kingdom. We are in the People Business and in the end, there is no better place to make an investment than in people. Do you remember Jesus’ last words?     Jesus said this to his disciples in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” And the next verse reads, “After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.” (Acts 1:9). So, these were Jesus’ last words to His disciples, but let’s travel back in time to an earlier encounter with Jesus.     This episode is recorded in Matthew 4:18 and following. It was here that Jesus was walking one day beside the Sea of Galilee, and he saw two brothers, Peter and Andrew. Peter and Andrew were common fishermen. They were working hard that day, casting their nets into the lake and pulling in their catch. That’s when Jesus came up to them and said, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Verse 20 says, “At once they left their nets and followed him.”     In essence, what Jesus said to the two of them that day was: “I understand your preoccupation with catching fish. But if you will trust me and follow me, if you will try to understand who I am and what I am up to in this world, then I will make you fishers of men. And believe me, this is an infinitely more significant endeavor than merely catching fish!”     Now, it’s important to understand that Jesus was not knocking the fishing business, any more than He would have knocked the carpentry business in which both He and his father participated. There’s nothing wrong with those occupations, nor the food business, the travel business, the insurance business, or any other wholesome business. They are all fine. But no earthly enterprise is as important as the business of bringing lost people to the cross of Christ. This soul saving enterprise should be central to the lives of all Jesus’ followers, regardless of what they do for a living.      This is Who We Are!!! Those of us who choose to follow Jesus must eventually come to the realization that there’s nothing more important than reaching people. When we do, our values will change—our focus will change—our pursuits will change. We will be seized by the realization that every other earthly activity pales in comparison with helping an individual enter into a saving relationship with the God of the universe.     When we finally come to that understanding, then we will: Live differently, Pray differently, Love differently, Work differently, Serve differently and Give differently. We will become preoccupied with people and their spiritual needs and in doing what we can to help them meet those needs. So, let me ask you a personal question: Has this kind of thing happened to you yet? Have you come to that conclusion yet?

- Brian Mitchell serves as a minister with the Jackson Church of Christ in Jackson, MO. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at https://www.jacksonchurchofchrist.net

The Most Important Job

 

By David Bragg         Michael "Barney" Chandler recently started his new job. He serves under King Charles III as a Yeoman Warder Ravenmaster. It is his responsibility to protect the seven ravens that reside in the Tower of London. Why is this important? If those ravens ever leave the famed Tower, it will collapse into dust and the Kingdom of England will fall. At least that is the legend that led King Charles II (1630-1685) to was dedicated to protecting the ravens (and by extension Great Britian). Based on this legend, Jill Lawless refers to Barney Chandler as holding “the most important job in England” (Jill Lawless, Associated Press, March 1, 2024).     From my clearly “unroyal” point of view, it seems like a lot of fuss and financial expenditure for a job that fails to hold value. It is hard to think of spending our lives in a pointless occupation. In contrast, Jesus came into this world to tackle the truly most important job: Savior of the world (Luke 2:11; 9:23).     Everywhere Jesus went the common people seemed to recognize His importance. He taught them. He healed them. He valued them. He showed them God.     So, while the English monarchym may want a Ravenmaster, what they (and all people) NEED is the real Master: Jesus Christ. May we live in such a way that they might see Jesus living in us (Acts 4:13)

- David Bragg is co-editor of BulletinGold. He may be contacted through his blog: http://davidbragg.blogspot.com/

Making The Message Clear

By Brian Mitchell     When the Apostle Paul, was concluding his letter to the Colossians, he asked them to pray for two things. First, He asked them to pray that God would open doors for the message. Second, He asked them to pray that he might proclaim the message clearly.     Those are very good things to be praying for, and as we seek to get back to our mission today, let us pray for open doors and a clear message. Because Here’s the Truth: I don’t care who you are or what talents you feel you do or do not have, every one of us Christians have some good news to share with others. The only question; do we have a desire to share it?     I like the story told of the little boy who greatly concerned his parents. The boy’s parents could not get him to utter a single word. So they took him to a specialist, and after a thorough evaluation, it was determined that the boy had nothing wrong with him physiologically that was keeping him from talking. So the doctor grasped him firmly by the shoulders and gave him a sound shaking, saying, “Why don’t you say something?” The little boy defiantly replied, “Cause I ain’t got nothing to say!”     What about Us? Hopefully, after the last 3 months, that’s not the way we feel about our faith any more. In truth, I know that everyone of us has some great news to tell others about and I choose to believe that we want to tell others about it. Sometimes, however, we are still afraid that we can’t or we shouldn’t. It’s like the story of the preacher who loved to golf.     Unfortunately, it had rained every weekend for a month and the preacher was dying to play a round of golf. So the first sunny day in weeks ended up being a Sunday. So he called some of the leaders of his congregation and told them that he had been called away to an emergency and that they would have to cancel services that Sunday. Realizing that he could not play on a local golf course, he drove two counties away and teed up on a course that sunny Sunday morning.     Meanwhile, God was watching all this from heaven above. So He called an angel and said, “I’ve got a preacher down there who canceled church to play golf. I need you to go and administer an appropriate punishment.” So, the angel went down and as the preacher teed off on a par 3, the angel caused the preacher to hit the best shot of his life and the ball went right in for a hole-in-one. God said to the angel, “You gave him a hole-in-one? What kind of punishment is that?” The angel replied, “Yes, I gave him a hole-in-one. But think about it, who can he tell?”     Sometimes we are just like that preacher in the sense that we’ve got something that we want to share so badly with someone, anyone, but feel at the same time that we can’t tell anyone. Or at least don’t know how to. We have some great news to share—in word and in deed—and there is no reason for us to keep it to ourselves; we have nothing to hide and no reason to be afraid. In fact, there is no reason that we can keep it to ourselves.     What do we need? The same 2 things Paul asked the Colossians to pray for: we need open doors and opportunity for sharing—and again, a lot of those doors will be opened by the lives we lead. Secondly, we need the ability to clearly communicate the good news. In the end, no matter what we do, we have to share the message and we have to do so in a way that people can clearly understand what we are trying to communicate.

- Brian Mitchell serves as a minister with the Jackson Church of Christ in Jackson, MO. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at https://www.jacksonchurchofchrist.net

Popping the Question-Setting Up A Study

 

By Brian Mitchell

    Would you like to study the Bible? Often in personal evangelism, we are reluctant to do the one thing that most needs to be done, that is come right out and ask people to study the Bible with us. One of the more fascinating things about the Apostle Paul, was how easy he found it to talk to people about the gospel, even in unfamiliar and uncomfortable surroundings. In whatever circumstances he found himself, Paul found it natural to preach the gospel with boldness and confidence--Acts 17:16-17, Acts 28:30-31.

    Unfortunately for the Lord and His church today, we as His people, are often far more reluctant to discuss matters of a spiritual nature with those whom we come in contact with. “We may engage in broad discussions of religious topics now and then, and we may even invite others to the services of church. However, we do not very often simply ask people if they will study the Bible with us.” Why is that?

    The waiting game is popular with many. While relationships are important, we don’t have to be blood brothers, before we can ask someone to study the Bible. Some people call this serendipity evangelism—which simply means that we are hoping people will discover the gospel truth by accident. So we don’t say anything, and even at time justify questionable activities, on the basis that we are trying to establish contacts. “Whether or not we are consciously following the approach of serendipity evangelism, we seem to have great trouble popping the question. We delay asking people point-blank for a home study.”

    Waiting is not always better. Granted there are times when it is not possible or even expedient to ask a new acquaintance if they would like to study. Wisdom teaches us to look for the best moment, when all things considered, we have the best chance of getting a yes. The problem is this, “Very often the optimum moment to ask about a Bible study comes earlier, rather than later, in our association with people.”

    If we are planning to ask for a Bible study at some point, it is often better to do it sooner rather than later. Even if the answer is no, we may still develop a relationship and be in an even better position to teach them later on. And if we don’t ask, the answer is always going to be no and we will always know that we did not do the most important thing needed to lead someone to Christ. Ask them if they want to study the Bible.

    Not every situation is the same. Wisdom may indicate, a different timetable in different situations, but eventually we must still ask people to study. And no this is not always comfortable and thus not always easy and it is easier for some than others but that does not exclude any of us from seeking to study the Bible with others. A man may dread asking a woman to marry him and he may stumble through doing so, but eventually he gets around to it because he loves her. If we love the lost like Jesus loves the lost, no matter how uncomfortable it may be, we will ask people to study the Bible.

- Brian Mitchell serves as a minister with the Jackson Church of Christ in Jackson, MO. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at https://www.jacksonchurchofchrist.net

What Can You Do?

 

By Brian Mitchell         Long ago, Isaiah said “Here am I, send me” (Is.6:8). Unfortunately, many today say, “there are the preachers and the elders and the missionaries; send them.” In today’s lesson we are going to begin to get more personal in our discussion of personal evangelism. In today’s lesson we shall consider 2 points. We will answer the question “What can I do?”, and we will discuss three common mistakes made by those who desire to influence others for good.     What can you do in personal evangelism? It is a much debated mystery as to why more members of the blood bought body of Christ are not personally involved in His call for global and local evangelism. Is it because: we lack the desire or motivation to lead lost souls to Christ, we lack the training or know how to lead souls to Christ or perhaps we are just fearful that we will be rejected or that we won’t know what to say or how to answer objections. Personally, I believe that it is all 3 and that the first 2 factors are influenced greatly by the third factor.     Regardless, it is my belief that the majority of God’s people have convinced themselves that there just is not very much they can do when it comes to the subject of evangelism. I am here today to challenge that conception by showing you what you can do in evangelism and by helping you avoid some of the common mistakes associated with evangelistic endeavors. The simple fact is that there are a number of things related to evangelism, some of which can be done by all. And I am challenging us all to begin doing the things we can all do right now, today, and to begin making preparations to do the things we are not yet ready to do.     In the remainder of this article we will focus on one thing we can all do, we can all pray about evangelism. The greatest mistake that we make in the area of evangelism is failing to pray about evangelism. If we neglect to pray for or evangelistic efforts, we run the very high risk of rendering our work a complete failure. Before Jesus selected His Apostles he prayed about it—Lk.6:12-13. Before the early church sent Paul, Barnabas, and their companions out on their missionary trip, they fasted and prayed about it—Acts 13:1-3.     It may be that we have so few opportunities to teach others because we spend so little time in prayer about it—Col.4:2-4. Are you praying for the evangelistic efforts of the congregation? It is something that every member of this congregation can do right now without any need for further training. If we would spend as much time praying about evangelism as we spend in evangelism, I believe great things would result.     Unfortunately, many of us are spending as much time praying about evangelism as we are spending in doing evangelism—the problem is that we are not doing much of either. “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails [or accomplishes] much” (Jm.5:16). If we truly believe this then let us begin to fervently pray for opportunities to reach more people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

- Brian Mitchell serves as a minister with the Jackson Church of Christ in Jackson, MO. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at https://www.jacksonchurchofchrist.net

The Lack of Evangelism

By Brian Mitchell
    “In so little time the harvest will be over and our reaping will be done, we reapers will stand before the Lord of the harvest and hope He says well done. How many times should I have strongly pleaded, how often did I fail to strictly warn; Oh had I only pled for Jesus, but now the grain has gone, too many lost ones never to be reborn.    Despite the heat, the toil and hardship, the broken hearts over those we cannot win; misunderstood because we are peculiar still no regrets save for our sins. A day of pleasure, a feast of friendship; a house, or car or some small fame; will all be trash when souls are brought to heaven there to face the slackers blame.    The harvest white, with reapers few is wasting and many souls will die and sadly never know; the love of Christ, the joy of forgiveness; oh let us weep, and love, and pray, and go. Today we reap, or miss our golden harvest; today is given us lost souls to win. Oh let us go to save some dear soul from dying, today let us go to bring some sinner in.”    The Apostle Peter exhorted the Lord’s followers to “Sanctify the Lord your God in your hearts, and always be willing to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” If we are honest, we will all have to admit that most individuals, and thus most congregations composed of those individuals are woefully lacking in the area of Personal Evangelism.    “It has been estimated that 95% of church members have never led someone to Christ.” “In places, the shortage of personal evangelism is so critical that it threatens the very existence of the local church.” Now don’t get me wrong! I am well aware that there are a number of good congregations that are actively involved in evangelistic efforts—one I heard about had baptized more than 50 people a year for more than a decade.    There are also other congregations where a handful of members are genuinely motivated and quite active in trying to reach the lost. While this in itself is good, the problem is it tends to make us think as congregations, that we are doing better than we are. There is an aura of excitement that is produced when some members of the church are actively involved in bringing souls to Christ. But this also makes it more difficult for us to admit our collective shortcomings.    The problem with the lack of evangelism is a specific problem in itself, but is also Satan’s greatest tool when it comes to hindering the effectiveness of the church. It is the one way our enemy is hurting us the most and our lack of evangelism is directly tied to every other problem we have discussed over the last 2 months. We often do not evangelize because we are too busy making and spending money, or we are too busy entertaining ourselves or filling our schedules with anything but personal work for the Lord.    So let each of us get personally involved with personal evangelism. God will not hold us accountable for those who do not obey, but He will hold us responsible if we never tell them.

-Brian Mitchell serves as a minister with the Jackson Church of Christ in Jackson, MO. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at https://www.jacksonchurchofchrist.net

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Every Christian is Either an Evangelist or a Hypocrite

By Gerald Cowan     Charles H. Spurgeon is reported to have said, Every Christian is either an evangelist or a hypocrite."  Would you agree with him or debate against the idea? With this lesson we are undertaking a brief series on the concept, obligations, and methods of evangelism. I hope you will take it to be as serious a matter as God’s word makes it. The basic premise of the lessons is: HOW AND WHY TO TALK ABOUT RELIGION.        Missionary John M. McCaleb’s song asserting The Gospel Is For All should be (unexplainably is not) in every hymnal. Maybe it is missing because we do not feel personally responsible for getting God’s message of salvation out to every person in every place in all the world in all times. I was involved in a series of meetings on the importance and the “how to do it” of world evangelism several years ago in a nation foreign to most of us and I recall that we sang at each assembly these words:         Oh Lord, prepare me to be a missionary,         Pure and holy, tried and true.         And with thanksgiving, I’ll be a living         Missionary for You.  I also remember the words of a visiting missionary (I have forgotten his name but not his words): “Nobody deserves to hear the gospel twice until everybody everywhere has heard it once.”  It may be an overstatement, but I can’t find the courage or reason to argue with it.     I believe being and evangelistic missionary is not only an honorable and worthy mission, but is a commandment of the Lord, an obligation incumbent on all who call themselves Christian. I intend to justify my statements from God’s word by citing those very words from God’s Holy Book, the Bible, from both Old and New Testaments and Covenants. Since today we live under a new covenant and law we will emphasize the word of Christ and the Holy Spirit-guided apostles and prophets preserved for us in the New and forever unchanging Covenant (Jeremiah31:31-34; see also Hebrews 8:6-13 and 10:15-17). Jesus himself stated that all things written prophetically about Him (Luke 24:44-53). He commissioned His apostles and us too: preach to everybody in all the world what He had commanded (Matthew 28:15-28, Mark 16:15-16). To paraphrase it, He said: You are to be obedient preachers of all I have commanded you and make obedient preachers of all who hear it from you, that they should also become obedient preachers and make obedient preachers of those who hear it from them – and from us.     We sing (occasionally but seldom enthusiastically) Will Houghton’s chorus: “Lead me to some soul today; O teach me Lord just what to say ... to those who cannot find their way.  Melt my heart and fill my life; give me one soul today.”  If that is not your genuine prayer as a would-be evangelist, stop singing it. If it is not serious and genuine it is hypocrisy to sing or pray it.

- Gerald Cowan, a longtime preacher and missionary, is retired from full-time pulpit preaching. Gerald publishes an e-mail newsletter entitled GERALD COWAN’S PERSONAL PERIODICAL WRITINGS. He is available for Gospel Meetings and he may be contacted at Geraldcowan1931@aol.com

Priscilla and Aquila and Apollos

By David R. Ferguson       There is a very interesting passage from the Book of Acts I would like to share with you: "Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, knowing only the baptism of John: and he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more accurately." (Acts 18:24-26)     This passage is a wonderful example of demonstrating proper behavior towards one another on the part of brothers and sisters in Christ. As part of our growing in the fruit of the Spirit, we are commanded to be patient with our fellow Christians, and especially those who are babes in Christ: "I...beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith you were called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:1-3) What if Priscilla and Aquila had behaved differently when they first encountered Apollos? What if they had immediately criticized him in front of everyone in the synagogue? How do you think Apollos would have felt and reacted if these two individuals, without confronting him first in private, had talked about him behind his back, and called him a "false teacher" and circulated letters among the brethren disparaging his character and motives? Would not great harm have come to the church, the church which Jesus loved so much that He purchased it with His own blood (1 Peter 1:18-19)? I dare say it would have! Too many times people wish to brand their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ with appellations such as "false teacher" or "apostates" when an honest examination of the facts does not warrant these labels being attached. Many times, these individuals may only be mistaken, as was the case with Apollos, or maybe they simply hold a difference of opinion on a matter that falls within the parameters of Christian liberty, as Paul wrote in Romans 14. It’s true that we must "contend earnestly for the faith" (Jude 3), but let’s make certain we are not being contentious for the faith instead. Let’s follow after the example of Priscilla and Aquila, so that we can achieve the same result as they did with Apollos: "And when he was minded to pass over into Achaia, the brethren encouraged him, and wrote to the disciples to receive him: and when he was come, he helped them much that had believed through grace; for he powerfully confuted the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ." (Acts 18:27-28)     May the Lord bless you!

- David R. Ferguson preaches for the Mentor Church of Christ in Mentor, OH.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://mentorchurchofchrist.com/ or davidferguson61@yahoo.com

Words Are Necessary!

By Joe Slater       “Preach the gospel at all times. And if necessary, use words.” Rightly or wrongly, the saying has been attributed to “Saint” Francis of Assisi and is often paraphrased, “Preach the gospel; use words if necessary.”     Let me be the last to discourage anyone from setting a good example. I understand the gist of the lines from Edgar Guest’s poem: “I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I’d rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way.” Countless doors for the gospel have been slammed shut and permanently locked due to poor examples and outright hypocrisy of professing Christians.     That being said, your kindness, morality, pure speech, and honesty cannot inform anyone of their need for salvation, much less answer the question, “What must I do to be saved.” Words are necessary! Nobody will know who Jesus is or what He did for us merely by seeing your example. Peter didn’t say to Jesus, “You have the example of eternal life.” He said, “You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).     The quip, “Use words if necessary,” strongly suggests that words probably aren’t necessary and may not even be desirable; it translates into a comfortable excuse to disobey the divine directive to speak the truth in love. “Use words of necessary” ignores God’s own stated goal and wish: “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21).     Yes, there’s a message to be preached, not just an example to be set. Nobody will know of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, much less how to respond to it, simply by seeing your example of clean living.     You open the door with your good example. Then go through that door with the words of the gospel!

- Joe Slater serves as minister of the Church of Christ in Justin, TX. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://justinchurchofchrist.com

The Gospel is for All!!!

By Edd Sterchi       One thing that impresses me every time I read the book of Acts is the fact that the gospel is for all. Before leaving for heaven, Jesus told His apostles “and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Fulfilling this, the apostles (and those they trained) went all over the known earth converting people from all walks of life. Notice the different classes of people that Acts alone mentions as converted by the gospel of Christ: * The Jews (Acts 2:37-47) * “Both men and women” (Acts 5:14) * The Samaritans (Acts 8:5ff) * An African (Ethiopian) office holder (Acts 8:27-39) * An educated, fanatical, religious leader (Paul - Acts 9:17; 22:1-16) * A good, decent, God-fearing man who also was a soldier (Cornelius – Acts 10:1-4; 34-48) * A politician (proconsul - Acts 13:12) * A businesswoman (Lydia - Acts 16:13-15) * A heathen jailer (Acts 16:25-34) * “Prominent” people (Acts 17:12) * Some people who had bad reputations (the Corinthians - Acts 18:7-8) * Religious people mistaken as to the plan of salvation (Acts 19:1-5) * Folks who practiced occult (Acts 19:18) * On and on we could go, but you get the idea!     There are no classes excluded in the gospel of God. It is good for the young and the old. There is no barrier because of gender, race, or social status (Gal. 3:28).     Friends, we need to take the gospel to all (Mark 16:16), for the gospel is for all. As the song so aptly states:   Of one the Lord has made the race, Thro' one has come the fall; Where sin has gone must go His grace: The Gospel is for all.   Say not the heathen are at home, Beyond we have no call; For why should we be blest alone? The Gospel is for all.   Received ye freely, freely give, From every land they call; Unless they hear they cannot live: The Gospel is for all.

- Edd Sterchi preaches for the Broadway Church of Christ in Campbellsville, KY. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.broadwaychurchofchrist.net/

Lessons From The Seventy

By Dan C. Bailey       In Luke chapter ten, the Lord appointed seventy disciples to go out and preach that the kingdom of God was nigh. As he sent them out he gave them specific instructions. Let us carefully and prayerfully consider some of the lessons that he taught them as he sent them to preach the word of God.     Jesus taught that "...the harvest truly is great" (Luke 10:2). Jesus knew that there were many who needed to hear the word of the coming kingdom. Jesus was not a pessimist. He saw a great harvest for God. Brethren, the harvest is still there. We can win souls for Christ if we prayerfully plant the gospel of Christ in the hearts of lost sinners.     Jesus taught that "... the laborers are few" (Luke 10:2). We need more workers in the kingdom God. There can be no harvest without workers. Every Christian is commanded to be a soul winner for the Lord. The great commission which was given to the apostles, must be preached until the end of the world. "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world Amen" (Mathew 28:18-20).     Jesus taught that his disciples should pray that "...the Lord of the harvest would send forth reapers into his harvest" (Luke 10:2): God will bless us with workers when we pray and trust absolutely in His word. The great providence of God could bless us with another man with a heart like Paul, but first he must be converted. We must work harder in order to reach more of the lost Brethren, let us pray about these matters.     Jesus taught the seventy, "He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me" (Luke 10:16). In principle, when we teach the true gospel of Christ, we are acting on the commands of our Lord. If people hear God's faithful servants, then they hear Christ. If they despise God's servants, then they despise Christ. And if they despise Christ} they despise God the Father. Those who refuse to obey the Lord will "...be thrust down to hell" (Luke 10:15).     When the seventy returned they rejoiced in that "...even the devils" were subject unto them through the name of Jesus (Luke 10:17). Jesus said, "Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven" (Luke 10:20). Brethren, their names were written in heaven because they were faithful disciples of Christ. That is what we are whenever we go out and do what the Lord said to do. Let us all work together in order to help reach the lost With God's help, we shall have a great harvest. May God help us to be active in His service!

- Dan C. Bailey serves as a minister with the State Street Church of Christ in Bristol, VA. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at https://www.thelordsway.com/statestreetchurchofchrist/framedindex.asp?Group=Home

Lessons From The Seventy

By Dan C. Bailey       In Luke chapter ten, the Lord appointed seventy disciples to go out and preach that the kingdom of God was nigh. As he sent them out he gave them specific instructions. Let us carefully and prayerfully consider some of the lessons that he taught them as he sent them to preach the word of God.     Jesus taught that "...the harvest truly is great" (Luke 10:2). Jesus knew that there were many who needed to hear the word of the coming kingdom. Jesus was not a pessimist. He saw a great harvest for God. Brethren, the harvest is still there. We can win souls for Christ if we prayerfully plant the gospel of Christ in the hearts of lost sinners.     Jesus taught that "... the laborers are few" (Luke 10:2). We need more workers in the kingdom God. There can be no harvest without workers. Every Christian is commanded to be a soul winner for the Lord. The great commission which was given to the apostles, must be preached until the end of the world. "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world Amen" (Mathew 28:18-20).     Jesus taught that his disciples should pray that "...the Lord of the harvest would send forth reapers into his harvest" (Luke 10:2): God will bless us with workers when we pray and trust absolutely in His word. The great providence of God could bless us with another man with a heart like Paul, but first he must be converted. We must work harder in order to reach more of the lost Brethren, let us pray about these matters.     Jesus taught the seventy, "He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me" (Luke 10:16). In principle, when we teach the true gospel of Christ, we are acting on the commands of our Lord. If people hear God's faithful servants, then they hear Christ. If they despise God's servants, then they despise Christ. And if they despise Christ} they despise God the Father. Those who refuse to obey the Lord will "...be thrust down to hell" (Luke 10:15).     When the seventy returned they rejoiced in that "...even the devils" were subject unto them through the name of Jesus (Luke 10:17). Jesus said, "Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven" (Luke 10:20). Brethren, their names were written in heaven because they were faithful disciples of Christ. That is what we are whenever we go out and do what the Lord said to do. Let us all work together in order to help reach the lost. With God's help, we shall have a great harvest. May God help us to be active in His service!

- Dan C. Bailey serves as a minister with the State Street Church of Christ in Bristol, VA. He may be contacted through the congregation's website at https://www.thelordsway.com/statestreetchurchofchrist/framedindex.asp?Group=Home

A Fishing Story

By Adam Faughn   There is an old sermon illustration that I have heard used a handful of times, but I have never been able to run down where it originated. So, please know that the following is a summary of ow I remember it being told. If you know where it is originally from, I would love to find out because it drives home a powerful concept.   -----       One day, a man decided to fish. He got a simple pole, line, and hook and went to a local creek. He was not successful at first, but he enjoyed the time in nature, so he went again. After a few trips, he caught his first fish. A few trips later, he had caught more.     After a time, the man had gained quite a reputation for knowing how to catch fish, so people came to see him do it. While he did not catch fish every time he went, he was usually successful, plus he loved to talk about fishing. It had become a passion for him. People started wanting to hear him speak about the techniques he used and where the best fishing spots were.     Time passed and the man became truly renowned in the fishing world. He was asked to speak at fishing seminars. He wrote books and articles on fishing. He even offered an online class on the modern techniques of fishing. His knowledge was impeccable, as he stayed up-to-date with the latest innovations in fishing gear, fishing technology, and fishing techniques. He was basically unparalleled in the fishing world for giving people information on fish.     Amazingly, the man created such a furor that an entire fishing university was created, and people filled their minds in courses such as "Angler 101" and "Line-Baiting Symposium." They graduated with degrees in fishology and were now filled with all sorts of information.     But, through it all, there was one thing that was no longer happening. The man who was such an expert on fishing simply did not have the time anymore...to fish. He had not been in years. He had the information and stayed up to date, but he had not put a hook in the water for a long, long time. Thus, he had not even attempted to actually catch a fish in many years.     So, while the world was now full of people who knew the information about fishing, what was missing? People who fished.   -----       ThatBut if all we ever do is talk about it, we are not doing what we are talking about.     Go fishing! Even if you do not "catch" a soul, your loving effort is what God blesses. Who do you need to talk to, even today?     "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." (Mark 16:15)

- Adam Faughn preaches for the Central Church of Christ in Paducah KY. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.centralchurchofchrist.org Visit the Faughn Family blog, A Legacy of Faith.

Be an Apollos

By Edd Sterchi       In Acts 18:24-28, we are introduced to a Christian names Apollos. He was a great example in spreading the word of God. We can certainly learn from His ways. Notice for example: * He was mighty in the Scriptures (v.24). He knew the Word of God, but it is also important to note that he was always willing to learn them more accurately (v.26). * He was eloquent (v.24). He spoke in a manner that people wanted to hear what he had to say. * He was fervent in spirit (v.25). He was always excited about telling God’s truths. * He spoke boldly (v.26). He was courageous in presenting the Word of God. He never backed down from the truth. * He always proved his point (v.28). He used the Scriptures to establish that what he was speaking was from God.

- Edd Sterchi preaches for the Broadway Church of Christ in Campbellsville, KY. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.broadwaychurchofchrist.net/

It Works!

By Joe Slater       God’s word makes it clear that He views success quite differently than we do. We set a goal, plan a strategy, and carry out the plan. If it works, we claim success. Someone asks, “What is the problem with this?” Simply put, God’s will has been left out of the equation!     During King Asa’s reign over Judah, King Baasha of Israel invaded. Asa paid the Syrians to attack Israel’s homeland, forcing Baasha to go back home to defend his own land. Asa then re-captured the territory Baasha had taken (see 1 Kings 15:16-21).     Pretty good strategy, wouldn’t you say? And it definitely worked! God, however, sent His prophet, Hanani, to rebuke Asa (2 Chronicles 16:7-9). The king had put his trust in his pagan neighbors rather than in the Lord. Yes, it “worked,” but it dishonored God.     Moses also “succeeded” in a task, but sinned in the process. God told him to provide water for Israel by speaking to a rock (Numbers 20:8). Instead of obeying, Moses, being furious with his people, gave the rock a double-whack with his rod (20:9-11). Water miraculously gushed forth in great abundance. It worked! But Moses and Aaron forfeited the blessing of going across Jordan into the promised land (20:12).     Worldly philosophy says that the end justifies the means. Since Asa gained relief from his enemies, his method doesn’t matter. Since Moses acquired water for his people, it makes no difference how he did it. The Bible, on the other hand, teaches that people offend God by reaching the right goals using the wrong means.     Church growth, for example, is an eminently Scriptural goal. God wants His church to grow; if you don’t want the church to grow, you need to repent! And God’s church will grow when Christians are serving as they ought. Some, however, in misguided zeal, seek to produce church growth by using methods that are outside of God’s will. Watering down the gospel, exchanging worship for entertainment, and otherwise appealing to people’s carnal side, might attract large crowds; but it doesn’t glorify God!

- Joe Slater serves as minister of the Church of Christ in Justin, TX. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://justinchurchofchrist.com

More Than You Think

 

By Adam Faughn

 

    Have you ever tried to calculate how many different people you interact with during a

typical day? I would venture to say that most of us would underestimate that number

unless we really started thinking carefully. We would probably only remember fairly

significant conversations or maybe people we rode in a vehicle with, plus possibly a

couple of others.

    But, on a day when you are just going through your regular routine, you likely interact with a fairly significant number of people. Did you email someone today? There is one you might not have counted. Did you go to the store and say hello to the cashier? There is another. Did you make a phone call to pay a bill or set up an appointment? There is yet another. They really start adding up when you walk through a normal day for many of us.

    The point of this little exercise is not to just cause us to start counting our interactions (although that could be interesting also). It is to challenge us to make our interactions count! Is it not possible that we regularly speak of the need to be good examples before others, but then we do not live that out in these "small" or "quick" interactions?

• When the service at the restaurant is a little (or a lot) slower than you have come to expect, do you make a scene and act with anger, or do you try to encourage the one who is doing the best he or she can?

• When you have waited in line at the store for a long time and finally get to the register, do you still greet the cashier with a smile and kind word, or do you become just another complaining customer?

• When you type something on social media, is it something that glorifies God or just something that builds up your own ego?

• When you send an email or make a phone call, do you check to be sure your tone is one that is gracious and kind or do you just "fire off" a message because the person cannot see you face-to-face?

These may seem like very small things, but they are not. How do I know that? Deep

down, we all know this is true because we have been on the other side, have we not?

    You have been the one who was complained to through no fault of your own. You have

been the one who received the angry email. You have been the one who was talked down

to even when you were doing the best you could.

    So far, this may not seem like a "church bulletin" article. So far, this may read like something from the "Self Help" section of a local bookstore. I assure you, though, there is a spiritual component to this.

    What is it? When you were treated in a way that was mean, rude, short, or such like, was your first thought, "That person must be a follower of Jesus"? I dare say that it was not. In fact, I dare say that was far down your list of reactions!

    Why, then, would we think we can act in ways that are rude and unbecoming and it be okay when we are supposed to be reflecting the light of God in all the world? That smile to a stressed-out wait staff member might be the only pleasant thing that happens on the entire shift. Your kind word to a cashier might be the only nice thing said to him or her for hours. The email--even one that is written to point out something that needs to be worked on or corrected--that is filled with reminders of the motivation being love and not spite is more likely to touch someone's heart.

    Then, when there is a moment when someone thanks you or returns a word of kindness,

will you take the extra step of giving the credit and glory to the God you serve? Will you

point that person to your faith, even with just a quick word ("Oh, I'm just trying to be who

Jesus wants me to be.")?

    As you do, what you may notice is that you interact with more people in a given day than you ever realized. If that is so, then just consider the number of people you have an opportunity to impact--even in what may seem like small ways--for eternity. Let us resolve not to waste a single one of those opportunities.

- Adam Faughn preaches for the Central Church of Christ in Paducah KY. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.centralchurchofchrist.org Visit the Faughn Family blog, A Legacy of Faith.

One Gospel For All

By Ronald Bartanen

“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).

    An increasingly popular view is that different cultures have different religions available to bring people to God.  While in America we are predominantly a somewhat Christian culture (at least for the present), in Muslim nations God is available through Islam, in Israel God is found through Old Testament law, in India access to God is through Hinduism, etc.  Tolerance of other faith-systems has been seen in the past as the allowing of liberty to differ, but it has evolved into the shaming of those who would seek to actually convert someone of another religious persuasion to one’s own view.  Some would even refer to preaching against the teachings of other religions as “hate speech.”  Such a concept would make the Great Commission of our Lord—the preaching of the gospel of Christ to all nations, as Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:47)—no longer acceptable.

    The gospel of Christ alone is “the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16).  It is one gospel for all.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No man cometh unto the Father but by me” (John 14:6).  This may seem narrow-minded in our ears today, but it is either true, or Jesus is not to be believed.

    There is one gospel for all because all are alienated from God by sin.  “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23); and “The wages of sin is death…” (Rom. 6:23).   In such a state, man is alienated from god and from eternal life.  Dependence for acceptance with God on the basis of avoiding gross sins and being a good neighbor will not suffice.

    There is one gospel for all because Jesus, God’s Son, died for all.  “God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).  

    There is one gospel for all because salvation is found only in Jesus: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

    There being but one gospel for all, those who sincerely would follow Christ should look beyond popular opinion, men and denominations to the Biblical standard for the means of coming to God.   Believing Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God who died for us, was buried, and rose again (1 Cor. 15:1-4), let all accept Him as Savior and Lord in accord with God’s word—in repentance and baptism (Acts 2:38; 22:16), thus being assured by Christ, that “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16).      Continuing in faith and faithful living, we are assured, “Be thou faithful unto death (even to the point of dying for that faith) and I will give the a crown of life “  ( Revelation 2:10).

- Ronald Bartanen is a retired minister who for many years served the Lord's church in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee. He may be contacted at: ron33dor@yahoo.com

Make it Relevant

By Bill Brandstatter

    The cry among many believers today is: "Make it relevant." They want the worship services relevant to the way society is today. They want the preaching to relate to societal problems. Is the preaching relevant? Do we have to change our worship in order to meet the needs of today's culture?

    Let us answer these questions with a few observations. What could be more relevant to an immoral, ungodly, humanistic society than what we have in Jesus Christ and Him crucified? The message of the cross must have related to the society of Paul's day. In some ways it was even worse than our society. Paul stated regarding his preaching: “For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!" (1 Cor. 9:16) Was Paul's preaching relevant? On another occasion Paul stated: "For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ." (Gal. 1 :10) Paul condemned just preaching what men wanted to hear. He also indicated he was in trouble if he didn't preach the gospel.

    When Paul preached the gospel what did he preach? Paul was first of all consistent in what he preached. A preacher who changes with the wind is not what God wants. Notice what Paul said about himself: "For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church." (1 Cor. 4:17) Notice Paul's consistency in teaching everywhere in every church. This is also indicated in 1 Cor. 7: 17: "But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches." Again notice "in all churches." Paul's message was the same everywhere he went.

    We know some of what Paul taught. In Acts 19, he taught the brethren their baptism was wrong. They then obeyed the gospel. Was his preaching relevant? Was it fulfilling the needs of that day? To the church at Corinth Paul preached and "many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed, and were baptized." (Acts 18:8) Did Paul preach what was relevant?

    Friends, what could be more needed or more relevant today than the good news or gospel of Jesus Christ? To cure loneliness, we need Christ. To help broken homes, we need Christ. To help failing marriages, we need Christ. To stop murder, suicide, etc., we need Christ, not a social gospel, not a felt-needs message. We need Christ. If individuals go to worship just to be entertained, they are going for the wrong reason. We should go to be edified and built up in the Christian faith. This will help us to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Eph. 6:11) If we are after entertainment, there are a lot of places to go. If we want to be built up spiritually, we need to worship God. The worship needs to be such as pleases Him. If worship is done “decently and in order” and not spontaneous and unexpected, God will be pleased (1 Cor. 14:33). If Christ is preached, and the gospel taught the message will be relevant. If this occurs, Christians should be strengthened and built up as a result.

- Bill Brandstatter preaches for the Marion Church of Christ in Marion, IL. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://marionchurchofchrist.com/

Set for the Defense of the Gospel

By Edd Sterchi

    In all of Paul’s sermons, letters, and conversation, he “determined not to know anything...except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). Paul knew that he must speak this way, because he was “appointed for the defense of the gospel” (Phil. 1:17). By the way, the King James Version has Paul saying, “I am set for the defense of the gospel.” The word “defense” in this passage is the Greek word “apologia” which means “verbal defense, speech in defense; a reasoned statement or argument” (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon).
    Even though not a great apostle like Paul, we too should realize our responsibility of being “set for the defense of the gospel.” It’s not just the elders’ or preachers’ job – it’s every Christian’s duty. We are the defenders of the truth. Let me give you three reasons why we should be prepared to speak and defend the gospel of Christ:
    * Because God Instructs Us To – Peter stated that Christians should “always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Pet. 3:15). With an increasing number of people doubting God’s existence, Jesus’ deity, and the inspiration of the Bible, the Christian will find an increased demand upon him to be able to defend these things. It is God’s wish that we defend His Holy Word. We must know it, express it, live it, and defend it.
    * Because We Respect All of the Bible – If it’s in the Bible, we should want to present it as a part of all Scripture that we know to be inspired and profitable for doctrine and instruction in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). Many folks who claim to be religious should be ashamed and embarrassed of what they profess and do as compared to what Bible really says. But we, like Paul, should not be ashamed of the pure, unadulterated gospel (Rom. 1:16).
    * Because Souls Are at Stake – Today, as in the prophet Hosea’s day, people are destroyed for lack of a knowledge and understanding of what God’s Word says (Hos. 4:6). We need mature members of the church presenting and defending the truths of the Scripture, so that souls can be won for Christ and other souls can be strengthened in His name.
    One of Satan’s greatest weapons is the lie. It’s only one of his weapons, but he uses it quite effectively. Satan’s lies are defeated by the truth, and we need to be able to confront his lies with the truth of the Scriptures. Paul was prepared to defend the gospel – he knew it was his job. Are you? Do you? 

- Edd Sterchi preaches for the Broadway Church of Christ in Campbellsville, KY. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.broadwaychurchofchrist.net/