The Incompleteness of “He Gets Us”

By Adam Faughn       For some time now, and most famously during the Super Bowl, an ad campaign has captured the attention of a lot of people. The ads feature people in various negative and hate-filled situations, but having their feet washed. The overarching message is that Jesus did not teach hate and then we see the famous tagline “He Gets Us.”     To be fair, I have a certain level of appreciation for ads like these. They may not tell the entire story, but they do at least have some semblance of a message that points people to some aspect of the Christian faith. And, of course, there is no way that a few-seconds-long commercial can tell the entire story.     That said, there is something these ads is missing that leave them teaching an incomplete Gospel and it is the same issue that far too many Christians already have. Is it true that Jesus taught His people to care for the poor and those who are enemies? Yes. 100% yes. Is it true that Jesus told us to seek to help with the outcast and those who are harmed by society? Absolutely yes. While no Christian and no congregation can do everything, it should be clear that we are striving to help where we have opportunities.     However, if we stop there, we are not doing all that Jesus told us to do! The same Jesus Who makes it clear that we will be judged by how we treat the poor, naked, imprisoned, and hungry in Matthew 25 also told us to preach the Gospel–including baptism–to the whole world in Matthew 28. In other words, “He gets us” in order to take us somewhere, and it is not just somewhere up a societal or economic ladder!     Too many Christians, I believe out of a good place in their heart, want the church to become what basically amounts to nothing more than a homeless shelter or food pantry. They love to remind us of the old saying that “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”     The issue is that, far too often, they don’t even get around to saying what they know!     Jesus cared for people, and we love Him for that. We are amazed at the hungry that He fed and the harmed whom He healed. Jesus did not just give people bread; He gave them the Bread of Life. Jesus did not just heal people; He turned around and taught them (or those around Him).     That is how “He gets us.” He takes us where we are, not to affirm us in our difficulties only, but to take us to a place of greater spiritual understanding and a walk of faith. And that is the message we must share with the world. We are here to help, but it is more than merely a better economic status or more peaceful place in society. It is helping them find more than just “washed feet.” It is helping them find an old rugged cross and an empty tomb, where their only real hope lies.

- 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

The Meek (Part 1)

By Clifton Angel       Following His message of blessedness for those who are poor in spirit and mournful over sin, Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). What does it mean to be meek?      First, meekness is not weakness; it is actually the very opposite. Carl W. Cheatham said, “The Greeks used the word to describe a horse that had been broken—power under control” (1993 Faulkner Lectures). It is stronger than sheer strength, as it includes the ability to control said strength, subdue it, and guide it properly. When I think about power, or strength, under control, I think about Jesus, Himself. We recently considered His words: “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” (Matthew 11:29–30). Many details about our Lord show His meek-ness:  His  earthly  mission  (Philippians  2:5–8);  His  lowly birth  (Luke  2:7);  His  low  estate  (Matthew  13:55;  Mark 6:3;  Matthew  8:20;  Luke  9:58);  His  “triumphant”  entry upon the foal of a donkey (Matthew 21:1-11); His example to His apostles (John 13); His illegal trial, lack of defense, and undeserved death (Matthew 26:36–27:66). Truly, Jesus is our greatest example of meekness. Furthermore, I think of the Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 11:22–31). I think about the Spirit’s fruit (Galatians 5:22–23; James 1:21). I think about the restoring brother … (Galatians 6:1). I think about the husbands & wives of 1 Peter 3:1-7. Truly meekness is not weakness.     Second, meekness is not immediate. In the record of Numbers 12:3, it is said, “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.” Although, this account highlights his meekness, I am reminded of a time when he, perhaps, was not. In the record of Exodus chapters three and four, it is noted how that Moses made several excuses to try to flee from the responsibilities to which God was calling him (cf. especially, Exodus 3:11, 13; 4:1, 10). At that moment in Moses’ life, he was exhibiting weakness instead of meekness. With God’s help, Moses would grow stronger and meeker. This did not mean he was perfect, but the inspired record has been preserved with him being “very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3).     Perhaps, the greatest ability, or strength, that we have is the ability to choose. In relation to being poor in spirit and mournful over sin, we have the ability to subdue our own will in recognition and desire to follow God’s will. Are you poor in spirit, recognizing that without God you are nothing?  Do you mourn over sin, which leads to death and destruction? Have you exhibited meekness in surrendering your life to the will of God?

- Clifton Angel preaches for the Coldwater Church of Christ in Coldwater, MS. He may be contacted through that congregation's website: http://www.coldwatercofc.com/

The Meek (Part 2)

By Clifton Angel       “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). As a reminder, meekness is not weakness; rather, it is strength subdued, or controlled. One of the greatest ways we can exhibit meekness is by surrendering our will to the will of God. In today’s article, let us consider the question “What is it that the meek shall inherit?”     Jesus said, “They shall inherit the earth.” Did Jesus mean that they would inherit the physical earth after Jesus returns? Such is certainly a popular idea among many religious teachers. It is taught by many that because the majority of the Jews rejected Jesus while He was upon the earth, that He did not establish His kingdom at that time, but He will establish it at His final return. There are many logical and scriptural problems with such a teaching. Consider a few: (1) Jesus equated His church with His kingdom (Matthew 16:18–19); (2) Jesus taught that His kingdom would come in His generation (Mark 9:1); (3) Jesus said His kingdom “is not of this world” (John 18:36); (4) Paul indicated Christians of his day, including himself, were in the kingdom of Christ (Colossians 1:13); (5) Paul wrote that Jesus would deliver up His kingdom to the Father after His coming (1 Corinthians 15:23–26); (6) John wrote that He was “in the kingdom” while he was upon the earth (Revelation 1:9). No, Jesus was not referencing a physical kingdom at Matthew 5:5.     Did Jesus mean the physical blessings that Christians would enjoy while living on earth? It is certain that faithful Christians will be provided what they need in this life (Matthew 6:33). It is also asserted by some that faithful Christians can expect more than what they need: “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:29–30). Even so, I am not entirely convinced that Matthew 10:29–30 is all about the physical. Furthermore, the context of Matthew 5:5 and the citation of former scripture in the passage points to a spiritual inheritance more than a physical inheritance. Lord willing, we will expound on this possibility in our next installment.     Until then, are you among the meek who “shall inherit the earth”? Have you surrendered your life to Christ, recognizing the mournful and impoverished state of living in sin? “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Have you accepted that gift?

- Clifton Angel preaches for the Coldwater Church of Christ in Coldwater, MS. He may be contacted through that congregation's website: http://www.coldwatercofc.com/

The Meek (Part 3)

By Clifton Angel       “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). Meekness is not weakness; it is strength controlled. What is it that the meek shall inherit? Jesus certainly was not speaking of the physical earth or a physical kingdom. We have noted the possibility that this inheritance refers to the Christian’s physical blessings; however, the context of Matthew 5:5 and the citation of former scripture in the passage points to a spiritual inheritance more than a physical inheritance.     Jesus’ statement at Matthew 5:5 is indeed a recitation of Old Testament Scripture. “Those that wait for Jehovah, they shall inherit the land” (Psalm 37:9b, ASV). “The meek shall inherit the land” (Psalm 37:11a). “For such as are blessed of him shall inherit the land” (Psalm 37:22a). “The righteous shall inherit the land, And dwell therein for ever” (Psalm 37:29). “Wait for Jehovah, and keep his way, And he will exalt thee to inherit the land” (Psalm 37:34). Indeed, David’s psalm is written after the promised land was allotted and inhabited by the Israelites (cf. Deuteronomy 7:1; Joshua 14:1–19:51; Psalm 78:55; 136:21–22; Acts 13:19); however, they continued to struggle with enemies of the region. When Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth,” He was speaking to descendants of the Israelites. He was speaking to students of the Old Testament who were familiar with the words of Psalm 37, and whose minds would certainly think of the land of promise given to their ancestors. Also, “earth” could be translated “land,” even at Matthew 5:5.     Furthermore, the old law contained “shadows of good things to come” (Hebrews 10:1). The passover lamb was a shadow of Christ (1 Corinthians 5:7). The passover feast was a shadow of the memorial of Christ (Matthew 26:26–29; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26). Could the promise and inheritance of the land of Canaan be a shadow of the church whose final destination is heaven? The church is called: “the house of God” (1 Timothy 3:15); “the temple of God" (1 Corinthians 3:16); “the body” (Colossians 1:24; Ephesians 1:22, 23); “the kingdom” (Colossians 1:13); “the bride” (Ephesians 5:21-33). Could it be called the promised or inherited land, also?     Finally, an inheritance is given by a paternal figure, a father. Through Jesus Christ, God the Father adds us to the church (Acts 2:47) and blesses us with all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3). Paul wrote, “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:12–13).     Are you blessed? Are you meek? Are you a “partaker of the inheritance of the saints”?

- Clifton Angel preaches for the Coldwater Church of Christ in Coldwater, MS. He may be contacted through that congregation's website: http://www.coldwatercofc.com/

Under Control

By Andrew Beasley       One the fruit of the Spirit is self-control. We cannot bear this fruit if you do not have all the ingredients that Paul lists. You can have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness but if you lack self-control, the fruit that you are bearing in your life is not the fruit of the Spirit. That is not to say that all of these are easy to embody. Each aspect of the fruit of the Spirit poses its challenges.     Self-control influences all aspects of our lives. If we do not control our thoughts, we put ourselves at risk (Matt. 5:27-28). If we do not control our words, we may not only harm ourselves but our relationships with others (James 3:5). If we do not control our actions, again, the effects can be wide reaching. Remember the consequences of David’s lack of self-control in his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba were not limited to only David and Bathsheba.     But as it is with all of the other aspects of the fruit of the Spirit, if we can learn self-control then we can not only be a blessing to ourselves, but to everyone else around us.

- 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/

A Precious Book

By Andrew Beasley     The 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.

- 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/

Be Good, Andrew!

By Andrew Beasley       Be good, Andrew! I heard that phrase often when I was young. Many times, those words would be spoken to me when I was doing something in Bible class or worship that I should not have been doing. Eventually, I learned to be good to avoid the consequences of not being good. I did not want to be grounded, spanked, or have things that I enjoyed taken from me. Frequently this is the mentality that is associated with goodness today, this idea that we do what is right simply to avoid being punished. But this does not reflect Biblical goodness.     Strongs defines the Greek word for goodness (agathosune) to mean an uprightness of heart and life. When we strive to be good, or do good, only for our benefit it is not truly goodness as the Bible defines it. When we act out of Biblical goodness, then we are obedient to God’s commands and act not just for our own benefit but for the benefit of others as well. We become selfless rather than selfish? Sounds a little bit like our savior, Jesus, doesn’t it?

- 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/