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The Gospel Observer
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them
to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always,
even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:19,20).
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November 23, 2014
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Contents:
1) Heroes (Tom Edwards)
2) News & Notes
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-1-
Heroes
by Tom Edwards
As the story opens, it was dichotomous times, or as Charles Dickens
expresses it: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,
it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the
epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season
of Light, it was the season of Darkness..." (A Tale of Two
Cities).
But perhaps remembered even more so, and certainly more poignantly,
is not how this classic novel begins, but how it closes, in which
Sydney Carton, who is an uncanny resemblance to Charles Darnay, had
drugged the man into a sleep while in prison, had him carried off to
join his family and all be taken to safety, and then heroically took
Darnay's place to go to the guillotine and, thus, spare his wife and
child from the sorrow and bereavement of having lost their loved
one. And with it now just seconds before Carton's eyes would
close for the final time, he found consolation in knowing, as
brought out in the last sentence of the book, that "It is a far, far
better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far
better rest I go to than I have ever known" (ibid.).
In just hearing of the heroism of others and realizing of their
courage, selflessness, and determination, we are often humbled,
filled with a deep respect for them, and motivated toward being
better people ourselves in striving to do what is right and needful.
Heroism is such a noble virtue. We honor and pay tribute to
those who have risked their lives in compassionately coming to the
rescue of those in peril. Numerous accounts can be given of
soldiers, firemen, police officers, medical workers who subjected
themselves to the contagion of others, and everyday citizens, those
"unsung heroes" who had put their own lives at great risk -- or even
lost them -- in order to attempt to save the endangered lives of
others.
In many cases, their acts went beyond merely "a job to do";
but were also motivated by an ingrained sense of it being the right
thing to do, along with a compassion toward helping those in
jeopardy and an awareness of what they would want others to do for
them if in that same situation. Or, as Jesus words it,
"And just as you want people to treat you, treat them in the same
way" (Luke 6:31). This was a principle of the Law and the
Prophets (Matt. 7:12), along with the second greatest commandment to
"...Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22:39). And we find
Philippians 2:3 going beyond even that. For it gives the
command to "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with
humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more
important than himself...."
It is also in that same context that the apostle Paul sets forth the
humble, selfless, and heroic example of Christ who was willing to
leave the glories, the blissfulness, and the security of heaven in
order to be born into a world marred with sin and accompanied with
dangers and sufferings. His earthly body experienced those
things His heavenly "body" never did, such as hunger from a 40-day
fast and undergoing starvation (Matt. 4:2); thirst and the agonizing
degree of it when dehydrated and parched by Calvary's cross (Jn.
19:28); weariness, such as from long journeys (Jn. 4:6) and the need
for sleep (Matt. 8:24); to be "tempted in all ways as we are" (Heb.
4:15); to experience physical pain -- and to the extreme of intense
scourging and the six hours of excruciating torment on the cross;
and then to weaken physically through so much injury and suffering
that it led to the drawing of His last breath -- but not before He
perfectly accomplished all of His Father's will up to that point
(cf. Jn. 8:29; 19:30).
It can also be said that the Lord willingly subjected Himself to all
of that -- even the terrible death on the cross. As He
declares, "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down
My life that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me,
but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it
down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I
received from My Father" (Jn. 10:17,18). John 18:10-13 also
indicates the Lord's willingness to be crucified.
Having the body of a man that would experience the full extent of
pain also led to much emotional suffering for the Lord in just
contemplating the cross. For what an agonizing death it would
be to make that atonement for every sinner (cf. Heb.
2:9). Thus, while in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus "began to
be very distressed and troubled. And He said to them [Peter,
James, and John], 'My soul is deeply grieved to the point of
death...'" (Mark 14:33,34). Luke's account adds to that time,
by saying, "And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and
His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground"
(Luke 22:44).
It was also on this same night of His betrayal, while, in the
garden, that Jesus prayed, "Father, if Thou art willing, remove this
cup from Me; yet not My will but Thine be done" (Luke 22:42).
Three times, the Lord prayed that prayer. The Hebrew writer
points out about Jesus that "In the days of His flesh, He offered up
both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One
able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety"
(Heb. 5:7).
Even in view of what He knew He had to face at Calvary, Jesus
was still willing to go through with it all -- and He did so.
Isaiah foretells the Lord's great determination in carrying out His
Father's will -- even in spite of the painful treatment He would
have to endure: "I gave My back to those who strike Me, and My
cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face
from humiliation and spitting. For the Lord GOD helps Me,
Therefore, I am not disgraced; Therefore, I have set My face like
flint, And I know that I shall not be ashamed. He who
vindicates Me is near..." (Isa. 50:6-8). That He set His face
"like flint" indicates that He was determined to unflinchingly carry
out His Father's will.
Think, too, of the many followers of the Lord who had put their
lives on the line by simply striving to live as a Christian.
How many were persecuted and even martyred as a result, during the
time of the early church? And how many, in some parts of the
world, are being persecuted and even put to death in our time for
their belief in Jesus Christ?
All of the apostles are said to have suffered martyrdom for the
cause of the Lord, with the exception of John. But, according
to tradition, even he they tried to put to death by boiling alive in
a pot of oil; but he was miraculously spared and then exiled to the
island of Patmos where God used him to write the Revelation letter.
These apostles of the Lord, as well as many other Christians, went
out into the world to take the gospel -- and, did so, in spite of
the conflict that would sometimes result. In Acts 8:3,4, the
record shows, "But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house
after house; and dragging off men and women, he would put them in
prison. Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching
the word." Being a Christian is what led to their being
persecuted, but that would not deter them from continuing to teach
the gospel and to live and practice that kind of life.
Notice, too, some whom Paul mentions by name: "Greet Prisca and
Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who for my life risked
their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the
churches of the Gentiles" (Rom. 16:3,4). And in Philippians
2:25-30, Paul speaks of Epaphroditus who "...came close to death for
the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient
in your service to me." In Acts 7, we have the account
of Stephen who boldly declared God's message to even an angry mob
who were gnashing their teeth at him and were intent on putting him
to death (Acts 7:54). Then, while they stoned Stephen, his
very last words were not for himself, but they rather express a
merciful and forgiving disposition he had toward even those casting
the stones: "And falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud
voice, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them!'..." (v. 60).
Following that request, Stephen died.
The apostles, who had been scourged and imprisoned for preaching the
gospel, had actually rejoiced when released -- not because they were
set free, but because "...they had been considered worthy to suffer
shame for His name. And every day, in the temple and from
house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as
the Christ" (Acts 5:41, 42).
Being Christians, they would also have been a humble people; but we
can certainly view them, in addition, as being heroes because of
their stand for the truth and their willingness to reach out to
others with it -- even when it led to such adverse circumstances for
them.
How thankful would you be if you had been rescued from a fire and
your life was saved? Or from a sinking ship miles out at
sea? Or from any other tragic event that would have had fatal
results if it were not for someone to have come to your aid?
To be rescued and your life spared would certainly be something to
be very thankful for -- and even though that would lead to no longer
than a lifetime on earth.
But how much more so should we be thankful for the salvation that
Jesus makes possible? For to be rescued from the eternal
consequences of sin is truly our greatest need.
Though it would be impossible for us to know the exact number, how
many millions of people, down through time, have already benefited
and been saved from their sins because of what Jesus took the time
to do in making that way of salvation possible by His own death,
outside the city walls of Jerusalem?!
So much the Lord was willing to do for us sinners: "For while we
were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the
ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though
perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been
justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God
through Him. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled
to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been
reconciled, we shall be saved by His life" (Rom. 5:6-10).
Jesus has come to our rescue (cf. Luke 5:32; Jn. 10:10). As a
hero, He could not have sacrificed any more than what He already
did. For He gave His all -- His very life -- that those who
are spiritually dead in sin might be made alive (cf. Col. 2:13), and
not just for a little while, but for evermore in eternal glory!
By our faith and submission to His word, which involves repentance,
an acknowledgment of our faith in Christ and being baptized in water
for the forgiveness of our sins, we are then brought into the safety
of our Savior's keeping and blessed in Him (Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38;
Rom. 10,9,10; 1 Pet. 3:21; Rom. 8:1; Eph. 1:3). Have you
allowed Jesus to rescue you that you may be brought into that safe
haven of God's love?
Jesus, by far, is the greatest hero of all time -- in view of the
far-surpassing number He has already saved; in view of what they
have been saved from; and in view of where, as another result, they
will be able to spend all eternity! And He is not only the
greatest, but also the ONLY way back to the Father in heaven (Jn.
14:6). For "...there is salvation in no one else; for there is
no other name under heaven...by which we must be saved" (Acts
4:12).
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-2-
News & Notes
The following people are in need of the prayers of the saints:
Dolly Downs Moody is still to be a few more weeks at the Mayo
Clinic in Jacksonville to continue undergoing chemo and radiation
treatments for cancer.
Though he had been in remission, Steve Vesta's cancer has
returned; and his doctor's diagnosis is not good.
Penny Medlock had been having trouble seeing and has recently
been diagnosed with glaucoma.
And also for their health: Myrna Jordan, Marie Turner (wife
of Mark), Jim Lively, Danielle Howard, Ronnie Davis, Rex and
Frankie Hadley, Jewel Wilson, Mary Vandevander, Deborah
Medlock, Sue Wooten, Shirley Davis, Dexter Roberts, and
Colleen Henson.
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation
1) Hear the gospel, for that is how faith comes (Rom.
10:17; John 20:30,31).
2) Believe in the deity of Christ (John 8:24; John
3:18).
3) Repent of sins (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9,10; Acts
8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins
(Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3,4; Gal. 3:26,27; 1 Pet.
3:21)
6) Continue in the faith; for, if not, salvation can
be lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501
Sunday services: 9:00 AM (Bible class); 10 AM & 5 PM (worship)
Wednesday: 7 PM (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 614-8593
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/go
(Gospel Observer website)
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html
(audio sermons)