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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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February 8, 2015
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Contents:
1) Gossip: Easy, Enjoyable Sinning (Greg Gwin)
2) Now and Then: Minority or Majority (Chuck Durham)
3) Forgiveness (Tom Edwards)
4) News & Notes
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-1-
Gossip: Enjoyable Sinning
by Greg Gwin
"Did you hear the one about? . . ." Thus begins the
stand-up comic into his humorous routine. Too often our own
conversations begin the same way. But the end result is not
nearly so funny. In the process we have gossiped about our
brethren, our neighbors, perhaps our co-workers, maybe even our own
family. Gossip, defined as idle talk about the affairs of others, is
a genuine problem for God's people. Think about gossip. . .
IT IS EASY: You won't have to work hard to become an
accomplished gossip. No, in fact, the practice is rather like
catching the common cold. It takes very little planning,
intention, or effort -- it just seems to happen.
The ease with which we may be affected by this spiritual malady is
the basis of a clear warning: "A gossip betrays a confidence; so
avoid a man who talks too much" (Proverbs 20:18). Association
with the gossip is a dangerous practice. The first threat is that he
may reveal some secret of ours. But also, our company with him can
influence us to join in his sinful practice (1 Cor. 15:33). His
disease is contagious. Beware!
We are all susceptible. In Romans chapter one, Paul wrote of the
heathens who had chosen to ignore God. They had engaged in
gratifying every carnal desire. Among their faults was the sin
of being "whisperers" (vs. 28). Other versions translate this
as "gossips." What we see here is that men, when following the
desires of the flesh rather than the will of God, will be prone to
gossip.
IT IS ENJOYABLE: The ease with which folks can be made to
gossip must surely be connected with the perverted kind of enjoyment
it brings to those who participate in it. There is a strange sense
of reward that comes from being the first to know -- and tell --
something on another person. Some people get such a charge out of
this that they are not above manufacturing some tale. It may not be
a complete fabrication. There may be shreds of truth blended
together with lots of imagination -- anything to arrive at a good
'juicy' bit of gossip. This, most assuredly, is a sin that brings
"pleasure for a season" (Hebrews 11:25).
Christians of the first century, like us all, demonstrated a
propensity for this activity. Paul was concerned that he would find
"whisperings" (translated "gossip" in the NIV) when he returned to
Corinth (2 Corinthians 12:20). James bemoaned certain sins of
the tongue that "ought not so to be" (James 3:10). Self control in
such matters is, he said, the ultimate sign of spiritual maturity:
"if any man offend not in word, the same is a prefect man, and able
also to bridle the whole body" (vs. 3).
This is, we have learned, the kind of thing that everyone can
'enjoy.' It is truly everyone's malady. We all like to be 'in
the know,' and we love for people to know that we know! So, we
gossip; we betray confidences; we spread rumors.
IT IS SIN: Here is the bottom line! Jesus warned,
"Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account
thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be
justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Matthew
12:36,37).
Remember the definition of gossip? It is "idle talk about the
affairs of others," and it clearly falls within the realm of things
that we will answer for in the judgment. In the Proverbs we
are warned: "He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life; but he that
openeth wide his lips shall have destruction" (13:3). And again,
"Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from
troubles" (21:23).
Recall that we've included this as one of the maladies that affects
everyone. This is not just a problem of irreligious
folk. A lot of regular 'church-goers' have the problem, too.
Of these James says: "If any man among you seem to be religious, and
bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's
religion is vain" (James 1:26).
THERE IS A CURE: Take heart! There is a solution
for the sin of gossiping. We are promised forgiveness of this sin,
just like any other sin, as we comply with the conditions of God's
will. And furthermore, we have the confidence that our Father will
help us withstand future temptations to commit this common sin.
"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man:
but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that
ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape,
that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Cor. 10:13). Our task is to look
for that "way to escape," and to avoid this terrible sin of gossip.
"Did you hear the one about? . . ." No! And please
don't tell me!
-- Via The Beacon, January 31, 2012
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-2-
Now and Then
Minority or Majority
by Chuck Durham
David McCullough's book, John Adams, cites an interesting comment
Adams made to a friend in regard to himself in a letter he wrote in
1787: "Popularity was never my mistress, nor was I ever, or shall I
ever be a popular man. But one thing I know, a man must be sensible
of the errors of the people, and upon his guard against them, and
must run the risk of their displeasure sometimes, or he will never
do them any good in the long run" (323).
Every Christian needs to take this to heart. We cannot be popular
with the world and serve God. Sometimes we cannot even be popular
with brethren and serve the Lord. I am persuaded the latter is more
dangerous to our eternal welfare than the former. The danger is far
more subtle.
We must make up our mind that the Lord is first in our lives. That's
the bottom line of a heart truly devoted to Him. It means that if we
want to do the world or our brethren any good, we must confront them
with the truth. If we seek popularity where will we end up? We will
do what the rulers of the Jews did, who, though believing in Jesus,
were too afraid to confess Him openly, "lest they should be put out
of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the
praise of God" (John 12:42-43).
This danger especially plagues preachers and teachers who proclaim
God's word. There is much to risk to run counter to the "prevailing"
view of brethren on a given topic. The church belonging to Christ
has long fought the idea of drawing up "articles of the faith" which
must be written in a creed that all must give allegiance to in order
to remain in "fellowship" with the body of Christ. This notion of
"denominating" what must be believed in order to be considered
"faithful to the Lord" is at the heart and soul of forming
"denominations." Instead of being simply New Testament Christians
who hold to "all" written in the text of Jesus and His apostles and
prophets, we become something "more" or "less" than what Jesus
intended. We end up belonging to "that group" and not simply
Christians who hold to "all" the words of Scripture.
"Unwritten" creeds are as powerful and dangerous as any codified
ones, too! Every major doctrinal battle historically among God's
people has resulted in division with the "majority" considered as
possessing the "truth" of the Bible. Majorities have a way of
creating the impression that "they" are the ones who are always
right on a given matter because of their "superior numbers." We
think, "How could so many good people be wrong?" How many Bible
stories do we need to trot out to decimate this wrong-headed view?
In fact, more often than not, it is the majority-view that is wrong
and the minority-view which is true to God's Word!
We must have the heart of the prophet Micaiah who boldly confronted
King Ahab with the truth. Four hundred false prophets were telling
the king to go to war with Syria; God would deliver them into his
hand. The messenger sent by King Ahab to fetch Micaiah warned him to
speak the same thing as the false prophets. But Micaiah said, "As
the Lord lives, whatever my God says, that will I speak" (2
Chronicles 18:13). Four hundred-to-one are not very good odds if the
"minority" avers that its view is the Truth. It did not matter to
Micaiah. Only one thing mattered: "Preach only what the LORD says."
Speaking the oracles of God (1Peter 4:11) is the only way we can do
any worthwhile and lasting good.
Athanasius was a fourth century theologian who held a "minority"
view regarding the nature of Jesus Christ. Arian, who held the
predominant view during his day, said that Jesus Christ was created
(did not always exist!) and therefore of "distinct substance" from
God the Father, not to be placed on par with Deity. Athanasius
fought almost single-handedly against this false doctrine. On one
occasion a friend said to Athanasius: "Do you not know that the
whole world is against you?" Athanasius simply replied: "Then is
Athanasius against the whole world." The spirit of Micaiah,
Athanasius and John Adams must live in us if we ever hope to "do the
people any good."
-- via Pressing On Magazine, January 2015
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-3-
Forgiveness
I often like to remind myself that out of all the problems of life
that one might have, none of them -- nor all of them combined -- can
even come close to the problem of sin and its eternal
consequence. So how relieved and thankful we can be for God's
forgiveness. It is, by far, the most important, the most
needful, and the greatest blessing we can possibly have here on
earth -- even more so than perfect health, an abundance of wealth,
or physical life itself -- and with an infinite value that can only
be fully realized when thankfully enjoying the blissfulness of
heaven for evermore!
And how is that forgiveness obtained and maintained? The
following steps show:
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; 1 Jn. 1:6,7; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
-- Tom Edwards (first posted on facebook, February 4, 2015)
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News & Notes
We extend our sympathies to the family and friends of Jean
Carolyn Young Hancock of Manor, Georgia, who passed away
February 3. She was Anita Young's sister-in-law.
We were glad to have Jeff Carr with us and as our special
guest speaker for the Sunday morning services. He presented
two good lessons here in Waycross, and then drove down to Orlando to
preach another that night.
Let those of us who are Christians also be remembering the following
in prayer: Myrna Jordan, Melotine Davis (at Baptist
Village for rehab, following knee-replacement surgery), Mary
Vandevander and Jewel Wilson (at Satilla Care Center), Danielle
Howard (5+ years receiving dialysis, needs a kidney
transplant), Ginger Ann Montero (for good test results), Pat
Seif (cancer), Penny Medlock (glaucoma), Marie
Turner, Cheryl Corbitt (seeking employment), Jim Lively,
Rex and Frankie Hadley, Jesse Bailey (cancer), Deborah
Medlock, Shirley Davis, Dexter Roberts (cancer), Sue
Wooten (at nursing home), Dolly Downs Moody (weak from
cancer treatment and low white blood cells), Collen Henson, and
A.J. Joyner (shingles on arm).
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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)