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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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April 2, 2017
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Contents:
1) Remember Jesus (Frank Himmel)
2) "Who Went About Doing Good" (Billy Norris)
3) News & Notes
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Remember Jesus
Frank Himmel
Three times the New Testament specifically tells us to remember
Jesus. Do you recall what there is about Him we are to remember?
(Hint: His birth is not one of the three!)
Jesus’ Death
Jesus Himself encouraged us to remember His death. It is the central
event of history. It was the atonement for our sins. The Lord helped
us remember His death by establishing an ongoing memorial.
"...The Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;
and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'This is My
body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' In the same
way He took the cup also after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new
covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in
remembrance of Me.' For as often as you eat this bread and
drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes" (1
Corinthians 11:23-26).
Jesus’ Resurrection
"Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David,
according to my gospel" (2 Timothy 2:8). Jesus said His resurrection
would be the sign, the proof of who He was (Matthew 12:38-40). It is
our assurance that the Father accepted Jesus' atonement. It enabled
Jesus to overcome death, to ascend back to heaven and take His place
as our King and Lord (Acts 2:24-36). That is why His resurrection,
along with His crucifixion, was the constant theme of the apostles'
sermons. That is why it is so often used to comfort and encourage.
That is why Peter could say "baptism now save you... through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 3:21).
Jesus’ Teaching
Paul told the Ephesian elders they must "remember the words of the
Lord Jesus" (Acts 20:35). Jesus' teaching is as much an expression
of God's grace as His atonement was (Titus 2:11-12). It is the truth
that makes us free if we abide in it (John 8:32-33); when we do not,
we do not have God (2 John 9). Jesus' words provide instruction,
warning, hope, comfort, assurance, and wisdom. They are the standard
by which He will judge us (John 12:48). One more thing: the Bible
emphasizes that we need to remember the words Jesus spoke through
His apostles (Jude 17) as well as those He spoke personally.
Conclusion
Remembering Jesus includes remembering all we know of Him.
Obviously, it goes far beyond simply recalling facts. We
remember Jesus by reflecting Him in our lives every day, each step
of the way.
-- Via Pathlights, December 25, 2016
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"THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND TO
THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A
LIGHT HAS DAWNED" (Matt. 4:6, NASB).
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“WHO WENT ABOUT DOING GOOD”
Billy Norris
This is what Peter told Cornelius about Jesus: "How God anointed
Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about
doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for
God was with him" (Acts 10:38).
1. Jesus did good when he was a child. It is evident that as
a child he spent time learning the word of God, to the extent that
he was able to astonish the doctors of the law with his
understanding and his answers, even at the age of twelve years. The
profound knowledge which Jesus possessed of the word of God proved
to be a blessing when Satan came with his temptations and when Jesus
had the responsibility of teaching the people. Jesus overcame every
temptation with a proper application of the word of God (Matt.
4), and was able to answer every captious question of his enemies
because of his understanding of God's will (Matt. 22). It is a joy
to see a young person who is interested in learning the word of God,
and who spends time day by day reading and studying and ever
accumulating knowledge of God's will. With that knowledge that
youngster will be able to put down the temptations of Satan and well
serve his Master as a citizen of the kingdom.
Jesus also did good as a child by wanting to worship, to be in his
Father's house and about his Father's business, and by being
obedient to his parents. To his parents he said, "Wist ye not that I
must be about my Father's business?" (Luke 2:49). The scripture
further says that he was subject to his parents and that he
"increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man"
(Luke 2:51,52).
2. Jesus did good when he was baptized. He did God's
will. "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be
baptized of him. But John forbade him saying, I have need to be
baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said
unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill
all righteousness. Then he suffered him" (Matt. 3:13-15). It is
God's will for man today that he be baptized, for in giving the
great commission Jesus said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach
the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark
16:15,16). The apostles commanded men to believe in Christ (1 John
3:23), to repent (Acts 17:30), to be baptized (Acts 10:48).
3. Jesus did good when he overcame the devil. He kept
himself free from sin and proved himself indeed to be the pure lamb
of God qualified to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). In
his victory over Satan (Matt. 4:1-11), he showed us that by proper
use of God's word as "the sword of the Spirit" (Eph. 6:17), we have
a power greater than any temptation which Satan can place before us.
4. He did good when he taught his disciples the great principles
of life. "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time,
Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of
the judgment: but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his
brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and
whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the
council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of
hell fire" (Matt. 5:21,22). "Ye have heard that it was said by them
of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you,
That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed
adultery with her already in his heart" (Matt. 5:27,28). These
are only some of the great principles of moral conduct which
Jesus taught his disciples that would lift them up to a high and
noble plane in life.
5. Jesus did good when he helped the sick and afflicted, when
he fed the hungry, when he comforted the bereaved. When he was
called to the sick, his answer was, "I will come" (Matt. 8:7). His
disciples today can be of help by ministering to the sick, or by
visits, or by cards or calls to let them know that they are not
forgotten. Christ fed the hungry (Matt. 14:15-21; 15:32-38), and let
us know that in part we will be judged according to the service that
we render to fellow man. "Then shall the King say unto them on his
right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an
hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink:
I was a stranger, and ye took me in ...” (Matt. 25:31-34, 35-46).
Though Jesus could raise Lazarus from the dead, he wept with the
bereaved sisters and helped to comfort them (John 11:35). We cannot
raise the dead, but we can help the bereaved bear their burden of
sorrow by showing compassion and sympathy in their time of need.
6. Jesus did good when he rebuked the wayward. He was doing
what was best for the scribes and Pharisees when he pointed out to
them their hypocrisy, and their need of true cleanliness from within
rather than a mere ceremonial cleansing from without that was of no
benefit to their spiritual well-being (Matt. 23). He was doing what
was best for Peter by showing him that in following human wisdom he
was serving Satan rather than God (Mark 8:31-33). He was doing good
for James and John when he rebuked them for wanting to destroy
certain Samaritans by telling them that he had not come to destroy
men's lives but to save them (Luke 9:51-56). Christ's disciples
today can do good by rebuking, with a proper spirit, the wayward to
bring them to repentance and a restoration in the service of the
Lord.
7. Jesus did good when he prayed for his enemies. He
taught his disciples to pray for their enemies: "But I say unto you,
Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that
hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and
persecute you" (Matt. 5:44). Jesus set the example when he prayed
for those who were crucifying him, "Father, forgive them; for they
know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). His prayer was answered some
days later, on the day of Pentecost, when people who were guilty of
crucifying Christ repented of their sins and were baptized in the
name of Christ for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:36-42).
8. Jesus did good when he died on the cross. The shedding
of his precious blood provided the means by which sinful man might
be redeemed from his sins and the terrible consequences of his sins:
"in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
sins, according to the riches of his grace" (Eph. 1:7).
9. Jesus is doing good now. He is with his disciples as they
in turn go about doing good, as they take the gospel to a world lost
in sin (Matt. 28:20). He is serving as mediator and high priest at
the right hand of God (1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 4:14-16). He is preparing
mansions for his own and will return to receive them unto himself
(John 14:1-3).
-- Via The Old Hickory Bulletin, October 18, 2015, Volume 35, #43
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News & Notes
The prayers of the saints will be appreciated for the
following:
Jim Lively is now home from the hospital -- a little
sooner then we first thought. But it might be a while before
his new medication is more effective.
Mary Vandevander is now in a private room (113) on the
first floor of the Pierce County Nursing Home. She had not
been feeling well Thursday, but is now doing better.
Here is a paraphrased extract from Misty Thornton's update:
started seizure medication (for probably 6-month minimum), cannot
drive for 6 months, now seeing a group of doctors in Savannah, back
on heart medicine, energy level is nonexistent, have many follow-up
appointments and tests in April. She appreciates the prayers
of the brethren.
Lexi Crawford is having some increased pain from her cancer.
Kenny McCarthy has also been diagnosed with cancer.
Let us also remember in prayer: Kay Byars, Tanya Terrones, Penny
Medlock, La Donna Andrews, Charles Crosby, Shirley Davis, Brianna
Mackey, Billy Lowe, Tom Haney, and Shirley Arnold
WordPress version of this week's bulletin:
https://thegospelobserver.wordpress.com/2017/04/04/the-gospel-observer-april-2-2017/
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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, living for the Lord; 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)
Tuesday: 7 p.m. (Ladies' Bible class)
Wednesday: 7 PM (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 614-8593
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://thegospelobserver.wordpress.com (Gospel Observer website with
pictures in WordPress)
http://thomastedwards.com/go (Older version of Gospel Observer
website without pictures, but back to March 1990)
http://tebeaustreetchurchofchrist.org/
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html (audio sermons)