“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” (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).
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Contents:
1) What Do You See? (Paul White)
2) Jesus: Our “Underwriter” (Jerry Fite)
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What Do You See?
Paul White
Just look at the kind of world in which we live. Just think about the various attitudes people manifest that can so easily bring doubt and distrust to even the noblest of heart. It’s easy to grow cynical. It’s even easier to make excuses for periods of inactivity. At times, all of us need our faith strengthened. We just need to be reminded that God is awesome and able, and our work is not in vain. If the apostle Paul had moments wherein he needed encouragement and assurance from the Lord, then so will we.
During Paul’s second missionary journey, having left Athens, Paul found himself in Corinth. Paul was facing an enormous challenge among such sinful circumstances. No doubt the Lord knew that even a man like the apostle Paul needed encouragement. And so He spoke to Paul in the night and said, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city” (Acts 18:9-10). Paul was obedient to such a vision and remained in Corinth “a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them” (Acts 18:11). Now we know the Lord is not going to speak to us in a vision today as He did Paul, but surely we believe He speaks to us through His word and invites us to trust Him as we go into a world of darkness preaching the gospel of light. What’s interesting is that it took a vision from the Lord to move Paul toward Corinth. Of all places and people, even Paul could not envision this being ripe for evangelism. Ever felt that way about your city?
I believe what the Lord wanted Paul to see, He wants us to see as well today. Let’s consider a few things the Lord wants us to see with an eye of faith.
He wants us to see souls. The Lord said to Paul, “I have many people in this city” (vs. 10). For our purposes, we are reminded that it’s people who need the gospel. It’s those who are yet in their sins that must “call on the name of the Lord.” “But how are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Rom. 10:14). It’s in seeing souls, lost people who are in need of the saving gospel of Christ that motivates us to keep looking for opportunities to open our mouths and “go on speaking and not remain silent” (vs. 9).
He wants us to see His power. After telling Paul to speak and no longer remain silent, He then assured him, “I am with you.” What a promise! What power! But we need to be tapping into such Divine power. The Hebrew writer assures us that the word of God is “living and powerful” (Heb. 4:12). James assures us that the prayer of a righteous person “has great power” (James 5:16). What a promise! What a privilege! We just need to open our eyes and see how God’s presence and the assurance of such power can change everything. The Lord promised to be with Paul, and He promises to be with us today as we go among the lost seeking to “make disciples” of all the nations (Matt. 28:19-20). Therefore, we have no reason to be afraid.
He wants us to see the stamina necessary in seeking souls. Paul stayed at the task of preaching and teaching for a year and a half (vs. 11), perhaps even longer (vs. 18). He would not be easily discouraged or deterred from his work of seeking the lost. How we need such a spirit of determination. Seeking the lost and praying for doors of opportunity is hard work, work that can be filled with frustrations. But we must stay on task. We can’t afford to drift into despair or give up because we haven’t seen fruit in over a year. Let us have endurance for the mission. Let us “not lose heart in doing good” (Gal. 6:9), but remain “steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58). God promises that our labor will not be in vain.
So the next time Satan tries to use doubt and fear to keep you from seeking some soul to save, how about seeing God’s power and trusting in His presence. Isn’t it time we started walking by faith and not by sight? What do you see?
— Via Viewpoint from the Valley Grove church of Christ, November 13, 2022
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Jesus: Our “Underwriter”
Jerry Fite
Greek youngsters were taught to write during ancient times when writing materials were not as plentiful and comparatively expensive. Students would have a wax tablet with a stylus which was pointed on one end and flat on the other. The pointed end was used to write on the soft wax, and the flat end was used to smooth over the wax so the tablet could be used again.
The writing teachers would either write a sentence with a moral message or a line containing the important letters of the Greek alphabet at the top of the tablet. The teacher would also draw parallel lines on the tablet in which the student would write. The student would then take their stylus and follow the pattern of making each letter, keeping their writing straight by staying within the parallel lines.
William Barclay, in his work entitled New Testament Words, informs us not only of the above way of teaching Greek young people to write from Plato, but he also speaks of a way learned from Quintilian in his work, Education of an Orator. The teacher would write the letters on the student’s wax tablet and then the student would follow the grooves of the master’s work with his own hand. At first, the student’s hand was placed over the teacher’s hand as each letter was traced, then the student, “guided along the grooves,” could follow the pattern, not “straying beyond the boundary” (pages 139-140).
The line the teacher would provide for the student, and that which the student was to follow was called the “hupogrammos,” literally meaning, “the underwriting.”
There is only one time this word occurs in the New Testament. Peter uses the word in pointing to Jesus who left us “an example…”. (hupogrammos) that we should follow his steps” (I Peter 2:21).
These steps are not easy, for they are taken in the context of persecution and suffering. The Christian may have to suffer wrongfully for doing right (I Peter 2:19). It would be understandable to do wrong and be buffeted for the wrong. But in living in good conscience, one has done nothing wrong but lives as God directs, and he or she is still punished by others. Can he or she endure such suffering patiently? Yes, because one has already written the line to follow, and we can walk in the grooves of Jesus’ steps: “who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when He was reviled, reviled not again, when He suffered, threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously”(I Peter 2:22-23).
Jesus as the master teacher has drawn the parallel lines so our walk can be straight, and has shown us the pattern to follow in difficult times. He did not retaliate with evil when wronged by others, but with the mental stroke of the stylus, He committed Himself to the hands of God who will judge all men “righteously.” God will handle “the wrong,” so we can continue in lines “of right.”
In times of suffering for doing right, we need a gentle hand helping us to remain in the grooves. Paul received assurance when His thorn in the flesh was not removed. He had a comforting hand to follow as he traced out the letters of life: “My grace is sufficient for thee” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Jesus is a great “underwriter!”
— Via Glad Tidings, Vol. XXXIV, No. 27, July 7, 2024
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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 Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins. For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30). For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).
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; 1 Pet. 3:21). This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so “through faith in the working of God” (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to…
6) Continue in the faith by living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; 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: 9 a.m. Bible Classes and 10 a.m. Worship Service. Congregational Song Service: 5 p.m. for every first Sunday of the month.
Wednesday: 7 p.m. Bible Classes
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
https://thomastedwards.com/go/all.htm (This is a link to the older version of the Gospel Observer website, but with bulletins going back to March 4, 1990.)