“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) Together (Irvin Himmel)
2) The Tragic Sin of King Uzziah (Keith Sharp)
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Together
Irvin Himmel
Christians are not expected to be loners. First, we need the help of, and constant communion with, the Lord. “For none of us liveth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s” (Rom. 14:7-8). Second, we need each other.
Please consider the emphasis which the New Testament places on togetherness.
Gathering Together
Jesus taught, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20). The presence of Jesus is not contingent on the size of the gathering, but rather that the gathering is “in His name.” The Hebrew writer admonished, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another. . .” (Heb. 10:25).
Mutual edification strengthens and fortifies. God wants us to come together. Deliberately staying away from the meetings of the church is a symptom of selfishness and self-centeredness. Our presence is needed, not to boost a preacher’s ego or to swell the attendance merely to have larger numbers, but for our own good.
Worshiping Together
“And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them” (Acts 20:7). The first-century disciples did not partake of the Lord’s supper in solitariness; they came together to break bread. When Peter was released from prison, “he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying” (Acts 12:12). Although one may pray in privacy, as other examples clearly show, it is appropriate that we pray together. The fact that we are to teach and admonish one another in singing indicates our coming together to sing (Col. 3:16).
Our attitude toward worshiping together should be that expressed by the psalmist, “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together” (Ps. 34:3). There is beauty and inspiration in our blending our voices in praise and being of one heart in expressing homage and adoration to God.
Striving Together
Paul taught the saints at Philippi to “stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27). Too often Christians are found striving one against another. A spirit of divisiveness hinders our efforts. Some who are quick to label others as having a “party spirit” are themselves quite partisan in certain views which they champion. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” (Ps. 133:1).
Striving together means working and fighting shoulder to shoulder against the common foe. It means contending together for the faith “once delivered” to the saints (Jude 3). For this to be a reality we must “be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10). It is to be regretted that petty squabbles and personal clashes prevent our closing ranks in the battle against wickedness. Some had rather sit on the sidelines and take potshots here and there than to work together with courageous brethren in striving for the faith of the gospel.
Following Together
Certain people follow one religious standard and others follow another. There is always confusion in a congregation when some adhere to one rule and others give attention to a conflicting concept. Paul said to the Philippians, “. . . Let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample” (Phil. 3:16-17). To be “followers together” of Paul means imitating the same model. To follow Paul is to follow Christ, for the apostle insisted, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1).
Followers together of Paul are not ashamed of the gospel (Rom. 1:16). Followers together of Paul come not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring the testimony of God (1 Cor. 2:1). Followers together of Paul learn, in whatever state, to be content (Phil. 4:11). Followers together of Paul endure persecutions and afflictions (2 Tim. 3:10-12). Followers together of Paul fight a good fight, finish the course, and keep the faith (2 Tim. 4:7). Followers together of Paul do not covet anyone’s silver, gold, or apparel (Acts 20:33).
Being Caught Up Together
The faithful in Christ who are living on earth when he returns will have no advantage over the dead in Christ, because “the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16-17). Think of it! The dead in Christ are raised up; and they, along with the living in Christ, are caught up together to meet the Lord and be with him forevermore.
Together, God’s people worship, work, struggle, weep, rejoice, suffer, and go home to eternal glory. Together, we shall praise him for ever and ever!
— Via Truth Magazine, Vol. XLV; 3, p18, February 1, 2001
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The Tragic Sin of King Uzziah
Keith Sharp
King Uzziah of Judah obeyed the law of the Lord; and, as the result, God blessed him and made his kingdom strong (2 Chronicles 26:1-15). “But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the LORD his God and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense” (verse 16, English Standard Version).
Azariah the high priest and 80 brave priests followed the king into the temple, confronted him, and informed him he had no right to offer the incense to the Lord. Uzziah became very angry, but as the priests courageously withstood him, leprosy broke out in his forehead. The priests rushed him out of the temple, and he himself hurried to leave. But he was an unclean leper the remainder of his life, had to live by himself (cf. Leviticus 13:1-3; Numbers 5:1-3), and his son Jotham reigned in his place (2 Chronicles 26:17-23).
King Uzziah, a descendant of David, was of the tribe of Judah (Matthew 1:2-9). The Lord did not specifically forbid one from Judah to function as a priest; He just said nothing about priests from the tribe of Judah (Hebrews 7:14). He commanded that priests in Israel were to be of the tribe of Levi and of the lineage of Aaron (Exodus 40:13-15; Numbers 26:58-59).
King Uzziah could not minister as a priest because the Lord God specified the tribe from which the priests were to come, and he was of the wrong tribe.
Why don’t churches of Christ have instrumental music in worship? It’s because in the New Testament the Lord tells us to sing in worship (Acts 16:25; Romans 15:8-9; 1 Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 5:18-19; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 2:11-12; James 5:13). He didn’t say play on an instrument, as He did under the Old Testament (cf. Psalm 150); and He didn’t just say “make music.” He specified that we sing in worship. Instrumental music is the wrong kind of music.
When the Lord specifies what He wants in worship, it is sin to introduce something else. Do you think you could convince King Uzziah now that it doesn’t make any difference how we worship?
— via Articles from the Knollwood church of Christ, June 2025
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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
Wednesday (all but the first): 7 p.m. Bible Classes
First Wednesday of the month: 7 p.m. Congregational Song Service (about 45 minutes of singing, followed by a short talk)
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.)