Reaching the Lost

5: Reaching Those Who Are Nearby

Do you begin your day with a To-Do list?  Many people like to write down everything they plan to do throughout the course of the day in order to focus on priorities.  Disciples of Christ, whether they write it down on a To-Do list or not, should always have reaching the lost as a priority.  Each day we venture out into the world, we should have a mind prepared to share the doctrine of Christ at every opportunity (I Pet. 3:15).  But this does not always seem practical in our day-to-day lives.In Matthew chapter 15, a Canaanite woman seeks the help of the Son of God.  “Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil,” (v.22) she pleaded.  Here is an individual one who believed in Christ, desiring to bring the healing power and love of the Lord into the life of a loved one.  Too often we get so frustrated trying to find ways to engage strangers about the gospel that we forget about those close friends and family members who may just as desperately need the knowledge of Christ.  We can almost hear the anguish in Martha’s voice when she tells Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21, ESV)Consider, for a moment, those closest to you.  Consider your own immediate and extended family members.  Consider your closest friends, your neighbors, the coworkers with whom you have good, friendly relationships.  Consider the cousin, aunt, uncle, son, ordaughter in your life who is lost in sin, or perhaps who was once faithful and has fallen away.  For all these and such people you may be the only representative of Christ, the only vessel of his doctrine, the only light in their lives.  We should be concerned about the souls of all men (Mark 16:15), but on a practical level it is often much easier to talk to your friend or family member on the phone or through email, than it is to talk to that angry cashier at Wal-Mart.Recall from Mark chapter 5 the man who Christ liberated from an evil spirit, how he returned to Christ and prayed that he could go with him (v.18).  “Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.  And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.” (v.19,20).  In a similar fashion, as disciples of Christ experience daily the love and power of Christ, so should we be happy to “go home to our friends,” those closest to us and share the great things Jesus has done for us.In Luke we read about how the neighbors and cousins of Elizabeth rejoiced in the mercy the Lord showed her (Luke 1:57,58) in bearing John the Baptist.  Because of her, albeit miraculous, exposure to divine things, those closest to her came and rejoiced with her, all of them recognizing the power and mercy of God.  How wonderful for the disciples of Christ, as vessels of the Christian doctrine, faith and practice, to have our friends and family rejoicing with us in the Lord!In the life of every disciple of Christ, Jesus through the inspired Word has performed many acts of spiritual power and authority (I Cor. 1:23,24).  We know he has the power to heal (Mal. 4:2).  We know he has the power to teach, demonstrate, and guide us in divine knowledge (Matt. 19:16).  And, most importantly, we know he has the power to save (Acts 4:10-12).  How tragic it would be for us to tell Christ, “my brother’s spirit would have lived if only you would have visited him”, only to hear the Lord respond, “But you did not take me to him.” – Jeremy Koontz

The Eternal Purpose of God pp

WORSHIP 5/19/2018

WORSHIP

            There is no confusion about the NEED to worship; as the angel told John more than once, we must “worship God” (Revelation 19:10; 22:8, 9).  Most everybody is willing to worship Him; but do not understand what that requires.  How we worship, and when we worship, and what we do in worship, are essentials.  When Jesus said that acceptable worship must be “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24) He was directing our attention to the right attitude (in spirit) and the right practices (in truth). 

Jesus wants us to understand that not everything we might offer in sacrifice to Him is acceptable.  There are those who think that, whatever they give God is acceptable, to Him -- if THEY like it.  A neighbor told me that the trombone solo he was going to render in a Baptist church would please God because it pleased him and because it was his talent.  Shortly after that, a lady (?) was reported as planning to offer her talent in the worship service  – she was a strip-tease artist.  By this time I had lost touch with the trombone player, which was a shame because I knew he would have been delighted to hear from me with this news.

            This point is driven home by Jesus in Matthew 15, when He said worship which is the teaching of men is unavailing – “in vain do you worship me“.

            With worship we intend to praise God – but we only praise Him as we obey Him.  King Saul is a splendid example of one who, claiming to obey God actually ignores the instruction given him.  Told to slay the Amalekites and all their livestock,  he killed all the commoners, and all the flawed livestock; but he saved the good livestock; and the king.  Hear God’s judgment on such sacrifice: “ … Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king” (I Samuel 15:23).

            Another example is of  Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10) who offered to God a sacrifice “which he had not commanded them”; the result was God sent fire and it “consumed them” (Leviticus 10: 2, 3).   Nadab and Abihu had not done that which God had forbidden, rather they had presumptuously offered what He had NOT called for.  God does not want our originality: He wants us to speak where He has spoken, and be silent where He has been silent.                                                                                       Pat                

Christian Character 1 3

Reaching the lost PT 2

 Reaching the Lost

2: The Power of Truth

The church that Christ established has one purpose: to seek and save the lost.  Seeking the lost, reaching out to those who do not know or those who have refused Christ, is often a challenge.  As disciples of Christ we must endure a great deal of adversity, hardship, and disappointment in our labor.  However, scripture makes it clear that the challenges of reaching the lost are expected if we’re truly fulfilling our purpose as the body of Christ.  Not only that, but when we do suffer hardship for the cause of Christ, we are to rejoice in them! (Col. 1:24, I Pet. 4:13)

As a result of these frequent challenges, we often find ourselves discouraged.  Individuals and congregations may labor for months reaching out to the world and not bring in a single lost sheep.  Unfortunately, it leads many disciples of Christ to doubt the source and power of our doctrine and faith.  Often, disciples of Christ give up on actively and consistently reaching out to the lost, and convince themselves that attending worship services is enough to please God.  It has already been submitted that if we are not reaching out to save the lost we are not fulfilling our purpose and therefore not pleasing God.  It is, perhaps, an even greater offence when we give up on our doctrine, and deny the power of the Word itself.

Paul declares in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”  He says the gospel contains THE power of God that leads ALL who believe to salvation.  God provided no other means of salvation than Christ.  All of the power to save men from their sins is in Christ, and the only place one can learn about Christ is through His gospel.  The gospel of Christ and the inspired scriptures which point to it, contain the Truth, and that Truth is full of power, “quick, powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12).  Despite our difficulties in teaching it, we must continually have faith in that Truth.  Paul says in I Thessalonians 1:5 that the gospel is delivered by word and also in power.  Again, if the church loses faith in the gospel Truth and keeps it hidden, then the power thereof is also hidden from the lost (II Cor. 4:3).

Truth is powerful because it never changes (I Pet. 1:25).  Consider the doctrines and creeds of men, how the words of men are always changing with the times.  Even though we may have a remembrance of things men said long ago, and though we may see truth in men’s sayings, the word of man certainly does not endure forever.  Also, most of the enduring “truth” we see in the words of men is actually the result of the fact that men throughout history have borrowed truth from the Word of God in their writings. 

But the Truth as delivered from God and as revealed in scripture is eternal in nature.  This means the Truth we have to deliver to the lost was true, is true, and will always be true!  I Thessalonians 2:13 says that Paul was thankful that the church at Thessalonica had received the word of God, “not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually works also in you that believe.”

The church at Thessalonica recognized that they were in possession of tremendous power, of eternal power, the Truth as given to them from God.  As disciples of Christ today, we need to recognize this blessing as well and do what we are purposed to do with it: deliver the Truth to the lost.  What an awesome responsibility we have as disciples of Christ, wielding the power of God’s eternal purpose (Eph. 3:11).  Let us act faithfully and consistently in sharing this Truth, this power, with our fellow men.

Jeremy Koontz

Reflection on the Psalms

Psalm 3 includes a subtitle “A psalm of David. When he fled from Absalom his son”. The event that led to the writing of this psalm may have come from the time when Absalom was trying to take the throne away from his father David. When Absalom began his revolt, many people followed him and rejected David’s rule. Verse 1 described what was happening to David, “O LORD, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me. Many are saying of my soul, ‘There is no deliverance for him in God.’" The reasons for the writing of Psalm 3 was simple - betrayal, rejection and humiliation.

Probably no one today can specifically understand what David faced, but most people, most Christians, have faced betrayal and rejection. The actions may have come from a “good” friend, a “close” associate, or a loved one. But the results still lead to pain, shock, disbelief, and anger. Suddenly, an apparently well-ordered life is thrown into turmoil. What was supposed to be the truth turns out to be a lie. So, how does a person deal with this? What is an appropriate response? The world says to strike back, seek revenge, dwell on what happened, feed and nurture the anger and bitterness.

But verses 3-6 show that David’s response was different. “But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. I was crying to the LORD with my voice, and He answered me from His holy mountain. I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustains me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about.”

Was there an obvious solution to the problems when David wrote this Psalm? No. But in spite of the situation he was facing, David’s faith never wavered. What incredible faith! His words were not a man complaining to God in a petulant manner. In fact, in verses 5-6, he declared that he was still able to sleep in spite of the trials he was facing!

Some people sleep soundly out of ignorance or arrogance. Other people’s spirit has been so seared by sin, that they feel nothing and sleep. But then there are others who sleep because of their confidence in the Lord. How many today can make that claim? How many Christians, upon experiencing even a small amount of what David was describing, could echo his words?

Remember the words that James wrote in James 1:2-4, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” How many Christians intellectually understand what the words say, but do not believe that they really work? Yet, the foundation of a Christian’s spiritual strength is faith in the Father and His Son - Jesus Christ. And that faith grows and matures through prayer.

David’s words were inspired, but he had no magic tricks for his faith. In fact, he had less information than people have today. Today, the “Good News” has been proclaimed. The “mystery of the ages” has been revealed in Jesus Christ. Sins CAN be forgiven. Eternal life IS obtainable through Jesus Christ. How much greater should be the faith of a Christian today?

Verse 8 is a fitting conclusion. “Salvation belongs to the LORD; Your blessing be upon Your people!” Like Jesus, Christians can face physical suffering and adversity, but nothing in this world can separate a Christian from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. Christians live in the world, and things will happen that will cause pain, sorrow, and anxiety. But life is NOT this world. Life is not things, position, or health. Life is the sanctified relationship that can exist with the Eternal God and Creator of the Universes through the love, courage and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Indeed, God’s blessings are upon His people!

Jim Shelburn

Reaching the Lost

1: The Purpose of the Church

Paul writes in II Timothy 3, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, holy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God…” 

            Who would doubt that we are indeed now living in these perilous times?  It seems the verse is not talking about the peril of all men, but specifically spiritual perils that will face the faithful in Christ.  The pride, covetousness, blasphemy, ungodliness, and treachery of men dominates the earth.  Everywhere we turn we are confronted by it.  On almost every television channel its thrust into our homes.  From almost every radio station its thrust into our ears.  Every industry seems to be moved by greed, lust, and pride.  False teachers cry out from pulpits to denominational churches and rule the airwaves and publishing industry.  People who profess faith in God and a desire to live pure and righteously are bombarded by the darkness born from the devil and his ministers.  Indeed, perilous times for the faithful are upon us!

            But we should not look at the world with an “us versus them” state of mind.  We should not stand among the faithful few and look out at our countless worldly oppressors as people wecannot relate to.  We should not think there is an insurmountable rift between us and the lost; the unrighteous and unfaithful in the world are simply that - lost.  In fact, most of us can remember a time when we were on the other side of the line between light and darkness.  Most of us can remember a time when we ourselves were lost, adrift in the world, full of pride, covetousness, and other worldly qualities.  Let us recall such verses as I Corinthians 6:9-11, which reminds us of our once unfaithful and unrighteous state.  Verse 11 says “such were some of you” - lost.

As members of the Lord‘s church, we need to constantly remind ourselves of our purpose.  Why does the church of Christ exist and what is our main objective as members?  In order to understand the purpose of the church, we need to understand what the church is.  In I Corinthians 12:27, it says of the church that “You are the body of Christ.”  Ephesians 1:22,23 say that the church is the fullness of Christ and, again, that the church is his body.  There are many more verses that speak of the church as the body of Christ, leaving us with the simple fact that the church is the representative of Christ here in this world.

Now that we know what the church is, we can talk about its purpose.  In order to understand the purpose of the church, we simply need to know the purpose of Christ.  Matthew 18:11 makes it very clear: “For the son of man is come to save that which is lost.”  So often in the Gospels Christ speaks of himself as a shepherd tending to his sheep.  In the verses that follow in Matthew 18, he speaks of a man having a hundred sheep, and the labor and love he puts into recovering one that is lost.  Verse 13 says that he rejoices more over recovering the one lost sheep than he does over the 99 which he has.  Here is demonstrated the purpose of the church: to reach out to the lost and bring them to knowledge of Christ.

If the church does not labor in bringing the lost to Christ, who will?  This is our work.  This is our mission.  This is our purpose.  Filling the pews every Sunday morning would be glorious, but the work does not end there.  Every new soul brought into Christ is a fulfillment of our mission, every lost sheep shown the path to light and righteousness is our aim.  Christ tells us that, “Ye are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14).  Let’s not keep our light hidden from a perilous, suffering world that so desperately needs us.  Let’s commit ourselves to this great purpose, this great work, knowing that “if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost…” (II Cor. 4:3)

Jeremy Koontz

REACHING THE LOST Pt 3

Reaching the Lost

3: With all Confidence

If the mission of Christ was to teach and demonstrate the path to redemption (Matt. 18:11), and if the representative of Christ in the world today is the church (I Cor. 12:27), then it is also our mission as members of the church to teach and demonstrate the path to redemption.  It is our mission as disciples of Christ to reach out to those lost in the darkness of sin and error, and guide them by the powerful means of eternal Truth (Rom. 1:16, I Pet. 1:25) into paths of light and righteousness.

This is no small task and we should not take it lightly.  We have the awesome responsibility of sharing the Truth with our fellow men, especially those living in sin and darkness, and many times this task is easier said than done.  There are many reasons (some might call them excuses) why we don’t share the Gospel as much as we can and should, but the last reason we should have is that we are not confident in the power of Truth.  As disciples of Christ, our efforts to reach the lost - passing out flyers, door knocking, talking to a loved one over the telephone, standing in line with a stranger at the supermarket, through emails we send, etc. - should all be brimming with confidence.  When people hear the Gospel from us, they should know that we feel like that which we teach and preach is truly powerful and eternal! For at least two years of his ministry, Paul lived in a hired house, receiving everyone that came to him, “Preaching the kingdom ofGod, and teaching those things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.” (Acts. 28:31) The Hebrew term here for “confidence” is also rendered “with trust“, or “openly”.  We know the hardships and struggles Paul and the apostles endured during their ministry (II Cor. 6:4-10), and the fact that they were often forbidden to teach and preach.  But here, we have the great apostle doing his work without hindrance and without forbiddance.  How much more confident and open should we be in sharing the Gospel, knowing that we don’t have to be worried about being hauled off to prison, stoned, beaten, or chased out of cities for our efforts?  We, too, should preach the kingdom and teach about Christ with all confidence.

When we are preparing to share the Gospel with others, far from our minds should be the question, “Is this going to work?”  The power of the Truth is spoken of by scripture and demonstrated by the fact that even in this “modern” world, people are still being converted by that Truth.  When we are preparing to share the Gospel, the single thought in our minds should be Romans 1:16, that our message is “the power of God unto salvation”, and that it will perform its work.

We also need to remember that our confidence is, in fact, in the Gospel and not in men’s hearts.  We know that there are different types of hearts in the world that will receive the word in different ways.  The parable of the sower reveals the majority of the seed planted will fail to be fruitful in most hearts (Matt. 13:3-8), and we know that ultimately those who find the straight path to righteousness will be few in number (Matt. 7:14), and so we know that we should not put our confidence in the idea that everyone we teach will respond.  We desire, as does the Lord, that all men repent and turn to righteousness, and labor with the thought that everyone is a candidate for salvation; but our confident is not in man to respond, but in the Word to transform hearts and minds.

As we labor to reach the lost, let us put all of our confidence in the Lord and His Word.  If we are diligent in delivering that Word to the lost, we can also have confidence in the fact that we are fulfilling our purpose as the church.

Jeremy Koontz