The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
October 26, 2003
In
This Issue:
What
if YOU were the last remaining Christian?
by
Greg Gwin
Drowning
at a Convention of LIfe Guards
by
Steve Klein
What if YOU were the last remaining Christian?
A tired and discouraged Elijah proclaimed to God, "I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life to take it away" (1 Kings 19:10). He was wrong, of course. The Lord explained that He had 7,000 who remained faithful (vs. 18).
But, what if Elijah had been right? What if he really was the last remaining faithful servant of God in all the earth? Two things seem clear: 1) He could not have used this as an excuse to give up, to surrender, to stop doing the will of God; and 2) The urgency of his work would have been even greater. The need for his proclamation of God's word would have been even more pressing.
There's a lesson here for us. Have you ever felt like you were alone in your stand for the truth? Has it seemed like no one else was committed to doing what was right? If so, you should take heart in knowing that there are many others who share your convictions and dedication. You are NOT alone. As in Elijah's day, God knows and has an accurate count of all those who are faithfully living for Him.
But, even if you were the last faithful Christian in the entire world, you would still need to work hard to teach and practice the will of God. This would not be an excuse for you to give up or surrender in your service for Him. In fact, your work would be more important than ever.
If all men were to let us down, and we truly stood alone, we would still have this promise from God: "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." And our reaction to this truth should be to "boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me" (Heb. 13:5,6).
Christian, you are not alone. You have a host of faithful brethren who stand with you. And, you have the Almighty God of heaven who supports you. Stand fast!
By Greg Gwin
via The Beacon, Sept. 3, 2003
In September of 1985, a celebration took place at a New Orleans municipal pool. The party around the pool was held to celebrate the first summer in memory without a drowning at the New Orleans City pool. In honor of the occasion, 200 people gathered, including 100 certified lifeguards. As the party was breaking up and the four lifeguards on duty began to clear the pool, they found a fully dressed body in the deep end. They tried to revive Jerome Moody, 31, but it was too late. He had drowned surrounded by lifeguards celebrating their successful season.
Christians are like lifeguards whose job it is to rescue those drowning in this world of sin. When we assemble together for worship, we often have visitors in our midst that are not Christians. We must not allow them to "drown" due to carelessness on our part. We must be willing to do all within our power that we "might by all means save some" (1 Corinthians 9:22).
1 Corinthians 14:25 describes the ideal reaction an unbeliever would have upon visiting one of our worship assemblies: "Falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you." While the worship service that Paul is describing in 1 Corinthians 14 is one where miraculous spiritual gifts were at work, other things also contributed to the positive impression made on the unbeliever. The same rescuer-behaviors that helped the unbeliever in 1 Corinthians 14 would have helped the drowning man at the New Orleans pool or the lost man who visited our assemblies. Successful rescuers must have the following:
-
An awareness that some among us may be lost or drowning. This is Paul's very point in 1 Corinthians 14:24-25. There were unbelievers in the assembly. The words and actions of those in the assembly needed to be of spiritual benefit to the unbeliever. All things needed to be done for edification. Lifeguards who are "celebrating," and unaware of the peril others may be facing, will be careless and fail to come to the rescue.
-
Fervency. In I Corinthians 14:15-17, Paul stressed the importance of praying and singing with the spirit and the understanding for the benefit of others. When unbelievers hear half-mumbled thoughtless prayers, singing with no exuberance, or sermons devoid of a passionate love for the truth, they'll continue sinking in the waters of unbelief. Rescuers who have lost zeal and fervor for their work will not be effective.
-
Absence of confusion. Many are lost and remain lost because they are confused. They don't know which way to turn. Disorganized worship and/or the teaching of the doctrines of men will do nothing but further confuse the lost. 1 Corinthians 14:33 states that, "God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints" and verse 40 says, "Let all things be done decently and in order."
It's tragic for a man to lose his life in the midst of potential rescuers. It's worse when a man loses his soul. It may be that unsaved individuals who visit our assemblies will refuse to be rescued. But let us as Christians do all that is within our power to make our worship assembly the best rescue operation possible!
by Steve Klein