The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
March 25, 2001
In
This Issue:
"Our
Spring
Gospel
Meeting"
By
Tim Johnson
Our Spring Gospel Meeting
Our spring gospel meeting was a huge success. We had outstanding attendance from both members and visitors. We thank everyone for his or her contribution to this teaching effort. For those who were not able to attend and for those who want to remember the things taught by Brother Bill Hall, we have tapes of each sermon. Please see Michael Gautney for copies. Also, the following is a short description of each lesson.
On Sunday morning, Brother Bill shared with us a message he had seen on a church sign, which said, "Salvation - It's not how hard you try, but whom you trust." According to Titus 3:3-7, our salvation is built upon the grace of God, our hope is in Him, and it is in Jesus Christ that we trust. We must not trust in ourselves, as the Jews were doing in Rom. 10:1-3.
But trust in the Lord doesn't exclude a genuine effort on our part. We see in II Pet. 1:5-8 that we should be diligent and, in vss. 10-11, we are to abound. We also see in Matt. 7:7 that we are to ask, seek, and knock; in Luke 13:24, we are to strive or agonize; in I Tim. 6:11-14, we are to flee, follow and fight. But how do we show our trust in God? We do this by studying the manual He has provided for us - His word. Trusting in God, we must genuinely try to learn God's will, to accept God's will, to do God's will, and to persevere in God's will.
Brother Bill concluded his lesson by pointing out the effort we should make as described in Heb. 12:1-2: "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
On Sunday evening, Brother Bill helped us look at things which are not seen, which, according to II Cor. 4:16-18, are eternal. We cannot see, but we know that:
1. There will be a resurrection of the dead - "&ldots;knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you" (II Cor. 4:14).
2. We will have a new body - "For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked" (II Cor. 5:1-3).
3. At death, we will be with the Lord - "So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord" (II Cor. 5:6-8).
4. We know the terror of the Lord - "Therefore we make it our aim, whether absent or present, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences" (II Cor. 5:9-11).
On Monday evening, the subject of Brother Bill's lesson was The Mighty Power of God. He pointed out that, in Eph. 2:8-10, we are the workmanship of God, a demonstration of the mighty power of God. Then we looked at several passages that show what the mighty power of God can do in the life of a person. The power of God can save us (II Tim. 1:8-9). There is nothing that we can do to earn our salvation. It is given to us by God through Jesus Christ (John 3:16). The power of God can raise us up (Eph. 1:19-20, 2:1, 4-6). Just as God raised up Jesus, made Him alive, and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, He is able to do so for us as well. The power of God transforms us (Eph. 3:14-21). He strengthens our inner man so that Christ may dwell in our hearts and that we may be filled with the fullness of God. The power of God keeps us (I Pet. 1:3-5). We're told, in John 10:27-29, that we are in the hand of God where there is refuge. We can hide ourselves in the hollow of God's gigantic hand, that hand which measures the oceans, spans the heavens, and lifts the mountains.
God's power is mighty and is able to accomplish these things. But, we have a part to play in this action. God is able to save us, but as He reaches down to us, we must reach up to Him through faith. This must be a working faith, which leads us to obedience in baptism. God also is able to raise us up, but this takes place through baptism (Col. 2:12). Additionally, to be raised to sit with Christ in heavenly places, we must set our minds on things above and seek after them (Col 3:1-2). God is able to transform us, but we must have the attitude: "Have Thine Own Way, Lord" (Gal. 2:20). God is able to keep us, but it is through faith on our part that this is done (I Pet. 1:5). We can hide ourselves in the hollow of God's hand, but, if we choose to leave, then we have left the place of security. Finally, through His mighty power, God has "given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness" (II Pet. 2:2-3). Man cannot discover the way to salvation on his own. It must be revealed to him and, in His infinite wisdom, God has revealed it unto man (I Cor. 1:18-21). The power of God that saves us, raises us up, transforms us and keeps us is revealed in His word. But it will do us no good if we do not read and study His word more than just when we assemble together.
On Tuesday evening, Brother Bill directed us in a study of the mighty Word of God. Some people refer to the Bible as a dead letter. Others say it is an interesting historical account. Still others will give it lip service, but will not live by what's found within because it's 2000 years old. But, according to Heb. 4:12, the mighty Word of God is living, powerful, and active, yes, even active today. The Word of God (1) brings us to faith, Rom. 10:17, (2) brings us to the new birth, I Pet. 1:22-25, (3) guides us through life, Ps. 119:105, and (4) judges us, John 12:48.
How is God's word so powerful? It is God's word (Gen. 1:1). It is the word of Christ (Heb. 1:1-3). It is the word of the Holy Spirit (John 16:12-13). When all else comes to an end, the mighty Word of God will stand. We can understand now how the apostle Paul could boldly say: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek" (Rom. 1:16).
On Wednesday evening, Brother Bill presented his final lesson on Apostles, Great Men for a Great Task. We see in Eph. 3:10-11 that God purposed the church through Jesus before the foundation of the world. It was the responsibility of the apostles to preach and teach the gospel according to the eternal purpose of God. The apostles were divinely sent, they were witnesses of the life of Jesus, and they were ambassadors for God. They spoke for the King as guided by the Holy Spirit, who also gave them power to perform miracles which confirmed the word spoken. Additionally, they were given the power to lay their hands on others to impart spiritual gifts. The apostles were men of faith (II Pet. 1:16-18), dedication (Mk. 10:28), humility (II Cor. 4:5-7), fearlessness (Acts 4:13, 18-20), and they were willing to suffer (I Cor. 4:9-13). God expects everyone make this same sacrifice.