The Gospel Spotlight
(Electronic Edition)
(Romans 1:16)
“For I am not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation . . .
.”
October
The Gospel Spotlight is a
publication of
the
Editor and Evangelist
Don McClain - donmccla@msn.com
Web-Site - http://www.w65stchurchofchrist.org/My_Homepage.html
Contents
Does It Matter
- By Don McClain
The Pain of Repentance - Steve Dewhirst
Contender For The
Faith - By Jon W.
Quinn
What Is The Purpose of The Sermon? - -------------Taken from
"Jacksonburg Light".
Urgent Needs In
The Church Today -
Doctrinal Gullibility - T. Prater via, The
Does it matter?
By Don McClain
We live in an age
where priorities and affections are grossly misplaced thus resulting in
indifference and apathy towards spiritual things. "Seeking first the
Have you ever though about the prospect, that indeed, your worship and service to God could all be in vain because, in reality it could be based upon the doctrines and commandments of men instead of the scriptures? (Matthew 15:7-9). Our aim is to show that in deed, when it comes to these matters, - it REALLY does matter!
The Way To Salvation - Does it matter?
The question
"what must I do" is asked and answered in Acts 2:37 - "37Now
when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest
of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" How did the
inspired apostle Peter answer this group of believers? "Repent, and let
every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Have you ever
heard your preacher use these words of Peter while extending an invitation, or
while explaining what someone needed to do in order to be saved? Does it matter
to you whether or not you have been taught error regarding your salvation?
(Mark
To instruct one to
"Say the sinners prayer," or - "Ask Jesus to come into their
heart," cannot be found in the scriptures. No inspired apostle or
evangelist in the New Testament ever gave someone these instructions? It
matters little how one "FEELS" about their salvation (Proverbs
The Road In Life
We Choose - Does It Matter?
The false concept
that there are "Many roads to heaven" prevails in the mind of the
majority. Does it matter to you that the Bible speaks of only one way, and it
is "narrow and difficult and that only a few will find it?" (John
10:1,2; 14:6; Matthew 7:13,14, 21-23). The
preponderance is indifferent regarding the need to double check the direction
in which they are going by the true and certain spiritual map - The Bible, (2
Timothy 3:16,17). Does it matter to you that if indeed you are following the
doctrines and traditions of men rather than the Bible, that
your worship and work will all be wasted, and will result in your soul being
lost? (Matthew 15:7-9, Ezekiel 14:10; Jeremiah 23:32).
Those Who Lead Us
- Does It Matter?
Do the Biblical
warnings about false teachers coming in sheep's clothing concern you? (Matthew
7:15). Whether they mislead purposely or sincerely out of ignorance, you need
to know that following false teachers will result in your destruction, right
along with them! (Isaiah 9:16; Matthew 15:14; Revelation
19:20). And beware - there are many false teachers out there!! (2 John
1:7; 2 Peter 2:1-3)
Which Church -
Does It Matter?
Maybe you truly
believe it doesn't matter to which church you belong, and that one church is as
good as another. Does it matter to you that Jesus only promised to build one?
(Matthew 16:18). How many then did He build? (Ephesians 1:22,23;
4:4). Paul says there is one body, (church). Does it matter then to which one I
belong? If I want to be saved it does! - "And the Lord added to the church
daily those who were being saved." (Acts
In Galatians 3:26,27, Paul tells us how we get into Christ, or His church,
"26For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27For as
many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." All who are
in the
The word church,
when referring to those who belong to Christ, is used in only two senses in the
New Testament: (1) The church in the universal sense: In which there is only
one, which includes those both alive and dead, (Colossians 1:18-23), from the
first Pentecost after Christ death till now who are children of God by faith in
Christ - the saved. (2) In the local sense: Those who had been baptized into
Christ were to join together, and "stand fast in one spirit, with one mind
striving together for the faith of the gospel," (Philippians
Does It Make A
Difference Which
Yes it does - it
must teach and follow only the Bible! (Philippians 3:16,17).
It's name must indicate Christ's possession of it, (Romans
How We Worship God
- Does it matter?
Does it really
matter whether your worship that you offer God is pleasing and acceptable to
Him? How much thought have you put into this question? It matters little
whether your worship is pleasing and acceptable to you! There were many
examples in both the Old and New Testament that God does not accept all forms
and acts of worship.
w When not in accordance with God's instructions: Cain's offering, (Genesis 4:3-7), Nadab and Abihu's worship, (Leviticus 10:1,2)
w When not offered with a sincere and humble heart, (Psalm 51:16,17).
w When
the doctrines and commandments of men are mingled into our worship, [Mechanical
instruments of music], (Matthew 15:7-9;
w When offered while sin reigns in the heart - (Psalms 66:18)
w If
our brother has something against us, (Matthew
w When not giving our best - (Malachi 1:6-10)
w Jesus
taught that those who worship God must do so in spirit and in truth, (John
w We
MUST approach God in "reverence and godly fear" - (Hebrews
Undoubtedly it matters to God how we worship Him - it should then matter a great deal to us!!
Does It Matter How
The Church To Which I Belong Is Organized?
Yes it does -
There is no earthly organization larger than the local church found in the New
Testament! Elders were to be appointed in every church, (Acts
To think of different denominations making up, or even being a part of the one true church is foreign to the Word of God, and is in fact contrary to the scriptures. (John 17:20,21; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13). If you are a member of a denominational church, does it matter to you that you are part of something that cannot be found in the scriptures, either by name, function, or practice, and that it is in fact wrong according to the scriptures? (Romans 16:17).
Does all of this
really matter?
Yes, most
definitely, and for all eternity at that! An extremely dangerous notion that
many have is this, - "To take the time to examine my faith and
direction by the word of God is not something that is extremely important."
May I humbly say that such an idea is gravely mistaken, and the consequences -
eternal condemnation, (Acts
The prophet Hosea said, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge," (4:6), and so it is today. The knowledge of the large majority concerning what the Bible actually says and teaches is extremely low to begin with, and is on a speedy decline from there, because spiritual things "don't really matter" to most people.
Do they matter to you? Will you place your soul in the hands of a man and his doctrines, or your feelings, or will you turn to the Bible and trust and obey God's word?
The truth has been revealed in the Bible, and it is extremely important that we come to know it and obey it! (John 8:32; 1 Peter 1:22). A lie won't save you - only the truth! Are you willing to study these things? I hope so - because it does matter - IT MATTERS A GREAT DEAL! - Get your priorities straight, and take the time to examine where you are and where you are going! If these things don't matter to you now - the day is coming when they will! (Romanss 2:4-9).
The Pain of Repentance
Steve Dewhirst
In God's great plan for redeeming man from sin, no single ele- ment is any more critical than repentance; and none is any more difficult. Few people will deny the words of Jesus, "Unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Lk. 13:3,5). But the personal application is often painful for us.
To repent is, literally, to perceive afterward. It is to realize, after the fact, that what one has done is wrong. And in scripture, this realization always implies a determination to change toward the right. But there's the rub. Repentance must be initiated by a clear sense of personal responsibility and guilt for having sinned. In our modern culture, such a self-realization is heresy. We're led to believe these days that no one is personally responsible for anything; if one does evil, there must be some root source of blame outside himself. But God knows better. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" applies to humans equally. We are not mere "victims," forced into sin by others. We sin as a matter of personal choice. [emphasis mine DM].
Perhaps no case of repentance expresses this sense of personal responsibility any more clearly than that of David in Psa. 51:2-4. "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin, for I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight..."
Contrast David's spirit with that of modern men who weakly mumble, "Well if I've done anything wrong I repent..." [emphasis mine DM]. Baloney. There's no repentance without the realization and understanding of one's guilt before God. Anything less is a meaningless waste of time. Repentance is not synonymous with "going forward" in a religious service; it's a genuine change of heart based on one's awareness of personal sin against God.
Then follows the
real challenge to "bring forth fruit worthy of repentance," as John
the Baptist demanded of the Pharisees (Lk. 3:8). Or as Jesus
directed the woman taken in adultery, "Go and sin no more"
(Jno.
It is this determination to change
for which Paul commended the Corinthians. "Or do you not know that the
unrighteous will not inherit the
This leads us to an interesting point. Modern man is possessed of the notion that surely God will not require anything too difficult of us. Perhaps this aberrant notion is an outgrowth of our permissive society in general, but many would have us believe that Jesus will just take us "as we are." In a sense, that is true, of course, but Jesus never taught that we should remain "as we are." We're to "seek first the kingdom and His righteousness," which cannot be done while deliberately continuing in sin.
Whether one has to give up drunkenness or fornication -- or even give up a spouse to whom he has no right -- why do we think that our burdens are greeater than those of our spiritual forbears?
Was it easy for drunkards in
And herein lies the real crux of the matter. Sin is an affront against God Almighty. It is an insult to His holiness and righteousness. It is to rebel against the true Sovereign of the universe. Only when we admit the filth and degradation of our own actions, admitting our rejection of God and His word, will we be really motivated to repent and throw ourselves upon His mercy. The problem may well be that we humans fail to repent because we worship the creature rather than the Creator.
King David had no such delusions of self-worship. "Deliver me from bloodguiltiness. O God, the God of my salvation ... For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not plaeased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise" (Psa. 51:14-17). May God help us to humbly repent.
-------Steve Dewhirst in Focus, Vol.
6, No. 3, May/June 2002
Contender For
The Faith (Jude 3)
By Jon
W. Quinn
If the Lord takes the time to reveal in His word that
something is necessary then do you suppose it is? Of course it is! Bible says it was needful for the following
exhortation to be given and heeded by disciples of Jesus Christ: "I felt
it necessary to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith
which was once for all delivered to the saints." (Jude 3b). When Jude stresses the importance of this
need, then we should understand that because he is writing by the inspiration
of the Holy Spirit, that this is God's appraisal of the importance of this
admonition.
What Is "The Faith"?
The Lord does not admonish us to contend for "a faith" or "the faith of your choice". The definite article "the" is used which means a specific faith is being discussed. What is it?
Sometimes the word "faith" refers to our
own attitude of trust, and sometimes it is used to refer to that truth into
which we have placed our trust. It is in
this second sense that Jude uses the term; "the faith" is God's
truth; the gospel; His word.
The book of Acts tells us that "the word of God
kept spreading" and "a great many of the priests were becoming
obedient to the faith" (Acts 6:7). So "the faith" is something
"obeyed" as
well as contended for. It is identified
here as "the word of God" (cf.
Romans 1:5).
Also, one can be "turned away from the
faith" as the false prophet Elamus tried to turn Sergius Paulus away as he
heard Paul teaching "the word of God"(Acts 13:7,8).
The "gospel" was preached in Derbe and the
new disciples made there were encouraged to "continue in the faith"
(Acts
So, "the faith" (and there is just one; Ephesians 4:5)
is the word of God.
The Faith Was "Delivered"
Jude also says "the faith" was delivered. Jesus delivered this faith to His apostles and disciples during His personal ministry upon the earth. He also promised His apostles that after His departure, He would send the Holy Spirit to allow them to remember "all" that He had taught them and to supplement His teaching with further instruction (John 14:25,26; 16:13; Acts 1:4,5). This promise was fulfilled on the first Pentecost following the Lord's ascension (Acts 2:1-4).
The apostles, and those that received the gifts of
prophecy and tongues through the laying on of the apostles' hands (Acts
The Faith Was "Once for All" Delivered
We are also informed by Jude that this delivery was made "once for all" (NASB). The Greek word (hapax) is more definite than the KJV rendition of "once." It means "once for all" and shows that the work was completed once for all time and all people (cf. 2 Peter 2:3). This delivery of "the faith" was not to happen once; and then again; and then again. It was to happen "once for all," and then be completed.
This is important because many false prophets have
claimed through the centuries of having additional faith revealed through
them. Mohammed claimed such. So did Joseph Smith, Ellen G. White, Sun Yung Moon and
others. And then there is the
idea among even more "mainstream" religious leaders that they,
somehow, have the authority to meet together in conclaves, synods and councils
and vote on what the creeds and doctrines of their particular faith will
consist. They have no such right because
"the faith" has already been determined "once for all" by
Jesus Himself (cf. Hebrews 1:1,2).
"Contend Earnestly" For The
Faith
"Contending earnestly" for the faith
simply means that we must defend it and fight for it. The battle is to win hearts and minds for the
Lord. The contender for the faith is not
contentious, but he does contend. He or
she does not allow false teaching to go unanswered. When the mocker comes, the contender does not
respond to foolishness with foolishness, allowing himself
to be taken down to the mocker's level.
Rather, the response is a scripturally sound one. It is both reasonable and faithful (2 Peter
3:3-5; 1 Peter
The Reason To Contend For The Faith
There are good reasons to be a contender for the
faith. Even today, many are seeking to
turn the grace of God into licentiousness, as they were when Jude first wrote
the words of this admonition (Jude 4).
These ideas of moral relativism must be answered. Failure to defend the faith is a denial of
the Lord and betrays His love for us (2 Corinthians
Jude reminds disciples that there are times when
godliness will be ridiculed, but that the end result of this kind of
disobedience is destruction. This is
still so today. Can the Lord count on
you to do this necessary thing? To "contend for the faith"?
From Expository Files
http://expositoryfiles.homestead.com/
What Is The Purpose of The
Sermon?
"How did you like the sermon?" has become habitual as we inquire of strangers about the impression that they have of the service. The likes of individual listeners vary amazingly. It is fine to like a sermon, but is that the important thing?
Sermons are preached, not just to be liked, but to be accepted and lived by. Suppose you did not like the sermon. What of it? Suppose the hypocrite sitting near you went away in a rage. Does that mean that the sermon was no good? When the arrow pene- trates a man's heart, curses come out. John the Immerser, Jesus, Peter, John, Paul and others were not anxious that their sermons be liked.
The crucial question is not, "Did you like it?" but, "Did it give you vision of duty?" "Did it bring you any nearer to the Lord?"
The sermon may be measured, not by enthusiasm or delight of the people, but by their response in action and praise of God.
-------------Taken from
"Jacksonburg Light".
Urgent Needs In The Church Today
More
knocking on doors and less knocking on each other
The great commission demands that we
busy ourselves in taking the gospel to others (Mark
More
sound heads and fewer soreheads
Perhaps there has never been a time in the history of the church in which we have had a greater need for men sound in the faith and wise in judgment. Sometimes the voice of the wise goes unheeded and the voice of the foolish takes over (1 Kings 12:6-8).
More
open heads and fewer open mouths
All conduct proceeds from the heart. Prejudice closes the heart to a true consideration of the facts. If the heart was made right before the mouth was opened, most church problems locally and universally would cease to exist (Jas. 3:5-6; Prov. 26:20).
More
seed-slinging and less mud-slinging
The task of sowing the seed of the
kingdom is so great that it should leave no time for the slinging of mud at a
brother. There should be no division in the Lord’s camp (1 Cor.
More
sacrifice of self and less sacrifice of others
There are plenty of members of the
church who are willing to sacrifice the other fellow - his talent, his time,
his money and even perhaps his reputation. Sacrifice should begin at home (Luke
More
concern over direction than speed
This is the jet and missile age. Speed is being enthroned and multitudes bow before it. But in the Lord’s work, the greater question is not: "How fast are we traveling?" But rather, "Which way are we going?" (John 14:6; Matt. 7:13-14). All speed is not progress. On the other hand, neither is standing still.
Doctrinal Gullibility
"O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified" (Gal. 3:1).
Gullibility is one of those strange concepts. In children it is viewed as an endearing quality. It shows a level of innocence. The idea that children will believe almost anything they are told helps to remind adults of just how impressionable they are, and what an awesome responsibility we have to direct them in the way of the Lord. How- ever, when we see an adult that will believe or accept anything they are told without question, it is rather pathetic. As a matter of fact, when dealing with matters pertain- ing to the word of God the quality is spiritually fatal.
While man's ability to understand God's word is often debated by those who would seek to 'bewitch' others, the exact opposite is presented to us in God's word. Our Heavenly Father expects us to study and understand His word. In the scriptures we have examples of those that studied the truths in God's word diligently compared to those who accepted false teaching without question. Over and over the gullible individuals are condemned.
Consider the noble Bereans in Acts
17 as opposed to the brethren in Thessalonica "These were more
fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all
readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things
were so" (Acts 17:11). And what about those who would choose to
believe a lie (2 Thes.
Brethren, we have an obligation to
study and understand God's word. When we refuse to diligently study, we make
ourselves vulnerable to doctrinal spin masters. Gullibility will no be viewed
as an endearing trait of the children of od. ---T. Prater
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