[Biblemat] HILLIARD BULLETIN for July 2007
GLClair at aol.com
GLClair at aol.com
Sun Jul 1 07:31:09 CDT 2007
HILLIARD BULLETIN
Published by the church of Christ
4840 Cemetery Road – P.O. Box 96
Hilliard, Ohio 43026
Phone: (614) 876-4089
Preacher and editor: Garreth L. Clair
Phone: (614) 850-7252
_glclair at aol.com_ (mailto:glclair at aol.com)
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Volume 9 Number 7
July 2007
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A QUESTION AND ANSWER DIALOGUE
QUESTION:
Dear brother Clair, how is it possible for three different opinions about
things the Bible teaches in two different groups within the congregation exist?
This is what is going on here with the church – can you give me some idea
how to solve this problem. I have not experienced such a condition before.
ANSWER:
WORKING TOGETHER WITH GOD
[No factionalism in the congregation]
Garreth L. Clair
The great work involved in being a member of the church of Christ is surely
on the mind of each child of God continually. One of the passions of
brotherhood in Christ is our concern for each other and our continued good mental
[i.e. spiritual] health. We must seek to understand and encouraging one another
in spiritual things as well as those things that make for healthy and
maturing directions as Christians. The Word of God tells us to consider one another
to provoke unto love and good works – Hebrews 10:24-25, “24 and let us
consider one another to provoke unto love and good works; 25 not forsaking our own
assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting (one another);
and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh.” ASV
Good works may be anything authorized by God for the perfecting of the
Christian in mind and body both spiritually and materially. Now, I suggest this
based on the statement of Christ where he instructs disciples to be conscious
of daily food and forgive us of debts as we also forgive other people of their
debts, He also tells us to request help to deal with temptations [i.e. from
every source – both spiritually and materially] Matt 6:9-14, “9 After this
manner therefore pray ye. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 11 Give us
this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have
forgiven our debtors. 13 And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the
evil (one.) 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father
will also forgive you.” ASV --- There is ample instruction throughout the New
Testament that teaches Christians to interact together for the purpose of
strengthening one another and assisting one another to keep walking in the true
light of God’s perfect way. Cf. 2 John 9-11, “9 Whosoever goeth onward and
abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God: he that abideth in the
teaching, the same hath both the Father and the Son. 10 If any one cometh unto
you, and bringeth not this teaching, receive him not into (your) house, and
give him no greeting: 11 for he that giveth him greeting partaketh in his evil
works.” ASV
Since God knows us best, let us interact together in a spirit of love and
fellowship together in Him. Christians work best when they work together, not
in cliques. Let us always be mindful that we do not allow ourselves to be
drawn into competing factions within the church. Nothing but division and
factionalism will result from fragmentation of the congregation into competing
factions for whatever good or otherwise purpose. Cf. Heb 10:24, “24 and
let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works;” ASV
1 John 4:5-11, “5 They are of the world: therefore speak they (as) of the
world, and the world heareth them. 6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth
us; he who is not of God heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of
truth, and the spirit of error. 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of
God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God. 8 He
that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 Herein was the love of God
manifested in us, that God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world that
we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but
that he loved us, and sent his Son (to be) the propitiation for our sins. 11
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” ASV
1 Peter 3:10-11, “10 For, He that would love life, And see good days, Let
him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips that they speak no guile: 11 And
let him turn away from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and pursue it.”
ASV
James 4:11-17, “11 Speak not one against another, brethren. He that speaketh
against a brother, or judgeth his brother, speaketh against the law, and
judgeth the law: but if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law,
but a judge. 12 One (only) is the lawgiver and judge, (even) he who is able to
save and to destroy: but who art thou that judgest thy neighbor? 13 Come now,
ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into this city, and spend a year
there, and trade, and get gain: 14 whereas ye know not what shall be on the
morrow. What is your life? For ye are a vapor, that appeareth for a little
time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we
shall both live, and do this or that. 16 But now ye glory in your vauntings:
all such glorying is evil. 17 To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and
doeth it not, to him it is sin.” ASV
Exclude no one who has a cooperative heart to do the will of God. Always
dwell
together in the “spirit of unity in the bond of peace” {i.e. Eph 4:3} as a
people of God united in a common purpose and hope. Cf. Psalms133:1, “Behold,
how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It
is like the precious oil upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even
Aaron's beard; that came down upon the skirt of his garments; 3 Like the dew
of Hermon, that cometh down upon the mountains of Zion: for there Jehovah
commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” ASV
Eph 4:3, “3 giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace.
Eph 4:13-16, “13 till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full-grown man, unto the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ: 14 that we may be no longer children,
tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of
men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; 15 but speaking truth in love,
we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, (even) Christ;16
from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every
joint supplieth, according to the working in (due) measure of each several
part, maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love.”
ASV
glclair at aol.com
======================================================
Did you ever feel that some other Christians seem to be able to do
everything in the congregation but you cannot do very much? Did you feel uncomfortable
because you could not do what someone else could do in God’s service? I am
sure there are many faithful disciples in the church who would like to do
everything just like some of the other brothers and sisters in Christ but cannot.
Should you feel guilty or slighted in some way because you cannot compete
with some of the members in the congregation? I am convinced that the Bible
tells us that there are different abilities that different people possess.
In Matthew 25:15-27, Jesus tells a parable of different people who were
given differing amounts of money [i.e. talents], to each one of these they were
given something to use in God’s service the individual who had the least hid
his ability [i.e. talent] and did not use it. Therefore the Lord condemned him
for not using what he had not for having less that the others but because he
refused to apply his ability {i.e. 1 talent} where it could
prosper his Master {i.e. God}.
TEXT of MATTHEW 25:15-27 --- “15 And unto one he gave five talents, to
another two, to another one; to each according to his several ability; and he
went on his journey.
16 Straightway he that received the five talents went and traded with them,
and made other five talents.
17 In like manner he also that (received) the two gained other two.
18 But he that received the one went away and digged in the earth, and hid
his lord's money.
19 Now after a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and maketh a
reckoning with them.
20 And he that received the five talents came and brought other five
talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: lo, I have gained
other five talents.
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast
been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou
into the joy of thy lord.
22 And he also that (received) the two talents came and said, Lord, thou
deliveredst unto me two talents: lo, I have gained other two talents.
23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast
been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou
into the joy of thy lord.
24 And he also that had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew
thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou didst not sow, and
gathering where thou didst not scatter;
25 and I was afraid, and went away and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, thou
hast thine own.
26 But his lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful
servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I did not
scatter;
27 thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the bankers, and at my
coming I should have received back mine own with interest.” ASV
CONSIDER THIS:
When a Christian is doing everything that they know to do to be pleasing to
God regardless of their small or large talents, God will be pleased with
their effort on His behalf. Everyone is different in useful qualities, therefore
when we as an individual use our abilities in such a way to promote Jesus
Christ and to glorify the Godhead we have done an acceptable work - Romans 8:28,
“28 And we know that to them that love God all things work together for
good, (even) to them that are called according to (his) purpose.” ASV
Matthew 22:39, “And a second like (unto it) is this, Thou shalt love thy
neighbor as thyself.” ASV
James 2:8-9, “8 Howbeit if ye fulfill the royal law, according to the
scripture, Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: 9 but if ye have
respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
” ASV
Whatever abilities that God has blessed us with let us use to His glory and
always seek His will in everything that we do both spiritually and
materially. There is so much that a Christian can find to do in God’s service that
surely every one will be able to find a place where they fit in, a place or an
action that will build up themselves and build up the church of which they are
a member. “Let us work the works of God!”
HILLIARD BULLETIN FOR July 2007 – _glclair at aol.com_ (mailto:glclair at aol.com)
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