[Biblemat] B> Gospel Observer 4/29/07
tedwards at onemain.com
tedwards at onemain.com
Wed May 2 11:31:02 CDT 2007
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THE GOSPEL OBSERVER
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"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching
them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you
always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20).
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April 29, 2007
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Contents:
1) I Am Resolved (Dennis C. Abernathy)
2) News & Notes
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-1-
I Am Resolved
by Dennis C. Abernathy
Webster defines "resolve" as: "to determine or decide; to
settle, or settle on; to form a purpose or resolution; to determine
after reflection; as, to resolve on a better course of life." He
defines "resolution" as follows: "act of, or quality of mind
admitting or productive of, resolving or determining; resoluteness,
firmness; also, that which is resolved upon or decided upon;
settled determination."
In other words, to make resolution, or to resolve to do a thing
is to decide or determine in your own mind a course of action you
shall pursue. In the parable of the unjust steward in Luke 16, the
word "resolve" is found in verse 14 and there it "presses the
definiteness of the steward's realization, and his consequent
determination of his course of action.
God himself resolved to do certain things. In Acts 2:23, we
read: "This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and
foreknowledge; and you with the help of wicked men, put him to
death by nailing him to the cross." Hence, it was God's determined
or pre-determined plan for Jesus to die by the hands of wicked men
on a cross. So, God made a determination (resolution or resolve),
and he made it ahead of time.
Let us notice briefly some resolutions which we need to make
and which will be helpful to us in our service to God. But
remember, that we must be determined in our own mind. We run into
serious trouble when our resolutions collide with our old set
habits.
I. I Resolve To Watch What I Say With My Mouth
Psalms 17:3 says, "I have resolved that my mouth will not sin."
We ought to pray with David: "May the words of my mouth and the
meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock
and my Redeemer" (Psa. 19:14). And further: "Set a guard over my
mouth, O Lord; Keep watch over the door of my lips" (Psa. 141:3).
We need to determine right now, that we will watch what we say. How
easy it is to sin with our mouth. Therefore, we ought to "put away
perversity from our mouth and keep corrupt talk far from our lips"
(Prov. 4:24).
Sometimes we speak in haste, saying the wrong thing without
thinking. "Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your
heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on
earth, so let your words be few. As a dream comes when there are
many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many
words. . . . Do not let your mouth lead you into sin" (Eccl.
5:2-3,6).
We need to realize that what comes out of our mouths reflects
that which is in our hearts (Mk. 7:20-23). Therefore, it behooves
each of us to exercise care not to be guilty of filthy talk,
gossip, backbiting, grumbling, slander and talebearing. "Do not let
any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is
helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it
may benefit those who listen" (Eph. 4:29). If we would just take
this precept to heart, the Lord's church, as well as society, would
be the better for it.
Last of all on this point, brethren, let us resolve or
determine not to praise God with our mouths and forget him in our
practice. "These people draw near (honor) Me with their mouth, and
honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me, and in
vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of
men" (Matt. 15:8-9). Long ago, the prophet Ezekiel condemned this
popular practice. "My people come to you, as they usually do, and
sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them
into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their
hearts are greedy for unjust gain . . . for they hear your words
but do not put them into practice" (Ezek. 33:31-32).
Let each of us determine to watch what he says. What a better
person we will be in the Lord's service and what a greater
influence we will have among our fellow men.
II. I Resolve Not To Defile Myself
"But Daniel resolved not to defile himself" (Dan. 1:8). Defile
means "to make filthy, or to befoul; to tarnish, as reputation; to
dishonor." I am reminded of the following passages: "Since we have
these promises dear friends, let us purify ourselves from
everything that contaminates (filthiness) body and spirit,
perfecting holiness out of reverence for God" (2 Cor. 7:1-2).
"Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so
prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save
you" (Jas. 1:21).
We defile ourselves, tarnish our reputations, and bring
dishonor on the Lord and his church when we give ourselves over to
the works of the flesh (see Gal. 5:19-21). The same apostle said
the following in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11: "Do you not know that the
wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:
Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers, nor male
prostitutes nor homosexual offenders, nor thieves nor the greedy
nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom
of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you
were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
I want to emphasize the phrase: "Do not be deceived." In our
day and age, many are deceived into thinking that they can commit
these sins and be teachers and preachers and God will usher them
right into heaven. But Paul said "and that is what some of you
were," not "what some of you are"! One could not be washed,
sanctified, and justified from his defilement and continue to
commit such acts. Let us resolve not to defile ourselves, but to
keep ourselves pure and holy even as our Lord did before us.
III. I Resolve To Preach Christ To A Lost World
As Paul proclaimed the testimony of God, he said: "For I
resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ
and him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2). Like Paul, we need to determine
now that we will preach Christ (Matt. 28:19; Mk. 16:15). "For we do
not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord" (2 Cor. 4:5).
Many have the idea that to preach Christ is to preach only the
facts about him and not his doctrine or teaching. But preaching
Christ is the same as preaching the word or the gospel. This is
made clear in Acts 8:4-5: "Therefore, those who were scattered went
everywhere preaching the word. Then Philip, went down to the city
of Samaria and preached Christ to them." Philip preached the same
thing those who were scattered preached! In verse 35 of the same
chapter, it says, "Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at
this Scripture, preached Jesus to him." You cannot preach Jesus
independent of the Word! Also we note that, involved in "preaching
Jesus," was preaching water baptism. Since Philip was doing the
preaching on this occasion, it stands to reason that he introduced
the matter of baptism, because the Ethiopian asked about being
baptized as soon as they came to sufficient water. Preaching Jesus,
a part of which, is preaching water baptism, is preaching salvation
to lost souls. This is true because Jesus died to save lost souls,
shedding his precious blood on a Roman cross, and we contact that
blood in baptism (Rom. 6:3-4). Also, it was Jesus himself who
commanded baptism in order to be saved (Mk. 16:15-16; Lk. 24:46-47;
Acts 2:5,38).
The only way the church will grow numerically or spiritually is
for you and me to get busy preaching Christ. People will not come
to our buildings unless we first go to them! The Lord said, "Go
into all the world and preach the gospel." He didn't say "build a
building and sit down and wait for the people to come to you that
you may then preach to them." Let each of us resolve now to "preach
the word" (2 Tim. 4:2).
IV. I Resolve To Forget The Past
And Press On Toward Heaven
" . . . forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching
forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark
for the prize of the high calling of God, in Christ Jesus" (Phil.
3:13-14).
Dear reader, we must not dwell on the past. We must put it
behind and move on in our service to God. I don't mean that we are
just to forget sin -- no, we must correct sin. But we can't allow
the past to hold up our progress for the Lord.
It is so easy to allow church problems of the past to hinder us
in our service in the Lord's work. They can warp our concept of
faithful brethren and make us bitter and cynical, if we will allow
it. Personal sin can hold us up. We need always to repent when we
sin, asking God's forgiveness, and then move on in his service.
Perhaps we have received mistreatment from brethren. Will we allow
such to cloud our thinking and hinder us from faithfulness to him?
Eric Liddell was a strong favorite to win the 400 yard dash at
the 1923 Triangular International. However, 15 yards after the
start, he lay sprawled across the track infield, the victim of a
tripping accident. Undaunted, "The Flying Scot" picked himself up
and resumed his race. With the finish line drawing near, Eric
Liddell drew upon his utmost reserves. As the stunned crowd
watched, he crossed the tape three yards ahead of his nearest
competitor, the man who had tripped him.
In many ways the Christian life is like a foot race. We
sometimes encounter adverse track conditions. Competitors may
occasionally jostle us as we run. At times we might even trip and
fall. No doubt, all of us have probably stumbled a time or two
along the way. We have said something we should not have said; we
have failed to do things we know we should have and could have
done. Instead of heading toward the goal, we find ourselves flat on
our face! Brethren, this will happen. It happened to the best of
God's servants. But, when it does, what will we do? Do we stay
down? Do we bemoan our situation, or do we get up, like Eric
Liddell and double our efforts? If you have fallen down in the
past, get up and dust yourself off and get back into the race.
Forget the failures of the past -- God does -- if you will repent
and confess them (1 Jn. 1:7,9).
-- Via Guardian of Truth XXXIV: 4, pp. 107-108, February 15,
1990
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-2-
News & Notes
We want to continue praying for Sheila Watts, due to her
back-pain, that she can be healed without having to undergo
surgery.
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MYRTLE STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST
1022 Myrtle Street
Denham Springs, LA 70726
(225) 664-8208
Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM
Wednesday: 7:00 PM
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520
e-mail: tedwards at onemain.com
web site: http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go
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