The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
February 1, 2009
In
This Issue:
When
You Know that You're Sick
by
Steve Klein
Teaching
the Taught
by
Monroe Presnell
When You Know That You're Sick
A man who was a smoker was visiting his mother one day. A couple of hours into the visit, she noticed he hadn't once lit up a cigarette. "Are you trying to kick the habit?" she asked. "No," he replied. "I have a cold, and I don't smoke when I'm not feeling well." "You know," she observed, "you'd probably live longer if you were sick more often."
As ironic as it sounds, there are some health benefits that come from knowing that you're sick. You may temporarily quit an unhealthy habit. You may make a long overdue visit to the doctor. You may get more rest, drink more healthy liquids, and eat better foods. You may get someone to help you with daily tasks that you've become too weak to do for yourself.
The same is true in the spiritual realm. A lot of people are sin sick but don't realize it. Sin has separated them from God, alienated them from loved ones, caused misery in their lives and doomed their souls. But, they haven't made the connection in their minds between the disease and its cause; they may even think that they are not really sick and that life is supposed to be this way. Only those who recognize their condition will do something about.
If you know that you are spiritually sick, you might do the following:
See the doctor. Jesus has the cure for your sin sick life. In Mark 2:17 Jesus said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." Notice two things here. First, only people who know they are sin sick will go to the physician. Second, the doctor's prescription is repentance!
Stop the unhealthy habits that are making you sick. In the church at Corinth, many were spiritually sick because they were sinning by not taking the Lord's Supper in a worthy manner. Paul explains that "he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep" (1 Corinthians 11:29-30). The Corinthians needed to evaluate their unhealthy practice and correct it! "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup" (1 Corinthians 11:28). The same is true with every pathogenic sin we commit. If we want to get better, we much stop committing the sin and do what is right.
Eat and drink a healthier diet -- more of God's word and work. Jesus said that "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Mark 4:4). God's word is able to build us up (Acts 20:32). It is the healthiest thing our souls can ingest. Like honey, it is both sweet and good for us! The psalmist declares, "How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psalm 119:103). It is like Jogging in a Jug for the soul. Jesus also said, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work" (John 4:34). God's word and His work will revitalize us and keep us going!
Rely more on Christ. A person who is sick may be too weak to do much for himself. He must rely on others to lend a hand. Our infirmities and weakness should cause us to rely more on Christ. We may be too weak to accomplish much, but He can do all things. In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul records for us how his own infirmity helped him to trust more fully in the power of Christ. The Lord told Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." This caused Paul to say, "Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (12:9-10).
No one enjoys being sick, but being sick and knowing it may actually help you become healthy. So, how about it? Do you think you may be coming down with something? Are you sick?
-- Steve Klein
It's a noble work that we're called to do --To go preach the good news to every creature. It is not a work that we can choose to do or leave undone. We must be about the Father's business of teaching the whole world. But, at the same time and with just as much emphasis, we must be busy teaching those who have heard and obeyed the first principles of the gospel. I'm afraid that sometimes we are so busy teaching the lost that we somehow lose the saved. We make excuses for our "babe in Christ" brother for not being mature in his service to God while we continue to preach and teach him the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God (Hebrews 6:1). It's time that we tell our brother to grow up. It's time to feed him some solid food that causes him to become a full grown man. The church of our Lord needs some men who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.
We're afraid that we'll hurt our weak brother's feelings if we talk to him about attending all the services of the church, or about removing sin from his life, or about the dangers of worldliness or about the work or organizations of the church. We're afraid to tell him that pleasure, jobs or money and all the other things of this world are but passing and that his emphasis must be on spiritual things. We're afraid to tell him that everything that we do must be done with authority from God.
Let's take off the kids gloves and teach the Christians that we worship with, that Jesus expects us to "grow up in all things into him, who is the head, even Christ (Ephesians 415). Lets look at our Bible classes, our preaching and our teaching to be sure that we shun not to declare the whole council of God (Acts 20:27).
Remember the same apostle who told people on Pentecost to repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38), tells Christians to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). That's not an option, that's a command.
-- Monroe Presnell
In Gospel Power. Vol. II, No. 20, October 15, 1995