THE TRENTON BULLETIN

THE TRENTON BULLETIN

Trenton Church of Christ, Trenton, Florida

“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality” (Galatians 5:19). The war between the flesh and the spirit is evident in the battle of the sensual desires. Pornography, homosexuality, sodomy, illicit affairs of the flesh, youthful promiscuity fill the hearts of society. Television oozes the filth of the flesh in daily programs that satisfy the carnal desires of man; the computerized world of the internet has opened vast storehouses of pornography that tantalize the minds of millions. The deeds of the flesh are quite evident today.

The challenge of our day is to focus upon the realities of how God views these deeds. Youthful engagements of pre-marital sex are not acceptable before the holy character of Jehovah. Marital affairs are flaunted as the norm of married couples while condemned by the clear teaching of righteousness. The vile passions of women exchanging the natural use for what is against nature and men leaving the natural use of the woman for the burning lust of men is a perversion of the Creator’s purpose (Romans 1:26,27). Filling the mind with the glow of computer screens portraying every form of pornography creates the darkness of the god of this world leading to blindness (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Sexual immorality is alive and well in our day … and active in the body of Christ. Children of God must learn to stand for truth without fear of the consequences. Truth can never be compromised for peace. Righteousness is the character of turning away from evil (Job 1:1). "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil” (Proverbs 8:13). As believers we are to be unbelievers to the wiles of the devil and “examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22).

The deeds of the flesh have consequences: “those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:21). Unrepentant youthful lusts will find harvest in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). Marital affairs will end in “everlasting punishment” (Jude 7). Homosexuality is a life style that will end in “damnation” (John 5:29). The mind filled with the pornography of the internet will see the vivid scenes of Hell first hand (Mark 9:43).

Paul reminds us that God will not be mocked (Galatians 5:7). If we sow seeds of sexual immorality, it will produce a crop. We cannot sow our wild oats and pray for a crop failure for the day of harvest will come. “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption” (Galatians 6:8). It seems that we believe God is not paying attention to our lives. He measures the stature of a man by looking into his heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

Jesus describes the nature of the heart in Matthew 15:19,20: "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man.” Jehovah still speaks through the prophet Hosea: “Sow with a view to righteousness, reap in accordance with kindness; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes to rain righteousness on you” (Hosea 10:12). The deeds of the flesh must be put off to be renewed in the spirit of our minds in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 4:17-24).

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10).

Before we make any other response to God, we must respond to Him with respect. If we don't first dispose ourselves before Him in reverent silence, our deeds will be deficient in both strength and significance. The obedience that most highly honors God is an obedience deeply grounded in awe and wonder. "Be still," God says to us, "and know that I am God."

There is a time to speak, but there is also a time to be silent. Nowadays most of us have too little acquaintance with any silence that could be called worshipful. We seek God talkatively, rather than respectfully. In the relationship between God and man, we are doing too much of the talking. We may pause in our words once in a while, but even then, our minds are not reverentially silent before God. They are still racing at full throttle, fueled by the frenetic self-concern of our busyness. And the fact that the busyness is religious busyness doesn't do much to lessen the problem.

There is no question that the majesty of God calls for a response from us. Serving God is not a merely passive matter. But we must take the time to stand still and be lost in wonder before we rush out to do God's bidding. And even as we actively carry out God's instructions, we must often pause in silence to steep our minds in His grandeur. If we fail to do so, our activity will lack the essential ingredient of reverence. Without the qualities that come from reverence, our service will be shallow and our lives will be little more than an accident waiting to happen. Stillness and silence produce the best doers and speakers of God's word. And the "louder" the world, the harder these are to come by.

In this age of the world, we have discovered how to multiply our own words vastly, and we are frequently reminded of the power of these words. But we dare not forget their danger. "The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him" (Habakkuk 2:20).

“With our loss of the sense of majesty has come the further loss of religious awe and consciousness of the divine Presence. We have lost our spirit of worship and our ability to withdraw inwardly to meet God in adoring silence” (A. W. Tozer).

I would like to argue that simply finding out what work you can do and then doing it regularly can be a means of strengthening your ties with God. God's people ought to have a sense of mission. Christians are not of the world, but for the time God has left them in the world, and they have a mission to the world. Peter put it this way: "But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).

Thus also Paul: "Do all things without murmurings and questionings: that ye may become blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye are seen as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life" (Philippians 2:14-16). Thus Christians must live with a sense of urgency about their lives. They are a people with a mission. We must place ourselves on the altar, offering our bodies unto God for his service (Romans 12:1; cf. 6:12-13).

Not much emphasis is given in scripture to the work of Andrew. But he brought his brother Peter to Jesus (John 1:40-42). What a great work! The Samaritan woman led many to Jesus so they could hear him for themselves (John 4:27-42). "Every day, in the temple and at home, the apostles ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus as the Christ" (Acts 5:42). When the Jerusalem church was persecuted, the scattered disciples preached the word wherever they went (Acts 8:1-5).

Dorcas "was full of good works and alms-deeds which she did" (Acts 9:36). Evidently, she found her "place" in making clothes for the needy (v. 39). A man and his wife were able to take a preacher aside in a tactful manner and to teach him "the way of God more accurately" (Acts 18:26). Phoebe was "a servant of the church" and "a helper of many," even of Paul himself (Romans 16:1-2). Euodia and Syntyche were two women who "labored with (Paul) in the gospel" (Philippians 4:3). Gaius was admonished to open up his home to traveling preachers (3 John 5-8).

All of us Christians are members of a body (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). We do not all have the same work to do, but each of us is to function according to the ability God has given. Peter put it this way: ...using hospitality one to another without murmuring: according as each hath received a gift, ministering it among yourselves, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God,' if any man speak, speaking as it were oracles of God; if any man ministers, ministering as of the strength which God supplies: that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, whose is the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 4:9-11).

Each has received a gift. Each must use his gift to minister to the others. We must work to develop our talents. We must use our ability regularly. We must practice talking to people about Jesus. Listen to Paul's word to Timothy: Be diligent in these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy progress may be manifold unto all. Take heed to thyself, and to thy teaching. Continue in these things; for in doing this thou shall save both thyself and them that hear thee (1 Timothy 4:15-16). So we must find out what we can do and do it. Some will be able to teach home Bible classes.

Others can arrange classes in their homes and invite someone else to do the teaching. Some can use their automobiles to bring people to meetings. You might want to buy a supply of correspondence courses and use them to teach your acquaintances. Others may want to keep a stock of tracts on various subjects to give to people on occasion. Some can visit the sick and perhaps sit up at night as the need is present. You might be able to open your home to people and make contacts for the gospel.

The main point is, each should find out what he can do and spend some of his time doing it on a regular basis. Listen to Jesus: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart also be” (Matthew 6:19-21)

I have no special interest in the stock market, in fact have never even learned to read the stock reports in the newspaper. Generally I ignore that section. I do not understand it. I will tell you why. I have no money invested in the market -- not a cent. If I did, it would be different. If I had a lot of money invested in the market I would learn to read the stock pages and probably would devour them voraciously. Is that not what Jesus is saying? "Where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also."

Now here is the point. As we find out what we can do and then do it on a regular basis, we are putting a little more and then a little more of ourselves into the bank of heaven. We are constantly increasing our investment in heaven. With our treasure laid up in heaven our hearts will be there. More and more we will find our thoughts turning away from this life. More and more we will find ourselves attached to heaven. In this way, finding our place in serving the Lord will become a means of strengthening the bond between us and God, cementing us to him, preventing our apostasy.

From whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Dag Hammarskjold once wrote: "When the morning's freshness has been replaced by the weariness of midday, when the leg muscles quiver under the strain, the climb seems endless, and suddenly nothing will go quite as you wish-it is then that you must not hesitate." He was unwilling to give up; he refused to quit!

The successful life prescribed by Christ requires faithfulness until death: a hand on the plow with no looking back, steadfast perseverance; racing hard for the tape, fighting the good fight of faith. The devil loves it when we simply relax our efforts. He has a good day if we become discouraged.

There are temptations to overcome, disappointments to handle, personal sins that beset us, burdens that depress us. And Satan is standing by urging that we quit trying. But wait; Christ is present. "Consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart" (Heb_12:3).

Someone once asked James J. Corbett, at that time heavyweight champion of the world, what was the most important thing a man must do to become a champion. He replied, "Fight one more round." The Duke of Wellington said that the British soldiers at the Battle of Waterloo were not any braver than Napoleon's soldiers-but they were brave for five minutes longer.

That is about it for the Christian. A secret for success is: "fight just one more round. Be brave for five more minutes." It is the difference between defeat and victory.