Ready! Set! Go!
"They shall mount up with wings like eagles" 
(Isaiah 40:31)

Volume 6—Number 7 
August 2004

 
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

     READY:  Christian Evidences

     SET:  Maintain Good Works
   
     GO:  Search for Truth—7,8  

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A Monthly Publication of the Church of Christ  at Duluth, Georgia 
to equip the saints in reaching 
the lost through example and evangelism. 

Editor 

Skip Andrews 
3239 Highway 120 
Duluth, GA  30096 
770  476-2159 
email: Skip Andrews
 

Produced under the oversight of the 
elders at Duluth, GA
 
 

Rod Rutherford
Dennis Hatchett
Skip Andrews
 

This paper is sent free to all who request it.

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Tell Us What You Publish, Please!

One of the great ways by which we can spread the good news is by the printed page.  But another thing we can do is to share our ideas, projects, and dreams.

Here at Duluth, we publish three papers as a part of the local work.  We also make a variety of bookmarks, Bible lessons for all ages, tracts, correspondence courses, and books.

We would really like to hear from you about things you do (or would like to do).  Please send us anything you would like us to share with others (especially free samples!). We will make an effort to present as many of these as we can in the pages of this paper.

Let me introduce you to a tract we have redone:  SING UNTO THE LORD.  It is a brief treatment about the kind of music that God wants as worship.  The main lesson is about Bible authority, and the reader is encouraged to learn and follow the Bible by using it correctly.  Send for a free sample or more (include a self-addressed, stamped envelope, if possible).

The fact that Jesus Christ is equal to the Father and the Holy Spirit is on every page of the New Testament (John 20:30,31; Colossians 2:9). One of the lines of evidence that can be used to properly show that He is deity is to study the various names and titles that He has.
In this lesson, we will note five of those terms.  Let us be careful, reverent, and honest in this lesson.  And let us learn things about Jesus that will help us to show an unbelieving generation Who He really is!  The gospel of Christ stands or falls with the truth about Jesus, so we must be ready to give an answer about the author of the gospel as well as about the gospel itself.

This name is rooted in the prophecy of the virgin birth in Isaiah 7.  The word means “God with us.”  It is quoted as being fulfilled in Jesus (Matthew 1:18-25).  The quotation is given by an inspired apostle—Matthew (John 16:12-15).  To doubt the nature of Christ as deity is to reject this evidence.  Additionally, “God with us” is part of the theme of the apostle John (John 1:1-14).

The words “Christ” and “Messiah” are from the Greek and Hebrews languages, respectively.  Both mean “anointed one.” This particular anointed one is also the subject of prophecy (Psalm 2).  When Jesus was identified as Messiah in John 4:25,26, he responded with a claim that links the Messiah with His deity.  He said, “I that speak unto thee am he” (John 4:26b).  The language of the book of John often includes the term “I AM.”  This is a claim to deity, as Moses learned when he learned of the great I AM in Exodus 3 and 4.
Also, in the conversation between Jesus and Peter (Matthew 16:13-20), Peter’s statement about Jesus’ identity linked the title “Christ” inseparably with the unique title, “the Son of God.”  Thus, no man can be “the Christ” unless He is also “the Son of God.” No one other than Jesus did—or could—ever fulfill this.

The virgin birth story (and its corresponding prophecies,  such as Isaiah 7:14 and Micah 5:2) teaches that the Son of God is deity (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38).  The One Who was born in Bethlehem was One Whose goings forth were from eternity according to Micah.  The truth of Jesus’ deity is in this title, and it was often mentioned in His life.  His enemies were aware of it (Mark 3:11; Matthew 4:1-11).  His followers confessed it (John 11:27).  He claimed it (John 3:16; 5:17-31), and God said it from heaven (Matthew 3:13-17; 17:1-5).  The whole New Testament is discredited if the Son of God is not deity.  In our day of growing paganism and compromise in “Christianity” this is a critical issue that must be addressed by Christians!

Although many have worn the name Jesus as a mere human name, the Jesus Who was born to Mary was to be superior to all others because He “shall save his people from their sins.”  This name is linked with “Christ” to demonstrate that deity became flesh in order to accomplish our salvation (Romans 1:3,4).  The man who dwelled in that body deserves to be called “My Lord and my God” (John 20:26-29).  The whole world needs to know of “this Jesus” (Acts 2:22-26).

The Greek word that means “lord” is “kurios.”  It refers to “JESUS the Messiah, since by his death he acquired a special ownership in mankind.”  Trench says that the word includes the idea of “one who cares” (Synonyms of the New Testament).  He was given this name because of His victory over death, according to Philippians 2:9-11.  This term was a subject of prophecy, and was used in a passage quoted by Jesus to prove His deity (see Acts 2:34-36; Matthew 22:41-46; Psalm 110:1-7).
Jesus is indeed coequal with the Father and the Holy Spirit as a member of the Godhead.  The proofs go beyond the five terms we have noted in this article.  There are many other names and titles of Jesus, there are prophecies, there are eyewitness accounts, and there is the empty tomb sitting as proof that His Own claims were all true!

It should be easy to see that it is essential to our own spiritual well-being to “think on these things.”  However, if we are to be effective as a city that is set on a hill, we must display these good attitudes in every part of our lives.  We cannot win the lost to Christ apart from good attitudes.

The Georgia School of Preaching and Biblical Studies first opened its doors to students on September 13, 1999.  With the close of the Spring Quarter on June 1, 2004, the school will complete its fifth year of operation. Under the oversight of the Piedmont Road Elders, our goal from the start has been to commit the truth of God’s Word to faithful men who will be able to teach others (2 Timothy 2:2). The focus of the school is reflected in its name.  It is, first and foremost, a School of preaching.  Our greatest desire has been and will continue to be to train men to preach God’s Word.  Additionally, it is a School of Biblical Studies existing to help elders, deacons, Bible School teachers, and other Christians become more proficient in the use of the Scriptures.

Scholastics
Although we have no interest in accreditation, the School of Preaching is dedicated to maintaining a competent scholastic environment.  Our teachers nearly all have advanced degrees in their areas of instruction and average over 36 years of experience in ministry.  The courses are taught on the level of college freshman and sophomore classes.  Many require research papers and midterm and/or final exams.
Our classes are taught at the Piedmont Road church building on Monday and Tuesday evenings, generally from 6 to 10.  There are three thirteen-week semesters (Fall, Winter, Spring) with no classes during the Summer.  Students may audit the classes or take them for credit.  Thirty-six credited hours are needed for graduation and, although the classes are in two-year cycles, it takes most people over three years to graduate.  There is no cost for taking classes, but students pay for their books and supplies.

Students
We began the first year of the school with 52 students from 24 congregations.  To date, we have had 129 students from over 30 congregations.  Six students have graduated with a certificate in Bible Education.  Some students come great distances (Albany, Ellijay, and even Piedmont, AL).  Others drive across town in rush hour traffic to take advantage of what the school has to offer.
Two of our preaching students have been placed in pulpit positions with congregations in Jackson, Georgia, and Lebanon, Tennessee.  Several students are currently preaching or plan to do so upon completion of their classes.  People who come to the school appreciate the warm, friendly, family environment, which permeates our classes, and they often form lasting relationships through networking with students from other congregations.

Support
The Piedmont Road congregation furnishes the facilities for the school.  It provides four comfortable classrooms, a student canteen, a media resource center with three new computers and appropriate Bible software, and a growing church library.  We also have received financial support from eleven congregations, which has enabled us to operate “in the black” from our inception.  In addition, several congregations allow their preacher to serve as an instructor in the school.  These men volunteer their services, receiving only reimbursement for expenses.  We express our deep appreciation to our supporting congregations and to the men who volunteer to teach.
The Georgia School of Preaching and Biblical Studies is off to a great start.  Its potential for training preachers and instructing Christians in a deeper understanding of God’s Word is tremendous.  You can help us as we start our sixth year of course offerings.  Please promote the school in your local congregations.  Send us those who want to preach and other serious students of God’s Word.  Ask your leadership to consider putting the school in its budget for next year.  And, pray for the continuing success of the school to God’s honor and glory.
For more information please contact: