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!

The entire Bible is a book on attitudes, both good and bad.  It defines, analyzes, explains, commands, and gives examples of the attitudes that please God and those that displease Him.  In order to influence our age in a good way, the people of God must study attitudes and practice the ones that the Bible approves.  In this brief article, I want to note only one text.  This scripture has several things to commend itself to us regarding the attitudes we ought to have.  It speaks of at least seven things that are acceptable to God; it tells us to think about those things; and it points us to other places by reminding us that the list found here is not exhaustive.  The verse I have in mind is Philippians 4:8.
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy -- meditate on these things” (NKJV).

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.

Note:  This column is being used as a brief review of the lessons that are a part of the “Fishers of Men” program.  For more information, contact Timothy Wilkes at 800 338-1530).

After a brief review of lesson 6, this study covers five sections that address questions such as—

• Should I join a church?
• How should I worship?

The first section in the study addresses the question, “How should I worship?”  The main idea here has to do with making a decision to do God’s will in worship.  

The second section is about “Church/Group Worship.”  Here, the various acts of worship in the New Testament are introduced and studied.

The third section answers the question, “Should I join a church?”  This is answered by examining the conversion account on Pentecost (Acts 2) and by learning more about the concept of Jesus as the head of the body/church which He purchased with His blood.  This demonstrates the importance of His church and His authority over it.

The fourth section is a lesson about “Church Organization” which shows the student that God has a plan and that it is obviously different from the organization of denominations.

The last section is “Identifying Christ’s Church.”  Twelve points of identification are listed from the previous four sections of the lesson to help the student to see the pattern that is revealed by this careful study of the New Testament.

In conclusion, the student learns that the next lesson will be a discussion of another serious question:

The number of “Christian” religious groups (denominations) is now in the thousands!  It would be difficult to devise questions that are more important than the two that are on the cover of lesson 8:

• Am I in the right church?
• Can I answer the prayer of Jesus?