JURONG OUTREACH - NOV 04

BORING
7 Nov 04

Sometimes today people make statements like, “I just can’t enjoy reading the Bible.  I’ve read it so much, it’s a boring thing.”  Or, “Christianity is a boring religion.”  Or, “I get so bored with the worship services.  There is nothing interesting and fresh about them.”

Probably, in all honesty, these thoughts are not new.  Every generation surely must have had its own people who felt bored and for whom boredom closed the doors to spiritual growth.  The difference is that in the past when people had those thoughts they were ashamed of them, knowing that there was some fault within their own attitude and understanding or they would not have felt that way.  So they usually kept their thinking to themselves, their own guilty secret.

Today, though, the boredom is expressed as a charge, not against self, but against Christianity.  If people find the Bible to be boring, the implication is that the Bible is at fault.  Christianity is pronounced a boring religion because it fails to meet the needs of today’s society.  Worship is boring because it is formal and ritualistic. 

How sad it is that we have grown subconsciously so secure in our confidence in our own thinking and intellect that we question and find fault with God’s work rather than with ourselves when it seems that something somewhere is not measuring up to the needed standard!  Is this not the epitome of egoism?

Is God’s word boring?  Not if we have cultivated (and cultivation is something we do ourselves, by choice) a hunger for it; not if it is His living word in our hearts instead of a dead letter; not if we love the daily guidance we receive from it. (Psa 1:1,2) Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Is Christianity a boring religion?  Does it have no relevance in today’s world?  We need to understand that Christian does not draw from the world around it, and its relevancy does not depend on the culture in which it exists.  Christianity is a way of life designed by the God of heaven to fill all the needs of all men in all cultures for all time and to lift them above their human cultures.  Christianity is as relevant as its adherents will allow it to be in their individual lives.

Is worship boring and ritualistic?  Worship is adoration of God, not entertainment of humans.  It was planned by God according to His own wisdom so if there is any lacking, it is in us and not in the plan.

God knew that there is strength in fellowship so he asked His family to gather regularly so that we should be continually aware of each other’s needs and would be moved by our love to help each other.

But worship is more than just gathering together.  And it is a much more involved and profound thing than just conforming to a ritual. (John 4:23,24) But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

First, Worship is adoration and exaltation of God.  The whole group is to be involved, but the act of worshipping is a very individual thing.  That is why those who participate fully go home spiritually invigorated by the experience while those who practice absentmindedly or were primarily spectators find worship “boring.” 

Second, Worship is a teaching and strengthening process.  The hymns and the studies, the sharing of spiritual thought and growth, are all meant to edify the body.  Again, God showed His wisdom in His plan.  He knew that men would gain more from reaching out to others to help them grow than from concentration entirely on their needs.  So worship should, and must be, a time of giving and receiving, of “teaching and admonishing one another,” if it is to be effective. (Col 3:16)

Third, Worship is a weekly renewal of our commitment to the death of Christ and to the new life we have in Him.  How often Christians fail in their awareness of this part of worship!  If a sincere searching of the heart and soul is made each week, followed by a fresh avowal of giving of one’s entire self to God, how could such a time of consecration ever be labeled “boring”?

Everything about the Christian way of life is as new and vital as the “new” of a new day, because it is a living relationship between a living soul and his living God.  To allow it to sink to the level of boredom must surely be one of the deepest hurts we could inflict on our Father, His Son and the Holy Spirit.

THE FOUR GIANTS
14 Nov 04

You probably have heard of Goliath. Almost everyone has studied the account of Goliath challenging the army of Israel (1 Samuel 17). The Israelites were scared of him and no one would go out and fight him. Then David came upon the scene and killed Goliath. He killed him with a sling-shot and small stone.

4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.

11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. 

50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

51 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

There are other giants who are killed by Israelites. Four are mentioned in 2 Samuel 21. The Philistines come up against the Israelites to war against them. In verse 16,  And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David.

We learn about Ishbibenob. His spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass. That is very heavy. He intended to kill David. But Abishai killed Ishbibenob instead.

In verse eighteen, And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant.

We read about Saph. He also is a giant and he is killed in battle by Sibbechai. In verse nineteen, we read about another Goliath. His spear staff was like a weaver's beam. Needless to say that was big and heavy. He was killed in battle by Elhanan.

Then we read about another giant in verses twenty and twenty-one. And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant. And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea the brother of David slew him.

He is not named but we are told something very interesting about him. This giant had six fingers on each hand. He also had six toes on each foot. He evidently was very large.

So large that he also must have challenged Israel like Goliath did when David was younger. But Jonathan killed this man.

In verse twenty-two, These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants. we are told that all four of these giant men were sons of the same man. It makes me wonder why the father did not try to stop some of his sons from fighting Israel. After the first two were killed, one would think that the father would start to understand that God was with the Israelites. One would think that he would not want his other sons to be killed. But some people just do not want to learn. Some people just refuse to acknowledge God as the One True God.

Don't be like this man and his sons. Don't try to fight against God. Don't try to defy Him or challenge Him. Instead, study the Bible. Learn all you can about His word. Then obey Him.

Because of Jesus’ death on the cross, WE can be saved from our sins when:

we place our trust in Him (Hebrews 11:6),
repent of our sin (2 Corinthians 7:9-10),
confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10),
and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38).

“And He died for ALL, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again (2 Corinthians 5:15).

Jesus will continue to cleanse those who continue to live for Him.

MAPPING OUT YOUR COURSE
21 NOV 04

Have you ever been lost? I have! On one occasion, I was part of a group that went hiking on a mountain trail in Northeast Georgia. The scenery was breathtaking! The view from the top of the mountain was worth every effort in reaching it. But on the way down the mountain, we decided to take a different trail. We walked and walked for miles, hoping that the trail would lead us to our proper destination. The longer we walked, however, the more we realized that we were lost. We had an appointment that evening, so time was of the essence. We didn't have time to backtrack, so we kept walking, looking for familiar surroundings. Then we found something that revealed to us not only where we were, but also where we needed to go to reach our proper destination. It was a map! If it weren't for that map, we might still be in those mountains!

Neal Pollard has made the following observations about a map:

1. It cannot assist until it is consulted.
2. It will not help those who ignore what it says.
3. It is composed by those who know its subject.
4. It can be misread.
5. It will yield the same directions for anyone who picks it up and properly uses it.
6. It completely allows for the free will of the user.
7. It is meant to be practical rather than abstract.
8. It has helped many successfully reach their final destination.
9. It is not meant to predict unexpected occurrences for the traveller while it is in use.
10. It shows borders, boundaries, and what is both possible and impossible in travel.

These ten factors are especially applicable to the use of Heaven's Road Map, the Bible. God's Word informs us that ALL of us are lost due to SIN (Romans 3:23; 6:23). For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

However, God's Word also reveals the way of salvation. That Way is through a proper relationship with Jesus Christ, God's Son.

Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).

The Bible gives us the following directions to reach our proper Destination (Heaven): place your trust in Christ (Acts 16:31), And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house, repent of sin (Acts 17:30-31)And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead., confess the deity of Christ  be baptized (immersed) for the forgiveness of sin (Acts 2:38) Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Then we must continue to follow Heaven's Road Map for the rest of our lives, being careful not to "veer off course" (1 John 1:7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

We must continue to follow that narrow and difficult way which leads to life everlasting (Matthew 7:13-14) Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

The Psalmist declared, "Your Word is a LAMP to my feet and a LIGHT to my path" (Psalm 119:105).

The RIGHT course has been "mapped out" for ALL. Will YOU consult the "Map" of God's Word, and follow Jesus all the way to Heaven!

GOSPEL MEETING
28 Nov 04

 “Hark, t’is the Shepard's voice I hear,
Out in the desert dark and drear,
Calling the lost ones to the fold’
Where they’ll be sheltered from the cold.
Bring ‘em in, bring ‘em in,
Bring them in from the fields of sin
Bring ‘em in, bring ‘em in,
Bring the wandering ones to Jesus.”

I am much encouraged by the enthusiasm I observed around me this past two weeks.  I see members busy distributing tracts, writing to friends and calling up acquaintances to invite them to our coming Gospel Meeting in December.  The last two tracting sessions were attended by a larger group of members.  Even on week days, we find brothers, sisters, housewives and children coming together to prepare for this big event.  Yes, a grand feast is being prepared.  Let us work together to invite guests to this feast. Let those who accuse us of being dead be put to silence.  We are working for the Lord, we are carrying out the great commission!!!  If you want to be part of this great and exciting team, be here this afternoon at 1.30pm.  We are going out in full force to bring in the sheaves.

A Gospel Meeting—Things That Are Not A Secret
(Roger D. Campbell)

First, it is no secret that during our meeting we want the gospel preached.  From the beginning of the first lesson ‘til the end of the last one, we want to hear the Lord’s gospel and nothing else.  It alone is the message that can save souls (Romans 1:16).  On the other hand, the commands of men turn people from the truth (Tit 1:14), so the teaching of men is neither desirable nor helpful.  Let’s keep the emphasis of a “gospel meeting where it belongs— on the gospel!

Second, it is no secret that we would love to have non-Christians and erring saints attend our meeting.  Yea, it is our heart’s desire that many such people will come to hear the good news of our Lord.  Through various means of advertising, as well as word of mouth, we are gladly putting out this word: “All things are ready: come…” (Matt 22:4). 

Third, it is no secret that if we want folks to come to the meeting, we are going to have to W-O-R-K.  Brethren, in this day and time most people do not just “happen to show up” for a worship service.  If we really want lost people to have a chance to hear the gospel, then we need to be busy inviting them.  Like the apostle Paul, we must not be ashamed of the gospel (Rom 1:16).  Jesus warned about what will happen to those that are ashamed of Him and His words (Mark 8:38).  Let’s use the telephone to make calls.  Let’s use the postal service to send cards or personal visits to the lost to invite them.  Whatever way works best for you, use it to “bring ‘em in.”  It is always nice to offer to provide transportation for those whom we invite.  This makes it convenient for them and helps get them to the right place at the right time.

Fourth, it is no secret that many people working together can accomplish a whole lot more than one or two people.  Brothers and sisters, we all need to pitch in and work for this meeting.   We are one body with many members (1 Cor 12:12-27), and when many members get going, great things can happen.  Let’s not wait for others to push us, beg us, or shame us into working.  Like our Lord was at the tender age of twelve years, this week let us all make a special effort to be about our Father’s business (Luke 2:49)

Fifth, it is no secret that good attendance at the meeting begins with each of us doing his/her part to make every effort to attend each service of the meeting.  We all need to have the attitude that good attendance “begins with me.”  It is no secret that the Lord expects His children to attend all the services of the church (Heb 10:25).  It is also no secret that our attendance, or lack of it, shows where our heart is and just how much the Lord and His cause come first in our lives (Col 3:1,2; Mat 6:33)

Sixth, it is no secret that the personal attitude of each member toward this gospel meeting can go a long way to either encourage or dishearten others.  If I am excited about the potential of our meeting and really “talk it up,” that just might rub off on others!  If I arrive early and greet visitors with a smile and warm handshake, that just might help make for an appealing atmosphere! If I enthusiastically join in the singing of songs of praise to the Lord, that just might be contagious!

Finally, it is no secret that we still believe in gospel meetings.  We believe in the power of the word to prick the hearts of lost people outside of the Lord (Act 2:37). We believe in the power of the word to build up the saints of God (Act 20:32).  We believe in the power of the word to bring us closer to one another in God’s service (Ep 4:1-6).  We believe in the great benefits of fellowship with those of “like precious faith” (2 Pet 1:1). 

When it comes to gospel meetings, there really are not many secrets, are there?