Home
Worship Services
Location
Contacts
Bulletins
Links
September 16, 2007TO OUR VISITORS
The family of God here at Dowagiac Church of Christ wishes to extend to you a warm welcome. If you have questions about our worship services and why we do what we do, we will be glad to give you a biblical answer. The uniqueness of the church of Christ is that we are trying to restore to the best of our ability those things that we see the first century church doing. We are also working hard at building the spirit, unity, and love that Jesus taught and prayed for. We have no clergy, but are working together as equal co-workers trying to serve one another and the area in which we live. Come study with us, grow with us, and serve with us as we strive to do God’s will in all things.
Remember our Sunday night studies at 6:00 tonight. We are beginning a new study of the miracles of Jesus. Were things like the changing of water to wine at Cana really miracles, and what purpose did the miracles serve? We will be studying these questions and the miracles in the order in which they happened, and talking about miracles that happen today. Come and join us--John Clayton will be teaching the class.
Construction Starts. The protected entry to the building is under construction. Work should be completed this week on the actual erection of the covering. Before it gets cold we hope to work on the driveway, making entry to the highway safer and putting a hard surface in under the covering. We also hope to get the carpeting in the fellowship area ordered and underway soon. See Bill Gibson if you can help with any of this.
Family Concerns. Dave Pickens is doing well. He was home Monday after having his bypass on Thursday, was in good spirits and pretty much free of most of the pain. Now comes the hard part--keeping him quiet for four weeks as his body heals. We thank God for how well this has gone. Patty Gibson’s mother is better and has returned to her home.
BARNABAS--THE ENCOURAGER
How did a man named Joseph get that name? Acts 4:36 __________________________________________
Barnabas was from Cyprus--a Hellenist--Jewish foreigner.
Could not preach to the Jews.
Would have been uncomfortable with Peter and Paul.
BARNABAS WAS A GIVING PERSON
Acts 4:37--gave no strings attached.
There is encouragement in someone who gives.
BARNABAS WAS A GRACIOUS PERSON
Acts 9:26-27--Not afraid to take risks.
What would have happened to Paul without Barnabas?
Acts 11:20-24
There is great change going on. What does the Church do? ______________________________________
ENCOURAGERS ALLOW POSITIVE CHANGE IN THE CHURCH!
BARNABAS SERVED Acts 11:25-30. Acts 13:2 Who is listed first? _________________________
Acts 13:43 Who is listed first (from now on)? _________Does Barnabas get mad? Have his feelings hurt?
BARNABAS DEVELOPED OTHERS
Acts 13:13--John Mark departs--we don’t know why.
Acts 15:36-41--No one was wrong.
Barnabas doesn’t give up on John Mark.
2 Tim 4:11--“Get Mark and bring him with you.”
Mark ends up writing one of the gospels--the oldest one.
In our day of relativism, we hear people talk about how we have no right to tell someone else they are wrong on anything. Frequently the statement of Jesus mentioned above is used to back up such a position. In opposition to that, we read statements in John 7:24 to “judge righteous judgement” and in 1Thessalonians 5:21 we are told “to prove all things.” How do we sort out the business of judging?
The Greek word used for judge is the word “krino,” which is used as a verb. In Greek, the word always has some prefix which explains the nature of the verb itself. In the case of judging there are a variety of prefixes that can be used. Some examples are: anakrino means to judicially investigate; diakrino to separate thoroughly; epikrino to criticize; katakrino to condemn; and hupokrinomai to act under false identity.
In 1 Corinthians 12:10 we are told about discernment of spirits (diakrino), and in 1 John 4:1-3 this concept is emphasized. We are not to believe every spirit, but to judge (diakrino) which ones come from God and which one are opposed to Christ (of the antichrist - verse 3). Relativism is a false teaching with disastrous potential.
In Matthew 7:1-6 Jesus uses the prefix ma krinete which involved forbidding a pattern of action. Our lives should not be characterized by negative judging of beams, motes, etc., in others. John 7:24 underlines this by saying “Do judge according to the appearance, but judge righteous characteristics.” Matthew 7:1-5 makes it clear how our judging is to be done, but it is not telling us not to judge. Starting with verse 15 of this chapter Jesus tells his followers how to judge and gives us the “fruit test.”
We not only must judge things ourselves, but we also have to teach our children how to judge. This can be a life and death matter in this day of abusers and offenders, and spiritually it can also be a life or death matter for us all. We study and learn so that we can make good decisions, and that is why our classes and studies are so important. The Bible clearly teaches that there is sin and evil in the world, and we cannot assume that we can avoid the bad things by ignoring them, or assuming everything is equally good. It is not.