Family News and Notes
As mentioned last week, Brother David McCain and his family will not be with us until October 12th. We look forward to the arrival of this family and working with them.
Grady is looking for Volunteers to help clean the building for the month of October. If you are willing and are able to help in this please sign the list on the table in the foyer. Thanks.
Please check the Prayer list on the back page for those we need to remember in our prayers. And there may be even others we are not aware of (but you are) that we need to remember as well.
Sandra Cooper is still in Houston. She is doing a little better and despite having triple pneumonia she is up and walking around a little. Her kidney began to function again on its own. So, as soon as she is able to handle it her new treatment will resume.
Carl Lee was scheduled for more surgery this past Tuesday. However, this did not take place. He will have this at some future date as soon as the doctors are OK with it.
THANK YOU. "Thanks to all of you for your help to me during Woodrow's last days, the funeral, all the food, phone calls, and many, many cards, and for attending Visitation, the Funeral and the flowers.
A special thanks to Weldon Miller for his beautiful presentation at the funeral.
Woodrow loved all of you and I shall always love you.
In Christian love,
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PRAYER LIST:
Justin Barker, Louis Bell, Sandra Cooper, Bonnie Horton, Howard Horton, Carl Lee
ALSO: Judy Betts, Marie Butler, R. C. Grissom, Gene Riley, Nelcene Steele
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Service Arrangements
ANNOUNCEMENTS...........Weldon Miller
SONG LEADER.................. .......Bill Jones
PRAYERS Sunday
AM First Prayer...................Grady Duncan
AM Closing.......................Wayne Charlton
PM First Prayer....................Ralph Phillips
PM Closing...............................Tim Jones
PRAYERS Wednesday Nite
First Prayer..........................Gene Campbell
Closing..................................Jerry Freeman
COMMUNION FOR SEPTEMBER
AM Wayne Pickrel............Wayne Charlton
David Neal....................Rodney Cook
Ronnie Stewart............George O'Neal
PM Tim Jones...............Rhodney Freeman
ATTENDANCE COUNTER...Grady Duncan
TRANSPORTATION......Call Frankie Sargent
903-572-2647
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Establishing Bible Authority
-Dan Mayfield
1. The Bible gives us Objective Truth. Subjectivism, the only alternative, leads to a place where each man determines what is right in his own eyes. Without objective truth comes the ever-changing values of modern society and an ever increasing gap between those who are religious and those who are not. Objective truth does not change with culture and time.
2. The Bible can be understood. It provides the 'pattern' for man to follow. It is complete, providing all we need to know about 'life and godliness.' And, the Bible is closed, not to be added to or taken away from. That is the nature of the Bible, it is filled with propositions which man is required to follow. If the Bible was not understandable, then on what basis could we ever judge a thing to be right or wrong? Without the Bible, we are left to depend on society and individuals to tell us what is right. Anyone who believes the Bible is not understandable, must also believe that God is unable to communicate His will to man.
3. The Bible provides protection from so many things. Because it shows and exposes truth and error, it protects us form the fear of the unknown. We don't have to worry and fret whether something is right or wrong. We can know. The Bible protects us from the corrosive nature of human opinion. It protects us from inconsistency and confusion. Where these things are, the Bible has not been followed.
4. The Bible is to be respected where it is silent. The silence of the Scriptures should be viewed as prohibitive. Some people view the silence of God's word what God did not specifically address as a license to do those things. It is vain and presumptuous to think 'because God didn't say you couldn't' that you can. A reverence for God's will finds what is acceptable in the Bible and does not look for loopholes to justify the newest innovation. The Bible doesn't say homosexuals can't marry, but the truth is inferred from other things the Bible does say. The Bible doesn't say butter is not allowed on the unleavened bread, but the Bible does say what is allowed. The failure to respect the silence of Scripture leads to all sorts of additions to God's Word.
5. The Bible gives Generic and Specific Commands. A Generic Command by nature leaves any number of choices for obeying it. For example, a command to assemble does not say where to assemble. As long as the chosen place for assembly is conducive to worship, it's acceptable. On the other hand, a Specific Command, by its nature, negates all other options and leaves no choice. The command to Immerse for the remission of sings negates Sprinkling and Pouring for the purpose of making a public spectacle. God gives the specific mode and purpose for baptism which negates all other options. This is the difference between Generic and Specific Commands.
6. The Bible expresses God's will through Direct Commands, Approved Examples [if the early church did something that was acceptable, then it is acceptable for us too], and Necessary Inferences [you necessarily infer if God implies something]. This is our common sense method of reading the Bible to learn God's will.
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The Exemplary Church at Corinth
by Lee Moses
Some astute readers, upon reading the above title, will doubtless think the writer must be talking about a different church at Corinth than that seen in the Bible. The church at Corinth . . . exemplary? One might perhaps see that they succeeded in providing an enduring example of how the church of Christ should not be conducted. Many faithful Gospel preachers have brought this out from the biblical text; showing that the church is not to be divisive, is not to follow men, is not to have fellowship with fornicators, is not to have lawsuits between members, is not to make the Lord's Supper a common meal, is not to be disorderly in worship, and is not to allow false teachers to attack apostolic authorityall this is clearly seen from the example at Corinth. However, in other respects the church at Corinth provides an example of how Christians should conduct themselves.
The apostle Paul made note of this when, at the Spirit's direction, he exclaimed, "Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you" (II Corinthians 7:4). Paul was not able to glory in the Corinthian church when he wrote his first epistle to them; they were busy glorying in themselves and in their immorality (I Corinthians 5:1-2,6). Paul had not been able to glory in them, but was rather forced to rebuke them in no uncertain terms. However, after they had received this epistle, Paul received a report from the faithful Gospel preacher Titus, who Paul said told him of "your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more" (II Cor. 7:7).
Upon receiving Paul's first epistle, those in the church at Corinth were struck with sorrow (7:8-9). This sorrow led them to do what was right (7:10-11). They enacted discipline measures, withdrawing themselves from the fornicator in their company (2:6). They had a great longing to see the apostle Paul, the very man who had rebuked them so strongly and caused them sorrow (7:7). Paul was now able to say, "I rejoice therefore that I now have confidence in you in all things" (7:16). They were still far from sinless perfection, yet Paul trusted the church at Corinth to be an example to others of how the church should be. He put his own reputation on the line by saying,
Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward (3:2-4).
Few today are willing to follow the example of the church at Corinth. Upon hearing preaching which "steps on their toes," most people are struck with anger and self-indignation instead of sorrow. Instead of leading them to repent, to do what is right, it leads them out the meetinghouse door to find a "more open-minded" and "less judgmental" church. Instead of being filled with love and respect for the man who loved them enough to show them the truth, they are filled with loathing every time they hear him speak. This is certainly not the childlike humility of which Jesus spoke as being essential to Christianity and to salvation (Matthew 18:3-4). If only more would follow the example of the church at Corinth.
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