Press On!

Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, (Philippians 3:13-14).

We hope that you have enjoyed the Gospel Meeting that occurred over the past week, and that you have been built up in your faith. We have spent a lot of time preparing for and having the Gospel Meeting, and it is natural and understandable that we may feel the desire to "come down" a little bit and relax on the work.

While some rest is not a bad thing, we must remember the message of God, and how the work is not yet done. As Paul constantly pressed on toward the goal, so must we also continually press on to the goal of Heaven.

Pressing on in our conduct. There is never a time when we should feel that we no longer have to "act like a Christian". We must always be working righteousness and fleeing from sin (Galatians 5:19-23). The battle is pressed hard about, no doubt, but through Jesus we can always have the victory over sin (cf. Ephesians 6:10-18). It may not be easy, but we must continually persevere!

Pressing on in encouraging the saints. As it is written in Hebrews 10:24-25: And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works; not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh.

God has required His saints to assemble with one another not out of a desire to see His people suffer or to compel them to get up on Sunday mornings, but to give the opportunity to encourage one another. When the vast majority of the congregation is assembled the result is very encouraging-- the singing is better, the association is greater, and everyone is better refreshed. Whether the assembly will be small or large, however, is entirely dependent on the decisions of each member. When you feel a desire to forsake the assembly, consider what you will say before God on the Judgment regarding why you decided to do so! We must constantly press on to build one another up constantly, for that is how God has determined how we will help one another get to Heaven.

Pressing on in furthering the Gospel. Many brethren spent time inviting friends and neighbors to visit the Gospel Meeting, and many of you already do well at presenting the message of the Gospel to others. As it is written in Matthew 9:37-38:

Then saith he unto his disciples, "The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest."

Will you stand and be one who goes out into the fields of the world to preach and promote the Gospel? If you do not, who will? Are the fields any less ready for harvest because our Gospel Meeting has ended?

We again hope that you have been refreshed-- let us now take that refreshment and energy and more diligently apply ourselves to the work of the Kingdom and furthering the purpose of Jesus Christ here in Norwalk. Let us work together, pressing on to the upward goal of Heaven!

Ethan R. Longhenry
evangelist@norwalkchurch.org

Service God Despises

Normally we do not speak of the service that God hates, and it may sound strange to our ears to think that God would hate service that is done in His name. Regardless, we can hear the witness of the prophet in Amos 5:21-23:

I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Yea, though ye offer me your burnt-offerings and meal-offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.

Many would contest what Amos says: after all, God Himself commanded these things in the Law, did He not? Why would God all of a sudden now despise the feasts, the assemblies, and all the offerings that were made to Him? Why is He not happy with this service? The answer is partly revealed in Amos 5:24:

But let justice roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

Amos chastises the people for the same reasons as Isaiah in Isaiah 1:10-18: they go through the motions of the officially prescribed actions of religious service as dictated in the Law, yet their personal lives do not reflect the will of God. They are willing to fulfill the physical rituals of the Law, but do not have the necessary "heart service" leading to justice and righteousness that God likewise demanded in the Law.

While the precise actions may be different in the new covenant, Jesus indicates the same type of sentiment in Matthew 9:12-13:

But when he heard it, he said, "They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what this meaneth, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice', for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

Jesus, quoting Hosea 6:6, indicates that the Pharisees are self-deceived and self-condemned for believing that holding to their traditions would suffice for service without having the requisite "heart service" of love, mercy, and faithfulness toward God. It is easy for us to fall into the same trap. Let us always remember in our humility how we are but recovering sinners, and to not neglect love and mercy and peace while engaging in other parts of our service.

Ethan R. Longhenry
evangelist@norwalkchurch.org

What You Can Do

There are many people who have a desire to do more and to be a better Christian working in the Kingdom but perhaps do not know how what, specifically, they can do. What are some things that all of us can do as part of our service to God?

- You can assemble to encourage your fellow brethren (Hebrews 10:24-25).
- You can visit local gospel meetings to encourage brethren in other congregations.
- You can either have brethren in your own home or have a meal with them in a restaurant (1 Peter 4:9).
- You can be there to help a brother or sister in a time of trouble-- even just being physically present for them (Galatians 6:1-2).
- You can financially assist a brother or sister in need (Galatians 6:10).
- You can help your brethren with physical labor.
- You can volunteer to help people in the community in need (Matthew 25:31-46).
- You can financially assist people in the community in need (Galatians 6:10).
- You can invite your friends and family to an assembly, or whether they think about spiritual things and would like a study (Matthew 28:18-20).

We can all do some of these things. Let us consider them.

Ethan R. Longhenry
evangelist@norwalkchurch.org

The church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio

Thank you for reading the electronic version of our bulletin, Good News for Norwalk. If you live in Norwalk or happen to be traveling in the Norwalk area, we would certainly love to have you visit one of our assemblies!

Our location:

386 North Edgewood Drive (just off US 250 just north of Norwalk's city limits)
Norwalk, Ohio 44857

Our assemblies:

Sunday morning assembly: 10:30am
Sunday evening assembly: 6:00pm

Our Bible studies:

Sunday morning Bible study: 9:30am
Wednesday evening Bible study: 7:00pm

For More Information

If you have any questions or comments about anything you have read here, or desire more information, please contact our evangelist, Ethan Longhenry, at evangelist@norwalkchurch.org.

Please click here to return to the 2006 archive of Good News for Norwalk, or click here to return to the main page of Good News for Norwalk. Thanks!