Worship Schedule for 5/16/04
Announce – Jerry
Gilley
Sing A.M. – Stephen
Powell
Read – Joey
Ferrell
Pray – Oscar
Parton
Table – Jerry
Powell
Maurice
Powell
James
Neeley
Brady
Bogle
Dismiss – Larry
Powell
Sing P.M. – Maurice
Powell
Pray P.M. – Larry
Powell
* If unable to serve, please call Joey Ferrell @
615-765-7620 or Doris Hibdon @ 931-939-2689.
Wed. Night Schedule for 5/12/04
Sing – Maurice Powell
Read – Doris Hibdon
Prepare Communion for May
Maurice
Powell
Last Week’s
Attendance -
79
Contribution -
$1111.50
Visit the Shut-ins Today
Joey
Ferrell, Jerry Gilley
Visit the Shut-ins Next Sunday
Stephen
Powell, Brian Witty
4th Sunday Speakers for April
A.M. – Brian
Witty
P.M. – Stephen
Powell
Pray for the Sick
Christine
Ash, Doris Powell, Brady & Ova Bogle,
Eva
Youngblood, George Whittle, Gladys & Austin Lance,
Betty
Lines, Jill Powell Rogers,
Remember the Shut-ins
Alta Jones,
J.D. Lorance, Ona Prater, Dovie Wood,
William
Condra, Pearl Fults, Sarah Mayo,
Alberta
Cook, Clarence Mears
* Those in bold are currently on the visitation route.
Deaths
Lucille Grizzle
Last Week’s Bible Question
Q:
Who said: “We are all one man’s sons; we are true men; thy servants are no
spies.”
A:
Joseph’s brothers (Gen. 42:11)
This Week’s Bible Question
What
book gets quoted in the New Testament more than any Old Testament book (419
times)?
Birthdays
& Anniversaries This Week
Thurs., May 13th
– Katelyn
Ferrell
Fri., May 14th – Willie Mai Bryan
Sat., May 15th – Judy Powell
UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS
The "grace only" advocates in the
church boldly declare that man is saved 100% by the grace of God. They proclaim
that man does not contribute one whit to his salvation. They would have their
listeners to believe that when one teaches man to save himself from this
untoward generation, he is teaching legalism.
One of the "proof-texts" for their
position is Luke 17:10, "So likewise, ye, when ye shall have done all
those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we
have done that which was our duty to do." The argument is that even
though we do all the things commanded we are still "unprofitable."
Therefore, we had to have been saved 100% by the grace of God, and that nothing
we did contributed to our being saved in the least.
In this verse, Jesus was not teaching about the
necessity of our obedience. Jesus was teaching about one's attitude toward his
salvation. Salvation is never earned regardless of the amount of obedient acts
performed. Even the most obedient is unworthy of the blessing he will reap.
Salvation will ever be a free, undeserved, unmerited gift of a loving and kind
God. This should be the attitude of all the faithful. We should bow our heads
before God's throne, and say, "We are unprofitable servants."
This is a far cry from saying that nothing we do
contributes to our salvation. Jesus himself said in Matt. 7:21, "Not
every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."
Didn't Jesus know that we do not do anything to get into heaven? Did He
contradict His words found in Luke 17:10? Certainly not! Man must "save
himself" (Acts 2:40). Does this obedience earn him his salvation? No!
Man must contribute to his salvation everything
God has told him to contribute. To say that man contributes nothing to his
redemption is to say that God requires nothing of him. The ultimate end of such
a doctrine would be universalism for the Bible teaches that God's grace has appeared
unto all men (Tit. 2:11).
There is a great
difference between saying that we do not earn our salvation and saying that one
does not contribute one whit to his salvation. The first statement harmonizes
with Jesus' words of Luke 17:10. We are unprofitable servants. The latter
statement, however, is false doctrine. The teaching should be rejected, and
those who teach it should be marked and avoided (Rom. 16:17-18).
--Via Garden City Church Of Christ
THE TROUBLE WITH BRAGGING
A North Carolina farmer was talking to a Texas
rancher. The Texas rancher was bragging that his spread was soooooo big,
that he got in his pick-up in the morning and didn't reach the end of his
spread until nightfall.
The North Carolina farmer replied, "Yup, I had
me a pick-up like that once."
That's the trouble with bragging -- no one seems to
appreciate it as much as we do! But how will everyone know how important
we are unless we tell them? So we tend to focus on ourselves -- we talk
about what we have accomplished, we talk about who we know, we talk about what we
have just bought.
Can I offer a suggestion? Just for today,
forget about yourself and focus on someone else. Take an interest in what
someone else has accomplished, or better yet, take an interest in a problem
that someone else is experiencing.
"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition
or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than
himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but
also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also
in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 2:3-5)
But, if you do this, won't others fail to realize
just how important you are? Perhaps. But, more likely, they'll
recognize true greatness in your humility.
Have a great day!
Alan Smith
White House Church of Christ
White House, Tennessee
www.TFTD-online.com
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY (April 2, 2004)
