“Come And See!”

Jarrod Jacobs 

                   John 1:45-46 records Philip bringing Nathanael to Christ. Nathanael asked, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip answered, “Come and see.” Throughout the Bible, God asks for people to investigate, see, and learn about Him and His Word (ex: Isa. 1:18). Likewise, Jesus called for people to “come” and “learn” of Him (Matt. 11:28-30). Paul said a similar thing to the Thessalonians (I Thess. 5:21). The truth does not fear investigation! In like manner, we would like you to “come” visit with the Caneyville church of Christ and “see”....

                   “Come and see” a group of people committed to doing only as the Bible says. We wish only to “speak as the oracles of God” (I Pet. 4:11), and do only those things that are authorized by the Lord (Col. 3:17). If we are doing wrong, show us this in the Scriptures and we will stop it and do that which is right!

                   “Come and see” our orderly worship services. God demands that things be done “decently and in order” (I Cor. 14:40). God is not the author of confusion (I Cor. 14:33). In our worship services, we will sing praises to God; partake of the Lord’s Supper; give as we have been prospered; pray to God; and hear a sermon from God’s word (Acts 2:42; I Cor. 16:1-2; Acts 20:7; II Cor. 9:7). “Come and see” what we do and what we are about. YOU are welcome!

“The Benefits Of The Gospel”

Jarrod Jacobs 

                   In the early days of the telephone, a man was hired who sold more phones than other salesmen. When the boss asked him how he did this, he said: “I tell potential customers that they can call their neighbor in their night clothes.” What is the point? It is that the BENEFITS to the customer are what sold the phone! Similarly, let us think about the Gospel of Christ and what benefits it has for us.

                   The salvation of souls is the greatest benefit of the Gospel! Paul said that the Gospel is God’s power to save (Rom. 1:16; I Cor. 15:1-2). We need to be saved from sin, and the gospel has the power to do it!

                   The Gospel provides knowledge concerning life (Matt. 10:28, II Cor. 4:16; Jas. 2:26). The Gospel declares that the Creator is God (Matt. 19:4; Acts 17:24-26), and that we can dedicate our lives to God or Satan depending on how we live (Matt. 7:13-14). In short, ALL things pertaining to life and godliness are found in the Gospel (II Pet. 1:2-3). Let us decide to acquire the knowledge God provides.

                   Another quality of the Gospel is its warnings. We are warned of the consequences of sin (Rom. 6:23), and against perverting the Gospel (Gal. 1:6-9; Rev. 22:18-19). We also see the consequences of refusing to obey the Gospel (Mk. 16:16; II Thess. 2:12).

                   Not only are we warned of things to avoid, but we are also told to strive for Heaven (Phil. 3:13-14; Jn 14:1-3)! It is the abode of God (Matt. 11:25; Acts 17:24). Passages like Revelation 7:16-17 give us a foretaste of what is to come to God’s faithful. Don’t you want to enjoy the benefits of the gospel?

Spotlight On A Bible Verse: Matthew 17:5

"While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” The context of this verse records the event when Christ was transfigured. At this time, He was joined by Elijah and Moses, as Peter, James, and John stood by. When Peter suggested that three tabernacles or tents be made for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, God’s voice thundered from the cloud (v. 4-5).

Peter learned a lesson we need to learn. He needed to listen to Jesus Christ the Son of God. We need to do this as well! It is His voice that is authoritative (Matt. 28:18). It is His words that have life (Jn. 6:63). It is His words that will judge us one day (Jn. 12:48). Therefore, let us “hear Him” in everything and be blessed (Heb. 1:1-2, 2:1-3, 5:9, 12:25-26).

- Jarrod Jacobs

“He Is Too Narrow!”

Jarrod Jacobs 

                   The observation is sometimes made about the preacher or teacher that he is “too narrow.” In our culture, absence of conviction is often mistaken for broadness of mind. Roy L. Smith said the following about “broad-mindedness” in religion; it is worth reading. He said:

                   “The preacher is sometimes accused of being narrow-minded because he insists upon the Christian’s forsaking all to follow Christ. Yet, all of life is narrow, and success is to be found only by passing through the narrow gate and the straightened way (Matt. 7:13-14). There is no room for broad-mindedness …

• … in the chemical laboratory. Water is composed of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. The slightest deviation from that formula is forbidden.
• … in music. There can only be eight notes in a measure. The skilled director will not permit his first violin to put in even so much as an extra thirty-second note.
• … in the mathematics classroom. Neither geometry, calculus, nor trigonometry allows for any variation from exact accuracy, even for old time’s sake. The solution of the problem is either right or wrong.
• … in biology. One varying result out of a thousand experiments will invalidate an entire theory.
• … on the athletic field. The game is played according to the rules, with no favors shown for charity’s sake.
• … in the garage. The mechanic there says that the piston rings must fit the cylinder walls within one two-thousandths of an inch. Even between friends there cannot be any variation if the motor is to run smoothly.

“How then shall we expect that broad-mindedness shall rule in the realm of religion and morals?”

Reasons For Worship

Jarrod Jacobs 

                   Are we worshipping God in the way He wants? What does acceptable worship look like? I hope our series of studies these last few weeks have been helpful to you.

                   As we conclude this study concerning the reasons for our worship to God, I hope we can see why worship is so important to God. When we assemble together to worship, we are not assembling to please men, for free baby-sitting, to meet a date, or for “social hour” (Jn. 4:24; Acts 2:42)! Our worship needs to be taken seriously and reverently because we are assembling to offer our spiritual sacrifices to God Almighty (Heb. 13:15; I Pet. 2:5)!

                   After studying the reasons for worship, may we be humbled and embarrassed by the times we have asked, “Do I have to go?” or, when we offer a multitude of excuses for not assembling to worship the God of Heaven. We need to remember that God is holy and deserving of our worship. Let us examine ourselves and make sure we offer our worship to God in a way that is pleasing to Him (Jn. 4:24). We do this by offering our spiritual sacrifices cheerfully, lovingly, and whole-heartedly; recognizing that we are here to worship the God of the Universe, our Creator, and our Sustainer! (Acts 17:28)