Sunday, December 7, 1997 In Your Absence:
In this week's lesson, which came from Genesis 12:1-3 and Isaiah 42:1-9, we learned about the importance of carrying the light of the gospel to others. If what we have in Christ is real, and it is, then we should have a natural desire to share it with others. In the passage from Genesis, we saw that God has promised a blessing to all the nations of the earth which bless the seed of Abraham. In the passage from Isaiah, we saw that the nations of the world need to learn about God's justice and that they need to receive the light of His holiness.
People in our world today do not have a good set of universal values. For many, knowing what is right and wrong can be very difficult. On the one hand, we have the secular humanists who teach that a person should do it if it feels good. On the other, we have those in the situational ethics camp who tell us to respond to the moment rather than to lean on the higher authority of God's Word. Only God can establish what is truly right and wrong, and one of our objectives as Christians and as a church should be to teach His standards to those who do not know them. When we live by the Lord's instructions, then we will avoid most of the penalties of a sin-ridden life. When we try to live by His standards, then we will be naturally drawn to Jesus and to the redeeming power of His grace. In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel had been given the job of spreading the truth of God's Word to the world, but they failed! Only a few Jews even recognized Jesus as their Messiah. Now, in this New Testament, Age of Grace dispensation, the task of telling others has been given to the church.
As Christians, we should be trying to reach others for our Lord, and we should be trying to do our part to "carry the light" of His gospel to the world. He is still calling missionaries today, and as Christians, we should be seeking our place of service in carrying out the Great Commission. Jesus established the church as a way to reach the unsaved and unchurched for Him. In Matthew 28:19-20, the charge to tell others is given, and in Acts 1:8, that charge is extended to those around us, around our community, and even around the world. May we always be faithful to do the work which we have been given. May we also always have the desire to tell others about the wonderful free gift of salvation and about what we have because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross at Calvary.
Tom of Spotswood"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
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