The Elon Challenger
ELON CHURCH OF CHRIST
New Hope, Alabama
Seeking to challenge your interest in things
spiritual & eternal (Eph. 6:10-18).
Volume XIII Number 11
July, 2016
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Table of Contents
Evangelizing the Lost———-Richie Thetford
The Parable of the Two Sons———-Mike Johnson
He Knew His Bible———-Unknown
The Parable of the Mustard Seed———-Mike Johnson
Points to Ponder———-Unknown
The Parable of the Net———-Mike Johnson
Worst or Best?———-David McPherson
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Evangelizing the Lost
Richie Thetford
Evangelism is something that every Christians should be involved with. No matter how much time we devote to studying, talking, and planning about evangelism, we cannot convert anyone if we do not put it into practice. Jesus called His disciples to evangelize the lost as He said,…”Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). He later told His disciples to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you….” (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus instructed His very own disciples on how to evangelize and then later told them to GO and put the things that they have learned about salvation to the lost into practice. Christians have a responsibility to learn the word of God and to teach others.
We should develop ourselves in learning the Bible (Hebrews 5:12-14) so that we can teach others the wonderful story of Jesus. We should be able to tell others about why He came to earth, what He did for man, what He expects of us (loyalty, obedience), and what every person must do in order to gain salvation. These are the first principles of Christianity. The more we know the more effective that we will be in our evangelistic efforts. It may be that our nets will come up empty from time to time, but we must be able to say that we have been fishing. Paul wrote, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6). We must do our part and allow God to do His. Think about it, when was the last time that you have put the talking, planning, and studying to work and actually went fishing for souls?
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The Parable of the Two Sons
Mike Johnson
This very interesting parable is recorded in Matthew 21:28-32. At this point, Jesus’ enemies were making an intense effort to discredit Him. After their attempt, He presented, “The Parable of the Two Sons.”
Verses 23-27 reveal the circumstances surrounding this parable. The chief priests and elders had asked Jesus, “By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?” Jesus pointed out he would answer their question if they would answer His. He then asked, “The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven or from men?” The chief priests and elders were now in a real dilemma. If they answered “from heaven,” they knew Jesus would ask them why they had not believed John. Also, to have acknowledged John (the forerunner of Christ) would have been to indirectly acknowledge Christ. On the other hand, if they answered “of man” they would have hurt themselves in the eyes of the people. These cowardly men were unwilling to give an answer. Jesus then presented the parable and then further questioned them.
Consider the parable (vs. 28-30). “But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work today in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.”
First, notice the command of the father. His command was impartial since he asked both of his sons to do the same thing. We realize God is also impartial which is stated throughout the Bible. For example, Romans 12:11 says, “For there is no respect of persons with God.” God does not have one plan for the rich and powerful, and another plan for the poor and weak. Also, the father in the parable required both sons to work. Similarly, God requires all to work in His vineyard today. The father’s command was also urgent. The command was, “Son, go work TODAY in my vineyard.” In like manner, any command God gives us today is urgent. We should never delay being workers in the vineyard of the Lord since we do not know when Christ will return (Mt. 24:42-44), and we do not have any assurance of tomorrow (Job. 14:1-2). The parable emphasizes the importance of obeying God NOW.
Consider the reply of the two sons. The first son refused to obey. He very bluntly said, “I will not.” He was very rude, and he did not have the proper respect for his father. Spiritually, there are many people who are like this today as they do not even pretend to serve God. They might say “I am simply not a religious person,” or “I do not have time for God.” However, in our parable the first son repented and then went to the vineyard. The second son said he would go and work in the vineyard, when asked by his father, but he did not go. Many people today say they will serve God but they never do.
After relating the parable, Jesus asked these men who had been trying to trap him a question. “Which of the two did the will of his father?” (NASB) The chief priests and elders had to answer that it was the first man. Jesus then pointed out, “… Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.” Without realizing it, the chief priests and elders condemned themselves.
The meaning of the parable is clear. The first son (whom they had judged as the one who had pleased his father) represents the publicans and harlots. At first, they made no pretense of serving God, but when John came, they accepted his teaching, confessed their sins, and were baptized (Mt. 3:6, 21:32, Mk. 1:14). On the other hand, the second son represents the chief priests and elders (vs. 23) and, more generally, the Pharisees (vs. 45). Clearly, these people thought they were in good standing with God. However, they had rejected John and were now rejecting Christ so they stood condemned.
As a result of this exchange, the chief priests and elders actually condemned themselves. At the same time, they also exalted the publicans and harlots whom they despised.
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He Knew His Bible
The minister was asking some preliminary questions to his class. “Johnny,” he asked, “can you tell me a few things that may be found in the Bible?” “Yes sir,” enthusiastically replied Johnny, “a lock of my hair when I was a baby, the ticket for pa’s watch, ma’s recipe for vanishing cream, and a clipping about pa and ma getting married.”
Via The Messenger, (Thayer Street Bulletin) 10-10-46
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The Parable of the Mustard Seed
Mike Johnson
Matthew 13:31-32 is one of the accounts where “The Parable of the Mustard Seed” is found, and it tells us about the growth of the kingdom. The passage says:
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
Mustard Seed
In verse 32, the mustard seed is said to be the least of all seeds. Those familiar with the mustard seed today are well aware of its small size. However, the mustard seed is not the smallest seed known as there are several kinds of seed which are smaller. It was, however, the smallest seed which would normally be planted in the fields by the Jews. It seems Jesus used the expression (the least of all seeds) in that sense. Also, the phrase “small as a grain of mustard seed” was a proverbial expression among the Jews. It meant something very small. Jesus used the expression again in Matthew 17:20 when He said, “. . . If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place and it shall be removed . . .”
Mustard Tree
Verse 32 points out that the seed grew into a tree, and it was so large the birds came and lodged in the branches of it. Most of us are unfamiliar with mustard plants which grow this large. However, it seems that in the Palestine area these plants could grow much larger than what we are accustomed to. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia points out, “Several varieties of mustard have notably small seed, and under favorable conditions grow in a few months into tall herbs 10 to 12 feet.” Barnes, in his commentary on Matthew, quotes from an individual who said, “I have seen this plant on the rich plain of Akkar as tall as the horse and his rider.”
Application
The seed started out very small and produced a large plant. The kingdom, or church, is compared to this as it started out with small numbers and grew to a large size.
In Acts 2, we read of the beginning of the church and its growth. Here Peter preached to people who had actually been involved in the crucifixion of Jesus. He told them they needed to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins (2:38). Many realized their error and obeyed. Acts 2:41 says, “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” The early Christians faced much persecution, but this did not stop the growth of the Lord’s church. Acts 4:4 shows that it continued to grow as it says, “Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.” Only the number of men is recorded. Clearly, however, there were many women who also obeyed the gospel which would have added to this number. We can further see the growth of the church from Acts 5:14 which points out that believers were the more added to the Lord. Acts 6:7 shows the continued growth of the early church as it says,” . . and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.” After Stephen’s death, the disciples went everywhere preaching the Word (Acts 8:4). The scattering of the church from Jerusalem, because of further persecution, only helped spread the Word even more. Finally, in Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he pointed out that the gospel “. . . was preached to every creature which is under heaven. . .” The church clearly grew a lot.
It would be very difficult to say exactly how many people became Christians in the first century. It is obvious, however, the growth was tremendous as Christ indicated it would be in this parable. The growth has continued even until today. Like the mustard seed, the church started out very small but grew to large proportions.
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Points to Ponder
* A young girl was asked: “Whose preaching brought you to Christ?” “It wasn’t anybody’s preaching; it was my aunt Mary’s practicing,” she replied.
* It is not what we eat, but what we digest, that makes us strong; not what we gain, but what we save, that makes us rich; now what we read, but what we remember, that makes us learned; and not what we profess, but what we practice, that makes us Christians. (Bacon)
* Doest thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff that life is made of. (Benjamin Franklin)
* When you think you have come to the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.
* Excuses are crutches upon which weak Christians lean.
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The Parable of the Net
Mike Johnson
In Matthew 13, there are several parables recorded. In this article, the “Parable of the Net” will be examined which is recorded in verses 47-50. Here is the parable.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Jesus told a very simple story to make clear an important spiritual truth as He compared some men fishing with a net to the end of the world. His disciples would have been familiar with fishing and could have easily understood the story.
The Gathering
Verse 47 speaks of a net being cast into the sea which gathered fish of every kind. The word translated “net” (dragnet-NASB) is defined by Thayer to mean, “a large fishing net, a dragnet.” Herbert Lockyer, in his book, All the Parables of the Bible, says, “The word Jesus used for net . . . implies a dragnet, a large, hauling net of great length, weighted by lead and made to sweep the bottom of the sea and gather fish in masses.” Many of the apostles had probably fished in this way.
The net would seem to represent the church itself. I Timothy 3:15 points out, “ . . . that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” Ephesians 4:1-12 indicates one of the responsibilities of the church is to teach the lost. The net gathers people in from the sea, and the sea would probably represent the world.
The Separation
The parable continues by pointing out that the net was drawn to the shore where the good fish were put into vessels and the bad fish were cast away. Christ then says that at the end of the world, a separation between the wicked and the just will occur. Christ frequently tried to keep before the mind of people the great truth that there is to be a day of judgment, and then the good and evil will be separated. This separation is further emphasized in Matthew 25:46 which says, “and these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” The vessels where the good fish were put would be equivalent to the life eternal of Matthew 25:46. These would be separated from those who would go into everlasting punishment which is also described in the parable in verse 50.
Another important point is until the Judgment day, there is the mixing together of the wicked and the just in the body of Christ. The person doing right need not be concerned though as God knows His devoted followers. This can be illustrated by the situation existing at Sardis. Sardis, according to Revelation 3:1-3, was a wicked congregation. Christ said to them, (v. 1), “thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.” Yet, in verse four, He said, “Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy.” Thus, there will be a great separation someday, but the Lord does know His own.
Verses 48 and 49 make it very clear that all who are members of the church will not be saved. There are some in the net (the church) who will be cast away, i.e., separated from the just. The Bible does teach that a child of God can fall from grace. In I Corinthians 10:12, Paul gave a warning to the Christians at Corinth. He said, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” In Revelation 3:13, the lukewarm Laodiceans were told, “ . . . because thou are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth.” (Some other passages which teach the possibility are Galatians 5:4, I Corinthians 9:27, and II Peter 1:10). Many feel if they are members of the body of Christ, it is impossible for them to fall. This is far from the truth. We need to take heed lest we fall, and we must make our calling and election sure (I Cor. 10:12, II Pet. 1:10).
Fate of Evil
Jesus dealt with the wicked individual exclusively in His comments on this parable pointing out that the wicked will be cast into the furnace of fire in which there will be wailing and the gnashing of teeth. This obviously refers to the final abode of the wicked which is Hell. There are different terms used to describe Hell. It is described as “everlasting punishment” (Mt. 25:46), “everlasting fire” (Mt. 25:41), “outer darkness” (Mt. 8:12), “everlasting destruction” (II Thess. 1;9), and “a lake which burneth with fire and brimstone” (Rev. 21:8). Heaven, on the other hand, is described as a place of joy, rest, and peace. It is surely the place where we should desire to dwell eternally.
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Worst Or Best?
David McPherson
In Ephesians the second chapter, Paul in just a few verses shows the worst and best condition in which one can find himself. Consider the following:
“Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:11-13).
One is either “in Christ” or not. “Without Christ…having no hope…without God in the world” – can it get any worse than that? In such a state one is doomed to eternal damnation in the fires of hell. That’s exactly where the Ephesians were prior to their conversion.
On the other hand, when one obeys the gospel, is “baptized into Christ” (Galatians 3:27), and remains faithful to the Lord (Revelation 2:10) – can it get any better than that? In such a state one looks forward to eternal bliss in the joys of heaven.
Which scenario will it be for us, the worst case or the best? It all hinges on what we do with Jesus. In Christ, or without Christ? The choice is yours. Please choose wisely!
The Elon Challenger is published monthly by the church of Christ meeting at 4021 Hobbs Island Road in Owens Cross Roads. The mailing address is PO Box 149, New Hope, AL, 35760 where any comments, questions, or requests for further information can be sent. The Challenger is also distributed monthly to the Elon congregation as an eight page, paper publication. The editor is Mike Johnson. The web site address is www.elonchurchofchrist.com.
Evangelist & Editor: Mike Johnson
www.seekingthingsabove.org