Nile Street Notes

Anna Church of Christ

104 Nile Street, Anna, Illinois 62906

833-5815

 

 

Website: www.annachurchofchrist.com

 

Vol 24.                                                   Issue 18                                        May 2, 2010

 

THE PURPOSE OF PREACHING

·         To declare good news. Rom. 10:15; Luke 2:10-11

·         To present the Truth. Gal. 4:16; John 8:31-32

·         To inform the listener. Acts 2:40-41; Mark 16:15-16; 1 Cor. 1:18-21

·         The show the consequences of sin. Rom. 6:23; Rev. 21:27; Isa. 59:2

·         The produce faith. Rom. 10:13-17; Acts 15:7; John 6:44-45

·         To condemn error and rebuke the erring. 2 Tim. 4:2; 1 Tim. 5:20; Eph. 5:11

·         To restore the erring. James 5:16,19-20; Gal. 6:1; Matt. 18:12-13

·         The edify the hearer. 1 Thess. 5:11; Rom. 14:19; 1 Cor. 14:12

·         To encourage Christian living. 2 Peter 1:5-11; Eph. 6:10-17; 1 Peter 2:9

·         To comfort those in sorrow. Rom. 12:15; 15:4; 2 Cor. 1:3-4; John 14:1-3,27

- Garland Robinson

 

 

SERMON TOPICS

A.M. – “Climbing The Mountain”

             (Gen. 22:1-2)

 

P.M. – “The Right Hand and The Left Hand”

            (Prov. 4:20-27)

 

Those For Whom We Are Praying:

Kathleen Ritchey

Jerry Ward

Bonnie Mangum

Bill Whitnel – suffered a stroke.

Charles Dillow – Cancer has returned.

Virginia McIntyre

Jerry Toler – battling prostate cancer.

Haley Inman – Ann’s granddaughter. Remember Ann in your prayers as well.

Margeurite Ledgerwood

Sue Thornsberry’s father. Cause of his irregular heartbeat still unknown.

Sheilah's brother is recovering from open heart surgery.

Wardell’s brother, Carroll, is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.

Jeremiah Johnson – former student of Carolyn; was involved in a wreck recently.

 

Quotable Quote:  “A liberal is a man too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel.” - Robert Frost 

 

Wisdom From Proverbs: “Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight(Prov. 12:22).

 

Welcome! If you're visiting with us, we extend you a special welcome and invite you to come back at every opportunity. If our worship seems unusual to you, please let us know what you find different. We endeavor to worship “in Spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:24) and do only what scripture authorizes (Col. 3:17, Deut. 4:2; Rev. 22:18-19).

 

 

 

NEWS & UPCOMING ACTIVITIES

* Please remember to mute or turn off cell

   phones.

* Men’s Bible class tomorrow night at 7.

* Ladies’ Bible class will meet the 4th Sunday in May at Rebekah’s.

* Today is Potluck Sunday. Please stay and share a meal with us.

* Please clip “Box Tops For Education” & put them in the box in the Preacher’s office.

* Please continue to drop any Bible questions in the Question & Answer box in the foyer.

* Bootheel Youth Camp Workday May 22. Also - Little Egypt Youth Camp in Dahlgren this summer. More details on the

   bulletin board.

* Campbell Soup has not discontinued support for the homosexual agenda. Please  continue boycotting them.

 

* Hearing assistance available upon request.

 

 

 

BIBLE QUESTION/ANSWER:

 

Last week’s answer:  The Queen of Sheba (I Kings 10:1-7).

 

New question: What does the Bible say goes before destruction?

 

Sentence Sermon: “For the faithful Christian, to die is not loss, but eternal gain.” (See Phil. 1:20-21).

 

 

 

 

Birthdays &Anniversaries

James& Sheilah Whittington - 5/6

 

 

 

"PREACHERITIS" AND "UNPREACHERITIS"

 

            "Preacheritis" and "unpreacheritis" are two sad diseases which have become predominant in the church. Both of these diseases center around how congregations and individual Christians look at preachers. These diseases cause congregations to build around the preacher instead of the congregation being built around Jesus Christ. These diseases also can cause congregations to disintegrate because of the preacher instead of being unified because of Christ. Because of these diseases, many Christians either recommend a congregation or complain about a congregation in terms of the preacher.
            Preacheritis infects the church in a variety of ways. Frequently it is heard that one should come to a particular congregation to hear the preacher. It is never the preacher that needs to be heard; instead, it is the message or Gospel of Christ that needs to be heard (Rom. 10:10-17). Instead of inviting individuals to come and hear the preacher, they should be invited to come and hear about Jesus Christ (Matt. 11:28-30).
            Frequently it is said that preachers should be heard because of the delivery of their sermons. Some are bragged about because they can quote scriptures and preach without notes. Some are bragged about because they interlace their sermons with a variety of stories that attract attention. Some are deemed to be worthy of hearing because they are known because of their media work on television, radio or in publications. Others are said to be exceptional because they use graphs, charts or computer presentations during their lessons. When the preacheritis is stripped away, only one thing really matters. Did the preacher, to the best of his ability, deliver the message of the Gospel that needed to be delivered in a way that was pleasing to God? The apostle Paul wrote, “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel” (I Cor. 9:16).
            Unpreacheritis is the open expression that one simply does not care for a preacher and desires his demise. Unpreacheritis is as damaging to the church as preacheritis is. Unpreacheritis believes that because a certain preacher does not meet one’s personal perceptions of a preacher, he should be removed. Preachers are as different as other people are different. It is sad however that often a preacher’s work is hurt because members fail to allow for personal differences. Instead of accepting the preacher for the abilities and good qualities that he has, he is frequently compared to the last five preachers that preached for a particular congregation. He does not have the personality of preacher four, he does not have the compassion of preacher two, he does not visit like preacher three, and he does not know the members like preacher one. How can any individual survive being expected to follow the patterns, habits, and expectations of so many different people?

            In the attitudes of unpreacheritis, preachers have not been hired or have been fired because they did not golf, throw a football with young people, know about hockey, or understand local customs pertaining to showers, weddings and funerals. Preachers have been rejected because they did not use computers, understand internet and web sites or have a pleasant preacher’s voice. Ironically, preachers have been rejected because they are too young, middle aged or too old. They have been rejected because they were not married, were married, had children or did not have children. Preachers are rejected because they do not have a degree, they have a degree, they use too much scripture, they move too slowly or too fast in class or simply because the congregation needs a change and changing the preacher is the easiest change to make.
            No congregation can be what God wants it to be until preacheritis and unpreacheritis are removed from their thinking and practices. A preacher is just a fellow laborer in the wonderful work of Jesus Christ. He is a man that has strengths and weaknesses. He is a man that stands before the judgement of God for every action he does and every word he speaks. He is a man that will be judged for his successes and failures alike. He is a man that needs God’s grace and forgiveness. He is a man that loves brethren and needs brotherly love. He is a man that does well and makes mistakes. He is a man that needs man’s forgiveness and needs to be forgiving of men. Simply, he is just like you.

- David Dalton via Seek The Old Paths