Nile Street Notes

Anna Church of Christ

104 Nile Street, Anna, Illinois 62906

833-5815

 

 

Website: www.annachurchofchrist.com

 

Vol 23.                                                   Issue 41                                      Oct. 11, 2009

 

 

Needy, Needy, Needy

 

Have you ever noticed how some Christians (and non-Christians as well) seem to be continually needy? They need someone to come and visit. They’re upset because they missed church and no one called. They need someone to explain a Bible passage that has been explained to them repeatedly. They need the church to offer just the right class so they’ll feel comfortable. They continually need someone to “talk them back from the edge” because it seems their life is in a constant state of turmoil. They forever seem to be on the verge of abandoning Christianity in favor of no faith or some useless denomination. It seems like every bump in the road of life threatens to overwhelm them!

For starters, let’s address a few of these things. For one, Christians do need to be willing to visit others: other Christians and those outside the church. We should check on those of our number when they’re absent. Christians should be willing to explain a Bible passage more than once if needed. The church should make a reasonable effort to meet the educational/Bible study needs of its members. Christians should be willing to talk to a soul in need.

However, the needy Christian in question is the one who seems to have a continual, never-ending need for some or all of these things. More often than not, they’re the ones who hardly ever seem to “get past the starting gate” of Christianity – those who remain babes in Christ and even after being a Christian for a few years or more, are still unable to handle the “meat” of the word (Heb. 5:12).

How do we deal with individuals like these? While recommending professional counseling or psychiatric services certainly wouldn’t be out of order (and possibly preferable in some situations), the best place to start might be to recommend more Bible study to help ground their faith. We need to emphasize the importance of regular Bible study to everyone and especially to troubled souls. Along with that, we need to offer to help them understand what they read (Acts 8:30-31) so their study doesn’t become confusing.

We need to pray for them (Mt. 7:7; I Thess. 5:17). We need to pray for ourselves that we remain strong in well-doing and don’t faint (Gal. 6:9), and we must pray for the depth of patience Job possessed. God is long-suffering (II Pet. 3:9). Should we not also strive to be?

We should point out to them the importance of assembling with the saints to worship (Heb. 10:25; Mt. 6:33; Ps. 122:1). When the saints assemble, they do so to worship God in spirit and in truth (Jn. 4:24). They provoke one another to love and good works (Heb. 10:24) and edify one another (I Thess. 5:11).

It may be helpful to assist the individual in identifying the reasons why their world so often seems “upside down.” Perhaps they put other pursuits first instead of Bible study and worshipping God. God must have first place in our lives or He’ll have no place.

Maybe the trouble is unbelieving family members at home or friends outside of the home that are trying to pull them away. We must impress upon them that Jesus Christ is surely worth any price they might have to pay in order to follow Him, and He knew that a person’s family would be their enemies in many cases (Matt. 10:35-39).

It’s been said that the only way some Christians will make it to Heaven is if a strong, faithful Christian leads them by the hand every step of the way. The reality is that if an individual doesn’t want to make it there badly enough on his or her own, no one can actually drag them along. The Bible is replete with teachings about individual responsibility (Ezek. 18:20, for one). Notice the individual nature of Paul’s writings about salvation as his death approached: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness...” (II Tim. 4:7-8, emphasis added). Paul fought the good fight of faith. He finished his course & kept the faith. Therefore, a crown was laid up for him. His good deeds didn’t cover anyone else – didn’t insure them a crown as well, anymore than his sins stained anyone else’s soul (II Cor. 5:10). We are ultimately responsible for our own souls (Heb. 9:27).

We’ll encounter needy people all throughout life, both in and out of the church, and Christians have a responsibility to lend assistance to someone in need: especially a brother or sister (Gal. 6:1-2; 10), but ultimately, living righteously and attaining that prize (cf. Phil. 3:13) is their responsibility. We can’t do that for them, but we can help and pray they will finally be able to stand on their own and “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14).                           - R.W.

 

 

SERMON TOPICS

 A.M. – “Lord, Teach Us To Pray”  (Luke 11:1)

 

P.M. – “Erring Christians, Spiritual Extortion, & The Need For Strong Elders”            (I Peter 5:2-4)

 

Those For Whom We Are Praying:

Kathleen Ritchey 

Rodney & Nikki Lingle

Bill Whitnel

Mitchell Shock – Grandson of Rosemary’s cousin.

Carlos Wright - Tumor found on hip.

Charles Dillow – Freda’s brother-in-law

Paul Etherton - Sara Wilkins' father. Cancer in lymph nodes.

Jean Brown – Kris’s aunt.

Diana Schultz - Recovering from injuries sustained in a car crash.

Tommy Schultz – Heart trouble.

John Bradley – Hand is healing.

Wes Boie – Terminal cancer.

Bonnie Mangum

 

Wisdom From Proverbs: The desire of the righteous is only good: but the expectation of the wicked is wrath” (Prov. 11:23).

 

Quotable Quote: “Experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with what happens to you.” –Aldous Huxley

 

 

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).

 

 

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES/MEETINGS

* Our fall cleanup day will be Oct. 17th at 8 a.m.

* Devotional & hayride Oct. 30 at R.W. & Renee’s at 6 p.m.

* Ladies Day Nov. 7 at West End Blvd. church of Christ in Cape Girardeau. Areva Chesser & JennyNewman speaking. Please

   RSVP soon.

* Thanks to all who helped with our Clothing Giveaway yesterday.

* Christian Girls’ Convention Oct. 17 at Marshall Co. Performing Arts Center in Benton, KY from2-4 p.m. Sheila Butt

   speaking. Theme - Modesty

* Our Gospel Mtg. Nov. 1-4 w/Jeremiah Tatum.

*  “Friends & Family Day" Oct. 18 at Vienna. Cookout to follow a.m. service.

* Fall Lectureship at Marion congregation Oct. 11-14 w/various speakers.

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

* Please continue boycotting Pepsi & Frito-Lay products as they support the homosexual agenda.

 

 

BIBLE QUESTION/ANSWER:

 

Last week’s answer: Jael, wife of Heber, killed Sisera. (Judges 5:24-26).

New question: According to Ezekiel, what woods were used for ships, for the masts and for the oars?

 

Sentence Sermon: “A Bible that is falling apart often belongs to someone who isn’t.”

 

 

 

Birthdays &Anniversaries

Jerry & Ann Toler – 10/12

                                                           

 

 

 

 

ISN’T IT FUNNY?

 

When the other fellow takes a long time to do something, he is slow. When I take a long to do something, I am thorough.

When the other fellow does not do a thing, he is lazy. When I do not do it, I am busy.

When the other fellow goes ahead and does something without being told, he is overstepping the bounds of his authority. When I do something without being told, that is initiative.

When the other fellows states his side of a question strongly, he is bullheaded. When I state my side of a question strongly, I am being firm and decisive.

When the other fellow overlooks a few of the rules of etiquette, he is rude. When I skip a few of the rules, I am original and innovative.

When the other fellow does something that pleases the boss, he is polishing the brass. When I do something that pleases the boss, that is cooperation.

When the other fellow gets ahead, he sure had the lucky breaks. When I get ahead, hard work did it for me. Funny, isn’t it?

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His Kind of Preaching

 

The sermon was over and the service dismissed. One man shook hands with the preacher and told him he had not enjoyed a sermon more than that one in several years. The preacher was pleased. “What was it you liked about it?” “Well,” the man said, “I really like no preaching at all, and that was about as close to no preaching as I’ve heard in many a year.”