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The Cornerstone
This is the Stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the Chief Conerstone." Acts 4:11
Pulbished to Support the Work of the West End Church of Christ, Richmond, Virginia
Volume 8 * Number 17* April 27, 2008
After the Gospel Meeting Week
What an enjoyable week we have just finished up. It was a great week because the lessons were from the Word of God. It was great because we had good attendance by our members and it was a great week because we honored our God.
During the week we learned that the Gospel is reaching the lost in Ethiopia and the importance of knowing that things are not always fair. The desperate need of repentance and then our great series in the Hebrew letter starting with the importance of not drifting away. We clearly understand that the confirmation of the word was first spoken by Jesus and then delivered by His apostles unto us. We heard the truth about God’s just punishment and that miracles have had their place in the first century. And what a wonderful way to close the week with a lesson on the great salvation that is found in Jesus Christ.
We have been fed and I hope you are full, but unlike the sleepy feeling we get after lunch, we must not sit down and sleep having feasted upon the word. We must use our happiness, encouragement and zeal to press on, and get to work.
“There remaineth therefore a sabbath rest for the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest hath himself also rested from his works, as God did from his. Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, that no man fall after the same example of disobedience.”
Stacy Crim
The Preeminence of Christ
Levi Rutledge
In Col 1:18 Paul wrote “And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence.
The word preeminence is a noun. It is one who has an elevated position or rank or one who is supreme, highest in rank, highest in authority or quality and superior to others.
Because Christ is: Deity; the Creator, and because of what He has done through His headship; being the first born; and our Redeemer, we give honor or respect, “homage” to Him as the preeminent.
Christ is Deity. He is before all things (Col 1:17). He pre-existed all eternity (Genesis 1:1; John 1:3; Revelation 1:18) He was in the form of God (Philippians 2:6). Jesus told Philip the apostle that “he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9). Thomas the apostle said unto Jesus “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).
Christ is the Creator and He Created everything (Psalms 89:11; John 1:3; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:16).
Christ has the Headship because He is first in rank (preeminent). The head always holds the preeminent position. In Christ’s relationship to the church, He is the head. (Colossians 1:18, Ephesians 1:22-23) He began and originated the church (Matt 16:18)
Christ holds the preeminent position because He is the firstborn (Colossians 1:18). “Firstborn is used of Christ in His relationship to the Father, expressing his priority to, and preeminence over, creation.
Christ is the first one raised from death to die no more (Romans 6:9). He is not the first to come back to life after dying, but He is the first one to come back from death to die no more.
Because Christ arose from the grave it was a birth. It is a “new birth” for all who will not taste spiritual death. Because of Christ’s resurrection, He is the first-fruit of them that slept and those who will follow after Him (I Corinthians 15:20).
Christ is our Redeemer because of His preeminence. (Redeem- a releasing for a ransom). “In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14). We have been redeemed by His blood (Ephesians 2:13; Romans 5:8-9; I Peter 1:18-19; Rev 1:5).
In Christ’s preeminence He declares: “All power has been given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). Note: This authority will be His until he delivers up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power (I Corinthians 15:24)
Let’s get to know Christ because He has preeminence over everything. He is over life, death, the things in this world, and in the world to come; He is over all government and all powers. He deserves our homage unto Him.
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Giving Like Children
Michael Cox
In Matthew 18:13, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” We often acknowledge that in order to enter the Heavenly Kingdom, we must be innocent, like children. Many other specific applications can be made for how we should be child-like. One of them was impressed upon me recently by my six-year-old son.
Most young children love to put money in the offering plate. Parents often give their children a couple quarters or a dollar to drop in the plate as it goes by in order to teach their children the importance of giving. One Sunday, as I observed my youngest child quickly clamoring for some change from me or my wife for the offering plate, I thought to myself, “Children love to give so much because it’s not their money!” The thought was intended to be a bit facetious, but I quickly realized I had just identified an enviable quality within my child.
Whether it is giving to the church treasury or for some other benevolent need, our attitude toward it might be more like the cheerful giver of 2 Cor 9:6-7 if we had the proper realization that it’s not really ours. The Psalmist wrote, “For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine.” (Psa 50:10-11)
In Haggai 2:8 we read, “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts.” We’re much less likely to become overly attached to earthly possessions when we realize they aren’t even ours! All that we have belongs to God and He has entrusted it to us as stewards.
If we are to be good stewards of God’s bounty on earth, we must follow His rules of stewardship. God has told us how we should acquire what we possess. The apostle Paul commanded the Ephesians, “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands.”(Eph 4:28) Too many folks are looking for that get-rich-quick-scheme that never pans out, or put all their hope on the frivolity of the lotto or other gambling outlets. God wants his stewards to be working!
Good stewardship also involves what we do with what we earn. Matthew 6:19 warns us against putting too much time and energy into hording treasures upon this earth. In Paul’s first epistle to Timothy he says, “if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Tim 5:8) Would any Christian turn his back on his own family? It happens more than you might think. People in need sometimes go to the church for assistance when members of their own family possess the means to help. Unfortunately, they’ve already spent it all in the pursuit of this world’s pleasures and therefore have nothing left to give. Notice how our Ephesian passage of the last paragraph ends, “let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” (Eph 4:28) Good stewardship requires that we labor to earn, and earn to share.
Good stewardship also includes wisdom in the use of that which we’ve been entrusted. Notice the actions of Jesus’ disciples after His miraculous feeding of both the 5,000 and 4,000. After, “they all ate and were satisfied, ... they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.” Nothing went to waste! Jesus had the power to provide indefinitely for the people. However, that was no cause for poor management of God’s provisions.
My son, like most children I’ve seen, truly love giving to others - and not just the quarters provided by Mom and Dad. They genuinely understand, sometimes better than us adults, that it is more blessed to give than receive. (Acts 20:35)
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