OceanSide church of Christ

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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS (77)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     There are many people who have Alexa in their house.

1.       No, Alexa is not a woman even though Alexa involves a woman’s voice.

2.       Simply defined, Alexa is a virtual personal assistant.

 

B.      One of the things that Alexa is supposed to be able to do is to answer your questions.

1.       Example:  Alexa, what is the weather for today?

2.       As I was preparing this lesson, I came across some interesting questions that can be asked of Alexa.

a.       Alexa, what does Alexa mean?

b.      Alexa, what is the best personal voice assistant?

c.       Alexa, which do I take?  The red pill?  Or, the blue pill?

d.      Alexa, which came first, the chicken?  Or, the egg?

e.       Alexa, what will you be when you grow up?

3.       Twenty years ago, we had never heard of Alexa much less talk about asking Alexa crazy questions.

 

C.     But, religious questions have been asked since Adam and Eve were put in the Garden of Eden.

1.       Some were asked to tempt.

2.       Some were asked to entrap.

3.       Some were asked to learn.

 

D.     Today is our Q&A Sunday.  You ask many questions.  Our hope is that all of them are asked in order for you to learn more of God’s will.

 

I.                    QUESTION #1:  “The life of God” (Eph. 4:18)

 

A.     Stated:  In Ephesians 4:18, Paul writes that the Gentiles had their understanding darkened and that they were alienated from the life of God.  What is “the life of God”?

 

B.      Answer:

1.       Ephesians 4:17-19

 

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through ignorance which is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:  who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

 

2.       Paul is writing “to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 1:1).

3.       Their lives were supposed to be lived in a different manner than the lives the Gentiles were living.  This is why he said:  “…that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk…” (Eph. 4:17).

4.       The saints at Ephesus had come to Jesus.  It is He who promised life to His followers.

a.       John 6:33

 

For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

 

b.      John 10:10b

 

…I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

 

c.       John 14:6

 

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way the truth, and the life:  no man cometh unto the Father but by me.

 

5.       Paul refers to this life as “the life of God” in Ephesians 4:18.

a.       It is a life that was ordained by God.

b.      It is a life that was revealed by God.

c.       It is a life that involves a relationship with God.

d.      It is a life that brings glory to God.

e.       It is a life that pleases God.

6.       The Gentiles were alienated from this life “through ignorance which is in them.”

a.       They were ignorant of God.

b.      They were ignorant of Jesus Christ.

c.       They were ignorant of the truth.

d.      They were ignorant of the life of God.

7.       The Gentiles were walking dead men. 

a.       Their physical men were alive.

b.      Their spiritual men were dead.

8.       According to the apostle Paul, this life is “in Christ” (2 Tim. 1:1).   The only way to get into Christ is to be baptized into Him (Rom. 6:3).

 

II.                 QUESTION #2:  The Holy Spirit and the Apostles (Acts 16:6-7)

 

A.     In Acts 16:6-7, Luke writes that the Holy Spirit forbade the apostles from going into Asia and Bithynia.  Do we know why?  Was it because of the political climate at the time?

 

B.      Answer:

1.       Acts 16:6-7

 

Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, after they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia:  but the Spirit suffered them not.

 

2.       As we study the book of Acts, it appears that God, specifically the Holy Spirit, was in control of the initial spread of the gospel.

a.       In Acts 1:8, Jesus stated that plan in general.

 

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:  and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

 

b.      In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit fell on the apostles and the gospel began to be preached to the Jews.

c.       In Acts 8, it spread to the Samaritans through the preaching of Philip, the evangelist. 

d.      In Acts 10, the gospel was preached in the home of the Gentile named Cornelius.  NOTE:  It was God who directed Peter to go to this house (Acts 10:19-20).

 

While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.  Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing:  for I have sent them.

 

e.       After Saul’s conversion, he resided in Antioch for a period of time.  Acts 13:1 reveals that he was considered to be among the “prophets and teachers” in that congregation.

f.        Acts 13:2 reveals how Paul started his first missionary journey.

 

And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

 

g.      In Acts 16:9-10, Paul’s move into Macedonia was based upon a vision that he saw in the night regarding a man of Macedonia crying out, and saying:  “Come over into Macedonia, and help us.”

3.       Important factors:

a.       Thirteen men were selected to be apostles of Jesus Christ.  They were commissioned to take the gospel to the entire world (Mark 15:16).

b.      Two of these men, Peter and Paul, were said to have two different missions.  Peter was the apostle to the Jews, and Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles.

1)      Galatians 2:7-8

2)      The efforts of these two men as recorded in the book of Acts were representative of the work of all the apostles.

3)      If we understand the words of Paul correctly, each one of them had a specific area of work assigned to them (Col. 1:23).

 

If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.

 

c.       It seems that the Holy Spirit was the one responsible for making sure the apostles went to the places specifically selected for their ministries.  This would make sense in the beginning to make sure the gospel went to all parts of the world.

1)      How would these men know exactly where to go?

2)      How would they know the best place to evangelize?

3)      How could they foresee the obstacles and opposition in various places?

4)      How would they know exactly how long to stay in a locale?

5)      How would they make certain once they were scattered abroad that they did not overlap in their ministries?

d.      Paul was forbidden to go into Asia and Bithynia on his second missionary journey, but the gospel was still preached in these areas (See 1 Pet. 1:1).

 

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.

 

III.              QUESTION #3:  The Chamala Mission in Tanzania, Africa

 

A.     Stated:  Can you provide us with some information about the mission work in Tanzania that we will be supporting during the month of August?

 

B.      Answer:

1.       The Chimala Mission is found in Tanzania, Africa.

a.       The Capital:  Dodoma

b.      Three major attractions of which most have heard:

1)      Serengeti National Park:  home of much wildlife, especially big-game (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino)

2)      Kilimanjaro National Park, the home of Africa’s highest mountain (19,341 feet)

 

Climate Zones of Kilimanjaro

 

3)      Zanzibar:  archipelago (a group of islands off the coast in the Indian Ocean)

c.       Population:  59.73 million people

d.      The people:  there are about 120 different indigenous people in Tanzania

e.       Language:  Swahili and English

f.        Religion:  1/3 – Muslim          1/3 – Christian           1/3 – Traditional

g.      It’s primary economic business is agriculture. 

h.      The two major problems facing the nation:

1)      Poverty

2)      Corruption

 

Map of Tanzania - Facts & Information - Beautiful World Travel Guide                        Tanzania, Dodoma - capital city, pinned on political map Stock Illustration  | Adobe Stock

 

2.       The Chamala Mission

a.       Oversight:  Dalraida church of Christ in Montgomery, AL

b.      Location:

 

Map

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c.       A brief history:

1)      Eldred Echols was the first to attempt to enter the country as a missionary in 1948.  He was denied permission to enter.

2)      Churches in the United States purchased two farms in Tanzania that enabled American to enter the country.

3)      When the country received its independence from Britain in 1961, the government informed the churches of Christ that some type of benevolent or social service had to be rendered to the country.

4)      This is what began the medical facility in Chamala.

a)      Andrew and Claudene Connally founded the hospital.

b)      The Park Row church of Christ in Arlington, TX oversaw the work.

c)       490 acres were purchased.

d)     A hospital was built for 50 patients, and there was an out-patient clinic.

e)      From 1965 to 1971, about 120 churches were established due to Chamala.  There were some 5,000 Christians in those churches.

f)       The Chamala mission also conducted a day school and there were several schools in the villages run by the churches of Christ.

g)      Still in operation, the hospital (now with a 130-bed capacity) includes an outpatient clinic, male ward, female ward, children’s ward, maternity ward, post-natal clinic, eye and dental clinic, isolation ward, family shelter, morgue, storage and laundry areas, dispensary, and housing for visiting missionary families as well as some mission workers. There have been as many as 60,000 patients treated and 3,000 babies born at the hospital per year” (www.chimalamission.com).

5)      In 2004, the Bear Valley Bible Institute was contacted and a Bible College was started at Chimla.  Today, that program is known as the Chimala Bible Institute.

6)      In 2019, Howell Ferguson became the stateside coordinator for Chimala.

7)      In 2019, the Manna Project was started involving the operation of a large farm to help move Chimala to becoming self-sustaining.  At that time, the Chimala Bible Institute took the name the Chimala School of Preaching.

8)      Besides the Chimala School of Preaching and the Chimala Mission Hospital, other works of the Chimala Mission include the Chimala Mission Primary School with teaching staff and an enrollment of around 500 students; the Herring Christian Secondary School with teaching staff and an enrollment of around 130 students; and an estate of a total of approximately 850 acres of property” (Ibid.)

9)      At the present time, 8 people or families are part of the staff of the Chimala Mission.  Hal’s son, Nathan, and his family are missionaries at the Mission.  Five positions within the Mission are served by Christian men from Africa.

d.      Pictures of the Mission

1)      Hospital

               A picture containing tree, outdoor, ground, sky

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2)      Preacher Training School

 

A group of people sitting at desks in a room

Description automatically generated with medium confidence   First CBC Graduation Class  The Librarian, Teddy

 

3)      The Schools

 

Kristi teaching English           Secondary Students

 

Some of our boarding students at the primary school        Some of our school teachers!

 

4)      The Farm

 

Raised Beds   A group of people in a field

Description automatically generated with medium confidence   A picture containing outdoor, tree, ground, wooden

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5)      The church in Tanzania

 

Sunday AM Worship       Church at Matabete

 

6)      Nathan and Kristi Ferguson

 

A family standing next to their luggage

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CONCLUSION

 

A.     We began our discussion talking about the life of God, that is, the spiritual life that God provides.

 

B.      That life was spread abroad in the first century by the apostles of Christ who often had the Holy Spirit directing their efforts.

 

C.     That effort continues today in such places as the Chimala Mission in Tanzania, Africa.

 

Chimala
Mission
https://www.chimalamission.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/logo-light_00b400430@2x.png

 

D.     Too, the OceanSide church of Christ continues that mission here at the Beaches and in the city of Jacksonville, Florida.