Webster defines “ethic” as follows:

1plural but sing or plural in constr : the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation2 a: a set of moral principles : a theory or system of moral values <the present-day materialistic ethic> <an old-fashioned work ethic> —often used in plural but singular or plural in construction <an elaborate ethics><Christian ethics> bplural but sing or plural in constr : the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group <professional ethics> c: a guiding philosophy d: a consciousness of moral importance <forge a conservation ethic>3plural : a set of moral issues or aspects (as rightness)….

With that group of definitions in mind, I want to ask if the following action is ethical.

A man is laid off from his job in a certain state. Due to the fact that he is laid off he has the right to go the unemployment office in his city or state and ask for unemployment compensation. So far, we see no problem with this situation. But, now comes the big problem or question.

The person who has been laid off from his job in the state of Kentucky or Alabama (the name of a state is simply for example; it could be almost any state) learns that there is a loophole in the unemployment compensation program in the State of Massachusetts. This loophole (which is supposed to be legally closed in January 2009) unintentionally allows anyone from any state outside of Massachusetts who claims unemployment to travel to Massachusetts and claim unemployment compensation from Massachusetts because of the legal loophole. Added to this is the fact that unemployment compensation in Massachusetts is higher than many other states in the USA.  So, a person may, if he chooses to do so, claim unemployment compensation from his own state where he was laid off, then pay a few hundred dollars to fly to Massachusetts and apply for unemployment compensation in that state as well.

If a brother in Christ (or anyone) were to do this, would it be ethical? Would it be morally right to do it? What would be wrong with it? Does the fact that it is legal make the matter right?

Some make the claim that it is not against the law of Massachusetts, therefore it is okay to take money from that state even though one has never worked there. Some reason that if the laws of Massachusetts were written so poorly that the state loses money, then it is Massachusetts’ fault, and there is no wrong done to take advantage of the matter and make some extra money.

In such logic and thinking one may not consider that he may be greedy; or, that he may be stealing, or lying, or violating the spirit of the unemployment laws of Massachusetts for his own personal selfish gain.

Does this conduct and the attitude behind it provide for things honest in the sight of all men? “Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men” Romans 12:17. What does it teach the young people who know about those who do this?

Just because a thing may be technically legal (even if only for a short while longer), does being legal make a thing morally right?

In some states gambling,  prostitution, alcoholic beverages and other matters that are known to be sinful are legal. But, is it permissible for one to participate in these things just because they are legal? Certainly not! Just because something is legal does not make it morally or ethically right to participate in it. Does such an activity follow the instruction of Paul in Philippians 4:8?  “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

It is a violation of the spirit of the laws of the state of Massachusetts to take advantage of a legal loophole for one’s own monetary gain when one has never worked in that state. It causes the taxes of the citizens of that state to be raised. It affects the goods and services of Massachusetts towards its own citizens. It fails to apply the “golden rule,” Mat. 7:12. It is possible that seeking to take advantage of this loophole puts one in a position of lying to the state of Massachusetts.

Is it Christ-like conduct to seek to take advantage of another even if “the other” is a government entity? Taking advantage of another is not a Christian attribute. Does such conduct indicate spiritual maturity or a carnal mind? 1 Cor. 3:1-3.

What a shame that some brethren in Christ have participated in this deception and greed!

Finding a congregation where one may labor for the Lord is not always easy. I am just as certain that it is not easy for a church that is seeking the services of preacher to find the one they feel is “right” for them.

In this blog and others that may follow, I wish to set forth some pitfalls or problems that are faced by the preacher in his quest to find a congregation where he may work. I also wish to help enlighten some who may not understand many of the difficulties faced in seeking such employment.

First, when a preacher is looking for a place to preach  local churches that are looking for a preacher need to realize that they are on “trial” as a prospective congregation just as much as the preacher is “on trial”.  Sometimes I think that some brethren in local churches assume that all the advantage is on the side of the local church and that every preacher who is “looking” wants to preach for them. However, that is not the case. The preacher is also inspecting the prospective church. The matter is not all one-sided.  This is a two-way street.  Some churches are not as much to be desired as other congregations. The same is true with preachers who are looking for employment.  So, let it not be assumed that the congregation has all the advantage and that preachers are at their mercy. When a prospective preacher goes to visit a church that is looking for a preacher he is gathering information about that congregation. Just because he is there, as a guest, does not mean that he definitely wants to preach for that particular congregation. He and his family are getting a “feel” for that church as they meet the members, evaluate the attitudes of the leadership of the church, its doctrinal soundness, and inspect the membership and its works, plans, goals, vision, potential, conduct toward one another, friendliness, etc.  So, all of this is not just a matter of whether the church wants the preacher who is “trying out,” it is also matter of whether the “trial” preacher is finding what he is seeking!  I have been to a number of churches where I have thought (after spending some time with them), “Well, I do not want to work with those folks.”

A second matter is something that many brethren never think of, but if it is applied to secular business, it is often thought of and discussed.  I realize that not all legal matters in business can be applied equally to the church, its business, and work. But, there are some things that brethren need to seriously think about.  These are matters of discrimination. “Discrimination?!” one replies.  Yes, discrimination!  What about “age” discrimination, “race” discrimination, “physical” discrimination (looks, weight, etc)? I suppose that many of my brethren never thought about it before, but there is more of this kind of discrimination that is practiced in the church than some are willing to admit.  In secular work, it can be a violation of some law or code to discriminate–and it can bring heavy penalties. But, brethren who speak long and loud about following the “law of the land” are often too easily willing to discriminate against preachers on the basis of age or looks in matters involving preacher selection.

In these matters, I wonder what happened to the Golden Rule, Mat. 7:12? To treat others as you would wish to be treated.

My experience has been that when some (some!) brethren cannot find a doctrinal problem with a preacher, but they really do not want him, the next thing they will do is to scour his life, personality, or family for some excuse not to hire him. They will then seek to exploit his flaws and emphasize them in an effort to turn others against him and prevent him from being hired.

Many churches today say that they are looking for “young preachers with children still at home.” They think this will attract the younger families in their community to come to their worship services. They believe this will be an incentive for families with small children to become prospects for baptism. In some cases, that might be true. But, it is definitely not true in all cases!  There are many churches that have found some young families in their community who like to have an older, experienced preacher who can give their family a sense of security and who can speak wisely to their problems and needs. There is something positive about experience and wisdom in the pulpit. A young preacher may not be able to do this. I am not opposed to young preachers (I was once a young preacher with a young family), but I am opposed to the thinking that only a young married preacher with children at home is the solution to a church’s need for numerical growth. This thinking is often ill-advised and short-sighted. It may also overemphasize the numerical growth angle while overlooking matters of equal or greater importance.

Another matter about this kind of thinking is that it overlooks the reality of the demographics of the population of the United States. First, fewer men are becoming gospel preachers. Most of the preachers within churches of Christ are older men. Many parents do not want their sons to become gospel preachers because (looking at it from a purely worldly viewpoint) there is no financial future in it. Because fewer young men are becoming preachers there are fewer young preachers that are married with children at home! That is simply a fact of life. Therefore, there are fewer young preachers with families available to churches looking for preachers!

Along with this demographic reality is another–the average age of Americans is older rather than younger! Also, the average age of gospel preachers is older. Thus, we should be cautious about looking only for a young man to be our preacher.   And, let us be careful about age discrimination when looking for a preacher. From personal experience, I know that many churches with older preachers have many young families with children in those congregations. If your congregation is looking for younger families, maybe your emphasis is not what it should be. The weight or burden of drawing young families should not be on the basis that “we have a young preacher with a family.” That sounds so shallow! Our experience has been that Christians are looking for sound doctrinal teaching, and the rest follows. What about drawing from the middle-aged or the older people in your community?  Are their souls not as precious and valuable as the young?

Another matter when looking for a preacher in the discrimination area is that of how people “look” physically.  All of us are not prime physical specimens with bodies that would grace the cover of a health magazine. We may wish we had such a body, but most of us are not perfect. Some of us are overweight, and many of us are working on that problem. However, we should not (as was implied by one young man awhile back) equate a person who is overweight with being a glutton or a winebibber!  There are many reasons for a person being overweight, and there is no excuse for gluttony, but being overweight can be caused by many factors, and it is not always gluttony! To assume that all overweight people are gluttons is to pass an unrighteous judgment upon them (to judge without facts, John 7:24 “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” I do not know what Jesus looked like, but He was accused of winebibbing and gluttony! The Scriptures tell us that Jesus was not handsome to look at. Isaiah 53:2 says, “…  he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” Does that mean He was short, gawky, ugly, overweight; did He walk with a limp?  I do not know, but I do know there were accusations leveled against Him that were not true! (Matt. 11:19; Luke 7:34).

When a king was being selected to reign over Israel, it was thought that a strong, handsome physical specimen of a man was to be chosen, but God made it clear that such was not His criteria for the King of Israel. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Let this be a lesson to us to be more humble and to try to see more as God sees others.  It is believed that Paul, the apostle, had bad eyesight (Gal. 6:11; 2 Cor. 12:17). We do know that he had at least one physical ailment because he referred to it. Would we turn him away as our preacher because of some mere physical problem? Far too much emphasis today is made on physical matters than should be. What does it say about brethren today when they emphasize the “looks” of a man rather than his heart, his knowledge, and his ability?  Perhaps many are too materialistic or worldly in their thinking! Do we allow such small-minded men to hold sway in local churches in matters of such great importance as hiring a preacher? If so, we allow spiritually weak men to control the church, and a church will grow no stronger than its weakest link!

Recently, I was appalled, disgusted, and disappointed at the unsportsmanlike conduct exhibited by some participants in the Olympic games. How rude, childish, and disrespectful some behaved. Sometimes unsportsmanlike conduct could be state-sponsored as in a case where a nation might allow those who represent their nation in international competitions to do so while lying concerning the ages of the participants.

Using illegal drugs is unsportsmanlike conduct. Cheating in other ways, and misbehaving before, during, and after a competition should reap appropriate consequences for those involved. Spectators should also conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike way. We have all seen situations where the crowd becomes unruly and parents run onto a playing field to take a swing at a coach, or swear at a coach or an opponent.

I am all for “going all out” and playing to win in competition. I believe that one must have his or her heart 100% in his game or he should quit. Every participant should play like his life depended on winning. But, one can do that without abusing his opponents, the officials, or even his own team. What many fail to understand is that a game is simply a game. A game should be played for the fun of it. And, win or lose, we should enjoy the rivalry, the implementation of various legitimate strategies for winning, and the camaraderie that is involved. Being a good sport, being fair, being good-natured is a character-building experience in athletic activities.

Basically, good sportsmanship is following a fundamental rule of life that was set forth by Jesus, the Son of God– Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Matt. 7:12.

We live in a time when some abhor rules. We live in a time when some think that everyone should be given an award whether they win or lose. We live in a time when some think that bullying is the way to win. We live in a time of moral relativism (secular humanism) when even mentioning the idea of following the Bible on such a topic as this would bring a lawsuit, and perhaps the dismissal of a teacher or coach who would encourage it. We should be ashamed!

Below, I have added some links to various websites that set forth some modern rules of good sportsmanship. Check them out.

Montana High School Association

Good Sportsmanship

Iowa High School Athletic Association

Touching Base Magazine

Glen Ullin Public School, North Dakota

Sportsmanship Code-University of Rochester

Mack Days Fishing Events

Special Olympics Hockey Sportsmanship Guide

WVIZ Public Television Game Show-Cleveland, Ohio

Children and Sports-Don’t Forget to Practice Sportsmanship!

SPW

Charles H. Gabriel

God is calling the prodigal, come without delay,
Hear, O hear Him calling, calling now for thee.
Tho’ you’ve wandered so far from His presence, come today,
Hear His loving voice calling still.

Refrain

Calling now for thee, O weary prodigal, come;
Calling now for thee, O weary prodigal, come.

Patient, loving and tenderly still the Father pleads,
Hear, O hear Him calling, calling now for thee;
Oh! return while the Spirit in mercy intercedes,
Hear His loving voice calling still.

Refrain

Come, there’s bread in the house of the Father, and to spare,
Hear, O hear Him calling, calling now for thee;
Lo! the table is spread and the feast is waiting there,
Hear His loving voice calling still.

Refrain

Jennie E. Hussey

King of my life, I crown Thee now,
Thine shall the glory be;
Lest I forget Thy thorn crowned brow,
Lead me to Calvary.

Refrain

Lest I forget Gethsemane,
Lest I forget Thine agony;
Lest I forget Thy love for me,
Lead me to Calvary.

Show me the tomb where Thou wast laid,
Tenderly mourned and wept;
Angels in robes of light arrayed
Guarded Thee whilst Thou slept.

Refrain

Let me like Mary, through the gloom,
Come with a gift to Thee;
Show to me now the empty tomb,
Lead me to Calvary.

Refrain

May I be willing, Lord, to bear
Daily my cross for Thee;
Even Thy cup of grief to share,
Thou hast borne all for me.

Refrain

Fanny J. Crosby

Speed away, speed away, on your mission of light,
To the lands that are lying in darkness and night;
’Tis the Master’s command; go ye forth in His Name,
The wonderful Gospel of Jesus proclaim;
Take your lives in your hand, to the work while ’tis day,
Speed away, speed away, speed away.

Speed away, speed away with the life giving Word;
To the nations that know not the voice of the Lord;
Take the wings of the morning and fly o’er the wave,
In the strength of your Master the lost ones to save;
He is calling once more, not at moment’s delay,
Speed away, speed away, speed away.

Speed away, speed away with the message of rest,
To the souls by the tempter in bondage oppressed;
For the Savior has purchased their ransom from sin,
And the banquet is ready, O gather them in;
To the rescue make haste, there’s no time for delay,
Speed away, speed away, speed away.

]]> http://wd40nductape.wordpress.com/2008/07/06/speed-away/feed/ 0 wd40nductape http://wd40nductape.wordpress.com/2008/07/06/rescue-the-perishing/ http://wd40nductape.wordpress.com/2008/07/06/rescue-the-perishing/#comments Sat, 05 Jul 2008 19:00:12 +0000 wd40nductape http://wd40nductape.wordpress.com/?p=28 ]]> Rescue the Perishing

Fanny J. Crosby

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.

Refrain

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.

Though they are slighting Him, still He is waiting,
Waiting the penitent child to receive;
Plead with them earnestly, plead with them gently;
He will forgive if they only believe.

Refrain

Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace can restore;
Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness,
Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.

Refrain

Rescue the perishing, duty demands it;
Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide;
Back to the narrow way patiently win them;
Tell the poor wand’rer a Savior has died.

Refrain

Charles H. Gabriel

There’s a call comes ringing o’er the restless wave,
“Send the light! Send the light!”
There are souls to rescue there are souls to save,
Send the light! Send the light!

Refrain

Send the light, the blessèd Gospel light;
Let it shine from shore to shore!
Send the light, the blessèd Gospel light;
Let it shine forevermore!

We have heard the Macedonian call today,
“Send the light! Send the light!”
And a golden offering at the cross we lay,
Send the light! Send the light!

Refrain

Let us pray that grace may everywhere abound,
“Send the light! Send the light!”
And a Christlike spirit everywhere be found,
Send the light! Send the light!

Refrain

Let us not grow weary in the work of love,
“Send the light! Send the light!”
Let us gather jewels for a crown above,
Send the light! Send the light!

Refrain

Fanny J. Crosby

Church of Christ, thy Lord is calling;
Ope thine eyes, behold and see,
Precious souls, in chains of bondage,
Pleading now for aid from thee.
Up and work for those that perish,
Haste, the time will soon be o’er;
Fold thy arms of love around them,
Church of Christ, O sleep no more.

Lo, again thy Lord is calling;
Preach the Word, its truth proclaim;
Lift thy voice and, like a trumpet,
Sound aloud Jehovah’s Name.
Boding clouds are in the distance,
Billows foam, and surges roar,
Dark and wild the night is coming,
Church of Christ, O sleep no more.

Still again thy Lord is calling;
Take the lamp that once He gave;
Let its beams of peerless glory
Shine afar the lost to save.
Do His will and do it quickly,
For the time will soon be o’er;
He may come when least expected,
Church of Christ, O sleep no more.

2. Remember that your faith is more precious than gold (1:7)

3. Rejoice in the Lord (1:8).

4. Remember the faithfulness of the Old Testament characters (1:10-12)

5. Gird up the loins of your mind—be sober (get your mind—thinking— together) (1:13)

6. Obey God and avoid worldly lusts (1:15)

7. Be holy (1:15-16)

8. Remember that your redemption was purchased at great sacrifice—the death of Jesus as the spotless sacrificial Lamb (1:18-19)

9. Put your faith and hope in God (1:21)

10. Love your brethren with a pure heart fervently (intensely and genuinely) (1:22)

11. Remember that God’s word abides forever, and it was through His word (the gospel) that you were saved (1:23-25)

12. Desire the sincere word of God in order to grow and be strong spiritually (2:2)

13. Don’t forget to render acceptable spiritual sacrifices to God (Worship Him) (2:5)

14. Remember that your spiritual foundation is Christ, who has chosen you as royalty (2:9)

15. Be honest and do good works (2:12)

16. Give honor when and where it is due (2:17)

17. Serve God faithfully—don’t give up (2:16)

18. Follow Christ’s example—walk in His steps (2:21)

19. Live righteously—There is no excuse for sin (3:10-12)

20. Be ready to give an answer (This requires study of the word) (3:15)

21. Faithfully speak God’s word to others (4:11)

22. Don’t stray from the flock or be a cause of grief or heartache to elders (5:1-3)

23. Be humble (5:6)

24. Cast all your cares upon the Lord—He really cares for you (5:7)

25. Watch out for Satan and his devices—He will do you no good—resist him (5:8).