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CRITICISMS OF
THE CHURCH
Rusty Stark
People need to be convicted as
sinners, to know they are separated from God, to be aware they are
bound for a devil’s hell for all eternity. How will they
escape if they are not warned?
A young member of the congregation called. People had been criticizing
the church to him in various ways. What were their criticisms?
WITHOUT EMOTION
They accused the church of
Christ of being without emotion. This criticism is in direct contrast
to groups whose emphasis is all on emotion. These are people who think
they are saved because they are happy, rather than being happy because
they are saved. Their faith is based on how they feel, when it should
be the other way around. Instead of having faith in God because we feel
good, we should feel good based on our faith in God — our
assurance that he is and that he will reward us if we diligently seek
him (Heb. 11:6).
It is a false and backwards
idea that truth arises out of our emotions. And yet, this false and
backwards idea can even be found in at least one of the hymns we
commonly sing — He Lives
by Alfred Ackley. The chorus ends by saying: “You
ask me how I know he lives: He lives within my heart.” No,
No, a thousand times no! We do not believe that Jesus lives because we
can somehow detect or feel him in our heart. The only way we can know
he lives in our heart is by faith — the Bible telling us so
(Eph. 3:17).
Churches of Christ are not
emotionless. If we sing in the manner the New Testament teaches, we
make music with our mouths, and we make melody in our hearts (Eph.
5:19; Col. 3:16). It is a great thrill to sing about God’s
“Amazing Grace.” It is in humble awe that we
declare, “How Great Thou Art.”
No emotion? We can easily
be brought to tears when we commemorate the death of our Lord by
keeping his memorial supper every first day of the week (Acts 20:7). In
his memory (1 Cor. 11:24-26) we focus our minds on his suffering and
the shedding of his blood. When we do this we feel sorrow because we
know he was paying the debt for our sins, and we also feel
inexpressible joy and gratitude because we know he was paying the debt
for our sins.
No emotion? There is the
humility of prayer, the sorrowful conviction of sin, the blessed
assurance of knowing we have passed from death to life, the burden and
urgency of our mission to save lost souls, and the joyful anticipation
of heaven.
There is a distinction
between true, appropriate emotions and hype. We can jump around and
shout and even cut ourselves in wild, uncontrolled excitement, or we
can be the still small voice that truly accesses the power of God (cf.
1 Kings 18:25-38; 19:12).
True New Testament worship
demands that we are not wild, but controlled, doing all things “decently
and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40).
TOO NEGATIVE
The people troubling this
young member leveled another criticism against the church. In their
eyes, the church is too negative. They said, “The last thing
I need when I go to church is to have someone tell me how horrible a
person I am.”
Someone should have told
Peter on the day of Pentecost, “The last thing those people
need to hear is that they were guilty of crucifying the
Messiah” (Acts 2:36). Someone should have told Stephen.
“Don’t call those Jews stiff-necked or
uncircumcised in heart and ears. The last thing they need is to be made
to feel like horrible people” (Acts 7:51). Wrong!
This kind of preaching is
exactly what people need. They need to be convicted as sinners, to know
they are separated from God, to be aware they are bound for a
devil’s hell for all eternity. How will they escape if they
are not warned?
Many in modern religion
avoid the very mention of sin. They tell people to follow their own
hearts, believe in themselves, and do what seems right to them.
Meanwhile, God, though his word, is shouting,
“Repent!” (Luke 13:3,5; Acts 2:38; 17:30).
If we are not convicted of
sin, how will we ever turn away from it? If the preacher
doesn’t preach it, and if Bible class teachers
don’t discuss it, how will we know about hell and how to
avoid its fiery torment?
Of course, not every sermon
need be negative. There is great uplifting, empowering truth, to be
taught and learned. But “positive” or
“negative” is often just a matter of perspective.
When the preacher preaches about some sin that exists in our lives, we
don’t have to hear in a negative way. When we are condemned
by the word of God, it is not God pushing us away, it is God calling us
near.
We cannot come near to God
unless we are willing to put away our sins. First Peter 1:15-16 says: “But
as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of
conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am
holy.” First Corinthians 6:9-11: “Know
ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be
not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor
covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit
the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but
ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus,
and by the Spirit of our God.”
Are these verses positive
or negative? They contain a warning against living in sin, but they
also rejoice in the victory over sin — being washed,
sanctified, justified. Is it negative to tell the drunkard he can and
must change his life? Is it negative to tell the homosexual that he can
and must come out of that sin and such like perversions and live a
righteous life? If they will hear it in the right way, it will be the
most positive message those people could ever hear.
Note this: Even in our sin
God is calling us through the Gospel (2 Thess. 2:14). God loves us even
in our sins (Rom. 5:6-8). But he is not calling us to come to him
“in” our sins. He is calling us to come
“out” of our sins and walk in newness of life (Rom.
6:4). He is calling us to be holy — set apart from sin
— just as he is holy.
CHRISTIANITY — BURDEN OR BLESSING
Another criticism that
needs to be dealt with is the idea that churches of Christ only see
Christianity as a burden. Again Wrong!
The truth is that
Christianity is a great burden, a struggle, a difficult, restrictive,
narrow path (Matt. 7:13-14). It is not peace, but a sword (Matt.
10:34). It involves a daily cross, denying self and living for the one
who died for us (Luke 9:23; 2 Cor. 5:14-15). It means that we will
suffer persecution (2 Tim. 3:12). But it is also the greatest blessing
any man can ever receive. To deny either of these — the
burden or the blessing — is to be mistaken and unbalanced.
Christ offers sinful man
the opportunity to forsake his sins and become a child of God.
Galatians 3:26-27: “For ye are all the children of
God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized
into Christ have put on Christ.” Here is the bottom
line. We cannot have a relationship with God and his Son Jesus if we
are unwilling to bear the burden involved in being a Christian. Luke
14:27: “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and
come after me, cannot be my disciple.” We cannot
have the relationship if we will not bear the burden.
God wants us to be happy,
but happiness is the by-product. True happiness comes to those who
strive to be holy — set apart from sin, and thereby live in a
daily relationship with Jesus and the Father. God demands that we be
holy, because he is holy. “Wherefore gird up the
loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is
to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient
children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in
your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy
in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I
am holy” (1 Peter 1:13-16).
We do not find Jesus in our
earthly joy. We find our joy in Jesus. “Rejoice in
the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice” (Phil.
4:4).
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Table of Contents
THE CHURCH OF
CHRIST IS... #1
Garland M. Robinson
The church of
Christ. It belongs to none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is the Lord’s church. He is the one who built it (Matt.
16:18), dying to purchase it with his own blood (Matt. 26:28; Mark
14:24; Luke 22:20). Jesus is the Christ, the Savior. The church is not
John the Baptist’s church. John pointed men to Christ, not
himself (John 1:27). John was never a member of the church. He died
before it was established. Jesus said of John, “Among
those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John
the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than
he” (Luke 7:28). The kingdom of God is the church
of Christ (Matt. 16:18-19; Col. 1:13; Rev. 1:9). The church of Christ
was not founded by man. It was founded by Jesus Christ. It is
Christ’s church — therefore, the church of Christ.
Acts 4:12 says, “Neither is there salvation in any
other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved.” Paul spake of the
churches of Christ in every location when he wrote to the church at
Rome, “the churches of Christ
salute you” (Rom. 16:16). He didn’t say
all denominations salute you. He said “the churches of Christ
salute you.”
The eternal
purpose of God. “To the intent that now
unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by
the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose
which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph.
3:10-11). Notice the expression, “eternal purpose.”
The church of Christ was God’s intention all along. It was
conceived of and planned before the foundation of the world (cf. Matt.
25:34; Eph. 1:4-5; 1 Peter 1:18-20). The church/kingdom was not an
accident. It was not an after-thought or substitute. It was not an
emergency measure that God came up with when Jesus was rejected by the
Jews. It is not temporary and set to expire when Jesus comes again. It
was and is God’s grand scheme (God’s purpose) since
before the world was formed. All those who are saved are added to it
(Acts 2:47). It is the Lord’s body and will be presented to
the heavenly Father at Jesus’ second coming, at which time
this world and the entire universe will come to an end (1 Cor.
15:23-28).
The fulfillment
of prophecy. Peter said of the events on the day of Pentecost
when the first Gospel sermon was preached, “This is
that which was spoken by the prophet Joel” (Acts
2:16). He was speaking of the events occurring that day. Of Jesus Peter
said, “Therefore being by the right hand of God
exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy
Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear”
(Acts 2:33). Years later when Paul entered the city of Thessalonica we
read, “Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them,
and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen
again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is
Christ” (Acts 17:2). At the conclusion of
Paul’s letter to the church at Rome we read, “Now
to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the
preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery,
which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest,
and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of
the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of
faith” (Rom. 16:25-26).
The called out.
The word church means “called out.” Those who obey
the Gospel have been called out of the world and set apart for
God’s purpose. Christians still live in the world but they
are not “of” the world. They follow Jesus Christ,
not the way of the world. Jesus said to his apostles, “If
ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are
not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the
world hateth you” (John 15:19). “I
have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they
are not of the world, even as I am not of the world”
(John 17:14). Jesus said about Peter’s confession that Jesus
was the Christ, “...upon this rock I will build my
church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”
(Matt. 16:18). God the Father is the one “Who hath
delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into
the kingdom of his dear Son” (Col. 1:13). “And
be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing
of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God” (Rom. 12:2).
The body of Christ.
The church of Christ is the spiritual body of Christ. In Ephesians
1:22-23, Paul wrote that God “hath put all things
under his feet [Jesus’ feet], and gave
him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body,
the fulness of him that filleth all in all”
— the church is the body. Colossians 1:18, “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 body is the church. The
Lord’s body and his church are one and the same. The church
is his body — the body is his church. Jesus is the head of the
body the church and will only save his body, his church (Eph. 5:23).
The bride of
Christ. Revelation 21:2,9, “And I John
saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ... And there came unto me
one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven
last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee
the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” Revelation
22:17, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And
let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And
whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
The kingdom of
Christ. Jesus said, “I say also unto
thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church;
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give
unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt
bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose
on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matt.
16:18-19). In these two verses, Jesus uses the words church and kingdom
interchangeably. That is, they speak of the same thing. The word
“church” identifies its “called
out” nature. The word “kingdom”
identifies its “royal, kingly, ruling” nature.
Jesus established the church on the day of Pentecost, giving Peter the
keys of the kingdom, the church. Peter used the keys in his preaching
to show how and when one enters the church, the kingdom. Peter
announced the conditions of entering the kingdom. “Peter
said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins... And with many other words did
he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward
generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and
the same day there were added unto them about three thousand
souls” (Acts 2:38-41). Paul wrote of God when he
said, “Who hath delivered us from the power of
darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear
Son” (Col. 1:13; cf. 1 Cor. 1:2; Acts 28:23).
The house of God.
Paul tells Timothy, “But if I tarry long, that thou
mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God,
which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the
truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). Christians are members of the
household of God. The church is referred to as the household of faith. “As
we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially
unto them who are of the household of faith” (Gal.
6:10). Paul writes of Christians comparing them to a building, a
temple, a house. “Now therefore ye are no more
strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of
the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles
and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In
whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple
in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of
God through the Spirit” (Eph. 2:19-22).
The pillar and
ground of the truth. As the church of Christ is the
Lord’s house, 1 Timothy 3:15 also refers to it as “the
pillar and ground of the truth.” A
“pillar” is a support, prop, post, column.
“Ground” is a stay, prop, support. To be grounded
is to be settled, firm, solid, deep as to not shake, shift or move.
Jesus said the wise man builds his house upon a rock (Matt. 7:24-29).
That which is firm and cannot be shaken is grounded, firm and deep.
Paul desired the church at Ephesus “...to be
strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may
dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in
love...” (Eph. 3:16-17). At the end of this world
we will be presented to the Father “...holy and
unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 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”
(Col. 1:22-23).
Many other expressions are
used in identifying the church of Christ. They will be examined next
month.
Table of Contents
GOD IS JEALOUS
Denver Thomas
We are living in an age where great effort is being exerted to rid God
and his influence from the affairs of men. The separation of church and
state decision of the high court of the land has enabled many to do
much which conflicts with Biblical principles and much of which is an
abomination in the sight of the one who created the universe in the
first place. No doubt many of the ills that are affecting the world
today can be linked to the reckless endeavors of those in charge of
peoples of the world. Sadly, world leaders have not learned what is
said in Jeremiah 10:23, “O LORD, I know that the
way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct
his steps.”
In Exodus 34:12-17, God
said, “Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a
covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it
be for a snare in the midst of thee: But ye shall destroy their altars,
break their images, and cut down their groves: For thou shalt worship
no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:
Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go
a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one
call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice; And thou take of their
daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their
gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods. Thou shalt make
thee no molten gods.”
In Matthew 6:24-34 God
said, “No man can serve two masters: for either he
will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one,
and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say
unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye
shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the
life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the
air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet
your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And
why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how
they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you,
That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is,
and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you,
O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we
eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For
after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father
knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the
kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be
added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the
morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the
day is the evil thereof.”
We serve a God who demands
that we put him first in our lives and then he will see to our every
need. Jesus taught in Matthew 22:37-40, “...Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,
and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the
second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On
these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
The world would become a
much better and safer place in which to live if only world leaders
could be convinced to abide by those commands. Wars would cease. Hunger
and starvation would be taken care of. Honesty, integrity and
compassion would characterize the human element. The whole world might
look a lot like the Garden of Eden before sin was introduced. Would
that not be a delight?
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Table of Contents
WHY THERE ARE
NO
GENUINE MIRACLES TODAY
Roger D. Campbell
In the New Testament, a “miracle” refers to a
supernatural act of power that had observable and immediate
results/effects. We should not expect God Himself to perform miracles
or supply humans with miraculous powers today. Why not?
1) It is not
God’s will there be miracles today. In
God’s plan, signs, including all spiritual, miraculous gifts,
were temporary. “Whether there be prophecies, they
shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there
be knowledge, it shall vanish away” (1 Cor. 13:8).
Notice three declarations about these signs (miracles): 1) they will
fail, 2) they will cease, 3) they will vanish away. It is clear, the
Lord never intended for spiritual gifts (miracles) to last
indefinitely.
“Prophecies,” “tongues,” and
“knowledge,” are three spiritual gifts which the
apostle Paul mentions, both when he lists the miraculous gifts in 1
Corinthians 12:8-10 and when he declares the temporary status of the
gifts (1 Cor. 13:8). We must not think these three gifts (prophecies,
tongues, knowledge, 13:8) are more important or somehow superior to
other spiritual gifts. Instead, we should look at them as representing/standing
for all nine of the gifts that are listed in 1 Corinthians
12:8-10. That is, what is true about these three gifts (prophecies,
tongues, knowledge) is true, in fact, about all nine of the gifts.
Specifically, what Paul
says about the duration of prophecies, tongues,
and knowledge, is true also about the duration of
all of the spiritual gifts which were supplied by the Holy Spirit in
the first century. Here is the conclusion: just as those three gifts
were a temporary aspect of God’s plan,
so each of the other spiritual gifts was temporary
also.
Looking further in 1
Corinthians 13:9-10, we see a contrast — a contrast between
the partial (incomplete) and the perfect
(complete). “For we know in part and we prophesy in
part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in
part will be done away” (13:9-10). Taking into
account the context, Paul is speaking about the temporary nature of the
spiritual gifts (in revealing God’s word) and contrasts them
to the permanent nature of God’s word (the completed New
Testament). Note that the three gifts which Paul mentions in 13:8
(prophecies, tongues, miraculous knowledge) all are related to receiving
revelation from God — revelation that was for the
benefit of both the church and those who were still lost outside of the
Christ. Those three spiritual gifts (prophecies, tongues, miraculous
knowledge) represented a temporary aspect of God’s revealing
His will to mankind. In contrast to the “in
part” (partial revelation of God, 13:9). The
expression “that which is perfect”
(13:10) has reference to the perfect/complete revelation (word) of God;
not Jesus himself as a person.
2) We do not need
miracles today. Why? Because we have “that
which is perfect” — the completed word of
God (the New Testament). The role of miraculous activity has been
fulfilled. Tongues were for a sign (1 Cor. 14:22). Signs were used to
confirm the word of God that Jesus’ disciples preached, as it
is written, “And they went forth, and preached
every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with
signs following” (Mark 16:20). “Signs
following” were the miracles performed that validated
(proved) the words they were teaching. Miracles came after the
preaching/words. Once that word was confirmed (in the first century),
there was (and is) no need to confirm it again.
Jesus’ promise to
His apostles was that, “when He, the Spirit of
truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth...”
(John 16:13). That promise was fulfilled — “all
truth” came from the Holy Spirit during the
lifetime of the apostles (cf. 1 Peter 1:3). Since the Spirit revealed
all truth in the first century during the days of the apostles, there
is no new revelation from God being given today. Because there are no
new revelations from the Lord that need to be confirmed, there are no
new signs/miracles.
Spiritual gifts were for
the edification of the church (1 Cor. 14:12,26,31). But today, the word
of God is sufficient for the edification of the church, as it can build
us up and give us an inheritance among the saved (Acts 20:32). Thus,
the spiritual gifts/miracles are not needed today.
3) God no longer
is making available the power to do miracles. Holy Spirit
baptism was a first-century-only phenomenon, so it is not taking place
today. Miracles are no longer needed. In addition, there are no true
apostles alive who can lay hands on other Christians to pass along
miraculous powers to them as is shown in Acts 8:14-20.
No genuine miracles are
taking place today. God is still all-powerful, but the age of miracles
has passed. They are not needed. We have the New Testament.
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Table of Contents
WITNESSING
“Witnessing for Christ” is an expression heard in
the religious world in an erroneous way. Nobody can “witness
for Christ” today in the Biblical sense of the phrase.
Witnessing requires giving testimony of that which has been seen. In
Scripture, the term refers to eye-witness accounts or revelation by
inspired men. It means more than simply telling what one knows. The
apostles and some others were witnesses, but we are not, nor can we be.
We should learn to use the phrase so that we will “speak as
the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11).
What difference does it
make? First, it may reflect that you do not understand what the Bible
teaches about who is and who is not a witness. Second, inasmuch as some
who say they are “witnessing for Christ” believe
they are directly guided by the Holy Spirit, do not become offended if
someone thinks you believe that way also. This phrase is heard among
brethren who mean nothing more than preaching and teaching the Word,
but their terminology is faulty and sounds more like a denominational
imitation than a Biblical presentation. “Sound
words” are in order (2 Tim. 1:13).
James W. Boyd from A Burning Fire
Table of Contents
“THE
MOST IMPORTANT PART OF WORSHIP”
Gary Colley
Many times we have heard someone say there is one action of worship
which is “the most important part.” Please know
that this article proclaims the great importance of this part and every
part of our worship, and we always seek to uphold reverence for it.
The only way we can know if
we are pleasing to God is to hear His word and follow it (Heb. 11:6; 1
Peter 3:15). But, are these individuals actually saying this is the
only part “we just cannot miss...the rest is
unimportant?” Is the Lord’s Supper the most
important part of worship? Well, at least this is what seemingly is
thought and shown by their words and actions!
We have heard of some
families in Missouri who, a few years ago, would stop just long enough
at the church building to partake of the Lord’s Supper at the
beginning of the services and then immediately leave for their fishing
trip. The preacher arose one Sunday to say, “If you people
who only want to partake of the Lord’s Supper, and not
participate in the other important parts of this worship service will
just line up outside, stop at the curb and blow your horn, we will give
you curb service!” By this means, he began to help these
souls to think of their ways being wrong, and he stopped this ungodly
practice!
PRAYERS AT THE TABLE
When prayer is offered at the Lord’s table some say,
“Now we come to the most important part of our worship
service.” Hence our question, “Is this the most
important part of our worship?” This is especially true and
of importance for our thinking when one considers the Lord’s
Supper. None should ever suggest, or in any way deny, that the
partaking of this memorial meal, commanded by our Lord and observed by
Christians since the beginning of the church of Christ (Acts 2:42), is
of any little or less importance than any other part of worship! But
our question is, “Is this the most, or even the only, really
important part of our worship?”
OUR SHUT-INS
We realize that our shut-ins are in special need of our attention and
help. Our love for them needs to be expressed. We are aware that some
congregations take the communion to people who are shut-ins, in the
hospitals, or confined in other places every Lord’s Day.
Though we do not suggest that this is completely a wrong practice, we
do have questions as to why all acts of worship prescribed on the
Lord’s Day are not obeyed or carried out. We do not hear of a
“singing service only” for our shut-ins on the
Lord’s Day; or “a giving service only” on
the Lord’s Day for the shut-ins, but rather it seems evident
that we should have all five acts prescribed by the Lord on His Day,
the first day of the week (Acts 2:42). The Lord’s Supper and
prayer is, most of the time, the only acts of the five acts of worship
commanded by the Scriptures for the participants that are carried out.
And, though we have no example of the Lord’s Supper being
taken outside the assembly of the church, some have seemingly
“demoted” it to a separate room on Sunday evening
for those who missed the assembly in the morning to partake. One
college advocated taking the Lord’s supper on Thursday
evening “before the test on Friday.” Since the
pandemic, when many of us partook “virtually” and
yet through the wonders of technology within an assembly of
worshippers, we were not “forsaking” or
“abandoning” the assembling of the saints on the
Lord’s Day (Heb. 10:23-25). Let us not, in the least, lessen
the importance of any ordinance, teaching, or command given to us of
what pleases God in worship. These all should be considered of equal
importance and have our utmost respect in their observance.
WHAT ABOUT SINGING?
What could be more important than uniting our voices in the cadence of
singing “spiritual songs” (songs containing the
Holy Spirit’s teaching), bringing our hearts together in
worship with the many voices singing as one voice given by God, coupled
with our affection or hearts? (Eph. 5:19-20; Col. 3:16-17). This is
certainly another important part of every true worship service. But it
is not “the most important” part since the Bible
does not speak of the “most important part” of our
worship service. Some failed in the past to see the singing as an
important part of worship, saying as they remained outside the
assembly, “Well, the singing is about over; it is time for
the worship to begin.”
“PREACH THE WORD” (?)
A highly important part of our worship is seen in faithfully preaching
the Gospel (2 Tim. 4:1-4). Its importance is mentioned by the Lord in
every account of the Great Commission, and by every inspired writer of
the New Testament (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-47; John
20:21-23). Yet we never notice any one of them saying that this is
“the most important part” of our worship services.
BLESSED HOUR OF PRAYER (?)
We should never overlook the great importance of prayer! No worship
service is complete without speaking to our Heavenly Father through His
Son Jesus in prayer. Prayer was commanded on Pentecost (Acts 2:42),
commanded and practiced by Paul (1 Thess. 5:17; Rom. 10:1-3); and
employed by Peter (1 Peter 2:17-19). Yet, again, we do not find these
inspired men saying, “Prayer is the most important part of
our worship service.
THE GREAT PRIVILEGE OF GIVING
This is the place where some think preachers stop preaching and start
meddling! Some do not view the privilege of giving in worship as a
spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3). We suggest that all read Job 38-42 often
when they think for a moment that they know more than God. We need to
ask ourselves some serious questions! Who created all things? How much
did we bring into the world at birth? Where do all of our blessings
come from for our existence in this life? Who is the one to which we
look for life, breath, strength, health, and the blessing of our money?
How many of these blessings will we be able to take into the next life
or eternal life? Ah yes! The answer is very clear, “We
brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we will carry
nothing out” (1 Tim. 6:7-10). Is this not just as
much “a most important part” as any other part of
the five actions Jehovah has asked of us to render in today’s
worship?
Come now, let us reason
together.
10801 County Line Rd (107)
Madison, AL 35758-3675
Table of Contents
ACCOUNTABILITY
Anthony Crowell
In light of events in recent weeks, we have heard theories on mental
health and more gun control. After much contemplation, I believe I have
found the root of all of this evil. It all starts at home. Parents have
to accept most of the responsibility for these events.
We as a country and society
have taken God out of our homes, schools and government. We have
allowed humanists to indoctrinate us and our children to the point that
human life is nothing. Jeremiah 10:23 says, “Oh
Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man
that walketh to direct his steps.”
After the birth of a child
and the end of the paternity, we turn the raising of our children over
to a day-care provider. As the child ages, we then turn the
responsibility over to the school.
As a society, our families
have become two-income based. We have been accustomed to buying
whatever catches our eye. The latest and greatest gadgets, a new car
every three years, a bigger house and the accumulation of as much
material things as we can acquire. Parents drop the children off at
day-care (school), go to work, get off work, retrieve the children, go
home, feed the family and then it’s time for bed. On average,
a parent interacts with their children less than four hours a day. Due
to the increased availability of electronic devices, children as young
as 3 or 4 are given tablets to entertain themselves while mom and dad
surf the net, answer emails, check their Face Book, Instagram, Tik tok,
Twitter or whatever the latest social media craze is at the moment.
When the child gets a little older, the parents buy Game Boys, Play
Stations or X-Boxes to keep them entertained. And then parents give
them computers so the children start their own social media addiction.
Some of the games children
play on-line or on their gaming platforms, teaches them military
tactics, to shoot and kill the on-line enemy in very realistic and
graphic detail. Children and adults spend more time on social media
than they do actually being social with each other face to face.
If you think I am
exaggerating, the next time you go to a restaurant, just look around
and see how many people are actually socializing. Most will be looking
at their phones.
Discipline has been taken
out of homes and schools. Parents are afraid to discipline their
children for fear of being reported to the police or hurting the
child’s feelings. There is a difference between discipline
and abuse. Discipline is necessary in order for our children to grow
into responsible adults. Instead of parents trying to be their
children’s best friend, they need to be parents.
- Teach your children to
have respect for other people, especially their elders and people in
authority (law enforcement).
- Teach them they cannot
have everything they want.
- Teach them to be
responsible for their actions.
- Teach them that life is
precious.
Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the
way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from
it.”
Unfortunately we have
allowed other people to teach our children humanistic things such as:
1) only the individual is important, 2) whatever satisfies our wants
and needs are important, 3) no one else matters.
We need to put God and His
principles back into the home and our lives.
28320 Johnson Cemetery Rd
Elkmont, AL 35620
Table of Contents
PRECIOUS
TRUTH: GOD’S WORD
We often speak of precious promises (2 Peter 1:4), precious blood (1
Peter 1:19), precious saviour (1 Peter 2:6-7). The soul is precious
(Psalm 49:8), a virtuous woman is precious (Prov. 3:15), the death of a
child of God is precious (Psalm 116:15); and, there is precious faith
(2 Peter 1:1).
The word precious means: of
great value or high price, highly esteemed or cherished, costly.
All of the above: the soul, our Saviour, his blood, his word, could be
spoken of as of great value, high price, cherished, costly.
The Word of God
is just as precious as the blood of Christ; just as precious
as our Saviour; just as precious as our soul. May we all learn to
highly esteem and cherish the Word of God. The word of God was precious
in Samuel’s day (1 Sam. 3:1).
The way to determine how we
value a thing is by our attitude toward that thing. For example, most
people do not value Jesus very highly because he makes no difference in
their lives. He does not mean much to them because of the way they
live. They do not esteem him, they do not highly cherish him, because
they do not let Jesus have his way in their life. You cannot separate
Jesus from His commands and demands upon our life. Many people want
Jesus as their Saviour, but they do not want his words to tell them how
to live. Jesus even said, “And why call ye me,
Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say”
(Luke 6:46)? When you fail to follow His commands, He is not your Lord
and Saviour. Jesus said, “Not every one that saith
unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he
that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to
me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in
thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful
works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from
me, ye that work iniquity” (Matt. 7:21-23).
The Word of God
should be very precious to every Christian. God’s
Word ought to be the greatest value in our hearts. We should highly
esteem and cherish His Word. We should be willing to pay any price to
hold to and keep the Word of God. As Solomon said, “Buy
the Truth and sell it not” (Prov. 23:23).
God’s Word is so valuable that it will abide forever, even
when heaven and earth passes away (Matt. 24:35; 1 Peter 1:23).
God’s Word is so valuable that it saves the soul (James
1:21). God’s Word is so valuable because by it, faith is
produced (Rom. 10:17). God’s Word is so valuable, it is the
Word of Truth (2 Cor. 6:7; Eph. 1:13; Col. 1:5). Through the Word we
are sanctified (1 Tim. 4:5). The Word of God is so valuable and
precious because God gave the Word (Psalm 68:11). The Word of God is
valuable and precious because it is true from the beginning (Psalm
119:160).
Consider how we should
value, cherish and highly esteem God’s Word of precious
Truth:
- 1. The Bible
is right. “For the Word of the Lord is
right...” (Psalm 33:4; 19:8).
- 2. The Bible
should be praised. “In God I will praise
his Word...” (Psalm 56:4, 10).
- 3. The Bible
should be magnified. “...for thou hast
magnified thy Word above all thy name” (Psalm
138:2).
- 4. The Bible
should be esteemed. “Therefore I esteem
all thy precepts concerning all things to be right: and I hate every
false way” (Psalm 119:128).
- 5. The Bible
should be respected. “...I will have
respect unto thy statutes continually” (Psalm
119:116, 6).
- 6. The Bible
should be loved. “O how love I thy Law!
it is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97). “Therefore
I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold”
(Psalm 119:127). “...Thy Law do I love”
(Psalm 119:163).
- 7. The Bible
should be kept. “...for I will keep the
commandments of my God” (Psalm 119:115). “I
cried with my whole heart, hear me, O Lord; I will keep thy
statutes” (Psalm 119:145). “Thou
hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently”
(Psalm 119:4).
- 8. The Bible
should be hidden in the heart. “Thy Word
have I hid in mine heart” (Psalm 119:11).
What is your attitude toward God’s Word, his
precious Truth?
Gus Munden
Table of Contents
Bound Volumes
(with a complete index) for the years of
1995-2002 can be ordered from:
Old Paths
Publishing
2007 Francis Ferry Rd.
McMinnville, TN 37110
$5 postage paid
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