Truth Magazine

By W. Frank Walton

“Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you” (Eph. 5:14, NASB). Sinners must be converted or awakened from the sleep of spiritual death to rise to spiritual life in Christ (cf. Jn. 6:25). Being “enlightened” (Jn. 1:9; 8:12), we have the vision of faith to see what worldly people will not see (Matt. 13:16).

Paul continues his urgent appeal: “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15-16). Spiritual alertness enables us, to grasp heavenly truths and responsibilities. Seize every fleeting opportunity for good! Treasure the value of time! We only pass through life once.

Today, there’s a life and death struggle for the souls of men. In the real war of the worlds, two kingdoms collide. Eternity is at stake.

A Tragic Reminder

The Titanic’s final resting place has been discovered on the bottom of the icy Atlantic. Sensational pictures have been taken; artifacts have been removed. Awareness of that tragedy has been renewed.

On April 4, 1912, the Titanic slammed into an iceberg, ripping a huge gash in its side. Only enough lifeboats for about 700 people were aboard. As the band played “Nearer My God To Thee” and the “unsinkable” Titanic sank, 1,513 people met an untimely death in the frigid Atlantic. How sad!

But the greatest tragedy is that most, if not all, of the passengers could have been saved! The Titanic sank in the vicinity of the ship, the Californian. After hitting the iceberg, the Titanic fired distress rockets for over an hour to receive help from the Californian, which was known to be in the area. Why didn’t the ship respond? The officers aboard were asleep! The young officer on duty tried to rouse the captain, but he refused to be awakened. An investigation reported that if the Californian had responded urgently to the distress signals, all 1,513 lives could have been saved.

A Spiritual Parallel Today

Today’s tragedy is that millions are lost in sin and will die, not just physically, but spiritually forever in hell. Within the last 5 minutes, over 1,500 souls have left this earth. Where will they spend eternity? ” ‘ Is it nothing to all you who pass this way?” (Lam. 1:21)

We need a “wake up” call from the Word to rouse us to action. The church at Sardis was “established” with a reputation for soundness (Rev. 3:1). But the Lord rebuked them for not following through in their work. “Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of my God” (Rev. 3:2). We are the eyes, feet, mouth, and hands of Jesus in our generation. If we don’t awake to save the lost, it will go undone.

Too many “sound” brethren are sound asleep to the world’s distress signals. Turmoil, greed, immorality, broken relationships, etc. could be signals from the lost that they’re looking for something better in life, but they don’t know where to find it. We can’t be caught snoozing while the world, languishes without the soul-saving gospel and the more abundant life in Jesus. “Awake sleeper” to your spiritual mission! We are saved to save others. We’re taught to teach others “what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you” (Mk. 5:91). Where is our Christ-like vision, compassion and urgency? We become better at those things we think about, value and practice the most. We need to put the “person” back into personal evangelism. We can equip ourselves, with the Lord’s help, and get involved in reaching, teaching and rescuing the lost. Awake to cataclysmic clash between light and darkness!

Modem Mediocrity In Evangelism

Do we really believe the world is dying without the gospel? Randy Reese, missionary in Japan, told about seeking support in a southern American church. One brother asked, “Why in the world do you want to go way over there and preach to those foreigners?” Randy replied, “Because they’re lost!” I guess they hadn’t thought about that.

To stir up intense, sustained interest in soul-winning, like that shown by Christ and the early church, in many brethren is like trying to lead cheers in a grave yard. There’s little, urgent response. Oh, we nod our heads that spreading the gospel is important and the church might send $ 100 a month to what’s his name some place over yonder. But is that enough?

We often hear, “People aren’t interested today like they used to be…. You can’t change folks nowadays . . . . It won’t do any good. . . . We tried a personal work class 10 years ago and it fizzled out. . . . Oh, they’re wrong and they know it, so why bother?” But evangelism has always been hard work, with, often little to show for the effort. Jesus had very few converts from his preaching in Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capemaum and Nazareth (Matt. 11:20-24; Mk. 6:1-6). We might talk to 10 people and quit, concluding that doesn’t do any good. Jesus preached and contacted vast numbers of people, but relatively few responded. Christ and his church faced great opposition, along with spiritual indifference and blindness, yet they were effective. Determined faith and zeal finds a way, not an excuse!

Perhaps our excuses are symptomatic of a lack of faith in the gospel’s power. The gospel is the message of the ages. It has much power to change the lives of sinners into saints. This joyous good news offers forgiveness and hope. It was designed for sinful, ungodly people.

Perhaps our lack of consistent, serious effort in personal evangelism is a lack of spiritual vision and urgency. Or, we might lack trust in the Lord to provide the increase. Providentially, he can open doors of opportunity for us to reach the sincere seeker of truth (Acts 18: 10; 1 Cor. 16:8-9; Rev. 3:8). Are we praying in faith for G6d to help open a door for the word? The early church did (Col. 4:3; Acts 6:4). We might have an “inferiority” or “grasshopper” complex (Num. 13:33) that we’re unable to do the Lord’s work before us. It could be plain, spiritual indifference and sinful laziness.

We might not be effective soul-winners because we’re so preoccupied with “brotherhood issues” that we don’t have much time for “God’s issue” of going into all the world with the gospel. While error should never be ignored or glossed over, it would be tragic to step over and ignore sin-sick souls all around us just to keep a critical eye on brethren all over the U.S.! Brother, if you want to fight sin and error, just look down your street or the community in which you live and there’s enough lost folk to keep us busy for a life time.

The early church didn’t get side-tracked or bogged down with “issues” so that they curtailed concentrating on the “issue.” When the circumcision issue disturbed some brethren in a particular area, Paul and Barnabas went to Jersualein to discuss this with affected saints. What did they talk about to brethren along the way? Were they consumed with the ominous circumcision issue? No. “They were passing through both Phenice and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to the brethren” (Acts 15:3). When they arrived in Jerusalem to discuss the issue, did it dominate their thinking so as to cloud their gospel vision? No. They first discussed with the brethren in Jerusalem “all that God had done with them” (Acts 15:4). We can’t put evangelism on the back burnerl We must remember the main thrust of our mission.

We would be quite upset if over 50 percent of all brethren didn’t take the Lord’s Supper or give weekly. There’d be articles aplenty to stem the tide of digression. But are we just as concerned that well over 50 percent of all brethren didn’t actively try to teach the gospel to anyone last year? What about this grave digression from the New Testament pattern where they “went about preaching the word” (Acts 8:4; cf. Col. 1:6; 1 Thess. 1:8; 2 Tim. 2:24)? Each one was committed to teach one (Matt. 28:20).

Rise and Shine!

Christians are “sons of light and sons of day . . . let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober” (1 Thess. 5:5,6). We can’t go to sleep on our watch, even though it’s easy to rest in our comfort zone of “playing church” and writing others off as not worth the effort to teach. By our guilty silence, the blood of untaught sinners will be on our hands. (Read Ezekiel 33:2-9 and shudder!)

Let’s awake and be alert to the urgent mission of evangelism. As a practical suggestion, there’s a new paper, Spreading the Word, which is exclusively devoted to teaching Bible principles of evangelism. If interested, contact Bill Tuggle, editor; 950 Glendale Ln., Nashville, TN 37204!

Let’s rouse ourselves to be fishers of men. With the Lord’s help, we can study, learn, grow and equip ourselves to be “able to teach” (2 Tim. 2:24). With the Lord’s help, we can make a difference in the lives of many lost sinners by “snatching them out of the fire” (Jude 23).

Awake and Evangelize!

Give us a watchword for the hour,

A thrilling word, a word of power;

A battle cry, a flaming breath,

A call to conquest or to death;

A word to rouse the church from rest,

To heed the Master’s high request.

The call is given, ye host arise,

The watchword is EVANGELIZE!

To fallen men, a dying race,

Make known the gift of gospel grace.

The world that now in darkness lies,

O church of Christ, EVANGELIZE!

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 15, pp. 460-461
August 4, 1988

By Don Willis

Job pondered the age old question, “If a man die, shall he live again?” (14:14) “Living is good enough for me, I really do not desire to think about death,” reasons the average individual.

“Death is for the aged! Death is for the diseased! Death is for the less fortunate! Not for me, I am going to continue to live and enjoy myself. Don’t even bother me with this religious philosophy regarding life after death.” Sound familiar? Do we delude even ourselves with this rationale?

It is too late to purchase fire insurance while the fire engine is on its way to your inflamed house. It is too late to purchase hospitalization while you are seeking admittance to the emergency room! Preparation is the key word.

Aged Solomon cautioned, “It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart” (Eccl. 7:2). David uttered, “We spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away” (Psa. 90:9-10).

I was called upon once to preach the funeral oration of a lady aged one hundred ten years, eleven months, and some few days. Most people who live to be eighty years old have had a fairly full life. Some die much younger. But, in common to all of us, we will die! One cannot escape. The Hebrew writer declared, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). One may think he can escape this appointment . . . but in my lifetime, people always end up dead. Morticians know that someday every individual must use their services.

What then? Once dead, no additional preparation can be made, it is too late to seek spiritual insurance. One has one life in which to prepare. God has been very gracious in giving unto mankind the years of life, the vitality of mind, the pleasantries of life. Jesus died for sinners like you and me, taking our place upon the cross that we might be justified by his blood.

Peter warned, “Save yourselves from this untoward generation” (Acts 2:40). There are some things that no one else can perform for you . . . and this is one of them. You must prepare for eternity! Tears, prayers, and even money cannot change one’s destiny at death! One is now in the hands of God’s judgment.

“Every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:12). “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal” (Matt. 25:46). “When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou doest not speak to warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul” (Ezek. 33:8-9). “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:15).

Conclusion

(1) It is up to you to learn about the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. Be concerned about your soul and living forever. Accept by obedience the Lord Jesus Christ, and put your entire confidence in him. Quit walking as other frail humans walk, and trust Christ. (2) Christians need to recognize individual responsibility in attempting to lead others to Christ in order to save others and “deliver their own soul.” One is responsible for both his activity and inactivity.

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 15, p. 456
August 4, 1988

By Daniel W. Petty

The book of Nehemiah recounts the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem and the establishment of civil authority under the governorship of Nehemiah, during what we call the “restoration” period of Jewish history. God had promised, even before the captivity, that a faithful remnant would be restored (Isa. 10:20f). When Nehemiah led a group of exiles to Jerusalem in ca. 444 B.C., an earlier generation of returned exiles (under Cyrus in 536 B.C.) had already witnessed the rebuilding of the temple under the leadership of Haggai, Zechariah, and Zerubbabel (during the reign of Darius, ca. 520-516 B.C.). Nehemiah was a contemporary and compatriot of Ezra. While Nehemiah led in the work of rebuilding the walls of the city of Jerusalem, Ezra assumed the task, as scribe, of teaching the law of Judah and restoring the temple service and worship.

These two great men of God lived during the period of moral and spiritual decline, as well as social upheaval. It was also a time for rebuilding – a time for restoration. In Nehemiah 8, we find one of the clearest examples to be found in God’s word illustrating what has properly been called the “restoration principle.” Throughout the passage, prominence is given to the word of God.

Nehemiah 8: The Word of God and The Restoration Principle

The word of God appeals to reason (vv. 1-3). The opening verses describe how, in the seventh month, Ezra brought the law of Moses before the assembly to read it in their hearing. Twice the statement is made that the assembly consisted of “those who could understand.” This included both “men and women.” The word of God is well suited to rational beings created in his image (Gen. 1:26). God made man so that he would be capable of entering into relationships and communicating with him. Thus the word of God appeals to our reasoning capacity. Revelation implies knowing the things of God (1 Cor. 2:10f) and understanding them (Eph. 3:1-5). Faith is based on testimony (Rom. 10:17) and supported by objective evidence (Heb. 11: 1).

The word of God demands reverence (vv. 4-6). When Ezra mounted the wooden podium and opened the book, the people all stood up. The scribe blessed the Lord and they began to worship God, saying, “Amen, Amen! ” Perhaps it had been a long time since they had heard God’s word read to them. Sometimes people take great blessings for granted until they are deprived of them. Whatever the reason, the people now granted the word of God the reverence it deserved. We ought to accept the word “not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God” (1 Thess. 2:13).

The word of God deserved diligence (vv. 7-8). Ezra was joined by the Levites in reading and explaining the law of God to the people. The passage says it was necessary for them to translate, or explain, the reading “to give the sense so that they understood.” Surely this impresses upon our minds the importance of diligent study that we might come to a fuller understanding of God’s revelation (cf. 2 Tim. 2:15).

The word of God bringsjoy (vv. 9-12). Ezra, Nehemiah, and the Levites then called on the people to refrain from their mourning and weeping, and to celebrate “because they understood the words which had been made known to them.” It is truly a joyful experience to be able to know and understand the truth. To know truth is to have the key to freedom (Jn. 8:32). To know truth is to find the way to salvation (1 Tim. 2:4). To know the “precepts of the Lord” is to find joy (Psa. 19:9).

The word of God compels action and amendment (vv. 13-18). If the truth means anything, it means that we must act upon it. Ezra and the people on the second day found written in the law of Moses (Lev. 23:40f) that the Israelites were commanded to live in booths during the feast of the seventh month. The passage referred to the ancient Feast of Tabernacles, a religious observance that had not been practiced for hundreds of years (v. 17). Could such a religious observance, long perverted or lost to the memory of the people, ever be restored to its former practice? That is exactly what happened in this instance. By following the divine instructions written in the book,the Jews of Ezra’s day gathered the branches of trees to make booths, “as it is written” (v. 15). “And the entire assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in them” (v. 17).

What is Restoration?

To restore means to bring something back to its original state or position by repairing or rebuilding. Abraham’s wells, for example, had to be cleaned out and renamed by Isaac because they had been filled with debris by the Philistines (Gen. 26:18). Abimelech restored to Abraham, Sarah his wife (Gen. 20:14). Nehemiah urged his fellow Jews to restore houses and fields to their deprived brethren (Neh. 5:11).

When we think of restoring or bringing back spiritual Israel, the church, in faith, practice, and daily living, we mean that the ancient order of things laid down in the New Testament must be rescued from the clutter of human error and apostasy. The restoration principle is the belief that such a restoration can, and indeed must, be based upon the word of God – an objective, unchanging standard of authority.

The Principle Applied to the Church

We look upon the New Testament church as a model, guaranteed by the Holy Spirit. When Jesus promised to establish his church, he promised to provide the keys of the kingdom, thereby empowering the apostles to carry out his divinely authorized program (Matt. 16:18-19). He assured them that he would send them a Helper, the Holy Spirit, who would provide them with the power and guidance they would need (Jn. 16:13). They were to wait in Jerusalem for the granting of such power (Mk. 9:1; Lk. 24:49; Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit came upon them on Pentecost (Acts 2), thus providing through them the guarantee that the establishment, doctrine, and practice of the New Testament church were in accordance with the will of God.

Both history and observation tell us that people have left the original pattern. Apostasy from that ancient order dictates the need for restoration. Is such a restoration possible? The efforts of the restoration preachers of the nineteenth century are well documented. Those men determined, as “Raccoon” John Smith declared, to “come to the Bible and to the Bible alone, as the only book in the world that can give us all the light we need.” Their basic premise was scripturally sound. The restoration of New Testament faith and practice is not only possible, it is essential if our religious practice is to please the Lord.

The only basis of restoration is a return to the guidance originally provided by the Holy Spirit: the Word of God. Christ said his word would never pass away (Mk. 13:31). As the seed of the kingdom (Lk. 8:11), this abiding and unchanging message is still a pattern by which we can reproduce the New Testament church in the twentieth century. When an architect draws blueprints for a house, the builder is obligated to build the house according to the pattern. Suppose such a house is built, but as the years pass, numerous modifications are made – a room is added, a door is removed, etc. Soon the house becomes something different from, though perhaps resembling, the original house. After many years, someone decides to restore the house to its original state. If the original blueprints are available and are followed faithfully, then the house can be rebuilt exactly like the original – a true restoration.

The same is true of religious faith and practice. Suppose, for instance, that the Lord’s Supper is so perverted that its original intent is forgotten and the time of observance is forsaken. Assume this goes on for hundreds of years, and then someone reads the New Testament and finds that the early Christians observed the Supper as a memorial on the first day of the week. Can this religious observance be restored to its original form? The answer is that it must be restored if we are to please the Lord! This principle can be applied to any situation in which we find that the New Testament pattern has not been followed faithfully.

And it also applies to the restoration of broken lives marred by sin. There are many who have failed to live their lives according to God’s plan and purpose, and the results are broken fellowship and spiritual death. Many marriages, for example, are in trouble because the partners have thrown away God’s instructions for a successful marriage. Restoration can be realized in lives broken by sin.

We must go back to the original design and return to God by following his word. As in Ezra’s day, when we do there will be great rejoicing (Neh. 8:17)!

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 15, pp. 451-452
August 4, 1988

By Jody Broyles

Leadership is a much talked about subject in the Lord’s church today. Some have striven to set aside the divine plan because of abuses they have seen. Others have merely gone on as usual and closed their eyes to problems that do in reality exist.

Neither of these choices are viable options for those striving to please the God of heaven. There is a dire need for men (and women) from the tribes of Issachar and Zebulun to arise in this generation. These men were part of a large company that came out armed for battle in support of David. “And of the children of Issachar, men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do. . . Of Zebulun, such as were able to go out in the host. . . and were not of double heart” (1 Chron. 12.32-33).

Understanding of the Times

The men of Issachar possessed great sagacity. They could see beyond the events of the hour, with penetration they were able to perceive needs that existed beneath the surface. They were keenly aware in having an “understanding of the times.”

Today, men are needed who can see beyond the trials and problems of yesterday to what the church is facing today -and may face tomorrow. Men are needed who will awake out of slumber and open their eyes to the needs of both saint and sinner in the 1980’s.

A grave and often warranted concern of many people is that those who are leaders in the church don’t understand them or what they are going through. They feel like the elders and preacher are “Out of touch” and living in a bygone era. Men who have an “understanding of the times” can better know the trials people of today are facing, in their daily lives.

Knowing What Ought To Be Done

The men of Issachar not only understood the happenings of the day, but they knew “what Israel ought to do.” Their sagacity was coupled with a clear cut knowledge of what needed to be done.

Too often, even if men have enough wisdom. to see problems looming – they don’t know what to do about it, so they do nothing at all. Others wait too long (many times out of fear), and let Satan’s work of destruction go unchecked. And still there are others who want to do something to help, yet not knowing what is the right thing to do, try resulting in even more problems.

The household of God needs men who know what course of action the church needs to take in the days ahead – men who can teach everlasting principles of truth in a language suited to the day, yet without compromise; men who will rise up in the face of error and call sin “sin”; men who know how to reach troubled young people, tired elderly members, and struggling families with the healing message of Christ.

Singleness of Heart

The men of Zebulun were also ready for the task before them, for they were “not of double heart.” They had their eyes clearly fixed on making David the one king over all of Israel. Scripture has always commended those who possessed singleness of heart. It has constantly been a requisite for acceptable service to the true and living God. Doubleminded men are “unstable in all of their ways” (Jas. 1:8), and a man with his heart divided cannot serve Christ for “no man can serve two masters” (Mt. 6:24).

The church needs more men who possess the desire to make the Lord and his work their primary function in life — men who will not have minds clouded with the trivial, insignificant, and transitory things of this life; men who want to see the cause of Christ march valiantly into the future and will do whatever it takes to see that happen; men who can truly say with Paul “for me to live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21).

Men (and women) who understand the times, know what to do, and do it with singleness of heart are and will continue to be effective leaders in the church of God. “Leaders” who do not know what’s going on, don’t know what to do, and serve with divided allegiance are and will continue to be thieves of vitality and interest – impeding the progress of the church.

Guardian of Truth XXXII: 15, p. 457
August 4, 1988