Truth Magazine

By Mike Willis

On several occasions, I have visited the worship services of various denominations. At the Roman Catholic Church, I tried to follow the lesson from the book which I picked up in the pew. Although I tried to follow the lesson from the book, I hardly knew when to rise and when to sit. At these services, I heard responsive readings and the priest read his lesson from some kind of book. I did not hear any congregational singing. When the time came for the observance of the Lord’s Supper, the participants went forward to the front of the building and knelt down in a row. The priest .placed a wafer of unleavened bread on the tongue of the participants and took one himself. Afterward, he alone drank of the fruit of the vine. I witnessed the members, as they entered and departed from the building, bow before the cross and make the sign of the cross on their body.

On another occasion, I attended a Primitive Baptist Church in Eastern Kentucky where my wife’s grandfather attends and sometimes preaches. The services were altogether different. The songs were sung spontaneously without musical accompaniment: Sometimes a “caller” (you might have to ask an older person what a “caller” is) was used in conjunction with the songs which were sung. The song books had no notes and all sounded very much alike to me. Three different preachers spoke “under the influence of the Spirit.” When the invitation was offered, a rather large gentleman came forward to “pray through.” The remainder of the time was spent in prayer as this gentleman begged God to forgive him, using great tears and loud groans.

If I attended several other religious groups, I would have observed different methods of worship. These suffice to raise the question, “Why do differences appear in worship?” Has God allowed this much freedom in worship that services so different from each other could both be acceptable to Him? Do we have the liberty to change the worship to make it fit ourselves? Let us try to answer some of these questions in this article.

God Prescribed The Kind Of Worship Which Pleases Him

As God, Jehovah has the right to prescribe the kind of worship which He will accept. He created us and can, therefore, make whatever demands of us He chooses with reference to the type of worship which He will accept. He is One with the authority to legislate the type of worship which He expects from man. Man has no authority to dictate to God the kind of worship which God must accept. Rather, God dictates to man the kind of worship which He is pleased to accept.

In every age, God has commanded of man the kind of worship which He expects from Him. Abel’s worship pleased God and Cain’s did not; the difference was that Abel acted out of faith and Cain did not (Heb. 11:4). Faith is man’s response to God’s revelation; hence, Abel offered the kind of worship which God commanded and Cain did not. God, therefore, must have revealed the pattern of worship which He would accept. Abel followed God’s instructions and Cain did not.

The events which transpired at Mt. Sinai largely concerned themselves with the type of worship which God revealed would please Him. The most minute detail regarding the worship was legislated. God revealed His choice for the priesthood (the Levites) and even legislated the garments which they should wear when offering worship to Him. He revealed the place of worship (the tabernacle) and gave the dimensions and materials for constructing the place of worship. He legislated the feast days which were to be observed in Israel. The types of sacrifices which He would accept and how they were to be offered were also legislated.

Several events which transpired in the later history of Israel reveal that God would not accept any changes in the pattern for worship which He revealed to man. Nadab and Abihu were stricken dead on the spot for offering to God “strange fire, which He had not commanded” (Lev. 10:1-2). Their sin was a violation of the pattern of worship revealed by God. Later, Saul was found to be displeasing to God for violating God’s pattern for worship when he personally offered worship to God instead of waiting for Samuel, the priest of God, to offer that worship (1 Sam. 13:8-14). When the division between Israel and Judah occurred, Jeroboam sinned against God by rejecting the pattern for worship which God had instituted and building idols and temples for worship in Dan and Bethel. In addition to this, Jeroboam allowed priests to be chosen from every Israelite tribe and made feasts days other than the ones which God legislated. (1 Kgs. 12:25 -13:10). God condemned each of these persons because he did not respect the authority of God which was manifest in the commandments He had given pertaining to the worship which He would accept.

The same principles which are manifested in these Old Testament examples are still applicable today. God has revealed to man the kind of worship which pleases Him and still expects men to worship in that fashion. Actually, the only way that man can know that His worship pleases God is for God to reveal to man what He wants. We cannot know God’s will except as it is revealed to us; however, through revelation, we can have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). Apart from God revealing to man the kind of worship which He will accept, man could never know what pleases God. We would be in the same predicament as is the husband who tries to buy a gift for his wife which will please her when he does not know what she wants. However, since God has revealed to man the kind of worship which pleases Him, we can know assuredly what worship God will accept.

When man is left to worship according to his own desires, the worship which he generally offers is remarkabley similar to the things which please man. For example, the pagans in Corinth during the New Testament era offered worship to God at their sacred temple by putting one thousand sacred prostitutes in their temple in order that fornication could be committed there. Though the morality of the worship is superior, much of the worship which is offered today is similarly geared to that which pleases man instead of that which pleases God. Watch the papers and look at what is being done in the name of religion. Singing groups with their guitars, cymbals, drums, piano and organ are being used in worship; the audience to which they play is generally entertained by music which appeals to the easy listening or country western style of secular music. Consequently, the music which is presented in these programs has this kind of flavor as well. Or, consider the buildings of many Catholic churches. They display ornate buildings; some churches even have very valuable jewels embedded on the crosses in the buildings. Such things appeal to man’s desire for show. When man is left to worship according to his own desires, he offers as worship to God what pleases the man. For this reason, God found it absolutely necessary to reveal to man the kind of worship which pleases Him.

Unauthorized Items of Worship Displease God

Not only must we realize that God has prescribed the type of worship which He wants, we must also realize that God has revealed that unauthorized items of worship are displeasing to Him. Some act as if we cannot know whether such things as counting beads in prayer, burning candles, and instrumental music in worship please or displease God. My friends, God has not left us in doubt as to His attitude toward such changes in divine worship.

He has revealed that any human additions to divine worship displease Him. Jesus said, “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as their doctrine the precepts of men” (Mt. 15:9). Anything done or practiced in worship which is authorized by man instead of by God displeases Him. Prohibitions imposed by men instead of by God are described as “self-made religion” (Col. 2:21-23). Paul commanded that the church is not to recognize the man who does not recognize the Lord’s commandments pertaining to worship (1 Cor. 14:37-38). Furthermore, God has commanded that whatever we do in word or in deed must be done in the name (by the authority) of the Lord (Col. 3:17). Any deviations from divinely revealed worship are altogether displeasing to the Lord God. A part of divine revelation is that God will not accept those things which are offered in worship to Him which are not authorized by Him.

But, a man comes along and says that he cannot be sure whether or not instrumental music in worship pleases or displeases God. He will frequently even admit that there is no New Testament authority for using instrumental music in worship. Yet, he will state that he does not know whether God approves or disapproves of the worship which uses them. This is a precise example of infidelity: the man simply does not believe what God has revealed about adding to God’s divinely revealed worship. He may say that he believes God’s word; however, if he believed God’s word he would believe what God said about those who pervert the divinely revealed pattern of worship.

Items of Divinely Revealed Worship

The items of divinely revealed worship are not difficult to find. We only need to look at the items of worship which the early church used and do the same in order to know what kind of worship God will accept. The apostles were commissioned to teach the early church all things that God had commanded them (Mt. 28:18-20); hence, when we read of the worship of the early church under the authority of the apostles, we can know what kind of worship pleases God.

The early church assembled upon the first day of the week (Acts 20:7) to partake of the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:17-34). During this same period of worship, gospel preaching occurred (Acts 20:7), prayer was offered (1 Cor. 14:15) and congregational singing was engaged in (1 Cor. 14:15). At this gathering, a collection was taken (1 Cor. 16:1-2) which was used for such things as benevolence (1 Cor. 16:1-2) and supporting preachers (2 Cor. 11:8). If there were other approved items of worship, I am not aware of them. Those who are seeking to walk in the ways of the Lord will seek to offer the kind of worship which pleases God. They will confine themselves to the boundaries imposed by God’s word. They will imitate the example of the early church which was “continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).

Questions – Lesson II

1. Has God allowed man to decide how he will worship God?
2. Can man know what kind of worship pleases God?
3. How can man know what kind of worship pleases God?
4. Name several examples of worship which demonstrate that humanly devised systems of worship are displeasing to God.
5. From a study of 1 Kings 12:25-13:10, answer the following questions: What departures did Jeroboam make in worship? b. What did God think about them? c. Was there a divinely revealed pattern for worship in the Old Testament?

1. Cite examples of “will-worship” (Col. 2:21-23) today.
2. Name the items of divinely revealed worship for the New Testament church.

Truth Magazine XXIII: 43, pp. 693-694
November 1, 1979

By Mike Willis

Worship (1): Man Should Worship God

Each Lord’s day, hundreds of local congregations assemble across the face of this globe to worship God. Yet, many things go on in these assemblies which do not please God. Many local groups are involved in activities which are unauthorized by the Scriptures which cannot possibly be pleasing to God. Others who practice only scriptural items of worship leave much to be desired in their services because of the things which go on in their assemblies. I have personally witnessed not a few brethren settle down for a nice winter’s nap as the preacher stepped forward to proclaim God’s word, children giggling during the observance of the Lord’s Supper in spite of the fact that they were supposed to be Christians, old and young sit with closed mouths during the worship of God through song, and other things which would cause one to question whether worship was genuinely offered in the midst of such activities.

Perhaps it is time for us to reconsider some of the fundamentals pertaining to worship. I propose a consideration of the subject of worship in the next few weeks in the series of articles which will appear in this journal. We are all expected to be worshiping creatures of God. Hence, a reconsideration of this subject should be useful to our readers.

What Is Worship?

The definition of the word “worship” is not difficult; Webster defines it to mean “to adore or pay divine honors to as deity; to reverence with supreme respect and veneration.” From the definition of worship given by the dictionary, we see at least two items which must be present before. anything can properly be considered “worship”: (1) man must respect and adore God and (2) that respect and veneration must be expressed.

The fact that worship must stem from respect for God prohibits much of what happens in our services from being worship. Far too frequently, we “worship” God through traditions learned by rote. Isaiah reported that this was not properly “worship;” he said, “The Lord said, `Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote. “‘ (29:13). Notice that worship of God which consists of traditions learned by rote is not acceptable to God. I hereby charge that much of what goes on in the services of the church cannot be considered God-pleasing worship because they are nothing more than traditions learned by rote.

My prime evidence for making this charge is the personal battle which I must fight within myself in order that my worship might be acceptable. I was baptized into Christ when I was twelve years old. I have been singing the beautiful songs of Zion for enough years now that I can sing a large number of them without looking at a book and without thinking about the words which I am saying when singing them. Songs such as “Just As I Am,” “What A Friend We Have In Jesus,” “Oh, Why Not Tonight?”, etc. are so familiar to me that I can sing them to the best of my musical abilities while thinking of the football game being aired on television. I have heard so many prayers offered at the Lord’s table that I could probably cite the greater portion of the prayer which will be prayed at the table next Sunday, even though it has not yet been offered. Some of the sermons which I listen to are familiar to me to the point that I can name the major points after listening to a few minutes of the introduction. The problem which all of this poses for me, so far as worship is concerned, is that I sometimes allow myself to go through the motions of worship without accompanying it with my spirit.

I assume that I am a fairly normal human being and that the problems which face me confront other Christians besides myself. Hence, I am fairly certain that there are a number of times when saints assemble to worship God when our minds are so far removed from the worship which we offer that what is offered is not pleasing to God. We merely offer traditions learned by rote. (The reaction which some have had to this problem is to change the items of worship. What needs to be attacked is the problem in man and not in the items which God has divinely authorized to be used in worship.) Recognizing this as a problem which we all face, let us reconsider what things are necessary for worship to be pleasing to God in order that our own personal worship might be acceptable to the Lord God Almighty.

Respect For God

As I previously mentioned, worship must begin with respect for God. There can be and will be no worship offered by the man who has no respect for God. Hence, let us begin by listing some of the things which should cause us to respect God.

1. God is omnipotent. Sometimes I watch the weightlifting contests which are a part of the Olympic sports competition. I watch a man lifting a set of barbells much heavier than his own body weight and listen to the audience “ooh” and “ah” at the strength of such a man. If man can respect his fellowman because he has the strength to lift a few hundred pounds above his head, how much more should he respect the Lord God who is omnipotent? There is no limits to the power of the God whom we worship. Jeremiah testified, “Ali Lord God! Behold, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth by Thy great power and by Thine outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for Thee” (32:17, 27). With the power of His spoken word, God created the heavens and the earth! (If you think that this requires little power, try closing the door with the power of your spoken word.) God said, “Let there be light” and “there was light.” With the power of God’s word, the mountains and valleys were formed, the moon and the stars were created and put into place. With the power of God’s spoken word, the waters of the Red Sea parted in order that the children of Israel might walk through on dry land. Men were raised from the dead by the power of God’s spoken word; diseased bodies were restored to normal health by the power of the spoken word. Yes, my friend, I am awed by the omnipotence of God. Consideration of the divine power of God causes me to reverence and to respect Him.

2. God is omnipresent. Another characteristic of divine nature is the fact that God can be in every place at the same time. The psalmist wrote, “Whither can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Thy hand will lead me, and thy right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, `Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to Thee, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to Thee” (139:7-12). There is no place that man can be but that God is present. He is able to be in the presence of the saints who assemble in Florida, Maryland, Texas and Ohio at the same time. That is another reason that I respect the Lord God and am moved to worship Him.

3. He is omniscient. God is not only all powerful and ever present, He also knows everything. The psalmist marvelled, “How precious also are Thy thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand” (139:17-18). Man stands in the presence of his fellowmen who has a doctorate degree in some specialized field of study (e.g. the use of the definite article in the book of Song of Solomon) and marvels at the wisdom of the man. Yet the man who knows so much about Hebrew is most probably totally ignorant regarding solar energy or mathematics. But God knows all things. There is nothing but that God knows it. He is even able to know the thoughts and intents of man’s heart (Heb. 4:12-13). If man can honor and respect a man who knows a good bit about a limited area of knowledge, he should be able to revere and worship the God who knows all things.

4. God is love. Another aspect of God’s nature and character is that He is love (1 Jn. 4:8). We sometimes fail to stop and think about the fate of man should divine revelation have said “God is mean.” How blessed we are to have a Creator who is a God of love. He has so wonderfully blessed us in so many ways. He has created this world in such a manner that every physical need of man has been provided for. In addition to the physical needs of man, God has wonderfully provided for man’s spiritual needs. Though this world is filled with men who rebel against God, He still loves us enough to send His only begotten Son to save us (Jn. 3:16). The story of Jesus Christ is the most complete revelation of how much God is a God of love. We should be moved to revere and respect our God of love.

5. God is holy. Still another characteristic of God which should move man to reverence God is His holiness. God is not tainted by sin; He is the “Holy One of Israel” (Isa. 1:4; 5:19, 24). Since God is God, He cannot lie since that would be against His nature (Heb. 6:18; Tit. 1:2). Man cannot charge God with moral fault. He is perfectly holy.

Expressing Our Reverence

The man who is not moved to worship and adore his Creator who has such wonderful attributes as described above has problems with himself. The man who saps up good things from others and never stops to say “thank you” has moral faults. Yet, many men consume the good things of God and never stop to express their worship and adoration toward God. We breathe His air, eat His food, and use His raw materials to produce our goods but never take the time to express our gratitude toward Him for all of the good things which He has done. There is something basically wrong with the man who sponges these good things from God and never stops to express His reverence and adoration toward Him. Man should feel indebted to his Divine Benefactor.

Hence, each of us should want to assemble each Lord’s day to worship our God. He has done so much for us that this is the very least that we can do in return for Him. When we assemble for worship, we should forget the cares of life which tend to distract us and concentrate on our great God. I am constantly amazed that so many Americans refuse to worship God. There is no place under God’s sun which has been so bountifully blessed materially as we have in America. We receive so many blessings from the Lord God and, therefore, have so many things for which we should be thankful. Yet, many do not take the time to worship. Then, too, we live in a land which historically was occupied by the white man in order to obtain the freedom to worship God. Brave men have shed their blood that this and other freedoms might be preserved for posterity. If we are going to fight for the liberty to worship, we ought to make use of that liberty. We ought to worship God!

God has given us countless numbers of reasons to offer worship to Him. In addition to the fact that man has so many reasons to worship God as the spontaneous expression of gratitude toward Him, God has also commanded that we should worship Him (Mt. 4:10; Rev. 22:9). As our Creator, He has the legitimate right to make demands of His creatures. Therefore, man should regularly worship God.

Questions – Lesson 1

1. What is “worship”?
2. Define the following attributes of God: Omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence.
3. How can a holy God save a sinful man without becoming morally blemished by closing His eyes to man’s sin?
4. What can we do to prevent our worship from becoming “traditions learned by rote”?
5. Do the following changes increase spiritual worship?

a. Holding hands in prayer.

b. Dimming lights during prayer.

c. Playing instrumental music during the invitation or observance of the Lord’s Supper.

1. Name some of God’s attributes and gifts to man which should cause us to want to worship Him.
2. Does man have an obligation to worship God or must worship be spontaneous to be pleasing to God?

Truth Magazine XXIII: 43, pp. 690-692
November 1, 1979

By Jefferson David Tant

At the outset, let me state that I have no personal axe to grind, nor am I seeking to push any product through these words. Over the years, I have been involved in various sales organizations, multi-level distributorships, etc., and feel that I can speak with some objectivity about the matter. I have been rebuked when cautioning people about some of the dangers, being accused of being envious, or whatever, and at the risk of being falsely accused again, let me give some observations from the viewpoint of a “distributor.”

The Negative Side

Parking-lot-warehouse syndrome. At times, it has seemed as though the parking lot became a product warehouse. As soon as services are over, brethren rush out, open trunks all over the place, an begin swapping products. That is unsightly, and leaves a bad image. I appreciated some brethren where I once labored who determined any trading that needed to be done after services would best be done in a nearby shopping center lot.

Shop talk at church. Visitors and other members can be turned off quickly by a group of people huddled together giving off such mysterious phrases as “PE,” “PV,” “lead,” “3%,” “qualify,” “rally,” etc. This tends to exclude our brethren and visitors from our conversations, when we should be showing hospitality. Save shop talk until later.

The “sic-‘ em”syndrome. The sight of a new member sets lights flashing and bells ringing, signaling “new customer,” or “new distributor.” Then the rush is on to see who gets there first with the pitch. Why not let the person at least get unpacked before rushing in with “You must listen to this fantastic offer.” And “Humility” won’t always seek to be first.

Cliques. Among some, you just are not “with it” unless you are involved in this or that sales group. I have known of those prospective Christians who were hesitant to become part of a local church because “If you’re not involved in , you don’t fit in very well.”

The thumb-screw problem. Some are quite insistent that those who sell under them “go, go, go” and “sell, sell, sell.” I know some who just quit because they felt they were constantly being pressured and harassed. Maybe they do not want a full-time income from their sales – just a supplement. Wouldn’t it be better for the sponsor to be content with a little less income from some, rather than to alienate them and leave hard feelings from the daily phone calls to inquire “How much are you going to sell today? How much tomorrow . . .?”

“I don’t have time. ” Sometimes, people get so involved in selling, what with training seminars, sales presentations. trips afield, etc., that they no longer have time to function as a member of the local church. They are gone so much they cannot teach a class, and are so involved they have little time for personal work programs, visiting those in need, etc. This is just a matter of setting priorities. “Seek ye first his kingdom . . .” said Jesus, and if I have to put the kingdom business second, third or lower on my priority list because of my involvement with a part time job, then I have things all mixed up.

“Don’t call me. I’ll call you. ” Yes, some are quite eager to get others set up in business, sell the product, deliver the product, and deposit the money. But when there is a refund due, or maybe a distributor decides he just isn’t cut out for this and wants to return the product, there is sometimes difficulty in making connection. This sometimes goes on for weeks and weeks. Such is entirely against the spirit of Christ, who gave us a little saying we call “The Golden Rule” (Matt. 7:12). Paul encouraged us to “owe no man anything” (Rom. 13:8), and to “take thought for things honorable in the sight of all men” (Rom. 12:17). It is good to practice this advice scrupulously – good for the seller and the buyer.

The “Surprise! Fooled you” game. I have heard some express great resentment at being invited into a fellow Christian’s home for an evening of pleasant social companionship, only to find to their dismay that as soon as they sat down, they activated a hidden switch that (a) fastened seat belts around them, (b) turned off the lights, (c) flopped a projector into position, (d) lowered a screen from the wall, and (e) showed a film presenting “The Business Opportunity of the Millennium.” It’s not that they minded the sales presentation, but it was the deception that galled them. Brethren, you will win more friends and influence more people by being honest with them as to the nature of your gracious invitation.

The Positive Side

Please don’t get the idea that I am “death” on involvement in these marketing plans. It is just that I have seen the abuses and feel they are unnecessary and can be avoided with some forethought and an awareness of the potential problems. There are some definite advantages that can be realized.

More contacts. Some people view their customers, as well as distributors they have sponsored, in the light of their responsibility to “preach the gospel to the whole world.” In one congregation where I was, 11 were converted one year solely through such contacts. This has, of course, spread in the ensuing years, and at this writing the husband of one of those converted is preaching the gospel. The often, and close, contacts we have with people in these business dealings can be most productive if our minds are attuned to the opportunities.

More income. We must be honest and consider that most people get involved in these sales organizations because they need extra money (and who doesn’t these days?) Now, what are you going to do with than money? I have known of those who took part-time jobs in order that they might turn over the whole profit to the church because of a special need at that season. Others I know are using their extra income to send to missionaries, to buy material and equipment to facilitate their personal teaching, to help the needy, etc. No, I am not suggesting that we must turn every penny so earned to such projects, but certainly we should remember the Lord and his work according to our prosperity. Right?

More free time. While some might become too involved in too many things, others who might do well in these matters are actually seeking a way to maintain their needed income, and yet have more time to devote to the Lord’s work. I have those in mind who are planning to free themselves from a 9 to 5 job, with a view to continuing (or increasing) their present level of income by means of their new selling career. With a less demanding job, time-wise, they will increase their involvement in teaching others the gospel. Others are hoping to support themselves so they might preach the gospel in needy areas.

When all is said and done, our opportunities can be either a bane or a blessing. It just depends upon our attitude towards them, whether we talk about selling insurance, Avon, Amway, Slender Now, Nutrilite, Hoda, Sara Conventry Jewelry, or Giant Earthworms (which you use for bait, naturally).

Truth Magazine XXIII: 42, pp. 682, 684
October 25, 1979

By Jeffery Kingry

My desire in this confrontation is to ignore it. I have always written and preached knowing that my words would have to stand before the Righteous Judge. When I made mistakes I corrected them. I do not feel that I have written anything that deserves the response you are reading. I believe my material will stand or fall by itself. My primary reason for responding is as a personal favor to the editor. I would not like to leave him to face my accusers alone.

Ron’s article is like a scene I witnessed once at the Grand Canyon. A group of people stood on the rim beholding in awed silence the rocky magnificence spread before and below them. A young lady elbowed her way through the group, took one look of indifference at the vast steep sloped valley, stifled a yawn and put on some makeup. Then she abruptly asked, “When do we eat?” Her comment revealed absolutely nothing about the scenery and was no judgment of the Grand Canyon. Instead, it pronounced profound judgment upon the woman.

I do not compare myself or my writing to the Grand Canyon. I merely use it as an illustration. My efforts are more a work of “art graven by man’s device.” Not everyone has the same taste in art. But our comments about something that someone else has done unveils our inner standards of judgment, our aesthetic values, our experience, our inner prejudices

and preferences. Ron does not see things as they are, but through what he is. I am willing to let the Lord judge me, I just wish Ron were. My writing has dealt with real human needs, with life as it is lived, and with problems that are real and not imagined. I believe God’s word addresses all of life. We sometimes miss seeing God at work in the world around us because we do not have enough of God in our hearts. We do not see Christ identified with every human hunger and thirst, with every human ailment, and all loneliness and hurt. We miss seeing Him out there, because we do not have Him in here – in our hearts.

Of Motive And Blankets

I could not possibly respond to everything that has been brought up, but I will try and touch a few points. John McCort reviews all that I have said in the article and calls it “Blanket condemnation . . . .” He discounts my original paragraph denying such with the illustration of a gossip (“Now I am not gossiping about _______ and then go ahead and gossip about them). Of course, illustrations do not prove anything. They merely illustrate. But if you will indulge me, John’s article reminds me of the uncharitable brother who declared in a conflict within a local church, “I know what he said, but what he meant was . . .”

When I mentioned “the seamy side of get it rich quick way to riches,” I assumed that those coversant in the English language would understand that there is a “finished side” and a “seamy side” to most every garment. The dictionary defines the word as “worse, or less pleasant or presentable.” If I had written about the “seamy side of politics, preaching, or journalism,” I doubt that anyone would accuse me of indicting all preachers, politicians, or writers. “The wicked flee when no man pursueth ….

It appears as though some brethren want me to say that they have liberty to sell Amway, Slender Now, insurance, Mutual Funds, Bibles, books, etc. But, no one took it away. The issues raised in my article was not buying and selling for profit. Several brethren who sell Amway, and who have sold other things like insurance, mutual funds, etc. commented to me that they did not misunderstand the article, and felt that strong exhortations need to continue to be given. The sinful and questionable actions of some give them a bad name. I have no doubt that there are many honorable brethren who sell and make gain to provide for their own needs and maintain their virtue while doing so. My article was directed at the covetous, worldly, exploitative, materialistic, and indulgent.

I would encourage John to read the article again. Men who sell Amway and other similar products have attempted to equate their work as “godly” because they make contacts to teach the gospel. That is deceived. Men do not sell to preach the gospel. Selling Amway is not teaching the gospel. It is a justification for selling that incidentally contacts are made that might also prove fruitful in preaching the gospel. But, people do not go into Amway to do personal work. They go into it to make money. Making money is fine (we all do it). My objection is in the deception that whatever else they may do in the pursuit of prospects is justified because a “prospect” is also a potential convert. Think about what that line of reasoning justifies! I could open a house for shady ladies of the night on that justification.

It is not sinful “to support one’s own preaching efforts instead of receiving full support from the brethren.” But then, I never said or inferred that it was. In point of fact, what I wrote was, “I am not opposed to free enterprise or to selling a product for profit, or even a preacher working for a short while to supplement (or provide) his support. I have done all three and believe that Christians have the liberty to do so.” I do not know what else to say, John.

In drawing illustrations of personal experiences with salesmen /brethren it was not my intent to paint a picture of a cat and not put c-a-t beneath it. An illustration only makes clear, it does not prove anything. When an illustration becomes the point of contention rather than the truth it illustrates, it has destroyed its purpose. It was not my intent that anyone should recognize themselves in the illustration.

Some brethren recognized themselves in the portrait drawn, and objected to my truthfulness. Cecil Willis once gave me some sound advice that had been given to him by an older brother: “If your name is not called, do not stand up.”

But since some brethren did not like my illustrations, I would like to use a few from the many letters of appreciation folks sent me on this article.

From Tennessee: “You hit the nail on the head when you wrote that they see the church as their `private fishing hole.’ How much more the salesmen/preachers who hold meetings . . . . during their meetings more prospects are sought and more distributors signed . . . . Allow me one personal testimony . . . . the visiting preacher and the local preacher (previously signed up) came to dinner . . . . before we knew it we were surrounded by cans, bottles, charts, diagrams, and other evangelical aids. But, then, someone checked a clock and a mad dash to the meeting house ensued. Although he had just given a smooth and enthusiastic presentation, and had preached 25 years . . . his sermon was dull, disjointed, and almost entirely read from notes.”

From Kentucky: “Got the mail at lunch and couldn’t wait to write . . . . I just returned from a visit with some of the brethren . . . . two of them, whom I have known since 1962, got into a verbal battle in the (church) parking lot because one had just signed up an Amway Distributor with ___________ instead of ___________’s group.”

From Washington: “At we had the same problem with those who were selling as you mentioned in your article. In fact it got to be so bad that, at one point, I was afraid to greet any of my brethren after services for fear that they would try and push some of the stuff on me again . . . .”

A Truth Magazine staff writer: “I have to say `Amen.’ I would think that gospel preachers had better judgment than to join get rich quick schemes and use innocent brethren as their sales victims . . . . I predict that the next fad will be the selling of gasoline and oil additives for better mileage. A lot of preachers need to add more time to that which they now spend with the Bible so that they will get better spiritual mileage.”

From Georgia: “Oh, I pray that (our preacher) would work as hard toward salvation of souls as (he) does towards this world’s goods, for we know that the harvest is white and the laborer’s few. I know that (he) will give you some real trouble about your article, but maybe on the other hand, this might help him.”

From Florida: “The one thing that burns me the most, is that I used to love to see those brethren. Before they got involved in the business we would talk about the Lord, the church, the work of God, and all the things that mean so much. Now I see them coming a mile away and avoid them. I hate what the devil has done!”

These are but a few of the comments from letters all over the U.S. that I have received. I do not believe that some brethren realize the wide-spread resentment and anger that exists towards those who have used their spiritual relationship for personal profit.

The Issue

I have been accused of being too specific and too broad. It is my conviction that I have been too correct, and have accurately described something that we have skirted the edge for too long in our relationships with one another. I have observed that so long as we indict “everyone and no one” by our preaching and writing there is often very little response.

It is my view that the objections have been peripheral to the substance of what I wrote. But then, how could any Christian come out in favor of greed, indulgence, covetousness, worldliness, exploitation and materialism? I will certainly be more careful of what I write in the future (“burned once . . . “), but I do not believe it will make much difference. It all reminds me of something Brother Larry Hafley once wrote, “Reactions to articles in Truth Magazine run the gauntlet of opinion from the sublime to the silly. An all too frequent judgment is, `We agree with what you say, we just do not like the way that you say it.’ . . . We shall continue to oppose error and expose its leaders and urge others to do the same. For those who flinch at the truth, there is no way to say the right thing the right way, and we do not propose to even try” (Truth Magazine 3/14/74, p. 296). 1 close with no comments or apologies about the purity of my motives in writing. After all, l have written nothing that might call it in question.

Truth Magazine XXIII: 42, pp. 680-681
October 25, 1979