Truth Magazine

By Hayse Reneau

It is disturbing to see and to contemplate the rapid digression of churches who claim to be of Christ. Beginning with small steps it quickly moved by leaps and bounds from the fifties through the eighties, leaving in its wake a torn and bleeding brotherhood.

Several years before the division-causing innovations were introduced there were some brethren bent on imitating the denominations, who were “waiting in the wings” for a convenient season to make their proposals. The division over societies and mechanical music in worship were remembered and some hearts were still sobbing, so the hesitation could be expected. Finally a generation arose who were untaught in the essentials of abiding in the doctrine of Christ, and who were gullible enough to swallow the bait. Originally, the proposal was to add the colleges into church budgets. The momentary objections were greater than anticipated so it was put on hold. The so-called Orphanages were then introduced and accepted. The emotional overtones of stories about little babies being cast out of their homes, neglected, bruised, hungry and naked caused many to ignore scriptural precedent of how the first century churches accomplished their work of benevolence. Now, there were no legitimate and logical objections, from those who had already accepted the orphanages, to colleges also being put in the church budget (they were told “they stand or fall together”), so they were summarily accepted. It was an immoral and deceitful strategy but it worked.

Homes for the elderly, institutions for unwed mothers, soup lines and kitchens for the hungry, and many more social programs rapidly followed and were included in church budgets. Next came the bus fleets, and the youth ministers, who plan and bus children on ski trips, busing children to six flags, and various other recreational outings. “Family life centers” are a measure of their prosperity. Equipped with the latest exercise equipment, TVs, ping pong tables, and other entertainment features, these churches are really “on the move.”

The sponsoring church concept has linked local churches into national and even international ties with like-minded churches. The formation of a full-blown ecclesiastic system of religion, known as “churches of Christ,” is concreted in place and no one or nothing will change it to any great degree. I was told, “We are no longer ashamed to invite someone to join our church!”

Many churches today are plainly no more than denominations bearing the designation “church of Christ.” It is disastrous to souls for whom Christ died. I want to observe some of the attitudes which promote such digressions.

When there is a decreased emphasis on a “Thus saith the Lord,” people eventually give no thought whether a practice is scriptural (revealed in the Scriptures) or unscriptural. This promotes an uncaring attitude for what God says. I can remember when churches who had the funds to publish a bulletin, filled those pages with Bible-centered lessons. I can also remember when those pages were filled with social activities offered to the members and seldom do you find a Bible quoted. The word of God still admonishes “If any man speak let him speak as the oracles of God,” and “Preach the word” (1 Pet. 4:11; 2 Tim. 4:2).

An increasing spirit of materialism and secularism promoted the various social enterprises which serve as entertainment for the body while souls dry and wither. Choosing a church for many is based upon finding one which offers the most entertainment. Romans 14:17 emphasizes the church established by the Lord is for the spiritual nature of man, and not meat and drink (physical items).

Vanity is an attitude promoting competitiveness with denominationalism. Meeting houses take on a cathedral look: stained glass and steeples, etc. Such things are pointed to with pride, as if it is a measure of God’s approval. Vanity cultivates an attitude of prominence and improper self-esteem. Such has led to a substitution of human plans and programs and all manner of promotional machinery, replacing God’s way which is plainly revealed in the Bible.

The Word of God insists: “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen ” (1 Pet. 4:11). Beloved, no man speaks according to God’s oracles while harboring such attitudes which have brought such misery and harm to the cause of Christ!

Guardian of Truth XXXIV: 11, p. 329
June 7, 1990

By Mike Willis

Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus (Jn. 1:35-42).

Every church needs a motivation to grow, to be active teaching the word of God to the lost, converting men to Christ. That motivation must come from the gospel itself. Any unnatural stimulation will be only momentary and misguided. The gospel has the power to motivate men to teach the lost and bring them to Christ, as demonstrated by the book of Acts. The power of the gospel to motivate men in evangelism is seen in this brief scenario when Andrew brought his brother to Christ.

What Andrew Found: The Christ

Andrew and John were disciples of John the Baptist. John was the divinely appointed harbinger of the Lord; his work was to prepare men to receive the Messiah. His success in this work is indicated by the ready reception which Andrew, Peter, John and James gave Jesus. The day before the events of our recorded text, Andrew and John had heard John identify Jesus as the “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29).

The picture of Jesus as the “Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world” aroused in the minds of John’s disciples the picture of the sacrifice for sin offered at the Temple. A lamb without blemish was sacrificed as an atonement for sin. The identification of Jesus as the Lamb of God, not only emphasizes his meek and gentle character (cf. Isa. 53:7), but also that his blood would be the atonement for sin. The atonement would be offered for “the sin of the world,” not merely the Jewish people.

The two disciples identified Jesus as the “one coming after” John who was so superior to him that the Baptist was not worthy to unloose his sandals (Jn. 1:27). When they saw Jesus coming toward them and heard John say again, “Behold the Lamb of God, “they left the Baptist and came to Jesus.

Jesus inquired, “What seek ye?” No doubt these disciples of John were full of contemporary expectations of the Messiah. They looked for an earthly king who would reign and rule over Israel, after overthrowing the Roman army which occupied their land. Perhaps Jesus is asking them, “Are you seeking me for earthly benefits, such as the material wealth, power and popularity which is generally given the friends of a ruling monarch?” The two disciples only requested an opportunity to speak privately with Jesus.

We do not know what was discussed in this lengthy conversation. We only know its outcome. The two disciples go away saying, “We have found the Messias” (1:41). They were elated at what they had found – the Messiah.

He Brought Others Because He Himself First Found Christ

The blind cannot lead the blind to Jesus. Those who do not know Christ cannot lead others to him. Hence, a person must first “know the truth” (Jn. 8:32) before he can teach it to someone else.

Again, the dead cannot impart life to the dead. Had Andrew been unconvinced that Jesus was the Messiah or unimpressed with finding the Messiah he would never have been successful in leading his brother to Jesus. He was successful in leading his brother to Christ because of how much finding the Messiah meant to him.

Have you noticed how this works in earthly affairs? A woman goes shopping and finds a sale on shoes – “Buy one pair at regular price and get the second pair for a penny. ” Because of her enthusiasm, she tells her friends and sends them to the shoe store. If this same woman found a sale that said, “Buy one fishing lure at regular price and get the next 10 lures free” she probably would not send the first person to the store because fishing lures are of no interest to her.

Andrew was able to bring others to Christ because of what Christ meant to him. He had read the Old Testament prophecies of the coming of the Messiah. He waited in expectation of his coming. He heard the message of John the Baptist, “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Since the kingdom of heaven was important to him, he repented of his sins and was baptized by John in anticipation of its coming. The announcement that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah stirred his heart and he had to tell others. He found the treasure hidden in the field, the pearl of great price (Matt. 13:44-46).

One reason that we have been so unsuccessful in saving others around us is this: Christ does not mean that much to many of us. We are too distracted with the things we treat as more important – our jobs, our education, our recreation, etc. We are more apt to talk to our friends and neighbors about a ball game and TV program than about Christ because they mean more to us than Christ does. When our hearts are full of Jesus, when we are filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18), no power on earth will stop us from telling others about God’s saving grace, resulting in our leading others to Christ.

Who He Brought: His Brother

The Scripture says, “He first findeth his brother” (1:41). (The word “first” implies either that he later found others or that the other disciple [John] found his brother [James] afterwards.) How many of us would dare tell our brother, sister, or cousin that we had found the Christ? Cornelius did; he brought together his “kinsmen and near friends” to hear the words of salvation which Peter preached (Acts 10:24). If you are wishing to lead someone to Christ, start with your brother, sister, cousin, or other kinsmen.

Unfortunately, some of us cannot talk to our kinsmen about Christ because these kinsfolks know our lives too well to respect us when we speak. They would accurately judge us to be hypocrites when we spoke to them about Jesus.

The Scriptures point us to other people likely to respond to the word of God. Here are some of them:

(a) The Afflicted. The psalmist recognized that afflictions drove him back to God’s word. “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. . . . It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes ” (Psa. 119:67,7 1). When you are looking for someone to talk to about Christ, search out among your friends those who have recently experienced some tragedy in their lives – an illness, death, divorce, etc. The afflictions of life will make us more open to the word of God.

(b) The dissatisfied. The word of God teaches that the things of this world cannot satisfy men’s deepest longings (Eccl. 1:1-3). We sometimes hear men express their feelings of emptiness. This is a perfect time to speak to them about the abundant life which is in Christ (Jn. 6:35; 10:10).

(c) Those accepting new responsibilities. I have found newly married couples and new parents are sometimes more receptive to Christ’s invitation at that time than at other times in life. We always should be looking for opportunities to speak to others about Jesus.

Andrew found his brother to be receptive to Christ and brought him to Jesus. The apostle Peter may never have been a Christian, have preached the sermon on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, and have opened the door of the kingdom to the Gentiles had Andrew not brought him to Christ.

We never know what God is able to grow from our planted seed. It may produce thirty-fold, sixty-fold, or one hundredfold. Surely, Peter was one which produced an hundredfold. I think of several others, whom I have known.

A young woman was working at a General Motors plant in Ohio. She was quite attractive and, no doubt, had many opportunities to speak to the men in the plant. Rather than allowing her conversations to degenerate, this woman invited her friends to church with her. One young man came, because of her invitation, was taught the gospel and obeyed it. Later, he decided he wanted to preach and attended the classes in Danville, Kentucky. Today this man is preaching the gospel in Germany. He is Steve Wallace. He is there because a young, unmarried Christian woman brought him to Christ.

A man in Indiana was working as a tool and die maker at Chevrolet. He tried to teach the gospel to every worker with whom he had contact; he still is a diligent worker in God’s kingdom. A new apprentice hired on and worked with him. He invited him to worship, taught him the gospel, and later watched him be baptized into Christ. This man also decided to preach. After having successful works in Noblesville and Kokomo, Indiana, he is now having a very successful work in Port Arthur, Texas. He is Max Dawson. He is preaching the gospel because his friend, Jerry Hall from Mooresville, Indiana, brought him to Jesus.

We never know how the Lord might use our talents in his service. Giant oaks grow from small acorns and great good is accomplished by our small efforts to teach the gospel. Lives are changed by the least effort to speak to others for Christ.

What a great lesson is taught in that little verse: “He first findeth his own brother Simon.” Are you an Andrew?

Guardian of Truth XXXVI: 11, pp. 322, 342-343
June 7, 1990

By Burl Young

In Isaiah 35:8, the prophet says, “And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools shall not err therein. “

It is most probable that Isaiah was prophesying that there will be a way that men may travel to follow Christ. It is about this way that I will write.

Isaiah says that there would be a highway and a way: since a distinction is made by him, we should try to understand the existing difference. There is an actual difference in the meaning of the words themselves. Albert Barnes says that the word “highway” signified a raised causeway or turnpike. These highways were elevated and the many soldiers would use these highways on their way to and from battle. However the word “way” refers to any road or path that all men might walk. It is the latter word that we shall place most emphasis on.

The Apostle Paul made reference to the way that was called heresy by his accusers (Acts 24:14). The way that was preached by Paul was constantly causing him problems. He preached that Jesus had been raised from the dead. He preached that the kingdom was established (see Col. 1:13) and various other things that caused him many and varied problems. We should note that Paul did not turn to another way, but rather continued on the way that Jesus had revealed to him.

The way that is mentioned by Isaiah was to be a way of holiness. How much we need to understand this today. When we see Christians compromising their holiness for a few things of this world, we wonder if they are trying to walk on the way mentioned by Isaiah. By obeying Christ in faith, repentance, confession and baptism, we place ourselves on the highway. Then, we must continue to walk in it with a holy life. Jesus said, “Be thou faithful unto death” (Rev. 2:10).

Because of the simplicity of God’s plan of salvation, Isaiah next shows the kind of man that can travel the highway under consideration. A “wayfaring man though a fool” is here mentioned. Obviously, Isaiah does not mean the idiotic or moronic person that we sometime think of when we hear someone called a fool. He is, however, referring to someone of little ability and perhaps viewed as a fool by many in the world. When one dedicates himself to following God and his son Jesus, many will think him a fool in this life. God’s plan was not designed so that only the talented few could understand, but made it so that all could understand from the least to the greatest.

“No lion shall be there.” To our civilized world, the lion is of little consequence, except to look at in the zoo. However, in earlier days the lion was a real menace to the traveler on the highway. It appears that many a traveler was actually devoured by a lion when he did not take the proper precautions. We too, are warned to watch that Satan does not devour us by the things of this world (1 Pet. 5:8). Even though God has not taken away Satan from our midst, he has conquered him through his son Jesus. Jesus will walk with us in the highway if we will allow him to do so.

Finally, Isaiah says, “The redeemed shall walk there.” When one speaks of being redeemed, he makes reference to two things. First, the person being redeemed and second the price paid for the redemption. God loved man so much that he sent his only Son to die that we might live. That makes the redemption of extra value, in that it had such a wonderful price and most of all, it should cause us to desire to walk with the other redeemed of God and to some day stand in his wonderful presence.

Guardian of Truth XXXIV: 11, p. 328
June 7, 1990

By Robert F. Turner

The Minneapolis Star once published a survey made among people of all religious faiths, asking, “Which do you think is more important for the church to do – to convert people to a spiritual belief so that they can earn a happy life after death, or, to teach people how to live better every day with all other people?” Only 17 percent of those interviewed believed that conversion to a spiritual belief was more important. We would frame the question differently, and we believe Jesus knew the Christian life is best for both here and hereafter, but there is no doubt where he placed the emphasis. The response of so-called “religious” people is a clear indication of the extent to which the “social gospel” has compromised genuine Christianity.

Jesus taught, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth . . . but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven . . . . No man can serve two masters . . . . Therefore . . . be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on . . . . Seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:19f). Or consider this: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. . . . For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt. 16:24,26) Jesus’ first concern was for the soul and eternity.

Many things have conspired to change this emphasis, but we will note two things in particular: the “social gospel” and the “whole man concept.” Roman Catholicism had a strangle hold on Western Europe prior to the Reformation. The “Church” crowned or deposed kings, and directed both social and religious life. When rebellion came it was not only religious, but political and social. As an example, the French Revolution overthrew “church” control and rejected moral restraint. But the people soon learned that “freedom” is not free. Without restraint anarchy reigned and life became intolerable. So-called godless France was forced to revise its stand toward religion; but her modernistic theologians changed its emphasis to meet “this world” needs. Compassion, work ethics, social concern, etc. (all inherent in Christianity, but not its goal) were given top billing, and the “social gospel” flourished.

Some time later in Germany (not necessarily related to the social gospel) some learned men developed the “whole man” concept of education. It became apparent to them that schooling must be more than the pouring of information into the students. The physical, social and spiritual side of man must be developed as well as his intellectual side; and this called for “whole man” education. I believe their concept was valid, and has done much to improve educational systems when kept in proper balance. But the “whole man” concept did not stop at the public schools. Through religious Teacher Training books and courses, often written or taught by people with secular education backgrounds, that “whole man” concept was brought into “our” Bible classes. It was a “natural” to blend this with what we had accepted of the “social gospel,” and conclude that “the church” was obligated to the “whole man.”

If you ask for Scripture you will probably get Luke 2:52, “And Jesus increased in wisdom (intellectually) and stature (physically), and in favor with God (spiritually) and man (socially).” There you have it, with the usual comments in parentheses. Is there any doubt that Jesus grew in all these ways? Is there any doubt that all individuals should grow in these ways? No doubt in my mind! But what has this to do with the work of the organized church? It is pure and unwarranted assumption to use this passage to justify church support of secular schools, gymnasiums, and social clubs. It becomes an attack upon the distinctive role of the church.

Christianity does affect all human relations. In the domestic realm it makes for better husband or wife, and children. In the business world it makes for diligence and honesty (Col. 3:17f). It teaches respect for civil government (Rom. 13), and develops a proper understanding of neighborliness (Lk. 10:29f). But this is a far cry from putting the church into secular business, politics, or “Family Life Centers.” 1 Corinthians 11:22 (“Have ye not houses to eat and to drink in?”) shows we “despise” the church of God when we mix its worship role with domestic functions. The problem was not where they were (the church could meet for worship in a private dwelling); but why or for what they were assembled. The organized church is saints teamed in works peculiarly Christian.

The church, both distributively and collectively, has a teaching role (1 Tim. 3:15; 2 Cor. 11:7-8). It is the “pillar and ground” of divine truth, declaring by word and example the goods news of salvation in Christ. The association of saints promotes worship and edification (1 Cor. 11:18f; Heb. 10:24-25), and opportunity to pool resources for evangelism and benevolence (Phil. 4:15; 1 Cor. 16:1-2). The emphasis is spiritual, as is seen in the whole of Scriptures concerning the church at work. It is “a spiritual institution, to administer to spiritual needs.”

Scriptural contributions are (or should be) made with authorized purposes in mind; and we break trust with contributors and our Lord when we use these funds for something else. In civil government the fire department has specific reasons for being, and tax funds are assigned with those needs in mind, I fear some brethren might argue that since each citizen has other needs (the “whole man,”remember!) the fire department funds should be spent on all those needs. Of course we could end up with failure to prevent or cure fires – and it seems in many church circles the “fires” of eternal torment are nothing like as important as the fire under the coffee pot.

Brethren, Christianity makes for a better world today but its effect on this life is a by-product of its greater reason for being. Christianity aims and prepares us for life in heaven; and we must not allow the social gospel and the ‘whole man” concept to turn us from that eternal destiny.

Guardian of Truth XXXIV: 11, pp. 327-328
June 7, 1990