Old Jerusalem Gospel

One hundred years from now, if I could look back from glory and do an internet search on myself, I would love to read this statement about myself: “He believes the old Jerusalem gospel with all his heart, and greatly delights to preach it”.1 That was said of L.L. Carpenter, an evangelist of the New Testament Church from the 1800’s.

Or maybe I could read about myself what was written about another evangelist of the New Testament Church. Before James Creel died in 1923, it was written: “He loves the old Jerusalem gospel, and hopes yet to spend many years in faithfully preaching the same”.2 In fact, I can relate to James Creel’s religious life in other ways. Read what was written about him in 1902:

James' parents were pious and devoted Baptists, and at the early age of thirteen he joined the Baptist Church; and when eighteen years old, having learned the way of the Lord more accurately, he gave up all denominationalism and became a Christian only, belonging to the Church of Christ only; and by this act he became identified with that religious body who, as individuals, are simply disciples of Christ or Christians, and, as congregations, are simply churches of Christ, no more nor less. In other words, he ceased to be a Baptist, and ceased to belong to the Baptist Church by becoming a Christian only, and belonging to the Church of Christ only.2

How do I relate to someone who died in 1923? The same way some of you relate to him. You, like me, may have come out of denominationalism and simply wanted to be Christians. That, in a nutshell, is the “Restoration Plea”. It is a plea to drop all denominational teachings and practices and follow the Bible, and the Bible only. The “Old Jerusalem Gospel” that both of these men loved so dearly, is still the only Gospel that saves today!

I hope that you have learned by now that I have a passion to preach the “Old Jerusalem Gospel”. My passion is to take people back to the Bible as our sole source of authority. I may not always have the excitement of a Raymond Bennett (our “heaven-high, world-wide, shot gun barrel straight revival speaker). I may not always be as well outlined as an Ed Bousman or James Smith. I may not always have the depth of knowledge of a George Faull or the late Roger Chambers. But I believe in the “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” of the Scriptures! That “Old Jerusalem Gospel” is what I live for—and what I would die for!

Why do some call it the “Old Jerusalem Gospel” though? You may have heard the church described as “Old Ship Zion”. Where do these ideas come from?

First, these ideas go back to the second chapter of Acts. As we open up the Bible and read about the beginning of the church (Acts 2) we see the Gospel first proclaimed in Jerusalem. In fact, Jesus told the apostles in chapter one (Acts 1:8) that they would be His “witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth”. Notice that world evangelism would begin in Jerusalem.

On the day of Pentecost, still in Acts 2, we read where Peter preached the Gospel (the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus). He continued preaching Jesus unto them as he told them how to apply this Gospel to their lives. He preached, “Repent and be immersed everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). This first Gospel message was preached in Jerusalem.

Second, these ideas of the “Old Jerusalem Gospel” and the church as the “Old Ship Zion”, goes back to Micah’s prophecy. Notice what Micah wrote as he prophesied the preaching of the Gospel: “For from Zion will go forth the law, Even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem”. (Micah 4:2). I would encourage you to read the entire third and fourth chapters in Micah to get the context. But the Gospel would be first proclaimed from Jerusalem—from Mt. Zion!

The old revival song proclaimed:
Give me that old time religion;
It was good enough for Paul and Silas;
It is good enough for me!

I give a hearty “AMEN”. Give me that Old Jerusalem Gospel, it was good enough for Paul, Silas, Peter, Timothy, James, Stephen, Phillip and the first century church, it is good enough for me!

Get excited with me, as we together, share the Old Jerusalem Gospel and help guide this Old Ship Zion to Danville and the surrounding area!

Your evangelist,
Kevin

References about above evangelists:
1. http://www.mun.ca/rels/restmov/texts/jtbrown/coc/COC1343.HTM
2. http://www.mun.ca/rels/restmov/texts/lwilson/tcsab/CREELJC.HTM

Audio now on Blog

This evening I added a new feature on the blog. I posted on the right hand side of this blog one of my sermons. If you click on the play button, you can hear the sermon. If you click on the "Posts" button, you can see other sermons that I have preached and uploaded to the podcast website.
You can also listen to any of my sermons by going to the South Side Church of Christ website and clicking on sermons. Enjoy!

James A. Garfield

James A. Garfield
20th United States President
(1831-1881)

Listen to what his biographers included in his life story:
1. We call ourselves Christians or Disciples
2. We believe in God the Father
3. We believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and our only Savior. We regard the divinity of Christ as the fundamental truth in the Christian System
4. We believe in the Holy Spirit, both as to it agency in conversion and as an indweller in the heart of the Christian
5. We accept both the Old and New Testament Scriptures as the inspired Word of God
6. We believe in the future punishment of the wicked and the future reward of the righteous
7. We believe that Deity is a prayer-hearing and prayer-answering God
8. We observe the institution of the Lord’s Supper on every Lord’s Day. To this table it is our practice neither to invite nor debar. We say it is the Lord’s Supper for all the Lord’s children.
9. We plead for the union of all God’s people on the Bible, and the Bible alone.
10. The Bible is our only creed.
11. We maintain that all the ordinances of the Gospel should be observed as they were in the days of the Apostles.

Sounds very . . . biblical!

Relating to the Prophet

When I was in Hebrew class at Florida Christian College we had to adopt a Hebrew name. The name I chose was the name of my favorite prophet - Yir-meh-yaw-hoo. OK, you are thinking that you have never heard of that prophet before, right? That is the way you pronounce the name of Jeremiah in the Hebrew.

Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet. But before you hold that against Jeremiah, realize that he lived during one of the worst time periods of Hebrew history. As he preached, it seemed that no one was listening. And it was during his ministry, that the city of Jerusalem and the temple of God were destroyed. Out of this terrible event, Jeremiah wrote the book of Lamentations - a lament about the destruction of the city and temple.

Now Jeremiah had his tough times. And at one point he even wondered if he could go on preaching. All he felt like he was sharing was "violence and destruction". It got to the point where he was even thinking, "I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name". But even then, listen to the words of the great prophet: "Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot endure it" (Jeremiah 20:8-9).

What does all that have to do with me? I have a passion to share New Testament Christianity! I have a passion to teach the "ol' Jerusalem Gospel"! It is like a fire that keeps burning in my bones to preach the "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" of the Scriptures. I am weary of holding it in!

My prayer is that this love which I have for the restoration of New Testament Christianity will spread! My prayer is that we can use the Bible only to make Christians only - the way they did in the New Testament, with the preaching of the Apostle's message. May we as Christians (not just evangelists) have the desire and passion to contend and share the faith once delivered! May it be a fire that keeps burning in our bones! May we share our faith so that we can honor the simplicity of the Great Commission: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned" (Mark 16:15-16).

Today I was invited to share the message with a men's group at the Leroy Christian Church on March 6. I consider it an honor to break open God's Word and sharing the message on the Uniqueness of the Churches of Christ/Christian Churches with the churches just west of here! Pray that I can be bold as I share. You don't have to worry about the passion - I certainly have that!

County Meeting

I am excited! This Tuesday, the South Side Church of Christ is hosting the Vermilion County Churches of Christ/Christian Churches. Each month a different church hosts the meeting. Of course, the churches are not a denomination, so that is not the nature of the meeting. The meeting is simply a time of singing and fellowship and preaching! Isn't it great that people of like faith can meet as one - as the church? Of course, with us being the host, I get to preach! My sermon will be on the Uniqueness of the Churches of Christ/Christian Churches. Basically, I will be speaking on why I attend the Church of Christ. I am really looking forward to sharing this with the churches.

To help fire me up (as if I needed to get anymore fired up for the meeting) I have been reading a forum this past week where many are trying to say that we are a denomination. I have not posted anything in the forum because it seems that several in the group are in there to simply be divisive. But I firmly believe that we are NOT a denomination. In fact, I don't describe myself as non-denominational, and definitely not inter-denominational. I consider myself anti-denominational. I came from denominationalism, and I never intend on going back!

If you are interested, the sermon will be posted on the web site for South Side later this week. Pray for boldness! Pray that we can be gracious hosts. Pray that we can continue to contend for the "one faith" and the "one church" that Jesus Christ said He built!