Why we must stand FIRM!!!

I just finished reading an article claiming "there hasn't been a Restoration Movement for well over 100 years" and the movement was "doomed to fail, as it is based on a faulty ideal" - coming out in the June 13th edition of a periodical sent weekly to many Churches of Christ and Christian Churches.

I respond with a quote by one of my teachers at Florida Christian College, the late Roger Chambers (spoken and written in 1985):
The Restoration Movement is alive. Hundreds of intelligent, faithful leaders preserve and preach New Testament Christianity. While nothing could be clearer than that our outfit needs revival (when has that not been true of the Church?), it isnot a given that we cry out for redefinition. I don't trust these fellows who, of late, have been reading over the grave of the brotherhood. I fear they want the movement certified dead so they can apply for the commission to resurrect it to their own vision. We may have lost our nerve; we have not lost our reason for being. And the preacher who has little or no experience in strong doctrine has no right to declare that the Restoration Movement isn't working and call for a new plan.

Things haven't changed, have they?

I am reminded why I do not subscribe to the periodical anymore! More rebuttal to come!

Unity in Truth

I have a book in my study with the title “Union in Truth”. The restoration plea is about unity—but any unity MUST be based in TRUTH! So many, even within the churches of Christ, have placed all their emphasis on unity and left out truth, or left out some of the truth! It has gotten so bad, that when a church of Christ like South Side places a strong emphasis on TRUTH they are considered as being divisive and legalistic! Believe me, I have heard all those labels thrown at me! Some would even argue that a church that stands solidly on the Biblical plan doesn’t want unity! I can speak for most, if not all, of the assembly here at South Side Church of Christ when I say that we love unity. We love the unity we have as churches of Christ when we have our county meetings! It is a great time of fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ! 

 

Biblical unity, though, MUST ALWAYS be based on the truth of Scripture. Division does not happen when the truth is being taught and preached. Division comes when something is taught or practiced that goes against the Scriptures. So, in reality, it is not the truth that divides the church—it is false teaching! 

 

I have always said, at least since I was taught well, that I am not non-denominational, I am anti-denominational. The very word “denomination” means to divide. When used in religious circles, denomination means: “a religious organization whose congregations are united in their adherence to its beliefs and practices” (according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary). I thought the definition describes denominationalism well. But I also thought about how sad it is . . . “congregations are united in their adherence to ITS beliefs and practices”. At South Side Church of Christ, a person does not adhere to OUR beliefs and practices—you simply follow the Bible and the Bible only! That is the plea of the church of Christ. Remember the old slogan: No creed but Christ; No book but the Bible!

 

You see, it is truth that unites! It is truth that brings true biblical fellowship! This is the type of unity that we here at South Side Church of Christ are protecting (Ephesians 4).

 

When I consider things happening in the church of Christ, I have to wonder what happened to the plea to throw off all denominational names and creeds and be simply Christians. I personally came out of denominationalism—I have NO desire to ever go back. In fact, I would just love it if all those in our entire world would simply follow the Bible and the Bible only and be New Testament Christians! 

 

In one way I can relate with what Pliny wrote in a letter to Trajan about the impact Christians had upon some of the places he visited. About 50 years after the death of Jesus, he wrote that Christians have “pervaded not merely the cities but the villages and country places, so that the temples were nearly deserted.” The Christians had been SO strong that the pagan temples were nearly closed!  

 

Here is where I relate to Pliny: My desire and plea is that the churches of Christ can stand so solidly on the Bible that any denomination or church not following the New Testament plan would desert their teachings and simply become Christians! That is my prayer for Danville and Vermilion County, and our world!

 

Unity, yes, when based on truth!

Isn't That a Church of Christ?

Download PDF file of the South Side Church of Christ "Side Lites" Newsletter

 

I ask that question often when browsing through some Church of Christ web sites and reading very weak positions on God’s plan. Sometimes as I am listening to a Church of Christ sermon, I ponder the same question—thinking that maybe I tuned into a denominational church, and when I check, I am disappointed that I heard that at a Church of Christ!

 

Now those of you who know me well, know that I am a stickler in “saying Bible things in Bible ways”. But what I am referring to here, is not simply using bad terminology and calling your evangelist a “pastor”. This article is not about using sloppy terminology. Rather, it is about teaching and promoting false doctrine; or by leaving out the truth. What ever happened to sound biblical teaching? 

 

You can go to many church websites and not know what you must do to be saved, even though they have their “statement of faith” right on the website! Often times I have to go back to the homepage and make sure that I am still on the Church of Christ website! Unfortunately I have experienced this a lot!

 

This isn’t just limited to websites! One time I listened to a sermon by a Church of Christ preacher on John 3. It was on the new birth. How could a Church of Christ preacher go wrong when preaching about the new birth? But in the entire sermon, not once did the evangelist make reference to immersion—including the invitation! I had to check the bulletin cover! Sure enough, it stated that I was at a Church of Christ!

 

How about no invitation at all? I have both heard and attended Churches of Christ where no invitation is ever given. Now I know that a “standard” invitation may not be recorded for us in the New Testament. But isn’t it interesting that at the end of every sermon recorded in Acts, the listener was challenged to make a decision—if the preacher didn’t offer one, it was only because he was interrupted before he got to it (like in Acts 2). One service I attended,  when the preacher was done with what he called preaching, he said a prayer and then he said, “you’re dismissed”.  No invitation! No challenge! No decision time! I guess that day was not the “day of salvation” in that assembly (II Corinthians 6:2)! When I checked the sign on the way out of the parking lot—yes, the sign still read Church of Christ!

 

Another sermon I listened to included an invitation for a person to become a Christian. All right! An invitation! But wait! The Church of Christ preacher then invited those who were Christians, but have not been baptized, to be baptized, even inviting these Christians to be baptized into the church as an outward sign! The Bible teaches that a person is immersed into Christ, not the church! When someone is immersed, they become a Christian, not the other way around! Mark 16:16 teaches, "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved”? It does NOT teach “He who has believed and been saved shall be baptized”. This one really made me wonder whether I was listening to a Church of Christ preacher or a denominational preacher who is confused about the order of salvation. And when I checked, sadly I was listening to a Church of Christ preacher!

 

If one is Church of Christ, be the Church of Christ! Be His church, not simply in name, but in teaching and preaching! And it doesn’t matter whether it is on a website or in our daily lives or in the classroom or from the pulpit!  “All the churches of Christ greet you” (Romans 16:16).