Truth Magazine

By Lewis Willis

I would like you to indulge me for some personal reminiscences. (When I mentioned to Joyce that I was going to reminisce in this issue of the paper, her reply was: “I guess you realize that doing that means you’re old.”) And, she’s right! But, here I go anyway.

I made a decision at Christmas-time in 1958, that I would return to Texas after I finished my college work at Florida College. I didn’t have any idea what I would do for a living when I got home, but I felt certain I could find work that would support me, Frankie, and a child which was on the way. I had preached for a small Florida congregation for only one summer (twelve sermons), so preaching was not on my mind.

My brother, Cecil, was living in Kansas City at the time. He called and asked us to come to Kansas City to visit with them on the way back to Texas. Explaining that I would be pulling a trailer with all of our belongings, I tried to decline his invitation. He would not accept “No” for an answer.

Later that week, Cecil called and told me that he had to be in Macon, Missouri that week and he would like us to just meet him there. After explaining to me how to get to Macon, we headed into the cold, snowy “north” at the end of January 1959.

When we arrived in Macon, the small town of fewer than 4,000 people made less than a great impression on us. We finally located Cecil. He took us out to eat and to visit with some folks he knew there.

Well, these folks just happened to be members of the small church there. Not only that, but that little church did not have a preacher at the time. In fact, they were looking for a preacher to work with them and Cecil was trying to help them get a man. They had actually gone so far as to rent a furnished trailer for their new preacher — when they got one!

They could not fully support a man, but Cecil had gotten a congregation in Indianapolis to commit some support to a preacher in Macon. Coincidentally, Donald had got- ten the church where he worked in Houston to agree to send some support as well. Everything was fully set in place when they located a man to move there.

Are You Awake Yet, Lewis?

Sure enough, Cecil had convinced them to hire me — sight unseen — and he and Don had raised the necessary support to enable me to go there. And, there I was with my wife and all our earthly belongings, and I was looking for a job! It just so happened that I didn’t know I would find a job in a strange, cold place — preaching!

The same day that I realized why Cecil had insisted that I visit him in Missouri, he was pressing me for a response to the church’s invitation to work with them. After all, Cecil “had to get back to KC that night!” He felt certain he could wait to leave Macon — long enough to help unload the car and trailer! I had to decide that day.

So, that day, Thursday, I accepted “the invitation” to work with the church in Macon, Missouri. I was fully pre- pared for the challenge. After all, I already had twelve sermons prepared! I think I had attempted to preach per- haps 20 times in my entire life. Now, I was a “full-time” preacher — according to Cecil!

Because we were so young, Frankie and I were excited when it began to snow on that Saturday afternoon. How- ever, the next morning we had about twelve inches of snow on the ground, my “southern” car refused to start, neither of us could remember the name of a single person in the church there, and we did not have a phone to call a tow truck, nor the money to pay him if he came. Certainly calling a cab was out of the question.

So, in my best “summer” suit and a light overcoat, I started walking to the building. The temperature was in the teens, and it was only about a mile and a half to the building. I don’t know if you have ever tried to walk a mile and a half in twelve inches of snow, but I do not recommend it. I got to the building, but I was so cold that I could not even speak to the few people who were there.

After several minutes standing over the grate of the coal furnace, I regained my speech enough to ask someone to go to the trailer and bring Frankie to the building. And, thus I began my life as a Gospel Preacher, on the first Sun- day of February 1959 — 40 years ago today!

It hardly seems possible that 40 years have passed since that day. I have worked full-time during those years, except for two years when I supported myself while working for another small church. (I was co-owner of a telephone installation company that installed the original long-distance network for MCI, but I preached and taught all my regular classes during that time.) It has been an honor to be supported by God’s people, as I have sought through the years to preach what Paul called “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8).

Today, getting started in preaching is somewhat different. For one thing, you can’t raise support from one or two churches. It usually requires 15-20 other churches to help with your support, and getting that support is a daunting task. Many churches now hire young men who are wanting to preach, to work in a training program with their experienced preacher, as the young man learns how to do this work. That sounds preferable to me, after reflecting on my experiences through the years of my early efforts to preach.

A Word To Our Young Men

In closing, let me say a word to our young men. (Will you see that they read this article?) The world needs doc- tors, accountants, airline pilots, and computer experts. However, the world also needs to hear the gospel! We have some fine young men here at Brown Street who love the Lord. Already they have worked to develop their skills in the public functions of the worship. They have made talks in training classes. Are these young men just waiting on their parents — or their brethren — to urge them to con- sider preaching as a career? Parents, there is no calling so noble as gospel preaching. Your son will make you proud if you join others in encouraging him to preach the word (2 Tim. 4:2). Think about! Even after 40 years, I recommend this life to our young men.

The advocates of the A.D. 70 doctrine do not teach what the Bible teaches about the judgment. Let’s take a look at some biblical teaching concerning the judgment:

1. All Will Be At the Judgment. The judgment scene says, “And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats” (Matt. 25:32). All means all, right? “For we must all appear the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body” (2 Cor. 5:10). Are you a part of all nations? If so, then you would have been at the judgment! Were you?

2. Every Knee Bows/Every Tongue Confesses. The judgment will find every knee bowing and every tongue confessing, as, “. . . every one of us shall give account of himself to God” and “every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Rom. 14:11-12). If the judgment took place in A.D. 70 then you bowed your knee and confessed to God. Did you do that?

3. Judgment Will Be the Last Day. Jesus said, “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48). If the judgment occurred in A.D. 70, all men have been judged and days ceased then. Are days still coming and going?

4. The Crown of Life Will Be Handed Out At the Judgment. As Paul came to the close of his earth life, he penned, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8). Did Paul receive the crown of life in A.D. 70? Paul said his crown would be received when Christ would appear as judge. Have you received a crown of life? If not, since you, as a faithful child of God have been promised “. . .the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10). will you receive it? If the A.D. 70 doctrine be true, the crown of life has already been handed out!

5. Life Eternal/Punishment At the Judgment. Matthew 25 is a picture of judgment. The reading of the verdict of the saved and the lost reads, “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal” (Matt. 25:46). If the judgment took place in A.D. 70, then all of us either have eternal life or eternal punishment. Do you now have either of these?

6. The End. Paul told the Romans, “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life” (Rom. 6:22). The end will find the “kingdom” being “delivered up to God” (1 Cor. 15:24). Do you think the church has been delivered up to God? The earth will be “burned up” at the end (2 Pet. 3:10-12). Has this earth been burned up or is the earth still here? It is pretty evident that the A.D.

70 doctrine is far from the truth.

By Irvin Himmel

We live in an age when results are demanded. Pressure is applied, ultimatums are delivered, rigid quotas are set, and goals must be met.

For example, certain sales people are under enormous pressure to reach specified quotas or else. Some resort to unfair tactics, dishonest schemes, and less-than-honorable approaches in order to reach their assigned percentage. They feel that they are in a do-or-die situation..

The coach for a ball team may be a fine man and an excellent coach. He may do a splendid job in teaching his team good sportsmanship. However, some fans will demand that he be fired if there is a long losing streak. Winning is to them more important than fair play.

On production lines there is poor quality work in many cases because of the demand for large quantity and rapid turnout. The management wants mass production rather than quality merchandise. Slap it together and put it on the market.

Gospel preachers sometimes are victims of this kind of thinking. No matter how faithful the preacher or how hard he works, if certain numerical results are not visible, some in the church will insist that he be replaced. The contributions and the attendance figures are used as gauges. The preacher’s work is evaluated by statistics.

Poor old Noah worked long and hard in building the ark. He was a “preacher of  righteousness” (2 Pet. 2:5). Although he may have preached and worked on the ark for many years, when the showdown came, only his immediate family went into the ark with him. All that work and only eight souls (counting the preacher) were saved! Some of our hardnosed folks who assess preaching by numerical results probably wonder why God did not

drown old Noah in the flood! They would argue that his work was ineffective and without impact. But God demands faithfulness, not what we add up as “visible results.” We need more preachers like Noah.

The concept that in the absence of certain numerical developments a preacher is not doing his job may lead to tactics and schemes that are wrong. A preacher may feel pressured and obliged to attain “results.” The message is watered down. Emphasis is placed on whatever may attract more people. Higher statistical ratings take priority. Dedication to “preaching the word” takes a back seat.

God blessed Noah despite the small numerical showing from his work. There are some things far more important than counting noses and adding monetary amounts. God promised through Isaiah that his word would not return to him void (Isa. 55:11). Spiritual increase is more valuable than mere numerical increase. Let us show faith in God by loyally proclaiming the gospel without trying to force a particular kind of increase. Paul said, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase” ( 1 Cor. 3:6). Our task is to be faithful in planting and watering, God handles the increase

By Jimmy Short

By request, I am writing to explain why I left a denominational church to become a member of the church of Christ. My hope is that this will not only be encouraging to those who are members of the body of Christ but will also be a useful tool in guiding the lost to the truth in God’s word about salvation.

Up until the summer of 1998 I was brought up in a Southern Baptist church. My parents raised me to be a faithful member and I was considering entering some form of church minis- try. In 1997 I was introduced to Dr. Hoyt Chastain and studied religious topics with him for a few months. Dr. Chastain is a retired Missionary Baptist preacher and a very experienced public debater. He was giving free lessons on the Greek language and Bible analysis at the church where I regularly attended. I knew nothing about the church of Christ until I heard Dr. Chastain explain some differences between denominations and the church of Christ.

When I first heard of the church of Christ and some of its doctrines, especially baptism and hymns without instrumental music, I thought it was one of the most ridiculous ideas I had ever come in contact with. I could not understand how a church that proclaimed to believe in God could say instrumental music was wrong in worship and baptism was required for salvation.

Mt. View church of Christ in Foster, Oklahoma, I was able to help set up a public debate between Dr. Hoyt Chastain and David D. Bonner, who is a well-studied preacher in the church of Christ. During this four-day debate I was able to discover what I needed to study and how to go about it. This debate was good in showing me what I needed to study, but I found that isolating myself from the religious opinions of others and studying on my own was the most beneficial to me.

There are many doctrinal differences between the church of Christ and denominational churches. The main ones that I focused on and had to be convinced of were the teachings on the establishment of the church, baptism, and instrumental music.

Establishment of the Church

In Matthew 16:18-19, Christ said, “I will build my church” and would give to Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven. In this passage we find that “kingdom” and “church” are meant as the same thing. Some who were with Jesus would not die until the “kingdom” of God or “church” of God came with power (Mark 9:1). This shows that the kingdom would come in the lifetime of some of those who were with Jesus in those days.

In Luke 24:47-49, Christ told his disciples that repentance and remission of sins should be preached beginning at Jerusalem. The disciples were told to go to Jerusalem and wait to be endued with power from on high. Acts 1:8 confirms that they would receive power “after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” If we can find when the Holy Ghost came upon them then we can know when they received the power that was promised to them. And if we can see when the power came then we can see when the kingdom or church was started. In Acts 2:1-4 it is obvious that the power came to the apostles when they were all filled with the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, therefore it should be clear that the church was established with power on the day of Pentecost.

To be further convinced of the establishment of the church I found I had to examine the uses of the words “church” and “kingdom.” I found in the Bible that until Acts 2, the words “church” and “kingdom” were spoken of the future tense, but beginning in Acts 2:47 the church presently existed, “and the Lord added to the church such as should be saved.”

Baptism

All of my life I have been told that a person is saved before and without baptism. However, Mark 16:15-16 gives the true order of salvation. In this passage, Christ commands his disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel. What order of salvation did this gospel teach? Christ said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” He did not say that the person who believes shall be saved and then some other time at that person’s convenience he can be baptized.

Christ told his disciples that repentance and remission of sins would be preached beginning at Jerusalem (Luke 24:47). While in Jerusalem, the apostles witnessed the establishment of the church on the day of Pentecost. As Peter preached in Jerusalem, he taught repentance and remission of sins which was what Christ had told him to preach. Peter told those who were “pricked in their hearts” to “repent and be baptized for the remission (or forgiveness) of sins” (Acts 2:37-38).

However, I was hardheaded and these verses on baptism were not really enough to convince me to convert from one faith to another. The conversions in the book of Acts are what convinced me. When the Samaritans heard and believed Philip’s preaching — they were baptized (Acts 8:12). When Simon believed — he was baptized (Acts 8:13). After Philip preached Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch — the eunuch was baptized (Acts 8:35-38). A woman named Lydia who heard Paul preach was baptized after her heart was opened (Acts 16.14-15). When Paul and Silas were in prison, a jailer asked them what he must do to be saved. They said to believe on the Lord and after they spoke to him the word of the Lord, he was baptized (Acts 16:25-34).

During Paul’s conversion, he was told to “arise, and be baptized and wash away thy sins” (Acts 22:8-16). These conversions taught me that baptism is a very important part of what was being preached to these men and women who were being converted to Christ.

Being saved from our sins is what the term salvation is all about. What better way is there to be saved from sin than to be forgiven of our sin? Baptism is the act that Christ expects every sinner to obey for the remission (forgiveness) of his sins (Acts 2:38).

Instrumental Music

When dealing with this subject, I needed to understand that the New Testament is the authority for our pattern of worship today. Christ’s sacrifice took away the first law so that a second one could be established (Heb. 10:1-10). The Old Testament law was nailed to the cross and done away (Col. 2:14; Eph. 2:15). The new law (testament) did not go into effect until after the death of Christ (Heb. 9:15-17). Since the laws and practices of the Old Testament were done away, we should look to the New Testament for our doctrine and pattern of worship.

If we are going to use the New Testament for our wor- ship pattern, we must find examples and commands of how or what to do. When music is mentioned in the worship of the New Testament church only vocal music is mentioned. There are several examples and commands of singing or vocal music in the New Testament (Matt. 26:30; Mark 14:26; Acts 16:25; Rom. 15:9; l Cor. 14:15; Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16; Heb. 2:12; 13:15; Jas. 5:13). There is not one Scripture that even indicates instruments should be used. I found that while it was very easy to see the truth on vocal music, the emotional bond I had for instrumental music (having been a “Christian Rock” musician) was the most difficult thing I had to overcome. Therefore, I decided that I would please God by keeping his commandment of vocal music rather than please myself and men with instrumental music. By doing this, I knew I would not be adding to the pattern of worship that God has set forth in his word (Rev. 22:18-19; l Cor. 4:6).

Conclusion

All of these teachings were very difficult to accept in my mind, but the more that I studied the more I became convinced of the truth. It did not take very long for me to run out of excuses for the denomination of which I was a member, and so after struggling with what my friends and family might say, I finally decided to account for myself (Rom. 14:11-12) and obey the gospel plan of salvation. I realize now that the most important decision I ever made was being baptized into the one and only church that Christ built (l Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:22-23).