Truth Magazine

 

The theme of this special issue of Truth Magazine revolves around Isaiah 30:10. God’s people wanted a change! They informed their seers that they would have to change their way of thinking. They instructed the prophets to cease prophesying “right things,” but “prophesy deceits” — to speak “smooth things.” God’s word was too restrictive and condemning. They substituted their wisdom for God’s wisdom. They were only willing to hear what they wanted to hear. They were probably buoyed by the thought “that a new day is dawning in Israel.”

Today we hear an ill “Wind of Change” blowing across the kingdom of God. “Change Agents” are telling us we are going to have to change our way of thinking about the church or it will die. They have deduced that “the church is not relevant in these modern and changing times.” It is not meeting the needs of the people. We must change its nature and form and work to gain a greater relevance in the world. This “will bring the lost into a church environment that makes sense to them.”

Those who seek change tell us traditional worship must go! According to those who advocate changing the Lord’s church, we must “change our way of worship so that it will be more appealing to the present generation of younger adults,” who want “the freedom to worship in their heart language.” Solos, special singing groups, drama, lifting up holy hands, hand-clapping, testifying, contemporary music are just a part of this heart language. The words of the wise man are appropriate here: “Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil” (Eccl. 5:1).

What are these needs the “baby-boomers” are demanding the church satisfy? For the most part they are physical and social. Churches are becoming more frequently involved in all kinds of social programs to satisfy the selfish, carnal demands of the populace. Churches are becoming social institutions, preaching a social gospel, and church buildings are becoming community centers for social activities.

Not one of these programs, or all combined, will save one soul! But those who advocate changing the Lord’s church recognize that social and entertaining programs will draw more people than the pure gospel of Christ. Those who are pushing change are seeking to destroy the uniqueness of the Lord’s church and shape it in the mold of denominationalism. It places them on more of a competitive plane with the denominations. To denominationalize the church of our Lord is to drain it of its strength and destroy its uniqueness.

Is the church relevant to our times? Does it fill the needs of people today? The church in its primitive form is entirely relevant for the spiritual needs of man, but becomes highly irrelevant when placed in an area for which it is not designed. One can know the work of the church if the nature of the church is known.

The church is spiritual in nature (John 18:36). Jesus said, “The kingdom of God comes not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or There! for lo, the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:20, 21).

Its purpose is to give culture to the soul. It exists, not for the entertainment of the masses, to alleviate hunger in the world, or to correct all social inequities and bad environments. The church doesn’t minister to carnal minds. The carnal mind doesn’t demand spiritual food. That is why the church is not relevant to some (cf. John 6:26, 27).

The church was conceived in God’s mind (Eph.1:4-5, 11; 3:11); constructed by God through Christ (Eph.1:19- 20); fulfilled in Christ (Eph.1:22, 23; Gal.1:22; 1 Thess. 2:14), and reigned over by him (1 Tim. 1:17; 6:15). He is the head of the church (Col. 1:18), and exercises all authority in it (Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:22, 23; Jas. 4:12). Who is man to think he can improve upon that which God has created? How dare man prostitute the worship of God and make it a time of entertainment to satisfy carnal desires. “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). In doing so we will be worshiping “decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40).

Brethren, “It is an ill wind that blows nobody good.” Be not “tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error” (Eph. 4:14). “By their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent” (Rom. 6:18).

The church is equipped to do all for which it has been created. The passing from one generation to the next doesn’t change this truth. The church is just as relevant today as it was in the first century. The church in Christ is designed to satisfy all the spiritual needs of man. This is the real need.

By Johnie Edwards

Many today are crying for the same kind of things that Israel of old asked for when it was said of the Lord’s people, “Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits” (Isa. 30:10). Who would have ever thought that God’s own chosen people would have had such an attitude as this toward God and his word? In essence they were saying don’t tell us the truth, we don’t want to hear it. Things haven’t changed much, have they? What was the problem then and what is the problem today?

They Were Rebellious

Isaiah called them a rebellious people. “That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord” (Isa. 30:9). The Lord referred to them as “rebellious children” (Isa. 30:1). Stephen was stoned when he referred to the children of these people in these words: “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears ye do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do you” (Acts 7:51). When folks want to rebel against the Lord’s will, they will demand smooth things to be taught! We are seeing that being done today among a lot of brethren.

Did Not Take Counsel Of God

In commenting on his people, God said, “. . . that take counsel, but not of me” (Isa. 30:1). Hosea declared that Israel failed to consult God on spiritual matters. “My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them . . .” (Hos. 4:12). Instead of asking God, these people asked a piece of wood, their stocks and staffs! Can you imagine God’s people talking to a stick instead of God? Perhaps their stocks declared smooth things to them!

They Rejected Knowledge

Those who demanded smooth things also rejected God’s knowledge. Hosea penned, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of God, I will also forget thy children” (Hos. 4:6). These people simply did not want to hear what God had to say. They were like those Paul mentioned, “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient” (Rom. 1:28). Those today who desire to hear smooth things do not want to hear the whole counsel of God preached! And this is sad.

They Set Up Kings, But Not By God

At one time God’s form of government for his people was that of judges. The Lord’s people grew tired of judges and cried, “Give us a king to judge us . . .” (1 Sam. 8:6). They no longer wanted to hear what God had to say. Their desire was to hear smooth things. So, they said, “. . . now make us a king to judge us like all the nations” (1 Sam. 8:5). They were saying, we want to be like those around us and we want to hear what they are hearing. Sound familiar? A lot of churches of Christ are crying the same cry, “we want to be like those around us.” So, speak unto us smooth things. Give us human organizations to do the work that the local church needs to be doing in evangelism, edification and benevolence. We do not want to hear sermons on the “organization and work of the New Testament church,” is the cry of many in churches of Christ. We are told these are sermons of the ’50s and we are living in the ’90s!” Brethren, this just means that we need to get back to basics and get to preaching on such things as the work and organization of the church.

Turn Aside Out Of The Path

Israel of old said, “Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us” (Isa. 30:11). These people were so set on hearing smooth things that they wanted nothing to do with God.

I weep with God’s weeping prophet Jeremiah as he faced the same attitude in his day. “Thus said the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein” (Jer. 6:16). Many today do not want to hear sermons on the “straight and narrow way” (Matt. 7:13-14), but sermons on smooth things — things that make them leave feeling good and comfort- able with a feeling that all things are well, when they may not be! I am not opposed to preaching sermons that cause people to leave feeling good about themselves when they have been obedient to God’s will. But, when people who are living in sin, leave feeling good about themselves, it is past time to examine our preaching.

They Despised God’s Word

God’s people did not respect God’s word. In fact. they despised his word. “Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon . . . (Isa. 30:12). Their failure to listen to God’s word brought destruction upon them (Isa. 30:13-14). When people despise what God has to say, they will demand smooth things be taught. After Paul had instructed the young gospel preacher, Timothy, to “preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Tim. 4:2), he then said, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears” (2 Tim. 4:3). What these folks were really saying was: “. . . speak unto us smooth things” (Isa. 30:10).

Today

Today, some brethren only want to hear “positive- preaching.” I am not opposed to preaching positive sermons. In fact, I do a lot of that. While at the same time, there needs to be some, “reproving, and rebuking” (2 Tim. 4:2), there must be some “shalt nots” as well with some “shalls.” By the preaching of some today in churches of Christ, you would think that all the false teachers have quit preaching false doctrines and everybody is preaching the truth. We hear such statements, “my righteousness is not based upon my personal righteousness but upon God’s grace” and, “I urge you to get hold of Chuck Swindoll’s book, Grace Awakening.” If you want to hear some smooth things, read Swindoll’s book. When we are told that our main focus ought to be on positive, grace-filled things with much love, joy, and excitement as it was in the New Testament, it is time to get back to some basic preaching which includes having, “no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:11).

By Johnie Edwards

We are warned by apostolic teaching that there will be those, “. . . that serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple” (Rom. 16:18).

The trend today, among a lot of brethren, is to preach and teach in such a way as not to make one feel uncomfortable in the pew and that everybody should be able to leave the assembly only feeling good about themselves!

It is not uncommon to find, in some churches of Christ, the same attitude that prevailed in the thoughts of Israel of old: “Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits” (Isa. 30:10).

We hear such things as, “Just preach Jesus and forget about the church”; “we must minister to the whole man; our main focus ought to be grace-righteous and not our own works-righteousness”; “if thou marry, thou hast not sinned” (unqualified); and other such statements.

It is time we get back to, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Tim. 4:2).

It is to this end that this Special Issue is dedicated. We pray that you will take your Bible, read and study, and if these things be so, get busy obeying and teaching them.

I want to thank all of the writers of these good articles for taking the time to write that all of us might be aware of the “smooth things” which are being taught today!