Truth Magazine

By Bruce James

Restoring Christ’s church is a continuing struggle. Though each saved person is surely a part of that called out body, we weak human beings have not perfectly restored the church of Christ. We have found it easier to restore the forms of New Testament worship and organizational structure than to restore the spirit, heart, and essence of the ancient church. In one word, the essence of the Lord’s church is “Christ.” If we are going ever to restore the church, kingdom, body of Christ to its first century form it will require a return to:

1. Christ-centered evangelism. A study of the book of Acts reveals that when the gospel was preached, the focus of any issue was salvation by grace through Jesus Christ. “He opened his mouth and beginning from the same scripture, he preached unto him Jesus” (Acts 8:35). This pas-sage represents first century evangelism. People were taught about Jesus, converted to Jesus, and then lived in obedience to Jesus. Such teaching produced Christians. And, when banded together in a given locale, Christians made up the church of Christ in that place.

2. Christ-derived morality. Jesus himself revealed to us his moral will in the great Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7 and Luke 6) and other teachings. His standard calls us to selflessness, to a high moral purity, and to an inner devotion to God expressed in daily life. This is the nature of Christ’s church.

3. Christ-mentality. Jesus had the mentality of a self-sacrificing servant (Phil. 2:5) with the determination of absolute obedience to God the Father (Heb. 10:7). When we put these two together in our thinking, the combination gives us the mentality of Christ’s Kingdom as conceived by the Lord.

4. Christ ordained mission. As the church has digressed in this matter by turning the church into an “entertainment center,” a place of luxury, and time spent in “worldly pursuits,” it denies the one who said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” The great commission given by Jesus is the mission of the church of Christ.

May God bless and help us as his people to continue the restoration process in matters about salvation, worship, and the work God has given his people in Christ to do (Eph. 2:10). In this noble effort we will be more and more the blood-bought body of Jesus Christ.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 17 p. 1
September 4, 1997

By Mae Hoggatt

Courage is defined as “the attitude of facing and dealing with anything recognized as dangerous, difficult or painful instead of withdrawing from it” (Webster).

What picture does the word bring to mindthe firefighter preparing to enter a burning building or perhaps soldiers ready to go to battle for their country?

When we apply this attitude to our life as a Christian, we have to also consider the cousins of courage  encourage and discourage, the black sheep of the family.

Encourage is defined: to give courage, help, hope, confidence (Webster). Discourage: to deprive of courage, hope confidence; raise obstacles or objections (Webster).

Consider some of the Bible characters and their need for courage.

It took courage for David to face Goliath in battle. His brothers and King Saul discouraged him because of his youth and inexperience. But David was encouraged by knowing that he “came against you (Goliath) in the name of the Lord Almighty” (1 Sam. 17:45).

Noah needed all his courage to continue building a large boat as God had commanded him in the face of discouraging words from the wicked world in which he lived. However, God had told him of his plan to destroy mankind by a flood and this knowledge encouraged Noah to not only continue working on the boat that would save his family but to at-tempt to teach his neighbors about God.

When her people were threatened with destruction, Queen Esther was encouraged by Mordecai to appeal to the king, asking him to reverse his order to annihilate the Jews. She had courage and went to the king, even though the thought that he could have her put to death for approaching him without being summoned (Esth. 4:11) could have discouraged her. As a result of her courage, her people were saved.

Read about Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3 and 6. They were all men of courage.

Today it requires much courage to become a Christian and continue to live as one in this world of sin. Those you work with and even some of your own family members may make discouraging remarks because you do not live as you formerly did. The encouragement to continue on your road to heaven will come from God’s word and from his congregation. Stay close to them.

When a man desires the office of an elder, will he find encouragement or be discouraged by those around him? A man will need a stockpile of courage to fulfill his responsibility as an elder.

It takes a wealth of courage for a young Christian to lead his first song or present his first lesson before the congregation. Do not discourage him with negative re-marks, but encourage him to continue his public service to God.

Have you thought about a preacher needing courage to get into the pulpit every Sunday and looking out at an audience of often inattentive, drowsy listeners? Does he see encouragement in their eyes? Or does he know that there will be faultfinding after the sermon? Preachers need much encouragement and not situations that would be discouraging. He (and God too) can get very discouraged by the negative attitude of a congregation.

Have you ever tried to teach a class but all you heard was a “discouraging word”? Courage must prevail if you are going to continue to teach and guide young minds in the right way. Encourage the teachers to not give up.

If you are having problems within your marriage, your worldly friends may encourage you to divorce your mate and discourage any attempt to stay married. Strength and courage are needed to mend broken promises.

Courage is found within your own self and encouragement to live right comes from God’s word and other Christians. The world will encourage you alright, but only to sin. The world will also discourage your attending services and living as you know you should. The friends you make in the church will discourage you also, but from going back into the world.

Always have the courage of your convictions  “the courage to do what one thinks is right” (Webster). Just be certain that your convictions are guided by the word of God and your example is one of courage.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 17 p. 9-10
September 4, 1997

By Larry Ray Halley

Feminists, liberal politicians, and others say they are for abortion, in part, because they do not believe in an “intrusive government.” The government, they say, should not intrude upon a woman’s right to choose to surgically re-move (kill) the unwanted child. I heard this very argument made by the Democratic candidate for governor in the state of Montana.

I suppose no one would say he is for an “intrusive government” However, government, by definition, must be intrusive to some degree. When a government tells some employers how much they must pay their workers (mini-mum wage), is that “intrusive government”? When government dictates the amount of time off (family leave) that a company must grant to certain employees, is that a case of government intrusion?

There is another facet of government that justifies an element of intrusion. It is the inherent duty of government to provide protection for its citizens (Rom. 13:1-4). To this end, many individual actions are restrained, curtailed, or specifically forbidden. While it is true that unborn children are not citizens in the strictest sense of the word, their life deserves protection. If government can decide that enviable life in the womb is not worthy of protection, what shall we say when government decrees that an enviable life out of the womb (the severely retarded, the aged, and the infirmed) is not deserving of the protection of government?

“Abortion rights” have spawned Dr. Jack (Assisted Suicide) Kervorkian and his murder machine. We have not yet seen the end of it  “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3:13). If a woman has the right to take the life of her unborn child, why does not killer Kervorkian have the right to help an-other take his own life? He says he has that right. How do we deny him his “right”? Sounds like some form of intrusive government may be necessary to stop him. But, of course, it is better to tolerate death in the name of freedom than to save life in the name of “intrusive government”!

And what next  a panel that will sit in judgment, deciding which patients shall live and which shall be terminated? This is not new to our day. It has been done before. We called it Nazi Germany. The form of government, the rationale, and the means of death differ, but the result is the same. Living beings are put to death with government sanction.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 17 p. 8
September 4, 1997

By Jarrod Jacobs

Could my worship keep me from an eternal home in Heaven? Is the worship I offer so important that I could spend an eternity in Hell for “vain” worship? Many today will say, “No, it does not matter how you worship as long as you are honest and sincere.” Others try to play down this subject as being unimportant. My friends, this question is very important. We are duty-bound to make sure we worship God in a way that pleases him! It matters not what opinions I have on this subject. Rather, the deciding factor is “What saith the Scripture?” Let us see what the Bible says about my worship. As we think about this subject, I would like us to take an “overview” of the Bible and notice God’s attitude toward those who were not worshiping acceptably.

Exodus 20

Exodus 20 records the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses. I find it very interesting that the first seven verses have to do with the Jews’ actions and attitudes toward God. God told the people not to have any other gods, not to bow down to any graven images, nor serve them, and not to take God’s name in vain (Exod. 20:3-7). As God placed these Ten Commandments into effect, he let the Israelites know that there was only one way that they could please him. At this time, we see a God that expected his people to follow his commands to the letter without variation. Why do we think that God has changed his mind concerning his worship? Yes, the Law has changed, but the fact that God expects us to obey him to the letter has not.

Jeremiah 10

At the beginning of this chapter, we read how God did not want the Israelites to become as the heathen in their idolatry. God, in the first five verses, shows the folly of the heathen for worshiping idols, and how the heathen have fooled themselves. God said, “The customs of the people are vain” (Jer. 10:3). As God continues to show the foolishness of these people, He says, “They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good” (Jer. 10:4-5). Jeremiah says something that we need to learn and learn well, “0 Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (10:23).

Why study this chapter? It is be-cause during this time, the idolatrous cultures were known for worshiping whichever gods they chose. There were so many gods at this time, you could choose to worship whichever god you wanted. Those living in Jeremiah’s time were truly trying to “direct their own steps.”

If it did not matter how you worshiped God, why was God “legislating” these cold, impersonal commandments to the people? Was God not wanting these people to do what seemed to be the best? Was God condemning the practices of an honest and sincere group of heathens? Why did not God simply teach them how to “get along,” and “love” one another, despite the “petty” differences these idolaters may have had with the Jews?

The Book of Malachi

This final book of the Old Testament is entirely devoted to the people’s rejection of God’s law. These people rejected and refused to worship God as he commanded. This is evident in the first chapter of the book. God charges these Jews with offering polluted bread, and offering the blind and lame as a sacrifice (Mal. 1:7-8). Why would God waste his time on this subject if it does not matter how the people worshiped him?

God continues to plead for the people to come back, and said in Malachi 3:10-12, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.” The Lord obviously wanted them to come back and receive that great blessing. However, if it did not matter how they worshiped, why was God pleading for them to repent in Malachi 3:7?

From these three Old Testament references, we can see that God expected his people to worship him in a certain way. When they refused, they were met with the deadliest force. You may doubt my word, but ask Nadab and Abihu about worshiping God. Ask them what God thinks of people operating in the silence of God’s word (Lev. 10:1-2).

John 4

Looking to the New Testament, we read that Jesus had encounters with those who were worshiping God in vain. John 4 is but one example. This chapter records Jesus’ meeting with the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob. The Samaritan woman thought that it did not matter how or where you worship. You can see this when she told Jesus, “Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship” (John 4:20). She gives the impression that it does not matter how one worships. “You worship in Jerusalem, and we worship here, what is the difference?”

Jesus tells her that it does matter, and in fact, there will soon be a change. True worshipers will no longer have to go to Jerusalem to worship God. Jesus said, “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:22-24).

Is it not amazing that the excuses we hear day by day concerning worship were present during the time of Jesus. “You worship where you want to, and I will worship where I want to,” would be the Samaritan’s reply today. Why would Jesus spend so much time with this Samaritan if she was worshiping in an acceptable way? Certainly, Jesus did not think that she was doing wrong, did he?

We hear a lot about how we (preachers) need to be like Christ, and not concentrate on the “petty” differences, but “preach on love” as Jesus did. Those who believe that standing on the truth is done without confrontation, and without hurt feelings at times, do not know my Lord.

“In Spirit and In Truth”

What did Jesus mean when he said, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24)? These words have significant meaning, and must be understood if we wish to please God with our worship. The word “in” means “in connection with.” It does not mean “inside of.” Jesus was literally saying that we must worship in connection with the spirit, and in connection with the truth.

What is the “spirit”? It is those things related to the spiritual realm. Jesus shows that the true worshipers need to be focused on spiritual matters, not physical. Paul tells us, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 14:17). That is why we do not have pie suppers, bingo, etc.! The church and its worship is not to cater to the physical needs, but the spiritual.

We have another responsibility. That is to worship “in connection with the truth.” What is the “truth”? Let Jesus answer, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). In order for our worship to be acceptable to God, we must worship with our focus on things spiritual, and worship in connection with what the Bible says! Peter said, “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). The only truth we know is what has been revealed in God’s most Holy Word. Our worship must come from what has been revealed. For anyone to try to worship God based on what has not been said, or for anyone to teach others to worship God in that way, is to condemn yourself to an eternity in Hell. To deviate from God’s plan of worship is to jeopardize your soul, and the souls that follow you!

1 Corinthians 11:20-30

Here Paul is recorded as rebuking the Corinthians for not partaking of the Lord’s supper as they should. Paul declares (v. 23) that the things he is saying are from the Lord. He appeals to the right authority. He then proceeded to correct these brethren for their unfaithfulness in taking the Lord’s supper. Here Paul tells these men and women that if they do not partake in a worthy manner, they are guilty of the body and blood of Christ and are eating and drinking damnation to themselves (1 Cor. 11:27, 29). Does this sound like it does not matter how we worship? Does this sound like our partaking of the Lord’s Supper will not effect our eternal salvation? Paul ends this by telling the Corinthians that some of them are weak as a result of their unfaithfulness, while others sleep (spiritually dead while they live, 1 Cor. 11:30).

Conclusion

Yes, the worship we offer must please God, else we stand to lose our home in heaven. How sad indeed to know that you could have made it to heaven if you had only worshiped God as he commanded. Brethren, can we see the importance of teaching others this same truth? Can we see that there is a lost and dying world that needs to know that “honesty” and “sincerity” will not save a single soul from the burning fires of hell? Yes, friends, our worship does make a difference, and it will affect our very soul! Please bear these things in mind as you strive to live for God from day to day.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 17 p. 12-14
September 4, 1997