Truth Magazine

By H.E. Phillips

A number of churches, large and small, are now looking for preachers. Through the years I have read many appeals, and have received a number of requests to help find preachers to fill the vacant pulpits across the nation. Brethren are learning that it is much more difficult to find a good preacher than it was a few years ago. The preacher shortage is becoming more acute everyday. I do not know all the reasons for this condition, but at least two seem evident: (1) many young preachers have become discouraged because of the general attitude of brethren toward preaching and preachers have turned to other labors; (2) the present standard required for preachers and the many extra demands made of them that will not allow time for study and plain preaching.

The extreme demands upon preachers by some brethren sometimes grow out of their experiences with lazy, unprepared, self-centered, fun-loving men who have called themselves preachers of the gospel for the easy money they think is in it. They give about four hours or less each week to pulpit preaching and class teaching, and the rest of the time they loaf and play. But these poor excuses for preachers of the gospel should not cause brethren to set unscriptural standards for “the right man” to work with them.

But who is “the right man”? What kind of preacher do brethren generally want? I have heard some amazing qualities and strange standards for “the right man.” One brother asked that I help find a preacher “between 35 and 40 years old, with a friendly wife and not more than three children, who has a good disposition to get along with all kinds of people, and who can get his sermon across in not more than 30 minutes.” This man must have been a novice or very naive, but I guess he was speaking for the church who wanted this kind of preacher. The apostle Paul would not fit the demands of this brother. He would not have come within the age limits, he did not have a wife or children, his disposition did not keep him from spiritual conflicts with false brethren, and he preached until mid-night and then talked to the brethren until break of day on at least one occasion (Acts 20:7). Paul “was long preaching” (Acts 20:9). I doubt that Peter, James, John, Timothy, Titus, or any of the first century preachers of truth would have measured to the standard required by this brother.

Another brother wrote: “Will you help us get a preacher who will really do the work of the church?” I wondered what this church intended to do when they found a man “to do the work of the church.” This is one reason there are so many dead churches across the nation today. They hire a preacher to do all the work and the members do little more than warm the pews once a week, or maybe twice, while this preacher goes in all directions at once promoting his social gospel activities.

An elder asked if I knew of a preacher who was about ready to move. “Our preacher is moving in three months. He has been with us two years and we think that is long enough for a preacher to stay at one place. He gets too close to the members if he stays longer.” He may mean that the preacher learns enough about some of the members to preach what they really need. When I suggested a preacher who might want to move, this elder asked: “Where did he go to school and how many degrees does he have?” I told him I did not know, he would have to the ask the man.

And there was the appeal for a preacher who had the tact and diplomacy to preach without offending people, and not to call names or debate with the sects. This preacher must have the political skill to “preach the gospel” with-out those in error knowing that they are sinners and lost. Teachers of this sort can be found for the right price, who will tickle the itching ears of those who have turned from the truth and have turned unto fables (2 Tim. 4:3,4).

These are typical requirements for preachers today. Have you noticed that there is not one single scriptural requirement in any of these? Apollos was “an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures,” “instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord,” but he lacked some-thing to be the kind of preacher God wants. “Knowing only the baptism of John,” he needed to be taught the truth before he could do the work of an evangelist (Acts 18:24-26). If a man does not know the truth, of course he cannot preach it, all else makes little difference.

If you want a preacher who pleases God and will do you good, why not look for one who loves the truth and will preach the word in season and out of season (2 Tim. 4:2)? Who will declare all the counsel of God (Acts 20:27)? Who will do the work of an evangelist (2 Tim. 4:5)? Who will fight the good fight of faith (1 Tim. 6:12)? Who will do nothing by partiality (1 Tim. 5:21)? Who will reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine (2 Tim. 4:2) ? Who will not hold back anything that is profitable but will teach publicly and from house to house (Acts 20:20)? Who will give no place by subjection to false brethren (Gal. 2:4, 5)? Who will preach to please God and persuade men (Gal. 1:6)? If one does all this, what difference does his age, looks, family, education, personality, popularity, and background make? If he preaches and practices the faith once delivered he will do any church good.

But then after “the right man” is found and employed to work with a congregation in preaching the word, there are always some carnal minded “churchgoers” who can criticize and find fault until the preacher leaves or a squabble starts through the long and loose tongues of these “experts” on what a preacher would be. The spiritual babies, who have not grown one inch spiritually in 20 years, never learn anything from a sermon or Bible class. They are too busy looking for the faults of the man doing the preaching to hear the message which he proclaims. This is exactly the attitude of the Pharisees and Sadducees, who found fault with Christ but never learned anything from his doctrine.

What difference does it make how fat or skinny the preacher is? How does the color of his suit, tie, or shirt affect the message he proclaims from the word of God? John the Baptist would not have rated in any fashion con-test, but he moved a lot of people with his message. What if he is “too young” or “too old” (whatever that may be), how does that hinder the truth of the gospel? What if he does foul up the “King’s English” a few times during the discourse, does this destroy the power of the gospel?

Brethren, when we come to fully realize that men are lost in sin, and that the gospel is the power of God to save (Rom. 1:16), we will be concerned, not about all these unimportant characteristics of the man, but the message which will convict men of sin, bring them to repentance and obedience to the gospel of Christ. The man or woman who stresses the rich dress, good speech, impressive personality, financial standing, crowd pleasing, soft-soaping and entertaining qualities of the man, will never know very much about the saving power of God because they are re-ally not listening to learn. These are the self-appointed experts on preachers and preaching technique, but they know nothing about the message. They really know nothing about preachers either, because one must know the message to know what God requires of preachers.

If you are looking for a preacher, do not consider any-thing before you know of his knowledge of the gospel, his love for the truth, his courage to preach it fully, and his determination to please God and persuade men. Other matters are secondary and unimportant.

Guardian of Truth XL: 10 p. 22-23
May 16, 1996

By Robert F. Turner

Once in northern Arizona, a huge Indian woman visited our Bible class. She gave no indication she could understand a word of English and apparently came only because several of her children were enrolled there. But my wife wanted to welcome her, and so she sat beside her and talked with her for some time, using an older daughter as an interpreter.

Vivian would say, “We are so glad you could come to our Bible study.” The daughter would then speak to the mother in the rumbling, softly explosive language of the Navajo. Mother would reply in kind, and daughter would say to my wife, “She is happy that you are trying to teach her children.”

Without waiting for translation, the large Indian woman leaned over and spoke directly to my wife, “You think so?” Apparently the Navajo mother had her own reasons for not “understanding” English until interests and emotions arose that overshadowed the first consideration. I can almost sense her thoughts: “What does that two-child pale face know about having a large family?”

And I think I have seen this philosophy at work among people who just “can’t understand” the word of God. They understand the daily paper, the trade journals, football statistics, etc.,  enough to argue with you about any point of difference there. But through the sermon or in Bible class they are politely indifferent, with an attitude of “I’ll take your word for it  it’s all over my head.”

Until you hit close to home  something that really matters to them  then they come to life with feelings hurt or swinging their pet Scriptures about as though they were full time debaters. They need your help on every-thing except money, marriage, and masonry  or whatever touches home. Then, “Forget the translator, Sir, you are singing my song.” (Reprint from Robert F. Turner, Stuff About Things, p. 85, by permission)

This went on for some time until my wife asked, “How many children have you?” The daughter answered, “Eighteen!” This caught my wife a bit off guard. She hesitated a moment, and then said to the daughter, “Tell her it must be wonderful to have such a large family.”

Guardian of Truth XL: 10 p. 21
May 16, 1996

By Lewis Willis

One of the great disappointments in the Lord’s work is the number of members who decide they will no longer serve God. They just “drop out.” They probably did not intend to, but they did. At one time they likely looked with wonderment on the departure of someone else. Now they are victims themselves. They have developed the same harmful attitudes and actions as others, and in the end, they depart the faith with all other apostates.

In this article we will consider some of the reasons why Christians do this. And, we are talking about Christians! Perhaps by study we can avoid the calamity that has be-fallen others.

Some Christians Fail Because:

1. They forget what they heard. In becoming Christians we must hear the gospel, believe it, and obey it (Rom. 10:17; Mark 16:16; Heb. 5:9). We are taught that we must thereafter live a life of faithful service unto God. The process of edification informs us of varied duties we sustain as God’s people. Through teaching, the blessings of faithful service are outlined, just as the punishment for disobedience is taught. Unfortunately, many Christians forget what they have heard. James talks about the man who looks in a mirror, but turns away, forgetting what he saw. This man is called “a forgetful hearer” (Jas. 1:24-25).

Jesus addressed this same subject. He spoke of the foolish man who “heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not,” contrasting that man with the wise man who “heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them” (Matt. 7:24-27). Even our children are taught this lesson. They sing about the Wise Man and the Foolish Man. Do not allow yourself to forget what you have heard from the pages of God’s word. If you do, you will fall from grace like others.

2. They will not consider. Isaiah wrote: “The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel cloth not know, my people doth not consider” (Isa. 1:3). This is a shocking comparison! The ox and the ass know who owns them and where they belong, but the Jews did not! Actually, they would not acknowledge who they were, and where they belonged. Many today are doing the same, and that is why some fall away. They are thought-less  they will not consider.

3. They yield to the world. When we obey the gospel, God separates us from the world, adding us to the church. Unfortunately, many look back longingly to the ways of the world. They will not remember the sadness and heart-ache of sin. They only remember the instant gratification and pleasure it brought. They forget the injunction, “love not the world” (1 John 2:15-17). They will not remember the teaching of God’s word which says, “And be not con-formed to this world” (Rom. 12:2). Soon these are living again in the same old sinful way they were living, before they became Christians. “They are again entangled therein, and overcome” (2 Pet. 2:20). They are sin’s victim again, and lost to the Lord.

4. They are unprepared for sudden temptation. One of the biggest mistakes we make is thinking “I’m a Christian, I can’t be tempted to do evil again.” This is the old false denominational doctrine which says “once saved, always saved.” The idea of this heresy is that God takes control so that we cannot sin and be lost. Just remember, this is a false doctrine.

Christians are tempted, and sometimes we fail in living as we should. Paul used the word “overtaken” to describe this situation: “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (Gal. 6:1). Even the apostle Peter himself fell back into sin and was restored by Paul (Gal. 2:11-14). God does pro-vide us with “a way to escape” temptation, enabling us to bear it (1 Cor. 10:13). Sadly, many Christians will not pre-pare themselves by knowing the escape routes and they fail in the challenge of living the life of a Christian, re-turning to the world.

5. They fail to be watchful. One of the words frequently used in describing the life of the servant of the Lord is “watch.” Jesus said, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt. 26:41). Peter warned about the workings of the Devil, telling Christians to be sober or watchful: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). Many will lose their souls because they were not watchful, as they were taught to be.

6. They are indifferent. Many Christians are not fervently for the Lord, nor are they against him. They simply become indifferent toward him and his cause. They are called “lukewarm” by the Lord, and it is said God will spew them out of his mouth (Rev. 3:15-16). More Christians are in danger through this sin than perhaps any other. Life is regularly drained from the church because of membership indifference. Too many of us just simply will not listen to the admonition of the Lord. When Peter gave what we call “The Christian Graces” he concluded by warning, “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall” (2 Pet. 1:10). The lack of diligence in serving God is a prescription for falling away from him.

7. They neglect their study and duty. One of the consistent messages of the Scripture is that we are to study to show ourselves approved unto God (2 Tim. 2:15); we are to give attendance to reading, exhortation, and doctrine (1 Tim. 4:13); we are to understand what the Lord’s will is (Eph. 5:17); and this understanding comes by reading the word (Eph. 3:3-4). Through this study God describes our duty. He spells out exactly what he expects, and what he will not permit us to do. A failure to do our duty is sin (James 4:17). It is because many will not study God’s word, and do their duty, that they fall.

Conclusion

How can we avoid this danger? What can we do which will prevent falling away? Let me suggest these things briefly:

 Develop a stronger faith in the Lord and his work

 be prompt or instant in your obedience to the things you learn you are to do

 be devoted and dedicated to your mission  going to heaven when you die

 do the best you can  do not settle for or accept any-thing less than the best you can give

 help one another  we need the strength that comes from others who are living the Christian life

 be diligent in prayer  the great avenue of prayer gives us access to the ear of God, and to the help that only he can provide, especially in forgiving us our sins, before we allow them to take us down. These things will keep us faithful and secure.

 Do you feel yourself in danger of falling away? Is it possible? Do you need to consider these things in your own life? Paul warned us to take heed, lest ye fall (1 Cor. 10:12). The Bible says “Save yourselves” (Acts 2:40). Are you doing that?

Guardian of Truth XL: 10 p. 20-21
May 16, 1996

By Larry Ray Hafley

Some thought so (Matt. 16:14). Why? Jeremiah taught the people of Judah, Jerusalem and Josiah that external reforms were worthless without internal repentance. Josiah’s reformation led to a transformation of national life, but Jehovah sent Jeremiah to say, “Trust not in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord are these” (Jer. 7:4). “What meaneth this?”

As we learn from the chronicles of the kings in Kings and Chronicles, the law, the sabbath, and the temple were restored. The “order” and the “courses” of divine service were “according to the pattern.” Remnants of Israel and Judah rejoiced. They exulted in anticipation of national exaltation, brought on, as they supposed, by their ritual restoration.

“Not so fast,” Jeremiah said in effect. First, “amend your ways and your doings, and, secondly, I will cause you to dwell in this place” (Jer. 7:3). “If you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings . . . Then (and only then) will I cause you to dwell in this place” (Jer. 7:5-7). You cannot, God said, have one without the other  “If . . . then.”

The people saw the new panels. They smelled the sweet aroma of new wood. They were dazzled by the beauty of ornate craftsmanship. In these things they fancied that they saw victory and smelled success. However, Jeremiah thundered, Do not trust in these things; “amend your ways and your doings.” The flesh, blinded by the splendor, was deaf to the spiritual. National ruin, bondage, destruction, and captivity were assured. Their religion, hence, their reformation, was of the eye, not of the mind. In the few, where it was in the conscience, it was not in the hand, not in their deeds and doings.

Jesus so spoke.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Though this section appears later than the events of Matthew 16:14, who can doubt that this was a consistent refrain from the mouth of the Messiah during his minis-try? Thus, Jesus was seen as “Jeremiah.” Again, “What meaneth this”? What application may we make?

Briefly, this: We may have restored “the ancient order of things.” We may have made “all things according to the pattern,” but if our ways and doings are not amended, our worship is void and vain, dead on arrival. The restored public temple meant nothing while the private temple housed murder, theft, and adultery (Jer. 7:3-11). So, trust ye not in lying words, saying, “The church of Christ, The church of Christ, the church of Christ,” while your daily life is full of hypocrisy and iniquity. As temple service in structured order availed nothing apart from repentance and renewal, so “church service” in “that form of doctrine” means nothing apart from walking in newness of life. The faith of the humbled heart must match the activity of the harmless, helpful hand (Titus 2:11-14; James 1:26, 27).

Guardian of Truth XL: 10 p. 9
May 16, 1996