Where Do You Belong?

     “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:1-2

     Everyone wants to feel as though they are accepted somewhere. One’s life would be sad indeed if they never felt as though they were part of anything, as though they never belonged. Yet the first verse of the first psalm warns us that there is a group we would do very well not to become too comfortable with—habitual sinners. 

     Sadly, wicked people are everywhere. We go to school with them, work with them, shop with them, fill our gas tanks with them, eat at restaurants with them, watch them on television, see them in movies, and hear them on the radio. It has been like this almost from the very beginning. God is not going to take His people out of the world in which they live (John 17:15). Rather, He asks His people to work hard at leading wickedness to righteousness, leading lost souls to the One who can make them saved souls (Matthew 28:18-20). Yet it is not only righteousness attempting to influence wickedness. The roles have often been reversed to the detriment of those who were once faithful.

     Someone said that the progression of Psalm 1:1 is that of thinking, behaving, and belonging. Let me encourage you never to take the first step on to the road leading away from God and toward Satan. Let me encourage you never to seek acceptance, to seek belonging, from those whose actions alienate them from God. Simply put, the child of God does not belong with the wicked.

     Instead, he finds his focus and His delight in the law of God. Not only that, he finds that his mind is too filled with meditations of heaven to allow entry to base, worthless thoughts that can prevent his ultimate goal.

     So, where do you belong? Jesus answers, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30). What a wonderful answer it is!       

They Were Just Like Us

     In Acts 5 we find the apostles before a very angry Sanhedrin just itching to put them to death.  Verses 27-29 say, “And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.’ But Peter answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.”

     It required extraordinary courage for Peter and the others to stand before the council and say the things they did. The Sanhedrin charged the apostles with disobeying their specific command to teach no more in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:18). The apostles said that it was right for them to disobey. The Sanhedrin accused the apostles of trying to bring the blood of Jesus Christ upon their heads. The apostles turned right around and accused them of killing Jesus (Acts 5:30). The Sanhedrin denied that Jesus possessed divine authority. The apostles boldly declared that “God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins” (Acts 5:31). By then much of the Sanhedrin saw red and were prepared to kill the apostles (Acts 5:33). Had they not heeded the advice of Gamaliel (Acts 5:34-39) they may very well have killed them.

     We tend to shake our our heads at the faith and courage of those men. In doing so we join the countless throng of saints throughout the ages who have marveled at them. It is not difficult to begin imagining that they were a different breed of human, a group of first century “supermen” exempt from the discouragements and fears that often plague “the rest of us.” After all, what else could explain their ability to stand with such determination before an enraged Sanhedrin? 

     Well, they were not supermen. In fact, they had not always been as bold as they should have been. Even after this event Peter, the spokesmen for the group, would briefly turn hypocrite and lead others astray by his example (Galatians 2:11-13). God shows us their failings so that we will recognize that they were just like us, fraught with all the frailties and fears indigenous to humanity. Like us, they occasionally succumbed to temptation. Like us, they experienced illnesses and death. Like us, they sometimes needed a brotherly or sisterly shoulder to cry on. Like us, they needed to be encouraged.  Like us, they needed to be saved!

     So if they were not supermen, if they really were just like you and I, how did they manage to do what they did? I believe we find all the answer we need in Acts 4:13, the first time two apostles were brought before the council. “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” They had been with Jesus. They had traveled with Him, listened to Him, received their training from Him, imbibed Him, and been saved by Him. They had been with Jesus.

     When ordinary people are filled with extraordinary faith that they have been with Jesus becomes apparent to all who are paying attention. Our ordinary daily lives should show us the truth of this. Why do faithful Christian spouses patiently work at their marriage when folks all around them with similar troubles and fears separate from one another? It is because they have been with Jesus. Why do faithful Christians sacrifice financially by contributing to the church when folks all around them are saving like mad to purchase more things and to visit more places? It is because they have been with Jesus. Why does the faithful Christian see the glory of God in the brilliant morning sunlight while other folks are grumbling about going to work in the morning? It is because they have been with Jesus. Why doesn’t the faithful Christian curse and throw out vulgar gestures when someone cuts them off while driving or shoves in front of them in the grocery line? It is because they have been with Jesus.

     Living hand in hand with Jesus does not reveal itself only when one’s life is on the line. It is something that shines through in every action a Christian takes. Of course, it does require a very mature, committed faith to hold its resolve in the face of personal danger. It is the type of faith all saints should work for. Christians often say that they do not know what they would do if faced with the same challenges of some of our earliest brethren, such as those faced by the apostles in Acts 4 and 5. I don’t believe that is the correct attitude. It seems that all committed Christians should be prepared to not just have their faith tested, but to cling to it to the very end, even if that end is death (Matthew 10:22). Such would certainly not be easy, but it would be expected by the One prepared to welcome them on the other side.

     Yes, we are ordinary people. None of us are masquerading as regular humans until we find the nearest phone booth. Yet we are all capable of extraordinary things through our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Living the faithful Christian life each day is every bit as extraordinary as surviving the most trying moments with faith intact. Both are made possible because the saint has been with Jesus.      

"He has prepared for them a city"

     A few years ago I was returning to Lexington from Michigan. I drove through Ann Arbor, passed Toledo, through Bowling Green and Dayton, and then reached Cincinnati. As I drove through it occurred to me that I’ll probably always consider that city home. I know many of the streets and buildings like the back of my hand. There is an easy familiarity and comfort with Cincinnati that I have not developed with any other city.

     However, such thoughts also make me think of the lessons learned from Hebrews 11:13-16. “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.”

     Truly it doesn’t matter where I live on this earth. Whether I am in Lexington, Cincinnati, or a city on the other side of the globe, I am merely spending up the days of my exile. It is up to me to make sure that I do not allow myself to become so attached to a place. It is up to me to make sure that I am a useful and active instrument for the Father regardless of my location in this world. Through the eyes of faith I see my homeland and everything that I do here on earth, and in whatever location I do it, is just preparation for that city to be revealed after my Lord returns.

     Think of that place, my friends! I have heard so many Christians say things very similar to what I said at the beginning of this article. So many speak of their home, talking about some place in this country. They speak with longing in their hearts and a far away look in their eyes. Even if we have the opportunity to return to the earthly city we think of as home, how will that change our current condition? We will still have to struggle with sickness. We will still have to struggle with death. We will still have to struggle with temptation. We will still have to struggle with sorrows. In the end, one city is just as good as another when it comes to changing the things all humans must face because none of them can do it. 

     However, one place can. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:1-4).

      Whatever troubles us here will not trouble us there. There will be no sitting in cold, stark waiting rooms while a loved one is being operated on. There will be no gazing down upon the face of friends and family for the final time as the casket is closed. There will be no worry, pain, or sorrow. There will be the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, surrounded by the saints singing endless songs of praise. There will be our faithful loved ones who have gone before waiting to embrace and welcome us. There will be eternal paradise.

     “I’ve a home prepared where the saints abide, just over in the glory-land. And I long to be by my Savior’s side, just over in the glory-land.” Perhaps I’ll find myself back in Cincinnati one day. Perhaps you’ll find yourself back in whatever city holds a special place in your heart. Though in the end it really doesn’t matter, does it? I just want to go home! What about you?  

Thoughts On Tradition

     In the time that I have been preaching much has been said about tradition within the Lord’s church. It has been interesting to hear what’s been said and read what’s been written. Within the last several years a number of blogs and websites have begun that seem designed primarily to militate against what is called “Church of Christ tradition.” The majority of the sites that I am aware of were started by Christians in their twenties or thirties, though a few are operated by those much older than that. The problem, according to many of the people who operate these sites, is that too often human traditions are elevated to the same level as inspired revelation. However, in their haste to make their point, they have a tendency to place the “our tradition” label on certain things that are not human traditions at all (necessity of baptism-Acts 2:38, instrumental music-Colossians 3:16, women evangelists and elders-1 Timothy 2:11-12; 3:2, etc.). While I believe their concerns are valid, I also believe they tend to run to very dangerous extremes.

     Many brethren have arisen to combat these individuals, either through word or in writing. I have heard many brethren, usually older Christians, speak of the great arrogance involved in taking established traditions and tossing them all out as if the people who helped to establish them were not careful Bible students and had given no thought to the matter at all. It is insulting, they say, for young Christians to scoff at the traditions of those much older and more experienced. I could not agree more. Yet I have also listened as a defender of human tradition worked himself into such a frenzy that he concluded a young Christian who questioned a particular congregation’s uninspired tradition may have very well forfeited his soul. Here, too, is a dangerous extreme.

     The word “tradition” simply means, “The transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation.” Much of what Christians do today is the result of inspired tradition. “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:9) “Now we command you, brothers, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.” (2 Thessalonians 3:6) Sometimes people claim that a Christian from the first century would not recognize our worship assemblies today. I deny that and challenge them to produce the evidence reasoning solely from Scripture. We follow the same revelation they did, thus we follow the same inspired traditions. No one has ever produced evidence to the contrary.

     However, for the purposes of this article, inspired traditions are not really the issue at hand. Each individual congregation has its own peculiar uninspired traditions. We can see this in things like the order and times of worship, “special” assemblies like prayer or singing services, approach to Bible classes and meetings, and things of that nature. It is rare indeed to find two congregations who match perfectly in these areas. The question is this: how are such traditions to be viewed? Answering this question is so important because it will have a bearing in the way we view those who differ and/or advocate changing them. For the remainder of this article let’s consider a few thoughts on uninspired congregational traditions.

     Though they are in place for a reason, they are in need of constant examining.  Whether it is the times of service, an approach to gospel meetings, or how Bible classes are conducted, thoughtful Bible students with a wealth of experience established those traditions for a reason. Sometimes they did it to protect against potential problems, sometimes they did it to aid in carrying out an inspired command decently and in order, and sometimes they did it because the circumstances of the day were simply conducive to doing it that way. It is foolish and arrogant to disregard such traditions out of hand. Nothing that is the result of careful thought and Bible study should ever simply be dismissed.

     At the same time, it is unrealistic to imagine that the world remains static. That potential problem of many years ago is perhaps something completely different today. That method that aided in carrying out a command many years ago may perhaps need some tweeking now. It is important to regard highly faithful saints who have gone before and to carefully consider why they established the traditions they did. It is equally important to regularly examine those traditions to ensure that they still meet the needs they were designed to meet.

     Souls will not be saved on the basis of their loyalty to uninspired human traditions, but to Christ (Luke 9:23; John 21:21-22). This may sound a bit strange to you, but for many years I struggled mightily with congregations that did not have a closing song. The reason was not because Christ commanded it and not having one was a violation of his will. It was because my grandfather, whom I loved and admired tremendously, thought it was important to conclude a worship assembly with an energetic, up-tempo hymn for saints to carry out into the world with them. Was it immature of me to struggle this way? Probably. May I suggest that it happens among brethren all of the time?

     It is not uncommon to hear brethren who prefer two Sunday worship assemblies and weeklong gospel meetings to speak disparagingly of those who do not. Just over a decade ago a congregation chose to have a single extended worship assembly on Sunday morning. A brother at another congregation with two assemblies began to rake them over the coals. He claimed they didn’t really want to worship God, that they were lazy, and that they were trying to do as little as possible. It was pointed out to him that they were actually meeting for well over three hours with a few breaks spread throughout. There were more prayers being said, more time spent on the Lord’s Supper, more songs, and more time in Bible study and proclamation in that one assembly than they’d had in two. However, that brother would not accept it and eventually got to his real problem when he declared, “We just don’t do it that way!” He was not rejecting them because of any unfaithfulness to Christ, but because they were not following a human tradition he subscribed to. That’s a problem on his part, not theirs.

     The same is often seen in relation to gospel meetings. Those of us who continue to stay with meetings that last a week must not besmirch the character or faithfulness of those congregations who have shortened them or chosen to go in a different direction altogether. There have been times when I’ve questioned their commitment because of this very thing and I was wrong to do so. Brethren from a hundred years ago, when meetings could span an entire month, could very well question our commitment. The disciples in Jerusalem who attended the temple and spent time together every day (Acts 2:46) could very well question us all! It is appropriate to point out that both society and circumstances have changed in the past one hundred years and certainly since the first century. That understanding alone should help us prevent viewing uninspired human traditions as sacred and above review. 

     Let us remember that an extended single worship assembly on Sunday or two “regular” assemblies is a decision each congregation is entitled to make for themselves. Let us recall that gospel meetings, whether they last a month, a week, or a weekend are traditions established by individual congregations to facilitate growing in the faith, evangelizing their communities, and building up the local body. If they determine there is a better way for them to meet those needs they have every right to do so and I have not the right to disparage them for it. Let us strive to remember that they will be saved on the basis of their faith in Christ, not their faithfulness to an uninspired human tradition, even if that tradition happens to be one that I prefer.

     So what do we do? We remember that our congregational traditions, though uninspired, have a very important place. We recognize the good they do in serving as safeguards as well as helping to facilitate obedience to our Lord’s command’s. At the same time we recognize that our loyalty must not be to those traditions but to Jesus Christ himself. This understanding makes it easier to keep our uninspired traditions in their proper context so that they can be carefully and prayerfully examined to see if they continue to meet the needs they were designed to meet. If a change is necessary it can be made with the understanding that the design is to better serve our Lord and not to dishonor those who have gone before. When all of this is understood there is no cause to view brethren whose uninspired traditions differ from ours with suspicion or disdain. 

“Immediately They Left Their Nets And Followed Him”

Mark 1:16-20

     It was God’s purpose that Jesus gather disciples to carry on the work after his ascension to the Father’s side. Here we see some of these disciples being called to accompany the Lord in his work. His work would become their work and they would receive training from the master teacher on how to carry it out. At first glance it may seem odd that these four men simply dropped everything to follow Jesus. As is typical of Mark he offers just enough information to get us from point A to point B. He did not feel the need to inform us that Peter and Andrew knew Jesus from at least one previous meeting and were disciples of John (John 1:35-42). Neither does Mark deem it necessary to tell us that these two sets of brothers were business partners (Luke 5:1-11). This further information gleaned from two other gospel writers helps to flesh out the very abrupt account as recorded by Mark.

     Understanding that these brothers knew Jesus keeps us from imagining that they simply walked off with a complete stranger. However, it does not make what they did any less noteworthy. In fact, I believe quite the opposite is true. Clearly Andrew and Simon had not forgotten their previous meeting with Jesus. John’s testimony, Behold, the Lamb of God!, had left an incredible impact upon Andrew. So moved was he that he hurried to Peter and excitedly exclaimed, We have found the Messiah (John 1:36, 41). We can only guess at the excited conversations between the two brothers following that event. Imagine how animated and enthusiastic such discussions must have become when James and John, the “sons of thunder”, entered the discussion!

     Jesus was the One they had been waiting for. These blue-color working-class men were not scholars, yet they clearly knew the Holy Scriptures. More than simply knowing them, they gave serious thought to what was contained therein. How striking that these men, without any “higher education”, were able to recognize Jesus for who and what he was while so many of much higher achievement failed entirely!

     Of course, at this early stage, their understanding of the Lord’s identity was  infantile. Yet it was enough to move them to drop everything and follow him. Make no mistake: this was not a call to follow Jesus for a day or two and then return to the family business. This was a call to change careers. Where they had been fishing for fish, now they were to dedicate the remainder of their lives to fishing for men. This was a call to leave everything they knew behind, to walk away from the comfortable and the routine, and to commit to something infinitely greater. To follow Jesus was to commit to the unknown and the frightening. It was to choose a life of persecution and conflict. It was to commit to being the one thing man seems to fear being above all else—different. And they did it immediately.

     Someone might ask how they could have done this? A better question is how they could have done anything less? They believed Jesus to be the Messiah. They believed him to be the Savior of the world. They did not understand everything involved in that, but they understood enough to know that when he called they were determined to answer immediately.

     Immediacy. That word carries so much meaning for the Christian life. The prophets and early disciples longed to have what we have now (Matthew 13:17; 1 Peter 1:10-12). We have the completed revelation of God in which we can see the entire picture of His plan to redeem man worked out. Simon, Andrew, James, and John dropped everything to immediately follow the Messiah, understanding initially so little of what it meant. We have it spelled out for us clearly, though a lifetime will be spent in seeking to grasp it in all of its significance. However, we know so much more than they knew simply because it has been revealed. As a result the immediacy of those four men in following Christ ought to characterize our entire lives in service to our Lord.

     William A. Ogden wrote, “Sweet are the promises, kind is the word; dearer far than any message man ever heard; pure was the mind of Christ, sinless I see; He the great example is and pattern for me. Where he leads I’ll follow, follow all the way, follow Jesus every day.” Christians have cherished the words to that beautiful song for more than a century and that’s a good thing. However, an even better thing is to heed those words, particularly the chorus. Are you willing to follow wherever he leads? Even more, are you willing to do it with the immediacy of Simon, Andrew, James, and John?  

“Jesus Came…Proclaiming The Gospel Of God”

Mark 1:14-15

     Mark tells us that Jesus came preaching the gospel of God after John was arrested. For Mark, John has served his purpose and is removed from the account until his death in the sixth chapter. From this point forward Mark focuses exclusively upon Jesus himself. Having overcome Satan during an intense period of temptation in the wilderness (verses 12-13), Jesus came into Galilee to proclaim the gospel of God (Mark does not speak of our Lord’s visit to Jerusalem or his journey through Samaria to reach Galilee. See John 2:13-4:42 for the events that occurred during those days). It was clearly easier for Jesus to begin his ministry in earnest in Galilee than it would have been in and around Jerusalem. Because of this it is sometimes thought that Galilee was a quiet backwater without much going on. The following statement from Stuart Blanch may help us better understand the climate of Galilee at the time.

     Galilee was the center of a humming political and commercial life. It stood at the crossroads of the nations of the ancient world, through which the armies and the traders and the diplomats passed. There some of the greatest battles of the world had been fought…Galilee was the home of a thoroughly cosmopolitan population: Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic would all be heard in the markets; Syrian, Jew, Roman, and Parthian mixed freely. It was a land of passing excitements and dangerous fashions, of a barbarous dialect and offensive manners.

     Our Lord’s proclamation of the gospel contained two declarations and two commands. The declarations were, The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. The commands were, Repent and believe in the gospel. Let’s consider each of these for the remainder of this article.

     The time is fulfilled. Not all moments in time are created equal, nor is their importance determined by mere chronology. The day I began my first job pales in comparison to the day I said my marriage vows. The moment I purchased my first car does not even rate in comparison to the moments of the birth of my children. Even the days of my marriage and the birth of my children are not as important as the day I committed myself to Jesus Christ. Some days and times are simply more important than others. Since creation itself, no period of time had been more important than that which began the moment our Lord opened his mouth to start his ministry. That was because of the message contained within our Lord’s proclamation.

     The kingdom of God is at hand. The experts in ancient language tell us that the Aramaic term behind the Greek word for “kingdom” means “kingly rule, sovereignty, or reign.” They tell us that it deals with the fact of reign rather than the location of it. It was always God’s plan to set His king upon Zion, His holy hill (Psalm 2:6-12). In chapter 4 Mark will more clearly define this reign for us in a series of parables. There we will see the rule of heaven portrayed as God’s reign in the hearts of men by the gospel.

     While there is no doubt that the rule of God is the primary emphasis in our Lord’s teaching, I cannot help but think that we see a reference to the church here as well. After all, those who willingly submit to the rule of God are called “the church” in Acts and the epistles. Sometimes (though not always) the terms kingdom and church are used interchangeably (Colossians 1:13; Revelation 5:9-10).

     With the coming of Jesus the kingdom of God was very much at hand. It began its approaching with the work of John (Matthew 3:1-2), and accelerated with the ministry of Jesus. So much contained within the Old Testament pointed specifically to this period in history. How extraordinary it must have been to live in those days, to have gazed upon the face of Jesus Christ and heard the words coming from his lips! There could only be one proper response to such an incredible message.

     Repent and believe in the gospel. No definition of repentance is satisfactory unless it contains within it reformation of a sinful life. It is for this reason that John’s message, which was all about repentance, required very specific changes in the conduct of the people (Luke 3:7-14). Repentance (changed mind and life) was essential for the people to receive the rule of heaven. Of course, repentance is caused by genuine belief, or faith, in the gospel.

     Our Lord’s rule continues today. Repentance and belief in the gospel are just as important now as they were then. The message that began in Galilee so long ago is the message that continues to sound forth today. How will you respond?  

Sermons For Sunday (January 11, 2015)

The morning sermon is entitled, "Grace And A Robber." Have you ever considered how extraordinary it is that Jesus saved a criminal on the cross? We will examine this event to learn about the nature of grace, faith, and our Lord's powerful desire to save.

The evening sermon is entitled, "Faithful Noah." The account of the flood is perhaps the most popular account in all of Scripture. However, familiarity must never cause us to fail to think deeply on the subject. The lessons learned from Noah in the account are timeless. We will endeavor to bring them out in a clear and practical way.

I hope to see you tomorrow!