{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_65258/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_65258","id":"gutenberg_65258","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65258","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Religion/Spirituality","Churches of Christ -- Sermons","Sermons, American -- 20th century"],"text":"God Hath Spoken\n\n\n _By_\n HARRIS DARK\n\n\n _Published by_\n GEORGE W. DEHOFF PUBLISHING COMPANY\n MURFREESBORO, TENNESSEE\n\n\n Copyright, 1947, by Harris Dark.\n PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA\n\n\n\n\n CONTENTS\n\n\n I. God Hath Spoken 7\n II. Generic and Specific Commands 19\n III. Intolerance 32\n IV. Where Did So Many Denominations Come From? 53\n V. Which Church Is Right? 76\n VI. Why Not Be Just A Christian? 102\n VII. Excuses 113\n VIII. An Erring Child of God 132\n IX. The Sabbath 145\n X. Seventh Day Adventism Reviewed 161\n XI. Leadership 176\n XII. Congregational Objectives and Activities 196\n XIII. Congregational Objectives and Activities (_Continued_) 214\n XIV. How Much Is Liberal? 233\n XV. And Such Like 250\n XVI. What Must I Do to Keep Saved? 269\n\n\n\n\n I\n GOD HATH SPOKEN\n\n\nEach author has his own individual literary style and critics of\nliterature can identify the work of an author by the construction and\ndiction of his writing. The Holy Spirit is the author of the Bible and\nhe has a literary style peculiar to himself, which distinguishes his\nwork from that of all human authors. There are certain literary\ncharacteristics in the Bible that are not found in any book written by\nman. It would be profitable to list a great number of them and show how\nthey distinguish the Bible from every other book in the world.\n\nOne of the characteristics of the Holy Spirit\u2019s literary style is the\nuse of very long sentences, one of which I shall read for our text this\nmorning. It is the opening sentence of the book of Hebrews: \u201cGod, who at\nsundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers\nby the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom\nhe hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;\nwho being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his\nperson, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had\nby himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on\nhigh; being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by\ninheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.\u201d\n\nThat is the reading of four verses but just one sentence. It is not easy\nto write such a long sentence that is easily understood, but this one is\nperfectly clear. If some high-school student were called upon to analyze\nthis sentence and to underscore its principal clause, he would\nunderscore these words, \u201c_God hath spoken_.\u201d These three words, \u201c_God\nhath spoken_,\u201d are the principal clause in this long sentence, and they\nexpress a very wonderful and a very profound truth. If you will just\nremember these three words and let them dwell in your heart, meditating\nupon them both day and night, the fullness of their meaning will unfold\nto you more and more as the days go by.\n\n\n I\n God Hath SPOKEN\n\nIt\u2019s a wonderful thing that God hath spoken. Just try to imagine what\ncondition this world would be in if God had never spoken. What if he had\nnot spoken to Adam, to Noah, to Moses, or to any of our forefathers down\nthrough the centuries?\n\nAs a clue to the conditions which would prevail if God had not spoken,\nconsider the places on earth today where the Bible is unknown; where its\ninfluence has had only a very remote and indirect effect. In such places\nwe find backwardness, ignorance, disease, darkness. By way of contrast,\nyou may consider our own country where the Bible is better known; though\nfar from being fully and faithfully followed. Here we have an effective\nsystem of public education, industrial and scientific advancement, a\ncomparatively high degree of intelligence, numerous charitable\norganizations and institutions, or what may be summarily described as a\nhigh standard of civilization.\n\nIf such material blessings come to those who even partially respect the\nword that God has spoken, just think how wonderful its influence would\nbe if every individual were a faithful student and faithful follower of\nhis word. The word that God has spoken _makes a difference_! If it were\nnot for his word, we would be in total darkness. \u201cIt is not in man that\nwalketh to direct his own steps.\u201d The learned Grecian philosophers, with\nall of their wisdom, were not able to figure out a way of life that\nwould lead to happiness on this earth, to say nothing of leading to\nsalvation in that world which is to come. If God had not spoken, we\nwould not know where we came from, we would not know where we are going,\nand we would not know what to do in the meantime. We owe all of our\nprogress, not only spiritually but otherwise also, to the fact that God\nhath spoken. Oh, we could learn from the material universe that God is;\nwe could learn that some sort of a great being had brought into\nexistence all of the things we behold but if God had not spoken, we\nwould not know his will concerning us. We would not know what he wants\nus to do. We would not know about the Way that leads to happiness here\nand hereafter. So I want you to meditate upon the fact that God hath\nspoken. I believe that that meditation will beget within you a feeling\nof gratitude for God\u2019s word, a greater appreciation of it, and,\ntherefore, a more careful study of it and a more diligent adherence unto\nit.\n\n\n II\n GOD Hath Spoken\n\nEvery word in our principal clause is significant. Not only is it\nimportant that God hath _spoken_, but it is important that _God_ hath\nspoken\u2014that _God_ is the one who has done the speaking. Just think what\nthat means! The great God of this universe, creator of heaven and earth\nand everything therein\u2014God, who sprinkled the heavens with teeming\nmillions of bright sparkling worlds, which we behold by night, and made\nthese bodies of ours that are so wonderfully and fearfully\nconstructed\u2014God, who has all power and wisdom, and who is characterized\nby love, mercy, and tenderness\u2014God, the everlasting God, hath spoken.\nGod, the Holy and Living God of all the universe, hath condescended to\nspeak unto us who are mere worms of the dust.\n\nSometimes we see a man on this earth who thinks himself too good to\nspeak to some other man. Some folk will not speak to each other. We\nought to stop and consider the fact that God hath spoken to us. Just\nthink about how great he is, how holy he is, how pure he is, how\npowerful he is, and yet he condescended to speak unto us, who are weak\nand sinful creatures of earth! He wants us to hear him that we may enjoy\nthe blessings that come from learning and obeying the word that he has\nspoken.\n\n\n III\n God HATH Spoken\n\nBut the other word in our text is also important\u2014the word \u201chath.\u201d It is\npresent perfect tense. It means that God has already spoken. Our text\ndoes not say that God is continuing to speak but that God _hath_ spoken,\nindicating that at the time this fact was recorded God\u2019s revelation to\nthe world through Christ had already been made. It had not all been put\nin written form, but the gospel had already been revealed. It was\nalready in existence among men. The apostles had already been preaching\nfor a number of years. At the time they finished committing the gospel\nto writing (about A.D. 96), it could truthfully be said that revelation\nwas already complete.\n\nOur text does not say \u201cGod is speaking,\u201d or \u201cGod continues to speak,\u201d or\n\u201cGod will speak,\u201d but \u201cGod _hath_ spoken.\u201d Of course, as far as you and\nI are individually concerned, as we read and study his word, we are\nstill hearing his message. But the point is that that message was\ncompletely delivered unto the world nearly two thousand years ago. No\nadditions have been made to it since then and no addition will ever be\nmade to it. God _hath_ spoken. His message is complete. It is,\ntherefore, final. Those who claim a later revelation are making a false\nclaim. Those who are waiting for a future revelation are waiting in\nvain. This very simple clause with just three words in it indicates that\nGod\u2019s message to us through Christ is complete. God _hath_ spoken. This\nbeing true, we need not expect another revelation.\n\nThis truth is further emphasized by other statements in the Bible. For\ninstance, in 2 Timothy, chapter 3, and beginning with verse 16, \u201cAll\nscripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for\ndoctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness;\nthat the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good\nworks.\u201d Or, as one version says, \u201cthat the man of God may be complete,\nfurnished completely unto every good work.\u201d So the word God hath spoken\nis complete. It\u2019s all we need. It furnishes the man of God completely\nunto every good work. Therefore, we need not expect any further\nrevelation.\n\nNotice the word \u201cscripture.\u201d The word \u201cscripture\u201d means that which has\nbeen written. The word that God hath spoken has been put in written\nform. We no longer receive it from the lips of the apostles, or from the\nlips of those who first proclaimed it unto the world. After God had\nspoken through them, they put his word in writing and it has been passed\ndown to us through the ages that have followed. By the providence of God\nit has been translated into our own mother tongue so that we may read it\nand study it for ourselves. Our testimony then is not an oral one, but a\nwritten one.\n\nIn the 20th chapter of John, verses 30 and 31, we read, \u201cAnd many other\nsigns, truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not\nwritten in this book; but these are written, that ye might believe.\u201d\nNotice that word \u201cwritten.\u201d The source of our faith has been put in\nwritten form. This fact refutes the claim that God is speaking directly\nto people today. He _hath_ spoken. His word has already been delivered.\n\nDuring my recent meetings in Georgia and North Carolina, I heard two men\nsay that God had spoken to them audibly. One man said he was passing\nthrough a pine thicket one day and God spoke to him. I asked him what\nGod said to him. He replied, \u201cGod told me I needed a saviour.\u201d Well, God\nhad already told him that, two thousand years ago. We have that revealed\nin the Bible. I have never talked to a man who could tell me what God\nhad said to him unless he got it from the Bible. When a man thinks he\nhears God speak today, if anyone honestly thinks such a thing, he is\nsimply recalling something that he has read in the Bible, or learned\nfrom somebody else who read it in the Bible. God\u2019s message was\ncompletely delivered nearly two thousand years ago. Thus it is seen that\nevery word of our topic is important. The Almighty God hath already\nspoken unto us.\n\n\n IV\n Study the Bible\n\nNow I want to draw a few conclusions from this great fact. In view of\nthe fact that God has spoken, let us consider how we ought to study his\nword. Just think\u2014it\u2019s a message from God, a message from Heaven! It\napplies to you, personally and individually, just as much as it would if\nhe were to speak to you this morning in audible tones and address you by\nname. Suppose, for example, he should call you by name and say, \u201cNow why\ntarriest thou? Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on\nthe name of the Lord.\u201d Why, I believe you would hasten to do it. But\nfriends, he has already said it. In Acts 22:16, we find those very words\nand they are written to you.\n\nNotice again this sentence, \u201cGod hath spoken unto _us_.\u201d His words are\naddressed to us and they apply to you and me. Every word in the will of\nChrist, the new testament or covenant, applies to us, and we ought to\nregard it as a personal message from God Almighty unto us. Surely that\nthought ought to inspire us to read the Bible every day. I don\u2019t believe\nanyone who has any regard for his own welfare and any respect for\nJehovah, can meditate upon the fact that God hath spoken without being\nmoved to study God\u2019s word more diligently. God hath revealed to us his\nword. Therefore, we ought to read it and study it.\n\n\n V\n God\u2019s Word Is Final\n\nFurthermore, friends, we ought to regard it as final and complete and as\nthe standard of truth, the standard by which all of our religious\nquestions are to be decided. This conclusion is fundamental and very\nimportant. It needs to be emphasized. If you talk to the people of this\nworld and see how many different human standards they are relying upon,\nyou can see the importance of settling all religious questions by the\ndivine standard, the word that God hath spoken through Christ.\n\nI want to use a simple illustration. Suppose three men measure the\nlength of this room and one of them uses a yardstick 35 inches long,\nanother uses a yardstick 36 inches long and the other a yardstick 37\ninches long. They won\u2019t get the same answer because they are not using\nthe same standard. The same is true in the field of philosophy and\nreligion. If each man uses a different yardstick, nothing but confusion\nand division can possibly be the result.\n\nAnd, friends, that is just exactly what is wrong with this world today.\nOne man uses the \u201cPope\u201d at Rome for his yardstick. He says that whatever\nthe \u201cPope\u201d says is right. He measures everything by that. Then I come\nalong and measure by the Bible, the Word of God, and he and I get\ndifferent answers. Somebody else takes the church to which he belongs as\nhis standard of measurement. People say, \u201cMy church teaches so and so,\u201d\nand \u201cMy church practices so and so.\u201d I have even had them come to me and\nsay, \u201cWhat does your church believe on this point? What does your church\nteach here?\u201d They simply mean, \u201cWhat does the group of people with which\nyou are associated have to say about this matter?\u201d Over and over again I\nhave them ask me, \u201cWhat do you _think_ about it?\u201d I have heard that\nexpression many, many times during the last four weeks.\n\nWell, you can see how all these different yardsticks will get different\nanswers. One man wants my opinion about it, that\u2019s his yardstick;\nsomebody else uses his church\u2019s opinion as his yardstick; another takes\nwhat his parents think about it; still another takes tradition as his\nyardstick; and someone else takes simply the way he feels about it. I\nhear them say, \u201cWell, I like it, and therefore it must be all right,\u201d\nor, \u201cIt seems good to me.\u201d I recently heard a boy try to justify his\ngoing to a particular church on the basis that it made him feel good.\nWell, those are just all irregular standards. They are not standards.\nPeople who reason like that are using the wrong unit of measurement.\n\nFriends, God hath spoken and when God speaks all the world should be\nquiet and listen. We should take his word as final. It should be the\nstandard by which we decide all questions, and until the world can agree\nupon the word that God has spoken as its yardstick, as its unit of\nmeasurement, as its standard for determining truth, we shall continue to\nhave division and confusion in this world. So I want to impress you with\nthe fact that _God hath spoken_. Let us go to that word to find the\nanswer to every question that pertains to religion. In fact, I might\njust say the answer to every question, for almost all questions are\nanswered in the Bible, at least in a general way. If we would apply the\nprinciples of its teachings, all of our domestic and social problems\nwould be solved. Our industrial and political problems would be solved.\nOur international problems would be solved, if all people would learn\nwhat God hath spoken and follow it.\n\n\n VI\n Will You Obey His Word?\n\nI hope you are impressed with the fact which God hath spoken. Are you\nwilling to hear that word? Friends, the word that God has spoken tells\nus that we must believe, in order to be saved. \u201cGod so loved the world\nthat he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth on him\nshould not perish but have everlasting life\u201d (John 3:16). \u201cWithout faith\nit is impossible to be well pleasing to God\u201d (Heb. 11:6). Faith is the\nvery foundation of Christianity, so much so the Bible says, \u201cThe just\nshall _live_ by faith\u201d (Rom. 1:17). We are to walk by faith and not by\nsight.\n\nThe word which God has spoken says that \u201cExcept ye repent ye shall\nlikewise perish\u201d (Luke 13:3). This word which God has spoken unto us\nthrough his Son, Jesus, tells us that if we confess him before men he\nwill confess us before his Father who is in heaven. But if we deny him,\nhe will deny us before his Father who is in heaven (Matt. 10:32, 33).\nThen, friends, this same word which God has spoken says, \u201cRepent, and be\nbaptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission\nof your sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the\npromise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off,\neven as many as the Lord, our God, shall call\u201d (Acts 2:38, 39).\n\nThis word which God has spoken tells those who have been baptized and\nhave gone astray, to come back repenting and confessing their faults and\npraying for forgiveness (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:9). This word which God has\nspoken promises that he will not let us be tempted above that we are\nable, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that we\nmay be able to bear it. (1 Cor. 10:13). This word that God has spoken\ntells us to be faithful unto death and he will give us a crown of life\nincorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away (Rev. 2:10; 1 Pet.\n1:4).\n\nAre you willing this morning to listen to the word which God hath\nspoken? I am not asking you to listen to me or to listen to any group of\npeople, but to listen to the word of God. He said, \u201cCome unto me all ye\nthat labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.\u201d If you are\nwilling to hear and to heed that word that God hath spoken, then come\nforward while we sing and make your wishes known.\n\n\n\n\n II\n GENERIC AND SPECIFIC COMMANDS\n\n\nOur topic this morning is \u201cGeneric and Specific Commands.\u201d This subject\nmay sound like a very technical one; but it is, in fact, a very\npractical one. A study of this topic is valuable, not merely for its own\nsake, but also because it throws light on many other questions, and is\ndesigned to help in the study of some lessons which are to follow:\n\nThe Bible teaches that man must not add to, or subtract from, the word\nof God. For instance, \u201cYe shall not add unto the word which I command\nyou, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the\ncommandments of the Lord your God which I command you\u201d (Deut. 4:2).\n\n\u201cFor I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of\nthis book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto\nhim the plagues that are written in this book; and if any man shall take\naway from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away\nhis part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the\nthings which are written in this book\u201d (Rev. 22:18-19).\n\n\n I\n A Problem in Application\n\nThese Scriptures show very plainly that _one must neither add to nor\nsubtract from the word of God_. This fundamental principle is taught in\nboth the New Testament and the Old Testament. However, some have\ndifficulty in applying this teaching to many questions arising today.\nBecause of this difficulty we find people who object to such things as a\nbaptistry in the church building, Sunday morning Bible classes,\nindividual cups, song books, collection baskets, etc. These objections\narise from a misunderstanding of the basic principle announced in the\nScriptures just quoted. We hope that what is to follow will help.\n\nFirst of all, let it be understood that a commandment authorizes\neverything essential to obeying that commandment. For instance, the\ncommandment to meet and worship God authorizes a place and an hour of\nmeeting. The Bible does not tell us where to meet to eat the Lord\u2019s\nsupper or upon what hour of the day to meet, but the very commandment to\nobserve this institution authorizes some place and some hour for the\nmeeting.\n\nThis leads us to consider the difference between a generic or _general_\ncommandment and a _specific_ one. A generic commandment is one that\nauthorizes or commands a certain action, but does not give the details\nas to how that commandment shall be carried out. The difference between\ngeneric and specific commandments must be recognized in applying the\nScriptures that have been mentioned. Let it be remembered that a\ncommandment may be mixed, partly generic and partly specific. It may be\ngeneric with respect to certain details which it comprehends, and\nspecific in reference to others.\n\n\n II\n Examples\n\n1. The best way I know to make these distinctions clear is by giving a\nnumber of examples. God told Noah to build an ark. He specified the kind\nof wood that should be used. He told Noah to use gopher wood. That\nauthorized gopher wood and eliminated every other possible kind of wood.\nSince God specified that gopher wood should be used, it would have been\nwrong for Noah to have used any other sort of wood. It would have been a\nsin for him to have used cedar wood, or oak, or any other kind which\nmight be named. God also told Noah to put a door in this ark, in the\nside of it. But he did not tell him in _which_ side to put it. Hence,\nthe commandment to build an ark was generic as to the side in which the\ndoor should be located.\n\nGod specified the dimensions of the ark. He told Noah to build the ark\n300 cubits long. It would have been a sin, therefore, for Noah to have\nbuilt it 301 cubits long or 299 cubits long, or any other length except\nthe one which God specified. God also told Noah to build some rooms in\nthis ark, but did not tell him how many to build. This commandment,\ntherefore, was generic as far as the number of rooms was concerned. On\nthat point Noah was free to build the number of rooms which he thought\nwas best.\n\nOf course, he had to build some number. The very command to build\n_rooms_ authorized some number of rooms, but God did not specify the\nnumber so Noah was free to exercise his own judgment in that respect.\nGod specified the animals that were to be taken into the ark. He told\nNoah to take certain ones but he did not tell him which animals to take\ninto the ark first. You see, therefore, that the commandment to build\nthe ark was specific in some respects and was generic in other respects.\n\n2. The commandment to offer a passover sacrifice may also be used as an\nillustration. If God had merely commanded the Jews to offer an animal,\nthat would have left them free to offer any sort of animal which they\nchose. But he specified that they should offer a lamb, which meant\neither a sheep or a goat. It was also specified that it should be of the\nfirst year, a male, and without blemish. These details were specified\nwith the commandment. It would have been a sin for the Jews to have\nignored any of these specifications. In those days the word \u201clamb\u201d was\nunderstood to mean either a sheep or a goat. The Jews were free to offer\neither, but they had to heed the specifications that it be of the first\nyear, without blemish, and of the male sex.\n\n3. Coming to the New Testament for an illustration, we refer to the\ngreat commission as recorded by Mark in the 16th chapter of his book,\nverses 15 and 16: \u201cGo ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to\nevery creature; he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he\nthat believeth not shall be damned.\u201d\n\nHere again we have a commandment which is partly generic and partly\nspecific. The word \u201cgo\u201d is generic with respect to the means of travel\nto be used. The general form of this commandment leaves one free to\ntravel by any suitable method. In obeying this commandment one may\ntravel by rail, by boat, by airplane, by automobile, on foot, on\nhorseback, or by any other method that is in decency and in order.\n\nI recently held a meeting in Alabama which people attended by\npractically every means of transportation. They came by train, by bus,\nby automobile, on tractors, in buggies, on horseback, on foot, in\nwagons, in trucks\u2014in almost every conceivable way except by airplane or\nmotorboat. The general commandment to _go_ leaves one free to travel in\nany of these ways.\n\nBut this same commandment is specific in respect to what shall be taught\nafter one gets to the place of teaching. It specifies that one shall\npreach the _Gospel_. The message that is to be delivered is therefore\nspecified. It _must_ be the _Gospel_.\n\n4. Matthew\u2019s statement of this same commission says, \u201cGo ye therefore,\nand teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of\nthe Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things\nwhatsoever I have commanded you.\u201d The commandment to teach is specific\nas to the message, but it is generic with reference to the method that\nshall be used in the teaching.\n\nAccording to the general command to teach, the lesson may be either oral\nor written. The teacher may be either a man or a woman, and the size of\nthe class may be whatever circumstances and expediency justify. This\ncommandment to teach does not specify the number that shall be in the\nclass, or the sex of the teacher, or whether the lesson shall be an oral\none or a written one.\n\nIn this same great commission we have the commandment to baptize in the\nname of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost those who have\nbeen taught. Since these names have been specified, it would be a sin to\nbaptize in the name of any human being or any human institution.\n\nThe word \u201cbaptize\u201d itself denotes the act. It means to be immersed,\nburied in water (Col. 2:12). However, this commandment does not tell us\nhow the immersing shall be done. We may immerse one according to this\ncommandment face foremost, sideways, lying down, standing up or in any\nother appropriate way, just as long as we obey the commandment to\nbaptize; that is, to _immerse_ or _bury_ in water.\n\n\n III\n The Principle Applied\n\n1. Some one may say that according to this principle of interpretation\ninstrumental music may be justified. Let us see if this is true. If\nGod\u2019s word had merely told us to make music, that would have been\ngeneric as far as the type of music is concerned. But it so happens that\nGod did not leave this commandment in such a general form. He specified\nthe type of music we shall use in worshiping him.\n\nEphesians 5:19 says, \u201cSpeaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and\nspiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.\u201d\nColossians 3:16, \u201cLet the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all\nwisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and\nspiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.\u201d God,\ntherefore, has specified the kind of music. He tells us to _sing_.\n\nIf God had merely told Noah to build an ark, he could have used any kind\nof wood that he chose or any other material. He could have used either\ncedar or gopher, but when God commanded him to use gopher wood, that\ndrew a ring around the word gopher and eliminated every other type of\nbuilding material. If he had merely told the Jews to offer a sacrifice\nat the passover, they might have offered either a calf or a lamb; but\nwhen he commanded them to offer a lamb, that drew a ring around the word\nlamb and eliminated every other type of sacrifice that might be\nconceived.\n\nLikewise, with reference to the music that we offer in our worship, if\nGod had just said, \u201cMake music,\u201d then we could have used any kind we\nchose, but he has specified singing. This eliminates every other\nconceivable kind of music as far as our worship to Jehovah is concerned.\n\nSometimes I hear people say that God does not tell us not to use\ninstrumental music. This is a mistake. He does tell us not to use it. He\ndoes so in Colossians 3:16 and in Ephesians 5:19. Those Scriptures that\ntell us to offer vocal music in our worship tell us, as plain as day,\n_not_ to offer any other kind.\n\nSurely everyone will agree that it would have been a sin for Noah to\nhave built the ark out of cedar wood. Everyone will likewise agree that\nit would have been wrong for the Jews to have offered a cow as a\npassover sacrifice. By the same line of reasoning, and just as clearly\nto be seen, it would be wrong today for people to substitute some other\nkind of music for the kind that God has specified.\n\n2. The commandment to eat the Lord\u2019s supper in memory of Jesus Christ is\ngeneric in some respects and specific in others. The Bible specifies the\nday of the week upon which this institution shall be observed. This\nlesson is taught by means of divinely approved example as recorded in\nActs, chapter 20 and verse 7: \u201cUpon the first day of the week when the\ndisciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready\nto depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.\u201d\n\nThe Bible therefore specifies that the Lord\u2019s supper shall be observed\nupon the first day of the week, but this teaching is generic as far as\nthe hour of the day is concerned. There have been people who argued that\nit would be a sin to eat the Lord\u2019s supper at 7:30 P.M. There are others\nwho believe it is wrong to eat it at 11:00 A.M., just because the Bible\ndoes not specify that hour. But the same objection could be raised to\nany other hour mentioned, and thereby eliminate the possibility of\neating it at all. The commandment to eat the Lord\u2019s supper upon the\nfirst day of the week, necessarily implies that it should be eaten at\n_some_ hour, and God has seen fit to leave man free to use his own\njudgment in selecting the hour of the day.\n\nThe Bible specifies that the fruit of the vine shall be used, but it\ndoes not say whether that fruit shall be fermented or unfermented. The\nfailure to recognize this fact has led some to contend that it\u2019s a sin\nto use grape juice. The very same type of error has caused others to\ncontend that it would be wrong to use wine. We must recognize the fact\nthat God has left this commandment generic as to whether the fruit of\nthe vine shall be fermented or unfermented.\n\nLikewise the Bible does not designate the number of cups that shall be\nused, leaving us free to use our own judgment upon that point as well.\nIt is true that the Bible refers to \u201cthe cup,\u201d but every careful student\nknows that that refers to the contents and not to the vessel. As a\nmatter of fact, there must be some distribution made between the\noriginal container and the lips of those who partake. The Bible does not\nspecify at what stage this distribution shall be made. God has endowed\nus with intelligence, and expects us to use it in applying these\ncommandments which are left in generic form.\n\n3. Other examples of generic commands of a slightly different form are\nthese: \u201cTherefore, all things ye would that men should do to you, do ye\neven so to them; for this is the law and the prophets\u201d (Matt. 7:12).\n\u201cFor the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,\nteaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live\nsoberly, righteously and godly in this present world, looking for that\nblessed hope, and the glorious appearance of the great God and our\nSaviour Jesus Christ\u201d (Titus 2:11-13). \u201cPure religion and undefiled\nbefore God and the Father is this; to visit the fatherless and widows in\ntheir affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world\u201d (Jas.\n1:27). All of these are general commandments governing Christian\nconduct. They announce certain general principles that should guide us\nin our behavior. We must use our own best judgment in applying these\nprinciples to the various questions that arise, and we should pray for\nwisdom to make the proper application. (Jas. 1:5).\n\n\n IV\n Important Conclusions\n\n1. There are certain important conclusions which should be drawn from\nwhat has already been said. First, in a sphere where God has made\nspecifications we must heed them. We must not ignore them. We must not\nchange them. What he specifies _must_ be done. In executing a command we\nmust heed these specifications. To do otherwise would be an act of\ndisobedience to God Almighty.\n\n2. Second, where God has made no specifications we should not make any\nand try to bind them on others. To do so would be to add to the word of\nGod, and to violate the principle taught in Revelations 22:18-19 and at\nmany other places in the Bible. God had a good reason for leaving\ncertain commandments in a general form. For me to work out\nspecifications concerning how those general commandments should be\nobeyed and undertake to bind my inventions on others would be a very\ngrievous sin.\n\nIn the execution of a general commandment, each individual and each\ncongregation is left to make its own choices. It\u2019s just as much harm to\nmake specifications where God has made none, as it is to ignore those\nspecifications that he has made. It would be just as wrong to specify\nthat the Lord\u2019s supper must be eaten at 7:30 P.M. as it would be to\nignore the specification that music used to worship God must be vocal.\n\n3. Third, in the execution of these general commandments, we should use\nwisdom. Someone has said that there are three kinds of sense: revealed\nsense, common sense, and nonsense. Where there is revealed sense we must\nfollow it; but where there is no revealed sense, where God has given a\ngeneral commandment and left us free to execute it according to our best\njudgment, we should use common sense and not nonsense. In all matters,\nwisdom should be exercised.\n\nThere are many Scriptures that verify this conclusion. For instance, \u201cIf\nany of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men\nliberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him\nask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of\nthe sea, driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think\nthat he shall receive anything of the Lord\u201d (James 1:5-7).\n\nWisdom has been defined as the ability to properly apply knowledge. In\nthis connection it would be ability to properly apply the knowledge that\nwe have received from God\u2019s word. Such wisdom comes as a result of\nexperience and age and study and prayer. Hebrews 5:14 says, \u201cBut strong\nmeat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of\nuse have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.\u201d\n\nEvidently that is the reason God has ordained that the older or\nexperienced men shall be the overseers of the local congregation.\nEvidently that\u2019s also the reason he ordained that children should obey\ntheir parents rather than parents obey the children. Oftentimes those\nwho are older can discern good or evil where the younger and less\nexperienced are unable to do so.\n\nEven the apostles were admonished to use wisdom. Christ said to the\ntwelve in Matthew 10:16: \u201cBehold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst\nof wolves; be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.\u201d\n\u201cLet all things be done decently and in order\u201d (1 Cor. 14:40).\n\n4. Remember then these three important conclusions. First, in a sphere\nwhere God has made specifications we must heed them. We must not ignore\nthem or change them. We must not substitute something of our own\nchoosing, for that which Jehovah has specified. Specifications in a\ngiven sphere automatically eliminate everything else that comes within\nthe same sphere or category. Second, where he has made no specifications\nwe must not make any. We certainly must not try to bind any on others.\nAnd, third, in applying his general commandments, we should use wisdom.\nWe should use common sense and not nonsense. Recognition and proper\napplication of these principles will furnish a ready solution to many\notherwise difficult questions.\n\n5. In reference to the plan of salvation, God has been very explicit. He\nspecifies that one must believe in order to be saved (Acts 16:31). He\nspecifies that repentance is essential (Acts 3:19). He likewise\nspecifies that we should confess with our mouths the faith that we have\nin our hearts (Acts 8:37). And he is equally definite in teaching that\nbaptism is a condition of salvation. \u201cThen Peter said unto them, Repent,\nand be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the\nremission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost\u201d\n(Acts 2:38). \u201cAnd now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and\nwash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord\u201d (Acts 22:16). You\nare invited and urged to heed these specifications.\n\n\n\n\n III\n INTOLERANCE\n\n\nWe are certainly happy to have so many visitors present and want you to\nknow that you are always more than welcome at our service. It is our\npurpose to do everything we can to show our appreciation and make your\nvisit with us pleasant and profitable.\n\nOur topic this morning is \u201cIntolerance.\u201d It is both timely and\nimportant. During the past week an organization of churches throughout\nthe nation has been celebrating what is called Brotherhood Week and\npreaching the doctrine of tolerance. There was a panel discussion on\nthis subject at Watkins Institute last Tuesday night which indicated\nthat people are interested in this topic and also illustrated the need\nfor tolerance. So we feel that we are speaking on something which is of\nvery great current interest.\n\nIncidentally, the panel was also an index to the interest people have in\na public hearing of religious differences. A religious debate will still\nattract a bigger crowd than any other sort of church service. It is a\nmistake to conclude that people are not interested in a discussion of\nreligious issues. There was a debate just a few days ago at White House,\nTennessee, in a very small congregation, perhaps not more than forty or\nfifty members. The crowds overflowed the building. They moved to the\ngymnasium of the local school and filled it before the debate closed.\nThis indicates the extent to which people are interested in public\ninvestigations of religious questions.\n\n\n I\n The Issue Defined\n\n1. In order to study intelligently the subject of intolerance we need to\nunderstand definitely the meaning of the term. The words \u201ctolerance,\u201d\n\u201cintolerance,\u201d \u201ctolerate,\u201d and so on, have several different meanings.\nIf we aren\u2019t careful, one person will be thinking of one meaning of a\nterm and another of a different meaning. If you look these words up in\nyour dictionary, you will see several definitions. In order that we may\nunderstand each other, then, I want to cite two or three of them.\n\n2. One definition says that intolerance means unwillingness to bear or\nendure. In other words, it means unwillingness to suffer long. Of\ncourse, in that sense intolerance is wrong, because the Bible teaches\nthat we should be longsuffering. One of the fruits of the Spirit is\nlongsuffering (Gal. 5:22). \u201cAnd we exhort you, brethren, admonish the\ndisorderly, encourage the fainthearted, support the weak, be\nlongsuffering toward all\u201d (1 Thess. 5:14 ARV). There are many other\nScriptures in the New Testament which teach the importance, the\nnecessity, of our being longsuffering. So, of course, in this sense we\nought to be tolerant, we ought to be willing to endure, to suffer, and\nto bear.\n\n3. According to Funk and Wagnal\u2019s dictionary, the word \u201cintolerance\u201d\nalso means \u201cnot disposed to tolerate contrary beliefs or opinions.\u201d\nThere, you see, intolerance is defined in terms of the word \u201ctolerate,\u201d\nso we need to know what it means. The word \u201ctolerate\u201d means \u201cto suffer\nto be, or to be done, without active opposition.\u201d You put all that\ntogether and you simply get this: tolerance means to let the beliefs and\nopinions which are contrary to your own go without opposition; whereas,\nintolerance according to this definition, or meaning of the word, would\nmean to oppose the beliefs and opinions which are contrary to your own.\nNow, the question is, should we be tolerant in this sense? Should we be\ntolerant in the sense of allowing beliefs and opinions which are\ncontrary to our own go without any active opposition on our part? I\nthink this makes the issue clear.\n\n\n II\n Some Necessary Distinctions\n\n1. In order to answer this question, I am persuaded that we will have to\nmake a distinction between belief and opinion, and a distinction between\nthings that are essential and things which are not essential. (In making\nthis statement I am aware that the study of such a distinction may\nitself involve a debate, but I am not opposed to debates.) In other\nwords, saying that a man should be tolerant is something like saying he\nought to \u201cbe in favor of.\u201d Well, in favor of what? Before you can say a\nman ought to be in favor, you have to know what is under consideration.\nAm I in favor of it? That depends upon what you are talking about. Am I\ntolerant of it? That depends upon what you are talking about. There are\nsome things I can and should tolerate. There are some other things that\nI cannot and ought not, in the light of God\u2019s word, tolerate at all.\n\n2. In reference to things which do not affect one\u2019s salvation, we ought\nto be tolerant. For instance, there are some folk who think it is wrong\nto eat meat, and some other folk who think it is all right to eat meat.\nYou can go to heaven without eating meat and you can go to heaven while\nyou eat meat. It doesn\u2019t make any difference as to your salvation. On a\npoint like that we ought to be very generous and very tolerant.\n\nThis question is discussed at length in the fourteenth chapter of\nRomans. \u201cHim that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful\ndisputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who\nis weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth\nnot; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God\nhath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man\u2019s servant? To\nhis own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for\nGod is able to make him stand\u201d (Rom. 14:1-4).\n\nLet a man eat vegetables only if he so desires. Let another man eat meat\nif he wants to. In such cases the strong in faith should be considerate\nof those who are weak. \u201cFor meat destroy not the work of God. All things\nindeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence\u201d\n(Rom. 14:20). \u201cWe then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of\nthe weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his\nneighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not\nhimself: but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached\nthee fell on me\u201d (Rom. 15:1-3). If I had time this morning, it would be\nwell to read the entire fourteenth chapter of Romans and discuss it in\nconnection with the question of our attitude toward matters that are\nindifferent.\n\n3. What should be our attitude toward matters of belief that do effect\none\u2019s eternal salvation? The question really boils down to this: What\nshould be our attitude toward people who are in error according to our\njudgment? Should we allow people whom we believe to be in error to go\nwithout correction, without some effort on our part to show them that\nthey are wrong and endeavor to get them to change? Certainly not.\n\nOn the contrary the Bible clearly teaches the duty of doing every thing\nin our power to help people who are in danger. Before developing this\npoint, however, let us note the necessity of distinguishing between\nscriptural and unscriptural methods or means of opposing error. We\ncannot oppose false beliefs with physical or political force. Jesus\nsaid, \u201cMy kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this\nworld, then would my servants fight ...\u201d (John 18:36).\n\nEven people who are wrong, who are in error, who are on their way to\ndestruction, who hold beliefs which will damn their souls, are not to be\nopposed with physical force, or with political force. Neither are we\nexpected to oppose them with scorn and ridicule. We are expected to do\neverything we can in love and kindness to teach them the truth and\npersuade them to obey it.\n\n\n III\n Examples of Sinful Intolerance\n\n1. My brethren and I should be the first to preach against the use of\nunfair methods in opposing those who are thought to be in error. We have\nsuffered more at the hands of such intolerance than we have ever caused\nothers to suffer. In a certain town the members of a denomination\nthreatened to boycott one of their own group if he sold a building lot\nto members of the church of Christ who were establishing a congregation\nthere, and thus caused him to back out on a trade he had already made.\nSuch prejudiced and unfair opposition was both undemocratic and sinful.\nTo have exercised freedom of speech in a public discussion of religious\ndifferences would have been honorable and democratic, but this the\ndenominationalists would not do. They were too \u201cbroadminded\u201d and\n\u201ctolerant.\u201d It is strange that in politics people understand freedom of\nspeech to mean that one may publicly criticize his opponent, while in\nreligion they pretend that it means something entirely different.\n\n2. Sometimes our young people are treated with sinful intolerance at\nschool because they refuse to engage in dances. Sometimes they are\ntreated with intolerance when they fail to take part in the gambling\ngames, games of chance, which are played in some of the schools. Very\noften when they refuse to go to picture shows they are laughed at and\nmade fun of. It is not a question of somebody\u2019s attempting with love and\nsincerity to persuade them to change their convictions; too often it is\nsimply a matter of ridicule.\n\nI could give some instances and call names of Christian young people who\nhave been persecuted in public schools because they had a standard of\nmorality and conduct which was different from that of the majority in\nthe school. That is intolerance of a sinful sort. It is the wrong sort\nof opposition. Endeavoring to teach in love and kindness what one\nbelieves, even mistakingly, to be the truth is legitimate; but opposing\ncontrary beliefs and ideals with ridicule and fun-making is wrong.\n\n3. We saw an example of this at the panel discussion last Tuesday night.\nThe chairman of the meeting was inclined to poke fun at some in the\naudience who arose to ask questions, apparently asking the questions in\nall sincerity. He would encourage the audience to give them the \u201chorse\nlaugh.\u201d The meeting which was called to promote tolerance manifested\nintolerance of an ugly sort.\n\nIt was said that this meeting was being called to advocate the doctrine\nthat we should discriminate against no one because of his color, his\ncreed, or his race. These three words don\u2019t belong together. Color,\ncreed, and race do not come in the same category. A man is not\nresponsible for his color. He had no choice in it. A man is not\nresponsible for the race to which he belongs. He had no choice in it. He\nwas born that way. But a man does have a choice in reference to his\ncreed. He chooses his creed. He can believe what he wants to believe.\n\nIt is not right to put color, race, and creed all in the same class.\nCertainly, you should not hold a man responsible for his color. You\nshould not hold him responsible for his race. He had no choice in the\nmatter and where there is no choice there is no responsibility. But a\nman is responsible for what he believes. This the Bible abundantly\nteaches. For example, \u201cBeloved, believe not every spirit, but try the\nspirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone\nout into the world\u201d (1 John 4:1).\n\n4. The irony of the situation was that some colored men, who endeavored\nto attend the meeting, which was to promote brotherhood of all the\nraces, all the creeds and all the colors, were turned away from the door\nand not allowed to come in, because they were the wrong color. It is\nright to make a distinction between a man\u2019s color and his creed, but the\ndistinction ought to be made in favor of not holding him accountable for\nhis color, while holding him accountable for his creed. It seems that\nthe spirit of the occasion was just the opposite. \u201cWe won\u2019t hold you\naccountable for your creed, but if you are the wrong color you can\u2019t\ncome in.\u201d Well, that doesn\u2019t quite make sense, does it?\n\nWe ought not oppose error by such illegitimate means as physical or\npolitical force, embarrassment and ridicule, or making fun. Such weapons\nare very powerful; but they are unlawful. We ought not try to get one to\nbe baptized by making fun or ridiculing him. If I caused him to be\nbaptized by physical or political force, or by the force of ridicule and\nsarcasm, it wouldn\u2019t do him any good. He would be prompted by the wrong\nmotive. One\u2019s obedience to God must be of his own free will.\n\n\n IV\n Intolerance in Schools\n\n1. While I am talking about the advantage which is sometimes taken of\npeople in school, I want to read something from Harry Emerson Fosdick.\nHe is a man that I wouldn\u2019t ordinarily quote or refer to. He is a\nliberal. There are a thousand things on which I disagree with him, but\nhe has said something in a recent article which I think is worth passing\non. I might not even agree with everything in this quotation, but you\u2019ll\nsee the point.\n\nHe says: \u201cI am a liberal; I am not pleading for sectarianism or\nconventional orthodoxy or anything of that sort. What I want most of all\nis that Roman Catholics, Jews, and Protestants should prepare together\nsome book or books by means of which the best elements in the spiritual\nheritage of our race can be presented in our schools, objectively and\nwithout offense, as a matter of information.\u201d Whether or not that is\npossible might be open to debate. But listen to what he says next.\n\n\u201cMeanwhile,\u201d it\u2019s this meanwhile that I am interested in, \u201cMeanwhile,\nhowever, I am fed up with a familiar type of course in some of our\ninstitutions, where religion may not be taught but where, by innuendo\nand clever sniping, irreligion is taught. The Jewish prophets, Christ,\nand the creative seers of our spiritual tradition might as well never\nhave existed, while Freud, for example, not simply as the great pioneer\nin psychiatry but as an atheistic materialist, is presented at length as\nthough he were infallible.\u201d\n\n2. If I were to go into some of our public schools and teach the truth\non church unity and the meaning of baptism, I would be considered\nintolerant, narrow minded and out of order in using the public schools\nto teach religion. But when a man gets up and teaches that the Bible is\nnot true, he is teaching religion, even though it is a false religion.\nHe is teaching a religion just the same as the man who says that the\nBible is true.\n\nThat reminds me of one college professor who asked his class at the\nbeginning of the course how many of them believed that God existed.\nSeveral students raised their hands. He said, \u201cI predict that by the\ntime this course is finished there won\u2019t be any here who believe in\nGod.\u201d He was teaching religion\u2014false religion. He was opposing the\ntruth. He was taking advantage of a state school in which to do it.\n\n3. When I was going to high school nearly every chapel speaker who was\nnot a member of the church of Christ would tell us that one church was\nas good as another. The members of the church of Christ who came never\ngave us the opposite side of that. They should have told us that one\nchurch was not as good as another\u2014that there is only one church.\nHowever, if they had done so, they would have been accused of being\nnarrow minded and of preaching their own peculiar doctrine. But the man\nwho says that one church is just as good as another is preaching what he\nbelieves just as much as I am preaching what I believe when I say that\none is not just as good as another. So you see this matter of tolerance\nought to work both ways in public institutions. If one is not allowed to\nsay that there is just one church, then someone else who believes\ndifferently ought not to be allowed to say that one is just as good as\nanother.\n\nBut to continue with Mr. Fosdick. \u201cThe separation of church and state is\na fundamental principle of American democracy, but we are allowing it to\nmean what the fathers of the republic never dreamed it should mean: that\nyouth, in our public institutions of learning, may be taught the denials\nof faiths but not the affirmations of them. Our postwar world cannot be\nreconstructed on the basis of any negative futilitarian philosophy. We\ndesperately need great faiths about life issuing in great ethical\nstandards for life.\u201d[1]\n\nIn other words, Mr. Fosdick is saying that if it is contrary to the\nprinciples of democracy for one to teach in public schools the tenets of\nhis faith, it is equally contrary for an infidel to teach his infidelity\nand try to destroy the faith of his students. Both are forms of\nreligion. On that point I agree with Mr. Fosdick. It is wrong for\ninfidels to hide behind a hypocritical plea for tolerance while they ply\ntheir evil trade of making unbelievers of American youth.\n\n\n V\n Righteous Intolerance\n\n1. Now, I want to give you some Scriptures to show that we ought to\noppose, that we are _obligated_ to oppose, what we believe to be wrong.\n1 Timothy 5:20 says, \u201cThem that sin reprove in the sight of all, that\nothers may also be in fear.\u201d That is active opposition, isn\u2019t it?\nAccording to Webster, that is intolerance, but it is the sort of\nintolerance which the Bible demands. Paul said in Galatians, chapter 2\nand verse 11, that he withstood Peter to the face, because he was to be\nblamed. The apostle Paul opposed the apostle Peter concerning his\nattitude toward the Gentiles.\n\n\u201cWherefore rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith\u201d\n(Titus 1:13). This doesn\u2019t say merely \u201cRebuke them,\u201d but \u201cRebuke them\nsharply.\u201d That is active opposition. \u201cContend earnestly for the faith\nonce delivered unto the saints\u201d (Jude 3). Here again earnest contention\nis not only permitted, but even commanded. Second Corinthians 5:11 says,\n\u201cKnowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.\u201d\n\n2. God told Ezekiel that if he failed to warn sinners, then their blood\nwould be required at his hands. Hear the charge: \u201cSon of man, I have\nmade thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word\nat my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked,\nThou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to\nwarn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked\nman shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine\nhand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness,\nnor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast\ndelivered thy soul. Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his\nrighteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before\nhim, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die\nin his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be\nremembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if\nthou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not\nsin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; and thou hast delivered\nthy soul\u201d (Ezek. 3:17-21). These texts are sufficient to show that we\nare bound by the law of God to give active opposition to the things\nwhich we believe to be sinful and harmful to the spiritual welfare of\nmen.\n\n3. That gentleness and longsuffering should characterize this work has\nbeen clearly revealed. \u201cBrethren, if a man among you be overtaken in a\nfault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of\nmeekness,\u201d [not in the spirit of braggadocio or sarcasm; not with\nridicule, abuse, or persecution; not with physical or political force,\nbut in the spirit of meekness] \u201cconsidering thyself lest thou also be\ntempted\u201d (Gal. 6:1). Paul said to Timothy, \u201cI charge thee therefore\nbefore God, and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the\ndead at his appearing and his kingdom, preach the word; be instant in\nseason, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering\nand teaching\u201d (2 Tim. 4:1-2). Hence, in the light of God\u2019s Holy Word, it\nis my duty to do everything I can, in meekness and with persuasion, to\ncorrect those whom I believe to be in error.\n\n4. If you believe that I am saying something today which ought not be\nsaid, it is your duty to come to me after the service is over, or even\nto speak up now, and tell me wherein I am wrong. This is the work of a\nfriend. If you go away and tell somebody else that you think I made a\nmistake and never let me know it, then you are playing the part of an\nenemy. But if you come to me and endeavor to show me where you believe I\nmade a mistake then you will be proving yourself to be a friend.\n\n\n VI\n Standard of Authority Necessary\n\nBefore these things which I have been advocating can be successfully\napplied we must first of all have a common standard. It was brought out\nin the panel discussion last Tuesday night that the three men on the\npanel each had a different standard. Assumedly, the Protestant speaker\naccepted the entire Bible as the inspired word of God. The Jew did not.\nHe did not accept the New Testament or the Christ of the New Testament;\nhe accepted only the Old Testament. The Catholic speaker plainly stated\nthat he accepted neither as his authority, but that he placed his\nconfidence in the mind of man; of course, that meant the mind of one\nparticular man whom they are pleased to call their pope. The word \u201cpope\u201d\nmeans father. The man whom they call pope is not married, never has been\nmarried. He is an old bachelor, yet he is called father by more people\nthan anybody else on the earth. The Bible says \u201ccall no man your father\nupon the earth\u201d (Matt. 23:9).\n\nThe Catholic speaker was addressed in the panel discussion as \u201cFather So\nand So.\u201d If I had been on that discussion I would have called him Mr.\nCleary. I suppose during a meeting advocating tolerance he would have\nmeekly tolerated my doing so. For me to call him father would be a\nviolation of my conscience and of the word of God. I couldn\u2019t have\ncalled Mr. Julius Mark \u201cRabbi Mark,\u201d because my Bible says, \u201cBut be not\nye called Rabbi\u201d (Matt. 23:8). I know Mr. Mark doesn\u2019t agree with me on\nthat because he doesn\u2019t accept the New Testament as his Bible. I know\nthe Catholic wouldn\u2019t agree with that, because he says the Bible is not\nthe standard, that this man whom he calls father is the standard.\n\nJust think how ridiculous it is for three men to pretend that they are\nbrethren when two of them propose to believe in Christ and the other one\ndoesn\u2019t; one believes the New Testament and neither of the others do;\nand one believes that the man whom he calls pope has all the authority\nand neither of the others do. They haven\u2019t yet agreed upon the authority\nor standard to which we should make appeal in order to settle our\ndifferences.\n\n\n VII\n Impractical \u201cTolerance\u201d\n\nDuring the few remaining minutes I want to talk about a different sort\nof intolerance\u2014or rather a different sort of so-called tolerance\u2014the\nkind that is being advocated generally by such meetings as we had last\nTuesday night, and by a great many folk whom I meet from day to day.\nThis particular type of tolerance simply means that we ought to agree\nwith everybody on everything and oppose nobody on anything. That is what\nit amounts to. Its advocates pretend to endorse everything and everybody\nand oppose nobody and nothing.\n\nLet me make it clear that this is only a theory. Even the people who\nadvocate it do not practice it. Nobody practices it. If you are going to\ntake the attitude of opposing nothing and endorsing everything and\neverybody, then you have to endorse intolerance. Such so-called\ntolerance would cut off all evangelism. You couldn\u2019t try to convert\nanybody to anything if you put that into practice. You\u2019d just have to\nagree with everybody on everything. So you see it is mostly a theory.\n\nPeople don\u2019t really agree on things on which they don\u2019t agree. When they\npretend that they are sacrificing their convictions in order to be\ntogether, if you will look right close, you\u2019ll probably find that they\ndon\u2019t have any convictions. During this very hour while I am standing\nhere talking to you, Mr. Julius Mark is preaching at the Vine Street\nChristian Church as a token of this \u201cbrotherhood\u201d that we are talking\nabout wherein everybody is supposed to endorse everybody. Think of it!\nJulius Mark will tell you plainly that he does not believe the New\nTestament, that he does not believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of\nGod. He denies it. And yet he is preaching at this very minute in a\ncongregation which wears the name Christian. If there is anything in\nthis world on which Christians must be united it is the belief that\nJesus is the Christ. A fellow who doesn\u2019t believe that has no right\nwhatsoever to call himself a Christian.\n\nThis almost convinces me that the Vine Street Christian Church does not\nhave too much faith in Christ themselves or they wouldn\u2019t have a man\npreaching for them who professedly disbelieves in Him. I think I might\nput this to a little test. I do not believe in the organ that the Vine\nStreet Christian Church uses and they know I don\u2019t. Suppose you try to\nget me an appointment there next Sunday. See if you can. If you can,\nI\u2019ll go. If you get me an appointment at the Vine Street Christian\nChurch Sunday I\u2019ll go preach for them and get somebody else to come\nhere. They won\u2019t let me do it. Why? Because I don\u2019t believe in their\norgan. They\u2019ll let a man preach for them who does not believe in Christ,\nbut they won\u2019t let a man preach for them who does not believe in their\norgan. Which do they think the more of, their organ or the Christ? What\ndo you think?\n\nMaybe I\u2019m mistaken. Maybe they would let me preach there. If they do,\nI\u2019ll take this all back. If I\u2019m not here next Sunday, you inquire and\nfind out if I\u2019m down there, and if I am, then you\u2019ll know that I was\nmistaken in what I have said today. Think of this! They will let a man\npreach for them who doesn\u2019t believe in the Christ. But will they let a\nman preach for them who does not believe in their organ? If they don\u2019t,\nwhat does it mean? It means they think more of their organ than they do\nof the Christ.\n\nAnd speaking of tolerance, did you ever know of a public meeting leaving\ninstrumental music out of the worship because of tolerance for the\nmembers of the church of Christ who were present? I talked to a man one\ntime who advocated that we ought to have one community church by just\nleaving out those things which we can\u2019t agree upon and taking the things\nwe can agree upon. I said, \u201cWhat are you going to do about these people\nwho don\u2019t believe in instrumental music? Will you leave that off for the\nsake of their conscience?\u201d He said, \u201cNo, they\u2019ll just have to stay on\nthe outside till they can come in with us.\u201d The people who teach that\nsort of tolerance and so-called broad-mindedness don\u2019t practice it. In\nreference to something on which they have no conviction they will appear\nto be very broadminded, but if you test them out on one of their pet\ntheories or hobbies or something that they do believe, then they are\njust as narrow minded as anyone else, or more so.\n\n\n VIII\n The Basis of Unity\n\nIn the forum last Tuesday night it was said that we ought to leave off\nall doctrinal differences and just love our neighbors as we love\nourselves. Let\u2019s put that to the test. What does it mean to love your\nneighbor? Do you love your neighbor as you do yourself when you see him\non his way to hell and don\u2019t try to stop him? Suppose you are thoroughly\nconvinced that your neighbor is following a doctrine that will take him\nto hell, and you don\u2019t try to stop him, just throw your arm around him\nand call him \u201cBrother,\u201d is that love? Why that\u2019s the very opposite of\nlove! If you see a man riding down the highway and know that a bridge\nhas been washed out a few miles ahead and he is going to run off and\nkill himself, will you try to stop him? You will if you love him. If you\nsee a man on his way to hell, you\u2019ll try to stop him if you love him!\n\nI agree that we ought to love our neighbor as ourselves, but I also\ninsist that love will move us to do everything we can in order to\ncorrect him when we see him following a course which will lead unto his\ndestruction. Love demands that we preach the truth. Love demands that we\npersuade people to obey Christ. Love brought Jesus to this earth, and if\nwe have the love that he had, we will do everything in our power to get\npeople to believe, understand and obey the truth.\n\nIn mathematics we have a very simple law which says that things equal to\nthe same thing are equal to each other. If two things are both equal to\na third thing, then they are equal to each other. Friends, that gives\nyou the basis of Christian unity. When we all get with Christ we\u2019ll all\nbe together. Isn\u2019t that simple? And that is the only ground for unity.\nChristian unity cannot exist on any other basis. The only way we can\nhave Christian unity is for all to get with Christ, and then we\u2019ll all\nbe together. The unity problem will then be solved. There can be no\nunity when one takes Christ as his creed, another follows the Old\nTestament and denies Christ, and still another follows a man over in\nRome and calls him \u201cFather.\u201d In such a group unity cannot exist.\n\nChrist is revealed in the New Testament. When we all take our stand on\nthe Bible and get with Christ, we\u2019ll be together. Jesus said, \u201cHe that\nbelieveth and is baptized shall be saved\u201d (Mark 16:16). That is what we\nhave to do to get with him. Paul said, speaking by the Holy Spirit, \u201cFor\nas many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ\u201d\n(Gal. 3:27). That\u2019s the way you get into Christ. When you believe and\nare baptized into Christ that puts you in Christ; then you will be with\nall the other folk who are in Christ and they are the only ones with\nwhom you want to be. You don\u2019t want to be with those who are outside of\nChrist because they are lost. You want to be with those who are in\nChrist.\n\nIf you have put on Christ through obedience to his will and continue to\nfollow in the footsteps of Christ as revealed in his word, then some day\nyou will go home and be united with Christ forever, and united with all\nother Christians forever, in the world better than this one. Surely in\nthis large audience there are many people present who are ready to obey\nChrist. When you do, you\u2019ll be taking your stand on the ground of unity,\nwhere unity must be established if ever established. Therefore, you will\nnot be to blame for the division that curses the world today. We invite\nyou to accept the invitation of Jesus Christ and come to him and let him\nsave you now. Will you come?\n\n\n\n\n IV\n WHENCE SO MANY DENOMINATIONS?\n\n\nSometimes the question of our topic is asked for information. At other\ntimes it is presented argumentatively, with the implication that the\nmere existence of so many denominations is evidence of their right to\nexist. The implication is that churches of human origin, operating on\nhuman authority, could never have secured such a large following. Back\nof this implication is the assumption that the majority is necessarily,\nor at least usually, right.\n\n\n I\n Majority Frequently Wrong\n\nThose who make this assumption underestimate the capacity of mankind for\nmaking mistakes! In the days of Noah only eight people on the earth were\nright. All the others were wrong. You who put your confidence in the\nmajority would have said, \u201cNoah, you\u2019re wrong. It will never rain as you\npredict. There are only eight people in your little group; all the rest\nin the world, including many highly educated and brilliant men, are\nagainst you. The majority must be right; therefore, you are wrong.\u201d I\nimagine a great many people reasoned after this fashion in Noah\u2019s time;\nbut those who did got drowned.\n\nIn the days of Jesus the majority was wrong again. When he died on the\ncross only a handful stayed with him. Practically all the world had\nturned against him. If the majority had been right, then Jesus would\nhave been wrong, but we know that such was not the case.\n\nThe Bible clearly teaches that the majority will be lost. \u201cEnter ye in\nat the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that\nleadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat; because\nstrait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and\nfew there be that find it\u201d (Matt. 7:13, 14). Hence in matters pertaining\nto your soul it is not safe to put your confidence in the majority.\n\n\n II\n The Bible Demands Unity\n\nIn all sincerity then, where did so many denominations come from? Did\nthey come from the Bible? No. The Bible reveals only one church. Jesus\nChrist said, \u201cUpon this rock I will build my church\u201d (Matt. 16:18). Note\nthat he didn\u2019t say \u201cchurches.\u201d The Bible teaches that God\u2019s children\nshould be united. Just before he died on the cross Jesus prayed that the\nunity which existed between Him and the Father might also exist among\nall believers. \u201cNeither pray I for these alone, but for them also which\nshall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as\nthou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us:\nthat the world may believe that thou hast sent me\u201d (John 17:20, 21).\n\nRecently I heard a college professor say he was glad that we have\nnumerous denominations. I don\u2019t think he realized what he was saying.\nHis remark amounted to an expression of gratitude for the fact that the\ncondition for which our Lord prayed does not exist among the majority of\nthose who claim to be His disciples.\n\nUnity of thought and word is required. \u201cNow I beseech you, brethren, by\nthe name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing, and\nthat there be no divisions among you, but that ye be perfectly joined\ntogether in the same mind and in the same judgment\u201d (1 Cor. 1:10).\nDivisions and parties are condemned (Gal. 5:20).\n\nAs you know, we have the opposite of this biblical requirement. All who\nprofess to follow Jesus are not united. In the United States alone there\nare more than two hundred denominations. One group teaches one thing;\nanother something different. One denomination says, \u201cLo, here is\nChrist.\u201d Another says, \u201cNo, He is with us.\u201d Consequently, people are\nconfused and know not which way to turn. Some are driven into\ninfidelity. Many decide that the whole thing is incomprehensible and\njust decide to follow the line of least resistance.\n\nWhat is the source of all this division and consequent confusion? Is it\nthe Bible? Is it possible that God failed to reveal clearly his will to\nman? Is it so ambiguous that we can not all \u201csee it alike?\u201d If so, the\nBible is a failure. If the Bible is not an adequate ground of unity,\nthere is no such ground. If the Bible is not a sufficient basis for\nunity then it is inconsistent; for certainly its ideal is unity. So I\nwish to go on record in declaring that the Bible is not the source of\nthe trouble!\n\n\n III\n A Partial Answer\n\nIn our search for the origin of denominational divisions, with all their\nattendant evils, we must look in some other direction. Let me appeal to\nyou as an individual. How did you come to be what you are religiously?\nWhere did you get your conception of Christianity? From reading the\nBible, or from some other source? Did you form your church connection\nbecause of conviction resulting from prayerful, diligent, and faithful\nBible study? Or did you merely follow the example of your parents, the\nsocial set to which you belong, your personal taste, the law of\nconvenience, or some other fallible standard?\n\nIf you will examine your own hearts, it will throw a lot of light, not\nonly on where so many denominations came from, but especially on why\nthey are able to continue, which is equally, if not more, important.\nEven in a congregation like this, most likely there are some whose\nreligious course has been determined by convenience rather than\nconviction. Such persons are not steadfast. When it becomes more\nconvenient to do something else, or to be something else, they will turn\naside. Unless you develop some convictions, you can easily become a\nliability rather than an asset.\n\nIn religion, as in politics, many blindly follow the example of their\nparents. Even if this policy leads you into the church we read about in\nthe Bible, it is not sufficient. If you are a member of the Lord\u2019s\nchurch, you ought to have a better reason than the fact that your\nparents happened to be members of it. You ought to have some convictions\non the subject. You ought to be what you are because you believe you\nwould go to hell if you were otherwise! If that is the way you feel,\nthen you will be worth something to the group to which you belong. Then\nyou will put the church first.\n\nBut how come our parents to be divided into more than two hundred\ndifferent sects? The same false standards which cause our generation to\nbe divided, including the example of their parents. And so we may trace\nthe history of denominations and erroneous doctrines back up the stream\nof time from generation to generation, can\u2019t we?\n\nThis, however, does not completely explain their origin. They had to\nbegin somewhere between here and Pentecost. How far back can they be\ntraced? When and where did they originate?\n\n\n IV\n Early Apostasy and Roman Catholicism\n\nIn order to answer these questions let us begin at the other end of the\nline, at Pentecost, and come down toward the present to see what we can\nfind. Since Jesus built only one church, at least one hundred and\nninety-nine of the approximately two hundred now in existence had to get\nstarted somewhere else, at some other time, and in some other way.\n\nIn the church that Jesus built, each congregation is entirely\nindependent of every other congregation. The Bible teaches\ncongregational autonomy, which means that under Christ each congregation\nis entirely independent. According to the Bible, there can be no\norganization whatsoever binding two or more congregations together. This\nis the first fundamental fact to remember.\n\nSecond, in the church built by Christ, each local congregation is\nsupervised by a group of men who are called by either of six different\nnames: pastors, bishops, overseers, presbyters, elders, or shepherds. In\nthe Bible these six names are used interchangeably. The words elder and\npresbyter are both from the same Greek word \u201cpresbyteros\u201d; the words\nbishop and overseer are both translations of the same Greek word\n\u201cepiskopos\u201d; and the words pastor and shepherd are also synonyms, being\nderived from the Greek word \u201cpoimenas.\u201d Paul referred to the elders of\nthe church at Ephesus as bishops and designated their work of feeding or\ntending the flock by using the verb form of the Greek word for pastors\nor shepherds (Acts 20:17, 28; Titus 1:5, 1:7; 1 Pet. 5:1, 2).\n\nHence, no distinction of title or rank is suggested by the Bible use of\nthese words. It is very important that we remember this fact. The\noverseers, the pastors, the shepherds, the bishops, the elders, and the\npresbyters are all the same men. The nine men here whom we frequently\ncall elders may by the same authority be called by either of these other\nfive names. They are the pastors of this congregation; they are the\noverseers; they are the bishops; they are the presbyters; they are the\nshepherds of the flock.\n\nWhenever one of these names is used to distinguish one person from the\nrest of the group they describe, trouble will always follow. That is\nexactly what happened in the early history of the church. It probably\noccurred in a very natural way and so gradually that only the most\nvigilant became alarmed. In a group of overseers, it is most likely that\none of them will be more active than the others. It is natural for one\nof them to have more ability and more zeal as a leader than the rest,\nand he is liable to become known as the leader of the group.\n\nThus it came to pass in the history of the early church. One of the\noverseers, or elders, became so much more prominent and influential than\nthe others that they began to designate him by a different name. They\ncalled him the bishop. The rest of the overseers were called presbyters.\nThey took one of these six Bible names and made it apply to one of the\nmen in the group to distinguish him from the others. Now, that looks\nlike a very small departure, doesn\u2019t it? If I had been living in those\ndays and had warned the brethren against such a practice, they would\nhave said, \u201cThat preacher is radical. He is making a mountain out of a\nmolehill. What difference does it make if we want to distinguish the man\nwho does most of the work by calling him the bishop?\u201d Anyone who opposed\nthem would probably have been called old-fashioned, non-progressive,\netc.\n\nBut, friends, I want you to know that that is the seed out of which has\ngrown more than two hundred denominations in America. Out of that first\ndeparture from the Bible plan has come the ecclesiastical hierarchies\nthat curse the religious world today. If you and I aren\u2019t very careful,\nwe will repeat the same error. Whenever one man in the congregation is\nset above all the others in the group and is distinguished by any title\nwhatsoever, you are taking a step in the wrong direction.\n\nWell, let us follow the matter still further. It was also perfectly\nnatural for this congregation which had made one man more prominent than\nthe others, and distinguished him by the title Bishop, to start some\nmissions around over the country and exercise authority over them until\nthey became self-supporting. Since the man who was now called the bishop\nwas head of the mother congregation, you can see how it would be very\neasy for the same man to become the head of this group of churches.\nThus, less than two hundred years after Christ, there came into being a\nform of church organization quite opposite the plan revealed in the\nBible. Instead of a group of men, with equal authority under Christ,\noverseeing one congregation there was one man over a group of\ncongregations.\n\nDoubtless there were certain congregations who maintained scriptural\norganization, contended against these departures, and refused to share\nin the digression. When some digressed and others did not, there was\nnaturally a division\u2014not because the Bible was at fault, but because\nsome refused to follow the Bible.\n\nThe territory represented by a group of congregations over which a\nbishop gained control came to be known as a diocese. Later these\ngeographic units were grouped to form larger units. In these larger\nunits one of the \u201cbishops,\u201d usually the one residing in the capital of\nthe province, gained ascendancy in rank and authority over his fellow\n\u201cbishops\u201d and was called the metropolitan.\n\nThe digression was augmented by conferences held in the various\nprovinces and in which the local metropolitan served as chairman. At\nfirst, they were innocent \u201cget-togethers\u201d of delegates from the\ndifferent congregations for the sake of fellowship, friendly discussion\nof their common problems, and reaching conclusions on disputed\nquestions. But they soon partook of the nature of legislative bodies,\nand were called Councils by the Latins, and Synods by the Greeks. Thus\nthere came into existence a source of legislation in addition to, and\ndifferent from, the Bible. The congregations joining in this movement\nwere deprived of their scriptural autonomy.\n\nUntil after A.D. 300 each province held its own separate conference, and\neach metropolitan was entirely independent of all the other\nmetropolitans in the government of his province. You can imagine how the\ncongregations that refused to \u201cstring along\u201d with the crowd were\ncondemned and boycotted by the ecclesiastical leaders.\n\nIn A.D. 325 the first general council was called, and the congregations\nrepresented were divided into five groups according to the political\ndivisions of the Roman Empire. The ecclesiastical ruler of each group\nwas called \u201cPatriarch\u201d or \u201cChief Father.\u201d This council formulated what\nis known as the Nicene Creed, which was adopted by most of the churches\nand which is still acknowledged by many denominations today, including\nthe Roman Catholic. Naturally there was rivalry among the five \u201cChief\nFathers.\u201d The \u201cbishops\u201d of Rome and Constantinople managed to gain\nsupremacy over the other three (those at Jerusalem, Alexander, and\nAntioch). The warfare between these two was long and fierce. In A.D. 588\nJohn the Faster, the Patriarch of Constantinople, assumed the title of\n\u201cUniversal Bishop of the Church.\u201d The Patriarch of Rome protested\nbitterly, but in A.D. 606 the title of \u201cUniversal Bishop\u201d was\ntransferred from John the Faster to the \u201cRoman See.\u201d\n\nThus with more than five hundred years of gradual drifting away from the\nBible plan they developed a complete ecclesiastical hierarchy, with its\ncouncils, creeds, and dignitaries, supposedly having authority in\naddition to, different from, and in some cases, greater than, the Bible.\nAuthority was now divided between the Bible and men who were\npresumptuous enough to set themselves up as legislators in the kingdom\nof God, which eventually culminated in the \u201cPope\u2019s\u201d ridiculous claim to\nbe infallible. By the congregations sharing in this apostasy the Bible\nwas no longer considered a complete and final authority.\n\nSometimes today people undertake to explain the existence of\ndenominations by saying that we cannot see the Bible alike. Friends,\nthat is an insult to God. Anybody who says that ambiguity and\nindefiniteness on the part of the Bible is to blame for all the division\nwhich God so plainly condemns is insulting God Almighty; accusing Him of\nbeing unable to write a book that would express what he wanted folk to\nknow. It is to accuse God of passing a law against division, and\ncondemning division, and coming right along and giving the world a book\nthat would naturally result in division. I do not believe that God is\ncharacterized by any such inconsistency. I do not believe He would\ncondemn us for being divided, and then give us a book that would\ninevitably divide us.\n\nFriends, it is not because we are not able to see the Bible alike, but\nit is because so many people consider something else besides the Bible\nas authority. I have given you a brief outline of how it started. Any\nRoman Catholic \u201cpriest\u201d in this town will tell you that, in his\nestimation, the Bible is not the final authority in what people are to\ndo in religion, but that the man whom they call the Pope is the\ninfallible guide.\n\n\n V\n The Reformation and Protestantism\n\n\u201cWell, that explains,\u201d you say, \u201cjust one denomination, but where did\nall the others come from?\u201d We shall try to show you the connection\nbetween the Roman Catholic Church and many of the other denominations.\nFor a period of seven hundred years, the Roman Catholics held sway over\na vast majority of people who called themselves Christians. I believe\nthat all down through the ages there were some folk who rebelled against\nthe Roman \u201cPope\u201d; and I am of the opinion, although I could not prove\nit, that in every generation there were some faithful Christians not\nalways numerous and prominent enough to win recognition in history, but\nwho were nevertheless contending for and obeying the truth. Be that as\nit may, we know that the Roman Catholic Church dominated most of the\nreligious world for many centuries\u2014until finally the Roman Catholics and\nthe Greek Catholics divided in the twelfth century A.D. Then those two\nheld the reins until there came the period in history which is known as\nthe Great Reformation.\n\nI have great respect for such men as Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, John\nLocke, John Calvin, and John Wesley. [I don\u2019t know why so many of them\nwere named John, I have often wondered.] Even though a great deal of\nharm has been done in the name of these men, we must recognize them as\nhaving done some noble work.\n\nTake Martin Luther, for instance, who found a Bible while he was a\nstudent in a convent, and studied it diligently. He became convinced\nthat the sale of indulgences was sinful and endeavored to reform the\nRoman Catholic Church on this point. As a consequence of this effort he\nwas excommunicated. Naturally, he started an independent movement. His\npurpose was to get back to the Bible and throw off all human authority,\ntaking the Bible as his only guide. If he and all of his followers had\nbeen true to this noble ideal, there would be no Lutheran Church on the\nearth today. They would have become Christians and Christians only.\n\nI am convinced that Martin Luther did not intend to start a\ndenomination. He pleaded with the people not to wear his name, but\nrather to call themselves Christians. He had strong convictions, and was\nwilling to suffer for the sake of them. But, friends, Martin Luther had\nbecome well saturated with error before he began to study the Bible for\nhimself. He could hardly have been expected to discover all the truth\nimmediately.\n\nHe knew that the Roman Catholics were wrong on indulgences, but they\nwere also wrong on a great many other points which he did not discover.\nIf he and his followers had continued to study the Bible and to make\nreformations as the need for them was discovered, then they would have\nkept getting back closer and closer to the original plan. This they did\nnot do. Instead they made the tragic error of formulating a creed or\nconfession of faith. This they probably did with good intentions, hoping\nthereby to protect their followers against the snares of Roman\nCatholicism and other errors, but they defeated their purpose. It was\nnot long until the creed began to be recognized as authoritative\u2014if not\nas equal to the Bible at least as a subordinate authority. Naturally the\ncreed was erroneous and ambiguous. It was written by uninspired men and\nby men blinded and prejudiced by Roman Catholicism. The creed makers\nwere wearing the colored glasses of Roman Catholicism. They who had had\nRomanism drilled into them from infancy could not instantly and entirely\ndisabuse themselves of it. In some cases they retained Roman error; in\nother cases they were driven into opposite extremes.\n\nNaturally, after a generation or so, they acquired members who were in\nthe movement not because of conviction, but because of convenience, or\nbecause their parents were. This condition, with the deadening effect of\na creed\u2014of a human creed\u2014made progress back to the Bible very difficult,\nif not impossible. Each step of reformation called for a revision of the\ncreed, and creeds are hard to revise. People become attached to them;\nthey come to think more of them than they think of the Bible itself, if\nthey aren\u2019t very careful. They develop a patriotic attitude toward the\ncreed which is very difficult to overcome. Consequently, we have the\nLutheran Church with us today.\n\nThis appraisal of Luther\u2019s work will fit, in a general way, the work of\nother reformers. They made similar errors. If they had maintained the\nscientific attitude\u2014which means to test every point, investigate to see\nif you are right and change when you\u2019re wrong, prove all things and hold\nfast to that which is good\u2014then they would have kept getting back closer\nto God. But when their movements became crystallized, when they became\nsatisfied with their _status quo_, and had acquired a number of members\nwho were without conviction, then they not only ceased getting back\ncloser to God but they began to drift away from Him. As a consequence,\nmany of the denominations today resemble their mother, the Roman\nCatholic Church, more than they did in the beginning.\n\nAnd so, my friends, we have before us a brief outline of how\ndenominations got started. The Roman Catholic Church is the result of\ncenturies of drifting away from the New Testament pattern. Since it\nreached the zenith of its power, many other denominations have resulted\nfrom unsuccessful and incomplete efforts to reform the Catholics or some\nother existing group. In most cases the movement of the reformers,\nbecause of indifference and a lack of conviction in their ranks,\neventually lost ground. In every instance, consciously or unconsciously,\nsomething besides the Bible has been accepted as authority. Errors,\nwhich the Protestant churches, willingly or unwillingly, inherited from\nthe Catholics have been handed down from generation to generation even\nto the present. Thus, many unscriptural practices and doctrines of the\ndenominations are traceable to the church at Rome with its preposterous\nclaim of infallibility. Many members of denominations do not realize\nthat much of what they get from their parents and preachers and which\nthey fancy to be of Biblical origin, has, in fact, descended from Rome\nand can claim no higher authority.\n\n\n VI\n The Restoration Movement\n\nBut to pursue our historical survey a little further, at the beginning\nof the nineteenth century with three hundred years of Protestant\ndenominational history before them, various religious leaders were\nawakened to the evils of creeds, and a \u201cback to the Bible\u201d movement was\nbegun. In America the work of these men became known as the Restoration\nMovement. It was their purpose to go back to Pentecost, to begin at\nJerusalem, as a surveyor begins at the established corner, mark out the\nlines revealed in the New Testament, and establish congregations just\nlike the pattern that Jesus gave. That was a noble undertaking and it\nproved to be a very successful one. It was the fastest growing religious\nmovement the world had seen since the days of the apostles.\n\nBut remember it is very difficult for reforms to stay reformed. In a\ngeneration or so there grew up in this movement also an element who were\nparties to it because their parents were and not because of personal\nconviction. Such an element is a liability to any movement. This element\nhas become crystallized in the digressive wing of the movement, who,\nalthough some of their followers may not realize it, no longer regard\nthe Bible as complete and final authority. They have no written creed\nbut they have discredited the Bible. Whether they admit it or not, their\nprinciple is: \u201cWhere the Bible speaks we may be silent; where the Bible\nis silent we are at liberty to speak.\u201d Without any effort to explain how\nit is done, they claim that God is still revealing his will to man in\nsome way independent of the Bible. They claim to have advanced beyond\nthe wisdom of the apostles themselves, and regard their own\nintellectuality as equal to, or superior to, the Bible. Thus, each man\nbecomes a law unto himself, and there is, therefore, no ground for\nunity.\n\nI am thankful, however, that there were some who refused to assume an\nindifferent attitude, who are still contending for the faith once\ndelivered to the saints, and who realize that we must be ever striving\nto get closer to the divine plan revealed in the New Testament. Since\nreformations will not stay reformed, the only way to keep on the right\nroad is to be forever getting back on the right way. This we cannot do\nunless we have conviction, and unless we study God\u2019s word. That\u2019s one of\nour reasons for giving so much emphasis to the importance of your\nsearching the Scriptures daily. It may be that we have some in our very\nmidst who do not know the difference between the true church and a\ndenomination, and who cannot give an intelligent reason for the hope\nthat is within them. Such an element in a congregation is easily\ndeceived by digressive influences and must become strong in the faith\nfor their own sake and for the safety of the church.\n\n\n VII\n The Need of Constant Vigilance\n\nHence, my brethren, we need to be watching today, lest we become slack\nand allow error to creep into our midst and become established among us.\nRemember that human nature is just the same now that it has always been.\nThe same sort of indifferent attitude and drifting which resulted in the\nRoman Catholic Church and which resulted in the establishment of other\ndenominations in the world, will make a denomination out of us if we are\nnot always on the guard. Eternal vigilance is the price of being right.\nWe have the same human nature that others have. If we aren\u2019t willing to\npay the price of being better students of God\u2019s word, then we, too, will\ndrift into another denomination, and not be worth the time and place\nwhich we occupy. We don\u2019t need any more denominations! We have enough!\nIf you want to be a member of a denomination you don\u2019t need to start\nanother one. You have more than two hundred to choose from. Some of them\nare very highly organized and well financed. There is no reason for\nstarting another one; _there are many reasons for not doing so_! Unless\nwe are going to understand the difference between the true church and\ndenominationalism, unless we are going to contend earnestly for\nnon-denominational Christianity, then we do not deserve to exist and the\nworld would be better off if we did not.\n\n\n VIII\n Extra-Biblical Standards\n\nThere is one fact which I want to emphasize further. In every case of\ndenominationalism some authority other than the Bible has been\nrecognized. Otherwise denominations could not come into existence, and\ndenominations could not continue to exist. The extra-Biblical authority\nmight be the man whom they call the Pope at Rome. It might be your\npreacher in some denomination which you look up to as being the final\nauthority. It might be the creed of the denomination to which you\nbelong. It might be the people among whom you move. It might be your own\nfeelings in the matter. It might be tradition or family heritage. But I\ndon\u2019t care what it is, if it is outside the Bible, it is not a true\nsource of authority in religion. The existence of so many denominations\ntoday is not caused by people\u2019s being unable to see the Bible alike.\nThey are here because, while a few people take the Bible as their only\nguide, a great many take something else as their standard.\n\nYou meet a great many people who claim to take the Bible as their only\nrule of faith and practice, but when you press them to cite the\nscriptural authority for certain of their practices they are utterly\nunable to do so. If one takes the Bible as sole authority in religion,\nthen he ought to be able to point to the Scripture which gives the\nauthority for everything he does. So don\u2019t let a man get by with a mere\nstatement \u201cWe take the Bible as our guide.\u201d If you talk to him a few\nminutes, you will possibly find that he is following some preacher,\nfollowing his feelings, or following the church to which he belongs. You\nmay hear him use such expressions as, \u201cWhat does your church believe on\nthis point?\u201d or \u201cWhat does the church of Christ teach on a certain\nmatter?\u201d Well, I don\u2019t have any church. And the church of Christ doesn\u2019t\nteach anything on a certain point. If it did, its teaching would not\nnecessarily be of any value. Such questions, such expressions betray a\nwrong conception of the church. The question should be: \u201cWhat does the\nBible teach in reference to a certain matter?\u201d\n\nIf you can\u2019t find authority in the Bible for your position, you\u2019d better\nnot depend upon it. Most of the people who are at worship this very hour\nbelong to a church whose name they cannot find in the Bible. Yet the\npreachers who preach in those churches will tell you, \u201cYes, we take the\nBible as our only guide.\u201d To refute their claim you need only ask them\none question: \u201cWhere did you get your name?\u201d They would probably say,\n\u201cIt\u2019s a nickname. Someone else gave it to us.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell, how come you to acknowledge it?\u201d\n\n\u201cOh, we just got tired of objecting to it so we finally acknowledged\nit.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou didn\u2019t get it out of the Bible then.\u201d\n\nFriends, think about how ridiculous it is for a man to say, \u201cWe follow\nthe Bible, and the Bible only,\u201d when the very name of the church to\nwhich he belongs cannot be found from Genesis to Revelation. The sad\npart of it is that a great many of the members don\u2019t know the\ndifference. I have asked people who wore an extra-Biblical name if they\ncould find their name in the Bible. Frequently, they say, \u201cYes. I don\u2019t\nknow where it is but I\u2019m sure it is in there somewhere.\u201d It just isn\u2019t\nthere. I knew it wasn\u2019t there, but the poor folk thought it was because\nthey had heard some preacher say they were following the Bible.\n\nAgain I protest the statement that denominations are caused by people\u2019s\nbeing unable to see the Bible alike. That is an insult to my God and I\nobject to it. It is because many are following something besides the\nBible. They may deny it but they are. Otherwise there could be only one\nchurch on this earth because there is only one church in the Bible.\n\nIf you belong to something this morning that you cannot read about in\nthe Bible, won\u2019t you come out of it? Won\u2019t you say, \u201cFrom this morning\non, I will take the Bible as my guide. I will take one step at a time as\nthat step is revealed in God\u2019s word until it leads me home to heaven at\nlast\u201d?\n\nNow, if you will do that, the way is simple. \u201cGod so loved the world\nthat he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth on him\nshould not perish but have everlasting life\u201d (John 3:16). \u201cBut without\nfaith it is impossible to please him\u201d (Heb. 11:6). So if you are going\nto follow the Bible, the first thing you must do is believe. Again Jesus\nsaid, \u201cExcept ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish\u201d (Luke 13:3). So\nthe next thing you will do is repent.\n\nI heard a man say this week that the only thing you had to do in order\nto be saved was just believe, but the Bible says, \u201cExcept ye repent ye\nshall all likewise perish,\u201d and repentance is not believing. Repentance\nis at least one thing you must do after you believe or else the Bible\nsays you will perish and have no chance to be saved.\n\nAnd then on the day of Pentecost Peter said, \u201cRepent and be baptized\nevery one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins\u201d\n(Acts 2:38). It is not hard to see that. People who refuse to do it\nsimply don\u2019t want to see it or just don\u2019t want to do it after they see\nit\u2014one or the other! If you want to follow the Bible, the way is plain,\nisn\u2019t it? If you take something else for your guide, then no telling\nwhere you will land.\n\nBut someone may say, \u201cWhat is baptism?\u201d Let the Bible answer. \u201cBuried\nwith him in baptism, wherein ye are also risen with him through the\nfaith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead\u201d (Col.\n2:12). \u201cTherefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like\nas Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even\nso we also should walk in newness of life\u201d (Rom. 6:4). Hence, according\nto the Bible, baptism is a burial and a resurrection. If you weren\u2019t\nburied when you were baptized, then you were not baptized; because the\nBible says we are buried by baptism. A so-called baptism which doesn\u2019t\ninvolve a burial isn\u2019t the kind of baptism the Bible talks about. If you\ndo something else, you don\u2019t get it from the Bible. If you stick to the\nBible, you have the matter settled. You can\u2019t get anything else from it\nexcept a burial. It doesn\u2019t say anything else.\n\nIncidentally, do you know where the doctrine of sprinkling and pouring\ncame from? It came from the man who is called the Pope of Rome! At the\nCouncil of Vienna, A.D. 1311, by no higher authority than the Roman\nCatholic Church, it was decided that sprinkling and pouring might be\npracticed for baptism. Most often today the people who accept sprinkling\nor pouring instead of baptism do not realize that they are following the\nman over in Rome who claims to be greater than the Bible. You probably\ngot it from your parents, your parents from theirs and their parents\nfrom some preacher and so on, but the chain leads back eventually to the\nRoman Catholic Church. It has no higher authority. The Bible condemns\nit.\n\nI beseech you in the name of Jesus Christ that you submit unto His will\nas revealed unto us in the Holy Bible. If you will follow Him, He will\ntake you home to rest at last.\n\n\n\n\n V\n WHICH CHURCH IS RIGHT?\n\n\n(Note: As this sermon was being presented the outline seen below was on\nthe blackboard before the audience.)\n\n\n Which Church Is Right?\n\n _Introduction_: This is a question that concerns every person.\n I. _God Has Only One_\n A. See Matt. 16:18; Eph. 4:4; Cor. 12:20; Eph. 1:22, 23.\n B. There are more than two hundred in America.\n C. Which one belongs to God?\n II. _The One That Follows the Bible_\n A. Obviously they don\u2019t all follow the Bible.\n B. The Bible is a sufficient guide (2 Tim. 3:16, 17; Gal. 1:8, 9; 2\n John 9; Rev. 22:18, 19).\n C. What does it teach?\n III. _Conditions of Membership_\n A. Same as condition of salvation (Acts 2:47).\n B. Faith (Acts 16:31-33; Rom. 10:14; Acts 2:36).\n C. Repentance (Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19; Acts 17:30).\n D. Confession (Rom. 10:10; Acts 8:37).\n E. Baptism (Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:47; 1 Pet.\n 3:21).\n IV. _Worship_\n A. Prayer (Acts 2:42; Acts 20:36).\n B. Giving (1 Cor. 16:1, 2).\n C. Studying and teaching (Acts 2:42; Acts 20:7; etc.).\n D. Vocal Music (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16).\n E. Lord\u2019s Supper (1 Cor. 11:20-34; Acts 20:7).\n F. In spirit and truth (John 4:24).\n V. _Daily Christian Living_ (Tit. 2:12; Jas. 1:27; Mark 12:30, 31;\n Matt. 7:12).\n VI. _Bible Names for God\u2019s Church_\n A. The Church (Eph. 1:22, 23; 5:25; Rev. 1:4).\n B. The Church of God (1 Cor. 15:9; 1 Thess. 2:14; 1 Cor. 11:16).\n C. The Church of Christ (Matt. 16:18; Rom. 16:16).\n VII. _Organization_ (Acts 14:23; 20:28; Phil. 1:1).\n VIII. _Charity and Evangelistic Work_ (Acts 11:27-30; 12:25; 24:17; 1\n Cor. 16:1-4; Acts 11:19-21; 11:22-26; 13:1-4; etc.).\n _Conclusion_: The church that follows the Bible on all points is the\n one that is right.\n\nBy actual count there are 217 people present for this Sunday evening\nworship. We are glad you are here. Your presence is a distinct\nencouragement. It helps. We can have better work by your being here than\nwe could if you were not here. We have some visitors and you are very\nwelcome. May you enjoy with us all the blessings that are to be had here\nand help us make these services even better!\n\nAt the close of the lesson we shall sing \u201cCome to Jesus,\u201d for the\npurpose of encouraging you to accept the Lord\u2019s invitation. The\ninvitation comes from Jesus Christ. By his authority and by the power of\nthe Holy Spirit the doors of the church were opened nearly 2,000 years\nago on the day of Pentecost, and the doors of the _Lord\u2019s_ church have\nbeen standing wide open ever since. Whosoever will may come. We sing\nthis invitation song for the sake of the exhortation it contains and to\ngive you a convenient opportunity to come forward and make known your\ndesire to obey the Lord. Backsliders are invited to return to God,\nconfessing their sins, repenting of them, and praying for forgiveness.\nThose who have never been born again are taught by the Bible to believe\nin Christ, repent of their sins, confess their faith, and be baptized\nfor the remission of sins. We are prepared to assist you in carrying out\nyour obedience of these commands. If you will come forward and make your\nwishes known, we shall be glad to help you in every way we can.\n\nI promised to speak to you tonight upon the topic \u201cWhich Church Is\nRight?\u201d That is a very important question, and the timeliness of it is\nevident by the fact that in the United States there are more than 200\nchurches. Just for the sake of a round number, we\u2019ll speak of them as\n200. That is, indeed, enough. In fact, too many! For, in the Bible,\nthere is only one. Now, you just think about that\u2014200 in the United\nStates alone, to say nothing about other parts of the world, and only\none in the Bible!\n\n\n I\n One Church in Bible\n\nOn the board tonight I have an outline of the lesson and the Scriptures\nwhich shall be used. I would like for you who are interested to write\nthese Scriptures down, that you may give them further study. Search the\nScriptures, as the noble people of Berea did, to see whether these\nthings are true. There are many Scriptures which show that there is only\none church in the Bible. Here are a few of them listed under No. 1. In\nMatthew 16:18, Jesus said, referring to the confession that Peter had\njust made, \u201cUpon this rock I will build my church.\u201d He used the singular\nform of the word. He didn\u2019t say \u201cmy churches,\u201d but \u201cmy church.\u201d\nTherefore, Jesus Christ built only one. He bought and paid for only one\nwith his blood, and he has only one tonight. \u201cThere is one body\u201d (Eph.\n4:4). There is \u201cbut one body\u201d (1 Cor. 12:20). That body is the church.\n\u201cAnd hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head\nover all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him\nthat filleth all in all\u201d (Eph. 1:22-23). Since there is but one body,\nand that body is the church, then it naturally follows that there is but\none church. Only one church in the Bible, and more than 200 in America!\nTherefore, we must face the question, \u201cWhich Church Is Right?\u201d\n\nPlease remember that this is no more my problem than it is yours. I\u2019m\nnot to blame for all these churches\u2019 being in the world! I did not start\nthem. None of you started them. We found them here when we were born\ninto this world. They are here. We are not responsible for their\nbeginning. Some of you may be responsible for helping to keep them\ngoing, but we found them here, and we have found that in the Bible there\nis only one. To decide which one is right is as much your problem as it\nis mine.\n\nYou may think that tonight I shall undertake to prove that the group of\npeople with whom I am associated is the right group and that all the\nothers are wrong. Well, I\u2019m frank to say that I believe I\u2019m right. If I\ndidn\u2019t, I would change! Some people think they are criticizing me when\nthey say: \u201cOh, well, you just think you\u2019re right and everybody else is\nwrong.\u201d I believe that\u2019s a compliment. Of course I believe I\u2019m right! If\nI didn\u2019t, I would change. A man who continues in a way which he does not\nbelieve to be right is a hypocrite! For one to teach what he sincerely\nbelieves is not conceit but sincerity. It\u2019s not egotism but honesty. Not\nonly do I believe that what I teach is right, but I stand ready to\nchange it whenever anyone can show me wherein it is wrong. But I promise\nnot to make a prejudiced or biased approach to this question.\n\n\n II\n The Church That Follows the Bible Is Right\n\nSuppose you were to undertake to examine all the creeds of Christendom,\nand eliminate them one by one to see which church is right. That would\ntake a very long time. You might even die with old age before you had\nfinished the task. I believe there is a much shorter and more practical\napproach to the solution of the question. Just go directly to the Bible\nand see what it says and follow its teaching; then you will naturally be\nright.\n\nIf I were going to answer my question tonight in just one brief\nstatement, I would say that the church which follows the Bible is the\none that\u2019s right. At first thought this may sound like a very trite\nstatement. Somebody would reply by saying, \u201cWell, all the churches claim\nto follow the Bible.\u201d Such a claim demands investigation! It\u2019s easy to\nmake such a claim, but you notice that I did not say that the church\nwhich _claims_ to follow the Bible is right, but that the one which\n_follows_ the Bible is right.\n\nThere may be a big difference between claiming to follow the Bible and\nactually following it. If you will talk to some of these people who\nclaim to follow the Bible, you will hear them using expressions like\nthese: \u201cWell, I think so and so\u201d; \u201cI feel like that\u2019s all right\u201d; \u201cMy\nchurch teaches this and that\u201d; \u201cI heard my preacher say so and so\u201d; and\n\u201cMy mother and father or grandparents always belonged to this church.\u201d\nTo such standards as these many people are clinging. Friends, such\nexpressions betray the fact that the man who uses them is not taking the\nBible as his one and only guide! They betray the fact that he is\nfollowing something else besides the Bible. Before we accept at face\nvalue a man\u2019s claim along that line, we\u2019d better look behind it. We\u2019d\nbetter listen to the man talk for a few minutes and see whether he does\nactually take the Bible to be complete and final authority in matters\nreligious.\n\nThe following Scriptures show that the Bible should be our guide: \u201cAll\nScripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine,\nfor reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the\nman of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good work\u201d (2\nTim. 3:16, 17). \u201cBut though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any\nother gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let\nhim be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man\npreach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be\naccursed\u201d (Gal. 1:8, 9).\n\n\u201cWhosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath\nnot God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the\nFather and the Son\u201d (2 John 9). Then that well-known Scripture in the\nlast chapter of the Bible, \u201cFor I testify unto every man that heareth\nthe words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these\nthings, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this\nbook: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this\nprophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out\nof the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book\u201d\n(Rev. 22:18, 19).\n\nMany other Scriptures could be used, but these are enough to show us\nthat _the Bible should be our guide_. It is sufficient and furnishes the\nman of God completely unto every good work. Those who claim to be\nfollowing the Bible and the Bible only should be expected to defend that\nclaim, in the light of the Bible. Frequently, I announce publicly that I\nstand ready to put my finger upon the Scripture that furnishes the\nauthority for everything we do and teach and believe in matters of\nreligion. I always stand ready to make this claim good. Everybody is\ninvited to check me on this basis. If you can find something for which I\ncannot give scriptural proof, then I will cease to teach, practice, or\nbelieve it. A preacher, who is not willing to make such a statement,\nevidently knows that he is not taking the Bible as his one and only\nguide, and yet I believe you will agree that most of the preachers in\nthis city will not make you this proposition.\n\nNot very long ago I heard a man boldly declare that his preacher\npreached the Bible and nothing else. I began to name several things\nwhich the Bible teaches and asked him one by one if his preacher taught\nthose things. In every instance he had to answer in the negative. He had\nnot fully realized what was comprehended in his statement. Another lady\ncame to me and said, \u201cI just believe that all of us ought to go back to\nthe Bible and take it as our guide.\u201d I reminded her that in that case\nshe would have to give up the unscriptural name which she had been\nwearing and make a number of other changes. She said, \u201cWell, now, let\u2019s\ndon\u2019t get back too far.\u201d The truth was that she didn\u2019t really want to\ntake the Bible as her only guide! I mention all these facts to show that\nyou mustn\u2019t be too quick to accept the claim mentioned a moment ago.\nYou\u2019d better examine it. For, as a matter of fact, if we were all\nfollowing the Bible there would be but one church on the earth, because\nthere is but one in the Bible. There\u2019s just no escaping this conclusion.\n\nSo, I believe that my statement is apt. It is appropriate to say that\nthe church which follows the Bible is the one that\u2019s right. Therefore,\nif you want a scriptural answer to our question tonight, you don\u2019t need\nto examine all the different creeds separately; just take the Bible and\nexamine it. Follow its teaching and directions step by step. This course\nwill lead you into the right church, and into heaven at last. You won\u2019t\nneed to investigate all the religious organizations which exist about us\nwithout Scriptural authority.\n\n\n III\n Conditions of Membership\n\nLet us see what the Bible actually teaches concerning the doctrine and\npractice of the church. Then we shall know which is right so far as\nthese items are concerned. I want to say now, and repeat many times as\nwe go along, that a church may be right on one point and wrong on\nanother. A church may follow the Bible on one point and not follow it on\nanother, and a church is right to the extent that it follows the Bible.\nIt\u2019s wrong to the extent that it fails to do so. No church is _all_\nright until it follows the Bible on _all_ points.\n\nFirst of all, let\u2019s look at the conditions of membership in the church\nwe read about in the Bible. Acts 2:47 shows that the conditions of\nmembership in God\u2019s church are identical with the conditions of\nsalvation. \u201cThe Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.\u201d\nSince the Lord adds to His church all saved people, the conditions of\nmembership and the conditions of salvation are exactly the same.\n\nWe learn from the Scriptures listed here (speaker points to the board)\nthat the first thing one must do in order to be saved is to believe that\nJesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. The Philippian jailor\nsaid to Paul and Silas, \u201cSirs, what must I do to be saved?\u201d They\nreplied, \u201cBelieve on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and\nthy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord and to all that\nwere in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and\nwashed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all of his, straightway\u201d\n(Acts 16:20-33). In answer to the jailor\u2019s question then, the inspired\npreacher said first of all, \u201cBelieve\u201d; then he taught him the word of\nthe Lord, which led to his repentance, evidenced by the fact that,\nwhereas he had a few minutes ago placed stripes across their backs with\na heavy whip, he now washed those stripes.\n\nThen Paul taught him and his household to be baptized, and taught them\nthat baptism was urgent, because they were baptized the same hour of the\nnight. They did not put it off a month or a week or even until daylight,\nbut were baptized immediately, or straightway, even the very same hour\nof the night.\n\nFaith is emphasized also by Acts 2:36 where Peter concluded his great\nPentecost sermon by saying, \u201cTherefore, let all the house of Israel know\nassuredly that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified,\nboth Lord and Christ.\u201d \u201cFor whosoever shall call upon the name of the\nLord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have\nnot believed?\u201d (Rom. 10:13-14). \u201cWithout faith it\u2019s impossible to be\nwell pleasing unto God\u201d (Heb. 11:6). Therefore, the first condition of\nsalvation is faith.\n\nThe second one is repentance. Acts 2:38 says, \u201cRepent\u201d; Acts 3:19 says,\n\u201cRepent\u201d; and Acts 17:30 says \u201cRepent.\u201d You can go home and read these\nScriptures and you\u2019ll find the commandment to repent in each of them,\nand it\u2019s given as a condition of salvation.\n\nFurthermore, we are taught that \u201cwith the heart man believeth unto\nrighteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation\u201d\n(Rom. 10:10). And in the eighth chapter of Acts we read that when the\nEthiopian eunuch said, \u201cSee, here is water, what doth hinder me to be\nbaptized? and Philip said, If thou believest with all of thine heart,\nthou mayest, and he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is\nthe Son of God.\u201d Therefore, confession is a condition of salvation.\n\nWhen the Pentecostians inquired what they must do to be saved, the\ninspired apostle Peter said, \u201cRepent and be baptized, everyone of you,\nin the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins\u201d (Acts 2:38).\nAnanias told Paul, \u201cAnd now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized,\nand wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord\u201d (Acts 22:16).\n\u201cThe like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the\nputting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good\nconscience toward God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ\u201d (1 Pet.\n3:21). No one, who knows the Bible, can have a good conscience toward\nthe Lord until he has been baptized. Baptism is the answer to the quest\nfor a good conscience.\n\n\u201cHe that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth\nnot shall be damned\u201d (Mark 16:16). Friends, there are a thousand ways to\ngo to hell; one of them is to disbelieve. But suppose I ask you who will\nbe saved. You cannot give me a Bible answer to save your life without\nmentioning baptism. For Mark 16:16, the word of Jesus Christ, says, \u201cHe\nthat believeth _and is baptized_ shall be saved.\u201d To leave out baptism\nwould be to omit part of the Lord\u2019s answer. No sane person ought to take\nthe responsibility of taking away part of God\u2019s word. You cannot give a\nBible answer to the question without mentioning baptism!\n\nAccording to the Bible, therefore, faith, repentance, confession, and\nbaptism are the conditions of salvation. Since all saved people are\nadded to the Lord\u2019s church by the Lord, then these are also the\nconditions of membership in God\u2019s church. The church, which teaches\nthis, is right on this point. It might be wrong somewhere else, but the\nchurch which teaches these facts is the right church as far as the\nconditions of membership are concerned. Any church which leaves off any\none of them or adds something to them just lacks that much, at least,\nbeing right.\n\n\n IV\n Worship\n\nLet us look next at the acts of worship. There\u2019s no place in the Bible\nwhich says in so many words, \u201cHere are the acts ye shall perform as\nworship to Jehovah\u201d; but there _are_ certain acts commanded, which are,\nby their very nature, acts of worship. Therefore, God does state for us\nthe acts which the members of His church shall perform in worship unto\nHim.\n\nFirst, they should _pray_. Acts 2:42 states that the church at Jerusalem\ncontinued steadfastly in the apostle\u2019s doctrine and fellowship, and in\nbreaking of bread, and in prayer. Acts 20:36 gives us an example of\npublic prayer. At the seaside the apostle Paul knelt down with those who\nwere gathered with him and prayed unto God. Prayer by its very nature is\nan act of worship.\n\nWe also learn in First Corinthians 16:1 and 2, that we should _lay by in\nstore_ upon the first day of the week as we have been prospered; and\nthat itself is an item of worship. Giving or sacrificing unto God for\nthe sake of God is an act of worship.\n\nFrom Acts 2:42, Acts 20:7, and many other Scriptures that could be\nlisted, we learn that _teaching and studying the Bible_ are also\ncommanded of God\u2019s children; and that, likewise, is worship.\n\nIn Ephesians 5:19 we read these words, \u201cSpeaking unto yourselves in\npsalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your\nheart to the Lord.\u201d And in Colossians 3:16, \u201cLet the word of Christ\ndwell in you richly, in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another\nin psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your\nhearts to the Lord.\u201d These Scriptures command us to _sing_ praises to\nGod and admonitions unto each other, which is naturally an act of\nworship.\n\nAnd then, finally, we are taught to eat the Lord\u2019s supper (1 Cor.\n11:17-34; Luke 22:19-20). Acts 20:7 tells us that this shall be done on\nthe first day of the week. The church at Troas, under apostolic\nguidance, met upon _the first day of the week_ to eat the Lord\u2019s supper.\nAnd, friends, \u201cthe sabbath day,\u201d as the expression was used in the Old\nTestament, meant every sabbath day, and by the same line of reasoning,\n\u201cthe first day of the week\u201d means the first day of every week.\n\nTomorrow students will be registering out at Peabody and Vanderbilt.\nTheir schedules will state that a certain class meets on Monday,\nWednesday, and Friday. They will not state that it meets _every_ Monday\nand _every_ Wednesday and _every_ Friday, but even a college freshman\nwill understand what is meant! When we are told that a class meets on\nMonday, Wednesday, and Friday, we know that it meets on Monday,\nWednesday, and Friday of every week.\n\nIf you were to search the New Testament to find out how often we should\neat the Lord\u2019s supper, you would not find the slightest suggestion that\nit should be eaten once a year. You would find no sort of hint that it\nshould be taken upon the first of every quarter or upon one Sunday out\nof each month. The only Scripture which throws any light whatsoever upon\nthe question puts it upon a weekly basis.\n\nJohn 4:24 shows that all these acts of worship must be done in spirit\nand in truth. \u201cGod is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship\nhim in spirit and in truth.\u201d\n\nThat\u2019s what the Bible teaches about the worship of the Bible church. The\nchurch which does these five things in spirit and in truth is the right\nchurch as far as the worship is concerned. A church might be right in\nworship and wrong in doctrine, or vice versa; but the church which, in\nspirit and in truth, teaches and practices these five items and only\nthese, is right in its worship; and the church that preaches and\npractices anything different from this is wrong. The Bible is right.\nThis is what the Bible teaches. The church which does this is\nconsequently right; the one which doesn\u2019t is wrong.\n\n\n V\n Christian Living\n\nA church is responsible for its teaching in respect to how its members\nshould live. It cannot force the members to do according to its teaching\nand we must distinguish between the conduct of the church as a whole and\nthe behavior of individual members. If the church teaches the truth and\nattempts to persuade its members to obey it, and properly disciplines\nthem when they disobey, the church as a whole cannot be held accountable\nfor their misbehavior.\n\nConcerning Christian living the Bible says, \u201cFor the grace of God that\nbringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying\nungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and\ngodly in this present world\u201d (Titus 2:11-12). \u201cPure religion and\nundefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and\nwidows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the\nworld\u201d (Jas. 1:27). \u201cThe first of all the commandments is, Hear, O\nIsrael; The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy\nGod with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,\nand with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second\nis like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is\nnone other commandment greater than these\u201d (Mark 12:29-31). And then in\nMatthew 7:12, we have what is called the Golden Rule, \u201cWhatsoever ye\nwould that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.\u201d\n\nThese are general commandments governing Christian behavior, and the\nchurch which teaches and impresses these Bible lessons upon its members\nis right that far, but the church which fails to condemn worldliness and\nungodly living lacks that much being right. It may be ever so sound on\ndoctrine and worship, but if it fails to properly admonish its members\nand hold up before them the divine standard of Christian conduct and\ninsist that they follow it, it lacks that much being right.\n\nFriends, here\u2019s (speaker points to board) what the Bible teaches on\nChristian behavior. The church which teaches this is right on that point\nbecause the Bible is right and this is what the Bible says.\n\n\n VI\n The Name\n\nWe come now to the name. You know, there are a lot of churches right\nhere in Nashville tonight which simply cannot find their names in the\nBible. They could look from now till the end of the world and they\ncouldn\u2019t find the names they wear in the Bible to save their lives!\nThat, to me, is an astonishing fact. It looks as if anybody ought to\nknow that the Bible cannot guide you into a church which isn\u2019t even\nmentioned in the Bible. A road map cannot direct you to a town which is\nnot shown on the map. A Tennessee road map cannot show you how to find a\ntown in Texas, and so the Bible cannot guide you to a church which isn\u2019t\neven found in the Bible. That\u2019s a very simple test which you might apply\nin your search for the right church.\n\nWhat does the Bible say about the name? In Ephesians 1:22 we find that\nChrist has been made head over all things unto _the church_. Ephesians\n5:25 says, \u201cHusbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the\nchurch and gave himself for it.\u201d And so, first of all, it is simply\ncalled _the church_. Then in Revelation 1:4 we read about \u201cthe seven\n_churches_\u201d of Asia, meaning the seven different congregations which are\nspecified in chapters three and four. In a general sense, including all\nsaved people on the earth, it is simply called _the church_. In the\nplural form this name refers to the various local congregations of that\ngreat body.\n\nWe learn also from First Corinthians 15:9 that it is called the _church\nof God_. Paul said he was not fit to be called an apostle, because he\npersecuted the _church of God_. First Corinthians Cor 11:16 says, \u201cBut\nif any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the\nchurches of God.\u201d So in the singular and comprehensive sense, it is\ncalled the _church of God_; not as a denominational title, but as an\nexpression of ownership. It is the church which belongs to God. And in\nMatthew 16:18 Christ said, \u201cUpon this rock I will build my church.\u201d It\nis, therefore, the church which belongs to Christ. And in the plural\nform, we read in Romans 16:16, \u201cThe churches of Christ salute you.\u201d\n\nFriends, we learn from the Bible, then, that in the broad, general\nsense, including all saved people, it is called the church, or the\nchurch of God, or the church of the Lord, the church which belongs to\nChrist. Referring to different local congregations, those same terms are\nused in the plural form. This leads me to believe that anything bigger\nthan a local congregation and smaller than all God\u2019s people throughout\nthe world or some specific geographic area, cannot scripturally be\ncalled _the church_. That\u2019s where denominationalism comes in. The only\nway this universal institution can scripturally be broken down into\ndifferent parts is to do it on a geographical or congregational basis.\nSplitting it up on any other basis results in sectarianism or\ndenominationalism\u2014creates different parties and sects.\n\nI have two pictures drawn here to keep that before your mind. Here\u2019s the\nBible picture (speaker points to board). The big ring includes all of\nGod\u2019s people throughout the entire world. These small dots represent\nvarious congregations like the church at Laodicea, the church at Smyrna,\nthe church at Ephesus, the church at Madison, the church at Chapel\nAvenue, the church at Columbia, Tennessee, and so on around the\nworld\u2014different local congregations. This is purely a geographical\ngrouping.\n\nBut here is the best figure I can draw on denominationalism and it\u2019s not\nentirely accurate (speaker points to board again). When a group of these\ncongregations, even if they have all been scripturally baptized\u2014which\nthey have not\u2014draw a ring about themselves and say, \u201cWe are the \u2018A\u2019\nChurch,\u201d another group says, \u201cWe are the \u2018B\u2019 Church,\u201d and another says,\n\u201cWe are the \u2018C\u2019 Church,\u201d each group of congregations distinguishing\nitself from other similar groups by a distinguishing title\u2014that is\ndenominationalism, pure and simple! That picture does _not_ represent a\n_geographic_ distribution, for we have all those different denominations\nright here in Nashville. It\u2019s not a geographical division, but a\ndivision based on difference in teaching, practice, and faith. That\u2019s\nnot the Bible picture (speaker continues to refer to board). Here is the\nBible picture.\n\nThe church which wears these Bible names, and only these, is the right\nchurch as far as the name is concerned. But, friends, any church that\ncalls itself by any other name, any name not in the Bible, is not the\nright church because the Bible is right. When a church has a name upon\ntheir building which cannot be found in the Bible, they need not claim\nthat they are taking the Bible as their one and only guide, for the very\nname on the church building denies that claim. Just think how foolish it\nis for a preacher to stand up and say, \u201cWe take the Bible as our guide,\u201d\nwhen, out in front of the building, in great big letters, is a name\nwhich cannot even be found in the Bible! That\u2019s one reason I think we\nhad better examine a man\u2019s claim to follow the Bible. Here\u2019s what the\nBible teaches on the name, and the Bible is right. The church that wears\nthese names and only these is right on that point.\n\nBut merely wearing the right name will not make a church right. It may\nwear the right name and still be wrong in other respects. I used to\npreach in a town where there was a great big church building which had a\nname in bold letters that you could see almost all over town\u2014Central\nChurch of Christ. But if you went to their worship, you\u2019d find something\nthat\u2019s not listed here at all (speaker refers to section of outline on\nboard). They were not following the Bible on worship. They had the right\nname but they didn\u2019t have the right worship. They were right on one\npoint but wrong on another. There are churches over the country called\n\u201cChurches of God.\u201d That\u2019s a good name, but they have items of doctrine\nthat cannot be found in the Bible. For instance, they preach that you\nhave to be baptized in the Holy Spirit in order to be saved, and that\u2019s\nnot in the Bible. Consequently, they are wrong on doctrine; and to\nmerely wear the right name does not atone for their false teaching on\nwhat one must do to be saved.\n\n\n VII\n Organization\n\nJust one more item or two and then we\u2019re through. Number 7 here refers\nto the organization of the church. According to the Bible every local\ncongregation is entirely independent under God to manage its own\naffairs, with its elders overseeing its work. Acts 14:23: \u201cWhen they had\nordained them elders in every church and had prayed with fasting, they\ncommended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.\u201d Acts 20:28 says,\n\u201cTake heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the\nwhich the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God,\nwhich he hath purchased with his own blood.\u201d In addressing the church at\nPhilippi Paul speaks of all the saints at Philippi \u201cwith the bishops and\ndeacons.\u201d\n\nAccording to this simple but effective organization of God\u2019s church,\nevery local congregation is entirely independent, supervised and tended,\nunder God, by a group of men known as overseers or pastors or elders.\nNow, that\u2019s what the Bible teaches on church organization. The church\nwhich follows this plan is right on that point. Wherever you see a group\nof congregations tied together by some inter-congregational\norganization, that group\u2019s wrong on their organization. I know some\ngroups that maintain congregational independence, but are wrong in some\nother way. Remember that in order for a church to be the right church,\nit must be right on all these items.\n\n\n VIII\n Charity and Missionary Work\n\nAnd then, finally, the Bible teaches that God\u2019s church should be active\nin beneficent and missionary work. It is the duty of the church to feed\nthe poor and to preach the gospel unto the entire world. I have a long\nlist of Scriptures here which authorize this statement (Acts 11:27-30;\n12:25; 24:17; 1 Cor. 16:1-4; Acts 11:19-21; 11:22-26; 13:1-4; etc.).\nEven though a church may be right in every other way, including\nChristian living, including the name, and including the organization, if\nit doesn\u2019t do what it can to take care of the poor, and if it doesn\u2019t\nmake a scriptural effort to preach the gospel to all the world, it lacks\nthat much being right, and cannot justify its claims to be known as the\nchurch of Christ!\n\nNow, friends, let me repeat again that here\u2019s what the Bible teaches.\nThe church which does these things is right, because the Bible is right;\nbut the church which deviates from these, leaves off some of them or\nadds something to them, lacks that much being right. And even though a\nchurch followed this plan in every item except one, it would still be\nwrong.\n\n\n IX\n Conclusions\n\nWhat practical application shall we make? Simply take your Bible and\nfollow out this plan, study it for yourself, see that this is what the\nBible teaches, and then identify yourself with the congregation which\ndoes the same. You say, \u201cMaybe I cannot find one that follows the Bible\nplan.\u201d I believe you can in this town, but I\u2019ll admit there are some\ntowns where you can\u2019t. Then what would you do? The answer is very\nsimple\u2014just start one! That\u2019s one of the easiest things in the world to\ndo. Study your Bible, follow its simple pattern, and the result will be\na church after the New Testament order. If you can find even one person\nwho is willing to follow this plan and work it with you, then you\u2019ll\nhave a congregation which pleases God. Jesus says, \u201cWherever two or\nthree are gathered together in my name, there will I be in the midst of\nthem.\u201d\n\nAnd, friends, I believe that the most practical and effective missionary\nwork that we could possibly do would be for all church members who move\naway from Nashville and other places where the church is strong, to\nfaithfully and persistently follow this Bible program wherever they go,\neven though they have to meet and worship in their own homes. There are\ntoo many who forsake this plan when they go away to a strange city.\n\nIf all who move away from places where the church is strong, would\nsimply take Christ and the Bible with them and start a congregation\nwherever they go, it would be the most far-reaching, the most effective,\nthe most practical, and the most economical missionary work that could\npossibly be conceived! It would not only be all of that, it would also\nbe scriptural. What more could you expect? That certainly is enough to\nrecommend it to us all. So, friends, simply take this plan, if you know\nof a congregation that\u2019s following it, then identify yourself with it.\nIf you can\u2019t find one, then start one, with the determination to follow\nthe Bible; and then you\u2019ll be in the right church. You may forget about\nall these 200 different denominations, except to do whatever you can to\nlead them out of error into the truth!\n\nI told you I would do no boasting tonight and I shall do none, but I\nwill say this: I sincerely believe it is the earnest determination of\nthe congregation at Chapel Avenue to follow this simple Bible plan, and\nI believe I speak the truth when I say that if you can point out to the\noverseers of this congregation that they are failing to follow the Bible\non any single item, they will change their practice immediately. That\nshould be the attitude of everyone who loves the truth, and they will\nnot embarrass you or rebuff you if you approach them on the question. If\nyou even _think_ they are failing on some point, they would welcome an\ninterview and pledge themselves to make any sort of alteration or change\nthat is necessary to bring the teaching, the practice, and the name of\nthis congregation into harmony with the Bible plan. If that were not\ntrue, I would not continue to preach for this group except long enough\nto do what I could to get them to reform.\n\nFriends, above everything else, I want to go to heaven when I die and I\nknow that the only way to do that is to follow the Bible; so I still\ninsist that it is entirely proper and appropriate to emphasize that the\nchurch which follows the Bible is the one that\u2019s right. This simple\ntest, if faithfully and honestly applied, will eliminate every church in\nthis town which cannot find its name, its doctrine, and its practice in\nthe Bible. Are you willing to live up to the claim that you take that\nBible as your one and only guide? If so, just follow this (speaker\nrefers to outline on the board) step by step, believe that Jesus is the\nChrist, repent of your sins, confess your faith, and then be baptized\nfor remission of sins. Then go on, worshiping God as the Bible directs,\nbehaving yourself as the Bible teaches, supporting the church which\nwears the right name, which is scripturally organized, and which takes\nthe Bible as its one and only guide.\n\nIf, after having been scripturally baptized, you have failed on one or\nmore of these items, the Bible teaches that if you will repent, confess\nyour sins and pray for forgiveness, God will surely forgive you. As we\nstand and sing the song announced, we entreat you to accept the\ninvitation of our Lord, who says, \u201cCome unto me and I will give you\nrest.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n VI\n WHY NOT BE JUST A CHRISTIAN?\n\n\nReligious people seem to realize more keenly than before the importance\nand even necessity of Christian unity. But before we can have the unity\nwhich the Bible teaches and demands, some practical means of attaining\nit must be employed. It seems to me that it would be well to begin by\nemphasizing some points of agreement\u2014in other words, let us see how\nclose together we are, at present, and then we will be in better\nposition to discuss the points of difference. I believe in religious\ndebates, have engaged in such myself and shall be glad to do so again\nwhenever the opportunity presents itself, but in this sermon I want to\nemphasize the truth upon which most religious people are already agreed.\n\n\n I\n Points of Agreement\n\nI believe we can say that most of those who claim to be followers of\nChrist are agreed upon the following points:\n\n A. _General Statements_\n 1. God is.\n 2. The Bible is His word written by men as they were guided by the\n Holy Spirit.\n 3. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.\n 4. The world needs a Savior and has no power by which to redeem\n itself from sin.\n 5. Redemption or salvation is to be had through Christ and only\n through Him.\n B. _The Plan of Salvation_\n\nIf we agree upon these five points, then, we also agree that there is a\nplan of salvation, for these points imply such a plan. It may be that we\ncan get closer together upon the items of this plan than you have\nthought we could. We will all agree that faith is the very foundation of\nthe plan (John 3:16). All accept the fact that repentance is essential\n(Acts 17:30). Everyone agrees that the plan of salvation includes the\nconfession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God (Matt.\n10:32, Acts 8:37, Rom. 10:10). Some make additions to this simple\nBiblical confession, but I have never heard of anyone\u2019s subtracting from\nit. When the comprehensiveness of the term \u201cChrist\u201d is understood, it is\nobvious that no additions are needed. Everyone who agrees on the\nforegoing will also agree that Jesus commanded baptism and promised\nsalvation to those who believed and were baptized. \u201cHe that believeth\nand is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be\ndamned\u201d (Mark 16:16). We will all agree that Peter said, as the Holy\nSpirit prompted him, \u201cRepent, and be baptized every one of you in the\nname of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the\ngift of the Holy Spirit\u201d (Acts 2:38). We will agree that Ananias said to\nPaul, \u201cAnd now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away\nthy sins, calling on the name of the Lord\u201d (Acts 22:16), and also that\nthe Holy Spirit said through the Apostle Peter, \u201cThe like figure\nwhereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of\nthe filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God),\nby the resurrection of Jesus Christ\u201d (1 Peter 3:21). It is also\ngenerally agreed that when one has been immersed he has been baptized.\nThere are some who believe that sprinkling or pouring will do as well,\nbut all agree that immersion is safe. Furthermore, it is generally\nagreed that when one believes and repents, confesses his faith, and is\nimmersed for the remission of sins in the name of Christ, he is saved.\nSome believe one is saved before completing this program, but all will\nagree that he is saved when he has completed it. So here again we find\nthe ground of unity.\n\nC. _Christian Worship_\n\nThe next question is, \u201cWhat should one do by way of worship and\nChristian service after becoming a Christian?\u201d In these realms, also,\nthere are many important points of agreement. In reference to public\nworship all will agree that it is proper for Christians to meet upon the\nfirst day of the week and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs and\nmake melody in their hearts unto the Lord; lay by in store as they have\nbeen prospered; pray unto their Father in heaven; teach and be taught;\nand eat the Lord\u2019s Supper in memory of Him who died for them. Some dare\nto add to these items of worship, some dare to subtract from them; but\nall agree that they are scriptural and sufficient. When Christians come\ntogether upon the first day of each week and perform these five Biblical\nitems of worship to God, doing so in spirit and in truth, they know that\ntheir worship has pleased their Maker and Redeemer. This, then, is the\nground of unity in our worship on the Lord\u2019s Day. In such a program all\nChristians could take part and go away believing that they had done all\nthat was required and nothing that was condemned.\n\nD. _Christian Service_\n\nIn reference to Christian service there is general agreement upon the\nbroad principles that should govern. Everyone will subscribe to the\nGolden Rule (Luke 6:31) and to the Royal Law (Jas. 2:8). We agree that\ndenying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and\nrighteously and godly in this present world, that we should love our\nneighbors as ourselves, and that we should do unto others as we would\nhave them do unto us.\n\n\n II\n The Sufficiency of the Plan\n\nThe above is a brief outline, then, of points upon which there is very\ngeneral agreement. Let me ask you, dear friend, if you can think of\nanything essential to salvation which is not covered, at least in a\ngeneral way, in this outline. If one follows the plan presented here, do\nyou not agree that he will be saved in heaven at last? Can you think of\nanything else which is needed to insure one\u2019s eternal salvation? I\nbelieve you cannot.\n\nUpon the sufficiency of this plan I am sure we are agreed. This being\ntrue, would it not be wrong to include anything else? Would it not be\nwrong to insist upon adding something to this simple Bible plan and\nthereby cause division and destroy the possibility of the unity that the\nBible requires? If the above plan is sufficient to take one to heaven,\nwhat more do you desire? Why add anything to it? Would it not be wrong\nto add anything else?\n\nAnother question: \u201cWhat will the following of this plan make of one?\u201d I\nam sure we will also agree that it will make him a Christian and only a\nChristian. Let it be noted that one can do all that is suggested above\nand which we have agreed to be sufficient unto salvation without\nbelonging to any denomination. You can believe, repent, confess your\nsins, and be baptized without belonging to any denomination. You who\nhave done so can meet in groups upon the first day of the week and\nworship God as the Bible directs without becoming members of any\ndenomination, and you can certainly perform your duties in the field of\nChristian service without joining a denomination.\n\n\n III\n More Points of Agreement\n\nBut while we are in this agreeing business, let us take it even further.\nIn this country there is a large religious community known as the\nBaptist Church. This group includes many fine people. Many of them are\nhonest, intelligent, cultured, refined, and good citizens. They have\ntaken their denominational title from their emphasis upon immersion as\nbeing the only scriptural baptism, in contrast to those who accept\nsomething else. I agree with the Baptists that immersion is baptism and\nthat nothing short of immersion will meet the definition of baptism\nfound in Romans 6:4 or Colossians 2:12. I agree with them that the Greek\nword \u201cbaptidzo\u201d is properly translated by the word \u201cimmerse.\u201d But I can\nagree with them upon this great truth without belonging to the Baptist\ndenomination. I can fully accept the very truth from which the Baptist\nChurch has taken its name and still be just a Christian.\n\nThe Methodist Church is one of the largest in this country. I have more\nkinspeople in that denomination than in any other. For all of their good\npoints I give them due respect and credit. Because of their insistence\nupon method and system in their religious work, they were nicknamed\nMethodists many years ago. This name was later accepted by them as their\ndenominational title. I agree with the Methodists that system and method\nare important. I endeavor to be systematic and orderly in every phase of\nmy work and activity. I believe that the Lord\u2019s work should be carried\non orderly. \u201cLet everything be done in decency and in order\u201d (1 Cor.\n14:40). We should use order, then. We should use the Bible order. But\none can certainly do this without belonging to the Methodist Church.\n\nWhy should one exalt the name of this one aspect of Christian activity\nto the point of adopting it as a religious title? One can be methodical\nwithout being a Methodist. Just as one can be systematic without being a\nSystematist. One can be just a plain Christian and practice everything\nthe Bible teaches in reference to order and system.\n\nWhen I was attending the Union Theological Seminary, one of my\nprofessors told me that the New Testament churches were \u201ccongregational\npresbyterian.\u201d He explained his statement by saying that each\ncongregation was independent of all other congregations and that each\nwas overseen by a group of men known as elders or presbyters. I agree\nwith him exactly. According to his explanation his statement was\nentirely correct. But I am not a member of the Presbyterian Church. One\ncan believe all the Bible teaches upon the presbytery and practice the\nsame without belonging to the Presbyterian denomination. Why should this\ncharacteristic of church government or organization be exalted by using\nit as a religious or denominational title? One can be just a Christian\nand still believe and practice what the Bible teaches in reference to\nthe presbytery. One does not have to be a member of the Presbyterian\nChurch to obey God concerning the presbytery.\n\nOne can believe in the universality of the Gospel without being a\nCatholic or Universalist. One can believe in the second coming of Christ\nwithout belonging to the Adventist denomination. One can teach and\npractice holy living without belonging to the Holiness Church. If one\nhad to join the Baptist Church because he believed in baptism and the\nMethodist Church because he believed in method and the Presbyterian\nChurch because he believed in the presbytery of the local congregation\n(1 Tim. 4:14) and so on down the list, what would he be when he had\nfinished? One can agree with the denominations on the very truth from\nwhich they have taken their names, insofar as they have taken their\nnames from truth, without belonging to any of them.\n\n\n IV\n Some Important Conclusions\n\nOne can believe all truth and obey every commandment of God without\nbelonging to any denomination. Can you think of an exception to this\nstatement? Can you think of any truth which you cannot believe or any\ncommandment that you cannot obey without joining a denomination? I don\u2019t\nbelieve you can. Can you think of any truth which you cannot accept or\nany commandment which you cannot obey while being just a Christian?\n\nIsn\u2019t it sufficient to be just a Christian? Isn\u2019t it wrong to be\nsomething different from or more than a Christian? Since one can be a\nChristian without joining any denomination, then why join one? Would it\nnot be wrong to join one, since denominationalism is division and\ndivision is wrong? Let me emphasize the statement that I can believe all\ntruth either in the Bible or out of the Bible and obey every commandment\nof the Lord without joining any denomination.\n\nThis being true, what then does it take to make one a member of a\ndenomination? Believing truth will not make one a member of a\ndenomination, because he can believe all truth on the outside. Obeying\nGod will not make one a member of a denomination, because he can obey\nGod on the outside. If believing truth and obeying God will not make one\na member of a denomination, then what will do so?\n\nTo become a member of a denomination, it is obvious that one must\nbelieve something besides the truth or do something besides obey God.\nSince believing all truth and obeying all God\u2019s commands will not put\none in a denomination, then he must believe something different from the\ntruth and do something which God has not commanded or leave off\nsomething which He has commanded, in order to become a member of a\ndenomination. It seems to me that these conclusions are inevitable and\nunanswerable.\n\nBut it may be that some of my hearers are already in some denomination;\nhence, I raise this question: \u201cWhat must you do to get out of a\ndenomination?\u201d The answer is, retrace the steps which you took in going\ninto it. Some seem to think that in order to give up denominationalism\nand to be just Christians that they will have to forsake all that they\nhave ever held as dear and precious in the field of religion. This is a\nmistake. Believing truth did not put you into a denomination. In order\nto come out of it, you will not have to forsake any truth. It will only\nbe necessary for you to reject the error which you accepted in becoming\na member of a denomination.\n\nIn order to come out of a denomination, you will not have to cease\nobeying God upon any point. It will only be necessary for you to change\nyour conduct on those points where you have been disobeying Him. Since\nbelieving truth did not put you in, you will not have to forsake truth\nin coming out. Merely give up the error that you accepted, believe the\ntruth revealed in the Bible and obey God; then you will be a Christian,\nnot a denominationalist.\n\nIn order to come out of a denomination, you will not have to quit\nbelieving that God is, that the Bible is His word, that Jesus is His Son\nand the Savior of the world. You will not have to quit believing in, and\nteaching, and practicing, faith, repentance, confession and baptism as\nthe conditions of salvation. You will not have to forsake any of the\nfive items of worship outlined in the Bible. You will not have to\nforsake any scriptural service to your fellow-man.\n\nAgain I repeat, one can believe all truth, obey every command of God, be\na Christian, live the Christian life, die in the Lord and be saved\nforever without belonging to any denomination. Since it is unnecessary\nto be a member of a denomination, it is wrong to be so. Any\nnon-essential which causes division is wrong. \u201cCome out from among them\nand be ye separate, saith the Lord. Touch no unclean thing\u201d (2 Cor.\n6:17). \u201cYet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed;\nbut let him glorify God on this behalf\u201d (1 Pet. 4:16). \u201cNeither is there\nsalvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given\namong men, whereby we must be saved\u201d (Acts 4:12).\n\n\n\n\n VII\n EXCUSES\n\n\nAt this season of the year we frequently say something about the custom\nof making resolutions. It is a mighty good custom, provided we make the\nright sort of resolutions and endeavor to keep them. I would like to\nencourage you to resolve to do more for the Lord this year than you have\never done before. Such a resolution could be broken down into many\nelements, but, especially, may I urge that each of you make it your goal\nto lead at least one person to obey the gospel during the year that has\njust begun.\n\nWe have more than 500 members. If each member would lead some person to\nChrist during this year, it would mean more than 500 additions. That\nwould be the most glorious year\u2019s work this congregation has ever had.\nWith the co-operation of every member, this goal can be reached. Surely\nthere is someone in Nashville with whom you have enough influence to\nlead him to Christ, provided you are willing to fully dedicate yourself\nto the Lord and behave yourself each day in the way that will give you\nthe greatest amount of power and influence for good.\n\n\n I\n A Great Supper\n\nI am not going to speak this morning upon new year\u2019s resolutions. But I\nshall say something which I believe will help you in carrying out the\nresolution that has just been mentioned. For our text we go to the\nfourteenth chapter of Luke, and begin reading with verse 15. \u201cAnd when\none of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto\nhim, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. Then said\nhe unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: and sent\nhis servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come, for\nall things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make\nexcuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I\nmust needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said,\nI have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them. I pray thee\nhave me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore\nI cannot come. So that servant came, and showed his lord these things.\nThen the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out\nquickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring me hither the\npoor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said,\nLord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the\nLord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges and\ncompel them to come in that my house may be filled. For I say unto you,\nThat none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.\u201d\n\n\n II\n Three Slackers\n\nAccording to the social customs which are said to have prevailed at that\ntime and in the light of this text, it appears that the men in this\nstory had already received and accepted the original invitation to\nattend this great supper. The servant was sent to tell those who were\nbidden that supper was now served. In spite of their social obligation\nto attend, they began to make excuse.\n\n1. The nature of their excuses is not very commendable. The first one\nsaid he had bought a piece of land and he was going to see it. I don\u2019t\nbelieve he bought that land without having already seen it. Such things\nsometimes happen but not often. He had probably walked over the farm\nvery thoroughly before he agreed to buy it. He was simply making an\nexcuse and he is not the last man who has allowed a piece of land to\nkeep him away from duty.\n\nI was brought up in the country and I have known men to work on their\nfarms six days a week from early in the morning until late in the\nevening and then on Sunday morning they just had to walk over the fields\nbefore they could go to worship. They would get out in the grass and in\nthe dew and get their clothes wet and come in late, too late to go to\nBible school, or maybe even too late to get to worship at all. Of\ncourse, such conduct is not acceptable in the sight of God.\n\n2. The next man said he had bought five yoke of oxen and must needs go\nand try them. I believe again that he had already tried them or by some\nother means knew whether they would work. He could have attended the\nfeast if he had wanted to do so, but he simply preferred to be out with\nhis oxen rather than to carry out the promise which he had made.\n\n3. The third man merely said, \u201cI have married a wife and therefore I\ncannot come.\u201d He didn\u2019t even say, \u201cI beg thee have me excused.\u201d He made\nno apology. He thought the fact that he had a wife was excuse enough for\nfalling down on his duties. He is not the last man who has allowed a\nwife to keep him from doing his duty. That has happened many times.\nSometimes it works the other way. The wife allows her husband to keep\nher from doing what she ought to do.\n\nYou and I regard none of these excuses as being valid. Neither did the\nmaster of the house. He was angry. He would allow none of these\ndeserters to taste his supper. He didn\u2019t even propose to make any\nallowance for repentance. He, no doubt, felt that he had been greatly\nmistreated or even insulted. But these excuses were no worse than many\nof those which people now offer for rejecting the Lord\u2019s invitation.\nEven church members sometimes give silly excuses for not doing their\nduty.\n\n\n III\n Common Excuses\n\nThis morning we want to discuss the excuses outsiders offer for not\nobeying the gospel.[2] If you start out to do some personal work and to\nlead people to the Lord individually, and that is the most effective way\nto lead them, you\u2019ll find them making excuses. There are twelve or\nfifteen excuses which will probably cover 95 per cent of the cases. If\nyou become familiar with these, and know how to answer them, you\u2019ll be\nable to handle most of the objections you meet. I have heard all these\nexcuses offered many times. If you set out to do some work tomorrow\u2014work\nof this nature\u2014you will find people offering one or more of these\nexcuses. Let us state and briefly discuss them.\n\n1. \u201c_There are so many doctrines preached I do not know which one to\nbelieve. If wise men differ about which church is right, how then can I\nbe sure?_\u201d Well, friends, wise men are still differing about what sort\nof food you ought to eat. The doctors have not yet decided what is the\nperfect diet; but you haven\u2019t quit eating while the doctors argue. You\nare more practical in dealing with your stomach than you are in dealing\nwith your soul. You keep on eating the best you can while the scientists\nsearch for the perfect diet.\n\nFurthermore, I never heard anyone offer this excuse who was a Bible\nstudent. It is always offered by those who do not study the Bible,\nbecause anyone who is able to study can find the answer. I could\nentertain you at length, and maybe profit you as well, by giving you a\nnumber of examples of individuals who have studied the Bible\nindependently in search for the truth, with always the same results.\nAnyone who will take the time to investigate God\u2019s word, doing his best\nto lay aside his prejudice and his bias, if he is sincere and honest,\nwill be able to understand God\u2019s will well enough to obey the Lord on\nthis earth and be saved everlastingly. The man who offers this excuse is\nsimply not willing to make the investigation necessary to gain the\nenlightenment or information which he needs.\n\n2. \u201c_For me to be baptized for remission of sins would be to say that my\nparents are lost._\u201d Of course, that implies that his parents are already\ndead and that they were never baptized for remission of sins. I answer\nthis objection by giving a concrete example. I visited a lady in West\nVirginia and anticipated that she would make this excuse. In fact, when\nI entered the room I could see the tenseness in the muscles of her face.\nShe was expecting me to say that her father had gone to hell, and she\nwas all set to get angry when I did. But I disappointed her. I didn\u2019t\nsay it. I have never said that to anyone. I do not see how it can do any\ngood. There may be times when I am convinced that it is so. But after\none is dead there is no need to discuss it.\n\nMy approach was this: \u201cI am willing to admit that your father was just\nas good as you think he was. There is no reason why I should deny this.\nBut remember, if your father was as good as you think he was, then he\ndid the best he knew, he lived up to all the enlightenment he had;\nbecause if he had not done so, he would not have been a good man. He\nwould have been a hypocrite. So we will just assume that your father did\nthe very best he could. Then you are not as good as he was unless you do\nthe very best that you know, and you know that you ought to be a\nChristian. You know you ought to be a member of the church we read about\nin the Bible. You know that you ought to be baptized for remission of\nsins. If you don\u2019t obey the gospel, then you are not as good as you say\nyour father was.\u201d\n\nThe tenseness left her face. She relaxed and talked more reasonably.\nBefore the meeting closed she obeyed the gospel. If your father and\nmother are dead, if they are on their way to heaven, and if they are\nconscious, then they certainly want you to obey the gospel so you will\ngo there, too. If they are not on their way to heaven, if they are\nconscious of being on their way to the other place, then they certainly\nwant you to obey the gospel, for torment in fire is one misery which is\nso terrible that it does not love company. The rich man did not want his\nbrothers to come to the place where he was in hades.\n\n3. \u201c_I am better now than some of those who are in the church._\u201d In a\nsense that might be so. Morally you might be better than the worst\nhypocrite in the church, but why do you want to select the lowest\nstandard that you can find? I have often wondered why a decent man will\nselect a hypocrite in the church, or an immoral, disloyal, unfaithful\nchurch member as a standard by which to measure himself. To do so is\ncertainly no compliment to yourself. We do not use such standards in\nother matters. We want the best standards in the affairs of this world\nand even though your comparison be true, it still remains that the best\nman in the church is far better than the best man on the outside. And\nthe average man in the church is better than the average man on the\noutside. Furthermore, when you stand before the Lord Jesus Christ you\nwill not be judged according to any human standard, but according to the\nword of God Almighty.\n\n4. \u201c_There are so many hypocrites in the church that I cannot afford to\nbecome a member of it._\u201d When one makes this excuse I don\u2019t say, but I\nfeel like saying, \u201cWell, come on in, brother; there is always room for\none more.\u201d The man who offers that excuse is a hypocrite himself. That\u2019s\nnot what keeps him out. It is just an excuse for not coming in.\nFurthermore, there are hypocrites in every organization in the world.\nThere are hypocrites outside the church. You can\u2019t get away from the\nhypocrites by staying outside the church, because they are not all\ninside the church. The church doesn\u2019t have a monopoly on them. Most of\nthem are still on the outside, and you will be with them as long as you\nremain there. Furthermore you\u2019ll have to spend eternity with all the\nhypocrites, those that are now in the church and those that are now\noutside the church. So, if you want to get away from hypocrites, there\nis only one way to do it: become a Christian and tolerate the few\nhypocrites in the church while on this earth you dwell, then go home to\nheaven to be free of all of them forever.\n\n5. \u201c_I\u2019m not good enough to be a Christian._\u201d If you were, you wouldn\u2019t\nneed to become one. The gospel is for people who need to be better. The\ngospel is for sinners. Sinners are the raw material out of which\nChristians are made. The people who were saved on the day of Pentecost\nwere not such good folk to start with. They were murderers. They had\nmurdered the Son of God. Yet they could be saved. If you are not worse\nthan the men who, with wicked and lawless hands, nailed the Son of God\nto the cross, then you are not too mean to be saved. In fact, Christ is\nable to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him. His power\nis not limited. One of the most wonderful things about the gospel of\nJesus Christ is that it makes no difference how dark or black your\nrecord may have been in the past, you can have it washed clean and white\nas snow in the blood of the Lamb. His blood is able to wipe away all\nyour sins; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool;\nthough they be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow (Isa. 1:18).\nThere is no one too wicked to be saved if he is willing to believe in\nChrist, repent of his sins, obey the commandment to be baptized, and\nremain faithful thereafter.\n\n6. \u201c_Well, I\u2019d like to become a Christian, but I\u2019m_ _afraid I can\u2019t hold\nout._\u201d People say a lot of things they don\u2019t mean to say. They use a lot\nof words sometimes when they don\u2019t realize what they are saying. So does\nthe man who makes this excuse. Let\u2019s just look at it a minute and see\nwhat a fellow really says when he states that he is afraid he can\u2019t hold\nout. If you analyze his excuse, it simply means this: \u201cI\u2019m on my way to\nhell and there is nothing I can do about it.\u201d He didn\u2019t mean to say\nthat. He didn\u2019t intend to assume such a hopeless attitude. \u201cI\u2019m just on\nmy way to hell and there\u2019s nothing I can do about it.\u201d Why nobody, not\nmany people at least, believes that! And yet that\u2019s virtually what you\nsay when you say, \u201cI\u2019d like to be a Christian, but I am afraid I can\u2019t.\u201d\n\nGod is not the author of such hopelessness. The Bible says, \u201cWhosoever\nwill let him take the water of life freely\u201d (Rev. 22:17). The Bible\nteaches that God \u201cwill not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are\nable, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may\nbe able to bear it\u201d (1 Cor. 10:13). The Bible plainly declares that all\nof those who will may come. Anybody who is willing to try can be saved.\nTo say it is impossible for you to be saved is to dispute the word of\nGod Almighty. I do not believe you really want to do that.\n\n7. \u201c_I don\u2019t know enough yet._\u201d That could be so. I think I have seen\nsome people of whom that was true. But you can learn enough in a very\nfew minutes. Do you know that in every example of conversion we have in\nthe Bible, the people who were saved obeyed the first sermon they heard?\nIn every case! Now, if those people who lived nearly 2000 years ago\ncould learn enough from one sermon to obey the gospel, how long should\nit take one today? In every instance they obeyed the first sermon they\nheard. It didn\u2019t take long, did it? I have worked with people whom I had\nto teach for a full year before they would obey the gospel. Of course, I\nadmit that I am not as good a teacher as Peter or Paul, but when I read\nto you just what those men said, then, after all, they are doing the\nteaching. People of that day could learn enough from them in just an\nhour or so to obey the gospel. Surely it ought not to take one several\nyears now to learn the same. After all, you don\u2019t need to know much to\nbe saved. You don\u2019t need to know everything. If you wait till you know\neverything before you do anything, then you\u2019ll always do nothing.\n\nIn order to be saved, you simply need to know that you are lost, that\nJesus is able to save you, and what he wants you to do in order that he\nmay save you. I can tell you that in less than a minute! \u201cHe that\nbelieveth and is baptized shall be saved\u201d (Mark 16:16). \u201cRepent and be\nbaptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission\nof sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost\u201d (Acts 2:38).\nNow, that is enough if you are willing to accept it and obey it. Even if\nyou didn\u2019t know it when you came, you now know enough to be saved.\n\nAn illustration which I frequently use is this: Suppose I start to drive\nto Columbia, Tennessee, tonight. I get out here on the street and say,\n\u201cWell, I can\u2019t see the way to Columbia. There are many crooks and turns\nand ditches between here and Columbia. I might have a wreck and kill\nmyself, so I just won\u2019t start.\u201d That would be silly, wouldn\u2019t it? Why, I\ncould see a few yards ahead of me and I would drive on in what light I\nhad. As I moved on the light would move on and if I kept on going, I\nwould likely reach Columbia or any other place to which I started.\n\nThat\u2019s the way it is in going to heaven; you can\u2019t see your way from\nhere into the Pearly Gates. If you could, you would be walking by sight\nand not by faith. \u201cBut the just shall live by faith\u201d (Hab. 2:4). You can\nsee the first step, and if you will take it, you will be able to see a\nlittle bit further. Take the second and then you can see still further,\nand if you keep on going, you will reach the goal.\n\n\u201cIf a man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be\nof God or whether I speak of myself\u201d (John 7:17). They that will to do\nHis will shall know. You can see or learn the way as you go along.\nRemember this, if you know of just one commandment that you have not yet\nobeyed, you do not deserve to understand another until you are willing\nto obey the one you do understand. If a man does not love the truth, God\nwill send him strong delusions that he may believe a lie and be damned\n(2 Thess. 2:8-12). If you know truth and are unwilling to act upon it,\nyou do not deserve to know any further truth. If you keep on despising\nwhat truth you do have, then God will take even that away from you. He\nwill send you a strong delusion that you may be deceived, may be deluded\nand may be damned forever. It is a dangerous thing for one to trample\nunder his foot the word of Almighty God. If you know of even one\ncommandment which you have not obeyed, obey it now.\n\n8. \u201c_I live a good, clean life, I treat everybody right. I pay all my\ndebts, I tell the truth, I am loyal and faithful to my family, and I am\njust as good as a lot of those folk in the church. The church can\u2019t save\nyou anyhow, so I think I am all right._\u201d Now, you know the answer to\nthat, don\u2019t you? It\u2019s found in the tenth chapter of Acts. I always like\nto suggest that the man who makes that sort of a statement compare\nhimself with Cornelius. He was a just man. He treated everybody right.\nHe feared the Lord. He prayed to God always. He was charitable. He gave\nmuch alms to the poor. And he was such a good man he had won the favor\nof the Jews over whom he was serving as the head of an army of\noccupation! He had a good reputation, even among them. Yet he was not\ngood enough to go to heaven without obeying the gospel. He was told to\nsend for Peter, who would speak unto him words whereby he should be\nsaved. He was not yet saved.\n\nIf you have ever committed just one sin, you cannot go to heaven until\nthat sin is washed away by the blood of Jesus, for sin cannot enter\nthere. Surely there is no one who would say that he had never committed\none sin. You don\u2019t have to commit a great big catalogue of sins in order\nto be lost. Just one unforgiven sin will take you into torment. If\nyou\u2019ve ever done wrong on a single point, then you\u2019ll have to repent of\nthat and obey the gospel in order to go to heaven when you die.\n\n9. \u201c_I\u2019m waiting for someone else. I\u2019m afraid my parents or husband or\nwife would object. This religion is unpopular and would cause me to lose\nmy social standing._\u201d This is really three excuses in one, but in each\ncase the person is being influenced by what someone else thinks, instead\nof being influenced by what God says. A familiar answer to such excuses\nis that every tub shall set on its own bottom. You\u2019ll find that in\nRomans, chapter 14 and verse 12, \u201cSo then each one of us must give an\naccount of himself unto the Lord.\u201d It doesn\u2019t use the word \u201ctub,\u201d but it\nsays the same thing. \u201cSo then each one of us must give an account of\nhimself unto the Lord.\u201d When you get to the judgment day, neither your\nfather nor your mother, brother nor sister, husband nor wife\u2014nobody else\ncan answer for you. Therefore, no one else should be allowed to _live_\nfor you. No one should be allowed to make your choices or decisions\nbecause they cannot answer for you.\n\nSomeone made a remark that one of the nice things about the Catholic\nChurch was that the members allowed the priests to make all the\ndecisions, that they rather expected him to make their choices for them.\nMy answer was that that would be all right if the priest could also\nanswer for you. But the priest cannot answer for you. Therefore, you\u2019d\nbetter not let him make your decisions. He might not make a decision\nthat you would want to stand by on the judgment day. Nobody can answer\nfor you, therefore nobody should be allowed to choose your course. In\nthe light of God\u2019s word you must accept that responsibility yourself.\n\nFurthermore, if you want to get your husband, wife, or somebody else to\nobey the gospel, the way to get them to do it is not to wait for them\nbut go ahead and lead the way. Step out and do it yourself. In West\nVirginia a lady told me that she would obey the gospel but that she was\nwaiting for her husband. I knew that was not a good excuse and I tried\nto get her to see it. One evening while we were singing the invitation\nsong I stopped and made this remark, \u201cIf I were you, I\u2019d rather go to\nheaven alone than to go to hell with my husband.\u201d Evidently she knew\nthat I was talking about her, for when we began to sing again she came\ndown the aisle. The next day her husband also came. If she had waited\nfor him, they might both still be on the outside. Now they are two of\nthe most faithful members in the congregation.\n\nA lady at Madison, Tennessee, made the same excuse. She even went so far\nas to say, \u201cIf you\u2019ll just talk to my husband and get him to obey, then\nI\u2019ll come along with him.\u201d I told her that wasn\u2019t the right attitude.\nThe next Sunday at church she came down the aisle to make the confession\nand be baptized. When I met her, she stopped and whispered to me,\n\u201cBrother Dark, I wish you would go back and talk to my husband.\u201d He was\njust two steps behind her and she didn\u2019t know it. That\u2019s the way to get\nyour husband to come! That\u2019s the way to get your wife to come! If you\nwait for somebody else, then you\u2019ll be lost.\n\nThere was a lady in Chattanooga who didn\u2019t wait for her husband. She\nwent to church. Her husband tried to keep her from going. That\u2019s\nunusual. Most husbands like for their wives to be good whether they are\nor not. But this husband didn\u2019t want his wife to go to church. He told\nher she couldn\u2019t have any money to give to the church. She began to take\nin sewing to make money for her contributions. That made him angry. He\nsaid, \u201cYou can\u2019t use that sewing machine, I paid for it.\u201d So she just\nkept on going without any money to contribute. He saw that he was\ndefeated on that point so, in desperation, he locked up her wardrobe. He\nsaid, \u201cI paid for those Sunday dresses and you can\u2019t wear them to\nchurch.\u201d She defied him again and borrowed some dresses from the next\ndoor neighbor and other ladies in the church and just kept on going\nanyway. He felt like he had to do something about it, so he went over to\nthe meetinghouse to see if he could find out what could be done. He\nstood on the outside and listened. It didn\u2019t sound as bad as he thought\nit would. Before the meeting closed he was baptized. Suppose his wife\nhad been fainthearted and had refused to go ahead without her husband.\nHe now says that he used to be the meanest man in Chattanooga and I\u2019m\ninclined to agree with him.\n\nI heard another story of a lady who was influenced by her husband. She\nwas attending a revival meeting and he was going with her every night.\nOne night while they were dressing, she said something about going to\nchurch, and he said, \u201cNo, we\u2019re not going to church tonight, we\u2019re going\nto the show.\u201d She replied, \u201cI can\u2019t go to a show. The revival is going\non. You know that! I have to be over there!\u201d He said, \u201cNo, we\u2019re going\nto a show.\u201d She kept on insisting that they go to church and he kept on\ninsisting on going to the show. Finally he said, \u201cNow, I\u2019ve been going\nwith you every night, and it\u2019s only fair that you go with me tonight.\u201d\nShe still refused. Then he said, \u201cIf you don\u2019t go with me tonight, I\u2019m\nnot going with you any more.\u201d So she gave in.\n\nOn the way to town he stopped beside the road. His wife asked him what\nwas wrong. He said, \u201cI\u2019m not going to the show. I just wanted to test\nyou out. I was planning to obey the gospel. If this thing is as\nimportant as you and your preacher say it is, then you ought to have\ngone on tonight regardless of what I did. Before I accepted I thought I\nwould test you out.\u201d I admit that he treated her pretty rough; but after\nall, you can\u2019t afford to let even the person whom you love best on this\nearth keep you from doing that which is right. It would be an act of\nunkindness. If you love someone, you ought not to let him keep you from\ndoing right but you ought to go on anyhow and use your influence to get\nhim to come along with you.\n\n10. \u201c_There is plenty of time yet._\u201d This one will probably take more\npeople to hell than all the others put together. Procrastination is the\nthief of souls. I\u2019ve never talked to but one person who said he planned\nto die and go to hell. Others say, \u201cYes, I\u2019m going to change my ways. I\nknow that I\u2019m lost and I\u2019m going to change.\u201d But when? \u201cWell, sometime.\u201d\nA man who talks like that never gets it done. When I go into a man\u2019s\nhome, talk to him, and urge him to obey the gospel and he says, \u201cWell,\nI\u2019m going to think it over; I\u2019m glad you came and I\u2019ll think it over,\u201d I\ngo away without much encouragement. But if a person tells me, \u201cYes,\nBrother Dark, I\u2019ll be over there next Sunday night and be baptized,\u201d\nthen I know something is going to happen. That is the only way to\novercome the tendency to procrastinate.\n\nI talked to some people at Madison one evening about 5 P.M. Immediately\nupon entering the room I learned that they knew what they ought to do.\nThey had attended our meeting often and they knew that they ought to be\nbaptized. They understood the plan of salvation. I remarked to them that\none could get into the habit of procrastinating. I said, \u201cEvery time you\nrepeat the act of putting this thing off this habit becomes stronger. If\nyou aren\u2019t careful, it may get you bound so tightly that you will never\novercome it.\u201d They came forward that night and obeyed the gospel, less\nthan three hours after I had talked to them, and are now two of the most\nfaithful members in the church. Afterwards the man told me that the\nremark about procrastination had prompted him to act immediately. He\nrealized that he had got into the habit of putting it off. This habit\nwas getting stronger and stronger. He had to exert his will power to\novercome it.\n\nNone of these excuses are any good. They will not stand the test of the\njudgment. I doubt that you would even have the audacity to mention them\nbefore God. There is no excuse for failing, or for delaying, to do what\nyou know God has commanded.\n\n\n IV\n The Best Resolution\n\nThe best resolution that you can make today, if you haven\u2019t already made\nit, is the resolution to quit doing wrong and to begin doing right. It\nis preceded by faith; it is followed by baptism. The resolution to do\nright will naturally lead to baptism, for that is a part of doing right.\nWon\u2019t you say at the beginning of this new year, \u201cI\u2019m going to resolve\nnow that from this day henceforth I will live for God\u201d? If that be your\nresolution, come forward and make it known while we stand and sing.\n\n\n\n\n VIII\n AN ERRING CHILD OF GOD\n\n\nIt is my purpose this morning to discuss the case of an erring child of\nGod in contrast to that of an alien sinner. An alien sinner is one who\nhas never been baptized into Jesus Christ, one who has never become a\nmember of the Lord\u2019s church, one who has never become a citizen of the\nkingdom of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. The plan of salvation for\nsuch an one is clearly revealed in the Bible. It has been proclaimed\nfrom this pulpit numbers and numbers of times. It needs to be repeated\nover and over again, and to be kept constantly before the minds of the\npeople.\n\nNot only should those who are not Christians know the plan of salvation\nin order to become Christians, but those who have already obeyed the\ngospel ought to know what an alien must do to be saved well enough to\nteach others effectively. The alien must know the gospel well enough to\nobey it. The Christian must have a working knowledge of the gospel in\norder to help save others.\n\nThe Bible clearly teaches that in order to become a child of God one\nmust believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God; that\nhe must then repent of his sins (Acts 2:38 and 3:19); that he must\nconfess with his mouth the faith which he has in his heart; and finally\nhe must be baptized for remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16, and many\nother places which might be cited). These are the conditions of\nsalvation for an alien sinner. Obedience to these commandments makes one\na child of the Lord.\n\n\n I\n A Word of Encouragement\n\nBut suppose one errs from the truth after having obeyed these\ncommandments. That would make him an erring child of God. The case of\nsuch an one deserves our consideration. Is there a plan of salvation for\none who errs from the truth after having been baptized into Christ\u2014into\nthe family of God? If so, what are the conditions of his salvation? On\nthis topic there seems to be some confusion and misunderstanding.\nOccasionally we meet someone who thinks that there is no way for him to\nbe saved, if he sins after he has been baptized\u2014that his case is\nhopeless, if he turns away from the church after having once been a\nmember thereof. I would like to speak a word of encouragement to all\nsuch.\n\nThere\u2019s only one thing which can keep any person on this earth from\nbeing saved, and that is unwillingness to repent and obey God. I believe\nit is true that no matter how far one may have strayed away, if he wants\nto come back, if he will repent, and if he will obey the commandments\nwhich God has given, God is willing to forgive. This is the divine\nencouragement and inducement which is held out to all by the word of God\n(1 John 1:9; 2 Pet. 3:4).\n\nI believe we can say that anyone who has been a Christian very long has\nat some time or other been an erring child of God, for there are none of\nus who live perfect lives. I presume there are none here who even claim\nto live perfectly. In 1 John 1:8 we read: \u201cIf we say that we have no\nsin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.\u201d Everyone, then,\nwho has been in the church any appreciable length of time has been, at\nsome time, an erring child of God. If it were not possible for an erring\nchild of God to be saved, then none of us would have a chance, and the\nwhole scheme of redemption would be vain. Of course, we know that such\nis not the case.\n\n\n II\n God\u2019s Willingness To Forgive\n\nThat an erring child of God may be saved is clearly taught by James\n5:19-20, \u201cBrethren, if any one of you do err from the truth and one\nconvert him, let him know that he which converteth a sinner from the\nerror of his way, shall save a soul from death and shall hide a\nmultitude of sins.\u201d That\u2019s a clear-cut reference unto an erring child of\nGod, for this statement is addressed unto the brethren. It teaches that\nif a brother errs from the straight and narrow way, there is a chance\nfor him to be restored by another brother. The one who restores him\nrenders a very valuable service which covers a multitude of sins and\nsaves a soul from death. That is, he saves a soul from the lake of fire\nand brimstone, which is the second death, for Christians as well as\nsinners are appointed unto physical death. Of course, if the erring\nbrother refuses to obey, he will be lost. He will be lost because of his\nunwillingness to obey, and not because of God\u2019s unwillingness to\nforgive.\n\nWe have another reference to erring children of God in the third chapter\nof Revelation, in the letter addressed unto the church at Laodicea. In\nthis church there were some lukewarm members. Lukewarm church members\nare erring children of God. Of them, Jesus says, \u201cI know thy works, that\nthou are neither cold nor hot. I would thou wert cold or hot. So then\nbecause thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out\nof my mouth.\u201d Surely these people were in a bad spiritual condition,\neven to the extent of making our Savior sick at his stomach; but their\ncase was not a hopeless one. There was still opportunity for them to\nrepent and to be saved.\n\nThis letter itself represents an effort on the part of God through his\nSon, Jesus, to lead these people to repentance, in order that he might\nforgive them. He pleads with them as follows: \u201cI counsel thee to buy of\nme gold tried by the fire; that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment\nthat thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not\nappear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve that thou mayest see. As\nmany as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent.\nBehold I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open\nthe door, I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me. To\nhim that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I\nalso overcame and am set down with my father in his throne. He that hath\nan ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches\u201d (Rev.\n3:14-22). From this, we not only learn that it is possible for the\nerring children to be saved, but that their salvation is conditioned\nupon their repentance.\n\n\n III\n Unwillingness To Repent\n\nThe characters mentioned in the first part of the sixth chapter of\nHebrews were lost not because they were incapable of being saved, but\nbecause they were unwilling to repent. Of them we read, beginning with\nverse 4; \u201cFor it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and\nhave tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy\nGhost, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world\nto come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance;\nseeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to\nan open shame.\u201d Please note that it does not say that these people could\nnot be saved; it does not say that it was impossible for them to repent;\nbut it says it was impossible to get them to repent, that no one could\npersuade them to repent, that they persistently refused to do so.\n\nThese were not characters who were still striving to live the Christian\nlife, but making mistakes along the way. They were men who had\ncompletely turned their backs upon that which was right. They were\ncrucifying to themselves the Son of God afresh, and putting him unto an\nopen shame. And one could not persuade them to repent. They were not\nlost because of God\u2019s unwillingness to forgive, but because of their\nunwillingness to repent.\n\nIt is possible for one to turn so completely away from the Lord that you\ncannot get that person to repent, but please remember that the trouble\nstill lies with the man himself. Even such an one as that could be saved\nif he would repent, but he won\u2019t repent. Whosoever will may come, but\nthere are some who won\u2019t. Jesus says, \u201cYe will not come unto me that ye\nmay have life.\u201d\n\nThere is nothing in the Bible, then, which teaches that it is impossible\nfor any individual to be saved, provided he will repent and obey the\nLord. There are simply some who refuse to obey. Anyone can repent, but\nthere are some who will not. Of such characters 2 Peter 2:21-22 says:\n\u201cFor it had been better for them not to have known the way of\nrighteousness, than after they have known it to turn from the holy\ncommandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according\nto the true proverb, the dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the\nsow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.\u201d\n\n\n IV\n Simon the Sorcerer\n\nIn the eighth chapter of Acts we have another example of an erring child\nof God. His name was Simon and he was a sorcerer by profession. Of him\nverse 13 says, \u201cThen Simon himself believed also: and when he was\nbaptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles\nand signs which were done.\u201d Jesus said, Mark 16:16: \u201cHe that believeth\nand is baptized shall be saved.\u201d Simon believed and was baptized,\ntherefore, Simon was saved. Simon was a child of God because he had\nbelieved and been baptized. That he was afterwards in error is plainly\ntaught by Peter in the verses which follow. Beginning with verse 18:\n\u201cAnd when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles\u2019 hands\nthe Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me also\nthis power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy\nGhost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou\nhast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast\nneither part nor lot in this matter; for thy heart is not right in the\nsight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if\nperhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive\nthat thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.\nThen answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of\nthese things which ye have spoken come upon me.\u201d\n\nSimon was a child of God because he had believed and had been baptized.\nAfterwards he erred. That made him an erring child of God. His condition\nwas serious. He had so sinned as to be aptly described as being in the\nbond of iniquity, and in the gall of bitterness. But his case was not\nhopeless. Peter\u2019s admonition to him shows clearly that there was still a\nchance for him to be saved.\n\nPeter commanded him to repent and to pray. The commandment to pray for\nforgiveness implied a commandment to confess his sins. One cannot\nconsistently pray for forgiveness until he admits, at least to himself\nand to God, that he has sinned. One cannot even repent until he first\nadmits to himself that he has done wrong. The commandment to confess\nimplied by Peter is clearly stated elsewhere in God\u2019s word. For\ninstance, James 5:16: \u201cConfess your faults one to another, and pray one\nfor another that ye may be healed.\u201d Again we read in I John, chapter 1,\nverses 9 and 10, \u201cIf we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to\nforgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say\nthat we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.\u201d\n\nThese Scriptures not only teach the possibility of an erring child of\nGod\u2019s being saved, but also the condition upon which his salvation\ndepends. These conditions are: repentance of his sins, confession of his\nsins, and prayer unto the Lord for forgiveness. Any erring child of God\nwho conforms to these conditions will be readily and freely forgiven by\nour Father who is in heaven. One who refuses to conform to these simple\nconditions assumes full responsibility for his own destruction. Having\nput his hand to the plow, and looking back, he is not fit for the\nkingdom of God (Luke 9:62). He must repent or perish (Luke 13:3).\n\n\n V\n The Prodigal Son\n\nThe story of the prodigal son very beautifully and accurately\nillustrates the plan we are discussing. The prodigal son does not\nrepresent an alien sinner. He was a son. He represents an erring child.\nHe went away from home contrary to his father\u2019s will, and he wasted his\nfather\u2019s goods in riotous living. He was a wayward child. He was a\ndisobedient son of his father; and finally, when he had tasted the\nbitter dregs of sin, he resolved to go back home.\n\nThe Bible says that he came to himself. He recognized that he had\nsinned. That was the first step in his restoration. When he thought\nabout the good things back in his father\u2019s home in contrast with his own\nsuffering, he recognized that he had made a mistake. Then he made a\nresolution. He said, \u201cI will arise and go unto my father.\u201d And the very\nminute he made up his mind to go to his father, that was repentance.\nRepentance is a change of purpose. A determination to quit doing wrong\nand to begin doing right. And so when the young man said to himself, \u201cI\nwill go, I will return to my father, and to my father\u2019s house,\u201d that\nresolution constituted repentance. Then the story says that he arose and\ncame to his father. That was the fruit of his repentance.\n\nHe had planned his confession. He said, \u201cI will say unto my father,\nFather, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more\nworthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.\u201d The\nyoung man expected to plead his case with his father. He didn\u2019t even\nhope to be reinstated as a son. But he was going to beg that he might be\nallowed to come back as a servant. Imagine his surprise when his father\nran to meet him and welcomed him back into the family circle. The boy\nstarted to make his confession, but before he had had time to finish,\nthe father interrupted him and said: \u201cBring forth the best robe and put\nit on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring\nhither the fatted calf and kill it and let us eat, and be merry. For\nthis my son was dead, and is alive again, he was lost and is found.\u201d\n\nNow this not only illustrates what an erring child of God must do to be\nsaved, but it also represents God\u2019s willingness to forgive him. This\nyoung man repented, he reformed, he confessed, and he prayed. He prayed\nto his father to take him back into his home. (He had planned his\nconfession in his heart even if he were not allowed to express it all.)\nThat is just exactly what an erring child of God must do. As we learn\nfrom Peter, James and John, he must repent, confess his sins, and pray\nfor forgiveness. Just as the father of that prodigal son was eager to\nreceive him back into his home, so our heavenly Father stands waiting to\nreceive unto the bosom of his love all of his wayward children who will\ncome back to him in humility, penitence, confession and prayer. Just as\nthat father showered his son with blessings, so Jehovah will shower his\nwayward children who return to him with the blessings of forgiveness,\nprotection, and encouragement.\n\n\n VI\n The Church\u2019s Duty\n\nIn conclusion it might be well to mention the duty of the church in\nreference to an erring child of God. It is the duty of the church and of\nall its spiritually-minded members to warn those who are living in\nerror, to rebuke them, to reprove them and to exhort them with all long\nsuffering and teaching, to admonish them to do these three things which\nare required of them in order to be forgiven by the Lord. When we do so,\nwe shall in no wise lose our reward.\n\nI close then by calling attention once more to these verses in James,\n\u201cBrethren, if anyone of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;\nlet him know that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his\nway, shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins.\u201d\nNow, there may be some erring children of God in this audience this\nmorning. I want to do just what the Bible teaches me to do. I want to\nadmonish you, urge you, and beseech you to take advantage of God\u2019s\ngoodness and God\u2019s mercy and God\u2019s willingness to forgive.\n\nThe alien sinner must believe, repent, and be baptized. The erring child\nof God must repent, confess his sin, and pray for forgiveness. But I\ndon\u2019t care how black your past may have been, how many ugly things you\nmay have done, if you will confess to men, to yourself, and to God that\nyou have sinned; if you will resolve in your heart that you will turn\naway from your evil doing, and ask God to forgive you, He will certainly\ndo so. He never goes back on His promise. He\u2019s not only willing, but is\neager to have you come. He will welcome you back into the fold of those\nwho are redeemed.\n\nAll of those evil things which you have done will not only be forgiven,\nbut they will be forgotten. They will never be remembered any more, and\nyou can start all over again to live the Christian life, with a\nperfectly clean, white record; all the blots having been wiped away by\nthe all-powerful blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Don\u2019t you want\nto do that? We urge you to do so, while together we stand and sing.\n\n [Illustration: Three Dispensations]\n\n PATRIARCHAL\n God\u2019s law to the patriarchs and Gentiles.\n Red Sea\n MOSAIC\n God\u2019s law to the Jews given through Moses\n {Cross}\n CHRISTIAN\n God\u2019s law to the world given through Christ\n\n\n\n\n IX\n THE SABBATH\n\n\nNegative sermons are sometimes necessary. It is the duty of gospel\npreachers not only to proclaim the truth but also to condemn error and\nconvict the gainsayers (Titus 1:9). Wherever false teaching raises its\nugly head, we must strike it down with the sword of the Spirit. Wherever\nit lurks in secret hiding places to destroy unwary souls, we must search\nfor it and expose it with the light of truth. We must warn people\nagainst it.\n\nMuch money and effort are spent to protect people from contagious\ndiseases. In a public building of downtown Nashville yesterday I saw\nabove a water fountain a sign which said, \u201cDo not put your mouth on the\nfaucet unless you wish to catch or spread disease.\u201d Certainly we should\nlabor diligently to prevent the spreading of _religious_ error. I wish I\nwere able to place a skull and cross bones sign across every false\ndoctrine.\n\n\n I\n Purpose and Occasion\n\nIt is my purpose this morning to label and expose the false doctrine of\nthe Seventh Day Adventists with respect to the sabbath. In view of the\ncurrent meeting at the War Memorial Auditorium, this lesson is certainly\ntimely. I\u2019m taking no advantage of those whose teaching I examine, for\nmy purpose has been duly advertised in the daily press, and they are\ninvited to be here. The overflow crowd present this morning indicates a\nlively interest in this topic. I wish I had the opportunity to speak to\nall of those who have been listening to error in reference to the\nsabbath. I proceed with malice in my heart toward none.\n\nThe zeal and liberality of the Seventh Day Adventists are admirable.\nThey are spending a lot of money to teach what they evidently believe to\nbe the truth. The advertising for their current meeting is costing\nthousands of dollars. Their winning several converts to a doctrine that\nis not only false but also unpopular and inconvenient is evidence that\nadvertising is effective. But their zeal is without knowledge and their\nconverts have accepted error. The work they are doing at present\nconstitutes a public challenge to all preachers of the gospel. That\nchallenge shall not go unanswered. I make no personal criticism of their\nspeaker but I condemn his teaching because it is false.\n\n\n II\n Three Dispensations\n\nThe Bible reveals unto us three distinct dispensations or periods of\ntime. On the board I have a little diagram to represent those three\ndispensations. (See p. 144.) The first lasted from Adam to Moses; the\nsecond continued from Moses until the death of Christ on the cross; the\nthird began at the cross and will continue until our Lord comes again.\n\nDuring the first period, the family was the unit of worship. In divers\nmanners and various portions God communicated with the heads of the\nfamilies, such as Adam, Noah, Abram, _et al_. These men were known as\npatriarchs (Heb. 7:4; Acts 2:29; 7:8, 9) and accordingly this period is\nknown as the patriarchal dispensation. At Mt. Sinai God gave another law\nto the Jewish nation which continued in force until Christ died on the\ncross. This law was given through Moses and applied to the Jews only.\nHence the second period is known as the Mosaic dispensation. Throughout\nthis period the patriarchal regulations continued to apply to the\nGentile families and nations but the Jews were governed by the law given\nat Sinai. There were two laws in force simultaneously but applying to\ndifferent peoples. God never had two different laws applying to the same\npeople at the same time.\n\nDuring the third period, or Christian dispensation, we have, of course,\nthe will or the law of Christ. In Hebrews 1:1-2 we read, \u201cGod, who at\nsundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers\nby the prophets, hath in these days spoken unto us by his son.\u201d That\nmakes a distinct break at the cross. Before Christ came God spoke unto\nour fathers by the prophets in dreams, visions, etc., but unto us he\nhath spoken through his Son, Jesus Christ. In the New Testament we have\nthe will of Christ which went into effect when he died on the cross\n(Heb. 9:15-17).\n\n\n III\n The Adventist Claim\n\nThe advocates of the seventh day sabbath make a very broad claim. They\nclaim that the command to remember the sabbath day and keep it holy (the\nfourth commandment of the Decalogue given at Sinai) has been binding on\nall people throughout all ages and will continue to be in force as long\nas time shall last. In other words, they claim that it has been binding\nthroughout each of the dispensations already mentioned. With the diagram\n(p. 144) to keep these three periods before our minds, let us examine\nthe claim in the light of the Bible.\n\n\n IV\n No Sabbath for Man During First 2,500 Years\n\nFirst of all, I emphatically deny that God commanded anyone to keep the\nsabbath before the children of Israel were led out of Egypt. According\nto the Seventh Day Adventists, the \u201cfourth commandment\u201d was in force at\nleast 2,500 years before it was made known. This could not be. Moses\nwrote the book of Genesis. He probably wrote it after the law was given\nat Sinai. It covers almost the entire patriarchal period. _In this book\nthe word \u201csabbath\u201d is not found at all!_ Genesis 2:2 says that God\nrested on the seventh day, but it does not say that he told Adam and Eve\nto rest; neither does it call the seventh day the sabbath. \u201cAnd on the\nseventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the\nseventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the\nseventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from\nall his work which God created and made.\u201d Please note that that is _not\na commandment_; it is a statement of facts. It is a statement of the\nfact that _God_ rested on the seventh day and a statement of the further\nfact that (at some later date) he sanctified and blessed the seventh\nday. There is no commandment in that Scripture.\n\nFurthermore, the very tense of the verb used in verse 3 shows that he\ndid not sanctify the day at the time he rested. Note this tense:\n\u201cbecause in it he _had rested_.\u201d It does not say \u201cbecause he was\nresting\u201d but \u201cbecause he _had rested_\u201d on that day. The very tense of\nthe verb shows that after God himself had rested on the seventh day, _at\nsome later time_, when he could refer to the fact that he had rested in\nthe past tense, he sanctified that day. Genesis does not say _when_ he\nsanctified it. Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 reveal that he sanctified it\nas a day of rest for the Jews in the wilderness when he gave the law at\nMt. Sinai, after he had led them out of Egypt. The seventh day was\nsanctified at the close of the patriarchal dispensation, _at least 2,500\nyears after the world began_.\n\nThe mentioning of the sanctification in Genesis 2:3 has been called a\ncase of prolepsis, or joining together in statement two events that were\nseparated in time. Other examples of prolepsis may be found in Genesis\n3:20, 4:20, and Matthew 10:4. No one can show where God sanctified the\nseventh day, much less where he commanded anyone to keep it, until after\nthe deliverance of the Jews from Egypt.\n\nThe seventh day of the week is first called the sabbath in Exodus 16, in\nconnection with the giving of the manna to the Jews in the wilderness.\nIn anticipation of the law soon to be given at Sinai, God instructed the\npeople to gather two days\u2019 supply on the sixth day and warned them not\nto expect any on the seventh day. The manner in which the sabbath is\nthus introduced shows that they were not accustomed to keeping it. In\nspite of these special instructions, some went out to gather manna on\nthe seventh day and found none. This shows their lack of familiarity\nwith the seventh day sabbath. The sabbath was a new institution soon to\nbe established. Here it was first introduced. At Mt. Sinai a few days\nlater it was made known. \u201cThou camest down also upon Mt. Sinai, and\nspakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true\nlaws, good statutes and commandments; and madest known unto them thy\nholy sabbath and commanded them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the\nhand of Moses thy servant ...\u201d (Neh. 9:13, 14; see also Ex. 20:8-11, and\nDeut. 5:12-15). If they were already familiar with the sabbath, how\ncould God have _made it known_ to them at Mt. Sinai?\n\nSoon after the sabbath command was given at Sinai, a Jew went out and\npicked up sticks on the sabbath day (Num. 15:32-36). That this\nceremonial institution was new is shown by the fact that Moses put that\nman in jail until he could inquire from God what should be done. Don\u2019t\nyou know that if God\u2019s people had been keeping the sabbath 2,500 years,\n_they would have known_ what to do with a man who violated it?\n(Incidentally, God commanded that he be stoned to death. I have not\nheard of any modern Sabbatarians thus punishing the violation of their\nfavorite law. If the seventh day sabbath were still in force, _the death\npenalty for violating it would also still be in force_.)\n\nAnd so, my friends, I boldly declare that there is no verse of Scripture\nin the Bible which shows that any man ever kept the sabbath during the\nperiod from Adam to Moses. In the history that covers this period of\napproximately 2,500 years there is no commandment to keep the sabbath;\nthere is no example of man\u2019s resting on the seventh day; there is no\npromise of reward for his doing so; there is no threat of punishment for\nhis failing to do so. Those who teach that the seventh day sabbath was\nin force during this period are urgently requested to cite the text that\nsays so. Since they cannot do so, the first pillar in the foundation of\nthe seventh day sabbath theory is completely destroyed. _It is simply\nnonexistent._\n\n\n V\n Never Applied To the Gentiles\n\nComing now to the second part of the diagram (p. 144), I emphatically\ndeny that there is any place in the Bible to show that God ever\ncommanded the Gentile nations to keep the sabbath day, even during the\nMosaic dispensation. Seventh Day Adventists are obligated to furnish the\ntext which says that he did so, but they cannot furnish it. In fact,\nthere are plenty of Scriptures to show that this ceremonial institution\nwas not in force among the Gentiles.\n\nSpeaking of the sabbath, God said, \u201cIt is a sign between me and the\nchildren of Israel for ever ...\u201d (Ex. 31:17). If the other nations had\nbeen observing the seventh day sabbath also, it could not have been a\nsign between God and the Jews. Down in the country where I was reared\neach farmer had a certain mark which he used to distinguish his\nlivestock in the woods from that of others. For instance, one fellow\nsplit his hogs\u2019 ears at two places. That was his mark, but if every\nother farmer used the same mark, it would cease to be a sign of the\nstock which belonged to that particular man. If every ranchman in the\nWest used the same brand for his cattle, it would not be a sign of that\nwhich belonged to any one in particular. _Yet the sabbath was a sign\nbetween God and the children of Israel._ Therefore, it was peculiar to\nthat law which applied to them, and was not a part of any other law\ngiven by Jehovah to any other people or at any other time.\n\nThe sabbath was a memorial to an event peculiar to the Jewish family.\n\u201cAnd remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that\nthe Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a\nstretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the\nsabbath day\u201d (Deut. 5:15). The Gentiles were never delivered from\nEgyptian bondage and, therefore, could not observe the sabbath in memory\nof any such event. This Scripture not only proves that the Gentiles were\nnot commanded to observe the sabbath, but also that the Jews themselves\ndid not keep it _until after_ they were delivered from Egypt. If a\nstranger desired to become identified with the Jewish nation and\nreligion he was _permitted_ to do so by submitting to the Jewish law,\nincluding the sabbath regulation (Isa. 56:3-7). In this event he ceased\nto be a Gentile religiously, but became a Jew instead. If the sabbath\nhad been a universal practice, it would not have been necessary for a\nproselyte to _begin_ observing it when he submitted to the Jewish\nreligion. What has been said proves conclusively that the sabbath was\npurely a _Jewish_ institution. I most urgently request that those who\nadvocate the observance of the Jewish sabbath show us at least one verse\nof Scripture in which God ever commanded the Gentiles to do so. This\nthey _cannot_ do. Hence, the second pillar essential to the support of\ntheir theory is completely lacking.\n\n\n VI\n Sabbath Commandments Not in The Law of Christ\n\nComing now to the last section in the diagram (on page 144), I\nemphatically deny that there is any verse of Scripture which states that\nGod ever commanded _anybody_ to keep the sabbath day since Jesus died on\nthe cross. No one can find such a text in the Bible. I\u2019m not unaware of\nsome attempts made along that line by Seventh Day Sabbatarians. For\ninstance, they refer to Matthew 24:20, where Jesus told his disciples to\npray that, when the city of Jerusalem was destroyed (in A.D. 70), they\nmight not have to make their flight on the sabbath day. But the very\nsame verse tells them to pray likewise that their flight be not in the\nwinter. He told them to pray that their flight be not in the winter\nbecause it would be difficult to travel and find comfortable shelter at\nthat season. In like manner, they were told to pray that their flight be\nnot on the sabbath day because the unconverted Jews would still be\nobserving the sabbath and in harmony with the commandment given by\nNehemiah (ch. 13, vss. 15-17) would keep the gates of the city closed\nthroughout the sabbath day. Under such conditions it would have been\nalmost impossible for the Christians to have fled from the city on the\nsabbath day. It was for that reason that they were told to pray that\ntheir flight be not on the sabbath. Such instructions on the part of\nJesus did not imply that the Christians would be expected to _rest_ on\nthe seventh day.\n\nNaturally you can find examples of unconverted Jews keeping the sabbath\nday after Jesus died on the cross. Paul went to their synagogues and\npreached to them on Saturday, telling them that they were no longer\nobligated to keep the law of Moses. We have a parallel case in Nashville\ntoday. The Seventh Day Adventists have advertised a religious meeting at\nthe War Memorial Auditorium tonight. That does not mean that they\nrecognize Sunday as the sabbath day, for they do not. The apostle Paul\nwent to the synagogue where the people were on Saturday to preach to\nthem. That does not mean that he recognized Saturday as the sabbath day,\nfor he did not.\n\nThe sabbath is mentioned sixty times in the New Testament. Forty-three\nof these cases are in connection with the life of Jesus Christ.\nAccording to the flesh, Christ was a Jew. He was born under the law, \u201cto\nredeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption\nof sons\u201d (Gal. 4:4, 5). Before taking the law out of the way (Col.\n2:14), he _fulfilled_ it by _obeying_ it perfectly (Matt. 5:17, 18).\nNaturally, he kept the sabbath, just as he kept the passover and all the\nother ceremonies of the law of Moses. All of this occurred before Christ\ndied and, therefore, before his will, under which we are now living,\nwent into effect (Heb. 9:15, 17).\n\nIn Bible history following the death of Christ, the sabbath is mentioned\nseventeen times. In sixteen of these cases it refers to the worship of\nthe unconverted Jews. In the other case, the only one found in the\nEpistles, it is used to state that _Christians are not expected to\nobserve it_. \u201cLet no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in\nrespect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days ...\u201d\n(Col. 2:16). Friends, all of this simply confirms and emphasizes the\nconclusion that there is absolutely not one word of Scripture to show\nthat God ever commanded any Christian to regard the seventh day of the\nweek as a sabbath day.\n\n\n VII\n The Christian\u2019s Day of Worship\n\nChristians are taught to worship on the first day of the week. \u201cNow\nconcerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the\nchurches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let\nevery one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that\nthere be no gathering when I come\u201d (1 Cor. 16:1, 2). The last phrase in\nthis quotation shows that Paul did not refer to merely laying aside some\nmoney at home but rather to putting money into a common treasury. This\ndefinitely implies that the church was accustomed to meeting on the\nfirst day of the week. The purpose of this weekly assembling was to eat\nthe Lord\u2019s supper. They were rebuked for allowing something to interfere\nwith this holy purpose (1 Cor. 11:20-26).\n\nThe importance of this assembling on the first day of the week to eat\nthe Lord\u2019s supper is clearly revealed. \u201c... and let us consider one\nanother to provoke unto love and good works: not forsaking the\nassembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but\nexhorting one another: and so much the more as ye see the day\napproaching\u201d (Heb. 10:24, 25). Under the guidance of the inspired\napostle the church at Troas also met to eat the Lord\u2019s supper on the\nfirst day of the week. \u201cAnd upon the first day of the week, when the\ndisciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready\nto depart on the morrow, and continued his speech until midnight\u201d (Acts\n20:7).\n\nSeventh Day Adventists teach that the Catholic Church changed the\nsabbath from Saturday to Sunday, and challenge the public to cite the\nScripture which says that the first day of the week is the sabbath.\n_There is no such scripture. The first day of the week is not the\nsabbath! It is the day on which Christians ought to eat the Lord\u2019s\nsupper._ It is a day of _worship_, not necessarily a day of _rest_.\nNeither _rest_ nor _work_ should be allowed to interfere with a\nChristian\u2019s _worship_ on the first day of the week. We have met today to\neat the Lord\u2019s supper by the authority of the Scriptures cited above and\nnot by the authority of any church. Christians were eating the Lord\u2019s\nsupper on the first day of the week several hundred years before the\nRoman Catholic Church came into existence. I hereby challenge the\nSabbatarians to furnish even one word of Bible authority for eating the\nLord\u2019s supper on Saturday.\n\n\n VIII\n The Will of Christ\n\nChristians are living under the reign of Christ. They are expected to\nobey the word that God hath spoken unto us by his Son (Heb. 1:2). This\nword is called the will, or testament, of Christ. As in the case of\nhuman wills, it became of force when he died on the cross. \u201cFor where a\ntestament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.\nFor a testament is of force after men are dead; otherwise it is of no\nstrength at all while the testator liveth\u201d (Heb. 6:16, 17). The will of\nChrist teaches Christians to worship on the first day of the week, but\nit does not teach them to rest on the seventh day. The will of Christ\nforbids murder, stealing, lying, and such like (Rom. 13:9), but it does\nnot forbid working on Saturday. \u201cFor the law was given by Moses, but\ngrace and truth came by Jesus Christ\u201d (John 1:17). This grace teaches\nrighteous living (Titus 2:11, 12), but it does not teach that Saturday\nshould be observed as a sabbath.\n\nWhen the will of Christ was established by his death on the cross, the\nlaw which God had given to the Jews through Moses at Sinai came to an\nend. This the Bible abundantly teaches. \u201cHe taketh away the first, that\nhe may establish the second\u201d (Heb. 10:9). \u201cBut we have been discharged\nfrom the law, having died to that wherein we were held; so that we serve\nin newness of the Spirit, and not in oldness of the letter\u201d (Rom. 7:6\nARV). In 2 Corinthians 3:6-18 we have a contrast between the law given\nat Sinai, including the sabbath commandments (see verse), and the will\nof Christ. The former was glorious; the latter much more glorious. The\nformer was done away; the latter remaineth. \u201cFor if that which is done\naway was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.\u201d\n\nIn Galatians, chapter 3, speaking of the law God gave to the Jews at\nSinai, 430 years after his covenant with Abraham, Paul says, \u201cWherefore\nthe law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be\njustified by faith. But after that faith is come we are no longer under\na schoolmaster\u201d (Gal. 3:24, 25). I ask you if words could be plainer.\n\u201cThe law was our schoolmaster ... we are no longer under a\nschoolmaster.\u201d Is that sufficient? Do I need to cite other texts, such\nas Colossians 2:14-16; Ephesians 2:10-22; Galatians 4:1-31, etc.? No\nwonder Paul said in Galatians 5:4, \u201cChrist is become of no effect unto\nyou, whosoever of you are (he who would be\u2014ARV) justified by the law; ye\nare fallen from grace.\u201d\n\n\n IX\n Conclusion\n\nBeloved, you have seen that the commandment to remember the sabbath day\nand keep it holy is confined to the law God gave to the Jews through\nMoses in the wilderness. It is not named in the history of God\u2019s people\nduring the 2,500 years prior to that time. _It is peculiar to the law of\nMoses._ It is not found at any other place in the Bible. It was not in\nforce during the patriarchal dispensation. Even during the Mosaic age,\nor dispensation, it never applied to the Gentiles. It is not binding\nduring the Christian dispensation. It has no place in the will of\nChrist. The only law in which it is found fulfilled its purpose, was\nfulfilled by Christ, and was taken out of the way when he died on the\ncross.\n\nThe law of Moses could not take away sins; the will of Christ can (Rom.\n1:16). I beseech you by the mercies of God to believe the will of\nChrist, obey its commandments, and enjoy its promises. The will of\nChrist says to believers, \u201cRepent, and be baptized every one of you in\nthe name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive\nthe gift of the Holy Ghost\u201d (Acts 2:38). The will of Christ says, \u201cAnd\nnow why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins,\ncalling on the name of the Lord\u201d (Acts 22:16).\n\nThe law of Christ teaches us to worship God in spirit and in truth, by\nsinging, praying, studying, teaching and by laying by in store and\neating the Lord\u2019s supper on the first day of the week. The law of Christ\nteaches us to love God with all our heart, power, soul, mind and\nstrength; to love our neighbors as ourselves and to do unto others as we\nwould have them do unto us. The will of Christ promises the faithful a\ncrown of everlasting life. This is the perfect law of liberty. It is\nholy, just and good. It is complete. It is a glorious law. Its glory\noutshines that of all other laws as the sun outshines the stars (2 Cor.\n3:10). It furnishes the man of God completely unto every good work. It\nis the law of life, rather than the law of death. It is the law of\neternal happiness, rather than the law of condemnation.\n\nDon\u2019t you want to hear Christ and obey this new law enacted upon better\npromises, glorious in its origin, glorious in its power and purpose, and\nglorious because it leads to a life of eternal glory for all of those\nwho faithfully follow it? While we stand and sing we bid you come to\nJesus and let him save you from all your sins.\n\n\n\n\n X\n SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISM REVIEWED\n\n\nThose of you who were present last Lord\u2019s day remember that I spoke on\nthe topic \u201cThe Sabbath.\u201d Since that time I have received several letters\nfrom people who were not able to be present, but who requested that I\nsend them a copy of the lesson presented. I\u2019m glad to announce that the\nsermon was recorded by dictaphone and will be ready for free\ndistribution soon. I have also received many requests that I continue\ntoday along the same line that was begun last Lord\u2019s day. To these\nrequests I am conceding. It would be more pleasant to preach without\nnaming the mistakes of others but, when the souls of men and women are\ninvolved, we cannot afford to shirk our duty.\n\n\n I\n Review\n\nThe main points in the lesson last Lord\u2019s day were as follows:\n\n1. Bible history is divided into three periods: the Patriarchal\n Dispensation; the Mosaic Dispensation; and the Christian\n Dispensation.\n\n2. There was no sabbath during the first period which lasted from Adam\n to Moses.\n\n3. The sabbath commandment never applied to the Gentiles\u2014not even during\n the Mosaic dispensation.\n\n4. The sabbath commandment was confined to the law of Moses which was\n abolished when Christ died on the cross.\n\n5. Christians are not required to rest on Saturday.\n\n6. Christians are taught to worship on the first day of the week.\n\nIn the correspondence received since last Lord\u2019s day there is no word of\ncriticism or objection. I take the silence to mean that those who were\npresent were convinced that what was said was based on Bible authority.\nI am determined that the same shall be true of what I say today. It is\nmy prayerful purpose to preach nothing but what is plainly revealed in\nthe Bible.\n\nThe ushers have given you a mimeographed copy of some of the main points\nto be discussed in today\u2019s lesson. You may use these papers to make\nfurther notes, especially to take note of the Bible references used,\nthat you may go home and read them for yourselves and see that what we\nsay is true. The noble people of Berea searched the Scriptures daily to\nsee whether they had heard the truth. If all people would do that, it\nwould not be so easy for error to gain acceptance.\n\n\n II\n \u201cThe Two Laws\u201d\n\nIn my hand I hold a copy of one of the so-called Bible lessons\ndistributed by the Seventh Day Adventists. The title of this pamphlet is\n\u201cThe Two Laws.\u201d That title implies that God has never given but two\nlaws. That is a mistake. God has given different laws to different\npeople at different times, as the occasion and his eternal purpose\nrequired. His law to Adam before the fall was different from his law to\nAdam after the fall. His law to Cain was not the same as his law to\nNoah. His law to Abram was not identical with his law to the Jews. His\nlaw since Christ died on the cross is quite different from any law he\ngave before that time.\n\nGod does not change (Mal. 3:6) but _he changes his laws_ according to\nhis wisdom. \u201cFor the priesthood being changed, there is made of\nnecessity a change also of the law\u201d (Heb. 7:12). God has never had two\ndifferent laws applying to the same people at the same time. \u201cHe taketh\naway the first that he may establish the second\u201d (Heb. 10:9). The law\ngiven the Jews at Sinai was a unit. It was one law, not two laws.\n\nIn the lesson last Lord\u2019s day such Scriptures as Romans 7:6; Hebrews\n6:8-13; Hebrews 10:9; Colossians 2:13-16; and Galatians 3:17, 24, 25\nwere quoted to show that the law which God gave to the Jews through\nMoses at Mt. Sinai was fulfilled and taken out of the way when Christ\ndied. The Seventh Day Adventists admit that all of this law was taken\nout of the way except Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21. They are\nthus committed to the fact that God sometimes changes his laws. When\nthey teach that God abolished _part_ of that law they admit that he\ncould have abolished _all_ of it; and that is _exactly what he did_. I\nwant you to read those Scriptures and note that they speak of \u201cthe law,\u201d\nnot a \u201cpart of the law.\u201d For instance, \u201cBut now we are delivered from\nthe law (not \u2018part of the law\u2019) ...\u201d (Rom. 7:6). \u201cWherefore the law (not\n\u2018part of the law\u2019) was our schoolmaster ... but that after faith is come\nwe are no longer under a schoolmaster\u201d (Gal. 3:24-25).\n\nWhere is the Scripture that says that a _part of that law_ was\nabolished? Every text which teaches that a part of it was taken away\nteaches that _all_ of it was taken away and a new law, the law of\nChrist, was given, not to the Jews only but to the whole world.\n\n\n III\n \u201cCeremonial\u201d and \u201cMoral\u201d Laws\n\nAt this point I want to read to you the leading sentence in this\nAdventist pamphlet we are reviewing:\n\n \u201cThe New Testament Scriptures clearly present two different divisions\n of the Old Testament laws: the moral law as summed up in the Ten\n Commandments, which is binding on Christians as a rule of life and\n conduct; the ceremonial law of typical ordinances, which was abolished\n at the cross and from which Christians are entirely free.\u201d\n\nI want you to carefully note what that quotation says. It says that the\nNew Testament Scriptures _clearly present_ two laws in the Old\nTestament\u2014the \u201cmoral law\u201d and the \u201cceremonial law.\u201d Now I want to ask\nyou a simple question. How in this world could the New Testament\nScriptures clearly present something that is not even mentioned anywhere\nin the Bible? Friends, think of it! \u201cMoral\u201d law and \u201cceremonial\u201d law are\nnot mentioned in your Bible. That is not Bible language. In order to\nprove the sabbath theory by the Bible it will be necessary to find each\nof these four texts:\n\n1. The text which says that the \u201cceremonial\u201d law was abolished.\n\n2. The text which says that the \u201cmoral\u201d law is still binding.\n\n3. The text which says that Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21 are\n the \u201cmoral law.\u201d\n\n4. The text which says that the rest of the law given through Moses is\n the \u201cceremonial\u201d law.\n\nHow can such texts be found when you may search your Bible from the\nfirst word in Genesis to the last word in Revelation and you will find\nneither the word \u201cmoral\u201d nor the word \u201cceremonial\u201d? Those words are not\nin the Bible. I challenge the Sabbatarians to find either of them.\n\nEven if the first two texts named above could be found, the Adventist\ntheory would not be established unless the last two could also be found.\nIn fact, it would be destroyed, for in the very nature of the case the\nsabbath commandment is a ceremonial one. There is nothing moral about\nit. According to _Webster_ (the _Bible_ doesn\u2019t mention the word) a\n_moral_ commandment is one that\u2019s based on common sense and on our\nnatural knowledge of what rules should guide us in our relationships one\nto another. The sabbath commandment does not come in this class. There\u2019s\nnothing moral about one day in the week any more than another. Nothing\ncould distinguish one day from another, except a positive decree from\nGod Almighty. In that case it would be ceremonial. If you were to sleep\nfor an indefinite period, upon awaking you wouldn\u2019t know the day of the\nweek. You couldn\u2019t tell Saturday from any other day to save your life.\nAs far as our natural senses go, one day is just like another. There is\nno authority, Biblical or otherwise, for calling Exodus 20:2-17 and\nDeuteronomy 5:6-21 the \u201cmoral law\u201d and the rest of the Mosaic code the\n\u201cceremonial law.\u201d\n\n\n IV\n The Sinaitic Law a Unit\n\nThe Bible speaks of the law which God gave to the Jews in the wilderness\nin the singular, as one law, not two laws. Such expressions as \u201cthe book\nof the law of Moses,\u201d \u201cthe law,\u201d \u201cthe book of the law,\u201d and \u201cthe law of\nGod\u201d are used interchangeably in the Bible to designate all of the\nJewish law (See Nehemiah 8:1, 2, 3, 8). They are never used to\ndistinguish one part of it from another part. \u201cThe law of Moses\u201d and\n\u201cthe law of the Lord\u201d are used interchangeably in Luke 2:21-24. All of\nit is called \u201cthe law of God\u201d because God was the author of all of it.\nIt is called \u201cthe law of Moses\u201d because it was all given through Moses\nas a mediator (Gal. 3:19; John 1:17; Deut. 5:5). It was all written by\nMoses (Exod. 31:24-27). Exodus 20:2-17 was originally written by the\nfinger of God on tables of stone but those tables were destroyed (Exod.\n32:19) and it was written the second time by Moses himself (Exod. 34:27,\n28). The only thing we know about that law today is what Moses wrote in\nthe first five books of the Bible. It was all given at the same time,\nthrough the same mediator, to the same people, by the same authority,\nfor the same purpose, and was all taken \u201cout of the way\u201d at the cross\n(Col. 2:14-16).\n\nIn an effort to make it appear that God gave two laws (one \u201cceremonial,\u201d\nthe other \u201cmoral,\u201d one eternal and the other temporal) to the Jews at\nSinai, this pamphlet has arranged, in parallel columns. Scriptures that\napparently do not apply to the same law. This is well designed to\nconfuse or mislead the untaught; but, in fact, it proves absolutely\nnothing. The Bible speaks of many other laws in addition to the one God\ngave to the Jews in the wilderness. For instance, \u201cthe law of Christ\u201d\n(Gal. 6:2); \u201cthe law of the Medes and Persians\u201d (Dan. 6:8); \u201cthe law of\nmy mind\u201d and \u201cthe law of sin\u201d (Rom. 7:23); \u201cthe law of works\u201d; \u201cthe law\nof faith\u201d (Rom. 3:27); \u201cthe law of liberty\u201d (Jas. 2:12); \u201cthe royal law\u201d\n(Jas. 2:8); etc., etc. In addition to all this, there are the laws or\ncommandments that God gave to Adam, Cain, Noah, Abraham, et al.\n\nWith the Bible speaking of so many different laws, it is not surprising\nthat you can find references that apparently do not apply to the same\nlaw. It would be surprising if you couldn\u2019t. In order to harmonize such\ntexts it certainly is not necessary to apply them to two imaginary laws\nthat are not even named in the word of God. The law of faith was\n_established_ at the cross; the law God gave to the Jews was _abolished_\nat the cross (Eph. 2:10-22). The law of Christ is written on the hearts\nof Christians; the law of Moses was written, in part, on tablets of\nstone (Heb. 8:8-11). The author of the pamphlet places three references\nfrom Romans, chapter 7, in his \u201cmoral\u201d column. Even if he were correct\nin doing this, his theory would still be ruined, for verse 6 of that\nsame chapter says, \u201cBut now we have been discharged from the law ...\u201d\n(ARV).\n\nSome of the references placed in opposing columns by the author really\napply to the same law, and present no conflict whatsoever. For instance,\nthe law which God gave the Jews at Sinai was both _established_ and\n_abolished_. It was first established and then abolished. It could not\nhave been abolished if it had not first been established. It was\nestablished by the life of Christ; it was abolished by the death of\nChrist. Christ came not to destroy _the law_ or _the prophets_ but to\nfulfill (Matt. 5:17, 18). Jesus said \u201c... all things must be fulfilled,\nwhich were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the\npsalms, concerning me\u201d (Luke 24:44). Christ fulfilled every prophecy\nconcerning the Messiah in the law and obeyed every commandment in the\nlaw. In that sense he established the law, and after having done so, he\nabolished it when he died upon the cross. Salvation through faith and\nobedience to Christ is in fulfillment of the prophecies found in the law\nof Moses. In that sense the law of faith establishes the law given to\nthe Jews at Sinai and abolished by Christ when he was crucified (Col.\n2:14-16).\n\nNot a single text listed by the author in his parallel columns serves to\nestablish the distinction for which he contends. If this is the best he\ncan do in that respect, it only serves to advertise the weakness of his\ncontention. Every text he cites refers either to the law God gave the\nJews at Sinai and abolished at the cross, or to the law God gave to the\nworld through Christ and which went into force when he died at Calvary.\nWhen this is so clearly the case, isn\u2019t it strange that a preacher would\ntry to make it appear that these Scriptures apply to two imaginary laws\nthat are not even named in these texts or at any other place in the\nBible?\n\nSince the law given at Sinai was a unit, every Scripture which teaches\nthat it was taken away at the cross, indeed teaches that it was taken\naway as a whole, in its entirety. Please listen again then to Ephesians\n2:11-18: \u201cWherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the\nflesh ... ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of\nIsrael ... but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are\nmade nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made\nboth [Jew and Gentile] one, and hath broken down the middle wall of\npartition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the\nlaw of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of\ntwain [Jew and Gentile] one new man, so making peace; and that he might\nreconcile both [Jew and Gentile] unto God in one body by the cross,\nhaving slain the enmity thereby ... for through him we both [Jew and\nGentile] have access by one Spirit unto the Father.\u201d\n\nThe entire law of Moses, and _especially the sabbath commandment_ (Ex.\n31:16, 17), was the middle wall of partition between the Jews and\nGentiles. The Holy Spirit says in the text just quoted that it was\n_broken down_, _abolished_, at the cross. This text is a sample of the\nmany additional texts that could be cited to show that the entire\nSinaitic law was taken out of the way at the cross, but even one is\nenough to convince all who love the truth. In Colossians 3:13-16 the\nHoly Spirit clearly teaches that this law has been taken out of the way,\nand that, _therefore_, the Jews themselves are no longer required to\nkeep the sabbaths of the Old Testament. Since the middle wall of\npartition has been broken down, there is neither Jew nor Gentile in\nChrist, but all are one\u2014Christian.\n\n\n V\n The Law of Christ\n\nThe fact that the law of Moses in its entirety, including even the Ten\nCommandments, has been taken out of the way does not mean that\nChristians are without restraint, guidance and law. God hath \u201cspoken\nunto us by his son\u201d (Heb. 1:1-2). This word that God hath spoken unto us\nthrough Christ is called \u201cthe law of Christ\u201d (Gal. 6:2) or the testament\nof Christ (Heb. 9:13-17). It is the law of love (Rom. 13:8-10). The law\nof Christ, which has been applicable to all the world since his death,\ncontains several commandments that were never included in any other law\ngiven to man. For instance, the commandment to be baptized for remission\nof sins (Acts 2:38); the commandment to lay by in store on the first day\nof the week (1 Cor. 16:1, 2); and the commandment to eat the Lord\u2019s\nSupper (1 Cor. 11:23-26; Acts 20:7).\n\nThe law of Moses forbade murder; the law of Christ forbids not only\nmurder but even needless anger (Matt. 5:21-22). The law of Moses forbade\nadultery; the law of Christ forbids looking upon a woman to lust after\nher (Matt. 5:27, 28). The law of Moses forbade false swearing; the law\nof Christ forbids all swearing (Matt. 5:33-37). It was wrong for the\nJews to work on Saturday, for the law of Moses forbade it (Deut.\n5:12-15; Exod. 20:8-11). It is not wrong for a Christian to work on\nSaturday, for the law of Christ does not forbid it (Col. 2:16). The law\nof Moses did not require the Jews to engage in special worship on the\nfirst day of the week; the law of Christ _does require_ Christians to do\nso (1 Cor. 16:1-2; 11:17-30; Acts 20:7; Heb. 10:24, 25). It is wrong for\nChristians to steal, kill, covet, etc., not because Moses said so, but\nbecause the law of Christ says so (Rom. 3:8-10).\n\nThere was a time to hear Moses but that time has passed. On the mountain\nof transfiguration, a cloud overshadowed Moses and the voice of God said\nconcerning Jesus, \u201cThis is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased;\nHEAR YE HIM\u201d (Matt. 17:5). Christians should obey Christ, not Moses.\n\u201cFor the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus\nChrist\u201d (John 1:17). \u201cFor the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath\nappeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly\nlusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present\nworld\u201d (Titus 2:11, 12).\n\nFriends, would you believe me if I were to tell you that the Seventh Day\nAdventists deny the existence of the word spoken through Christ? Well,\njust let me read it to you from the last section of the pamphlet under\nreview.\n\n \u201cThe abolition of the Ten Commandments would nullify the gospel of\n Christ, and render both grace and the atonement void. \u2018Sin is not\n imputed when there is no law\u2019 (Romans 5:13). Since \u2018where no law is,\n there is no transgression\u2019 (Romans 4:15), it follows that if the law\n [meaning the ten commandments] were abolished, there would be no\n transgression, and hence no need of a Saviour.\u201d\n\nI can\u2019t believe the author meant to say that, but he said it. According\nto that, the \u201cten commandments\u201d are the _only_ commandments now in\nforce. That quotation plainly says that if the \u201cten commandments\u201d are\nnot now in force there are no commandments to disobey, no chance to sin,\nand no need of a Saviour. The author has flatly denied every commandment\nin the gospel. According to him, Christ gave no commandments and it is\nfolly to talk about _obeying_ the gospel (See 2 Thess. 1:8). If the\nauthor was aware of what he was saying, he has deliberately denied the\nword of Christ. If he said it inadvertently, it simply illustrates the\nabsurdities and inconsistencies into which one falls when he undertakes\nto teach error.\n\n\n VI\n Summary\n\nSummarizing what was said last Lord\u2019s day and what has been said today,\nI am earnestly requesting the Seventh Day Adventists to furnish the\nfollowing Bible texts which are essential to the support of their\ntheory:\n\n1. The text that commanded any one to keep the sabbath during the period\n from Adam to Moses.\n\n2. The text that commanded the Gentile nations to observe Saturday as a\n day of rest, even during the Mosaic dispensation.\n\n3. The text in the new covenant, or will of Christ, that commands\n Christians to rest on Saturday.\n\n4. The text which says that any one ever ate the Lord\u2019s Supper on\n Saturday.\n\n5. The text that even mentions either \u201cmoral law\u201d or \u201cceremonial law.\u201d\n\nIn the papers furnished you by the ushers you have a copy of this\nrequest for Scriptures. Just to show you how earnest I am about this\nmatter, I\u2019m offering a reward of $100 to the finder of either of these\ntexts. This offer is backed by my personal integrity and sufficient\nresources. I\u2019m not making it to be dramatic, but to impress you with the\nfact that no such Scriptures are in the Bible. And yet, friends, these\nScriptures are absolutely essential to the support of the sabbath\ntheory. Without these texts, that theory has absolutely not one leg on\nwhich to stand. The absence of these Scriptures leaves that theory\nwithout any support whatsoever.\n\nAs further evidence of my sincerity, I want to make you a proposition.\nIf there is anybody in this audience who believes he knows now where to\nfind one of these texts, I\u2019m giving you a chance to let it be known.\nI\u2019ll turn to the reference you give, read the text you cite, and see\nwhether it meets the demand. We will not have you arrested for\ndisturbing public worship, or undertake to embarrass you in any way. If\nyou will just raise your hand and let me know where you are, I\u2019ll give\nyou a chance to stand up and cite your Scripture. If any one here even\nthinks he knows where to find one of these texts, we are giving you\npermission to speak up now. (Pause. No response.) Well, even if you\ncan\u2019t find it now, maybe you believe you can when you get home. If so,\njust write to me. My address is on the paper you have. You may write to\nme in care of the Chapel Avenue Church of Christ, Nashville 6, Tenn. If\nyou want to collect $500, just let me know where those five texts are.\nI\u2019m simply saying this, friends, to emphasize that the very texts\nessential to the sabbath theory are not in the Bible. Until the Lord\ngives us a new Bible, there is no danger of my having to put out any\nmoney on this offer.\n\nBeloved, in closing I beseech you to hear Christ and obey his gospel. On\nthe condition that you believe, repent, and be baptized, he promises you\npardon. On the condition that you remain faithful to the end, he\npromises you everlasting life. His gospel has facts to be believed,\ncommandments to be obeyed and promises to be enjoyed. While we stand and\nsing, we are urging you to come to him and let him save you.\n\n\n\n\n XI\n LEADERSHIP\n\n\nThe word of God furnishes us completely unto every good work. But as we\nlearned this morning, many of His instructions are left in general form\nand must be applied according to our best judgment.[3] For this reason,\nGod endowed us with intelligence, and admonished us to pray for further\nwisdom that we might be able to serve Him in decency and in order.\n\n\n I\n Wisdom in the Lord\u2019s Plan\n\nWe should not be disturbed by the fact that there are certain decisions\nwhich we have to make according to our own best judgment. I believe\nthere is a very good reason why God made this arrangement. Simply\nbecause the detailed instructions that would fit one place might not be\nsuitable at another. For instance, you had to decide how big to make\nthis house in which you worship. Suppose God had specified that a house\nof worship should be 50 \u00d7 40 feet. That might be a suitable building for\none community, but out of order in another.\n\nSince circumstances are so widely different in different places it was\nan act of wisdom on the part of God to give us only the general\nprinciples that should govern certain activities and to leave each\ncommunity to use its own intelligence in applying these general\nprinciples in a sensible, expedient and practical way. But it does\nimpose upon us a responsibility of using some intelligence, of making\nsome wise decisions, and of giving some thought and consideration unto\nour plans.\n\n\n II\n Responsibilities of Leadership in the Local Church\n\n1. _Autonomy of the local church._ As some of you know, I was requested\nlast fall to teach a series of lessons at Grace Avenue on the subject of\nchurch leadership. When I contemplated the task I wondered what I would\nsay, but before it was over I was wondering how I would find time to say\nwhat was to be said. Of course, church leadership means leadership in\nthe local congregation because that is the only capacity in which the\nchurch can scripturally function.\n\nCongregational autonomy needs to be emphasized. God has ordained that\neach congregation shall be entirely independent to manage its own\naffairs under him without any interference or dictation from any other\ncongregation or from any other group of people upon the earth. Since God\nhas ordained that each congregation shall be independent, we cannot\nfunction in the capacity of a group of congregations organized together.\n\nNo inter-congregational organization can scripturally exist. Therefore,\nthere can be no inter-congregational ownership of property. We cannot\nown property as a whole, that is, as a group of congregations. You could\nnot deed a piece of property to the church of Christ in general. It has\nto be deeded to a particular congregation. That\u2019s the only way the\nchurch can scripturally function. Therefore, when we speak about\nleadership in the church, we are speaking of the leadership in the local\ncongregation.\n\n2. _Distribution of work._ Now I realize that in the church there is not\nsuch a clear cut division of labor or responsibility as there is in a\nbusiness organization because in the church every member is vitally\ninterested in every phase of the work. To use an illustration: I taught\ntemporarily at Peabody last spring in the mathematics department. Except\nfor a very general interest in the welfare of the school and my\nfellowman, it made no difference to me what the history teacher next\ndoor did or said. I had no responsibility in reference to his work.\nThere was a clear cut division between his department and mine. In the\nchurch our relationship to each other is too intimate and our interest\nin the general welfare too great for such a clear cut division of\nresponsibility to exist.\n\nHowever, for the sake of efficiency there should be some distribution of\nresponsibility or work, for the very simple reason that what is\neverybody\u2019s business tends to become nobody\u2019s business. _Unless there is\nsome mutual agreement as to who shall do what,_ _there is a danger that\na great many necessary tasks will be neglected._ Some congregations that\nare large have a distribution of responsibility among the elders\nthemselves. Instead of bringing up every little detail before a general\nbusiness meeting, certain ones are delegated to look after certain\nphases of the work and to make all minor decisions regarding the same.\n\nFor instance, I know a congregation which has a maintenance committee,\nauthorized by the overseers, to keep the building in repair up to the\npoint of spending so many dollars each month. There\u2019s a limit placed\nupon what they can spend. They don\u2019t have to get expressions from all\nthe elders before they replace a broken window light, or make other\nminor repairs. This responsibility and authority has already been\nscripturally and officially delegated to them. That illustrates what we\nmean, then, by division of responsibility\u2014a location of responsibility\nand a distribution of the tasks that are to be performed.\n\n3. _Responsibility of making thoughtful decisions._ As we proceed I\ncannot quote a lot of Scripture tonight, for the mere reason that I\u2019m\ntalking about the sphere in which God has not given specific\ninstructions. That\u2019s where the leadership of the church comes in. In\nthis sphere the overseers of the church have a great responsibility. Oh,\nI could spend two or three hours reciting Scriptures and discussing the\nqualifications and work of elders. But it\u2019s not our purpose to discuss\nthat field at this time. We are discussing the sphere, mentioned in the\nlesson this morning, where God has given only general instructions.[4]\nWhy, friends, where God has given _specific_ instructions the overseers\ndon\u2019t have to make any decisions. They simply follow the directions\ngiven. It\u2019s just exactly in the realm where specific instructions have\nnot been given that the overseers are called upon to make decisions of\ntheir own. Where God has specified, they have very little\nresponsibility. They have no responsibility in making decisions for God\nhas already made the decisions.\n\nBut there are a thousand questions that God has not answered\nspecifically. Just to mention a few, He doesn\u2019t tell us what kind of\nsong books to use. He didn\u2019t tell you how big to make this house, or how\nmany windows to put in each wall. He doesn\u2019t tell you how many meetings\nto have each week. He doesn\u2019t tell you how often you should have a\nprotracted meeting, or how many classes to have on Lord\u2019s day morning,\nor how you should arrange your missionary program, how many preachers\nyou should employ and what part of each one\u2019s support you should\nfurnish. A hundred other questions could be mentioned, which God has not\nspecifically answered. And, therefore, the elders, the overseers, in\nevery congregation, must make decisions for themselves in reference to\nthese things.\n\nPlease don\u2019t think that I\u2019m going to tell you the answer to these\nquestions, for if I were to do so, then I would be making specifications\nwhere God has made none, and, therefore, going beyond that which is\nwritten. But the one thing I do want to do tonight is to insist that a\ngreat deal of thought and study be given to all such matters and that\ninstead of making decisions on them recklessly or thoughtlessly or\nwithout proper meditation and study, the very opposite should be the\ncase.\n\nAll such questions, even though they may appear to be insignificant in\ntheir nature, should be weighed very carefully. For, if there is any\nfield of work in all this world in which we want to do our very best, it\nis in the work of the Lord; and be it ever so good in the past, we want\nto make it better in the future; for God expects us to grow in His work,\nand to become better and better as the days go by. So the one point that\nI\u2019m emphasizing most of all is that in _all these decisions a great deal\nof study, thought, and prayer should be used_.\n\nSometimes I have been surprised at how carelessly decisions were made in\ncertain business meetings of churches where I have labored. I have seen\nimportant decisions determined by a very slight suggestion from some\nindividual member of the group and passed immediately, without any time\nbeing taken to carefully study the issues involved. I believe that what\na church business meeting will do is about the most unpredictable thing\nin the world. Some of their decisions are made with such little study\nand with such little thought that it\u2019s almost impossible to know what\nmay happen when such a meeting is called. Now I believe that God expects\nus to use wisdom in this field where He has left us to our own judgment.\nThere are Scriptures which authorize this statement. Some of them were\nused this morning. For instance, \u201cBe ye therefore wise as serpents and\nharmless as doves\u201d (Matt. 10:16). Or again, \u201cLet all things be done\ndecently and in order\u201d (1 Cor. 14:40).\n\n4. _Importance of careful planning._ Every outstanding business\norganization in this country has its post-war plans already worked out.\nIt has its blueprints drawn, and those plans have not been made hastily.\nThey have been worked out after a great deal of research, investigation\nand study. The directors of those businesses have come together and have\nconsulted with each other. They have exchanged ideas. They have weighed\ndetails. And after all of that study and work, they have mapped out\ntheir plans for the years ahead.\n\nMany of these business men are members of the church, and I maintain\nthat, if men who are able to succeed in the commercial and professional\nworld will apply the same diligent study and careful planning to the\nwork of the church, then it will succeed far more than it has in the\npast. There is no other organization in all this world which would have\nsurvived as much mismanagement or neglect as the church of Jesus Christ\nhas survived. Someone has said that the church is certainly a divine\ninstitution or it would have perished from the earth long ago through\nneglect or bad management. I have confidence in the leaders of the\nchurches. I have confidence in their ability. I believe that they are\ninterested. If they will give to the work of the church the same careful\nstudy which they devote to the plans for their business enterprises, I\nbelieve we will be able to make greater progress.\n\nJust to give you an illustration close at hand, everyone will agree that\nthe effectiveness of our Thursday evening services has been very greatly\nincreased by a group of men coming together and carefully planning the\nprograms. If the attendance is to be taken as indication of what you\nthink about them, then they have been improved at least one hundred per\ncent. The attendance is now twice as much as it was before. I am of the\nfirm conviction that what has been done for the Thursday evening meeting\ncan be done for every other phase of the work of the church if it is\nproperly studied and planned.\n\nIn some of my connections outside the church I have been greatly\nimpressed with the conscientiousness with which certain people go about\ntheir work. The head of a department out at Peabody, who is engaged in\neducational work, which certainly isn\u2019t one tenth as important as the\nwork of the church, studies every little detail. He takes into\nconsideration all the facts that are at his disposal. He is continually\nrevising his program and endeavoring to improve his methods. He listens\nto every report that he receives. He will call a conference of those who\nare working under him and discuss ways and means of making his work more\neffective.\n\nNow, if educational work deserves such careful study as that, surely the\nwork of the church deserves even more. And yet, friends, I know\ncongregations\u2014great, big congregations\u2014that never do have any sort of a\nbusiness meeting. Just think of it! They don\u2019t even have a business\nmeeting! The overseers never get together to ponder the problems which\nconfront the local congregation, or to study ways and means of improving\ntheir work.\n\nNow, please remember that the fact that the Bible furnishes us\ncompletely unto every good work does not relieve us of the\nresponsibility which I am emphasizing. Anyone who stops to study the\nmatter will realize that this is true, because there are so many\nquestions which the Bible does not answer specifically. We must study\nand give diligence and pray for wisdom and use whatever talent the Lord\nhas given us to make His work just as successful as possible.\n\n\n III\n Difference in Success and Failure\n\nIt needs to be emphasized that the difference between success and\nfailure very often consists not of any one great big item but of a great\nmany details or small factors working together. Not one big thing but\nmany little things working together very often makes the difference\nbetween success and failure\u2014in every phase of life except the church. In\nthe church they make the difference between outstanding success and just\nmediocre success. It is very difficult for the church to fail\ncompletely. As long as it follows the Bible there can be no failure, but\nthose _little_ things frequently make up the difference between\noutstanding success and merely mediocre success, between doing something\nthat\u2019s really worthwhile, outstanding and unusual, and just drifting and\ndragging along.\n\n1. _Running a store._ I want to try to make this point clear by use of\nan illustration. There are some of you here who are in the mercantile\nbusiness. You know lots more about running stores than I do. I believe\nyou will agree that very often the difference between success and\nfailure there consists of many little items working together\u2014the manner\nin which you display your goods on the shelves, the spirit with which\nyou meet your customers when they come into your place of business, the\ncourtesy with which you render service to your patrons, and just a lot\nof these little things make up the difference.\n\nYou don\u2019t make a lot of money on any one item, but making a small profit\non each of a great many items is what finally spells success. If you\nwill consider the men who have made fortunes in this world, I believe\nyou will find that they did not get rich by making a whole lot of money\non one item or unit of business, but by making a little money on each of\na great many items. The difference between success and failure then is\nnot always one big thing, but frequently many little things working\ntogether. You can never fill a barrel by pouring water into the bunghole\nwhile it is running out a thousand nail holes.\n\n2. _Keeping house._ The same thing applies to house work. I don\u2019t know\nmuch about housekeeping, but I\u2019ve had a chance to observe quite a bit of\nit as I\u2019ve gone around over the country. And I try to determine the\ndifference between a good housekeeper and just an ordinary housekeeper.\nI\u2019m convinced that it consists not of one big factor but of a great many\ndetails\u2014the arrangement of this little piece of furniture, having the\nmagazines up off the floor, a definite place to keep each of numerous\nlittle articles, the spider webs out of that corner, and many other\nlittle things. I don\u2019t know what all of them are, but some of you ladies\ndo, and I\u2019m sure you get the point.\n\n3. _Leading singing._ The same thing is true in church work. I remember\nsitting and listening to a song director who is very outstanding and who\nhas won national recognition for his ability to direct congregational\nsinging. I tried to determine what made him so successful. I concluded\nthat it was no one big factor, but a lot of little details about the way\nhe directed the service; and I\u2019m sure that Brother Murphy, who is\nhelping us on Thursday nights, will verify this statement.\n\n4. _Selecting building site._ Let us consider other details of church\nwork. Any one of them by itself is not so terribly important, and I\u2019m\nsure that I could find someone who would argue with me about any one of\nthem, and say, \u201cOh, well, after all that doesn\u2019t matter,\u201d but when you\ntake all of them together it does matter. It makes the difference\nbetween outstanding success and mere existence. Take for instance the\nlocation of the church building. In many instances very poor judgment\nhas been used in selecting building sites.\n\nA certain North Carolina town is still a missionary point, even though\nthere has been a church in it for at least 25 years. The church building\nis located on a dirty back street. There isn\u2019t a store in the community.\nNo business man would have located one there! Neither is there a school\nbuilding in the community. No board of education in the world would have\nput one there. After 25 years in such a location the church is still\nvery small and weak. Very recently they finally decided, after a painful\ndivision, to move up town.\n\nI shall not exaggerate in describing their building. The walls were\npainted, but the overhead was not. There was no rug, no paint, no carpet\nof any kind on the floor. The benches were such as you cannot find in\nany country schoolhouse in Davidson County. They were such as you might\nhave found seventy or seventy-five years ago. Hanging on the wall just\ninside the door there was a mop which was used to clean the floor and\nover the pulpit a bottle opener with which they unfastened the grape\njuice each Sunday morning. Over on this side of the building there was a\ncountry-store stove with a pipe running all the way across the building\nand into the wall on the other side. There was a baptistry but no\ndressing rooms. The people had to come down the aisle to a hole in the\nfloor to be baptized and go up the aisle and to some neighbor\u2019s house to\nchange their clothes. Well, now, are you surprised that this church\nhasn\u2019t grown?\n\nDown at Kannapolis where I went to hold a meeting, they had a church\nbuilding on a side street to a side street that got so muddy during the\nwintertime that they had to discontinue some of their meetings. Every\ntime Brother Flannery was called upon to tell someone how to find the\nbuilding he would hang his head. I noticed him one night during our tent\nmeeting; he started to announce the location of the building and\nunconsciously his head went down. He was ashamed of it. And there would\nbe little hope for the work at Kannapolis if they had not decided to\nremedy that situation. But they\u2019ve already bought two nice lots downtown\non which we held the tent meeting and where they will locate a church\nbuilding as soon as possible.\n\n5. _Keeping the building in proper condition._ Along with the _location_\nof the building is the _condition_ of the building. Literally, I have\npreached in church buildings where the temperature was about 60\u00b0 or 55\u00b0\nwhen the service began and 85\u00b0 when it closed. People would have on\ntheir overcoats when I started to preach and want to pull off their\nshirts before it was over! Well, you may say that that doesn\u2019t make any\ndifference; but you take one hundred little things like that and it does\nmake a great deal of difference.\n\nThe arrangement of the program may look like a small item, but it\u2019s one\nof those little items, which, taken along with others, makes a big\ndifference. Reports and records of the treasurer and of other workers in\nthe church are important. Our attitude toward strangers when they visit\nour meetings is significant. That\u2019s one respect in which the Chapel\nAvenue congregation is outstanding. Your courtesy to strangers has\ncaused much favorable comment.\n\n6. _Advertising the work of the church._ I\u2019ve known churches to spend\nthree or four hundred dollars to get a preacher, and refuse to spend $25\nto get the people there to hear him. Think about that! You know the\npreacher can\u2019t do any good unless the people are there. I went to a\ncertain city in West Virginia to hold a meeting, and I wrote to them in\nadvance urging them to advertise the meeting. Well, I couldn\u2019t say too\nmuch, you know. They\u2019d think I was trying to get them to advertise me.\nAfter I arrived I asked them if they\u2019d advertised the meeting. They\nsaid, \u201cOh, yes.\u201d I looked around for a sign but I didn\u2019t see one. The\nchurch building was located on a through highway that ran from the North\nto the South. A streamer across the road would have attracted the\nattention of everybody who passed. They hadn\u2019t put one up. I looked in\nthe store windows and saw no ads. I saw none anywhere.\n\nI decided to find out whether they had advertised the meeting. It was a\nsmall town where everybody is supposed to know what everybody else is\ndoing anyway\u2014only about 1,000 people. I went to the stores and inquired\nwhether a meeting was going on in town. In every store I entered I was\nthoroughly informed about a Nazarene meeting. One fellow got so\nenthusiastic that he took me out on the street and showed me the\npreacher\u2019s house and told me where they were holding the meeting. After\nthey would finish their story I\u2019d always ask if there were any other\nmeetings going on in town. In each case the answer was, \u201cNo.\u201d\n\nIn our meeting that night I related my experiment and its results. And I\nsaid, \u201cNow, don\u2019t think I told those people any better. I thought I\u2019d\nhelp you keep the secret!\u201d That\u2019s the principle on which a great many\nchurches work.\n\nRemember that you have not advertised the work of the church when you\nmerely let people know it\u2019s going on. You haven\u2019t advertised it until\nyou _make them want a part in it_! Everybody in this country knows that\nthe Standard Oil Company has gasoline for sale. If that were the end of\nadvertising, they could discontinue theirs. But that\u2019s not the purpose\nof it. Their purpose is to make people _want_ Standard gasoline, so they\nkeep on advertising. Too often we think we\u2019ve advertised the church just\nbecause people know it\u2019s in existence, but we have not advertised it\nuntil we make them want a part in it.\n\n7. _Handling the finances._ Another little detail that needs careful\nconsideration is the planning of the financial program of the church.\nThere is one important respect in which the finance of the church is\ndifferent from that of any other organization. I\u2019m not a business man,\nbut I know, nevertheless, that it\u2019s well for a business concern to keep\na good surplus on hand. The bigger margin they can keep between their\nincome and their outgo, the better off they are. Consequently the\nadministrators of such businesses endeavor to build up a big bank\naccount; but friends, that\u2019s the worst thing that can happen to a\ncongregation! You cannot get a group of people to give into a treasury\nthat has several thousand dollars in the bank. You cannot get people to\ngive to a church when they know it is not needed.\n\nI got a big surprise a few years ago when I preached in a certain town\non the subject of giving. After I\u2019d finished the members began coming to\nme and saying, \u201cWhy there\u2019s no need of telling us about that. We have\nseveral thousand dollars in the bank. Why should we give? This\ncongregation doesn\u2019t need any money.\u201d\n\nRecently I held a meeting for another church which had $10,000 in the\nbank. I didn\u2019t know it, so I preached on giving and got the same\nreaction. During the rest of that meeting I preached on _spending_!\nBefore the meeting closed the congregation had plans to start a new\ncongregation in the north end of town. Since I left they have bought a\nbuilding for $4,500, paid cash for it, and started a new congregation\nwith about fifty or sixty members. They were going to wait until the war\nwas over. I wonder what they would have done in case of the Hundred\nYears War! That question occurs to me when people talk about postponing\nchurch work until after the war is over. We cannot afford to let the\nLord\u2019s work wait until the world quits fighting!\n\nIt\u2019s essential in reference to the financial program of the church that\nplans for Scriptural spending be kept right up with, or a little ahead\nof, the income; because the income is flexible. When the congregation\nsees an increased need and a growing program, then the contributions\nwill be increased accordingly. I don\u2019t blame people for not giving to a\ntreasury that\u2019s already overflowing. I wouldn\u2019t want to contribute to a\nchurch whose leaders would not spend the money that was contributed. I\u2019d\nfind some other avenue through which to contribute. When it is necessary\nto set aside a fund for a new building, or some other major, anticipated\nexpense, the money should be earmarked and not counted as part of the\noperating account. The financial program of the church is one of many\nproblems that needs to be given some careful study.\n\n8. _Avoiding disappointment._ I want to give you another illustration.\nWhen I went to a certain town to preach, the ladies, some of whom were\neven from another congregation, began insisting on having a ladies\u2019\nBible class. They said that the preacher over at this other church\nwouldn\u2019t have one. I asked why. They answered, \u201cBecause it always dies\non his hands, and leaves a bad feeling\u2014a feeling of failure.\u201d I replied,\n\u201cAll right, we\u2019ll have one and not let it die. We\u2019re just going to\ncontinue it twelve weeks. Then we will be through.\u201d\n\nI planned a twelve-week course. The interest and attendance grew\nthroughout the twelve weeks. Some insisted upon its being continued\nlonger but I said, \u201cNo, we may start another one soon, but we\u2019ve\nfinished this one.\u201d You know there\u2019s a big difference between quitting\nbecause you\u2019ve finished and quitting because you\u2019ve failed. You can\nalways start again if you think it wise to do so. It is prudent to set a\ntime limit on all activities of the church except those which are\nessential or already established.\n\nWhen I was doing missionary work in Richmond, Virginia, I didn\u2019t ask\nchurches to send me \u201ca contribution;\u201d I asked them to send me a definite\namount for a definite period of time. Then, when they had promised, they\nfelt obligated to give that much for that length of time. You know, if\nthere isn\u2019t some agreement about the amount and the length of time,\npeople will think, \u201cWell, it\u2019s got to stop sometime and the church has\nas much right to discontinue it or say when it should be discontinued as\nthe preacher has,\u201d and so after awhile it just plays out. But if a\ncongregation promises to send you $10 a month for twelve months, they\nare almost certain to do it. That\u2019s just another one of those little\ndetails. All such things have to be worked out according to human\njudgment. They have to be learned by experience and observation. The\nBible does not specify them.\n\nI could go on talking like this indefinitely, but all these items are\nmentioned for illustrative purposes, and to emphasize the one central\npoint I want to drive home tonight. That is, that God has left a field\nin which he has not made specifications, in which we must make\ndecisions, and those _decisions ought to be made thoughtfully_. They\nought to be made deliberately, and every little detail ought to be\nstudied most carefully, for after all, _we are engaged in the greatest\nwork on this earth!_\n\n\n IV\n Point of Diminishing Returns\n\nI want to raise one more question and then we\u2019ll have to close. We hear\npeople speaking in the business world about \u201cthe point of diminishing\nreturns.\u201d Maybe I should tell you what that means or give you a simple\nillustration. Suppose you drive out on a muddy road like Brother Estevez\nwas talking about this afternoon and get your car real dirty and come\nhome to wash it. You turn on the hose pipe and go over it one time, and\nit doesn\u2019t look like the same car. The first going over makes a big\ndifference, a very obvious difference, but you don\u2019t have it clean yet.\nYou go over it again and you get it a little bit cleaner, but it\u2019s not\nas noticeable this time. Then you get some soap and wash it real good\nand get off some more dirt, but the difference doesn\u2019t show very plainly\nthis time. The car still isn\u2019t clean. You take some cleaning wax and go\nover it again and get off a lot more dirt. Then you can take a rag and\nshine it and the more you polish it, the more it\u2019ll shine, but after\nawhile you reach the point where the extra lustre that can be added by\nfurther rubbing is not worth the effort. That\u2019s the point of diminishing\nreturns. When you\u2019ve reached the point where the additional result\nobtainable is not worth the effort required to obtain it, that\u2019s the\npoint of diminishing returns.\n\nWith that in mind, I want to ask this question: Do you believe that one\ncan ever reach the point of diminishing returns in his preparation for\nthe work of the Lord? If by ever so much effort I can make myself, even\nto a small degree, a better preacher, don\u2019t you believe I ought to do\nit? If by ever so much effort, one can become, to any extent whatsoever,\na better song leader, don\u2019t you believe he ought to do it?\n\nAnd if by ever so much study and careful thought and planning, the\noverseers can make the work of the church even slightly more effective,\ndon\u2019t you think they ought to do it? Do you believe we can ever reach\nthe point of diminishing returns in the work of the Lord? Don\u2019t you\nagree that in his work all of us should do our very, very best? I\nbelieve you do.\n\nThat\u2019s all we have time to say tonight. In just a moment we\u2019re going to\nsing the invitation song that has been announced, and in doing so we\nshall be urging you to accept the Lord\u2019s invitation. {These promises are\noffered to the unbeliever}[5] on conditions of faith, repentance and\nbaptism (Mark 16:15, 16; Acts 2:38); and to the backslider on the\nconditions of repentance, confession and prayer (Acts 8:13, 22, 23; 1\nJohn 1:9). As we stand and sing we entreat the lost to come to Jesus.\n\n\n\n\n XII\n CONGREGATIONAL OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES\n\n\n(_Note_: While this sermon was being presented the main headings of the\nfollowing outline were on the blackboard. Before the second sermon on\nthe same subject was delivered the following evening, a mimeographed\ncopy of the entire outline was given to each person in the audience.)\n\n\n _INTRODUCTION_\n\nTo set in order the work of the local church it is well to consider the\nobjectives or results desired. Below is a list of scriptural\ncongregational objectives and some of the activities that will help to\nreach the objectives.\n\n I. _Evangelistic (Mk. 16:15, 16)_\n 1. Local\n _a._ Lord\u2019s day preaching\n _b._ Protracted meetings\n _c._ Newspaper and other advertising\n _d._ Newspaper reports\n _e._ Inviting and bringing others to meetings\n _f._ Radio preaching, contact with interested listeners\n _g._ Short articles in the paper\n _h._ Distribution of tracts\u2014in homes, in public buildings, by\n mail, racks in lobbies\n _i._ Personal evangelism\n (1) Contacts at school\n (2) Contacts at play\n (3) Contacts at work\n (4) House to house calls\n _j._ Prospect file\u2014individual and general\n _k._ Community Bible classes\n _l._ Prayer\n 2. Missionary\n _a._ Tracts\n _b._ Radio\n _c._ Financial support to preachers and missions\n (1) Should expect regular and complete reports\n (2) Workers selected carefully and well supported\n (3) Work carefully supervised\n (4) Operating funds and assistants furnished\n _d._ Selecting fields and planning work\n _e._ Leadership for rural churches near Nashville\n II. _Devotional (Acts 2:42)_\n 1. Sunday morning\n 2. Sunday evening\n 3. Wednesday evening\n 4. Announcements\n III. _Instructional (Matt. 28:19-20; Eph. 4:11-13)_\n 1. Preaching\n 2. Sunday morning classes\n 3. Wednesday evening classes\n 4. Vacation Bible school\n 5. Bible story hour\n 6. Ladies\u2019 Bible class\n 7. Other special classes\n IV. _Looking After Members Individually (John 10:3, 14; Acts 20:28;\n Heb. 13:17)_\n 1. Church bulletin\n 2. Correspondence with men in service\n 3. Correspondence with, and in behalf of, other non-resident members\n 4. Contacts at meetings\n 5. Visiting\u2014sick, indifferent, weak, disgruntled\n 6. Records of names and addresses of members\n 7. Attendance records\n 8. Special attention to new members, etc.\n 9. Discipline\n V. _Practical Training (1 Tim. 3:10; Eph. 4:11-16)_\n 1. Wednesday evening meeting\n 2. Participation in other meetings\n 3. Special classes\n 4. Supervised activities in personal work, etc.\n VI. _Beneficent (Jas. 1:27; 1 Cor. 16:1)_\n 1. Caring for widows\n 2. Caring for orphans\n 3. Helping the poor\n VII. _Incidental_\n 1. Financial reports, records, etc.\n 2. Maintenance of church property\n 3. Other incidentals\n\nWe are very glad to have visitors with us today. I will not undertake to\nname those who are present from other places, lest I omit one. But we\nwant all of you to realize that you have a very hearty welcome. We\u2019re\nalways glad to have you worship with us.\n\nI was very glad indeed to hear that splendid report given by Brother\nGregory. I wish we could have more frequent reports from those who are\nbeing assisted in their work by the Chapel Avenue congregation. Let us\nremember that the gospel is being proclaimed today at half a dozen, or\nmaybe a dozen, different places by preachers supported, at least in\npart, by the congregation here. To me, that is a very encouraging\nthought.\n\nI want to talk to you this morning upon the topic, \u201cCongregational\nObjectives and Activities.\u201d The work of the church may be outlined in\nseveral different ways, but the most practical outline that I have been\nable to develop is one based upon the _objectives_ of the church. In\nother words, what is the purpose of the church? What is the work that it\nshould do, and how can it best do that work? I have listed on the board\nsix or seven expressions according to which the scriptural objectives of\nthe church may be classified: evangelistic, devotional, instructional,\nwatching or looking after the members individually, practical training,\nbeneficent, and incidental\u2014some other activities which are incidental to\nthese main objectives. These are Scriptural objectives. They are\nauthorized by the word of God, and I believe that this outline covers\neverything which God intends for the church to do. Someone told me I had\nomitted recreational and social objectives. Well, I left those out on\npurpose, because I do not believe that they are authorized by the Bible.\nHence, as far as I\u2019m able to know, this list is complete.\n\nNow I want to talk about one or two of these items at this time.\nContinuing the effort to give some practical lessons, I\u2019m laying aside\nrhetoric or any other technical requirements for a good sermon which\nmight stand in the way of practical effectiveness.\n\nBy the term evangelistic, of course, we mean preaching the gospel to the\nentire world. The Scriptural authority for that is found at many places\nin the Bible. For instance, the great commission as reported by Mark\n16:15: \u201cGo into all the world and preach the gospel unto every creature.\nHe that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not\nshall be damned.\u201d This commandment is very comprehensive. It says \u201cGo\ninto all the world\u201d and the world includes the people who live here at\nChapel Avenue, those who live next door to you, even those who are in\nthe house with you. It includes the people of this city, and then, of\ncourse, people in other cities and other states throughout the entire\nworld. Therefore, we shall discuss this subject of evangelization under\ntwo headings: local and missionary.\n\nGod has given us a charge to keep as a congregation. He has charged us\nto preach the gospel unto the people of this community, as well as the\npeople of other communities. Now the question is: \u201cHow can we do it?\u201d\nThere\u2019s the command; it\u2019s a general one. God charges us to preach the\ngospel unto the people who live in East Nashville, and as little as you\nmay have thought about it, there are many thousands of people right here\nwithin a few blocks of our building who do not know about the church in\nthe New Testament\u2014who do not believe and study the Bible and are not\nacquainted with the distinguishing characteristics of the New Testament\nchurch.\n\n\n I\n Preaching on Lord\u2019s Days\n\nOur problem is to get the truth unto these people. What means and what\nmethods shall we use in carrying out this charge which God has given us?\nOne method we use is that of preaching on the Lord\u2019s day; Sunday sermons\nserve an evangelistic purpose to some extent. Some of the lessons are\ndesigned for the purpose of reaching those who are on the outside, and,\nof course, when that is the case, a special effort should be made to get\nthe outsiders here to hear the lessons. These regular Lord\u2019s day\nmeetings, then, and the lessons which are presented morning and evening\ncan be made to serve the purpose of evangelizing this community.\n\nBut we could not confine all the lessons to that type of thinking, for\nto do so would be to neglect some other important matters. Even if we\ndid make all the lessons of an evangelistic nature that would not\nsuffice to solve this problem, for that means alone will not reach all\nthe unsaved, even of our own community. Too many of them are at home at\nthis hour, or worshiping at some other place where the full gospel is\nnot presented.\n\n\n II\n Protracted Meetings\n\nMost congregations supplement their Lord\u2019s day preaching then by what is\ncalled protracted meetings, or revival meetings. Such meetings\naccomplish much good, and they should be executed with a definite\npurpose in mind. Some definite purpose should characterize every\nactivity of the church. When we hold another protracted meeting, we want\nto think of it as a means of helping us carry out the God-given charge\nto preach the gospel unto the people in East Nashville. As long as there\nis one soul within our reach who has not heard the truth or who has not\nbeen properly exhorted to obey it, you and I have not finished our job.\nKeeping the purpose of reaching the unsaved of this community clearly in\nmind as we plan and conduct our next meeting will contribute much to its\nsuccess.\n\n\n III\n Advertising\n\nYou will agree with me that if we should depend entirely upon Lord\u2019s day\npreaching and upon protracted meetings, we would never reach all the\nunsaved even in our own community. God has not prescribed that our\nefforts shall be confined unto these methods. He has given us a general\ncharge to preach the gospel to all the world. He expects us to use some\nintelligence and some good judgment in carrying out this command.\n\nAnd, friends, he expects us to use every means which is at our disposal\nin order to make the job complete. Of course, I mean every Scriptural or\nlegitimate means. For no other sort of means would accomplish the\npurpose intended. We would make a very serious mistake, then, if we\nrelied upon any one method alone. God expects us to use every method\nthat is legitimate within its nature in order to carry out this charge.\n\nWhat are some of the other things which can be done along this line?\nFirst, we can make a greater effort to get people to come to the\nmeetings\u2014supplement the public meetings by putting on a special effort\nto get people to attend them. Newspaper advertising would be very\nhelpful. Personal visits and invitations to attend the meetings can be\nused to good advantage. Another means of attracting people to the place\nwhere the gospel is preached, is publicizing reports of what is being\ndone. Nothing succeeds like success. And _if a church will do what God\nintends for it to do, it will be news_!\n\nOne preacher blamed the churches themselves for not getting more\nnewspaper publicity. He said \u201cIf there were a church which practiced\nwhat it preached, it would get its name in the headlines of the daily\npaper.\u201d If you\u2019ll stop to analyze his statement, you\u2019ll almost have to\nadmit that he told the truth. We are not seeking publicity for its own\nsake, but the Bible says \u201cLet your light shine,\u201d and condemns the\nputting of your candle under a bushel where no one can see it.\n\nWhen the church does something which is worthwhile and would serve as a\nfine example for others, it is our duty to give it the publicity which\nit deserves in order that others may profit by the example. Such is\nauthorized by the commandment, \u201cLet your light shine, that others may\nsee your good works and glorify God.\u201d\n\n\n IV\n Radio and Press\n\nAnother means which might be used to carry out this charge is radio\npreaching. Of course, there has been much of this done already in the\ncity of Nashville, but there are many other places where it has not been\ndone, and where it should be used as one of the methods of carrying out\nthe commandment to preach the gospel to the whole world. Wherever the\nradio is used every possible effort should be made to form personal\ncontact with those who become interested.\n\nI know a number of congregations that are publishing short articles in\nthe daily paper. The daily paper is a very fine medium through which to\nreach the public. The business world has known this for a long time.\nThat\u2019s the reason you see so many and such costly advertisements in our\ndaily papers. Our merchants know that this is an effective way to reach\nthe public. Jesus said that the men of this world are for their own\ngeneration wiser than the sons of light. It may be that this statement\nis applicable here, for too often churches have overlooked the use of\nthe radio and especially the use of the daily paper as a medium through\nwhich to reach the public.\n\nRemember, God has charged us to preach the gospel to everybody, and one\nsoul is worth more than all the money in the world. If by ever so much\nuse of the daily press, we can accomplish the salvation of just one soul\nit would be worth a million times what it cost. If we will stop to\nconsider the value of just one soul, we will see the great importance of\nusing every means that we can to win lost souls for Christ. Now, I\u2019m\njust naming some different activities here which will help us to fulfill\nthis duty, or to reach the objective of evangelizing our own community.\nDo not think that this list is complete; it is intended rather to be\nsuggestive. Perhaps you can think of other means which would also help\nin accomplishing this task.\n\n\n V\n Distributing Tracts\n\nBut even after we have done all these things there will still be some\npeople who are not yet reached. The church here has been engaged in\npublishing and distributing tracts. This is another means which we can\nuse to reach our neighbors. I wish we had some system of regularly\nplacing tracts, appropriate tracts, in every home in this community. We\ncan help to preach the gospel to the world by carrying tracts in person\nto those who live in our neighborhood, and by placing tracts in public\nplaces\u2014the Y. M. C. A., the Y. W. C. A., the bus station, the Union\nStation, and other such places. The churches of Christ in general have\nneglected this opportunity; if you doubt this statement, visit some of\nthese places\u2014hospitals, terminals, etc.\u2014and you will realize that we\nhave been letting an opportunity slip by us in this respect.\n\nThen our tracts in the church lobby may be used to serve a good purpose.\nI\u2019m glad that Brother Billingsley has taken the initiative in providing\nsome racks for them, because the truth should be displayed just as\neffectively as possible. I believe that you will agree that in the past\nthe tracts in the lobby have not been attractively arranged. If I should\npreach a sermon as ragged in its appearance as that display of tracts\nhas been, you would fire me. You\u2019d say you didn\u2019t want the truth wrapped\nup in that sort of a garment. We need to look out after details and take\nadvantage of every possible means to make the preaching of the gospel\nmore effective. Paul said, \u201cFor though I be free from all men, yet have\nI made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the\nJews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are\nunder the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under\nthe law; to them that are without law, as without law, (being not\nwithout law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them\nthat are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain\nthe weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means\nsave some. And this I do for the gospel\u2019s sake, that I might be partaker\nthereof with you\u201d (1 Cor. 9:19-23).\n\n\n VI\n Personal Evangelism\n\nIn addition to all these methods, personal evangelism should be greatly\nemphasized. Here is perhaps the greatest weakness in the method of the\nchurches of Christ today. On this point, we are allowing some advocates\nof error to run circles around us. Here is a great unworked field which,\nwhen properly worked, will bring results of which we have not yet\ndreamed.\n\nThe Bible does not command people to come to our public meetings. If we\ncan reach them by these public meetings, that\u2019s fine. If we can persuade\nthem to come so that we may preach the gospel to a large number at once,\nthat\u2019s fine. But what will we do for those who don\u2019t come? The Bible\nsays \u201cGo.\u201d We have not fully discharged our duty when we invite people\nto come to us. And we haven\u2019t always invited them! There are, I am sure,\nhundreds of people living almost in sight of this building who have not\nreceived a personal invitation to attend the meetings at this place.\n\nThey ought to receive at least a personal invitation. But even then,\nthat\u2019s not sufficient. If they still don\u2019t come, it becomes our duty to\ngo to them. Have we obeyed the great commission, even in reference to\nEast Nashville, until we do so? It will help a great deal if we have a\nprospect file, both general and individual. Every good insurance agent\nin this town has a prospect file. He knows to whom he will try to sell\ninsurance in the next few days. And we ought to use the same practical\ncommon sense in executing the work of the Lord that men use in selling\ninsurance.\n\nI went to a place one time to hold a meeting where they had made very\nelaborate preparations. They had appointed many committees. They had an\nadvertising committee, a publicity committee, a parking committee, a\nflower committee, and an ushering committee, and everything else you can\nthink of except one little item. They had failed to consider who might\nbe saved during the meeting, and when I asked one of the elders whom he\nexpected to be baptized, he hesitated, thought for a while, and finally\nnamed one of the boys who had been coming to the services. They expected\nto have forty or fifty additions, but they had never thought about who\nthese additions would be.\n\nWhat would you think of an automobile salesman with no prospects in\nmind, who went in on Monday morning and told the sales manager that he\nwas going to sell five automobiles during the week? The sales manager\nwould probably ask, \u201cWell, to whom?\u201d The agent would reply, \u201cOh, I don\u2019t\nknow; I just believe there must be five people in town who\u2019ll buy from\nme this week.\u201d Do you think the sales manager would be encouraged? Why\nhe would realize that the salesman didn\u2019t know what he was talking\nabout. Every congregation ought to have a prospect list, and every\nindividual worker in the Lord\u2019s kingdom ought to have a prospect list.\nWhom will you try to save during the next twelve months? Every Christian\nshould be a soul winner for Jesus, and you can lead someone to Christ if\nyou are willing to be used by him in so doing. There is much more that\ncould be said along this line if time permitted.\n\nOne congregation has used very effectively the method of community Bible\nclasses. When the members could not get people to come to their\nmeeting-house, they carried Bible classes to the communities where the\npeople lived. Some good Christian who had the respect of his neighbors\ninvited those neighbors to his home for Bible study and had the preacher\nthere to help with the teaching. At Richmond, Virginia, most of the\nadditions which they have had during the last six months have come from\njust such a source. If this little method were put in effect in the city\nof Nashville by all the congregations, it would revolutionize this town\nin just a few months.\n\n\n VII\n The Case of Mary Doe\n\nThe thing I\u2019m trying to impress upon your minds is that we have not been\nusing all the means or methods which God has placed at our disposal. Let\nme make the point just as concrete and effective as possible by using a\ndefinite example. (Maybe it\u2019s indefinite in some respects.) Suppose that\nwe have a young lady brought up here in our own community, maybe not\nliving more than two or three blocks from our church building. We will\ncall her Mary Doe. What are the chances that she will learn the truth\nfrom our program of evangelism? We\u2019ll say that she has been reared by\nparents who go regularly to a denominational church. They\u2019ve been taking\nher there ever since she was a tiny baby. They\u2019ve taught her to believe\nin their particular denomination. They have built up within her a\ndenominational pride and a sense of loyalty to the church of her\nparents.\n\nAt that church, she never hears the complete plan of salvation. She\nhears some nice, moral lectures. She goes to the Bible classes and\ndiscusses current events and general social problems. If she\u2019s like many\nsuch young people, she does not read the Bible very systematically\nherself. She may read it occasionally, but not consistently and\nunderstandingly. The chances are that Mary Doe will never learn the\nproper division of the word. She might live in such an environment for\nfifty years and never learn the difference between the old covenant and\nthe new covenant.\n\nPerhaps she and her mother ride by our building sometime and she says,\n\u201cMother, what church is that?\u201d The mother replies, \u201cOh, that\u2019s the\nchurch of Christ\u201d or maybe she\u2019ll say, \u201cThe Campbellite church. They\nthink baptism alone saves you.\u201d Well, Mary Doe believes that, even\nthough it isn\u2019t true. Consequently she\u2019ll probably never come to one of\nour meetings. Very likely she\u2019ll never read any of our literature. How\nshall we reach Mary Doe?\n\nProbably her best chance to learn the truth is through her contact with\nour own children in the public schools. That is a common meeting place,\nand I suspect Mary will be more likely to have an intimate contact with\na member of the church at school than at any other place. Had you ever\nthought about that as an opportunity for evangelizing East Nashville? I\nwonder if our boys and girls in school are taking advantage of their\nopportunity. Have you realized what a wonderful opportunity it is, and\nare you behaving yourself in such a way as to demand respect from your\nfellow students that you may be able to teach them the truth? Or do you\nso misbehave that you would be a little bit embarrassed to undertake to\nshow them the difference between truth and error? There is a golden\nopportunity for personal evangelism that might be used even by a school\nboy or girl in leading many people unto the Lamb of God that takes away\nthe sins of the world. Personal evangelism then may be carried out\nthrough personal contact at school, through personal contact at work,\nand through personal contact at play or in our social relationships.\n\n\n VIII\n House To House Calls\n\nAnd, finally, my friends, it might be possible that before we could\nreach Mary Doe and the several thousand people whom she represents, we\nwould have to start down the street and go from house to house and call\nupon every home. It could be possible that Mary would not be thrown with\nany member of the church, even in her association at school. Do you\nbelieve we can claim to have fully and completely met our\nresponsibility, in preaching the gospel to the people of East Nashville,\nuntil we have gone from house to house as the apostle Paul did, and as\nsome denominations are doing today, and taken the message to them? That\nis almost an unused opportunity and method of preaching the gospel to\nthose who have not yet heard it, and yet it is a very practical and a\nvery effective one.\n\n\n IX\n Prayer\n\nI would like to climax all of this by saying that prayer should be used\nin our effort to carry out the great commission. If you have faithfully\nand diligently engaged in all of these activities mentioned, and any\nothers of like nature that could be mentioned, then you can consistently\npray to God to help you in accomplishing your purpose. That\u2019s the reason\nI put prayer at the end of the list. For prayer should not be used\nwithout being accompanied by every possible effort on our part. Neither\nof these methods, nor any other that might be named, should be used\nexclusively. They should all be used, working together to help us\nfulfill our obligation to preach the gospel to our neighbors.\n\nNow I had hoped to have time to talk about the other phase of the first\ndivision of our outline\u2014preaching the gospel to other communities\u2014but\nthe clock on the wall says that the time is gone and so we have to close\nwith the promise that there will be more to follow. If you\u2019ll come back\ntonight, I\u2019ll give you a mimeographed outline of the lessons which are\nbeing used both this morning and tonight.\n\nIn just a moment we\u2019re going to sing the song that has been announced.\nThat is our means of urging you to accept the Lord\u2019s invitation to come\nto him and let him save you. If you have been guilty of committing just\none sin which has not yet been forgiven, that sin must be forgiven\nbefore you can go to heaven, because no sin can enter there, and no sin\ncan be forgiven for those who have never obeyed the gospel by faith\n(Acts 16:31-33), repentance (Luke 13:3), confession (Acts 16:37), and\nbaptism (Acts 2:38). Those who have turned aside since being baptized\nmay be forgiven if they\u2019ll come back repenting, confessing their faults,\nand praying for forgiveness. The gospel invitation is yours. While we\nstand and sing we urge you to accept it.\n\n\n\n\n XIII\n CONGREGATIONAL OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES\n (_Continued_)\n\n\nI promise you in the beginning that I do not mean to discuss all of this\noutline (See pages 196-198) at this time. It covers in a general way the\nentire program of work that God wants His church to do. The scope of\nthis work is so broad that we have to break it down in order to study it\npractically and effectively. Those who are directing the work of the\nchurch need to study it in its separate parts as well as in its\nentirety. This main list of objectives\u2014evangelistic, devotional,\ninstructional, looking after members individually, practical training,\nbeneficent work, and incidentals\u2014covers the field entirely. Every\nScriptural function of the church is included in at least one of these\ngeneral headings. I do not mean that the lists of activities under the\nmain headings are complete. They are not necessarily so. In most\ninstances they are incomplete. They are _suggestive_ rather than\n_exhaustive_.\n\n\n I\n Use of Outline\n\nI would like for you to take this outline home with you and study it\nwith two or three questions in mind. First, what can you do to help\nadvance the work of the church? Look over this list of activities and\nwrite into this outline any others which, in your judgment, would be\nscriptural in nature and help to make the work of the church more\neffective. These objectives are Scriptural, therefore, we want to do\neverything in our power to reach them. In order for the church to attain\nthese objectives, it must have the co-operation of every member. There\nis something in this general program that _you_ can do! Perhaps you\u2019ll\nfind _many_ places where you can be of service, and you know it is your\nduty to render whatever service you can to make the Lord\u2019s work as\nsuccessful as possible.\n\nThese objectives being Scriptural, this outline may help the overseers\nin their work of edifying the church. Please remember that we are\nengaged in the greatest work in all the world\u2014the work of saving souls!\nWe are undertaking to accomplish a divine task, one which has been\nassigned to us by the God of heaven. In His work we ought to do our very\nbest, remembering that one soul is worth more than all the material\nwealth in the world. We should leave nothing undone that will contribute\ntoward our success.\n\nSome constructive work was done in our business meeting this afternoon.\nA committee was appointed to plan the missionary program of the church\nfor the year. This committee is to give some very careful study to the\nselection of the most appropriate fields and the amount that should be\ninvested in each. The results of their study, including the program they\nrecommend for the next fiscal year, will be announced at the next\nmeeting of the overseers. This is a very practical step. It is a\ndefinite step in the right direction. It pertains to Item No. 2 under\nour evangelistic objectives as shown on the outline.\n\nAnother committee was appointed to study our Sunday morning Bible school\nprogram and to make recommendations for improving it. That\u2019s Item No. 2\nunder our instructional objective. So that makes two items on this list\nthat will be given very careful study by committees that have been\nappointed for that purpose. We know that our Thursday evening meeting\nhas been very much improved by giving a little more thought to planning\nthe program. I believe that that meeting can be even further improved,\nand I am also convinced that similar improvements may be brought about\nin every other phase of the church\u2019s work if the proper study and\ncareful planning is devoted to it. I am hoping that every item in this\noutline will be given thoughtful consideration by those who are\nresponsible for the work at Chapel Avenue for the sake of improving\nevery phase of our work and worship.\n\nWe are told to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. God\nwould not be pleased with a secondary place in our lives, and that\nmeans, among other things, that our program of work in the church should\nbe given our best thought, our most careful consideration, and our most\ndiligent support.\n\n\n II\n Sending Messages\n\nI want to say a few things tonight under Item No. 2 of our evangelistic\nprogram. God tells us to go into all the world and preach the gospel\nunto every creature. We discussed some methods this morning that might\nbe used in carrying out that responsibility in our own neighborhood.\nNow, the question arises, \u201cWhat can we do about preaching in communities\nthat are too far away to receive any direct benefit from our local\nprogram of services and personal work?\u201d\n\nOne method which we have been using recently is that of distributing\ntracts. We have published 70,000 tracts for free distributions. Bro.\nShacklett reported this afternoon in the business meeting that the most\nof this supply has already been distributed. He probably has enough\ncalls on his desk now to more than exhaust the remainder. If it is not\ntoo optimistic to assume that each one of those tracts has been read by\nat least one person, that\u2019s the equivalent of preaching a sermon to\n70,000 people, which certainly is no small consideration!\n\nAnd I happen to know that those who are selling tracts on a commercial\nbasis, at least some of them best known to me, are making from 100 to\n200 per cent profit. The tracts that cost us less than 1 cent each, are\nbeing sold by those who are in it for the money at 2\u00bd cents each. That\nmeans that by spending less than one penny we can give to these\nmissionary fields a service that would cost them on the market 2\u00bd cents.\nTherefore, from a financial point of view, by giving away tracts instead\nof giving the money with which to buy tracts, we are making a great\nsaving.\n\nThe response that has been received from this work is very encouraging.\nIf we had time, we would like to read some of the letters that have been\nreceived. In addition to the tracts distributed by Chapel Avenue, the\nchurch at Madison has made a very wide distribution of one of the same\ntracts, and is now contemplating publishing 100,000 with which to answer\nthe calls they are receiving. That seems to be one good means of\ncarrying the gospel to those of other communities who have not heard it.\nAnd, remember, it is our duty to use every legitimate means at our\ndisposal.\n\nThe next item on your outline is radio preaching. There has been some\ntalk of a national radio program, and no doubt that would do a great\ndeal of good. There is some question as to whether the money that such a\nprogram would cost might not accomplish more good if spent in some other\nway. That\u2019s a question which I, personally, would not know how to\ndecide. But we do know that the radio is being used very extensively on\na local basis in various missionary fields of our country, and those who\nare engaged in that work are pleased with the results.\n\nHowever, trying to whip the devil by using the radio is somewhat like\ntrying to whip the Germans by fighting them from the air. A great deal\ncan be accomplished but the battle cannot be completely won until we go\nin person. Radio work, to be as effective and fruitful as it ought to\nbe, must be followed up by personal contact. Those who become interested\nby means of radio preaching ought to be contacted and encouraged to\nrender complete obedience to the commandments of the gospel.\n\n\n III\n Sending Money\n\nA third way in which we can help to attain this objective of preaching\nthe gospel to the entire world is by sending financial support to\nmissionary fields and to preachers working in those fields. In that\nrespect the church at Chapel Avenue has been very active and no doubt\nwill continue to be. In fact, we have just about gone as far as we can\ngo with the present means at our disposal, and I think it would not be\nout of order to tell you that in the business meeting this evening\nanother man was put on the payroll at $200 per month, on a temporary\nbasis, hoping that when the congregation learns about it, they will\nincrease their contribution enough to cover this cost. Those who are\nmanaging the financial affairs believe that the present income is not\nsufficient to warrant this additional expense, but they have acted upon\ntheir faith in you, upon their confidence in you, that your knowledge of\nthis increased need will bring about an increased response. I do not\nbelieve that you will betray that confidence!\n\nThe man added to the payroll has a family of six children and recently\nresigned a job paying him several hundred dollars per month as district\nmanager for an insurance company in order to devote his entire time to\npreaching the gospel. With a charter membership of about ten souls,\ntwenty-four people were present for the initial meeting last Lord\u2019s Day.\nThis man seems to be well qualified for the task which he has\nundertaken, and we believe he will accomplish great results.\n\nThere are certain items listed in your outline which we believe should\ncharacterize our work of supporting missionaries. It is my conviction\nthat regular and complete reports should be received from those who are\nbeing supported. Brother Estevez made a fine talk along that line here\nlast Sunday afternoon. Brother Gregory gave us a splendid report of his\nwork this morning. I believe that one reason the Chapel Avenue church\nhas continued to be so vitally interested in the work at Kingsport is\nthat one of our elders is on the job there and keeps the congregation\nhere acquainted with what is being done.\n\nFurthermore, the workers to be used in these fields should be selected\nvery carefully. You ought to be just as careful about selecting some man\nto preach for you in North Carolina as you are about selecting some one\nto preach for you here. It seems to me that the two cases are exactly\nparallel in that respect. We ought to be just as much concerned about\nwho preaches for us over there as we are about who preaches for us here.\nIf such a policy were followed by all the churches it would bring about\na distinct improvement and prevent considerable embarrassment.\n\nIn addition, the man selected should be well supported. It\u2019s worth just\nas much to preach in Kingsport or North Carolina or Louisiana or some\nother place as it is to preach in Nashville, and when the men have equal\nresponsibility and equal qualifications, it seems to me that they ought\nto be equally well supported. Certainly the man in the field ought to be\nsupported well enough that he will not be cramped in his work or\ndistracted by concern about how he will meet the next month\u2019s grocery\nbill.\n\nRemember that it is _our_ work when we send a man out to a field like\nthat, and it would be inconsistency and folly on our part to send one\nwithout supplying him with the resources necessary for the success of\nhis work. Something in addition to his bare living ought to be provided.\nHe should have funds with which to operate. Think about how much it\ncosts to carry on a program of work here, by way of advertising,\nmaintaining a meeting place and supporting a radio program and all that\nsort of thing. In some ways it is more expensive in those fields than it\nis here. For instance, we have fifty other congregations in Nashville to\nhelp us advertise the cause of Christ in this city. In those fields the\nlittle mission church has to take all this responsibility by itself. It\nhas to bear all the cost of supporting a radio program, publishing\narticles in the daily paper, and of carrying on all of these varied\nactivities that are listed under our local program of evangelism.\n\nNo business concern would send a man to some field to represent it and\nwork for it without furnishing him with the support necessary for\nsuccess in his work. I am convinced that it would be wiser and better in\nthe long run to have a few men in the field fully supported than to have\nseveral that are but half supported, and therefore handicapped and\nunable to accomplish what should be accomplished.\n\nIt is also my conviction that the church which furnishes the money is\nalso obligated to supervise the use of that money. I do not suggest that\nwe dictate to churches at other places, for there is no one who believes\nmore firmly in congregational autonomy than do I. Every congregation\nmust be entirely independent. But, surely, if you have a man preaching\nfor you in the state of North Carolina, or some other place, it is your\nduty to know what he is doing, what he is accomplishing, and whether it\nwould be well for him to continue there or to move to some other\ncommunity.\n\nI know of one man who was supposed to be preaching in a missionary\nfield, not supported by Chapel Avenue incidentally, concerning whom I\nhave received a report that the only thing he did was to teach a Bible\nclass on Wednesday night. Over a period of several months he received a\ngood income from churches throughout the country who were gullible\nenough to answer a call without knowing the condition of the field and\nthe kind of work that was being done by the one who made the call; while\nbeing paid to preach he was working at a secular job, receiving a living\nwage therefor, and putting the money he received from the churches in\nthe bank in his own name. This illustrates what I mean by saying that it\nis necessary that we keep a line on those who are being supported. Those\nwho are worthy will welcome investigation and those who are not worthy\ncertainly ought to be investigated.\n\nI believe that I am, at least to some extent, qualified to speak here\nfor I have worked at both ends of the line. As you know, I spent five\nyears at Richmond, Virginia, in the missionary field, receiving support\nfrom you and others back home. I\u2019ve also worked at this end of the line,\nand I think I know a little about how such work ought to be done. Surely\nregular and complete reports ought to be received, and careful\nsupervision should be exercised by those who furnish the money. It is my\nconviction that, when God places resources in the hands of an individual\nor a congregation, they are responsible for seeing that those resources\nare properly used.\n\nThat\u2019s the reason I am reluctant to tell a rich man how to give away his\nmoney. If he had sense enough to make it, he probably has more sense\nabout how to spend it than someone who could never make any. Of course\none should teach the principles that are revealed in the Bible\nconcerning the use of money, but I believe that the responsibility of\nspending one\u2019s money rests primarily upon the one to whom God has\nentrusted the money, and that will apply to a congregation as well as to\nindividuals.\n\n\n IV\n A Three-Cornered Affair\n\nNow arranging a program of missionary work is a three-cornered affair.\nThere is first of all the _missionary field_ in which the work is to be\ndone, and next, there is the _preacher_ who is to do the preaching and\nthird the _church_ to do the financing. By some means or other these\nthree must be brought to an agreement upon a plan of procedure. That\nmeans that somebody must take the initiative in getting the work\nstarted.\n\nSometimes a few members who live in the missionary field take the\ninitiative, and undertake to find a preacher and someone to support him.\nThey contact a preacher and ask him to come and work for them. They\ncontact some church or churches and ask them to support the man while he\nworks for them. Whenever there is enough leadership in the mission field\nto take such initiative, that\u2019s all right. But that is presupposing a\ngoodly degree of leadership in a mission field! There are many mission\nfields which do not possess such leadership. Sometimes the few members\nwho live in these mission fields are relatively indifferent. They are\nnot always so. Sometimes they are the finest people on the earth, but\noften they are not. And maybe the reason it\u2019s still a mission field in\nmany instances is because they are not as wide awake and zealous as they\nshould be. So if a great many fields are ever reached, some of them not\nhaving any members at all, someone else must take the initiative.\n\nIn other instances, the preacher takes the initiative. He selects a\nfield to which he would like to go and then he gets some churches to\nsupport him while he does so. That\u2019s the plan I used in going to\nRichmond. It sometimes works all right and sometimes it doesn\u2019t. For\nvery often a preacher who undertakes to do such work is comparatively\ninexperienced, and is not nearly as well qualified to plan the program\nof work as some congregation that helps support him would be. When I\nwent to Richmond, twelve years ago, one had to do it that way, because\nat that time, so far as I know, no one congregation considered itself\nable to assume full responsibility for the support of a missionary. But\nI do not believe that this is the most satisfactory method.\n\nIn the third place, the congregation itself very often takes the\ninitiative, selects a field, selects a preacher, and sends him there to\nwork. Bro. Gregory gave us an example of that this morning. He told of a\ncongregation which made thorough investigation of the places needing a\npreacher in East Tennessee and finally concluded that Kingsport would be\nthe most advisable place for them to help. They\u2019ve been following that\nplan for many years. Bro. Charles King has been on their payroll for\nquite a long time. Several years ago they sent a committee to East\nTennessee, at an expense of $150, to select the best place for him to\npreach. At that time they decided in favor of Harriman, where there is\nnow, I understand, a strong congregation.\n\nIn this case, you see, the church took the initiative; the church\nselected the field after proper investigation; the church selected a\npreacher and paid him a salary and supported him while he represented\nthem in that field. Where this can be done, it seems to me to be a very\nfine plan. Hence, one way for an established congregation to contribute\nto the success of evangelizing the world is to take the initiative not\nonly in planning, but also in supervising the work. With such an\narrangement the work will be promoted according to the judgment of a\nseasoned and experienced group of elders rather than according to the\njudgment of some young, inexperienced fellow who gets the idea that he\nwants to be a missionary.\n\nA few objections to this plan have come from preachers on the field. It\nhas been said, \u201cI\u2019d rather have twenty churches supporting me than to\nhave just one. For that one might get discouraged at my pessimistic\nreport and cut me off.\u201d The answer to that is that there should be a\nmore definite agreement on the part of the preacher and the church as to\nhow long he is to be supported. The man on the missionary field should\nnot expect a guarantee of a lifetime job. And, furthermore, if his\nreports were too pessimistic, it may be that his support _should_ be\ndiscontinued. Or perhaps he ought to be advised to discontinue his\nactivities in that field and to move to some other. It would not have\nbeen well for Paul to have remained indefinitely in the city of Athens.\nAccording to the inspiration guiding him, it was better for him to move\non.\n\nI would have welcomed counsel and advice from those supporting me when I\nwas working in Richmond. There were about twenty different churches\nsupporting me\u2014too many for me to confer with each of them to get advice\non questions that arose; and consequently in most instances I relied\nonly on my own judgment, which meant that the work was being directed by\nthe judgment of one young preacher rather than by the combined judgment\nof some experienced group of elders. And nothing would have given me\ngreater encouragement than for a committee of elders of some church that\nwas supporting me to have spent a few days in Richmond studying the\nsituation and advising me on the problems which arose. There were times\nwhen I wondered if the results being accomplished justified the money\nbeing spent.\n\nOf course, the money was well spent. For growing out of that work which\nI entered twelve years ago there are now two self-supporting\ncongregations. One of them has a building completely paid for and\nsupports a full-time preacher. The other has a part-time preacher.\nComing from one of these congregations, a young man graduated from David\nLipscomb last spring and has gone back to Virginia to preach the gospel\nin his native state. Another young man from one of these congregations\nis now at Lipscomb preparing himself to preach the riches of Christ. On\nthe side, some work and encouragement were given at Norfolk, Virginia,\nwhere there is now a growing and prosperous congregation. These\ndevelopments have come about in only twelve years. But I couldn\u2019t see it\nthen. Oftentimes I became discouraged. If some one congregation had been\nsupplying all the necessary support and supervising the work, it would\nhave been very helpful to me.\n\nBut after all, friends, when you contribute only five or ten dollars per\nmonth to a place, you are not likely to have a vital interest in the\nwork. To give you a concrete example, an elder and treasurer of a church\nin Middle Tennessee which sent ten dollars each month to Richmond, year\nafter year, spent several days in Richmond on a social visit and didn\u2019t\neven come around to see what was being done. Well, they only had $10 per\nmonth invested there and so they were not particularly interested. But\nif they\u2019d been spending $200 a month, paying the full salary of the man\non the job, then an elder who spent the week end in town would have\nlooked into the situation! Where a man\u2019s treasure is, there will his\nheart be also!\n\nIn fact, I have said, and I\u2019m about to say again, that to contribute\njust $5 a month here and there and elsewhere for mission work is\nsomewhat like giving a nickel to a beggar on the street. Do you know why\nyou give that nickel? Not because you are interested in the beggar and\nnot because you are concerned about what he is doing, but to ease your\nown conscience. You are seeking to purchase ease of conscience with\nexpenditure of a mere nickel! If the beggar is worthy, he ought to have\nmore than a nickel; if he isn\u2019t worthy, he doesn\u2019t deserve even a\nnickel. And so when a congregation merely contributes five dollars to\neach of a few places, to soothe their conscience, they can say, \u201cYes, we\nare doing some mission work,\u201d but certainly they are following the line\nof least resistance. They may have purchased ease of an untrained and\nmisinformed conscience at a minimum cost, but this does not mean that\nthey have done their duty in meeting the responsibility that God has\nplaced on them!\n\nAnother way in which Chapel Avenue can and is contributing to the\nattainment of this objective, is by furnishing leadership for rural\nchurches in reach of Nashville. Bro. Clark, Bro. Shacklett, Bro. Autry,\nand others who have been going out, know that there are many\ncongregations within driving distance of Nashville which are almost\ntotally lacking in leadership. They need someone to be there on Lord\u2019s\nDay to conduct the worship and to teach and encourage them. And we have\nan opportunity to do a lot of good along that line.\n\n\n V\n Practical Suggestions\n\nNow these are just scattering thoughts and remarks on what we can do\nand, therefore, what we _ought_ to do to attain the God given objective\nof preaching the gospel unto the whole world. I advise you again that\nthis list of activities is not exhaustive but suggestive. The same kind\nof treatment given this particular objective could be applied to the\nothers in this outline as well. We don\u2019t have time to do so tonight, but\nI want you to study it for yourself and consider how you, individually\nand personally, can do something to help us reach these scriptural\nobjectives. And further, consider how the church itself may improve its\nefforts along this line.\n\nIf you think of some change that ought to be made in this outline, or\nsome items that ought to be added to it, I would certainly be glad to\nreceive your suggestions. Friends, remember that we are engaged in the\nLord\u2019s work, the greatest work in all the world! If there is any body of\npeople on earth who ought to be enthusiastic, it is the church of\nChrist! We are working in the Lord\u2019s kingdom, and we know that our labor\nwill not be in vain. If so much can be accomplished by the little that\nhas been done, I want you to think about what could be accomplished if\nwe were all doing our best! It yet remains to be demonstrated what can\nbe accomplished by a congregation which is wholly and completely\ndedicated unto the work of the Lord. I recommend that you give a\npractical and careful study then to each item on this list.\n\nConsider our devotional program and how it may be improved. It can be\nimproved! To claim that there is no room for improvement would be to\nclaim perfection which none of us would like to do. Bro. Murphy has been\nmaking some fine suggestions in our Thursday evening work. Those of you\nwho have missed them have been missing an opportunity to improve the\neffectiveness of your own service in the kingdom of God. He\u2019s made some\n_practical_ suggestions. You may think some of them are not good, but\ncertainly every suggestion he has made should be given very careful\nconsideration by those who are supervising and taking part in the work\nhere.\n\nPerhaps our greatest sin is our failure to put into use the knowledge\nwhich we receive, to make practical use of suggestions offered. It would\nbe easy just to let Dr. Murphy\u2019s advice pass by and go unheeded. If we\ndo that, it will mean that the church will be very little better off\nafter this eight weeks of training than it was before. But, if his\nsuggestions are promptly and faithfully heeded, the church will be a\ngreat deal further along toward the accomplishment of its scriptural\nobjectives than it was before.\n\nYou will notice that the Wednesday evening meeting appears three or four\ntimes in this outline and might appropriately appear at even some other\nplace. For instance, the Wednesday evening meeting may be used for\ndevotional purposes. It may be used for instructional purposes and will\nbe for the next eight weeks. It may also be used for the purpose of\ngiving practical training to those who would be workers in the kingdom\nof God. If we\u2019ll think about it like that, you see, it will give purpose\nto our mid-week meetings.\n\nHere are scriptural goals. God is holding us responsible to do\neverything we can to attain these objectives promptly and effectively.\nOur mid-week program can be made to serve a very important purpose in\nthe attainment of these ends. And, therefore, along with every other\nscriptural phase of the work, should receive the wholehearted\nco-operation and support of every member.\n\nI\u2019m looking forward to much greater things for the church at Chapel\nAvenue in the weeks, months, and years ahead. Don\u2019t you want to have a\npart in it? If there are some here tonight who live in our community and\nwould like to work and worship with the church here, we invite you to\nmake that known by coming forward tonight. If there are those who have\nbackslidden, you are invited to follow the Bible plan of repenting,\nconfessing your faults, and praying for forgiveness, that God may save\nyour soul. And, of course, you who have not been baptized, if you\nbelieve that Jesus is the Son of God, if you will repent of your sins\nand confess your faith and obey the commandment to be baptized for\nremission of sins (Acts 2:38) God promises that your sins will be\nforgiven, washed away by the blood of Christ, and you will receive the\ngift of the Holy Spirit! Christ invites you to come to him and let him\nsave you! Will you accept that invitation while together we stand and\nsing?\n\n\n\n\n XIV\n HOW MUCH IS LIBERAL?\n\n\nThe subject of giving has been assigned to me for this occasion. This\nassignment pleases me for two reasons: First, it is a popular subject.\nFolk like to hear it because it hits them so hard. In the second place,\nit is a vital question. Those who have taken the time to count the\ninstances say that the Bible mentions money more often than it does\nfaith, repentance, confession, and baptism all put together. \u201cThe love\nof money is a root of all kinds of evil.\u201d Whether, therefore, we base\nour judgment on the danger of our sinning with respect to it, or the\namount of space devoted to it in the Bible, the subject of money, or\ngiving, is a very important one. I am approaching the subject from the\nstandpoint of this question: \u201cHow Much Is Liberal?\u201d The reason for this\napproach will appear as we proceed.\n\n\n I\n New Testament Authority\n\nYou know, as well as I, that in every instance we must go to the New\nTestament for our guidance in matters religious. Our people have been\nthoroughly taught, but not too thoroughly, that we are no longer bound\nby the laws given to Moses and Noah, but by the law of Christ. In\nstudying the subject of giving, therefore, we must go to the New\nTestament.\n\nIn First Corinthians 16:2 we read: \u201cUpon the first day of the week let\nevery one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that\nthere be no gatherings when I come.\u201d This Scripture teaches that we\nshould give regularly, weekly (not weakly). The giving is to be just as\nregular as the eating of the Lord\u2019s supper\u2014upon the first day of each\nweek. This quotation also teaches that we should give according to our\nprosperity. The more prosperity one has the more he is expected to give.\n\nA third New Testament requirement is cheerfulness in giving. \u201cGod loveth\na cheerful giver\u201d (2 Cor. 9:7). Sometimes it is said that we ought to\ngive until it hurts. It is all right to give until you can miss what you\ngive, or until you have to do without something that you want. But you\nshould never give until it hurts. It is all right to give until you can\nmiss hurt you to give as God requires. He loves a cheerful giver.\n\nFourthly, we are taught to give purposely. The Christians at Corinth\nmade a purpose a year in advance and were commanded to give as they had\nplanned. \u201cEvery man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him\ngive\u201d (2 Cor. 9:7). They had not only purposed but they had expressed\ntheir purpose and when a Christian does that, it very nearly becomes a\npromise. The text does not specifically say that we should make a\npurpose, but it implies it; and if we purpose, we should give\naccordingly. In reference to this question on which we are so likely to\nstumble we ought to do some prayerful planning, lest we make the mistake\nof not giving as we should. The temptation to give sparingly is so great\nthat one can not afford to depend merely upon the impulse of the moment.\nMake a purpose or plan and then give according to your plan.\n\nFinally, the New Testament commands us to give liberally. \u201cHe that\ngiveth, let him do it liberally\u201d (Rom. 12:8, A.R.V. or footnote in the\nA.V.). The word \u201cliberal\u201d comprehends both the attitude of the giver and\nalso the amount of the gift. The New Testament does not specify any\namount or percentage that we should give. It does not tell us to give\nany certain amount or percentage of our income; but it does command us\nto give liberally. You have often heard the statement, \u201cWe are not\ncommanded to give a tenth.\u201d This statement is literally true, but it may\nimply an error. The inference is that the New Testament assures us that\nwe need not give as much as a tenth. Such an inference is false. The New\nTestament does not command us to give _less than_ a tenth. It names no\ndefinite amount and no definite percentage.\n\nIn 2 Corinthians 9:5-7 we are not only taught to give liberally but we\nare encouraged to do so by the statement: \u201cHe which soweth sparingly\nshall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap\nalso bountifully.\u201d It appears to me that the New Testament thus puts us\non our honor. If it had named a certain number of dollars or a certain\npercentage of our income, we might just give that amount and claim the\nrest to do with as we pleased. But God has placed us on our honor, the\namount of our giving to be determined by general instructions and our\nlove of Him and those to whom we give. When an honorable man is placed\non his honor, it seems that he should do even more than when he is under\ndefinite laws. Some schools have what they call \u201cthe honor system.\u201d\nAccording to this system, the teacher may put a test on the board and\nleave the room. The students are on their honor. It seems to me that one\nwould be less likely to cheat under those conditions than with some one\non guard. The New Testament puts us on our honor, so to speak, with only\ngeneral instructions and commands to guide our giving.\n\n\n II\n Individual Responsibility\n\nEach individual must answer for himself this question: \u201cHow much is\nliberal?\u201d The Old Testament required a certain percentage; the New\nTestament requires liberality. _How much is liberal?_ What does the\nBible mean when it says, \u201cgive liberally?\u201d Liberality would not mean the\nsame amount in every case. Some must give more than others. This story\nwas published some years ago in the _Gospel Advocate_: There was a\ncertain rich man in a congregation who had as much money as all the\nother members. When money was being raised for any purpose he would\npropose to give as much as any other _one_. When the congregation was\ntrying to raise money to put a new roof on their building, he arose,\naccording to his custom, and said, \u201cBrethren, I will give as much as any\nother man in the house toward putting on this new roof.\u201d There happened\nto be a rich infidel present that day, who arose and said, \u201cWell,\nMister, you and I will pay for the new roof; I will give half the cost.\u201d\n\nNow, if you expect me to tell you exactly how much you should give, you\nwill be disappointed. I am not going to tell you because the Bible\ndoesn\u2019t tell me. If I were to undertake to tell you, I might put it too\nlow. I would certainly be afraid to tell any one that he was giving too\nmuch. A man once asked me a question which several other preachers had\nbeen unable to answer. He said, \u201cMy wife and I make $150 per month. We\ngive $25 of that to the church each month. I want to know if we are\ngiving enough.\u201d When I heard the question I knew why the other preachers\nhad not answered. He and his wife were giving more than a tenth. They\nwere giving 16\u2154 per cent, but I was afraid to tell him whether they were\ngiving too much or not enough, because I didn\u2019t know. Jesus Christ\nwatched the poor widow give away all her living, and He didn\u2019t tell her\nthat she was giving too much. Some of our brethren today would probably\nhave said, \u201cJust wait a minute, lady, we appreciate your motive and\nadmire your liberality, but you ought not give all you have. We wouldn\u2019t\nwant you to starve to death or to do without the necessities of life.\u201d\nBut Jesus stood there and watched her give away the very last thing she\nhad and He made no effort to restrain her. So, I can\u2019t tell any one that\nhe is giving too much or the exact number of dollars that he should\ngive. Each one must answer for himself.\n\n_How much is liberal?_ I can\u2019t answer for you; you can\u2019t answer for me.\nYou must answer for yourself and your answer must be a definite one,\nexpressible in terms of a certain number of dollars and cents. You must\ndecide how many dollars and cents you should give in order to meet the\nrequirement of liberality. How much have you studied the question? How\nmuch have you prayed about it and investigated the word of God in your\nsearch for an answer? How much time have you spent on the question? Are\nyou sure that you have reached a scriptural conclusion? You must not\nmerely decide what is liberal according to your own standard, but what\nis liberal according to God\u2019s standard. For, after all, God is to be the\nfinal judge as to whether you are giving liberally. You must reach a\ndefinite conclusion as to what God will consider a liberal amount from\nyou. I urge you to study the question of liberality. Search the\nScriptures, pray God to lead you to the right answer. Because the\nquestion must be answered. It is a commandment of God in the New\nTestament.\n\n\n III\n Abram\n\nAlthough the New Testament does not, and I can not, tell you definitely\nhow much is liberal in the sight of God, we can get some light on the\nquestion by studying what God has required of his people in other\ndispensations. In the 14th chapter of Genesis there is an account of\nfour kings who went to war against five other kings. The four kings won\nthe war and among the captives was Lot, the kinsman of Abram. \u201cAnd when\nAbram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained\nservants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued\nthem unto Dan.\u201d With this small band of men he won a great victory over\nthe four kings and their powerful armies and rescued Lot and his goods\nand his people. After his return from this battle Abram met Melchizedek,\npriest of God, and gave him tithes (a tenth) of all. God wants you and\nme to know that Abram gave a tenth.\n\nThe book of Genesis is very brief. In a very few pages, less than the\nnumber I hold in my hand, God has given us the history of the world for\na period of several thousand years. It is very brief. If man had written\nsuch a history, the volumes would have filled a shelf all the way around\nthis room. Men have written many volumes of history concerning the\nUnited States which has been a nation for less than two hundred years.\nBut God has condensed the history of the world, for a period of\nthousands of years, within these few pages. Yet, he took enough of that\nprecious space to tell us that Abram gave a tenth. If man had written an\naccount of this war, he would have told the names of the captains in\neach army, how many men were killed, how many were wounded, how much the\nwar cost, and so forth. God omitted all those things of interest, but he\ndid take the space to tell us that Abram gave a tenth and that he\nprospered. He even repeated this information in the New Testament, where\nhe says, \u201cNow consider how great this man [Melchizedek] was, unto whom\neven the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils\u201d (Heb. 7:4). He\nhad some reason for wanting us to know this, for He has a reason for\neverything He does and says. He took the space to tell us twice that\nAbram gave a tenth, and Abram prospered. You may draw your own\nconclusion from these scriptural and vital facts.\n\n\n IV\n Jacob\n\nTurning on over to the 28th chapter of Genesis we find another\ninteresting story that throws some light on our question. Jacob had\ntaken Esau\u2019s blessing. Esau was angry. Jacob was afraid Esau would kill\nhim. For refuge he went to Padanaram. On the way he spent the night at\nBethel, and slept in the open, with a rock for a pillow. I don\u2019t know\nwhy he chose such a hard pillow. People do some strange things. I have\nheard that in days gone by the Oriental people slept with their feet,\ninstead of their heads, on the pillow, because the feet did the harder\nwork. According to that rule I think I know some people who ought to\nchange ends with the pillow. While Jacob was sleeping with a rock for a\npillow he had a strange dream. He saw a ladder reaching from earth to\nheaven and the angels of God going up and down (not down and up) on it.\nThe Lord stood above it and promised to be with Jacob and to bless him.\nWhen Jacob arose early in the morning he vowed a vow saying, \u201cIf God\nwill be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give\nme bread to eat and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my\nfather\u2019s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: and this stone\nwhich I have set for a pillar, shall be God\u2019s house: and of all that\nthou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee\u201d (Gen. 28:\n20-22).\n\nWith this vow in his heart Jacob continued his journey to Padanaram,\nwhere he spent twenty-two years and became very wealthy. As he was\nreturning to Canaan we find him praying to God as follows: \u201cO God of my\nfather Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto\nme, \u2018Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well\nwith thee\u2019: I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all\nthe truth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant; for with my staff I\npassed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands ...\u201d (Gen.\n32:9-10). Please note that twenty-two years ago he had passed over this\nJordan with nothing but a stick in his hand and in his heart a vow to\ngive one tenth of all his increase to God. In the meantime he has become\nvery wealthy.\n\nThe extent of his wealth is partially indicated by an incident that\nfollowed. Jacob was afraid that Esau was still angry. (He should have\nknown that Esau was too lazy to stay mad twenty-two years.) To find\ngrace in the sight of Esau he sent him a present, a token of his good\nwill. Such presents usually represent only a small fraction of one\u2019s\ntotal possessions. Yet this is what Jacob sent Esau: \u201ctwo hundred she\ngoats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, thirty\nmilk camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she\nasses, and ten foals\u201d (Gen. 32:14, 15). Few farmers in this county have\nthat much livestock, yet that represents a small fraction of what Jacob\nwas worth and had acquired since crossing the Jordan twenty-two years\nbefore. Since that time, he had been giving one-tenth to Jehovah. Again,\nremember that God has taken space to tell you and me about that in this\nmuch condensed book, the book of Genesis. He evidently meant for us to\nget some lesson from these facts.\n\nDuring a financial depression, a business man in Kansas went broke. He\nlost everything he had and found himself $50,000 in debt\u2014fifty thousand\ndollars in the hole. A friend of his offered to give him a medical\nformula to be used in any way he saw fit. The man took the formula and\nwent home. He turned to Genesis 28:22 and drew a ring around these\nwords: \u201cOf all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto\nthee.\u201d With that vow, now become his vow, he began to manufacture a\nmedicine. You probably have some at home. It was Mentholatum. On the\nbottle or tube you will find the name of A. A. Hyde. When I first heard\nthis story he had become a millionaire and was still giving one-tenth of\nhis income to what he considered the work of the Lord.\n\nIn private conversation I told this story to some one who said, \u201cWell,\nhe can afford to give a tenth, because he is rich.\u201d I replied, \u201cYes, but\nremember that he was $50,000 in debt when he began doing so.\u201d It is\neasier for one to give a tenth when he is poor than when he is rich. A\nman who practiced giving a tenth said that when he was working for $1.00\nper day it was easy to give 60 cents on Sunday; but when he began making\n$500 per week and had to give $50 on Sunday, it was hard to do. It is\neasier for a poor man to give liberally than it is for a rich man to do\nso. That may be one reason the Bible says it is easier for a camel to go\nthrough a needle\u2019s eye than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of\nGod.\n\n\n V\n Jews\n\nNow, back to the Old Testament. You know the Jews were required to give\na tenth of their income and even more. Some Bible students say the\nrequirement was \u00b2/\u2081\u2080 all the time and \u00b3/\u2081\u2080 every third year. That is not\nentirely clear to me, but we do know that they had to give a tenth and\nin addition to that, they had to make daily, weekly, monthly and annual\nsacrifices. So at the very least, they gave more than a tenth, and you\nknow that the Jews were a prosperous people. For some reason God tells\nus about all these Old Testament characters who gave a tenth and\nprospered while doing so. They were required to give a tenth. The New\nTestament commands us to give liberally. Now, which is more? Of whom\ndoes God require and expect more\u2014those who give a tenth or the ones who\nare told to give liberally?\n\nNow, I could stand up here and give you many more examples of those who\ngave a tenth of their income and were blessed while they did so. A man\nin Richmond, Virginia, who had himself and a wife to support, was making\nonly $20 per week. He purposed to give a tenth to the church. Later, he\nbecame sick and his remuneration was only $10 per week. He continued to\ngive $2.00 per week to the church. He soon recovered, returned to work,\nand was promoted to a position that paid $75 per week.\n\nMy wife and I had another good friend at Richmond, Virginia, who gave\n$5.00 out of her $35 per month salary. One month, after meeting all\nnecessary expense, the $5.00 that she had set apart for the church was\nall she had left with which to buy a new spring dress and you know how\nmuch a young lady wants a new dress in the spring. After debating the\nquestion for awhile she overcame the temptation and gave the $5.00 to\nthe church as she had planned. The next day her employer, who was not a\nChristian and who knew nothing of the battle the young lady had fought\nand won, gave her enough material to make two new dresses.\n\nI could continue compiling such examples indefinitely. If you think a\ntenth is too much for one to give, ask the man who has tried it. I never\nknew any one to discontinue the practice of tithing after trying it for\na while. Experience proves that it is a good practice. A church in\nDallas, Texas, has a large sign on the wall of its building which reads\nas follows: \u201cIf any member will practice giving one-tenth of all he\nearns for one year and at the end of that time can say that he has been\nmade poorer by doing so, we will give him $1,000 in gold.\u201d No one has\nclaimed that $1,000.\n\nThe church at Lily Chapel, near Portsmouth, Ohio, doubled its\ncontributions. That meant, of course, that some of the members were even\ngiving more than twice as much as they had been giving. One night I\nrequested that all who had been made poorer, or who had less left to\nlive on, as a result of increasing their contribution, raise their\nhands. Nobody raised a hand. Then I said, \u201cWhy don\u2019t you double it\nagain, then?\u201d\n\n\n VI\n Blessings\n\nSome people don\u2019t give away enough and that is the reason they don\u2019t\nhave enough left to pay their bills. If you are having trouble making\n\u201ctongue and buckle meet,\u201d and don\u2019t have the necessities of life, I\nsuggest that you start giving more to the Lord\u2019s work. Then you will\nhave more left to live on. This may not sound like good arithmetic; but\nit is good Bible teaching. \u201cHe that soweth sparingly shall reap also\nsparingly, and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.\u201d\n\u201cThe liberal soul shall be made fat\u201d (Prov. 25:11).\n\nJesus said, \u201cVerily I say unto you, there is no man that hath left\nhouse, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or\nchildren, or lands, for my sake and the gospel\u2019s but he shall receive an\nhundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and\nmothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to\ncome eternal life\u201d (Mark 10:29, 30). That is a wonderful promise. It\ndoes not apply to those who give for the sake of handsome returns; but\nto those who give for the sake of Christ. Those who give for His sake\nshall receive a hundredfold in this life. Do we believe the Bible? Then\nwhy don\u2019t we give more? Many do not believe the above promise. They do\nnot believe that all necessary things will be added to those who seek\nfirst the kingdom of God and His righteousness. They are afraid they\nwill come to want if they give liberally. Instead of giving liberally\nand trusting God\u2019s promises they try to provide for themselves by\nholding on to what they have. They should heed the words of the Bible:\n\u201cThere is that withholdeth more than is meet [suitable], but it tendeth\nto poverty\u201d (Prov. 11:24). Christians need more faith. We need to\nbelieve that \u201cit is more blessed to give than to receive.\u201d I don\u2019t\nbelieve any one was ever made poorer as a result of giving, if he gave\naccording to the Bible. To do so would be to disbelieve the word of\nAlmighty God.\n\nMay I insist again that you give prayerful consideration to this\nquestion: \u201cHow much is liberal?\u201d Ask yourself, \u201cHow much must I give in\norder for the Lord to consider me a liberal giver?\u201d This question must\nbe answered to the satisfaction of the Lord Almighty. When a widow can\ngive all she has without being reproved by the Lord, do you believe that\nGod will be pleased with less than a tenth from you? In the light of\nwhat God required of the Jews do you believe that one-tenth exceeds the\ndemands of liberality?\n\nIf all the members of God\u2019s church gave a tenth [which they certainly\ncould do and still have plenty left] the contribution of the average\ncongregation would be at least four times as much as it is at present.\nThink of the good work that could then be supported. We could preach the\ngospel to the entire world in a short time; we could take care of all\nthe poor; we could count the elders that rule well worthy of double\nhonor (1 Tim. 5:17).\n\nHow many Jews did it take to start a congregation and support a priest?\nIt took only ten. Wherever there were ten Jews they could employ a\npriest and support him with their tithe, or tenth. The priest was\nrequired to give a tenth also. This left each in the group \u2079/\u2081\u2080 to live\non and meet other obligations. How many Christians does it take to\nsupport a preacher? In this age, it takes from one hundred to one\nthousand so-called Christians to keep one man busy in the work of the\nLord. In the light of this comparison, how do you think we will stack up\nwith the Jews on the Judgment Day? Why does a congregation of five\nhundred, or one thousand, members do but very little more than a\ncongregation of one hundred members? Even if it takes one hundred\nChristians to support one preacher, why can\u2019t a congregation of five\nhundred, or one thousand members support five, or ten full-time workers\nin the Lord\u2019s vineyard? Is it not because the members of the average\ncongregation are content to give barely enough to carry on a local\nprogram that is respectable in the eyes of the public? Such a limited\nconception of what is needed is not a scriptural standard of giving.\n\nThe New Testament requires liberality. The Jews had to give a tenth, and\nmore. We must give liberally. Let us be sure that we meet this New\nTestament requirement. Let us prove our faith by our giving. Let us obey\nGod and trust His promises. Let us give liberally, and watch the growth\nin our individual and congregational prosperity.\n\nI want to leave just one more thought before closing. I suppose you are\nglad to be here, grateful for your existence on the earth. Most people\nare. Very few are tired of living. God blessed you when he gave you your\nlife on this earth. I will tell you how you can get a blessing still\ngreater\u2014by giving your life to God. \u201cIt is more blessed to give than to\nreceive.\u201d If you were blessed when you received your life, you will be\nmore blessed by giving your life in obedient service to your Maker. \u201cI\nbeseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present\nyour bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your\nreasonable service\u201d (Rom. 12:1). Give your life to Jesus. Live for Him\nwho died for you.\n\nWhile we stand and sing we entreat you to accept the Lord\u2019s gracious\ninvitation.\n\n\n\n\n XV\n AND SUCH LIKE\n\n\nYou and I ought to be very thankful to the Lord for the opportunity to\nmeet and worship Him. Such a blessing is not universal. It is\nexceptional in the history of the world, and I am glad to see people\nshow their appreciation of this blessing by taking advantage of the\nopportunity.\n\n\n I\n The Will of Christ\n\nAs many of you well know, the New Testament teaches that the law of\nMoses is not binding on Christians today, but that we should follow the\nlaw of the Spirit of life in Christ. This means that the Ten\nCommandments, as such, are not today binding, but the principles\ninvolved in the Ten Commandments are binding in so far as they have been\nincluded in the law of Christ. Frequently, when I make such a statement\nsomeone replies, \u201cDo you mean that we may do as we please? Do you mean\nthat it\u2019s all right to kill today? That it\u2019s all right to steal?\u201d\nEvidently the Holy Spirit knew that people would ask such questions and,\ntherefore, the 5th chapter of Galatians was written. \u201cStand fast\ntherefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not\nentangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you,\nthat if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I\ntestify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to\ndo the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of\nyou are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. For we through\nthe Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus\nChrist neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but\nfaith which worketh by love. Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye\nshould not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not of him that\ncalleth you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. I have confidence\nin you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he\nthat troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be. And I,\nbrethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution?\nthen is the offence of the cross ceased. I would they were even cut off\nwhich trouble you. For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only\nuse not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one\nanother. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou\nshalt love thy neighbor as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one\nanother, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say\nthen, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the\nflesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against\nthe flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye\ncannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye\nare not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which\nare these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry,\nwitchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions,\nheresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, _and such like_: of\nthe which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that\nthey which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the\nfruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,\ngoodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And\nthey that are Christ\u2019s have crucified the flesh with the affections and\nlusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us\nnot be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one\nanother.\u201d\n\nThe fact that we are not bound by the law of Moses then does not mean\nthat we can do as we please. This Scripture plainly says, \u201cYe cannot do\nthe things that ye would.\u201d We are restrained by the law of the Spirit.\nWe are restrained by the law of love. \u201cThou shalt love thy neighbor as\nthyself.\u201d In order that we may clearly understand what this implies, the\nHoly Spirit has listed for us the works of the flesh and the fruits of\nthe spirit. This list is the basis of the lesson which I want to present\nthis morning. I have the items on the board. Perhaps those in the back\nof the building cannot see them. But at least we shall refer to them as\nwe go along and you will get the picture anyway.\n\n\n II\n The Works of the Flesh\n\nLet us look at the works of the flesh first. The Bible plainly says that\nthose who follow the works of the flesh shall not enter the kingdom of\nGod. If you find yourself guilty of one or more of these works of the\nflesh, then remember that you are on the outside, that you will remain\non the outside until you repent and obey God. People who follow the\nworks of the flesh simply cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.\n\n1. _Adultery and Fornication._ The first four in the list are adultery,\nfornication, uncleanness, and lasciviousness. All four of these words\nhave reference to immorality. Some state legislatures make a distinction\nbetween adultery and fornication, using the word adultery to apply to\nimmorality on the part of married people, and the word fornication to\napply to the same sort of sin on the part of unmarried people.\nTherefore, those words cover exactly the same sort of crime\u2014illegitimate\nrelationship between men and women. I don\u2019t know just how prevalent this\nsin is in the world\u2014I have no statistics on that point, and would not be\nparticularly interested in gathering any, but I do know that such sins\nare very common, and I know that you know whether you are guilty. If you\nare guilty the Bible says that you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.\nYou must repent of that sin and have it washed away by the blood of\nJesus before there is any hope for you.\n\n2. _Uncleanness._ This word probably covers a little more territory than\neither of the first two words. The best definition I know for\nuncleanness is found in Romans 1:24: \u201cWherefore God also gave them up to\nuncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own\nbodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and\nworshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed\nforever. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections; for even\ntheir women did change the natural use into that which is against\nnature; and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman,\nburned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which\nis unseemly; and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error\nwhich was meet.\u201d If I were to talk an hour, I could not give a clearer\ndefinition of what is meant by uncleanness. It is obviously a work of\nthe flesh, and all who are guilty stand condemned in the sight of God\nAlmighty.\n\n3. _Lasciviousness._ This term is apparently still more comprehensive.\nIt not only includes general acts of lewdness and abandoned sensuality\nbut is sometimes used to describe that which tends to produce voluptuous\nor lewd emotions. For instance, \u201cThe lascivious pleasing of a lute\u201d\n(Shakespeare). The plural of the noun form is found in Romans 13:13\nwhere it is translated wantonness. \u201cLet us walk honestly, as in the day;\nnot in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in\nstrife and envying.\u201d Referring to this text Thayer\u2019s Greek Lexicon\nquotes the following definition of lasciviousness from Fritzsche:\n\u201cwanton acts or manners, as filthy words, indecent bodily movements,\nunchaste handling of males and females, etc.\u201d\n\nThere may be some who would not (at least think they would not) actually\nbecome guilty of adultery but who do allow themselves to daydream about\nthings which are unclean and immoral. Such unholy meditations are liable\nto produce wanton and lewd desires and may even lead to an overt act of\nimmorality. You should study the meaning of the word lasciviousness and\ndiligently avoid the sin it describes. \u201cBut put ye on the Lord Jesus\nChrist, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts\nthereof\u201d (Rom. 13:14).\n\n4. _Idolatry._ We turn now to a different sort of transgressions but we\nare still talking about works of the flesh. Everybody knows what\nidolatry means. If a man worships something other than the God of\nheaven, he is guilty of idolatry. If one values anything in this world\nmore than he esteems God and his relationship to God, he is virtually\nguilty of idolatry.\n\n5. _Witchcraft._ Then comes the sin of witchcraft, or sorcery, which, I\nbelieve, includes what is commonly called fortunetelling. It is\ncondemned both in the Old Testament and also in the New Testament. It is\na work of the flesh. Friends, if it is wrong to practice the fraud, the\ncraft, the art, (or whatever it is) of fortunetellers, then it\u2019s wrong\nto patronize them, for when you do so you are giving them both your\nfinancial and moral support.\n\n6. _Hatred._ Hatred is a sin of the disposition. It is an attitude of\nthe heart. It is the state of being an enemy. This term describes\naversions and antipathies which are opposed to brotherly kindness and\nlove.\n\nI\u2019m not sure that these words were intended to be arranged in logical\norder, but I do believe we can see some sequential significance in the\norder of the word hatred and the three which follow just as we did in\nthe first four.\n\n7. _Variance._ This word means contentions. It is hatred in action,\nmanifesting itself in contests, altercations, lawsuits, and disputes in\ngeneral.\n\n8. _Emulations._ This word signifies envious and contentious rivalry or\njealousy, which often are associated with hatred and variance. Jealousy\nis strife to excel at the expense of another. It is destructive, not\nconstructive. When you are jealous you try to pull the other man down in\norder to get above him. But you can\u2019t do it! In the effort to injure\nanother you sink lower yourself.\n\n9. _Wrath._ This is the climax of the last four words. Wrath is hatred\nin violent action. It consists of turbulent passions which disturb the\nharmony of mind and produce domestic and civic broils and disquietudes.\n(Once I used Jiggs and Maggie of comic strip fame as an example of wrath\nwhen they were throwing pots and pans at each other, but someone\ncorrected me by saying that Jiggs never threw any, they all came from\nthe other direction! But anyway the point of the illustration was\nclear.) When hatred, variance, and jealousy break out into violent\naction, that\u2019s what is described by the word wrath. Herod\u2019s jealousy\nbecame wrath when he killed the babes of Bethlehem in an effort to\ndestroy Jesus.\n\nThese last four are sins of the disposition. In some instances they are\ncommitted, especially the first three, by people who come to worship\nevery Sunday and pass as devoted Christians. But friends, I want you to\nsee what ugly company they are keeping. They are classed by the Holy\nSpirit right along with idolatry, adultery, uncleanness, and\nlasciviousness. That\u2019s mighty bad company, isn\u2019t it? We are inclined to\nbe more tolerant of sins of the disposition than of sins of immorality,\nbut we\u2019d better be very careful how we appraise sins without Biblical\nauthority. God has put them all in the same catalogue, and therefore\nsins like hatred and jealousy will send you to hell just as quickly as\nidolatry or adultery. If you\u2019re guilty of any of them, you must repent\nbefore you can go to heaven for people who continue in the work of the\nflesh cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.\n\n10. _Strife, Seditions, Heresies._ The word \u201cstrife\u201d represents a\ncourting of distinction, a desire to put one\u2019s self forward, contention\nand wranglings with a partisan and factious spirit which tends to result\nin division. The word \u201csedition\u201d suggests the act of dividing. It means\ndissension. The word \u201cheresies\u201d applies to the parties or sects arising\nfrom diversity of opinion and aims.\n\nNote, therefore, that division is condemned in every stage of its\ndevelopment. The disputing, arguing, wrangling, and vanity which lead to\nit are condemned by the word strife. The act of separating into parties\nis condemned by the word \u201cdivisions\u201d or \u201cseditions,\u201d and the parties\nthemselves are condemned after they occur by the word \u201cheresies.\u201d Again\nI call your attention to the fact that God puts these sins in the\ncategory of fornication and adultery. The very disposition to divide is\nwrong; the act of dividing is wrong; and the parties and sects which\nresult from the division are likewise wrong. Division is evil from\nbeginning to end. It is a work of the flesh and all of those who are\nguilty of it, who encourage it, who endorse it, or who support it,\nmorally or financially, will be condemned as following the flesh rather\nthan following the spirit.\n\n11. _Envying._ This is another sin of the disposition. The best\ndefinition I have found of envying is this: \u201cPain felt, and malignity\nconceived, at the sight of excellence or happiness.\u201d Did you ever notice\nsomeone who is happier than you or more successful than you, and as a\nresult feel some sort of pain within you, or some sort of uneasiness?\nWell, that\u2019s envy. It is pain felt or malignancy conceived at the sight\nof happiness or success on the part of another.\n\nAfter reading in some religious paper a glowing report of a very\nsuccessful meeting, a preacher may have a strange feeling of discontent\nor chagrin which self-analysis would show to be the result of his\nnatural (fleshly) reaction to the success of a brother evangelist. Is\nnot this a case of envy? Is it not a work of the flesh? Can those who do\nsuch things enter the kingdom of God?\n\nPreachers are not the only ones who are tempted to envy each other.\nBusiness men, doctors, school teachers, young people in their social\nrelationships may all be guilty of this sin and must guard against it.\nIf you cannot see your boy friends or your girl friends be more popular\nor successful than you without having a feeling of uneasiness and a\ndisposition to harm them in some way, then you are guilty of the sin of\nenvy, and a murderer can come just as nearly going to heaven as one who\nis guilty of envy. Because they are both works of the flesh and stand\ncondemned by Jehovah.\n\n12. _Murder._ We don\u2019t need to comment upon the word \u201cmurder.\u201d You know\nwhat it means. You can be guilty of murder at heart. The Bible says,\n\u201cWhosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no\nmurderer hath eternal life abiding in him\u201d (1 John 3:15).\n\n13. _Drunkenness._ Everybody knows what this sin is. It\u2019s the work of\nthe flesh, and those who are guilty of it will be lost. And there\u2019s only\none way to be absolutely certain that you won\u2019t get drunk\u2014just don\u2019t\ndrink of anything that\u2019s intoxicating. If you never take the first drink\nof beer, if you never take the first cocktail or sip of whiskey, then\nyou\u2019ll never get drunk. But if you do take the first one, you don\u2019t know\nwhat may happen.\n\n14. _Revelings._ Reveling signifies lascivious feasting with obscene\nsongs and music, feasts and drinking-parties which are continued until\nlate at night with unclean songs, dissolute conduct, and boisterous\nmerrymaking. Those occasions when people turn themselves loose and do\nnot observe proper restraints of natural desires, are occasions of\nrevelry. Remember \u201cthat they which do such things shall not inherit the\nkingdom of God.\u201d\n\n\n III\n The Fruits of the Spirit\n\nIn contrast with the works of the flesh let us look at the fruits of the\nSpirit. They are the fruits which will be produced in the life of one\nwho is following in the Spirit. They are the characteristics which will\nadorn the life of one who obeys God. I want you to notice how attractive\nthese are. I want you to see how beautiful this list is.\n\n1. _Love._ Love for God, for your brother, for your neighbor, and even\nlove for your enemy is a fruit of the Spirit.\n\n2. _Joy._ God expects his people to be joyous. Paul said, \u201cFinally, my\nbrethren, rejoice in the Lord\u201d (Phil. 1:1). \u201cRejoice in the Lord alway:\nand again I say rejoice\u201d (Phil. 4:4). Again we read, \u201cAnd these things\nwrite we unto you, that your joy may be full\u201d (1 John 1:4). As Christian\npeople, those who are following the Spirit are full of joy. People who\nare trying to follow the Spirit and the flesh both are not full of joy.\nBut those who are truly following the Spirit are joyful, because joy is\none of the fruits of the Spirit.\n\n3. _Peace._ Peace\u2014peace with God, with one\u2019s self, and usually with\nmost, if not all, one\u2019s fellowmen\u2014is a part of the fruit of the Spirit.\nThe calm, quiet, order, and hope which abide in the heart of a Christian\nare more precious than gold. The sinner has doubts, fears, alarms, and\ndreadful forebodings.\n\n4. _Longsuffering._ People who follow the Spirit are patient; they are\nnot easily provoked; they bear the troubles and difficulties of life\nwithout murmuring or repining and submit cheerfully to every\ndispensation of God\u2019s providence.\n\n5. _Gentleness._ One who is harsh and unkind is lacking in this fruit of\nthe Spirit. It has been said that to be gentle means to always do and\nsay the kindest things in the kindest way.\n\n6. _Goodness._ This means uprightness of heart and life\u2014a constant\ndesire and diligent effort, not only to abstain from every form of evil,\nbut also to do good to the bodies and souls of all men.\n\n7. _Faith._ The word faith is here used in the sense of fidelity, the\ncharacter of one who can be depended upon to keep all his promises, to\nmeet all of his obligations, and to be true to every relationship.\n\n8. _Meekness._ Meekness is likewise a fruit of the Spirit. It is the\nvery opposite of anger. Moses was called a meek man. Jesus said,\n\u201cBlessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.\u201d And although\nChrist was brave and uncompromising, he was nevertheless one of the very\nmeekest of men.\n\n9. _Temperance._ Temperance means self-control. Remember this very\nchapter says, \u201cYe cannot do the things that ye would.\u201d You cannot give\nfree expression unto the passions of your body. Your body must be\nbuffeted and brought into subjection as Paul did with his. We must learn\nto exercise self-control and to make ourselves do that which we know we\nought to do.\n\nThese are the fruits of the Spirit. They are the characteristics that\nshould be developed in your life if you are a Christian. I just want you\nto look at these two pictures\u2014the fruit of the Spirit on the one hand\nand the works of the flesh on the other. They are contrasted in every\nsense of the word. They are incompatible and antagonistic. To the extent\nyou have one you fail to possess the other.\n\nLet me ask you this question: Do you believe the fruit of the Spirit\nwill make anybody unpopular? Sometimes when people are unpopular and are\nbeing persecuted they say, \u201cOh, well, those who live Godly lives are to\nbe persecuted.\u201d That\u2019s true. The Bible teaches it (2 Tim. 3:12). But I\u2019m\nafraid that very often our persecution comes from other causes. We might\nbe suffering because we have hatred, jealousy, and envy, and not because\nwe have the Spirit of Christ. Before you take pride in your persecution\nyou\u2019d better examine the source of it. It might be coming from the wrong\nside of the fence.\n\nThose who follow the Spirit are a living rebuke to those who fail to do\nso, and as such they will receive some degree of persecution. But I also\ncontend that everybody in this world will have to admire a person who\nhas the fruits of the Spirit in his life. His character presents a\nbeautiful picture to all who know him. You just can\u2019t help admiring him.\nLet us be very careful then about the cause of our persecution.\n\nBut I promised to talk to you about \u201cAnd So Forth\u201d or \u201cAnd Such Like.\u201d\nAfter the apostle Paul had finished naming the works of the flesh he\nsaid, \u201cand such like.\u201d He said that there were some things like those\nnamed which also belong in the same classification. Now suppose you were\nrequested this morning to come forward and list in this blank column\nsome things that are like those Paul named. What would you put in this\ncolumn? There must be _some_ things like these. The Bible says there are\nsome things like them. Otherwise, there would have been no sense in\nsaying \u201cand such like.\u201d What are those things which are like the ones\nnamed by Paul? The Bible itself mentions some others that could be put\nin this class. For instance, lying is a work of the flesh. It could\ncertainly be included in the \u201cand so forth\u201d of Paul\u2019s list.\n\nBut now I want to put some words in this blank column, and leave it up\nto you to decide whether they belong under the Fruit of the Spirit or\nthe Works of the Flesh. From this point on, I\u2019m going to let you preach\nthis sermon. It\u2019ll be your sermon from here on out. I shall not tell you\nwhere I think these words belong. Not that I\u2019m afraid or ashamed to\ntell, but I want you to make your own decision. For after all, people\nwill not do right until they decide to do so themselves. If I can\nprovoke you to think and to resolve in your own heart that you will do\nright, then that will be much better than anything else which I might do\nfor you today. The first word I\u2019m listing is:\n\n1. _Dancing._ I want you to decide for yourself which column it belongs\nin. Would you list it as a work of the flesh or as fruit of the Spirit?\nInto which list does it fit better? I\u2019m not going to say. Decide for\nyourself. If you were called upon to classify it in one or the other of\nthese groups, in which group would you put it? You may say it doesn\u2019t\nbelong in either. Well, I\u2019ll still leave that up to your judgment. I\u2019ll\nput another word up here.\n\n2. _Bible Study._ (That\u2019s two words, isn\u2019t it?) Do you have any trouble\nclassifying that? In which list would you put it? Would you say that\nBible study belongs with the fruit of the Spirit or with the works of\nthe flesh? I shall not try to influence your opinion. Decide for\nyourself. You see I can put most anything up here today because I\u2019m not\ncommitting myself. I\u2019m playing safe. Well, let\u2019s list another word.\n\n3. _Movies._ Not as they could be and not as they ought to be, and not\nas they are in some isolated cases, but as they are in general, would\nyou say that they look like this crowd (Fruit of the Spirit) or do they\nlook like this crowd (Works of the Flesh)? Do they contribute to\nlasciviousness, do they contribute to envy and hatred and such like\nthings, or do they look more like peace, self-control, and goodness?\nDecide for yourself! I\u2019ve asked a great many people this simple\nquestion: \u201cDo you believe that movies as they are in general are helpful\nto society or injurious to society?\u201d All of the answers to that question\nexcept in one single instance have been on the same side. I think you\nknow what the correct answer is.\n\n4. _Card playing._ Let\u2019s consider card playing here, playing bridge, and\nsuch like games. Please note what happened in Cincinnati a few years\nago. The city council passed an anti-gambling law which, of course,\noutlawed playing bingo. Some of the preachers of the city got together\nand wrote out a petition asking the city manager to amend the\nanti-gambling law to give the churches permission to play bingo in order\nto raise money to carry on their work. The city manager granted the\npetition. It\u2019s on the legislative record of the city of Cincinnati. Do\nyou wonder why so many people have quit going to church, why the\nbuildings are empty on Sunday?\n\nA young lady in Cincinnati told me the first time I ever saw her that\nshe didn\u2019t like to go to church, that she came away feeling worse than\nwhen she went and that she didn\u2019t get what she needed when she attended\nthe typical place of worship in the city of Cincinnati. Do you wonder\nwhy? Now Cincinnati may be a little bit extreme, but similar conditions\nprevail at a great many other places.\n\nThere was a lady in Louisville, Kentucky, who told me she was alarmed\nabout her son. She said he was a natural-born gambler. There are a lot\nof \u201cnatural-born gamblers,\u201d but they are not all in Kentucky. I asked\nthe lady if she didn\u2019t go to bridge parties, and she said she did. Then\nI said, \u201cDon\u2019t you contribute your share of the money to buy a prize?\u201d\nShe admitted that she did. Next I asked, \u201cDon\u2019t you play a game of\nchance to see which lady will take the prize home?\u201d Again she answered\nin the affirmative. My reply was, \u201cWell, you taught your son to gamble.\nWhy are you alarmed?\u201d She was perfectly content to gamble in the\nliving-room with a group of so-called refined ladies, but she didn\u2019t\nwant her son to bet on the horse races or go to some gambling den in the\ncity. (I almost told you where I thought that one belonged, didn\u2019t I? I\ndidn\u2019t mean to do that.) Let\u2019s take something else.\n\n5. _Prayer meeting._ Where would you put attending prayer meeting? I\nnever heard anybody raise a question about that. I think everybody knows\nwhere it belongs so we pass on to something else.\n\n6. _Petting._ We just as well talk about it; everybody knows about it.\nMany have been guilty of it. Where would you put petting? Does it look\nlike lasciviousness, tending to produce wanton and lustful desires, or\ndoes it look like it belongs with the fruit of the Spirit? Now about the\nonly difference I see in petting and dancing is that the dancing is done\nto music and the petting without the benefit of music; dancing is\nusually done in public, where the presence of others imposes at least\nsome degree of restraint, whereas the petting is done in a parked\nautomobile on a side road or in some living-room with the shades pulled\ndown. That\u2019s about the only difference. I\u2019m perfectly willing to leave\nthe decision to your own honest judgment, because if you\u2019re not honest\nyou\u2019re certainly lost anyhow.\n\n7. _Tobacco._ Maybe you think I\u2019m going too far, but I\u2019d like to ask you\nto classify the use of tobacco. Would you classify tobacco\u2014whether it\u2019s\ndipping, chewing, or smoking\u2014as a work of the flesh, or as fruit of the\nSpirit? Do you believe that using it will help you to save souls or\nhinder you in saving souls? Would you be a little bit ashamed to let the\nman whom you were trying to convert see you smoking or dipping or\nchewing? Again, I\u2019m just asking questions. Not answering them. If\nanybody wants to know what my answer is, see me after we\u2019re through and\nI\u2019ll tell you. But I want to leave it up to your own judgment. Where\nwould you place these things? Do they belong in the list of works of the\nflesh or the fruit of the Spirit?\n\nFriends, we are talking today about something that\u2019s fundamental.\nThere\u2019s no part of the Bible more fundamental than the 5th chapter of\nGalatians. The Bible says those who do these things (works of the flesh)\nshall not inherit the kingdom of God. Against these things (fruit of the\nSpirit) there is no law. You\u2019re perfectly safe when you\u2019re on this side.\nThere\u2019s no law of God or man that would condemn anything in this list.\nYou never heard of a law forbidding one of these fruits of the Spirit.\nThere\u2019s not a state legislature on this earth that would even think\nabout condemning one of them. Against such things there is no law.\n\nPerhaps the greatest progress the church of Christ could make today\nwould be to heed diligently the lesson of Galatians, chapter 5, and get\nall of our thinking, conversation, and conduct in harmony with the fruit\nof the Spirit. The very example of the membership would then be a\ntremendous drawing power. It would win the admiration of all those who\nobserved it. All serious-minded people who want to go to heaven when\nthey die, would like to have a part with a group of people who are\ngoverned in such a way. If there are some present this morning who are\nguilty of following the lust of the flesh, there is still a chance for\nyou to be forgiven. If you will repent, confess your faults, and pray\nGod to forgive you, he will do so\u2014that is, those of you who are erring\nchildren of God. You who have not yet been baptized into Christ may\nsecure forgiveness by believing in him as God\u2019s son, repenting of your\nsins, confessing your faith, and obeying the commandment to be baptized\nfor remission of sins. If you are subject then to this call of Christ,\nwe invite you to accept it.\n\n\n\n\n XVI\n WHAT MUST I DO TO KEEP SAVED?\n\n\nAllow me to add a word of welcome to all of you who are present and\nespecially to the visitors. We are very grateful for such good\nattendance at our Sunday evening meetings, and especially for the large\nnumber of young people present. I know of no better way to build a\ncourtship, and eventually a marriage and a home, than upon regular\nattendance to all the meetings of the church. I have just learned\nrecently of one young man who is seriously considering obeying the\nGospel as a result of attending our Sunday evening meetings with his\ngirl friend. This is an example of how you young people may do a lot of\ngood, not only for yourselves but for those whom you may bring with you.\nHence I urge you to come back tonight to hear Brother Bradford and every\nSunday evening to our program of worship and study.\n\nWe had so many questions arising in my class upstairs this morning that\nwe didn\u2019t get to our lesson. We are taking the same lesson next Sunday,\nthe first twenty-two verses of the ninth chapter of Acts, and the memory\nverse will be Colossians 2:12. If you want a copy of the questions, you\ncan find them here on the pulpit at the end of the hour.\n\nWe had a fine program last Wednesday evening, even a bigger crowd than\nexpected. I hope you realize the importance of the training we are\ngiving the young men on Wednesday evening. It means a lot to them.\nThey\u2019ll be the leaders of the churches in just a few years from now and\nthey\u2019ll appreciate your presence and encouragement as they conduct our\nservices for the next five weeks. We are expecting a good program again\nthis week.\n\nThis morning my topic is \u201cWhat Must I Do to Keep Saved?\u201d There have been\nmany sermons, and rightly so, preached upon the subject, \u201cWhat Must I Do\nto Be Saved?\u201d That is indeed a very important question. It is asked and\nanswered three times in the book of Acts (Acts 16:30-34; 2:36-38; Acts\n9:6; 22:16). These answers teach that in order to be saved, one must\nbelieve that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God; repent of\nhis sins; and then be buried with Christ in baptism for remission of\nsins. One who has done these things is then a child of God, a member of\nthe Lord\u2019s family, a citizen in the Lord\u2019s kingdom, a member of God\u2019s\nchurch; for Jesus said, \u201cHe that believeth and is baptized shall be\nsaved,\u201d (Mark 16:16) and God adds to the church day by day such as are\nbeing saved (Acts 2:47). All people then who have been saved are in the\nchurch because God put them in, just as soon as they were saved.\n\n\n I\n The Danger of Falling\n\nIt\u2019s not our purpose to speak at this time on the topic, \u201cWhat Must I Do\nto Be Saved?\u201d but rather upon one which is equally important, \u201cWhat Must\nI Do to Keep Saved?\u201d This very question implies not only the\npossibility, but even the danger, of one\u2019s falling from grace. If it\nwere not possible for one who has once been in a saved condition to fall\nout of it into an unsaved condition, then our topic would be entirely\nout of place. Furthermore, a big part of the New Testament would be of\nno value. A great portion is devoted to warning Christians against\nfalling and to telling them how to keep from falling. Every warning in\nthe New Testament addressed to Christians implies not only the\npossibility but also the danger of apostasy.\n\nSimon, the sorcerer, believed and was baptized; therefore he must have\nbeen saved for Jesus said, \u201cHe that believeth and is baptized shall be\nsaved\u201d (Mark 16:16). But after Simon had reached that condition, he\nendeavored to buy the gift of God with money, to whom Peter said, \u201cThy\nmoney perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God\nmay be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this\nmatter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore\nof this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine\nheart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of\nbitterness, and in the bond of iniquity\u201d (Acts 8:20-23). Surely Simon\nwas then lost, although he had been once saved, illustrating the fact\nthat one can fall from grace.\n\nAddressing the Christians at Galatia who would be saved by the law of\nMoses, Paul said, \u201cYe are fallen from grace\u201d (Gal. 5:4). Why argue about\nthe possibility of falling from grace when such a plain statement is\nfound in the Bible?\n\nIf any further evidence could be desired, you can find much more in the\nBible to the same point. For instance, James, chapter 5, and the last\ntwo verses thereof, \u201cBrethren, if any one of you do err from the truth,\nand one convert him; let him know, that he which converteth the sinner\nfrom the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a\nmultitude of sins.\u201d\n\nSave a soul from what death? Not from physical death. \u201cIt is appointed\nunto men once to die,\u201d physically. In that sense everybody has to die,\nthe good and the bad alike. The only death from which you can be saved\nis the second death, which means to be cast into the lake of fire and\nbrimstone (Rev. 20:14, 15; 21:8). This verse says that if you save a\nsinner from the error of his way, you have saved him from the second\ndeath. But who are the sinners here addressed? They are members of the\nchurch. Verse 19 says, \u201cbrethren,\u201d you people who have already been\nsaved, \u201cif any one of you\u201d\u2014one of you saved people\u2014\u201cdo err from the\ntruth, and someone convert him,\u201d then he has saved his soul from eternal\ntorment. Surely this teaches that a brother in the church, who has been\nsaved, may so sin as to go to hell, and will go to hell if somebody\ndoesn\u2019t convert him.\n\nNo wonder, then, the Apostle Paul said, \u201cLet him that thinketh he\nstandeth take heed lest he fall\u201d (1 Cor. 10:12). Let him who thinketh he\nstandeth\u2014let the man who thinks that apostasy is impossible\u2014take heed,\nlest he experience that which he denies. These Scriptures then are\nsufficient to show that there is a danger of one\u2019s falling from grace.\n\n\n II\n The Power to Stand\n\nPlease do not get the impression, however, that you have to fall from\ngrace. You don\u2019t have to do it! You can stand if you will. If you will\nstand, God will give you the power to stand. If you submit your life\nunto Him for safekeeping and maintain the right attitude toward Him, and\nthe right sort of service for Him, then He will keep that which has been\ncommitted unto Him. You don\u2019t have to fall from grace. Anybody can be\nsaved who wants to. If you don\u2019t go to heaven, it will be because you\ndidn\u2019t want to badly enough to put forth the proper effort.\n\nI\u2019d like to emphasize the fact that anybody can go to heaven who wants\nto. It is like Brother Freed used to tell us at school: \u201cYou can do\nanything you want to, if you want to badly enough.\u201d A story which\nillustrates the point comes from England, where they are said to dig\ngraves deeper than we do in America\u2014in fact, ten feet deep. Instead of\nhaving the cemeteries hard by the church building as we often do, the\nstory says that they have them adjacent to the school buildings,\nsometimes on the school campus.\n\nIn one instance they had a graveyard between the boys\u2019 dormitory and the\nadministration building. Of course the boys did not walk around it. They\nmade a path right across it. One day the caretakers digged a grave ten\nfeet deep across the path and failed to put up a red light, leaving the\ngrave open during the night. After it got dark a boy started from one\nbuilding to another and fell into the open grave. He tried to climb out,\nbut the walls were straight up and down and ten feet high. Finally, he\ngave up and sat down in the corner to await developments. It wasn\u2019t long\ntill he heard another boy coming down the path\u2014\u201cpat, pat, pat.\u201d He sat\nright still, and boy number two fell off in the grave with him. Then boy\nnumber one said, \u201cCan\u2019t you let a man rest in peace in his own grave?\u201d\nThe second boy jumped right out of the grave like a cat\u2014without any\ntrouble at all. He had a stronger desire to escape than the first boy\ndid. He was scared worse!\n\nThis illustrates the point that you can do anything you want to if you\nwant to badly enough. If you are scared enough of hell, you will go to\nheaven. If you want to go to heaven more than you want to do anything\nelse in this world, then you will go there, and there is no power on\nearth, or in heaven, or beneath the earth that can keep you from going\nto heaven if _you_ want to (Rom. 8:35). You are the only person in all\nthis universe who can keep you out of heaven.\n\nNow I may surprise you a little bit when I tell you that there are not\nmany people who want to go to heaven. I can prove it by the Bible. The\nBible says that very few _are_ going to heaven, and since anybody can go\nwho wants to, then only a few want to go. If many wanted to go, then\nmany would go; but the Bible says that there is a strait and narrow way\nwhich leads to life everlasting and few there be that find it. But there\nis a broad way that leads to destruction and many there be that travel\nit (Matt. 7:13, 14). Anybody can go to heaven who wants to, but only a\nfew are going; then only a few want to go. If you will examine yourself\nand observe the people around you, you will soon become convinced that\nnot many people want to go to heaven.\n\nAn illustration which I frequently use on this point is this: One Sunday\nafternoon I was talking to two young ladies who were backsliders. I\nasked them if they loved the Lord. They said, \u201cWhy, Brother Dark, of\ncourse we love the Lord.\u201d Then I said, \u201cDo you want to go to heaven when\nyou die?\u201d As you might expect they answered, \u201cWhy, sure, everybody wants\nto go to heaven!\u201d My next question was, \u201cWill you be at worship this\nevening?\u201d They grinned a little bit and looked at each other. I said,\n\u201cYou have some dates, don\u2019t you?\u201d They grinned a little more, and said,\n\u201cYes.\u201d I said, \u201cYour boy friends don\u2019t want to go to church with you, do\nthey?\u201d They grinned a little bit more and said, \u201cNo.\u201d Well, they didn\u2019t\ncome to worship that night. I asked which they loved more, those boy\nfriends or the Lord. They didn\u2019t make any answer.\n\nNow, which do you think they loved the more? They said they loved the\nLord more than they loved anything else in the world, but they went out\nwith some boy friends that night instead of coming to worship. They\nthought they wanted to go to heaven, and they did want to a little bit;\nbut they wanted to go out with those boys more than they wanted to go to\nheaven. And that\u2019s the case with a great many people. You ask them if\nthey want to go to heaven and they will say \u201cYes\u201d; but there is\nsomething they want to do more. They want to have a good time, make\nmoney, or do something else, more than they want to go to heaven. That\u2019s\nthe trouble with most people. That\u2019s the reason most people are going\nsomewhere else. God allows people to go anywhere they want to and if\nthey prefer to go somewhere else rather than to go to heaven, then they\ngo somewhere else and He permits them to do it.\n\nJust remember this: you cannot possibly go to heaven without traveling\nthe road which leads there. A lot of people would like to go to heaven\nbut they don\u2019t want to travel the road which leads there. They want to\ntravel some other road and then get to heaven. Well, you can\u2019t travel\nthe road that leads to Memphis and get to Chattanooga, can you? You\ncan\u2019t travel the road that leads to hell and wind up in heaven. It just\ncan\u2019t be done. So if you want to go to heaven more than you want to do\nanything else in this world and are willing to put forth the effort\nrequired to do it, you can certainly go there.\n\nThat to me is a very encouraging thought. My destiny, under God, is\ncompletely within my own hands. I don\u2019t have to depend upon anybody\nelse\u2019s wishes, anybody else\u2019s choice or word about it whatsoever. God\nwants me to go to heaven, and with that point settled then it is all up\nto me, and you can\u2019t keep me from going there. Nobody else can, if I\nwant to go. Nobody can keep _you_ from going! Sometimes people make\nexcuses, and they blame others for their failure. They find fault with\nother people and say, \u201cHe did so and so, and therefore I did so and so.\u201d\nThat\u2019s no good at all. There is nobody in this world who can keep you\nfrom going to heaven if you want to.\n\n\n III\n Three Rules\n\nFrom this point on I shall assume that I am speaking to people who do\nwant to go to heaven. On this assumption I can give you three little\nrules to follow, which will insure your success. I do not mean that the\nmere formality of doing these three things will make you safe for\nheaven. There is not necessarily any virtue in the mere routine\nsuggested. But granting that you want to go to heaven, if you will\nfollow these three simple rules, they will enable you to do what you\nwant to do. The beauty of them is that they are so simple that anybody\ncan follow them who wants to.\n\n1. The first one is to read the Bible every day. If you want to go to\nheaven, you are willing to do that much, aren\u2019t you? If you really want\nto go to heaven, won\u2019t you _want_ to read the Bible? It\u2019s the book that\ntells you how to get there. It is the road map that shows you the way.\nIf you want to go to heaven, the first rule then is to read the Bible\nevery day. From doing that you\u2019ll learn what God wants you to do in\norder to _be_ saved and in order to _keep_ saved. The Bereans were more\nnoble than the Thessalonians \u201cbecause they received the word with all\nreadiness of mind and _searched the Scriptures daily_\u201d (Acts 16:11).\nNow, if you don\u2019t read the Bible every day, I believe you\u2019d have a hard\ntime establishing the fact that you want to go to heaven. Don\u2019t you\nbelieve you would? How can you prove that you want to go to heaven when\nyou fail to read the only book in the world which can tell you how to\nget there?\n\nI suspect that I\u2019m talking to two or three hundred people right now who\ndon\u2019t read the Bible daily, and if I knew how to make this more\nemphatic, I\u2019d do it! I\u2019d like to fix it so you never would forget it.\nThe Bible is the only book that can tell you how to do what you propose\nto want to do. It is the word which _God hath spoken_. The mere fact\nthat you are a member of the church is an announcement that you want to\ngo to heaven, but your behavior contradicts your profession, if you do\nnot read the Bible every day.\n\nI have found sometimes that those people who argue the loudest and take\nthe most dogmatic positions on points of doctrine are the very ones who\ndon\u2019t read the Bible. They think they know! They can tell you what\u2019s\nright and what\u2019s wrong. If you ask them how much they read the Bible,\nthey\u2019ll hang their heads in shame and say, \u201cWell, I haven\u2019t read it\nmuch.\u201d Sometimes they even preface their remarks by telling you they\nhaven\u2019t read it much. They say, \u201cNow, preacher, I don\u2019t read the Bible\nmuch, and I know you do, and so and so\u201d and then proceed to tell me just\nexactly how it is. _A man who doesn\u2019t read the Bible has no right to\nexpress an opinion in the field of religion._ A man who begins his\nconversation by saying, \u201cNow, I\u2019ll admit I don\u2019t read the Bible,\u201d ought\nto stop right there until he has read it. He doesn\u2019t have any right to\ntalk about it, nor to undertake to tell anybody what to do, or what one\nought to do until he has read the Bible\u2014the only reliable standard of\nright living. \u201cAs newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word\nthat ye may grow thereby\u201d (1 Pet. 2:2). \u201cReceive with meekness the\nengrafted word, which is able to save your souls\u201d (Jas. 1:21). \u201cStudy to\nshow thyself approved unto God ...\u201d (2 Tim. 2:15).\n\nIf you will read the Bible every day, there is not much that needs to be\ndone for you; if you will not read the Bible, there is not much that can\nbe done for you! Anybody who doesn\u2019t love the Lord well enough to read\nthis letter that He has written, anyone who doesn\u2019t want to go to heaven\nbad enough to be a daily student of God\u2019s word, I just can\u2019t see much\nchance for him. One of the most alarming things is the ignorance of our\nown people concerning the Bible. Many of our own members are not daily\nstudents of God\u2019s holy word. I wish I could say something that would\nscare you just as much as the second boy who fell in the grave. If I\nknew what to say, I\u2019d say it. I\u2019d like for you to become so badly scared\nthat you would read the Bible every day.\n\nNow, you can do it! If you don\u2019t read it, you cannot blame anybody but\nyourself for your failure. You say, \u201cBut, Brother Dark, I don\u2019t have\ntime.\u201d Oh, yes, you do; you have as much time as anybody. There are\ntwenty-four hours in the day and you have all twenty-four of them. You\nsay, \u201cYes, but I have so many other things to do.\u201d Well, are those other\nthings as important as going to heaven? Do you love them more than you\nlove going to heaven? Do you want to do them more than you want to be\nsaved?\n\nHow many of you read the newspaper every day? I suspect we would get a\nunanimous response on that. How many of you listen to the radio every\nday? Now, it is not wrong to listen to the radio. It\u2019s not wrong to read\nthe newspaper, maybe, but certainly you will agree that a man who loves\nthe newspaper and the typical radio program more than he loves the Lord\nisn\u2019t much interested in going to heaven. He had rather go where they\nhave newspapers and radios, than to go to heaven where they have the\nword of God and a choir of angels singing.\n\nYou see, your behavior reflects your interests. So, you _can_ read the\nBible every day; and if you don\u2019t do it, you can blame no one but\nyourself for your failure. You can\u2019t say, \u201cI tried to be a Christian and\ncouldn\u2019t.\u201d You\u2019ll just have to say, \u201cI didn\u2019t try. I didn\u2019t do what I\ncould. I didn\u2019t do my best.\u201d Sometimes I hear people say, \u201cWell, I\u2019ve\ndone the best I can,\u201d when I know they have not. I know they are telling\na falsehood when they make that statement. Anybody who doesn\u2019t read the\nBible daily is not doing the best he can!\n\n2. Rule Number 2 is just as simple: \u201cPray every day.\u201d You _can_! The\nBible commands you to pray without ceasing (Eph. 6:18). Anybody, who can\ntalk, can talk to God. I am afraid that there are a great many church\nmembers who do not pray to God every day. One cannot believe the Bible\nand deny the efficacy of prayer. Prayer is powerful! Prayer moves the\nhand that rules the universe. Prayer will cause God to do things that He\nwould not have done if you had not prayed. Prayer is a means of drawing\nupon the riches and the glory and the wisdom of God. What a wonderful\nthing it is to be able to write a check on the bank of heaven with the\nassurance that it will be honored. That\u2019s exactly what prayer is.\nThrough prayer you can draw a check upon a bank whose resources are\ninexhaustible, with the full assurance that the Teller will honor the\ndraft or check. Prayer changes things. God will do things for you after\nyou have prayed that He would not have done if you had not prayed.\n\nWhatsoever ye would therefore, that God should do unto you, ask him for\nit. \u201cAsk and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and\nit shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he\nthat seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened\u201d\n(Matt. 7:7, 8). He will withhold no good thing from them that call upon\nHim according to faith and in the name of His Son. \u201cIf ye then, being\nevil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall\nyour Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?\u201d\n(Matt. 7:11). If you haven\u2019t been praying to God daily, you ought to\nbegin to do so right now. I heard Brother H. Leo Boles say one time that\nhe never even bought a pair of shoes without first asking God to guide\nhim in the choice that he made. One should ask God\u2019s guidance in every\nchoice, however trivial it may seem to be. If you are not using the\npower which can come to you through prayer, then you are going along\nwithout a great blessing that you could be enjoying. You are not doing\nwhat you can. You can only blame yourself for the failures that come\nyour way.\n\n3. Rule Number 3 is one that I have emphasized here many times: \u201cGo to\nworship every time the congregation meets.\u201d Be faithful and regular in\nyour attendance at worship. Now, you _can_ do this also! Of course, I\nknow there are legitimate exceptions in cases of severe sickness on your\npart or some member of your family or something else of like nature; but\nyou know the difference between that and just staying away because you\nprefer to sleep, read the paper, listen to the radio, go fishing, take a\ntrip, or some other such illegitimate, unscriptural excuse.\n\nYou need to have the contact with other saints upon the first day of the\nweek. God knew what He was doing when He arranged for us to meet\ntogether to worship Him. He knew we would get inspiration and\nencouragement there that could not be found anywhere else. Whenever you\nshow me a man who is neglecting his church attendance, I\u2019ll show you a\nman in the same person who is drifting away from God. I believe there is\nno exception to this statement. Whenever a man willfully stays away from\nworshiping with God\u2019s people, he certainly drifts away from the Lord.\n\nI read a story one time about a certain family who had been missing the\nworship. One of the overseers of the church went to see this family. He\nwent into the room and exchanged the customary greetings; then sat down\nbefore the open fire. He picked up the tongs and got a red hot coal,\njust glowing with heat, and laid it out on the hearth by itself. It\nwasn\u2019t long until it cooled off and turned black. The man of the house\nspoke up and said, \u201cBrother, you need not say anything. We\u2019ll be at\nworship next Sunday.\u201d That illustrates what happens to anybody who\ndeliberately stays away from worshiping God with the saints. You can\nattend worship regularly; if you don\u2019t you can only blame yourself for\nyour failure. You cannot say, \u201cI tried, and couldn\u2019t.\u201d You\u2019ll have to\nsay, \u201cI didn\u2019t try.\u201d\n\nOne time in West Virginia, I closed a meeting by talking along this\nline. When I went back a year later one of the elders got up and said,\n\u201cWe had twenty-four additions when Brother Dark was here last year.\nEighteen of them are still with us. Three of them have moved to other\ntowns, and three have fallen from grace.\u201d I asked whether the three\nbacksliders had followed these three rules. Of course they had not. They\ncouldn\u2019t have fallen from grace if they had been following these three\nrules; at least I have never heard of anybody\u2019s falling who did. Have\nyou? I have heard of people\u2019s falling from grace while following one or\ntwo of them, but not all of them. These are not the only requirements\nbut when faithfully performed they make it possible and easier for you\nto do your duty in every way. May I insist then, if you want to go to\nheaven\u2014and you say you do\u2014that you read the Bible every day, pray to God\nevery day, and go to worship every time you can.\n\nLet me read a Scripture before I close this lesson. It\u2019s found in the\nfirst chapter of 1 John 1:4. It\u2019s one of the sweetest promises in all\nthe Bible. \u201cThese things write we unto you, that your joy may be made\nfull.\u201d God wants us to be full of joy. He said, \u201cI\u2019m writing these\nthings that you may be full of joy.\u201d Well, what is it, John? \u201cThis, then\nis the message which we have heard of him and declare unto you, that God\nis light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have\nfellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth:\nbut if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship\none with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us\nfrom all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the\ntruth is not in us.\u201d Will you note this promise again? \u201cIf we walk in\nthe light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another,\nand the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.\u201d This\npromise is to those who walk in the light.\n\nThe word \u201cwalk\u201d suggests continuation. The blood cleanseth from all sin\nthose who continue in the light. Just as the word \u201cwalk\u201d suggests\ncontinuation, I believe the cleansing is also a continuing process. The\nbest way I know to illustrate this point is by the blood of the human\nbody, one purpose of which is to remove poison from any place which\nbecomes infected, and eliminate the poison through the natural channels\nof elimination. So the blood of Jesus Christ flows, so to speak, through\nthe veins of a Christian, keeping all impurities removed therefrom. This\nI believe with all my heart.\n\nBut don\u2019t get the wrong impression. Somebody might say, \u201cWell, if that\u2019s\nthe way it is, I\u2019ll not be so careful. I\u2019ll just take it easy and drift\nalong and let the blood of Jesus keep me clean.\u201d Well, it won\u2019t do it in\nyour case. You\u2019ve missed the point entirely. The promise is to those who\nwalk in the light, to those who are doing the best they can, to those\nwho are working at the job, to those who really want to go to heaven,\nwho read the Bible, go to worship, and pray to God, and do everything\nthey can. In spite of all this they\u2019ll make some mistakes.\n\nThis Scripture doesn\u2019t say that you won\u2019t sin. The promise is to those\nwho do sin\u2014who sin in spite of the fact that they are walking in the\nlight. If people who are walking in the light can\u2019t sin, then this\npromise would be out of order; but this promise is to those who are\nwalking in the light, who are doing the best they can, and yet they sin.\nWhen they do so, the Bible says the blood of Jesus will cleanse them\nfrom all unrighteousness\u2014keep them clean. In that sense, you see, you\ncan stay in a saved condition all the time.\n\nSuppose I were to ask you right now, how many of you believe, if you\nwere to die at this minute, that you would go to heaven; I wonder how\nmany would raise your hands. I find very few people who answer this\nquestion properly. They say, \u201cWell, I hope I would. I\u2019d like to. I don\u2019t\nknow.\u201d People go through life in doubt about their own salvation. God\ndidn\u2019t expect his people to experience such uneasiness. He has written\nthese things that our joy may be full. A lot of people have doubts and\nfears. They think if they were to die just after saying their evening\nprayers, confessing their sins, that they would go to heaven, but if\nthey were to die five minutes before, that they would go to hell. If I\nfelt that way about it, I\u2019d want somebody to shoot me just after I\u2019d\nfinished my evening prayer so I\u2019d be sure to go to heaven.\n\nI\u2019m not boasting when I say that I believe with all my heart that if I\nshould fall dead in the midst of this sentence, I would spend eternity\nin heaven. That\u2019s not because I\u2019m so good; it\u2019s certainly not because I\nhave never sinned. But I _can_ say this: if there is a single sin\nagainst me of which I have not repented, I do not know it. If I did know\nit, I would repent of it before I finished this statement. I wouldn\u2019t\nwait till time for my evening prayer. The time to repent of a sin is\njust as soon as you become aware of it, right then and there. That\u2019s\nwhat you have to do in order to be walking in the light. Never allow an\nunforgiven sin to hang over you for one minute for you might die during\nthat minute, and have to spend eternity in torment.\n\nGod doesn\u2019t expect his children to go through life having so many ups\nand downs, thinking one minute they\u2019re on their way to glory and the\nnext minute on their way to hell. It isn\u2019t necessary to be like that.\nGod doesn\u2019t want you to be. He wants you to be full of joy. If you will\nread this verse, meditate upon it, and conform to the conditions stated,\nit will certainly help you to be full of joy.\n\nI\u2019m emphasizing the fact that you can go to heaven if you want to. I\u2019d\nlike to read one more Scripture and then we close. This is found in II\nPeter, chapter one, verse 5-10, \u201cAnd beside this, giving all diligence;\nadd to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge\ntemperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and\nto godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness love. For if\nthese things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither\nbe barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But\nhe that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath\nforgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather,\nbrethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure.\u201d Do you\nnotice that word \u201csure\u201d? \u201cGive diligence to make your calling and\nelection _sure_\u201d; it didn\u2019t say to make it likely, or to make it\nprobable, but to make it _certain_. It requires diligence, but if you\nwill give the proper diligence, you can make your calling and election\ncertain. \u201cFor if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. For so an\nentrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting\nkingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.\u201d\n\nA man who does these things will not barely slip in by the skin of the\nteeth, but for him the gates will stand wide ajar. He will receive an\nabundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior,\ninherit eternally a mansion which Jesus has gone to prepare for those\nwho love him, for those who walk in the light, for those who do the best\nthey can.\n\nDo you want to go to heaven? I suspect if I were to take a vote on it\nand ask all who want to go to heaven to raise their hands, that every\nperson in the house would raise his hand. You say you want to go, but do\nyou? Are you on the road which leads there? A man driving toward\nLouisville, Kentucky, at sixty miles an hour, knowing that Atlanta is in\nthe opposite direction, would have a hard time convincing me that he\nwanted to go to Atlanta. He may want to go some day but he doesn\u2019t want\nto go now, because he is going in the other direction. The man who is\ngoing toward hell at sixty minutes an hour can\u2019t convince me that he\nwants to go to heaven, unless he is just mistaken about his direction.\nDo you really want to go to heaven? If you do, let\u2019s be on the way. The\nBible reveals the road which leads there. Get up and follow the sign\nposts and some day you will get there. Why not start right now? Will you\ncome to Jesus now?\n\n\n\n\n FOOTNOTES\n\n\n[1]Harry Emerson Fosdick \u201cThe Revolt Against Paganism\u201d in _Ladies Home\n Journal_, February, 1946.\n\n[2]For a similar discussion see J. W. Brents, _Gospel Sermons_,\n (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1891), pp. 282-298.\n\n[3]See Chapter II.\n\n[4]See Chapter II.\n\n[5]Bracketed text is a conjectural reconstruction of line omitted in the\n printed copy.\n\n\n [Illustration: HARRIS J. DARK]\n\nHarris J. Dark was born in Maury County, Tennessee February 8, 1905. He\ngraduated from David Lipscomb College and did additional work at\nVanderbilt University and Randolph-Macon College where he received the\nBachelor of Arts degree in 1934. He received his Master of Arts degree\nfrom the University of Richmond in 1940. He has studied one year in the\nVanderbilt School of Religion and one year in the Union Theological\nSeminary at Richmond, Virginia. He is just now completing work for his\nDoctor of Philosophy degree at George Peabody College for Teachers,\nNashville, Tennessee.\n\n\n\n\n Transcriber\u2019s Notes\n\n\n\u2014Silently corrected a few typos.\n\n\u2014Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook\n is public-domain in the country of publication.\n\n\u2014In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by\n _underscores_.\n\n\u2014Where a line was omitted in typesetting, inserted a reconstructed line\n within {brackets}.","title":"God Hath Spoken","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":73362}