THE POUND
PROCLAIMER
Volume IV
December 2008
Number 2
Sing
to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day
to day. Psalms 96:2
MINISTERING
CARNAL THINGS
The greatest detriment to the spiritual
life of a local church is the inclination to accept the status quo without
question. Spiritual strength comes from a burning desire to search “the Scriptures daily to find out whether
these things” are the truth (Acts
17:11). Too often, collective actions are never questioned. It is as if
historical practice gives a thing scriptural precedence. Nothing is further
from the truth.
A case in point is the prevalence of what
we shall call the social gospel. The social gospel has its roots in the
religious theology which advocates “ministering to the whole man”.
The industrial revolution improved the
lives of many. The improving of individual lives also brought about an increase
in the revenue of churches. The increase in the wealth of individuals and
churches emphasized the lives of poverty in which the majority of the world
resided. It is here that main stream religion took up the battle cry of
“minister to the whole man”.
The mid twentieth century saw this
doctrine carried out with a vengeance. The evening news broadcast the freedom
marches of the sixties replete with “reverends” arm in arm leading the way. It
was common to see political rallies held in church buildings by the “reverends”
of the particular churches. The reason for this political activism was to make
the lives of an oppressed minority better.
In more recent times, the same thinking
that got churches involved in political activism motivates churches to open
soup kitchens, pantries, and organizations like Help Our Poor Exist (HOPE).
Along the same lines, local churches build buildings with kitchens, fellowship
halls, family life centers, and such things for the express purpose of
“ministering to the whole man”.
It is argued by some that taking a bag of
groceries to a poor family is a tool of evangelism. If that is true, why not
just give them cash money to be baptized. It is the same principle.
It is admirable to have compassion on
one’s fellowman. Paul’s words to the individual Christian are, So then, as we have opportunity, let us do
good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith
(Galatians 6:10). The individual
work of the Christian is not the issue.
The issue is the belief that churches
need to minister to people with carnal things. This places the emphasis on the
things of this world. Is this where Jesus wants the emphasis to be?
The first thing we must acknowledge is
that Jesus’ kingdom (church) is not of this world (John 18:36). We are pilgrims. We are just passing through. This
world is not our permanent home.
Paul describes the kingdom as follows,
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of
righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). There is no doubt that it takes food and drink to
sustain physical life. However, the
The local church at
Last of all; consider the words of Jesus
to some who followed Him. Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw
signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food
that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of
Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal” John 6:26-27.
It is easy to get caught up in doing a
thing because it has always been done that way. If we investigate, we might
find that it is a recent innovation. The important thing is to go to Heaven at
the end of this life. How can we make it to Heaven if our mind is on earthly
things?
The Editor’s
Page
The failure to know God causes man to
serve that which “by nature are not gods”
(Galatians 4:8). Man’s seeking after
God should not be a seeking for knowledge just for knowledge’s sake. Many an
intellectual has discovered the existence of a Higher Power without
understanding the significance of that knowledge. This kind of knowledge does
little more than satisfy an intellectual curiosity. The true knowledge of God
is knowledge that produces an active obedience. This true knowledge of God
spawns a righteous life wherein God tempers man’s thoughts and deeds.
Man’s thinking about God is important,
because the life he leads comes from the thoughts he thinks. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from
it flow the springs of life (Proverbs
4:23). Again, “For as he thinks in
his heart, so is he….” (Proverbs
23:7). Who man is (character) and how he lives (conduct) originate
from his thinking about God. If God is thought to be some impersonal force akin
to nature, man’s character and conduct degrade to that level. However, if God
is thought of as omniscient, man rises to meet the challenge of following his
Creator.
Personal relationships are extremely
important. The relationship of a husband and wife teaches the truth of this
statement. Marriages fail because either the husband or the wife (maybe both)
fail to view the other based upon truth. This, most intimate of all
relationships, is hindered when either one or both of the participants hold a
misconception of the other. The wife may expect from her husband what he is unable
to give. The husband may expect from his wife what she is unwilling to give. In
either case, there is a failure to know one another based upon truth.
Likewise, man’s personal relationship
with God is hindered by misconceptions. No man can properly relate to God when
his concept of God is something less than reality. The Psalmist says it this
way; “The LORD is near to all who call on
him, to all who call on him in truth” (Psalms
145:18). How can man properly worship God unless he understands who God truly
is?
There is a real temptation to think of
God in a manner that degrades His status. Man is created in the image of God to
show forth His righteousness by loving Him and praising Him. Man cannot know
how to accomplish these tasks unless he accepts the truth about God. Jesus
defined the worship of God in this fashion. “But
the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the
Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship
him” (John 4:23). True worship
comes from hearts that are filled with adoration for God. The heart becomes
filled with adoration for God when the mind sees God clearly.
WORKING FOR THE
MASTER
The
Work Of Preaching
And
how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful
are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans
10:15.
No work is more misunderstood and abused
than the work of the located evangelist. Extreme views are had on every hand.
To some, the local evangelist is considered to be ‘the pastor’ of the church.
Others view him as an outsider who can and should be discarded at the whim of
two or three disgruntled members. Far too many ‘preachers’ have bought into
these extreme views causing them to fail in their efforts to do the work of a located
evangelist. Sadder still is the fact that many [more than we want to think]
local churches foster and encourage these extreme view points about local
preachers.
The local preacher is not ‘the pastor’,
nor is the local church to submit to ‘evangelistic oversight’. There is no
scriptural precedent for either of these views. The oversight of a local church
is restricted to the elders of that particular church (Acts 20:28).
Thirty-seven years of experience as a
located preacher has led me to conclude that the problem exists because of a
false understanding of the functioning of a local church. I am referring to the
belief that there are positions to fill rather than works to perform. Elders
often become figureheads rather than qualified men who do the work of
overseeing souls. Likewise, local preachers become ‘public speakers’ whose egos
get stroked when their manner of speaking fits the expectations of the
listeners. The fundamental flaw with this kind of thinking is a failure to
understand that both overseeing and preaching are
works.
The work of a located preacher is more
than a Sunday morning or Sunday evening sermon. The work of a located preacher
is a life style. It is a life style that few are willing to adopt. Paul
compares the preacher’s life with life in the military. “Share in suffering as a good soldier of
Christ Jesus” 2 Timothy 2:3.
We are told that those who endure the rigors of military life are the few, the
proud, and the best. This is true, because not all are willing to ‘pay the
price’ required to be a good soldier. In like manner, few are willing to endure
hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
There is a ‘price to pay’ for those who
dare to charge onto the field of battle. The ‘price’ has created a shortage of
preachers. I have been made aware in recent years that there are more churches
looking for a located preacher than there are preachers to do the work. I
consider that a shame upon us who are supposed to be carrying the gospel to the
world. Although I am appalled by this fact, I understand why it exists.
The local preacher is at the mercy of the
brethren with whom he works. By at large, these are loving, caring, and
wonderful brethren. However, one rotten apple can and does spoil the bushel.
These are usually brethren who think they know more about the work of a
preacher than the preacher. They judge him incompetent by criticizing his
lessons, accuse him of preaching for the big money, and of over stepping his
leadership role by becoming a pseudo-elder. If these are not sufficient charges
to send him on his way, they can always invent something more damaging. Is it
any wonder there is a shortage of men who are willing to put their wives and
children through this type of suffering?
Paul addresses the kind of character the
local preacher should have when he wrote to Timothy and Titus. We often talk of
the qualifications for a man to serve as an elder. When it comes to those who
will do the work of preaching, we don’t think in terms of qualifications for
preachers. Yet, the three epistles of 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus are filled
with qualifications applicable to preachers. The first step toward preparing
men to preach the gospel is to work from the inside out. The mechanics of
preaching will come if the character of the man is fitting to the work. It is
to this end we offer this material.
[To
Be Continued]
THE LAST WORD
EVERYTHING
HAS A PRICE
My least favorite thing to do is visit
the dentist. In our modern age, the dentist has a range of anesthetics that
take away the severest pain. Even so, just the possibility of experiencing pain
in my mouth is enough to taint my perception of dentistry.
I had a molar that become abscessed. The
dentist was extremely sympathetic. He put me on antibiotics with the intention
of pulling it. You see, an abscessed tooth cannot be numbed. He told me he
didn’t want to hurt me. I told him that I didn’t want him to hurt me. All was
for naught. After a month of antibiotics and three visits, he gave up and sent
me to an oral surgeon.
I must admit that I had misgivings. I did
not see how I would be able to escape without experiencing pain. The day came
and I arrived at the surgeon’s office. When the time came, I was placed in the
dental chair and prepared for the extraction. They placed a small cup attached to
a hose over my nose and instructed me to breathe in through my nose and breathe
out through my mouth. It wasn’t long until I began to feel relaxed. Suddenly,
someone grabbed my hand and said you will feel a stick. So what, who cares, go
ahead, stick me, I don’t care. The dentist came in and began explaining what he
was going to do. Three things he said caught my attention. He said, you are
getting nitrous oxide [laughing gas], I am going to numb the tooth with
Novocain, and then we are going to give you a twilight drug so you won’t
remember anything. All right! Go doctor, do yo thang! Why aren’t all dentist’s visits like this. I think I will come here for all
my dental work. Wow, I feel good now, like I knew that I would! I feeeeel good,
yeah! Hey doc, can I come back tomorrow and get another one pulled?
I was in a euphoric state of mind when my
wife came to help me exit the premises. However, there was one last thing to
do. The bill had to be paid.
As I waited for my bill, I explained to
the office staff how much I appreciated the wonderful job everyone did and that
I was feeling no pain. The bill was presented to me and my euphoria came to an
abrupt halt. The time of reckoning had come. The experiences of the present
must be paid for in the future.
Satan has anesthetized some to the point
their ears are dull of hearing (Hebrews
5:11). This state of mind blocks out the pain of an ungodly life. This
causes sin to be a pleasurable experience (Hebrews
11:25). Sadly, there is coming a day in which a recompense of reward will
be meted out to the sinner, because sin has wages (Romans 6:23; Galatians
6:7-10).
You may be happy with your life because
Satan’s anesthesia is working on you. Know this, the
bill will eventually be due and payable. (Matthew
25:46).
Miss, excuse me, but are you sure you
added up my bill correctly?
####################
WHAT MUST
I DO
Hear: Rom 10:17
Believe: Heb 11:6
Repent: Lk 13:5; Ac
17:30
Confess: Matt 10:32; Ac
8:36
Be Baptized: Ac 2:38;
22:16
TO BE
SAVED?
###################
FAMILY MATTERS
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be a new program uploaded each week. We also keep the sermons updated as well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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The Pound Proclaimer is published monthly by the Pound
All articles by the editor unless
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Editor: Glen Young
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