Spaghetti Dinner!

Did I get your attention?  Well, if your stomach is growling and you’re looking for something to eat, chances are I did.  What if someone were to cry out, “Tax relief!”  If you’re having problems with your taxes this would probably get your attention.  If you were having marital problems, you’d probably notice every sign and billboard advertising marriage counseling.

Many religious groups are very clever at getting people’s attention.  As a matter of fact, it’s not uncommon for one to drive by a church building and see a sign that says something like, “Free Spaghetti Dinner!” or “Concert Tonight!”.  It’s not uncommon to get a flyer in the mail from a local religious group advertising a free movie screening, aid for single mothers, or a gardening demonstration.

But which one of the above mentioned services or provisions - food, counseling, entertainment, etc. - is something you can’t find outside the church?  That is, if one couldn’t find a religious group to get a hot plate of spaghetti, to see a good movie, or get marriage counseling, one could still find a secular institution offering the same provisions and services.  And yet, many religious groups, many of which wear the name of Christian, offer these services and provisions as if people couldn’t get them anywhere else.  These religious groups recognize that men have material and worldly needs such as food, shelter, financial assistance, opportunities to socialize with people of like interests, etc., and they use that knowledge to “draw people in.”

When Paul was among the Corinthians, he said he had nothing to offer them except “Christ and him crucified.” (I Cor. 2:2) At what point in Paul’s ministry do we find him offering to provide for people’s material needs before offering them Christ?  In practically every one of the four Gospels, before Christ performs any miraculous feedings or healings, we are told that he began to teach repentance of sin and the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 4:17).  His work in this world was completely focused on seeking and saving the lost (Luke 19:10).

Indeed, Christ performed miracles to feed and to heal people, thus making physical provisions for them, but these miracles (there is no account of Christ establishing a worldly institution which provided meals for hungry people, no account of him entertaining people before he taught them truth), served the primary purpose of confirming the divine authority of Christ (Heb. 2:3,4).  We might also take note in this oft quoted passage in Hebrews 2 that the emphasis at the beginning of the passage is on SALVATION.  If Christ did not offer material provisions and services for those who might be his disciples, and if he did not authorize any such activity in which the church should be involved, then we as His disciples need to be extra cautious when considering HOW we are going to “get people through the doors.”

One does not need to go to a church to find people to play chess with.  One does not need to go to a church to get politically involved.  One does not need to go to a church to watch a movie or play games.  One does not need to go to a church even to contribute to a philanthropic charity!  The world offers institutions through which all these things and so much more can be done!  The world makes provisions for these needs.  Nor should an individual STAY with a church simply because there are people there who share their interests.  If one is going to “worship” and “fellowship” with a group of people simply because those people enjoy the same worldly hobbies, subjects, or activities, then it is not “worship” or “fellowship” AT ALL, as the Word of God defines these terms (John 4:23,24, I John 1:3).

Who brings the church together?  Christ (Rom. 12:5).  Who sustains the church?  Christ (Heb. 1:3).  Who saves the church?  Christ (I Thess. 5:9).  As the body of Christ, as his “corporate” representative in the world today, what service or provision should we offer the world?  Salvation in Christ (Rom. 1:16).  What gimmick or hook should we use to “draw people in”?  None.  No gimmicks, no allurements.  JUST CHRIST!  If people don’t come to Christ in response to the Gospel, they haven’t come to Christ at all, but simply seek to have their worldly needs met (John 6:26).

If the world has institutions to provide for our material needs such as food, social involvement, financial support, etc., then what needs do people have that only the church can provide for?  Well, of course those needs are spiritual.  The church, the true body of Christ, should offer exactly what Christ offered: eternal Truth (I Tim. 3:14,15, John 14:6) and salvation in Christ (Luke 3:4-6, Rom. 10:9,10).  This is all we have to offer people and, truly, it is not we who are making the offer, but Christ.

As the saying goes, “whatever you use to get people in, that’s what you’re going to have to use to get those people to stay.”  If we use material, worldly enticements to GET people’s attention, we’re going to have to use those same enticements to KEEP their attention.  Even if one comes to worship with us because they saw that they could get a spaghetti dinner, we’ve already started to condition them to think that their material needs take priority over their spiritual needs.  The congregation that is involved in such practices may experience a significant growth in numbers and attendance, but is flying full speed in the opposite direction of the teachings of Christ, and will ultimately find itself spiritually lacking, having left its first love (Rev. 2:4).

Jeremy Koontz

The Bible - Pat Farish

THE BIBLE

The book which has on its spine the word “Bible”, is a collection of divine revelation.   It is identified as the word of God.   In the Lord’s prayer Jesus, praying, certifies it as truth, saying to the Father “your word is truth” (John 17:17).     Paul wrote Timothy that it was “Scripture breathed out by God” (II Timothy 3:16, 17).  This Book is thus a word breathed out (“inspired”) by God; it is the word of God, the truth.  To the Corinthians Paul wrote that this material was in fact the mind of God, revealed to man by the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 2:10b-13).

As to arrangement, it is composed of two major parts, the “Old” testament, in thirty-nine books, and the “New” testament in twenty-seven books.

Considering the source of the Bible, we are not surprised that it is powerful.  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).     James wrote that we should “receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your soul” (James 1:21).  It is wonderful that we have access to such power; but our access depends on our receiving, believing and obeying, that word for salvation.

And, salvation is what this is all about.  The Bible is not a book of history, nor of geography, nor of science – though where it has occasion to deal with any part of any of them it is accurate.  Rather than a book dealing with such secular things, it is the book revealing God’s will for man; man’s rebellion against and separation from God; and God’s loving provision for man’s redemption (John 3:16).

The Bible is understandable.  It was written to be understood by all --- not just by seminarians, or clergymen of whatever stripe they may be.  In this connection Paul told the Ephesians, I write so you can understand; and further, “do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is”, Ephesians 5:17.

The primary requirement of understanding the word of God is, attitude.  Jesus said, “If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching in from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority” (John 7:17).  The requirement Jesus announces is NOT, “be determined to know the truth”. In such a determination there is no commitment to serve the Lord.  So, what Jesus said is, if you make up your mind to DO the word, beforehand, when perhaps you do not know what He may expect of you, you may “know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority”.  Resolve, that where he leads I will follow: whatever His demand, that I will do.

The apostle Paul echoed this, by warning the Thessalonians that people would be lost because they did not love the truth, II Thessalonians 2:10.

The Bible is the mind of God, revealed for men to know God’s will and do it.  There is no better use of one’s time than to spend it in reading the Bible.  By so doing you can learn what God would have you do, and what He has done for you.  By such reading and determination to apply what you read, you can be sanctified, drawn away from the world to Christ and God.

“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11)                                                      

                                                                                                             Pat Farish

“Church is Boring…” 

…Is a statement a child might have the audacity to make, but so many Christians feel or have felt this way.  Well, is church boring?  Oftentimes it’s hard to stay awake.  The sermons might be way too long to keep our attention.  Maybe the singing is dull, maybe off-key.  The prayers could be monotonous, also too long, and may seem to be the same every week.  We have to sit almost the entire time.  To some worshipers, the most uplifting moment in services is when the preacher says, “If anyone here is not a Christian…” because we know the service is reaching a conclusion…

We’ve all had thoughts similar to these at some time or another.  What Christian hasn’t experienced the weight of dragging to the assembly of the saints, perhaps half-asleep, half-awake, barely made it through service without passing out in the aisle from boredom, then felt miraculously revivified leaving the building, on the way to lunch, after the conclusion of the service?  Let us all consider the following thoughts before making the above assessment of our assemblies, that is, that “church is boring”.

Firstly, let us remember that we do not go to church, at least not in the sense that we are not in the church until we go to the building.  We assemble or gather together with the local saints of God in the name of Jesus Christ and are obeying a command to do so (Acts 20:7, Heb. 10:25).  In God’s design for the local congregation of His elect people, he requires that we assemble to sing praises to him and to sing songs of encouragement and exhortation to one another (Heb. 2:12, Eph. 5:19), offer collective prayers (I Thess. 5:17), audition readings of scripture and teaching therefrom (Jude 1:3), in addition to the specific commands of taking collections (I Cor. 16:2) and remembering the sacrifice of Christ (Acts 20:7) on the first day of the week.

Secondly, let us remember that every Christian in the assembly is required to actively participate in every aspect of the service.  For the disciple of Christ, the assembly is not a spectator event.  We don’t just go to get something out of our being present, but also to whole-heartedly contribute!  Yes, the singing might seem dull and off-key to someone just listening, but for the active participant, there is a constant effort to convey the ideas and sentiment of the songs, a constant effort to help contribute to a orderly and harmonic sound.  You do your best to make the singing better (I Cor. 14:15)!  What about prayer?  Someone just listening to the prayer might think it monotonous, but what about someone making an effort to hang on to every word of the prayer, put their own spirit and thoughts behind every request, every supplication?  Consider the fact that you are part of a collective effort of speaking to God the Father (I Tim. 2:1)!

What about the sermons?  Yes, sometimes they are a little longer than expected.  Sometimes our empty stomachs growl their own complaints against the extra time taken to expound a point.  But the engagement of a speaker with an audience is not a one-way street!  A message is not a message without an active recipient, someone with their antenna up, so to speak.  Give effort to be a more active listener!  And how much more engaged and serious should we be during the Lord’s Supper, as we consider that “he who eats and drinks unworthily, is guilty of the body and blood of the lamb” and “eats and drinks damnation unto himself not discerning the Lord’s body” (I Cor. 11:27,29).  Every time we partake, we are to actively remember, and examine ourselves, lest we be guilty of going through the motions and reducing a sacred act to something carnal (I Cor. 11:23-29)!

Finally, let us consider that we are not the primary audience during our assemblies.  God is watching!  And he’s not just watching our outward actions: he’s looking right down into the depths of our hearts (Luke 16:15).  When the Lord observes your worship, your singing, your involvement in prayer and the preaching of the gospel, the meditations of your heart as you make a material contribution to the work of the church, does He see a lively spirit motivated by truth and love, or a dull spirit bored half to death?

Sadly, many churches in the world today feel “traditional” assemblies are not nearly as exciting and entertaining as a football game or a music concert, and so they’ve sought to make worship more like these worldly events.  Many churches today have rock concert atmospheres, live bands, light shows, stand-up comedians and professional story-tellers as preachers, and “contemporary” and/or “spirit inspired” worship where just about anything goes.  Worshiping in “spirit and truth” (John 4:24) and the simple preaching of the Gospel are being displaced by emotionalism and entertainment.  Men are coming up with new ideas every day to make worship more fun and exciting, more appealing to our carnal nature.  But how many souls are being misled thereby?

Let each individual member of our local congregation labor to keep us on the narrow path of worshipping as the Lord prescribed.  Let each individual labor to keep our services from becoming “boring”, by doing everything he and she can to contribute to the effort.

Jeremy Koontz