A Fifty-year-old Decision

"People do not accidentally attend worship without missing one worship service for twenty years.  They must have planned always to attend.  Soon after I obeyed the gospel in the fall of 1909, I read of an old brother who had not missed going to worship a single Sunday in 41 years.  That story caused me to resolve and to purpose in my heart that I would never miss the worship on a single Lord's Day as long as I lived, if possible to attend.  I have missed four Sundays in over fifty years, and then it was because of illness.

Once I made that decision, the question has not come up as to whether I would attend church services or not.  In fact, I did not decide last Lord's Day to go to worship, nor the Sunday before.  That decision was made more than fifty years ago. 

“It is a sin for any member of the church to miss the worship unless he is unable to attend.  The very nature of our religion is such that those who feel this is a burden need to be converted."

 Gus Nichols

"A Sad Day"

Israel was the chosen nation. They had the special watch-care of the God of heaven. Yet ingratitude seemed to characterize their relationship to Jehovah. As one reads the story of the nation of Israel, he is caused to wonder how anyone could have departed from God so many times. Even when they had been delivered from Egyptian bondage, they murmured against their deliverer in the very sight of the Red Sea. The period of Judges saw no improvement. When the kingdom divided so did their allegiance, and Israel went awhoring after other gods. Isaiah 9:16 reads, “For they that lead this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.” It is a sad day when leaders lead their people into apostasy, but such was the case in Israel. They forgot their God and their salvation. They became a rebellious people bowing down to gods that had been made with human hands.

The prophet Hosea penned the words of God when he wrote, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee” (Hosea 4:6). God later said through that prophet, “my people are bent on backsliding from me” (11:7). What sadder day ever dawned in Israel of old than that day when God had rejected them because of a lack of knowledge?

Spiritual Israel

Just as the nation of Israel went away from God in the long ago, Spiritual Israel, the church, can depart from God today. The Israelites were destroyed because of a “lack of knowledge.” And one untaught generation is all that is needed today for the church to be destroyed for the same reason. Christians are charged to study the Word (II Timothy 2:15), elders are enjoined to feed the flock (Acts 20:28), and preachers are commanded to preach the Word (II Timothy 4:2). When Christians, elders, and preachers fail to fulfill their God-given responsibilities, then a sad day for spiritual Israel is on the horizon. God’s people will apostatize because of a lack of knowledge.

Preachers

Paul told Timothy, “I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables” (II Timothy 4:1-4). In the next sentence Paul said, “do the work of an evangelist, fulfill thy ministry.” Earlier he had written, “Till I come, give heed to reading, to exhortation, to teaching.... Be diligent in these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy progress may be manifest unto all” (I Timothy 4:13, 15).

The day that preachers cease to do the will of God and begin to please the members and “pastor” the congregation, is the day the church will cease being as strong as it could be, and it will be a sad day in Israel. Heaven knows we have enough of this among us today! We have preachers that are more concerned with the image they present than the Word they preach. We have preachers that know more about politics, social injustices, and the book of etiquette than they know about the Word of God. Pulpits are filled with “How to win friends and influence people” and stories from the leading magazines of the day while people are starving to death, spiritually, for the preaching of the Bible.

Congregations are generally no stronger than their pulpits. Note the congregation that is staying within the “old paths” and then note the kind of preaching they hear. You will find that the preacher they have is a student of the Word. You can listen to him preach or read what he writes and tell where he stands. There is no ambiguity in what he teaches. He stands solidly on God’s Word. He is a student of the Book and seeks to fulfill his God-given responsibility to preach the Word.

We are concerned that too many pulpits (one would be too many for that matter) are not being filled with the kind of preaching that God wants. We firmly believe that churches are being led into apostasy by men who are supposed to be preachers of the Bible.

Elders

Elders are supposed to “feed the flock” (Acts 20:28). Among the responsibilities that are en-joined in that statement would be to see that the pulpit and the classroom have the right kind of teaching. It is sad indeed when preachers rebel against the command to preach the Word, how-ever, it is sadder yet when elders refuse to demand that the Bible be taught by the preacher and classroom teacher. Elders need to tell the preacher that the Bible is going to be taught from the pulpit under their oversight or they are going to know the reason why. They then need to carry out their word. An eldership recently remarked that they were not hearing any Bible preaching from the pulpit at all. They had talked it over with the preacher, but it had done no good. And, they hated to replace him because he was so well liked in the congregation. How ridiculous can one eldership be? Any preacher that refuses to preach the Bible does not need to be replaced, he needs to be removed! (II Thessalonians 3:6).

This writer recently saw a list of responsibilities that an eldership was using in the securing of the services of a preacher. That list demanded of him that he be the perfect “denominational pastor,” however, not a one of the more than a dozen requirements even hinted at his responsibility to study and preach the Word. Several Gospel preachers who have seen the list, some are known brotherhood wide, remarked in unison that the list was ridiculous. Brethren, do all elderships want the Bible in its entirety, taught in the pulpit?

If the church had preachers that would preach the Word and elders that would demand that the Word be taught, widespread apostasy would cease to be a problem. There is nothing that will cure going away from God like a well taught, rooted and grounded in the truth, brotherhood. Elders are going to lose their souls because they failed to feed the flock that was given under their oversight.

Christians

Even if preachers failed to preach God’s Word and elders failed to demand that the Word be taught, all would not be lost if Christians would fulfill their responsibility. They should see to it that the church is fed the Word of God. When a congregation becomes satisfied with the social gospel that never reproves or rebukes it becomes a sad day indeed. What more could you expect than full-scale apostasy? Nothing but destruction could come if preachers did not preach the Bible, elders did not feed the flock, and members no longer cared for the teaching of God’s Word.

An Admonition

We see the church in many areas of the brotherhood drifting away from the ancient landmarks. New sounds and uncertain sounds are coming from their ranks. At the tap root of this digression is the failure—either intentional or unintentional—to teach the Word of God in its purity, simplicity, and entirety. The Bible needs to be preached and its message must be proclaimed without fear or favor. It comes to an attitude that many hold toward the Bible. It is sad but true—some no longer have respect for its teachings. May we awaken before it becomes too late! Preachers, preach the Word. Be a student of the Bible. Spend your time doing what God has commanded you to do! Elders, demand that the Word be taught. See to it that the flock over which you are overseers are fed. And when the Word is taught, stand behind it with all of your support. Christians, see to it that your preacher and elders know that you want, appreciate, and stand behind the preaching of God’s Word. And if you are in a congregation where the Bible is not taught, let your disapproval be noted. The day the church fails to preach the Word is the day the church will begin its journey away from God. Remember Hosea quoted God as saying, “My people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge.”

William S. Cline

Defender - May 1972

YOU CAN STILL FIND THE CHURCH OF THE BIBLE

In 1942 when I was in Kansas City, someone stole my car. I had a new 1942 model NASH automobile. My car was gone! I did not know which way to turn. So I called the police. When they came, they began to ask questions. They asked, “What kind of car is it? What is the name of the car?” Suppose I said, “It doesn’t make any difference about a name. Just go find me a car.” They asked, “What model is it? When was it made?”

Suppose I said, “It doesn’t make any difference when it was made. Just get me a car. The model is immaterial.” Suppose that they had come back with an old 1914 model. I would have decided it did make a difference, would I not? I suspect that if I had talked to those policemen like that, they would have said, “He is drunk; we had better lock him up.” Yet I can talk to the world about the church and say, “It does not make any difference about the name, makes no difference when it was started, no difference what it does,” and the world says I am a scholar. If I had talked that way to the police, they would have said I was a drunk!

Yes, they have destroyed every identification mark of the church. But let me tell you, you can find the church that Jesus built, if you will get out and look for it in as sensible a manner as those police looked for my car.

G. K. Wallace

Castles Made of Sand

There is little as charming as a well planned and skillfully made sandcastle. Children of every age enjoy the hours of shaping sand into the grand palaces which exist only in the far away lands of their minds. Along with this recreation comes a life lesson. A sandcastle for most, immediately calls to mind the thought of that which is temporary. Too many toddlers’ tears have been shed watching the tide take away the fruit of their tedious toils. With full knowledge of this adults still have an insatiable attraction towards sandcastles. Every year thousands or more enthusiasts converge upon Imperial Beach, California for the U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition. There they build some of the most spectacular sandcastles you could ever imagine. Exact replicas of the greatest architectural masterpieces built by man, and others that could only be built of dreams and sand.

While those in the competition may win prizes with skill exceeding child’s play, they still are only making sandcastles. Unfortunately, so many have approached life forgetting the les-sons they learned. While one may become proficient and skillful at many things, where is the lasting benefit? Someone may build something beautiful and bring great joy to themselves and others, what real value does it have?

The tide of death is one that all men should see approaching (Hebrews 9:27). As some learn of such an end, they find it almost unbearable to work towards anything. The faithful, on the other hand, do not find such torment as the day approaches. The psalmist said, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

The key to such confidence lies in a rock solid faith in Christ and His word. Jesus said,

… whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it (Matthew 7:24-27).

Building one’s house upon Christ is a sure way to ensure that the tempests of life will not overcome the structure. In these verses there is great similarity to the lessons learned from building sandcastles. There is that which is un-stable, situated in such a way that it is sure to fail. Wherein is the security? A denomination, built by men, is not built on a solid foundation (I Corinthians 3:11; Matthew 16:16-18). A life of successful business is one of fleeting glory (Luke 12:15-21). The goal of most is a merry heart, but without Christ that merriment will end like the smile on a child’s face when the first wave crashes over the seemingly solid walls of the sand fort. On the other hand, there is Christ and his word. When one does what Christ commands he is building upon sure ground able to withstand anything. 

Geoff Litke

Why Some People Quit

Ever since the church began, some who have obeyed the Gospel, thus being added by the Lord to the church, have failed to remain faithful. They, like the Ephesians, “have left their first love” (Revelation. 2:4). Likely, there are some motivations for departures with which I am not familiar, but some are very apparent. Some apostatize because they cease to value Truth and become ensnared in false doctrines and practices (II Thessalonians 2:10–12; I Timothy 1:19–20; 4:1; II Timothy 4:3–4; et al.). Others hear the siren-call of fleshly lusts and, unlike Moses, choose to enjoy the “pleasures of sin for a season,” forgetting the inevitable day of recompense (Hebrews 11:25–26; I Corinthians 5:1–5; II Corinthians 12:21; II Timothy 3:1–6; Jude 4; et al.).

Others who drop out do not do so because of such drastic factors. They depart for what one might refer to as more “personal” or “subjective” reasons, several of which I have heard over the years. In hopes that discussion of some of these might prevent someone from backsliding and losing his soul, consider the following:

  1. Guilt: When one knows he is not living as Christ teaches us to live during the week, he should feel guilty and ashamed when he comes into his Bible class or into the worship assembly. His guilt and shame leave him with two choices: He can confess and repent of his sin, or he can continue in it. One who continues in sin will not long faithfully assemble where Biblical preaching and teaching remind him of his guilt. If he is unwilling to abandon his sin, he will abandon the church by making no pretense. If he is unwilling to abandon his sin, he will abandon the church by making no pretense at being religious or he will “shop at being religious or he will “shoparound” for a “feel-good church” with a “feel-good at being religious or he will “shop gospel” (joining a “guilt-free church” that allows people to maintain membership and hold on to their sins is merely another way of abandoning the Truth—and the church). Unwillingness to give up sin (and the resulting guilt) has caused many to “quit the church.”
  2. Personal dislike for someone in the congregation:  Often it is the preacher, an elder, or a teacher—usually someone in a leadership role—who stirs such disfavor. We all have enough faults to be unlikable to someone else at times (e.g., I do not like the behavior of those who quit because they do not “like” someone). Guess what? You do not have to like every member of the church to be a faithful Christian (nor does everyone in the congregation have to like you). God must often dislike the behavior of even the best of us, but He still loves us and desires our salvation. Likewise, it is not necessarily wrong for us to dislike and irritate one another at times in matters of opinion and personal choice, as long as we still love one another enough to seek the good of each other. “Quitting the church,” thereby losing one’s soul, is a high price to pay because “I do not like someone.”
  3. The claim of “too many hypocrites” in the church: perhaps all Christians (including preachers and elders) have at least been inconsistent, if not hypocritical at times. Even the best find it impossible to live flawlessly the flawless message we preach. I dare say that the one who charges, “There are too many hypocrites,” is himself hypocritical once in a while. There is no defense for hypocrisy, but which is worse—to continue to faithfully assemble and work with other imperfect saints, knowing that one’s own life is not perfect, or to drop out and lose one’s soul?

Besides, the presence of one or one hundred hypocrites has nothing to do with one’s relationship with God unless he allows it to do so. Hell will be the eternal abode of impenitent hypocrites (Matthew 24:51). The one who so despises them here that he departs from the Lord rather than associate with them will condemn himself to inescapable association with them in eternity.

Many other “reasons” for quitting are observable, but they all stem from uncontrolled selfishness (Romans 15:1–3; II Corinthians 5:15; Philippians 2:4, 21; II Timothy 3:2). The quitter will return only when he gets selfishness under control

Dub McClish

Backsliding

As surprising as it may seem, many do not think that backsliding is a Biblical term. In Old Testament times, backsliding was a continual problem of God’s people as shown in Jeremiah 8:5, which states, “Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.” To backslide is to turn away from God’s truth and return to one’s former wicked life.

There are many warnings in the Bible concerning the danger of backsliding. Paul wrote in I Corinthians 10:12: “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” Even Paul himself was not immune to the danger of backsliding. In I Corinthians 9:27, Paul wrote, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

In guarding against backsliding, it is necessary to determine its cause. A little boy trying to explain why he fell out of bed said, “I just went to sleep too close to where I got in.” This simple illustration helps explain why some fall away from Christ after becoming a Christian. Upon entering the kingdom, it is necessary that one grow spiritually. It is sad that many refuse to grow, but remain close to where they entered the kingdom. We are exhorted in Hebrews 6:6 to “go on unto perfection.” Likewise, we are admonished in II Peter 1:5-7 to add to our faith: virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. By growing in these qualities, we will guarantee that we will not “go to sleep too close to where we got in.” In fact, II Peter 1:10 states, “if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.”

Many refuse to grow because they remain closely tied to things in the world. In the parable of the sower, Jesus spoke of some who allow the “care(s) of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, (to) choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22). To avoid this, we must sever our ties to the world and turn our full attention to spiritual growth. By pressing on to perfection, we will not “slide back” into the ways of the world which we left when we became Christians.

 Bruce Stulting