January 8, 2014

They Were Offended

Many of the Pharisees opposed Jesus while He was on the earth. On one occasion, they questioned Jesus about why His disciples broke “the tradition of the elders” by failing to “wash their hands when they eat bread” (Matthew 15:2). Though there was nothing wrong with the practice of washing one’s hands before a meal, they had elevated this human tradition to the same level as divine instruction. This was a problem and Jesus was willing to expose it.

In responding to their question, Jesus asked them about another tradition. However, this tradition was not harmless in itself. Instead, the tradition about which Jesus questioned them directly violated the commandment of God: “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?” (Matthew 15:3). He went on to explain how their tradition led them to forsake the command to “honor [one’s] father and mother” (Matthew 15:4; cf. Exodus 20:12). They had “invalidated the word of God for the sake of [their] tradition” (Matthew 15:6), thus making their worship “in vain” (Matthew 15:9).

It is important to notice what happened next as it has a direct application to our efforts to teach the truth.
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October 21, 2013

Amos: The Courage to Speak Out

Take Courage

Amos may be the one in our series with whom people are most unfamiliar. Yet his is a powerful example of one who had the courage to speak out – to proclaim the truth and condemn error.
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October 20, 2013

Audio: Gospel Meeting at the Eastside church of Christ

I had the privilege of speaking in a Gospel Meeting at the Eastside church of Christ in Morgantown, KY this past week – October 17-19, 2013. The three lessons I preached are listed below.
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September 18, 2013

Not Getting Anything Out of the Assembly

Worship

“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord’” (Psalm 122:1).

David expressed the attitude that we must have when it comes to assembling to worship the Lord – gladness. The assembly of the saints ought to be something to which we look forward.

Unfortunately, many do not look forward to this time. But rather than acknowledging their own poor attitude and making efforts to change their mindset, they often attempt to shift the blame to others. They will say, “I’m not getting anything out of the assembly!” In their minds, this provides justification for them to complain, become sporadic in their attendance, or quit assembling altogether.

In this article, we will focus on the attitude of one who claims to be getting nothing out of the assembly of the church. It is a dangerous attitude and we must guard ourselves against it.
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August 21, 2013

Tent-Making Preachers

Paul Making Tents

God’s design is that those who dedicate their lives to preaching the gospel receive full support for that work. Paul told the church in Corinth, “So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:14).

However, one who preaches may not always (or ever) enjoy the blessing of such support. Perhaps the brethren cannot financially support a preacher. It could be that brethren could support a preacher, but will not because they do not value the work of preaching as highly as they should. Or, as in the case of Paul, a preacher may forgo receiving support because circumstances are such that it may actually hinder the cause of the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:12).

When a preacher receives only partial support – or even no support – for preaching the gospel, what is he to do?
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June 26, 2013

“The Poor Have the Gospel Preached to Them”

Jesus teaching

The common perception by people – from within the religious world and outside of it – is that churches are charitable organizations designed to help the poor. Denominational churches spend much time, energy, and money helping the poor. Those who are in need (or claim to be in need) often visit churches seeking a handout.

We are certainly to be concerned for the poor (Galatians 2:10; Ephesians 4:28; James 2:15-17) and, as we have opportunity (Galatians 6:10), help those with legitimate needs (cf. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 – “If anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either”). Yet the Lord’s church is not a charity. He did not design or ordain it to be one. Instead, He designed and ordained the church for another purpose that is far more important than mere benevolence.

When John sent some of his disciples to find evidence that Jesus was the promised Messiah (Matthew 11:2-3), one of the proofs that Jesus cited was that “the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Matthew 11:5). Jesus did not mention feeding the poor, clothing them, or giving them money. Instead, the proof offered to John’s disciples for Jesus’ identity was the fact that the poor were taught the good news of salvation.
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June 20, 2013

The Mission of the Church

Church building

There are many different churches all over the world. Why do these churches exist? What is their mission? That answer will vary from church to church as men fashion their churches according to their own desires. We will consider a few possible answers later in this article.

But what is the mission of the church of our Lord? The answer to this question will not be found in human opinion or tradition, but in the word of God that has been revealed to us in the Scriptures. So let us see what the Scriptures say about the mission of the church.
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