Straws in the Wind

For various reasons people toss grass, or in this case, straws in the air to see which way the wind is blowing. The expression ‘straws in the wind’ would also be an indicator of current trends and the directions many congregations in our brotherhood are moving in matters pertaining to questionable and/or unscriptural practices. One of the ‘straws in the wind’ in recent times is that of some brethren participating in a Community Thanksgiving Service. I take no pleasure in mentioning this annual event that is conducted in most communities and is now involving churches of Christ. The reason being, I have personal friends in the congregations in our general area that are now participating in these special services. The preacher for one congregation is quoted about the service this year in the building where he preaches as saying: “The ministerial alliance builds relations between the different churches.” “A lot of times, you get stuck wanting to do your own ministry and this is a way to get out of that rut and be involved with other churches and worship along side people that normally wouldn’t worship together.” Sometimes there is a fine line with being friends with our neighbors who are members of various denominations and having fellowship with them in religious error and unscriptural practices. While we should always manifest a Christ-like spirit toward those people with whom we disagree in what the Bible teaches we must be careful that we do not condone the error they espouse.

During my fifty years of preaching I have never deemed it necessary to join a ministerial alliance or ministerial association; yet, I have formed friendships with denominational preachers and members. We have often discussed biblical subjects and members of denominations have actually asked my views on religious matters. Because of our friendship they knew they could approach me without being fearful that I would be rude and uncouth in my answering them. The local congregation where I labored in time past for nearly seventeen years is highly respected because of their involvement in helping people. Each week the brethren distribute food to scores of people who are in need. The cost to these brethren would run in the thousands of dollars annually. This good work would be in addition to other benevolent acts that would involve assisting indigent persons with monetary gifts. A congregation can be involved in community affairs without the possibility of compromising truth with error.

It should also be noted that the preacher stated that the Community Thanksgiving Service was “worship”. Did a gospel preacher speak on the occasion? Were all the prayers led by members of the church? It is beside the point that the lesson presented was not controversial. Anyone could give a lesson on ‘Thanksgiving” without it being confrontational in nature. The question is, was the speaker a gospel preacher? In the case before us, the answer is no. He was a denominational preacher. He teaches that it is scriptural to sprinkle babies, that one is saved by faith only and that baptism has no connection with salvation from past sins. He deceives his people by preaching many errors from his pulpit and yet this individual stood in the pulpit in a building owned by our brethren and was warmly received. My brethren, what are we saying to our young people when we permit this to be done? Cannot we see that we are giving credence to this man’s teaching by allowing him to speak in our “worship”? The danger is that weak members and unlearned brethren may also accept his teaching on other matters that would adversely affect their eternal salvation. Another thing, are we not in a sense saying that ‘you are okay and I am okay’ when we engage in a “worship” like a Community Thanksgiving Service? And if this special service was considered “worship”, did the church’s “Praise Team” sing without the congregation singing, or did the “Praise Team” just lead the congregation in songs? A personal friend of mine who preaches for a congregation in a different city said this about this type of service, “Last evening was the third time that __________has participated in an interdenominational Thanksgiving Service. Each time I experience this service, I’m reminded about how much Christians have in common. I’m grateful that God is opening my eyes to see his larger kingdom. I’m always prayerful that His Spirit will create unity in the body of Christ so that “the world might believe that God sent Jesus.” How disappointing that this brother would include the church of Jesus Christ as being a part of an “Interdenominational” service and that the kingdom of God includes all kinds of denominations. Have all the members of these denominations been “born of water and the Spirit”? (John 3:3-5). Did they obey the same commands given by the Holy Spirit when the apostle Peter instructed believers to “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins: and you shall received the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:36-38, NKJV)? This brother passed judgment (which belongs only to the Lord) on all people present for this Thanksgiving Service when he declared them to be “Christians” and a part of “his larger kingdom.” One member of the congregation where I preached stated to me (with the consent of her husband) and two other elders that she “could not bring her Christian friends from other denominations to hear me preach” (Emphasis, mine). Presently her husband serves as one of the elders of a congregation that is involved in the Community Thanksgiving Service. Brethren, it is alarming that so many members are viewing the church of the Lord as being just another denomination. I should also ask, will the Holy Spirit bring unity among believers in addition to the instructions He has given us in the Holy Scriptures (Ephesians 4:1-6)?

Brethren we should never isolate ourselves from people of the world and from our friends in denominational bodies. We must permit our influence for Jesus Christ to be felt in our community. After all, we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16). There are times and situations in which we can cooperate with others in worthy and good endeavors but we must not place the church in a compromising position that might cause Christians to think that the body of Christ is simply a denomination and just because a person is sincere and religious he/she is acceptable to the Lord without adhering to the commands given by the Holy Spirit regarding how one can be saved by the grace of God and the blood of Jesus Christ. But this action by some of our congregations is just a ‘straw in the wind’, another indication of the direction that brethren are traveling toward a more liberal persuasion and away from undenominational New Testament Christianity.

No comments: