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Category Archives: Reverence for God

Let All The Earth Keep Silence

5th February, 2017 · Chapman · Leave a comment

“But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him” (Habakkuk 2:20).

How often have we heard these words read or sung at the beginning of a service? The silence enjoined by Habakkuk is not a literal silence but the silence of submission and acceptance which would not dare to voice any question or complaint against God.

There is, however, great value in literal silence—a value our generation may well have forgotten. In these days of roaring traffic, noisy factories, humming household appliances and megawatt stereos, an unexpected moment of silence can be almost frightening. The first option we demand for our automobiles is a radio/cassette player; and people going to the mountains or the seashore for a picnic seem more concerned about getting their ghetto blasters or portable TVs than they are about the sandwiches. One thing to be said for many of these people is that they are generous enough to share their sound with everyone within a mile’s radius. With all due respect, however, I think I prefer the selfish kind who, while walking, running or cycling, get their necessary sound fromthose little earphones that allow the rest of us to make our own selfish choices of what we want to hear—or not hear.

All of this lust for sound has even carried over into worship: we want sermons delivered with machine-gun rapidity and prayers prayed without a moment’s pause for thought. The silence during the Lord’s Supper has become so unbearable to some that they have eliminated it with live or recorded singing. Our generation would have been miserable in heaven when there was silence “for about half an hour” (Revelation 8:1).

Silence is the natural effect of many commendable emotions: awe, humility, controlled anger, sympathy, a stricken conscience, and reverence, as well as the submission and acceptance of superior wisdom advised in Habakkuk 2:20. Even love may be expressed by silence. Someone has said that the depth of a friendship may be measured by the time two individuals can be comfortable with no word exchanged. Our aversion to silence may reveal the scarcity of some of these qualities.

Silence increases objectivity as we escape the clamor of emotional appeals and subjective arguments and evaluate the real substance of things we have heard. Crooked salesmen do not like silence.

In a special way, silence seems to remind us of the presence of God. It is not in the city that Christians most often remark on the certainty of a creator; rather it is on a mountain peak, far above the noise below, where the stillness is broken only by sounds of God’s creation.

Silence allows us to hear the voice of the Spirit—not in some miraculous way, but through reflection upon the law of God which we have laid up in our hearts (Psalms 119:11) and upon which we “meditate day and night” (Psalms 1:2). Meditation is best without distracting noise.

Because of these qualities, silence may often be used effectively to calm bitterness and to avoid polarization of individuals in disagreement. The Quakers have become known as peerless mediators in numerous types of conflict; and periods of silence are among their favorite devices.

Most of us talk too much and are too rushed to be successful as peacemakers.

Silence is an excellent tool in personal evangelism. A period of quiet reflection after the reading of a scripture gives the student time to reach his own conclusions about its message. It is amazing how effective the Holy Spirit can be in revealing truth to one whose mind is uncluttered by the explanations of “teachers.”

Silence can encourage decisions. Once, talking to a couple who had been attending services for many years, I was urging their obedience. As usual, they said they needed a little more time. “How much time do you need?” I asked. “You have had 20 years.” Silence followed. They said nothing. I said nothing. I determined that I would not speak until they did. The silence lengthened. It became almost embarrassing—it seemed so long. But it was finally broken when he said, “I’m ready; let’s go.” They died not long after that—saved by a decision which was spurred, not by what was said but by what was not said. I learned that there is, indeed, “a time to keep silence” (Ecclesiastes 3:7).

Silence facilitates private prayer. Perhaps it was a quest for such silence which led Jesus, rather often, to rise a long while before day to go out into a solitary place to pray. If He sought it, so should we.

 

By Sewell Hall

Posted in Bulletin Articles, Christian Living, Prayer, Reverence for God |

When the Kingdom of God Appears to Fail

24th April, 2016 · Chapman · Leave a comment

How often has a child of God despaired thinking that the kingdom of God was going to end with his generation? Elijah had concluded that he “alone was left” of the people of God and because of that God should take his life and end this lost cause (1 Kings 19:4, 10). God quickly reminded him that he had 7,000 who were faithful to him and then put Elijah back to work (1 Kings 19:18).

Asaph, after looking at the prosperity of the wicked and the hard plight of the few that were righteous, was ready to conclude that serving God was not worth it. He said, “Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence” (Psa. 73:13). Fortunately, when he entered the sanctuary of God to worship, he saw the world as God did. Because of this eternal view he was now very thankful to be part of the faithful few. He writes, “When I thought how to understand this, It was too painful for me—Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end” (Psa. 73:16-17).

God’s Promises an Eternal Kingdom

When we look to the scriptures, we find strong promises concerning God’s kingdom. Concerning the church Jesus would build, He plainly stated that “the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). When Isaiah prophesied of the coming Messiah and His reign, he plainly stated that this kingdom would never end. He writes, “And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end” (Isa. 9:6-7).

Gloom and Doom—Cases in Point

Over the years I have heard brethren lament the dwindling of a local church, or the departure of a new generation into apostasy, or even the general worldliness of the professed Christians they have observed. I have heard some say that “churches of Christ are going to become extinct!” In another case I heard a man who had left the Lord’s church quoting growth statistics to convince others that a return to the Bible alone would not work. He boldly proclaimed that “these churches are dying on the vine because of their legalism.” Should we become discouraged by our own impressions of the church around us? Should we surrender to the spin of men with self-serving agendas?

“Whittling” on God’s End of the Stick

We need to remember what burden God has placed upon us and what burden He has not. The Lord wants me to walk by faith and to spread God’s word to all who will hear (1 Cor. 3:5-7). It is not my job to determine the numbers who are faithful or to be responsible for the welfare of God’s people everywhere. God is the one who knows who are His, and He can well take care of them!  Is it not written, “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ’The Lord knows those who are His’” (2 Tim. 2:19)?

The Lord has given us His word and through it we can determine those who have “the spirit of truth and the spirit of error” (1 John 4:1, 6). It is with these people we should stand and it with these people that we should build. Do we really understand what it means to be a child of God?

Our Confusion Over Names

We tend to take shortcuts in determining who men really are and where they actually stand. Rather than interact, discuss and apply the scriptures, men would rather place labels on people and churches and end further struggle. While I believe that “churches of Christ” (Rom. 16:16) are a Biblical designation for local assemblies of God’s people, I must never assume that wearing the right name makes one a child of God.

A true stand for the Lord is something that individuals must do for themselves. No one can do it for them, including their parents. As you look at God’s people in the Bible or in church history, you will find that departure comes when a new generation arises that “did not know the Lord” (Jud. 1:10). What happened in the time of the Judges has repeated itself in various times in history and will also be found in our times.

What should I do when “churches of Christ” begin to change the plan of salvation, compromise the scriptures, and bow to the denominational Baal’s of our day? What I need to do is serve God with confidence and work with others who also are walking by faith.

Do Not Transfer the Failures of Men to God

Why should I quit serving God over the failures of men? If God has placed me in a time of apostasy and worldliness, then I can be a Daniel rather than a Demas (2 Tim. 4:10)! God used Daniel to rebuild after a great apostasy where God Himself described the remaining faithful as a “remnant” (Isa. 10:22-23). When men fail to serve God, I need to have a faith that will stand with God. I can have a great confidence in spite of the pull and ridicule of men. The apostle Paul reminds us, “Let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: ‘That you may be justified in your words, and may overcome when you are judged’” (Romans 3:4).

Know Your Limitations

We must constantly remind ourselves of our limited sight. My view of the world and of the church can change drastically when I depend on my own reality. Problems will inevitably arise with some that are close to me in this life. Yet, it does not necessarily follow that brethren everywhere are going bad. I need to understand that God looks at the whole world! Conditions in the United States, or in any particular part of the country, do not represent what is happening in other places.

What Has God Given You to Do?

When we learn to trust God day by day, we will find that the “yoke” He lays upon us is bearable and doable (Matt. 11:28-30). There are many things out of my control that I should leave to God, trusting that He alone can handle them. Let each of us always look to our God, for He has given us His promises and they will never fail.

By Larry Rouse

Posted in Bulletin Articles, Reverence for God, The Kingdom of God, The Power of God |

Rock Music Packs the Pews

24th January, 2016 · Chapman · Leave a comment

Attendance sagging? Experiencing the “graying out” of the local flock? The Rev. Paige Blair can take care of your woes by rejuvenating the worship service where you attend! Her worship format will have the parishioners dancing by the altar! She has done “wonders” for some Episcopal congregations in the United States and the same revival could benefit your church!

Recent news stories have detailed a new strategy being used to re-invigorate stagnating congregations of the Episcopal denomination in this nation. Paige Blair, an Episcopal parish priest, has created a worship format which weaves songs by the rock band U2 into the liturgy. The objective of this strategy is to attract young people and social activists to congregations dwindling in size and aging in their demographics. U2 was probably selected as the rock band of choice for a couple of reasons. First, the lyrics of many U2 songs make references to the Bible and religion. Second, U2’s lead singer Bono is an advocate of efforts to alleviate global poverty and thus the band appeals to social activists.

If judged by increased attendance to eucharist services, these rock-n-roll worship services are a resounding success. Worshippers bothered by the volume of the music are offered ear plugs. Plasma-screen televisions, streamers in the “sanctuaries” and fluorescent glow sticks wielded by worshippers complete the ambiance of the worship service.

Not everyone is totally thrilled with these changes. Some of U2’s song lyrics apparently express doubt and anger about the fact that God allows human suffering. Some worshippers are puzzled by the use of U2, an Irish rock bank described as “traditional rock’n’rollers – they swear, drink and sing about sex.”

The Episcopalians are only doing on a small scale what mega-churches are doing on a larger scale. Find out what “un-churched” people want and give it to them in religious packaging. The Episcopalians are clearly amateurs in this arena. Think of the possibilities! Churches on the “go” could integrate some connection to current entertainment interests into “worship” services. We’ve missed “March Madness,” the recent college basketball tournament, but the NBA finals would work just as well. Surely we could find some basketball player with an emotionally-evoking religious experience to highlight each week in the sermon. The congregation could post game results in the bulletin and playoff stats on a large bulletin board in the auditorium. Worshippers could even develop closer relationships to one another as they speculate about which team will be eliminated this week. Just think about what could be done with NASCAR (instead of the twelve apostles, the young people could memorize the top twelve drivers on the circuit this week)! Don’t forget the “Football in the Fall” evangelism campaign! I wonder if we could get Hank Williams, Jr. to do a rendition of “Are you ready for worship?” that could be played before each worship service? Did I mention “American Idol”?

The marketing strategy of “give them what they want” employed by some churches is a far cry from the reverent, God-centered worship offered by early Christians. There is a complete paradigm shift from offering praise according to divine instructions to the entertainment and gratification of worldly “worshippers.” For many churches, it’s not about honoring God, but “packing the pews.” In the rush to fill church buildings, people forget to listen to what God has to say about acceptable worship (Colossians 3:17; John 4:24).

The church of the New Testament was not concerned with “marketing strategies.” The early Christians “went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). The apostle Paul identified the gospel of Christ as the “power of God to salvation” and wrote of his determination to appeal to the Corinthians on that basis only (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5). Apparently he did not understand the effectiveness of presenting biblical truths in the lyrics of rock and roll, but instead instructed early Christians to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19). The “give them what they want” strategy will fill church buildings with bodies, but won’t produce spiritually-minded disciples of Christ (Rom. 8:29).

By Allen Dvorak

Posted in Bulletin Articles, Christian Living, Church Growth, Evangelism, Obedience, Reverence for God, Worship |

Should People Serve God out of Fear or Love?

3rd January, 2016 · Chapman · Leave a comment

By Edward O. Bragwell, Sr.

Over the past few decades there has been a pronounced effort to remove fear as a motive for serving God. It has gained momentum with the increased acceptance of the “accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative” philosophy. “Hell fire and brimstone” preaching has all but been relegated to the image of a wild-eyed, arm-waving, half-lunatic character in movies and television programs. Many words have been spoken and volumes written telling us why people need to serve and obey God from love rather than fear.

This is a false dichotomy. The Bible says a lot about serving God out of love, but it also says a lot about serving Him out of fear. We did a search of the King James Version and were surprised to find the phrases “fear God” and “fear the LORD” is found a combined total of 42 times; while the combined total for “love God” and “love the Lord” was 21 – only one half the number of the “love” passages. Does this mean that we should urge people to serve God out of fear twice as much as out of love? Of course not. But it does tell us that fear plays a big part in serving God and should not be disparaged as it is often done today.

It just seems that it is hard for some people to strike a balance. As the song goes, they don’t want to “… mess with Mister In Between.” It is often presented as though you must choose either love or fear rather than a mixture of both. The result has been that people are rarely taught to fear God any more. Many of this generation perceive themselves to be better educated, more enlightened and more spiritual than past generations who acted from fear. Their mission is to free their brethren from all fear-service and replace it altogether with the sweeter motive of love.

A few passages should be sufficient to show that God intends that man fear Him as well as love Him:

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)

There is no fear of God before their eyes. (Romans 3:18)

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Corinthians 7:1)

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: (Hebrews 12:28)

Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. (1 Peter 2:17)

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: (1 Peter 3:15)

We should not allow these passages to cause one to serve God out of any less love. One cannot serve God acceptably without loving Him with all his heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37), nor can he serve Him acceptably without godly fear. (Hebrews 12:28). God is both good and severe (Romans 11:22). It is sometimes suggested that the more we mature as Christians the more we will love Him and the less we will fear Him. Again, why is it either/or? When one grows in the knowledge of the Lord the more he learns of reasons to love Him, but also he learns more reasons to fear Him. He learns more of God’s grace and mercy prompting him to love Him more, but he also learns more of “the terror of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:11) prompting him to fear Him more. As one grows in his knowledge of heaven, the more he loves the Lord for providing it for him and then as he grows in the knowledge of hell, the more he fears displeasing God and going there. God, who knows what is in man, is better qualified to tell what motivations are needed to serve Him acceptably – a healthy balance of both love and fear.

Posted in Bulletin Articles, Christian Living, Reverence for God, The Nature of God |

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