What Has Happened to Context?

Any preacher or theologian who is “worth his salt” knows that Scripture must be understood in terms of the word used in a given passage and the context of the verse, chapter, book, Covenant and the Bible as a whole. Failure in one of these areas results in a false interpretation.

Hundreds of cults, apostasies and even denominations have made their living twisting Scripture to mean whatever they need to support their theosophy. Each of them has dozens of passages that support their distorted “understanding” of the Bible. They will readily quote them to you and match you verse by verse. It’s as though it’s a contest to see who can quote the most Scripture to prove the truth of their particular doctrine.

Often they will proclaim that we are to let “Scripture interpret Scripture.” Then they go right on quoting their favorites, quite apart from the actual meaning of the passage. Often they will say something like, “The Bible has one interpretation; many applications.” That, of course, is false. The Scripture is about Jesus. If that doesn't excite you enough, I’m sorry for you.

The trouble is theologs tend to think of Scripture as a series of guidelines for right living. Now if you need a set of guidelines, there is none better than the Bible. But Jeremiah predicted and Paul reiterated that in the New Covenant, God’s Law would be written in our hearts. That does not negate Scripture, but it places it in a whole new context, that of revealing God’s character, His love of His creation and His plan for its redemption. That is the proper application of every verse of Scripture.

Let me give you an example. The book of Hebrews (which I believe to be Paul’s commentary on Romans written to Jews) contains a much used section referred to as “The Hall of Faith.” That would be chapter 11.

Indeed, it IS about faith, but not just general faith or faith in a generic God. Neither is it about faith in faith. It is not about trusting God in every situation, knowing that in His sovereignty He is working things out His way. It is about faith in, and only in, Jesus as the New Covenant’s High Priest.

From chapter 4 through chapter 10, Hebrews reveals to the Jews that the High Priest (Christ) they had been waiting on had come. Paul extols the perfection of that High Priest as being greater than even Melchizedek. The Jews would have understood both the context and the meaning of the reference to Melchizedek.

Hebrews proceeds like this. It proclaims the superiority of God’s new revelation (Christ). It tells us that Christ is superior to the angels, to Moses and to the Aaronic priests. Hebrews proclaims the superior sacrificial work of our High priest as a New Covenant, as a fulfillment of the Old Sanctuary or covenant and as the Better Sacrifice.

It goes on to call us to faithfully follow Jesus, entering the sanctuary with absolute confidence, to reject sin and to persevere in faith, even under pressure just as our for-bearers did.

All of this provides the context of chapter 11. Without it, chapter 11 is just another set of proverb-like sayings. In this context, Paul begins to explain what he meant by our for-bearers being preserved by faith.Hebrews 11 is not a change of subject, it is connected to and is an integral continuation of the truths laid out in chapters 4-10.

Hebrews chapter 11 is all about placing our faith not in some generic God, not in priests but in this High Priest who is Jesus. In other words, it is ALL about faith in, and only in, Jesus. It is not about God bringing us to a certain place, nor is it even about His sovereignty. It is about Jesus.

Here is the way it should be understood in the context of the book and the Bible.

1 Since God’s new revelation is the preeminent Priest of priests, Christ, we can be confident in our faith, which is the essence of everything we have ever hoped for and the evidence of the spiritual things we cannot see.

2 This is what the ancients were commended for.

3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.Under the New Covenant, we may confidently have faith in God that through Christ He formed the visible universe.

4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”[a] For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she[b] considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. By faith WE can reason that God could raise Jesus from the dead.

20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning;[e] they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.

39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently have faith in God through Christ to provide us our righteousness.

Abraham and each of the others listed, believed God and it (his faith) was counted to him as righteousness. Under the New Covenant, WE may confidently believe God through Christ to provide for us our great salvation and HE is our righteousness..

Paul goes on to exhort us to live according to the New Covenant written on our hearts, encourages us to live as followers of Jesus, asks for prayer and makes some personal remarks, all to reiterate the New Covenant in Jesus Christ.

The point of all of this is to say that far too often we use Scripture to “prove” whatever point we are trying to make about our circumstances. That’s not the Bible’s purpose. It is not written about us, it is written about Him. It tells us how He has chosen to provide for our magnificent salvation in Christ.

As one of my favorite pastors USED to say, "It's not about you. It's not about me. It's all about Him."

What Do We Do with Heresies in the Main Stream Church?

Leaders in the church are expected to be held to a very high standard of honesty, integrity and knowledge. They are not required to be geniuses, but they should know what they are talking about. When they speak, it should be clear that they have carefully considered their words; not just their main points, but their asides as well. They should be careful to be thorough, factual and Biblical in their presentation.

One of the most easily criticized sermon is the one that is sloppily put together, resulting in unintended "little heresies."

Presenting unclear, unstudied and wrong doctrine is not only unfair, it is poison to the church, even in “innocent” and small amounts. If I were to hand you a clear, cool glass of water and as you lifted the glass to your lips I said, "Oh, by the way. There is one drop of poison in the water," would you drink it? You would not if you were smart. Similarly, church members should not swallow the poison of wrong doctrine.

Some may say that there is so much good in what a leader does that if he does a few things that aren’t so good He can be quickly forgiven. They will tell you that even though there is poison in the water there is so much good water in the glass that the poison probably won't hurt. Because leaders are seen as nice, reasonable and learned, many Christians and many non-Christians will believe them, will drink the water, and be poisoned.

Intelligent church members are every bit as deceived as the simpleton who wanders into a church, unaware of the difference between heresies and truth. Sometimes the leader says things that have been said so often that they seem true, even when they are not. Often, even seasoned Christians accept as true those wrong doctrines they were taught in Sunday School years ago just because a current leader repeats them. Even leaders fall prey to repeating things just because they have heard them so often. We all need to learn to be discerning.

Discernment is the process of making careful distinctions in our thinking about truth. In other words, the ability to think with discernment is synonymous with an ability to think biblically. First Thessalonians 5:21-22 teaches that it is the responsibility of every Christian to be discerning: "But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil." The apostle John issues a similar warning when he says, "Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1). According to the New Testament, discernment is not optional for the believer-it is required.

All too often, Christians exhibit little ability to measure the things they are taught against the infallible standard of God’s word. As a result, they listen to the leader and may unwittingly follow him into all kinds of unbiblical decision making, doctrines and behavior.

It would be gracious to say that most heresies that find their way into leaders' teaching do so innocently. Most of the time those "little heresies" just come rolling out of the leader's mouth without much thought or Biblical examination.

In our discernment, Christinas who are mature must gracefully correct the heresies we hear, even those from our leaders. Even leaders can learn.

Stuff

Sometimes we say stuff to shock our Christian brothers and sisters into waking up and examine their relationship to the Lord. Like gossip, we tend to spread the stuff around. Some of the things we say are not really true, but they sound like they COULD be true, so we say them as though they ARE true.

Billy Graham has been quoted as having said that 85% of our church members are lost! He has also been also quoted as having said that 50% of our church members are lost! There have been other percentages that I have heard as well. After all, I heard it from a preacher, so it must be true and I just HAVE to use it. It sounds so authoritative!

John McKeever, of Crosswalk, contacted the Billy Graham Association to get the actual quote. It turns out that Billy Graham never said either. Billy Graham never even mentioned it.

(A poll by the Barna Research Group several years ago may shed some light on this subject. They indicate that 'Protestant church attenders are two and a half times more likely than are Catholic attenders to be born-again Christians 60% to 23% respectively.'")

Now if we are to be believed, shouldn’t we be careful of what we say to make a point? Can we misstate things so that we look knowledgeable or to be able to toss fear or guilt at our audience? Isn’t that dishonest? Isn’t it very akin to gossip?

Is it sad that preachers resort to un-truths and half-truths to make their points? Doesn’t Scripture make its points well enough for us? Are preachers just espousers of vain philosophies or theosophies? Do they not have an obligation to know that what they are saying is factual? Really?

I think we who teach and preach have a higher standard to strive for. Isn’t that what Scripture teaches? I think EVERY statement we make should be checked out for its veracity before we make it. If we don’t how will our listeners know when we ARE telling the truth? Do we really care?

If we are to be good representatives of the Lord, we need to make certain that the “stuff” we teach or preach is the Truth, which is a Who, not a what.

A Study in John

The Passion

John Chapter 18

Verses 1-3 – Judas led the soldiers and priests to the olive grove. He knew the place, since he had been there before. Why torches and lanterns? Why weapons?

Verses 4-9 – “Who is it you Want?” Didn't Jesus know? He knew. Why did they fall back and to the ground?  Jesus demonstrated that if He was arrested it was because He allowed it to happen. He even told them who they could and could not arrest.

Verses 10-11 – Peter drew his sword…why? Jesus told them not to fight the enemy. He had to “drink the cup.” The cup is the cross: Jesus came to die. If we are to take up our cross, we must die to self.

Verses 12-14 – The same Annas who had operated the Bazaar of Annas at the temple when Jesus overthrew the tables of the thieves. We don’t have a temple today. But if we did, it would be thievery if we sold things there at usurious prices. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. How much do we try to charge God to be loved, worshiped and praised?

Annas was the one who plotted the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus. The trial was a mockery; they had already decided that He was going to die.

Verses 15-18 – Peter chose to align himself with the servants and officials. He not only denied that he knew Jesus, he identified with Jesus’ enemies. He denied Jesus three times. Some have said it was one denial for each of the three persons of the Trinity.

Verses 19-24 – When questioned, Jesus pointed out that his preaching was open and to the public.  Being struck by one of the officials demonstrates the length to which the religious leaders were willing to go to protect their religious system…even to violence. Jesus challenged them to actually verbalize what He has said that was wrong or untrue. They could not.

Verses 25-27 – Peter’s second and third denials of Jesus. It’s easy to love and admire Jesus. It is not so easy to follow Him. What do you suppose went through Peter’s mind when the rooster crowed? What goes through your mind when you don’t follow Jesus?

Verses 28-32 – The Jews did not want to be forbidden to eat the Passover. In the name of religion they were plotting the death of the very One who is the fulfillment of Passover! They “made” Pilate come out to them. Good Jews, those guys. They pointed out that they, of course, were right or else they wouldn't have done what they did.  Their response to Pilate showed that they had already made up their minds about Jesus’ fate. This was the fulfillment of the prophecy of His mode of death thousands of years before He was born.

Jesus before Pilate.

Verses 33-40 – Jesus knew how to handle Pilate. His question in verse 34 both embarrassed and enraged Pilate. Pilate professed to know nothing of Jewish Law.  Jesus makes a pretty bold statement: If you want the Truth, listen to Him (“I am the Way, the Truth and the Life…”).

Like all politicians, Pilate twisted the issue into a philosophical question. In the end, though, he could find no fault with Him.

Pilate offered the crowd, led by the Pharisees, a choice: release a known killer, extortionist, leader of a rebellion and thief or release an innocent man. The crowd, led by the Pharisees, chose to have the killer released. They wanted Jesus to be crucified.

Every person has a choice: the murderous; extortionistic, rebellious and thieving way of the world or Jesus. Most, sadly, reject Jesus. The way to eternal life is narrow, and it is a one way street.

Be sure you make your choice for Jesus.

DO "MINOR" HERESIES MATTER?

There is no such thing as a "minor" heresy. Something is either true or it is not. If it is not true, it is a heresy.

I heard a preacher say that "one sinner" could keep God from what He wants to do in a church. He repeated it, this time using the phrase, "one sin."

What??

Is God so powerless that one sin or sinner can keep Him from doing what He wants to do? What God is that?  Is He so manipulable and weak that one person can stop Him? If that is true, no church could continue to exist or function. That is certainly not MY God. My God is all powerful He is not going to be thwarted by one person or one person's sin in the church or anywhere else.

The idea that one person can stop God is pure heresy.

Another preacher I heard proclaimed that since society has changed, God's methods have changed. His point seemed to be that "some want what we've always done," and that doing what we've always done is somehow evil.

Actually that's a half-truth. A half-truth is still a lie.

The fact is, times HAVE changed. Principles, however, have never changed and we must beware of trying to change them. Changing God's principles is dangerous and CAN affect the church.

The principles of God's omnipotence, His omnipresence and His omniscience will never change. His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption will never change. God's message of salvation through Christ will never change.

The methods we use to worship God and praise God certainly can and should change, so long as those changes don't result in diminishing our reverence for and awe of God. (If you don't know the difference between worship and praise, you need to sue your seminary for failing to teach you correctly).

There is an inherent danger in changing things just to become more appealing to the masses. Jesus' message is not that appealing to many, no matter how it is cloaked.  If Jesus is not attractive to people in-and-of Himself, no amount of modernism will attract people to Him. It might attract people to entertainment, excitement and novelty, but it will not attract them to Jesus.

There are a few people who, by virtue of their charisma, can build and hold a large church build on the worship service itself. But they are the overwhelming exception and few of them stay focused on the message of God's salvation in Christ.

Healthy, growing churches use the principles God laid down at the formation of the world as revealed in Genesis; the same principles He used at the building of the temple, the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem and the principles He used in organizing Israel in Numbers, chapter two.

Some preachers claim to hear God telling them to do things contrary to those principles. That is heresy.

When a pastor resists doing things God's way, or has some vain imagination that God has visited him with some special revelation about which way His people should go, he is acting our heresy.

Except for those cases that involve a preacher of special charisma, falsely thinking one is "hearing from God" to do one thing or the other is heresy and that can be seen in the results of that action.

Churches all over the country have tried to be more relevant by turning from the basic principles of God in a vain effort to be attractive. Their behavioral heresy has resulted in chaos and disappointment, as the overwhelming majority of those churches have encountered more trouble than they bargained for and most are not growing, they are splitting and/or disappearing.

Change, for the sake of change, is a form of heresy. Change in accordance with God's word is righteous.

Under the New Covenant, Christians are priests. They have all of the authority of priests and all of the purposes of priests. There is no hierarchy in God's Kingdom. Pastors are not more priestly than lay persons. Lay persons are just as much priests as pastors. Lay persons have nobody to whom they must turn for access to God except our High Priest, who is Jesus. Any other approach is heresy.

Getting sloppy with the truth because we are too lazy, too uneducated, too self-centered, too inconsistent, or too poorly trained is never productive for God and never results in healthy church growth. It can only lead to failure.

In the end, there are no "minor" heresies. What Christians need (both laymen and leaders) is to strive to do,
be and say what is true and stop trying to bend truth to fit their own personal ideas or inadequacies.

(If you want to read more about heresies in the church, my favorite source is HERE. Scroll down for periodic articles about Random Apostasies and Heresies).

DOES THE NEW TESTAMENT BUILD ON THE OLD TESTAMENT?

No, it does not. The New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old Testament, but it does not build on it.

The Old Testament does a lot of things. It has some great stories about some great people. Every one of those stories points to the coming of Messiah. However, there are many things in the Old Testament that we do not do today. Why is that?

Some have postulated that the culture has changed, and it has. Others have said the Old Testament presented God’s Law and it did. The Old Testament has not been done away with. It has been fulfilled in Christ.

The Old Testament is all about the coming of Christ. It has no other message. The coming of Christ is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, the revelations of God’s character, His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption in Christ.

If the New Testament BUILT on the Old Testament, and if there were some things in the Old Testament that determine what Christians should do today, we are all guilty of the violation of Scripture. Not only that, but Christians are still under the condemnation of God.

Abraham built altars of sacrifice. Are Christians, therefore, required to build altars of sacrifice? No, we do not. Why? We do not build altars of sacrifice because Jesus is the final sacrifice. Are Christians required to give 10% of their income to the church? No, we do not. Why? We are not required to give 10% because Jesus commanded and remarked about giving 100% of everything we are and have.

He commended the widow, not for giving 10%, but for giving everything she had. He instructed the rich young ruler to sell not 10% of what he had, but everything he had. He condemned the Pharisees, who gave 10%, for their hypocrisy in doing so because they gave it to show off their religiosity, not from the heart.

Ananias and Sapphira were not condemned because they did not give 10% of what they had earned. They probably DID give 10%; after all, that was the Law. They died because they pretended to give their ALL and did not.

Paul told us to give as God leads us to give. He said we should give cheerfully out of grateful hearts. He said we should give in accordance with how we perceive God’s blessings. He never once made any reference to giving any less than 100%.

By the way, the idea that somehow the church is analogous to the silos of grain that were “storehouses” in the Old Testament simply has no merit. There is purely and simply no indication anywhere in Scripture that the church is the “storehouse.” It never has been, is not now, and never will be. That idea is a fabric of somebody’s vain imagination. While it might seem logical, it is a false teaching and is thus heresy.  

Here’s the thing. The Old Testament and the New Testament are related by Christ, not by behavior. Behavior is determined by which covenant we live under. The Old Testament is not the same thing as The Old Covenant, and the New Testament is not the same thing as the New Covenant. The Old Testament relates those things that existed under the Old Covenant. But Jeremiah revealed that the Old Covenant would be REPLACED, not built on. It has been replaced by the New Covenant. The New Testament reveals that replacement to be not a set of rules to follow, but a person to follow whose name is Jesus and who is the Christ.

Many Christians, even noted preachers, are so steeped in things they were erroneously taught in Sunday School or church that they cannot overcome the heresies they were taught. They lack the courage to do so, thus they end up trying to live a Christian life with one foot in the Old Covenant and the other in the New Covenant.

Such a thing violates all of Paul’s writings, especially those in I Timothy, where he cautions against and contrasts false teaching with sound Biblical doctrine four times.

Isn’t it time for us to start being honest about what Scripture REALLY teaches and let go of those things that are only traditions brought to Christianity from the Old Testament?

Use the Old Testament to learn the attributes of God. Learn from it the love he has for His people. Learn from it the great principles it has to offer. Learn from it His plan to replace the Old Covenant with the New Covenant.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-Redeemer-Nicole C Mullen

Legalism vs. Freedom

Legalism is a four letter word in Christianity. If you want to exasperate another Christian, just call him a legalist. Fire will shoot from his eyes and smoke from his nose and ears. Nobody wants to be called a legalist.

But…

Many people are legalists whether they like it or not. They hold to the idea of Christ plus some level of obedience is necessary to be saved or at least to be in God’s good graces. Other people are uber-liberalists, holding that since the Law is impossible to keep it must be irrelevant.

Must we keep the Law or are we not held to the standard of the Law?

There is a Christian song that used to be popular called, “I have Decided.” It was done by two Christian artists and each did the song a little differently. In one version there was a line that said, “Being good is just a fable, I just can`t `cause I`m not able. I`m gonna leave it to the Lord..” The other said, “I know I can ‘cause He is able.” The other version said, “Being good is not a fable. I know I can ‘cause He is able. I’m gonna leave it to the Lord.”

One of those versions is legalistic; one is not. Can you tell which one is which?

One school of thought teaches that Christians are unable to keep the Law, but that the Law has been fulfilled by Christ.

The other school of thought holds that we cannot keep the Law in our own power, but Christ can enable us to live up to its expectations. To be "good" Christians we must be obedient to the Law (usually meaning the Law of Moses).

Did you understand the difference in the two ideas? One recognizes the depravity of man, the other the power of God to make us act right. Is there a meeting ground? Is there room for both ideas?

Under the Old Covenant, keeping the Law was deemed necessary, but often overlooked is the fact that keeping the Law was impossible, even in Old Testament times. That is why it was necessary to make blood offerings to God. Then Jeremiah came along declaring that the Law would be written on our hearts when the New Covenant came into being (Jeremiah 31:33).

Jesus proclaimed Himself to be the New Covenant and Hebrews chapters 6-10 give us a complete description of what the New Covenant is all about. It reiterates the idea that the Law would be written in our hearts.

Galatians 3:13 tells us that we have been redeemed from the curse of the Law. Romans 8:3 says that God has done what was impossible for the Law to do. The end theosophy is that God sees us as perfect in the eyes of Christ.

Does this mean that we have the Law at our hands at all times? When we need it, does it just naturally occur in our minds so that we can apply it to any given situation?

Actually, it means that if we know Christ, the Holy Spirit enables us at any given moment to know right from wrong. What we do with that knowledge is up to us, but if we are walking in the Spirit, we will do what we know is right.

The question is often asked, “Is such-and-such a sin?” If you have to ask, it probably is. The truth is that absolutely anything we think, say or do is a sin if it is not dead center in God’s will. By that standard, we are all sinners and everything we do falls short of God’s glory and acceptance. It turns out that by the natural powers of our own free choice we cannot begin the sincere and true obedience we owe the Law.

In the final analysis, our obedience, however imperfect is pleasing to God, not because it satisfies the Law, but because it proceeds from faith in Christ and walking in fellowship with Him.

ADDENDUM: I just read a related post over at Pyromaniacs. It is an interesting re-post but seems to legalistically reject legalism. Maybe it's only me.

Communication as a Part of Leadership

Email, Facebook, Blogs, Web Sites, LinkedIn, Smart Phones, texting, even “land-lines” and so many other methods of communicating exist that one might wonder why anyone in leadership should have any trouble communicating anything to anybody.

Even with all that’s available to us, leaders still have issues with properly communicating with their constituents.

Part of the problem is that they don’t realize the importance of good communications, mostly because they have never been trained at it. The need for effective communication has never been driven home to them.

Another issue is that they don’t know how to communicate efficiently. They know very well how to use the available communications resources (the equipment, programs and aps), but they don’t have the skills, the training or the gift of communicating. Some of the best speakers in the world don’t communicate well from off the stage or platform.

A speaker, leader or pastor who is not skilled in communicating needs help from someone who knows how to do it well. That might be a secretary, an administrator or a member of the organization or church who is willing to take the time needed to do a good job.

Often leaders consider that they have done a good job of communicating if they talk among themselves about a subject. They might not realize that their communications have not gone past the group and made it to the constituents.

Communicators must know their target audience. They must answer the question of who needs to hear their ideas, goals and action plans. Do they need to communicate with a committee or with the entire organization? If it is with the entire organization, how is that to be accomplished? In many cases it is better to include more people than necessary than it is to leave somebody out.

That leads us to methodology. There are many avenues of communication available today. Due to the potential for misunderstanding, the telephone (land-line or cell phone) might not be the best choice. Announcements from the pulpit are likely to be forgotten by a large number of people. Something in writing is probably the best way to communicate. Expenses might prohibit direct mail, but it should be carefully considered. Email is certainly a good way to reach a lot of people, but not everybody. Not everybody has Email. Social media, such as FaceBook and Twitter, can be considered in certain circumstance, but since not everybody has a computer, and since what goes on social media goes to the whole world, its use should be restricted.

The right use of words is very important in communication. Words have meaning. Sometimes we think we are communicating when we use phrases and words that are common to a particular region. People who are not from that region might not understand them. They might even be offensive in some cases. Often we think we are communicating because our words mean something to us but we might be failing to communicate if those words don’t mean the same thing to the recipient.

Use proper grammar when communicating. Failure to do so might lead to being misunderstood or to appearing ignorant. It might sound polite and selfless to say, “He gave the book to her and I,” but it would be wrong. You should say, “He gave the book to her and me.” It’s not hard to figure out; just drop the other person and say the sentence. You certainly would recognize the problem with saying, “He gave the book to I.” You would say, “He gave the book to me.” No matter how many other people the book was given to, if it was given to me, too, the sentence should end with “me,” not “I.”

There are rules about subjects and predicates, too.  Subjects and predicates must agree with each other in Voice, Mood, Tense, Person and Number. That’s easy to remember. The words begin with every other letter of the words “vomit pan.” (My ninth grade teacher taught me that and I have never forgotten it.)

The object of a preposition can never be the subject of a sentence. “The result of the studies are now in” is wrong. The subject of the sentence is “result,” which is singular; therefore the sentence requires a singular verb. It should be: “The result of the studies is now in.” That might sound awkward, but it is nonetheless correct. This type of disagreement between subject and verb is among the most common.

At the end of the post I will list some of the other common grammatical errors people make.

Good leaders make every effort to communicate well. The smooth operation of the church or organization depends on it. When, “What we have here is the failure to communicate” becomes the watchword, trouble always looms on the horizon.

SAME OLD MESSAGE?

Pastors are trying so hard to be relevant. They dress worship services up like rock concerts, they change Bible studies into opinion sessions and self-psychoanalysis groups and they use visual aids that flash and flare like the movies. “If we aren’t relevant,” they say, “people won’t come.”

But you know what? Jesus did not call us to be relevant. He called us to be faithful to His message. He did not call us to fill our churches with “seekers,” but to come together to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. We should of course invite “seekers,” but our worship must not be directed toward them. It should be directed toward God in celebration of the resurrection of His Son.

That does not mean that any particular style of worship or music is wrong. “Contemporary” music, for instance, is just as valid as “Traditional” music, so long as its message is clear, its doctrine is correct and it can be sung by the congregation. The reverse is true, too. “Traditional” music is just as valid as “Contemporary” music so long as it meets the same criteria.

There is very poor, doctrinally incorrect “Traditional” music just as surely as there is poor, doctrinally incorrect “Contemporary” music. There is also some fine music in both. One to the exclusion of the other is short-sighted and very restrictive.

Relevancy in a Christian worship service comes not from keeping up with the times, but with keeping up with the message. For the Christian the message always has been, is now and always will be God’s love for His creation manifested in the birth, death and resurrection of Christ. If that message seems irrelevant to you, you need to reexamine your relationship to God through Christ.

As the old “Traditional” hymn says, “I love to tell the story, for those who know it best seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest. It satisfies my longing as nothing else can do. I love to tell the story. It will be my THEME in glory; to tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.”

Can you think of a better way to express it?

More on Worship Music

I want to make it clear from the outset. Music styles come and go and the style of music is largely irrelevant. Music that honors God can be fast or slow. The strong beat can come on the first and third beat of the measure or the second and fourth. Or there can be no beat at all. None of that matters.

What does matter is the content of the music, specifically the lyrics. If a song is pleasant, inspiring and entertaining but the words are either unclear or do not point to God, the song is not suitable for worship. It also matters whether the words don’t fit the music. One would not sing “Be Still and Know” to a loud, raucous tune.

I am grateful to Steve Bricker at “What Accords with Sound Doctrine” for some examples of music with issues.

One Thing Remains
Higher than the mountains that I face
Stronger than the power of the grave
Constant through the trial and the change
One thing remains
One thing remains

Your love never fails it never gives up it never runs out on me (3x)

On and one and on and on it goes
It overwhelms and satisfies my soul
And I never ever have to be afraid
One thing remains

In death and in life I'm confident and
covered by the power of your great love
My debt is paid there's nothing that can
separate my heart from your great love

That’s a sweet song, isn’t it? Would I use it in worship? No, I would not. Why? It is not God directed. In fact, by the lyric you cannot tell who the song is being sung to or about. All you can tell is that it is about some ethereal feeling for someone or something.

The More I Seek You
The more I seek you, the more I find you.
The more I find you, the more I love you.

I wanna sit at your feet,
Drink from the cup in your hand,
Lay back against you and breath, here your heart beat.
This love is so deep, it’s more than I can stand.
I melt in your peace, it’s overwhelming.

This song’s lyrics are reminiscent of a secular love song called, “The More I Love You.” I suspect that is the song that “inspired” this one.

Both of these songs are doctrinally meaningless. They are spiritual pabulum at best and heretical at worst.

That does not mean that all “new” songs are bad. There are some really good hymns and praise songs that are contemporary (in its true meaning). Glenn E. Chatfield  provides us with this offering by Stuart Townend (“How Deep the Father's Love”, “In Christ Alone”, “The Power of the Cross” and others):

Behold the Lamb
Behold the Lamb who bears our sins away,
Slain for us - and we remember
The promise made that all who come in faith
Find forgiveness at the cross.
So we share in this bread of life,
And we drink of His sacrifice
As a sign of our bonds of peace
Around the table of the King.

The body of our Saviour Jesus Christ,
Torn for you - eat and remember
The wounds that heal, the death that brings us life
Paid the price to make us one.
So we share in this bread of life,
And we drink of His sacrifice
As a sign of our bonds of love
Around the table of the King.

The blood that cleanses every stain of sin,
Shed for you - drink and remember
He drained death's cup that all may enter in
To receive the life of God.
So we share in this bread of life,
And we drink of His sacrifice
As a sign of our bonds of grace
Around the table of the King.

And so with thankfulness and faith we rise
To respond, - and to remember
Our call to follow in the steps of Christ
As His body here on earth.
As we share in His suffering
We proclaim Christ will come again!
And we’ll join in the feast of heaven
Around the table of the King

Do you see the depth and richness of the lyrics of this song? It compares with some of the great hymns of doctrine and praise, like: “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” and “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee.”

The choice of music for worship does make a difference. Far too much “contemporary” music revolves around what God will do for me, what I think about God or even telling God what He is like (just in case He does not already know). Too much “contemporary” music is what has come to be called 7/11 music (7 words or phrases repeated 11 times). It’s almost as though we are unsure and must repeat it in order to convince ourselves of its truth (if it has any truth).

There is nothing particularly wrong with singing songs that are just “about” God, but there should also be a strong emphasis on songs that deal with great faith doctrines. Music is a good vehicle to learn from, and we certainly do need to be teaching good doctrine in our churches.

I would suggest that we no longer consider “traditional” services, “contemporary” services or “convergent” services, but that we seek BALANCED services. We need services that use music to express our love for God in Christ, His love for us and the great doctrines of the faith. I don’t think we need any more “love songs for Jesus.”

Remember that our purpose for music is to praise God and to celebrate Jesus. It is not to entertain, nor is it to attract lost people. If it does those things, that’s OK, but it is not its purpose.

I Timothy spends a whole book warning us about teachers of false doctrines. Music is certainly one of those vehicles through which false doctrines (or no doctrine) can be transmitted. Wouldn’t it be better to use it for real praise and real worship?

Random Musings

Friday the 13th falls on a Monday this month.

I have made a New Year's resolution to lose weight.

I'm going on three diets all at once: The Adkins Diet, Slinder Life and Weight Watchers.

"Why three at once?" I hear you ask.

Well, you can't get enough to eat on just one diet.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-You’re Worthy of My Praise-David Ruis

Studies in John Continued

Chapter 17 

Verse 1 – Jesus looked toward Heaven. Which way is Heaven? If you’re in Florida looking toward Heaven, are you looking the same direction you would be looking if you were in Australia? (If you dug a hole straight through the earth from Florida you would come out in the Indian Ocean just west of Australia.)
Jesus said the time was here to glorify the Father. That means that in His suffering and death He would powerfully and unmistakably reveal the Father. In Exodus 40:34-35 we have a description of God’s glory in a cloud that covered and filled the meeting tent. The Israelites could not move until it lifted.

Verses 2-5 – In the Great Commission (Matthew 28), Jesus proclaimed His absolute authority over His followers. Here he proclaims the purpose of that authority: to give eternal life, that is: a right relationship with God through Christ.

In verse 5, Jesus unequivocally reveals His oneness with God before the world began.

Verses 6-19 – The focus of Jesus’ prayer now turns to His disciples. He declares that His disciples belong to Him, since they had heard and accepted His word. Jesus asks the Father to protect His disciples. Although it is 2,000 + years later, God still protects us. From what does He protect us? Is it from trials, hardship, illness, persecution or death? No. God protects us from Satan. God holds us securely and Satan cannot get to us. He’ll try, but all we have to do is resist and flee and he cannot touch us.

Verse 20 – Here Jesus includes His future disciples in His prayer. That's us.

Verse 21-23 – As Jesus’ disciples we are to be one, that is: in unity. Unity is one of the major themes of the New Testament. With so many ideas, philosophies, theosophies, denominations and individual opinions, even within our own church, how can we be unified?

Unity has nothing to do with gathering together and hugging each other. It has nothing to do with everybody following the church leaders. Unity means that we die to self and focus only on Jesus. He is the author and finisher of our faith. He is to be the center of our thoughts and our discussions. Although we might differ on details, we can (and must) agree on Him. We will have differences of opinions, different outlooks on life and different activities and interests, but we who have come to know Christ must remember to keep our focus on Him and Him alone.

The apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 3:4-9 that we are not to follow one person or another person. We are not even to follow Paul. We are to follow Christ and Christ alone. In chapter 2:2 Paul wrote (referring to his calamity in Athens recorded in Acts 17, when he tried to engage the Greeks in philosophical discussion) “For I have resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”
Jesus is to be our in all; by all and through all of everything we are or do.

PLANNING IS HARD WORK

Planning Is So Hard Most Choose Not to Do It

Easter is coming April 20, 2014. What are your plans? Have you made them yet? If not, it is almost too late.

Our choir just presented their Christmas cantata. We will need 15 rehearsals to prepare the Easter cantata, and will still have to provide music for the regular services as well. That means we need to begin Easter cantata/program rehearsals on January 9, at the latest. We rehearse one song from the cantata the first week of rehearsals, two on the second week, three on the next, and so on. Each song needs to be rehearsed a minimum of five times to be ready for the cantata/program. As the director, I need to have the cantata selected and need to know it by January 9th.

Since we will likely not be able to order a new cantata for this year, I don’t have to worry about ordering, but if I had to, I would have had to have done it before Christmas in order to receive it on time to begin rehearsals on time.

Many churches plan significant events a few weeks or a couple of months ahead of time. That is why leaders are always under much more pressure than they need to be. No one has trained them in the proper administration of their duties and only a few have the gift of administration.

There are three parts to ensuring an event is relatively easy to pull off: Planning; coordinating and evaluating. Planning is done ahead of time. Coordinating is making it all come together. Evaluating provides for reviewing what was done right, what needs improvement and what will be done differently next time. It is also the first step in planning next year’s event.

For recurring events planning the next one should begin as soon as this year’s event is over. As already noted, it begins with evaluation. Evaluation becomes is an important part of planning. It enables you to correct mistakes, repeat successes and to get a jump on next year. It should be done immediately after the present event is over.

Calendaring is the next stage of planning. For most major events, we know ahead of time when they will occur. The dates for Christmas, Easter, Independence Day, Veterans Day and Memorial Day of 2014 are already known. Any special events planned for those days should already be calendared.

Each week should include some thought and preparation for all events planned for the year (and sometimes for years to come). The closer the event, the more thought has to be put into it. As the event becomes imminent, it will consume a greater portion of your time spent planning for all events. For instance, in January your plans for Easter should be focused on fairly heavily, while next Christmas might take less of your planning time. By the time Easter is over, Christmas plans should be solidified and the steps to accomplish what needs to be accomplished for it should move up in importance.

To really grasp these concepts, and to avoid doing everything “small church,” takes the leadership of a person gifted and trained in administration. Planning, coordinating and evaluating are administrative functions.

Remember, what we offer to the Lord, whether it be weekly worship, monthly fellowships, special presentations, community events or whatever else, should be fit for the King of Kings. That does not happen by magic. The Holy Spirit is grieved when He is not allowed to lead far enough ahead of time for God’s people to offer to Him the very best.

How sad that so few Christian leaders take time to plan, coordinate and evaluate God’s events.

Wal-Mart Consumes People

Really, it does. I have the proof.

The other day I went to Wal-Mart to pick up some medicine at the pharmacy. I drove around and around the parking lot and found not one parking space. I also noticed, as I drove hopelessly around, that there were no cars with people loading them up with purchased goods.

For over five minutes I drove seeing the same thing: no parking spaces and nobody loading their cars. The only logical conclusion to draw was that Wal-Mart was consuming the customers.

This has led me to understand that it is flat-out dangerous to enter Wal-Mart. The evidence seems to indicate that if one enters, he might never be heard from again.

Therefore one of my New Year resolutions is to avoid Wal-Mart at all costs.

Yeah. From now on I’ll do all of my shopping at SAM’s Club.

The Truth about My View of Giving

Somebody lied about me. Can you imagine? They flat out lied.

Somebody said that I don't believe in tithing. They got that from a conversation we had that they did not really hear. Sometimes we hear what we want to hear or we anticipate what someone is going to say and decide that's what they said, even when they didn't.

Not believing in tithing is like not believing in lightening. They both exist, whether I believe in them or not. Turns out I believe in tithing in its proper context.

Let me make clear my position on giving for the Christian, just in case you care to know the truth.

Tithing was the Old Covenant requirement for giving to God. It predates the Law of Moses, and was first mentioned in Genesis 14:20. When God blessed him, Abram gave Him a tenth of everything. He declared his allegiance to God in front of the king and God immediately entered into covenant with Abram.

The Old Testament mentions the tithe (or a tenth) as a unit of giving over 60 times. It eventually became a part of the over-all Law of Moses. (Tithe comes from the Hebrew words: maases (a tenth part), issaron (a tenth part), asri (tenth), assar (to receive a tenth), and asor (a quantity of ten).

Under the Old Covenant, tithing was the requirement. But does the concept of giving a tenth carry over into the New Covenant? Let's take a look.

The New Testament mentions the tithe or a tenth (as a part of giving) 8 times.

In Matthew 23:23, Jesus is scolding the Pharisees for their using the tithe to show how good they are. He is clearly telling them that as Jewish leaders they should set the example by keeping all of the Law, not just the parts that make them look good.

Jesus said to the Pharisees in Luke 11:42, "Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds..." while neglecting justice and the love of God.

Luke 18:12 finds a Pharisee bragging about how he fasts and gives a tenth of all he gets. It's the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Jesus said the tax collector was justified, the Pharisee was not.

In Hebrews 7:2-26 the writer, while discussing the New Covenant and Jesus' similarity to Melchizedek, reminds us of Abraham giving his tithe.The writer of Hebrews says that the Law requires a tenth but our new high priest is better than Melchizedek and is worthy of everything we are and have.

Consider Mark 12: 41-44 and Luke 21:2 & 3. Jesus watches a widow put two very small copper coins into the temple treasury. What was His response to her? Did He say, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put in more than all the others...she gave her 10% out of poverty?" No. He said "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury...out of her poverty, put in everything - all she had to live on."

What about the rich young man who asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life? He bragged to Jesus that he had done everything a good Jew had to do. Did Jesus answer, "One thing you lack. Go and sell 10% of all you have and follow me?" No. He said, "One thing you lack. Go and sell all that you have and follow me."

After Pentecost, the believers were in one heart and mind. They shared 10% of what they had. Actually, Acts 4:32 tells us they shared all of what they had. That's 100%, not 10%. That means everything I own, my house, my car, my furniture, my dogs AND my salary all belong to God. We are to give all to Him. If the church has a need, and if I have the wherewithal to provide it, I am to do so. "Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe..." The New Covenant concept of giving is to give all you are and all you have.

Romans 12:8 says to give generously. II Corinthians 9: 5 is Paul's admonition to give generously to ministry. II Corinthians 9:7 says each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give.

So, do I believe in tithing for the Christian living under the New Covenant? No. I believe in giving 100%, not 10% to the Lord.

Having said that, in accordance with 2 Corinthians 9:7, if God tells you to drop your giving from 100% to just 10%, that's between you and Him. And under the New Covenant, how much of your 100% you give to the church is between you and Him, too.

Just remember, under the New Covenant you are not required to give anything, not even 10%. You are admonished to give your all to Him. Everything. All of it. 100% of it.

I, for one, do not intend to cut my giving back to 10%. As Dr. Adrian Rogers used to say, "Any Christian under grace who would let a Jew under the Law give more than he does under grace is a disgrace to grace."

Do you know what I think? I think that if the church had the courage to teach New Covenant giving, the bank would not be able to hold the offerings.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-I'll Put On a Crown"-Jessy Dixon

A Study in John, Chapters 15-16

Lessons from John 15 – 16

Jesus was identified as one with God in the beginning of John. He was introduced to the people by John the Baptist. He selected a group of men to follow Him. His first miracle was performed at Cana. He “endeared” Himself to the Pharisees by disrupting the Bazar of Annus and was immediately confronted by them. From that time on, every time He provided a miracle, He was reinforcing the idea of His one-ship with God. The Pharisees understood that, even when the people did not (as sometimes we don’t). The Pharisees got angrier with every passing day. When He raised Lazarus from the dead, He proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that He was God and the Pharisees saw that as the ultimate blasphemy. Then Jesus began preparing His disciples for what He knew was ahead, His death as a payment for mankind’s sin.

Chapter 15

Verses 1-8 – Jesus proclaims Himself to be the vine; the source of life. His disciples He called the branches; the result of His life giving powers. He impresses on them the necessity of remaining  one with the vine.

Verses 9-17 – Jesus encourages His disciples to do what He says because of their love for Him. He is not talking about obeying the Ten Commandments, He is talking about His New Covenant commands about God’s love. Jesus says that the greatest love one can show to another is to “…lay down his life for his friends.” This was a prelude to His laying down His life for them and the whole world.

Verses 18-27 – Jesus tells His disciples to stay faithful to Him. He tells them it will not be easy but that He would provide for them a Counselor (also called Advocate, Comforter and Helper), fufilling the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6 (Remember the oneness of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit).

Chapter 16

Verses 1-4 – Jesus enumerates some of the things that will happen to the Disciples: They will be evicted from the religious worship center (the synagogue), because of the angst of the Priests and Pharisees over Jesus whom they will be following. They will have their lives threatened by the Jewish leaders. Through it all, they will be sustained by the Holy Spirit, who will enable them to endure.

 They would not understand what Jesus meant until after Jesus’ death. At Pentacost (Acts 2 ff) they would understand and would receive the strength to withstand the attacks on them  We often misuse the statement “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” That was not general power, but the power to withstand the attacks that they will have to face. We have THAT power, not some magical abilities to do peculiar things.

Verses 17-18 – Jesus predicted His death, and His disciples didn't understand.

Verses 19-24 – Jesus explains the emotions the disciples will feel and tell them that His Father would see them through to the time of their understanding (Pentecost).

Verses 25-30 – The disciples think they understand. They recognize His knowledge and that He “…came from God.” They did not yet understand all that that meant, but they would.

Verses 31-33 – Jesus now warns the disciples tht they would be scattered and would leave Him to face His sacrificial death alone. But Jesus proclaims that He will not be alone, because His Father (God) is with Him
 He explains that He is telling them all of this so that they will face the future with peace. They would be troubled in this world, but would soon realize joyfully that Jesus has overcome the world!

As His disciples, we, too, will face trials and trouble for being followers of Christ. Like the disciples, we can be assured by the power of the Holy Spirit, that Jesus has not left us without the power of the Holy Spirit and we can face the troubles of this world with the assurance that Jesus will prevail against it.

Comfort vs. Speed

Are you on a “new” diet for the New Year? Is THAT your New Year's resolution?

Remember:

SOME PEOPLE ARE BUILT FOR SPEED; 

SOME ARE BUILT FOR COMFORT.

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY ON SUNDAY SCHOOL

Elmer L. Towns, from his book about Sunday School:

I love the Sunday School and appreciate its influence on my life. I was first introduced to Sunday School when Jimmy Breland, a Sunday School teacher, asked me if he could take me to Sunday School. As a small boy, I faithfully attended Eastern Heights Presbyterian Church in Savannah, Georgia, where I was grounded in Bible content and doctrine. I was taught to bring my offerings in a special envelope.

Because my values in life were taught to me by my mother and reinforced in Sunday School, when I heard the Gospel preached by a Baptist evangelist, I received Jesus Christ as my Savior.

Because our society is changing, some have suggested the age of the Sunday School is past. But the future of Sunday School is bright, and I believe God will continue to use the Sunday School as the evangelistic and educational arm of the church. Still, the Sunday School must adapt to continue its influence. In my seminars, I often challenge audiences, "The Sunday School that has been the steeple of the church must become its foundation." The Sunday School must not change its purpose but it must go "back to the basics," for the
old is again becoming new.

I believe that any church, anywhere, any time, can grow when it is revitalized. That’s because I believe in the power of God and the influence of the Word of God. Growing a church is like growing a garden. The ground must be prepared and the seed planted properly at the correct time. The seed must be watered and be exposed to sunshine. These are principles for growing a garden, and when properly applied, new life will spring forth. There are principles for growing a Sunday School. If you apply the principles, your Sunday School will grow.

This book is based on a seminar I conduct entitled 154 Steps to Revitalize Your Sunday School and Keep Your Church Growing. Notice I refer to 154 steps, not 154 ways. There is only one way to grow a church and that is to reach people for Jesus Christ. And there is only one way to revitalize your church, and that is through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. But there are many steps to get you there!

...

We are living in exciting days. Churches are still growing. I began keeping records of fast-growing churches 20 years ago; and some of the fastest growth is now taking place. (One church, for instance) grew from 5,300 to over 7,500 in one year. Many of the steps used by this church are emphasized in this book.

This book will reemphasize the traditional biblical principles of evangelism and perhaps express them with new emphasis. But you will also be exposed to new techniques. Open your mind and your heart. Perhaps you can't use every suggestion, but don't close your mind to ideas just because they are new. Let this book s-t-r-e-t-c-h you to trust God (Mark 11:22-23).

I still believe that the Sunday School has a bright future and that your Sunday School can grow.

Elmer L. Towns
Liberty University

ALL THE BEST GOD HAS TO OFFER!