Author Archives: Royce

Apr 11 2008

Christian Unity?


Last evening I was reading some articles on the web and came across one by one of our “traditional” brothers whose subject was the danger of “Denominationalism”. His thesis is that denominations and denominational churches are unscriptural because they violate passages in the Bible that call for the unity of believers. How can denominational churches claim unity when their very existence is based on their differences? Up to this point the author was making a logical case. Then he disengaged his brain and exposed either his ignorance, (he is a bright, well educated man) or his bias.

After excoriating all denominational churches, and as a result all their people, he then made the case that the churchs of Christ alone are the undenominaitonal churches and are thus the only biblical ones. Any casual observer must admit that churches of Christ have their share of divisions. Here I will only consider the fractions of the churches of Christ, not the Restoration Movement churches as a whole which is a greater problem for anyone who subscribes to the notion that only the church of Christ has unity as discussed in the Bible.

Hmmm, church of Christ unity. In the very same paper by the very same author, there was a piece thrashing North Richland Hills church of Christ for having musical instruments in their worship services. Not only did the author disagree, not only does he not intend to fellowship with such people, he declares that they are not even saved. Some unity huh?

Lets see just how unified the beloved coC is. Institutional vs. non-institutional, once cuppers vs. multiple cuppers, Sunday school vs. non Sunday school, paid preacher, vs. mutual edification, just to name a few. I think you get my point. Then there are those who flagrantly lift their hands in worship, clap along in time with songs, sing during the Lord’s Supper, have a kitchen in the church, have women actually speak in an assembly, consider others outside of churches of Christ Christians, etc., etc.

Christian unity? I believe the denominational churches might have more unity than the coC. I have never heard a Baptist pastor brand a Methodist unsaved because they have different ideas about church government. I have never heard a Calvinist write off those in the “free will” camp as lost because they don’t agree with him on all 5 points of Calvinism. I admit that there is a sprinkling of those whose particular pet doctrine or myth defines in their mind who is saved and unsaved, but largely most denominations work fairly well together. Not so for our beloved churches of Christ.

I am glad to report that things are changing. There is a grace awakening happening across the Restoration Movement churches in spite of the viscous attacks of the most strict traditionalists and zealots. There will always be those few of every stripe who demand that everyone agree with them on every point or be damned to hell.

The sad truth is not obvious to most people but it is true none the less. Without exception those folks who believe someone else is lost because of what they either do or do not do on a given Lord’s day are also wrong on the doctrine of salvation. They put man in the drivers seat with God at his disposal in opposition to the biblical position of God being in control. Every person I have ever had communications with who teaches either a works based salvation or a supposed mixture of works and grace, to the last one, vehemently denies what he clearly teaches. Only one time in my 40 years of being a Christian have I had anyone admit that he believed we are saved by works.

There is only one unifying point that should bond believers of all brands, our common faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. All of the other practices and beliefs that divide God’s people pale in comparison to what we believe about Jesus Christ the son of God. We must first agree about who He is and what He has accomplished for sinners, and then how we receive the gracious gift He offers, which is eternal life. (Romans 6:23)

His peace,
Royce

 

Apr 9 2008

Home again


Whew! Finally we are home in Monroe. After unloading and cleaning inside of the van, checking on my square foot garden, my new flowers, filling the humming bird feeders, filling the other feeder with seeds, getting mail from the neighbor, answering email…. At last I was able to unwind, have a nice dinner with Carol on the back porch and then watch American Idol.

We drove to Hendersonville, N.C. last Thursday. We left Monroe about 10 a.m. and arrived there about 10 p.m., not bad considering we stopped to eat twice for lengthy meals and the usual gas and rest room stops. The Buick van got a nice 25 mpg, not bad for a vehicle that large. It is the one we chose to replace the totaled Pontiac Montana.

On Friday afternoon WFR Relief director Don Yelton and I drove to Brevard for a brief stop at a tackle shop and then on to Rosman, N.C. for some afternoon trout fishing. Even though there was a steady down pour followed by a heavy mist followed by another down pour we managed to catch some nice rain bows in an absolutely beautiful setting. I did not have waders so I was confined to fishing from the edge of the river, perched upon rocks, logs, etc but thankfully did not fall into the frigid water. It had been about 30 years since I had caught trout from a stream but after just a few minutes I started to feel comfortable and had a great afternoon.

On Saturday Carol led a ladies retreat for the gals from the Hendersonville church of Christ and she was warmly received as she introduced the Heart to Home women’s ministry, Grief Share, and an over view of our WFR Relief ministry. While Carol was doing the Lord’s work I enjoyed the creation. I visited a power plant lake in Skyland, N.C. where my father fished often and managed one baby bass, again in the rain. Then I drove to the Swannanoa River near where I grew up and caught one nice rain bow from the very waters that was a play spot for me and my cousins many, many years ago.

In the afternoon I, my cousin Warren Fox and his significant other Cathy, enjoyed a great seafood dinner and some wonderful fellowship. Warren is my first cousin but is more like a bother. He cared so much and attended to my mom in ways that exposed his great heart of love. I will forever be grateful for Warren.
Sunday we worshipped with Don and Harriet Yelton at the Hendersonville church and then had a great meal with them and the preacher Steve Teel and his wife Diana who are friends we got to know when they lived and worked in Monroe. Sunday afternoon the Yelton’s hosted their Growth Group which is one of several that meets 3 Sundays each month in homes. They were great folks and many of them seem like old friends since we met them on previous trips. We sang several songs and then broke up into two groups of perhaps a dozen each and had a Bible lesson with Don Yelton leading. For a fitting end to any gathering in the South we shared a great meal, stories, laughter, and even some fish tales. What a great group of folks!

On Monday Carol and I drove to Greenville, S.C. and she visited her favorite dept store, Hamericks. She was there through through two 30 minute radio broadcasts and about 5 minutes into the third. We then drove to Commerce, GA. for a visit to an outlet mall and then finally to Atlanta. In the afternoon we met David (my brother) and Christy for a delightful meal at Ted Turner’s Montana Grill. David had a Bison Burger but I was not as adventuresome, settling for salmon. I cherish the time I have with my brother, especially since we are the only ones left now from our family.

I am glad to be at home. Tomorrow at 6:30 a.m. I will meet a few guys in West Monroe for breakfast, prayer, and a devotional. Then come back home to help a neighbor with a chore and then do some of my own including mowing about an acre, edging, blowing, etc.

Next month Carol and I will begin our 5th year of facilitating the Grief Share series for folks like us who have lost loved ones. Will you ask God’s blessing on the people who will come to share their hearts and find help for the hurting? We do a series twice a year, once in the spring (late this year) and once in the fall. We have been blessed to see people helped and healed as they learn to properly handle to pain of loosing someone you love deeply.

We are a blessed couple. We couldn’t be happier. God is very, very kind to us!
His peace,
Royce
 

Apr 5 2008

The effective (or ineffective) church of the 21st century


Over at http://www.kinneymabry.blogspot.com  (Preacherman’s blog) he recently posted under this title ”

“What does the church need to do to thrive in the 21st century?”

Several people left comments, some were pretty good, some were not. The common thread of thought coming from the commenters seemed to be “Today’s church must get our of our comfort zones, the confines of our comfy buildings, and actually impact the communities we are supposed to serve.” And I don’t disagree at all. I do believe the problems with many of our churches lie much deeper than how we choose to serve others or deliver our message. Yes, every congregation should be making a “salt and light” impact on their neighbors, there is no room for debate on this. And, we can all agree that we need to get our message out to the “unchurched” or “unsaved” (you choose the term..) and not expect them to come to us crying out “Sirs, what must we do?”.

I suggest that before we appoint another committee to study the matter of the most efficient way to minister that we set some things straight first.

1. The world needs Christ more than it needs the “Church”!   I will not claim that my research is “scientific” but I have done some observation on purpose. After looking at sermon topics, Bible study titles, resources offered, etc. on both church websites and personal websites (including blogs), and reading the stories that get the most response from “brotherhood” publications, I have concluded that churches of Christ preach “Church” more than “Christ”. This is a trend that must be reversed.

2. Our churches must stop preaching a “gospel system” in favor of preaching a gracious Saviour.  On many church websites you can find the “5 step plan of salvation”, but precious little about our Lord Jesus Christ. Not long ago I visited “Apologetics Press” and read item # 8 of the 9 items under the label “What we believe” and I was astonished to find this statement which I quote:
    “Salvation is by means of obedience to the Gospel system, involving faith in God and Christ,    repentance from sin, confession of faith, and immersion in water for remission of past sins, coupled with a life of growing consecration and dedication.” (emphasis mine)

 Far too many of our churches have the same flawed theology. One only has to pause and think for a moment to realize that the “Gospel System” that is so important that some suggest we should surrender obedience to it, rather than to Jesus Christ himself, was invented in the early 1800’s. Peter, Paul and their contemporaries did not have a copy of the New Testament from which they could lift convenient passages to fit their view of how a sinner is saved. If any honest observer will read the Acts and the remainder of the New Testament they will find that the gospel message was about a Person, not about a Plan, it was centered on a Saviour, not a System.

3. Our worship must be centered upon a unique Person, not upon a uniform Pattern.  Modern day Pharacees have disgraced and deluted true worship in Spirit and in Truth so that instead of being from the heart it is from the head, and instead of being a delight it has become a duty. What happens on Sunday morning in many of our congregations is predictable, and appears to be done by religeous robots, going through the motions, doing all the right things in an almost mechanical way.

I am sure some of you have heard about the man who said loudly “Praise the Lord” and “Amen” in response to the singing and the sermon. Some godly coC elders cornered the fellow after the invitation and inquired about his insulting outbursts. He replied “Well, I’ve got the Spirit and I’m happy in the Lord”. The good elder said in response, ” Will you didn’t get it here, so be quiet”. Could this story be true in your church? 

4. We must become a people who find their identity in Christ and not in how we “do church”.   When we can say honestly we are who we are because of what God has done in Christ on our behalf, rather than striving to become who we hope to be, we are only then ready to give our lost neighbor a valid message of the very good news about Jesus.

I believe with all my soul that the greatest need in our churches is teaching our people who they are in Christ, that they are complete in Him, have a living hope that cannot be taken away, and are hidden with Christ in God, not based on their performance but upon His.

One preacher asked a large Sunday school class are you “walking in the Spirit” and they to the last one had no idea what he was talking about. The Christian life is not about rules to follow but about righteousness by faith. It is not what have “I” done but about what “He” has done on my behalf. In view of what He has accomplished apart from my effort and yours, what is my response and yours in our day to day living before a watching world? To whom do we yield?

Paul was the most educated of all the apostles, he graduated from the best religeous schools, he had the right blood line, he had strictly followed the Law, he possessed knowledge and human wisdom beyond his fellows, but in view of all these facts Paul said “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” (Phil 3:8,9) Should we not be willing to put away our preferences, our human desires, our pride, perhaps some of our traditions, so that we “may gain Christ” too?

In my view, only after we have started to live out Romans chapter 12 are we credentialed to go out and change our world. Men and women are made fit for heaven one heart at a time by hearing the same message Phillip preached to the Ethopian eunich from the prophet Isiah, “Jesus” was the message. Our problem is we want to do the work of God using the resources and in the energy of human flesh. Perhaps it would be good for us to “go wait” in prayer to be endued with Power from on high so that our ministries and message might be confirmed in “the power and demonstration of the Holy Ghost”, (I Cor 2:4,5) rather than depending on human wisdom.

We must be a people on mission with God in His ministry of Reconciliation. Our task is not to “correct” everyone else in the world who claims Christ as Lord, but to publish the very good news about Jesus both with our lips and our lives. We must make known the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life because He is the only way to the Father. Only when you and I personally know the Resurrection can we save men from death.

Our challenge in 2008 is to try to really “restore” the ancient church’s way of doing business. We are only kidding ourselves if we think that “we” alone are right and that everything “New Testament” runs down hill from Resortation churches.

His peace,
Royce Ogle