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Restore in the Right Spirit

Erring

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted (Gal. 6:1).

That passage is more than a saying; it is a call for Christians to reach out in love to our brothers and sisters in the Lord who have fallen back into sin. We are commanded to reach out to them and to help them come back home.

But there is a unique temptation that will come our way when we’re involved in this sort of activity. Paul touches on it in this verse: “you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” There is a certain way that we are to reach out to the erring.

Sin has a way of creeping in – even in situations that have spiritual grounds. Sometimes reaching out to an erring Christian turns into becoming a busybody or can even lead to gossip about the one to whom we are reaching out. Sometimes a brother or sister may wrong me. Perhaps later they realize that wrong and apologize to me, but I may be reluctant to forgive them. Watch yourself, Christian! If you don’t, then Satan will take you down to those same depths!

The “spirit of gentleness” described in this verse literally refers to meekness. Being meek is the opposite of being self-assertive or of operating out of self-interests. I’m going to be humble in seeking the fallen because I know that it could happen to me!

Who are the “spiritual” to whom Paul gives this obligation to restore the fallen? They are the people who have a spiritual mind (Rom. 8:5-8). They are people who’s affections are on spiritual things (Col. 3:1-2). Spiritual people have crucified “the flesh” (Gal. 5:24), and are seeking to bear the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). These are the ones whom Paul addresses with this important task. They will provide a positive example to follow and will handle the situation with love, gentleness, and Christ-likeness.

Let’s wrap it up: Christians take care of each other! We are called to the opposite mentality of Cain, who asked, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” We are our brother’s keeper! We have a responsibility to others and they have a responsibility to us. We are to keep each other in check, constantly encouraging each other to keep on keeping on. That’s part of the beauty of the family of God.

So let’s be spiritual people who are motivated by spiritual reasons to reach out to someone, in an effort of helping their spiritual health.

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My Responsibility to the Erring

Erring

Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins (James 5:19-20).

God intends for His Word to save men (James 1:21). That is why it was given to us (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The Bible details two classes of those who are not saved, that is, who are lost: alien sinners and erring Christians. Those we call “alien sinners” are those who have never become Christians. “Erring Christians” are brothers or sisters in Christ who live in sin – that is, sin of which they have not repented and confessed to God. God’s Word can correct the erring, restoring the fallen.

The book of Galatians was written to Christians who had fallen. Paul told them: “You have fallen from grace” (Gal. 5:4). Paul was clear in reaching out to them, and in commissioning those who were still faithful to do the same.S2E23-Fallen

This brings us to Galatians 6:1:

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

Notice a specific responsibility that is given to the faithful. They are to restore the erring. God’s plan for saving men includes the work of men. That is, Christians have an obligation – given by God – to reach out to their brothers and sisters who have slipped back into extremely dangerous territory. If they die in that fallen state, then they will experience the second death, eternal punishment (James 5:19-20)!

In Luke 15:1-10, Jesus told two parables: one of a lost sheep and one of a lost coin. In the first parable, a man who had 100 sheep lost one. He left the 99 others so that he could go find the one that was lost. When he found it, he rejoiced.

The second parable is about a woman who had ten silver coins. She lost one, and proceeded to sweep the entire house, carefully searching until she found it. Upon finding the coin, she rejoiced.

In both parables, Jesus makes the application to a lost disciple, stating that “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7). Further, “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10).

The point is abundantly clear. First, lost Christians should not hesitate to return home. Jesus gives them the assurance that God will gladly welcome them back, that there will be rejoicing in heaven over their return! Second, it is abundantly clear that Christians are seek their lost brothers and sisters. We cannot let them drift away unnoticed. We cannot act as though they are forgotten.

Let’s wrap it up: Are we responding to our responsibility to restore the fallen? To simply acknowledge that Galatians 6:1 is true is not enough. Christian responsibility is not accepted unless effort is made to restore the erring. We must go to them and even plead with them if necessary.

It is easy to let a preacher or an elder assume this responsibility. Don’t do that. Instead, look at the specific people upon whom Paul calls: “you who are spiritual” (Gal. 6:1). Will you answer the call?

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Abortion in America

AbortionInAmerica

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” (Jer. 1:4-5).

I’m coming to you today in defense of those who cannot defend themselves. They have never taken a step or uttered a word. They are unborn babies who have been aborted.

Abortion is the strategic, intentional destruction of an unborn human being in the womb. It is dismemberment. It is poisoning. It is death.

Statistically speaking, 18-20 unborn children are aborted every 30 minutes or so. There have been more than 57 million abortions in the United States since the Roe v. Wade decision was handed down in 1973. The number of children aborted each year nearly equals the number of American deaths in the Revolutionaly War, the Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Korean, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf Wars combined.

What is wrong with our society?!

Why is news of a pregnancy met with disappointment instead of joy? Why has our culture turned the conception of a child – something that used to be the product of love between a wedded man and woman – into something that is the unfortunate product of lust or fornication? Why are there unborn children who are unwanted and unloved?

My opinion is that the sexualization of our world has something to do with it. Have you noticed that everything in our culture is sexualized? You don’t have to watch very many commercials to figure that out. The result of all of this is that our sense have been blunted. There is no such thing as moral “oughtness,” as right and wrong, as righteous indignation. These things have been thrown aside.

Here’s what has come about as a result: just over one million abortions are performed annually in the United States. Thirty percent of those – that is, 327,166 abortions – are performed by Planned Parenthood (according to 2013-2014 stats).

I’m sure you have heard about the release of several undercover videos in which the Center for Medical Progress attacks Planned Parenthood. The first video, released July 14, 2015, showed Dr. Deborah Nucatola, the senior medical director of Planned Parenthood, casually discussing the sale of organs from aborted babies. While reaching for her salad with her fork, she says that there is a great demand for fetal livers and that “a lot of people want intact hearts these days.”

The saddest part of the video to me is the blatant disregard for the sanctity of human life. How could someone discuss something like that while eating? Clearly, there is on regard for the moral – yea, biblical – view of abortion and human life.

Let’s wrap it up: The Bible says that the Lord hates “hands that shed innocent blood” (Prov. 6:16-17). America needs to wake up and realize that the blood of over 57 million unborn children is on this nation’s hands. Christians cannot sit silent in the midst of this decades-long moral crisis. That’s why I’m coming to you today – and all this week on The New You – in defense of those unborn children who cannot defend themselves.

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TheNewYou1400 This is a partial transcript from my weekday podcast, The New You, where we focus on maintaining and accentuating the new that Christ created in each of us as Christians. A new episode is available each Monday through Friday on The Light Network. Click here to see all of the episodes.

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God Has Revealed Himself to Us

GodHasRevealed

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (Rom. 11:33).

Nothing is more humbling than studying about God. As we dig into the subject, we quickly learn of God’s greatness in contrast to humanity’s smallness.

God’s greatness is more than we can fully comprehend. The Psalms tell us that “His greatness is unsearchable” (Psa. 145:3), and that “His understanding is infinite” (Psa. 147:5). Further, David exclaimed, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it” (Psa. 139:6).

At the same time, though, the Bible is clear that we can know God. Colossians 1:10 says that we are to be continually “increasing in the knowledge of God.”

We know God by the means through which He has made Himself known to us.

Here are five ways that God has revealed Himself to mankind.

1. Through nature

The heavens declare His glory, and the firmament shows His handiwork (Psa. 19:1). Paul said that God is so evident in nature that those who deny His eternal power “are without excuse” (Rom. 1:19-20). God can be known!

2. Through the Bible

All Scripture is given by His inspiration (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The Bible is God-breathed! Therefore, we would expect to look into its pages to find out more about the Divine One who gave it to us. God can be known!

3. Through history

The rise and fall of nations, for example, show us that God exists. “Righteousness exalts a nation” (Prov. 14:34). Daniel said that God “changes the time sad the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding” (Dan. 2:21). Later, Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, “the Most High rules in the kingdom of men” (Dan. 4:17). History declares to us that God exists, and that He can be known.

4. Through humanity, in a limited sense

There is a sense in which we can learn about God by looking at ourselves. Genesis 1:26-27 says that we are made in God’s image, so there is something in us, and something that we can see in others, that points us back to God. We can surely see evidence of God’s amazing design in our bodies. We can see God’s incredible love in the love that other people show to us (1 John 4:12). God can be known!

5. Through Jesus Christ

Jesus said, “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him” (John 14:7). So we can look to Jesus as a revelation of God and who God is. Jesus is “the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15), and “in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:9). God can be known!

Let’s wrap it up: Aren’t you thankful that God can be known?! What a blessing to have the opportunity to “draw near to God” (James 4:8). You know, it is God Himself whom we are to know, not simply facts about Him or things that He does. God wants to have a relationship with us, and He wants us to have a relationship with Him. To be intellectually informed about someone is not the same as having a close relationship with them. So let’s study to know God, and to get closer and closer to Him.

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TheNewYou1400 This is a partial transcript from my weekday podcast, The New You, where we focus on maintaining and accentuating the new that Christ created in each of us as Christians. A new episode is available each Monday through Friday on The Light Network. Click here to see all of the episodes.

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Hang On to Hope

HangOnToHope

I’ve heard it said many times lately. I’ve even said it myself: “I feel like a stranger here.” Never have I felt less at home … at home. This is both good and bad, isn’t it? It’s bad for obvious reasons, but it’s good because the degradation of our culture makes us even more thankful for our hope.

Let’s spend a little time thinking about hope today.

1. Hope Defined

In Proverbs 10:28, the wise man speaks of hope and expectation, using the terms basically synonymously. In Proverbs 13:12, he uses the terms hope and desire synonymously. So hope is desire for something, and expectation that I will receive it. Those who are only vaguely familiar with the biblical teachings understand that we hope for eternal life (Titus 1:2).

Hope is so wonderful! It changes our focus from here to eternity. Paul, a man of hope, reminded us that “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20), and that we should “trust in the living God” (1 Tim. 4:10; 6:17).

2. Hope Secured

The hope that we have is secure! First, it is secure in Jesus (1 Cor. 15:19; Heb. 6:19-20). When we talk about hoping for heaven, we are talking about something that is not only a desire, but a secure expectation! But that expectation is conditional, isn’t it? On a personal level, our hope is secured in our faith (Heb. 11:1), because faith is the substance of that for which we hope. Further, our hope is secure in our faithfulness. We are to “fight the good fight of faith” and “lay hold on eternal life” (1 Tim. 6:12, 19). This reminds me that hope is an expectation conditioned upon our faithfulness to God.

Then, there are things which that hope secures for us. For example, our hope secures our reason to rejoice (Rom. 12:12). Further, our hope secures our bold speech (2 Cor. 3:12). We speak boldly because we know that heaven awaits!

3. Hope realized

Today, our hope is not seen. Paul said that if hopeS2E5-Hope were seen, then it would not be hope (Rom. 8:24-25)! “But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance” (Rom. 8:25). One day, faith will become sight, and hope will be realized (1 Thes. 4:13-18).

Let’s wrap it up: We are a people of hope! That’s why we can endure in spite of all of the things going on in our world. That’s why we can overcome temptation and sin. That’s why we can be victorious over Satan as we fight our personal battles to secure Christ’s victory. It’s all because of the hope that we have in Christ Jesus.

But I am also reminded that there are those who have no hope (1 Thes. 4:13). They are without Christ (Eph. 2:12), that is, they do not have a relationship with Christ. It is to those without hope that we lovingly, yet boldly and urgently, plead to come to the Savior and to rest in His promises.

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TheNewYou1400 This is a partial transcript from my weekday podcast, The New You, where we focus on maintaining and accentuating the new that Christ created in each of us as Christians. A new episode is available each Monday through Friday on The Light Network. Click here to see all of the episodes.

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Realize the Reason

RealizeTheReason

What’s wrong with our culture? Why is our country spiraling into moral calamity? Why are people lashing out in rage against others? Today, I want us to be honest with ourselves in identifying the problem. My friends, this is not really a gun control issue, nor is it an issue about any kinds of flags or anything else. The problem is sin.

If we will just realize the reason behind these senseless acts, we will be motivated to do something about it. You remember how Jesus contrasted Himself with Satan in John 10:10:

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

Overlay John 10:10 to our culture and you see it, don’t you? Satan wants to destroy our lives, ripping apart relationships and interjecting violence and hatred into our lives.

You know, the evil that we see in our world stems from sin in people’s hearts. Jesus said,

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies (Mat. 15:19).

He also stated that

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things (Mat. 12:35).

A world that is comfortable in sin reacts harshly to Christ and His disciples. Jesus said that “everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:20).

The sin problem is taken one step further when we – as God’s people – allow sin to be S2E4-Sinamong us. Some people are going to take issue with that statement because we are imperfect people. I get that. But doesn’t the Bible still identify us as the called-out ones, ekklesia, the church? Doesn’t the Bible still say we are to “Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Pet. 1:16)? To be holy is to be separate, consecrated for God’s service. Christians are called “saints” (1 Cor. 1:2), referring to holy ones, and 1 Peter 2:9 calls us “a holy nation.”

Christians, please listen carefully: You cannot allow sin to be in your life while still calling Jesus your Lord (Luke 6:46). You must intend to be faithful the Lord. You must dedicate your life to doing His will (Col. 3:17). You must be holy.

Let’s wrap it up: Sin is our world’s problem. It always has been the world’s problem. Prior to our relationship with Christ, it was our problem. Jesus’ blood washes away our sins in baptism (Acts 22:16; Rom. 6:3-4), and His blood continues to cleanse us as we walk in His light (1 John 1:7).

As a Christian you have the opportunity to shine the light into the world’s darkness. Further, as a Christian, you have the responsibility to be holy. Separate yourself from the world’s evil practices. Realize that sin is the reason why there is so much violence, unrest, and hatred in the hearts of men today. Let that motivate you to more holiness and faithfulness to Christ.

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TheNewYou1400 This is a partial transcript from my weekday podcast, The New You, where we focus on maintaining and accentuating the new that Christ created in each of us as Christians. A new episode is available each Monday through Friday on The Light Network. Click here to see all of the episodes.

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Six Ways to Prepare for Persecution

PrepareForPersecution

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution (2 Tim. 3:12).

These words of Paul are familiar to many of us Christians. We’re used to studying about the persecution that our first century brethren endured, including Paul. Could it be that modern Christians will come to know that kind of persecution? I can’t answer that question for sure, but I will say this: I believe we are about to experience different types of persecution – perhaps more similar to that of the Christians in the Bible – than the “persecution” (if we can even call it that) which we have previously received.

This is a far different country now than the one in which we all grew up. The legalization of same-sex marriage is a manifestation of a shift in American thinking – one that has been a long time coming, but has finally caught up with us and with our worldview as a nation. Of course, we are seeing similar changes take place in other parts of the world, too.

But persecution is not the end of the world. Peter says that we can “glorify God in this matter” (1 Pet. 4:16). The apostles said, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Paul said that God’s people should expect persecution (2 Tim. 3:12). Jesus said that the world will hate His followers because the world hated Him (John 15:18).

We need to prepare for persecution. But how do we do that? Here are six suggestions.

1. Pray.

The first century church responded to the persecution of Peter and John (brought about by their preaching) through prayer (Acts 4:23-31). They prayed for boldness that they would keep preaching.

2. Put on the armor.

Satan will use persecution to try to shake your faith. That’s why Paul exhorts us to “put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). That armor will equip you to fight the spiritual battle in which Christians are engaged. We are armed with the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of the gospel, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the word of God.S2E3-Persecution

3. Choose faithfulness today.

It’s hard to know how we will respond to intense persecution. We’re not living that right now. All we can do today is to choose that we will always be faithful. That’s what Jesus exhorted the church at Smyrna to do. He said, “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer … be faithful…” (Rev. 2:10). Decide today that you will never forsake your Lord.

4. Look to the crown.

Revelation 2:10 goes on to say that the faithful will receive the crown of life (Rev. 2:10). Paul echoed that same promise in 2 Timothy 4:8.

5. Look to Jesus.

Jesus “endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2). We look to Him.

6. Choose to grow in persecution.

Peter said that the Christians to whom he wrote were experiencing a testing of faith by fire. It was intense and likely unpleasant, but they could get through it, and their faith would be stronger because of it (1 Pet. 1:7-8). The first century church thrived in persecution, and we can, too!

Let’s wrap it up: Persecution is not the end of the world. We will have to make some difficult decisions that will set us at odds with our culture, but God has promised us: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5).

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TheNewYou1400 This is a partial transcript from my weekday podcast, The New You, where we focus on maintaining and accentuating the new that Christ created in each of us as Christians. A new episode is available each Monday through Friday on The Light Network. Click here to see all of the episodes.

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Do Discipleship

DoDiscipleship

I believe that it is imperative for Christians to stand up and stand out in our dark culture. But what will we do? How do we respond to a culture in which sin is legalized? What do we do to influence those who would seek us harm? I believe that step number one is discipleship.

You may be thinking, “Discipleship?!” Right. You and I as Christians must be sure that we are fully committed to the cause of Christ. Have we fully given our lives to Jesus? You see, that is the essence of true discipleship.

Throughout Jesus’ teachings, there were those who sought to offer excuses regarding why they couldn’t do discipleship. Let’s look at four of those now.

1. “But Lord, my family…”

Some people give in to the idea that full, committed Christianity will in some way condemn their family members. So, even though they are New Testament Christians, they may become lax in areas such as divorce and remarriage or modesty or social drinking or others. However, on one occasion, Jesus stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother” (Mat. 12:49-50).

2. “But Lord, let me do this first…”

One person said he couldn’t immediately follow Jesus because he needed to bury his father (Mat. 8:21). Jesus told him to follow Him, and let the dead bury their own dead (Mat. 8:22). Some believe that maybe this man’s father was not yet dead; he was just putting off following Jesus until a more convenient time. Will there ever be a convenient time to follow the Lord? There’s no better time than right now.

3. “But Lord, it’s hard!”

Let’s face it – being a true disciple IS difficult! This is undoubtedly why Jesus said, after giving the Great Commission, “I am with you always” (Mat. 28:20).

4. “But Lord, I could lose my life!”

It’s true, some people have sought to kill Christians simply for living as Jesus taught them to (cf. Rev. 2:10). Jesus’ response is this:

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Mat. 10:28).

Let’s wrap it up: Jesus has been abundantly clear. Those who are unwilling to put Him above ALL others cannot be His disciples (Luke 14:26). Those who are unwilling to suffer with Him and for Him cannot be His disciples (Luke 14:27). Those who are unwilling to forsake all that they have cannot be His disciples (Luke 14:33).

How many people do you know who have been influenced negatively, and have found Christianity repulsive because they saw someone who claimed to be a Christian, but wasn’t a true disciple? I’m afraid I know far too many such people. On the other hand, how many people do you know who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ, who motivate you to do right. I’m thankful to say I know a LOT of people like that. And with those two illustrations you see the powerful force of true discipleship.

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We Ought to Obey God Rather Than Men

On Friday, June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court handed down the Obergefell v. Hodges decision. The 5-4 decision mandated the legalization of same-sex marriage in all fifty states, and, in so doing, fundamentally redefined marriage.

Sunday, July 5, I preached a sermon at North Charleston in which we looked at the decision itself, the effects of this decision upon American Christians, and what we should do now. I hope that it can be a blessing to you.

As I emphasized in the sermon, I don’t hate anyone. The last thing I want to do is to make anyone feel as though I hate them. The motivation behind this sermon is to communicate love. The Bible is God’s word (2 Tim. 3:16-17). To study and apply the Bible’s teachings is to apply the love of God to your soul, and to secure the hope of heaven. That is why I preached this sermon.

Click the play button above to listen to the sermon. You can view the slides and download the outline from the sermon below.

[button color=”orange” size=”medium” link=”http://roberthatfield.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/ObeyGod.pdf” target=”blank” ]Sermon Outline[/button]

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Has the Distinctiveness of the Church Been Forgotten?

Pew

I have in front of me an article titled Local Church of Christ adds instrument to worship. It was published last week, April 16, 2015, from The Daily News Journal out of Rutherford County, Tennessee. The article reports that “the Stones River church of Christ made a radical move – at least by denominational standards – to allow instrumental worship to take place on Sunday morning.”

There are several things that concern me about this article. I am concerned that this congregation would decide to introduce instruments into worship, thereby departing from the New Testament pattern for true worship (as we discussed yesterday). However, perhaps the addition of the instrument is a symptom of a much larger problem – that is, a problem of misunderstanding the uniqueness of the one, true church of the Bible.

This article follows in the footsteps of one published by USA Today last month. The national newspaper ran an article on March 6, 2015 with this headine: Church of Christ opens door to musical instruments. The article chronicled the journey of the Otter Creek church in Brentwood, TN as they, too, decided to add the instrument into some of their worship services.

In the Otter Creek piece, Heidi Hall writes, “Church of Christ commitment to a cappella dates to the faith’s emergence in the 1800s Restoration Movement.” Hall goes on to say, “Scriptural citations backing the a cappella tradition include a passage in Ephesians about singing hymns and making music in the heart. But Otter Creek’s preaching and teaching minister, Josh Graves, said church history is a stronger influence.”

Have some members of the Lord’s church forgotten the distinctiveness, the purity, the separation from worldliness (including worldly religions) of the one, true church of the Bible?

With all of the love in my heart, I must say that the Bible only speaks of one church. It’s the Lord’s house that Isaiah said would begin in Jerusalem (Isa. 2:2-3). It’s the kingdom that Daniel said the Lord would set up which would never be destroyed (Dan. 2:44). It is the church that Christ Himself promised to build (Mat. 16:18-19). It is that kingdom that Christ said is not of this world (John 18:36), that would come even before some of Jesus’ apostles and first-century disciples died (Mark 9:1).

This is the one church to which the believers were added upon their baptism in Acts 2:47. It is that church that spread like wildfire throughout the New Testament world (Acts 8:1-4), that walked in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:31). That is the kingdom of which the Christians in Colossae were a part (Col. 1:13).

Jesus is the Head of that church (Eph. 1:22-23). He is the Chief Shepherd of it (1 Pet. 5:1-4). It is that one church that He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28). He gave Himself for the church (Eph. 5:25).

It is that church, referred to as Christ’s body in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians, and elsewhere, that the New Testament clearly teaches that there is only one (Eph. 4:4).

Let’s wrap it up: I return to this article that I have before me which states that the Church of Christ is a denomination that came out of the Restoration Movement in the 1800’s. That’s just not true.

I don’t want to be a member of a denomination. I want to be a member of the church that Jesus promised to build, the one that was established in His name in Acts 2. This is real history! These are the facts. That’s the church that I want to be a part of. Don’t you?

So why are articles about instrumental music, women serving as preachers, and a host of other topics popping up in newspapers all across the country? It seems that at least one reason is because some people have forgotten that the Lord’s church is not a denomination. It’s precious. It’s Christ’s bride (Eph. 5). It’s unique.