My Thoughts. . .

Thursday, May 30, 2019

“If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11 KJV).

There is a statement often made which is, “Speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent.”  This is referred to as a “slogan” which mimics Peter’s statement.  Some would refer to it as a “creed.”  Leroy Brownloe wrote a book titled, “25 Reason Why I Am A Member of the Church of Christ.”  He argues that if a statement says more than the Bible, it is a creed.  If it says less that the Bible, it is a creed.  If it says the same thing as the Bible, it is not needed since we have the Bible.  Would that not make our slogan a creed?

Using Peter’s statement, if one wished to be legalistic, any sermon would be full of creedal statements since the speaker would be giving us his thoughts on what he believes the Bible teaches!  Isn’t that what a creed attempts to do?  If we used Leroy Brownloe’s definition of a creed in critiquing any preacher’s sermon, wouldn’t Brownloe’s definition apply to it?  I’m not faulting brother Brownloe, just pointing out that we sometimes fail to see how radical our conclusions may be when carried to their final application.

Christians use phrases which give them a lot of comfort but may not be in harmony with the Bible.  Here are some that seem to fall into that category.  The reader may make his own judgment over the material.

  1. Enter to worship, leave to serve.
  2. To show respect for God, one needs to wear his best on Sunday morning.
  3. Enter into God’s presence quietly and reverently.
  4. We have assembled in the presence of God.
  5. We are here to worship God in spirit and in truth.
  6. We worship God each Sunday morning and evening.

Each person God has added to the saved, is a Christian (Acts 2:41,47; 11:26; 1 Peter 4:16).  Yet, we are not stand-alone disciples/members/saints/or Christians.  Each one of us is a temple.  Not just “a” temple, but more definable, we are “the” temple of God or the Holy Spirit.

“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”  (1 Corinthians 3:16 NKJV).

“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?”  (1 Corinthians 6:15 NKJV).

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought at a price” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJV).

Since God is IN you and you are IN Jesus, why do you have to wait to “enter” a specific building to worship, or leave it to serve?  Can’t you worship the One who is dwelling in you 24/7?  Can’t you also “serve” Him 24/7?  If not, are you on vacation from God and an empty temple 164 hours each week?  What does Jesus say about a dwelling that is empty?

Since God is IN you and you are IN Jesus, are you supposed to show Him respect only when you are in a specific location?  Don’t you realize God is in His Holy Temple 24/7?  If you show God respect ONLY when you are at the church building, what KIND of temple would that make you the rest of the week?

Since God is IN you and you are IN Jesus, why are you supposed to be quiet and    reverent in a specific location, but not quiet and reverent in all other places?  Do you dismiss God from His temple, whose temple you are, once the last “Amen” is said at the church building and “worship” is now over?  The rest of the week is yours so you can be as loud and irreverent as you desire?  Maybe that’s the reason some do?

Since God is IN you and you are IN Jesus, is God’s presence only in a physical    locality?  If so, did God vacate you, move to the church building so you could be with Him when you arrived?  If He is there and you haven’t arrived, does that mean God is not with you until you enter the church building?

Since God is IN you and you are IN Jesus, why do you have to wait until you go    somewhere else to worship Him in spirit and in truth?  Same answer as No. 4.

Since God is IN you and you are IN Jesus, why do you have to wait until Sunday to    worship Him since He lives IN you?  Is worship restricted only to the church building?  If so, then maybe the auditorium is the sanctuary!?

Modern worship has a lot of old traditional material in it, going all the way back to the second and third century.  The further one gets from the first century, the more he will see worship with cultural and traditional add-ons sewn in.  When Campbell and Stone came out of the Presbyterian Church, they accepted a lot of those non-biblical add-ons because they did not recognize them for what they were.  Much of it continues to be accepted today.

Traditions once accepted are usually identified as biblical doctrine.  This presents an ongoing problem.  If one tradition can rise to the level of sainthood, it opens the door for other traditions to seek that same status.

Since God is IN you and you are IN Jesus, and God dwells in a holy, righteous place, what does that information say about you?  Aren’t you God’s dwelling place 24/7?

“If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11 KJV).