School Of Preaching
Some have written their own “per”version and called it the word of God. Others
have simply corrupted the original by adding to or subtracting from what the Spirit
has expressly said. Even as the apostle said in Acts 20:29-31 (NKJ), “For I know
this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing
the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse
things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and
remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with
tears.” That warning is just as applicable today as the moment it was spoken.
Immediately when someone sees the title of this article it will be thought that
the Paden City church is undertaking a program of work that will be supported by
congregations all over the Valley, the state and the nation. To the disappointment
of some and the relief of others such is not the case. Reason: There is no
scripture for one church to beg money from another church when the begging
church is not in need.
In the last 150 years of the church men have devised ways to circumvent the
Scriptures and have come up with ways to do things the Lord has given only the
church the authority to do. The United Christian Missionary Society with
Alexander Campbell as its first president found a way to evangelize the world
which never came into the Lord’s mind (Jer. 19:5). Since the Lord had not said
specifically “Thou shalt not build and maintain a missionary society” it became
expedient ways to do what the Lord had said the church should do.
Nothing has changed as this century closes. Brethren concoct a way for the
local church to get out of doing its divinely appointed work. Many denominations
as well as liberal churches have started schools. They begin at kindergarten and
go as high as finances allow. Now we have “schools of preaching.” These
churches beg money from churches all over the country so they can build
buildings and hire teachers and administrators to run their school. Added to that
list would be computers, printers, desks, paper, and all the gadgets that go along
with them.
What is the purpose? So they can train men to become preachers. Many of
these “school of preaching” trained men do not become preachers.
I was thinking the other day the Lord’s plan could have saved hundreds of
thousands ( perhaps millions by now) of dollars over the years if these churches
had used his wisdom rather than theirs. Isaiah 55:8-9 still is true, as well as
Proverbs 14:12.
Both of these, the missionary society, and the schools of preaching are all
ministries of neglect. They cause local churches to say, in essence, “We gave
at the office.” Therefore we don’t have to do work as a local church because we
are sending money to have it done for us.
The church at Paden City has, sense it’s birth, been training it’s members to
be teachers and preachers without one cent of help from other churches to do it.
One of our members sat down and within a few minutes had a list of nearly 30
men who have either gone into full-time preaching or preach part-time. I had
intended to put their names in this article but it was just too long to include them
all. Also, I feared leaving someone out.
God gave parents and the church the responsibility to do the training and
teaching of the word. At first he gave gifts unto men (Eph.4:8-13), and when they
ceased (1Cor.13:8) he gave us the written word as our guide. However, some are
not satisfied with following the Word. They have not learned from Old Testament
examples (Rom.15:4; 1Cor.10:11) that disobedience to the Word does not go
unpunished.
God gave explicit instructions for elders to oversee the flock over which they
are the shepherds (Acts 20:28; 1Pet.5:2). This is what all faithful churches do
(Jn.8:31; 1Jn.2:3; see also Titus 1:16). We do not need an organization to step
in and take over the God-given duties of the church. We do not need a “school
of preaching” where funds are pooled from several churches to do the work each
local church should be doing.
Did the Old Testament priests devise an organization that would sacrifice the
animals for them? We must be faithful as Moses and Jesus were faithful
(Heb.3:1-19). Indeed, how shall we escape if we do not give the more earnest
heed to the things spoken by the Lord (Heb.2:1-3)?
“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful
that promised” (Heb.10:23). “Let us not give place by subjection, no, not for an
hour” (Gal.2:5) to those who would pervert the gospel of our salvation (Gal.1:6-9;
Eph.1:13).
“We get into trouble when we scheme and plan to help God work out his plans.
When God announced, even before Esau and Jacob were born, his purposes
concerning these two prospective sons of Isaac and Rebekah, Rebekah should
have realized that God would work out his plans in his own way; but she thought
she must do some scheming to help God work out his plans. In so doing she lost
the company of her beloved son and caused him untold misery.” R.L. Whiteside,
KINGDOM OF PROMISE AND PROPHECY, page 159.
Don’t change God’s law. You have your own “school of preaching” right in the local church.
