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July, 2003
EDITORIAL: OBEYING GOD RATHER THAN MEN
ARTICLE: COPYCAT RELIGION
By: Bro. Jim Harris
NEWS:
ABOUT THE LANDMARK OBSERVER
EDITORIAL
OBEYING GOD RATHER THAN MEN
As the Apostle Paul neared the end of his life he encouraged his "son
in the faith," Timothy, to "Preach the word." We are all familiar
with this verse and the need to "be instant in season, out of season."
However, it is the context of this instruction that interests and
has affected me over the years. In Second Timothy 2:1 Paul said, "I
charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall
judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom, Preach
the word . . . " The command to preach the Word is given in the context
of the perilous times which shall come in the last days (3:1) and
the fact that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and profitable
Word of God (3:16-17). Add to this the fact that in these last days
even God's people will not "endure sound doctrine," and you have more
than sufficient cause for those God has called to fervently obey this command. I fully believe that I shall stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ and give account to the One who has called me to preach His Word for the way in which I have handled that assignment.
Unfortunately, it appears to me at times that some of God's men have a greater fear of displeasing the people they pastor than they do of displeasing the Lord. This would explain the willingness of some to give in and adopt programs and practices they would not otherwise approve. Here is an example of how that might work.
First of all, we must admit that most members of the Lord's churches
today are not obedient to the command of Jesus to witness of Him as we go about our daily activities. Because of this failure, the church sees only minimal (if any) growth. In seeking a cause, some blame the pastor, saying he is not doing his job. ("After all, that's what we hired you for -- to build up the church.") Feeling the pressure to produce, the pastor begins to accept practices and activities he would not otherwise condone.
The road to liberalism, error, and (I believe) eventual departure from the faith is very easy to get on and very difficult to get off. I remember Bro.
John Penn warning us in seminary to be careful of those things that cost little or nothing to get into but required a great deal to get out of. I have tried to heed that advice and apply it in all I do. I wish more of our brethren would do the same.
The Lord's churches are taught to follow and support the leadership of a godly pastor. In Hebrews 13:17 we read, "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls as they that must give account (emphasis mine), that they may do it with joy, and not with grief." I believe this is instruction to God's people and especially to His churches. However, dear pastor, whether a church will follow our leadership or not, we must remember
that we will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ and give account for the way in which we have led and the way in which we have handled His Word. That thought alone should cause us to take great care in performing the work God has called us to do. May we fear the Lord's judgment more than man's.
(jwh)
COPYCAT RELIGION
"Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations."
I Samuel 8:5
Until this point in their history, Israel had it made. They didn't realize it, but they had it made. God had freed them from Egyptian bondage, given them the Law, provided for them throughout their wilderness journey, and had brought them into the Promised Land. Israel, on the
other hand, had not been as faithful as God. They had not driven out all of the idol worshippers from the land. Apparently, they had not taught their children of God's blessings and provision, for Judges 2:10 says, "And there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, not yet the works which he had done for Israel." And, throughout the period of the judges, when Israel would cry out in repentance after God, in chastisement, had allowed their enemies to overcome them, He would provide a means of deliverance for His chosen people.
During this period Israel lived under a theocracy as God ruled over them. However, as humans often do, when problems arose with Samuel's sons, the people wanted to try something new. (Was it that they did not believe God could take care of the problem?) They had noticed the nations around them, and, forgetting that God's people are supposed to be different from the world, desired to become like the pagans that surrounded them. Thus, they requested that they might have a king, "like all the nations."
Unfortunately, we who are God's people in this day, are no better than Israel. We, too, in our worship and service of God, reveal a desire to "do it" like the world and the world's churches. We are influenced by what we see, hear, and read, and by what appeals to the flesh (and much of modern religion is designed to do just that). We watch "religious" television to learn how the "big churches" are doing things and then attempt to employ their means. From what I have seen, a good Bugs Bunny cartoon is more scriptural than most of the TV preachers, churches, and "worship." We may read the latest "how to" books or the latest devotional book by some heretical, universalist, works-for-salvation author and attempt
to apply the ideals he expresses to the Lord's true churches. We may attend seminars and services put on by those who are not of our own disposition to see how others seek "success" and come back with many erroneous and unscriptural ideas. Then, we employ programs that put into the hands of our young people literature which promotes ideas foreign to the Word of God and wonder why we are losing them to churches which associate with other groups. It is nothing more than doing as Israel and looking at the world about us to find a method of "service" to God which appeals to the flesh and makes us appear successful in the eyes of men. When we do so, we are guilty of a copycat religion that neither pleases God nor moves men.
In verses ten through eighteen of First Samuel the Lord warned the people of the dangers of wanting a king. "Nevertheless," says verse nineteen, "the people . . . said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; that we may be like all the nations." When Samuel was quite displeased with the request of the people, as verse six states, God told him (in verse seven), "They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should reign over them."
Do we ever stop to think that when we reject God's way to go after the world's way, we are rejecting our Heavenly Father? God's way of worship is "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). We can violate neither God's Word nor His will as expressed by His Holy Spirit
without rejecting Him.
I believe John 4:24 refers to attitude as much as it does to activity, and our justification of both attitude and activity often sounds like the questions of Israel to God in the book of Malachi. If we truly desire to reverence God as He should be in the worship of a true church, we will be careful to see that all we do, as well as all we say are to the honor and glory of the Father.
Copycat religion is all about is, and it is not difficult to get caught up in it. When we see the apparent success of the world's churches, we might be inclined to hop on board. However, we must remember that Satan is still in the religion business and is good at giving people what they want and telling them what they want to hear. Remember, too, the instruction of our Lord in John 15:19 when He told us, "If ye were of the world, the the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world . . . therefore the world hateth you."
Israel wanted a king that they might be "like all the nations," and many of the Lord's churches today hold the same attitude, not wanting the distinction that serving and worshipping God in spirit and in truth and giving unto Him the glory that is due His name will give them. Copycat religion may make us great in the eyes of men, but it
cannot and will not bring the blessings of God upon us. Only obedience and faithfully following His way can do that.
Bro. Jim Harris
News
SOUTHERNERS ABANDONING THEIR HERITAGE
According to a recent report by Barna research, Americans who live in the south are abandoning their spiritual heritage. The study showed that although Southerners are still more likely to attend church services than people from other regions, the weekly attendance figure has fallen by six points since 1997. Church volunteerism has dropped by eight points, and sharing one’s faith in Christ with a non-believer has diminished by seven points in the past three years. The proportion of adults in the South who can be classified as born again Christians, based on their faith in Christ, has dropped nine points since 1997. Also, the number of southerners who are likely to reject the argument that Satan is merely a symbol of evil has dropped by seven points since 1998.
NEWS BRIEFS
Succumbing to complaints from the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Park Service removed plaques with biblical psalms at popular viewing areas of the Grand Canyon, citing concerns that it may violate the separation between church and state.
(Charisma)
Authorities in Uzbekistan have confiscated and burned over two hundred
copies of the Russian Baptist magazine "Vestnik Istiny," or "Herald
of Truth". The magazines were confiscated from local Baptist Aleksei
Yermolayev, and were burned after a court ordered them destroyed.
(Forum 18 News)
Susan Andrews is the new moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA),
the first woman to hold the position. When asked about the issue of homosexual clergy, she answers unequivocally: she desires to give “the full privileges of membership, including ordination, to all of our gay brothers and sisters.”
(WhatInTheWorld)
VOICES FROM THE PAST . . .
". . . any religious group, true or false, is affected by the doings of other religious groups about it. This is a principle we should remember in the study of all these . . . churches. We should likewise remember it in connection with our own church activity."
Bro. Fred G. Stevenson
"Wiles of Satan . . . "
COUNTERFEIT BAPTISTS
The following article was written by A. T. Quick and appeared in the "Landmark Baptist" newspaper several years ago.
One of the most clever stratagems devised by the prince of darkness is the development of counterfeit Baptists -- "Baptists" who have repudiated their known history and lineage to identify with the Protestant movement, "Baptists" who have adopted the theological travesty of universalism. Such theology is found very popular in our day inasmuch as these things are far more acceptable to the adamic nature of people.
To be "big" in the eyes of the world is all-important to them. This throwing away of time-honored truth and principles, however, does result in the removal of the Heavenly charter of New Testament churches (Rev. 2:5).
The astonishing fact about all this is that there are so few Baptists who are aware of the irrefutable records of history and Scripture which clearly show that these things are a departure
from the Faith once delivered to the saints.
Reader, be encouraged that there are Baptists who have not sold their birthright. Some of these will remain on the earth until our Lord returns. He has promised this.
Hopefully this paper is an encouragement to some of those described in the final paragraph is this article -- true, Baptists who desire to be set apart to the Lord and from the corrupt religious system of the world. Pray for us that we will continue to so strive.
--Editor
About The Landmark Observer
The Landmark Observer is published on a monthly
basis. Articles are printed solely at the discretion of the editor and
do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church.
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