,god ,hath ,spoken ,by ,,harris ,,dark ,published by ,,george ,w4 ,,dehoff ,,publishing ,,company ,,murfreesboro1 ,,tennessee ,copyright1 #aidg1 by ,harris ,dark4 ,,printed ,,in ,,the ,,united ,,states ,,of ,,america ,,contents ,i4 ,god ,hath ,spoken #g ,,ii4 ,generic and ,specific ,commands #ai ,,iii4 ,intolerance #cb ,,iv4 ,where ,did ,so ,many ,denominations ,come ,from8 #ec ,v4 ,which ,church ,is ,right8 #gf ,,vi4 ,why ,not ,be ,just ,a ,christian8 #ajb ,,vii4 ,excuses #aac ,,viii4 ,an ,erring ,child of ,god #acb ,,ix4 ,the ,sabbath #ade ,x4 ,seventh ,day ,adventism ,reviewed #afa ,,xi4 ,leadership #agf ,,xii4 ,congregational ,objectives and ,activities #aif ,,xiii4 ,congregational ,objectives and ,activities 7,continued7 #bad ,,xiv4 ,how ,much ,is ,liberal8 #bcc ,,xv4 ,and ,such ,like #bej ,,xvi4 ,what ,must ,i ,do to ,keep ,saved8 #bfi ,i ,,god ,,hath ,,spoken ,each author has his own individual literary style and critics of literature can identify the work of an author by the construction and diction of his writing4 ,the ,holy ,spirit is the author of the ,bible and he has a literary style peculiar to himself1 which distinguishes his work from that of all human authors4 ,there are certain literary characteristics in the ,bible that are not found in any book written by man4 ,it would be profitable to list a great number of them and show how they distinguish the ,bible from every other book in the world4 ,one of the characteristics of the ,holy ,spirit's literary style is the use of very long sentences1 one of which ,i shall read for our text this morning4 ,it is the opening sentence of the book of ,hebrews3 8,god1 who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets1 hath in these last days spoken unto us by his ,son1 whom he hath appointed heir of all things1 by whom also he made the worlds2 who being the brightness of his glory1 and the express image of his person1 and upholding all things by the word of his power1 when he had by himself purged our sins1 sat down on the right hand of the ,majesty on high2 being made so much better than the angels1 as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they40 ,that is the reading of four verses but just one sentence4 ,it is not easy to write such a long sentence that is easily understood1 but this one is perfectly clear4 ,if some high-school student were called upon to analyze this sentence and to underscore its principal clause1 he would underscore these words1 8,god hath spoken40 ,these three words1 8,god hath spoken10 are the principal clause in this long sentence1 and they express a very wonderful and a very profound truth4 ,if you will just remember these three words and let them dwell in your heart1 meditating upon them both day and night1 the fullness of their meaning will unfold to you more and more as the days go by4 ,i ,god ,hath ,,spoken ,it's a wonderful thing that ,god hath spoken4 ,just try to imagine what condition this world would be in if ,god had never spoken4 ,what if he had not spoken to ,adam1 to ,noah1 to ,moses1 or to any of our forefathers down through the centuries8 ,as a clue to the conditions which would prevail if ,god had not spoken1 consider the places on earth today where the ,bible is unknown2 where its influence has had only a very remote and indirect effect4 ,in such places we find backwardness1 ignorance1 disease1 darkness4 ,by way of contrast1 you may consider our own country where the ,bible is better known2 though far from being fully and faithfully followed4 ,here we have an effective system of public education1 industrial and scientific advancement1 a comparatively high degree of intelligence1 numerous charitable organizations and institutions1 or what may be summarily described as a high standard of civilization4 ,if such material blessings come to those who even partially respect the word that ,god has spoken1 just think how wonderful its influence would be if every individual were a faithful student and faithful follower of his word4 ,the word that ,god has spoken makes a difference6 ,if it were not for his word1 we would be in total darkness4 8,it is not in man that walketh to direct his own steps40 ,the learned ,grecian philosophers1 with all of their wisdom1 were not able to figure out a way of life that would lead to happiness on this earth1 to say nothing of leading to salvation in that world which is to come4 ,if ,god had not spoken1 we would not know where we came from1 we would not know where we are going1 and we would not know what to do in the meantime4 ,we owe all of our progress1 not only spiritually but otherwise also1 to the fact that ,god hath spoken4 ,oh1 we could learn from the material universe that ,god is2 we could learn that some sort of a great being had brought into existence all of the things we behold but if ,god had not spoken1 we would not know his will concerning us4 ,we would not know what he wants us to do4 ,we would not know about the ,way that leads to happiness here and hereafter4 ,so ,i want you to meditate upon the fact that ,god hath spoken4 ,i believe that that meditation will beget within you a feeling of gratitude for ,god's word1 a greater appreciation of it1 and1 therefore1 a more careful study of it and a more diligent adherence unto it4 ,,ii ,,god ,hath ,spoken ,every word in our principal clause is significant4 ,not only is it important that ,god hath spoken1 but it is important that ,god hath spoken--that ,god is the one who has done the speaking4 ,just think what that means6 ,the great ,god of this universe1 creator of heaven and earth and everything therein--,god1 who sprinkled the heavens with teeming millions of bright sparkling worlds1 which we behold by night1 and made these bodies of ours that are so wonderfully and fearfully constructed--,god1 who has all power and wisdom1 and who is characterized by love1 mercy1 and tenderness--,god1 the everlasting ,god1 hath spoken4 ,god1 the ,holy and ,living ,god of all the universe1 hath condescended to speak unto us who are mere worms of the dust4 ,sometimes we see a man on this earth who thinks himself too good to speak to some other man4 ,some folk will not speak to each other4 ,we ought to stop and consider the fact that ,god hath spoken to us4 ,just think about how great he is1 how holy he is1 how pure he is1 how powerful he is1 and yet he condescended to speak unto us1 who are weak and sinful creatures of earth6 ,he wants us to hear him that we may enjoy the blessings that come from learning and obeying the word that he has spoken4 ,,iii ,god ,,hath ,spoken ,but the other word in our text is also important--the word 8hath40 ,it is present perfect tense4 ,it means that ,god has already spoken4 ,our text does not say that ,god is continuing to speak but that ,god hath spoken1 indicating that at the time this fact was recorded ,god's revelation to the world through ,christ had already been made4 ,it had not all been put in written form1 but the gospel had already been revealed4 ,it was already in existence among men4 ,the apostles had already been preaching for a number of years4 ,at the time they finished committing the gospel to writing 7about ,a4,d4 #if71 it could truthfully be said that revelation was already complete4 ,our text does not say 8,god is speaking10 or 8,god continues to speak10 or 8,god will speak10 but 8,god hath spoken40 ,of course1 as far as you and ,i are individually concerned1 as we read and study his word1 we are still hearing his message4 ,but the point is that that message was completely delivered unto the world nearly two thousand years ago4 ,no additions have been made to it since then and no addition will ever be made to it4 ,god hath spoken4 ,his message is complete4 ,it is1 therefore1 final4 ,those who claim a later revelation are making a false claim4 ,those who are waiting for a future revelation are waiting in vain4 ,this very simple clause with just three words in it indicates that ,god's message to us through ,christ is complete4 ,god hath spoken4 ,this being true1 we need not expect another revelation4 ,this truth is further emphasized by other statements in the ,bible4 ,for instance1 in #b ,timothy1 chapter #c1 and beginning with verse #af1 8,all scripture is given by inspiration of ,god1 and is profitable for doctrine1 for reproof1 for correction1 for instruction in righteousness2 that the man of ,god may be perfect1 throughly furnished unto all good works40 ,or1 as one version says1 8that the man of ,god may be complete1 furnished completely unto every good work40 ,so the word ,god hath spoken is complete4 ,it's all we need4 ,it furnishes the man of ,god completely unto every good work4 ,therefore1 we need not expect any further revelation4 ,notice the word 8scripture40 ,the word 8scripture0 means that which has been written4 ,the word that ,god hath spoken has been put in written form4 ,we no longer receive it from the lips of the apostles1 or from the lips of those who first proclaimed it unto the world4 ,after ,god had spoken through them1 they put his word in writing and it has been passed down to us through the ages that have followed4 ,by the providence of ,god it has been translated into our own mother tongue so that we may read it and study it for ourselves4 ,our testimony then is not an oral one1 but a written one4 ,in the #bjth chapter of ,john1 verses #cj and #ca1 we read1 8,and many other signs1 truly did ,jesus in the presence of his disciples1 which are not written in this book2 but these are written1 that ye might believe40 ,notice that word 8written40 ,the source of our faith has been put in written form4 ,this fact refutes the claim that ,god is speaking directly to people today4 ,he hath spoken4 ,his word has already been delivered4 ,during my recent meetings in ,georgia and ,north ,carolina1 ,i heard two men say that ,god had spoken to them audibly4 ,one man said he was passing through a pine thicket one day and ,god spoke to him4 ,i asked him what ,god said to him4 ,he replied1 8,god told me ,i needed a saviour40 ,well1 ,god had already told him that1 two thousand years ago4 ,we have that revealed in the ,bible4 ,i have never talked to a man who could tell me what ,god had said to him unless he got it from the ,bible4 ,when a man thinks he hears ,god speak today1 if anyone honestly thinks such a thing1 he is simply recalling something that he has read in the ,bible1 or learned from somebody else who read it in the ,bible4 ,god's message was completely delivered nearly two thousand years ago4 ,thus it is seen that every word of our topic is important4 ,the ,almighty ,god hath already spoken unto us4 ,,iv ,study the ,bible ,now ,i want to draw a few conclusions from this great fact4 ,in view of the fact that ,god has spoken1 let us consider how we ought to study his word4 ,just think--it's a message from ,god1 a message from ,heaven6 ,it applies to you1 personally and individually1 just as much as it would if he were to speak to you this morning in audible tones and address you by name4 ,suppose1 for example1 he should call you by name and say1 8,now why tarriest thou8 ,arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins1 calling on the name of the ,lord40 ,why1 ,i believe you would hasten to do it4 ,but friends1 he has already said it4 ,in ,acts #bb3af1 we find those very words and they are written to you4 ,notice again this sentence1 8,god hath spoken unto us40 ,his words are addressed to us and they apply to you and me4 ,every word in the will of ,christ1 the new testament or covenant1 applies to us1 and we ought to regard it as a personal message from ,god ,almighty unto us4 ,surely that thought ought to inspire us to read the ,bible every day4 ,i don't believe anyone who has any regard for his own welfare and any respect for ,jehovah1 can meditate upon the fact that ,god hath spoken without being moved to study ,god's word more diligently4 ,god hath revealed to us his word4 ,therefore1 we ought to read it and study it4 ,v ,god's ,word ,is ,final ,furthermore1 friends1 we ought to regard it as final and complete and as the standard of truth1 the standard by which all of our religious questions are to be decided4 ,this conclusion is fundamental and very important4 ,it needs to be emphasized4 ,if you talk to the people of this world and see how many different human standards they are relying upon1 you can see the importance of settling all religious questions by the divine standard1 the word that ,god hath spoken through ,christ4 ,i want to use a simple illustration4 ,suppose three men measure the length of this room and one of them uses a yardstick #ce inches long1 another uses a yardstick #cf inches long and the other a yardstick #cg inches long4 ,they won't get the same answer because they are not using the same standard4 ,the same is true in the field of philosophy and religion4 ,if each man uses a different yardstick1 nothing but confusion and division can possibly be the result4 ,and1 friends1 that is just exactly what is wrong with this world today4 ,one man uses the 8,pope0 at ,rome for his yardstick4 ,he says that whatever the 8,pope0 says is right4 ,he measures everything by that4 ,then ,i come along and measure by the ,bible1 the ,word of ,god1 and he and ,i get different answers4 ,somebody else takes the church to which he belongs as his standard of measurement4 ,people say1 8,my church teaches so and so10 and 8,my church practices so and so40 ,i have even had them come to me and say1 8,what does your church believe on this point8 ,what does your church teach here80 ,they simply mean1 8,what does the group of people with which you are associated have to say about this matter80 ,over and over again ,i have them ask me1 8,what do you think about it80 ,i have heard that expression many1 many times during the last four weeks4 ,well1 you can see how all these different yardsticks will get different answers4 ,one man wants my opinion about it1 that's his yardstick2 somebody else uses his church's opinion as his yardstick2 another takes what his parents think about it2 still another takes tradition as his yardstick2 and someone else takes simply the way he feels about it4 ,i hear them say1 8,well1 ,i like it1 and therefore it must be all right10 or1 8,it seems good to me40 ,i recently heard a boy try to justify his going to a particular church on the basis that it made him feel good4 ,well1 those are just all irregular standards4 ,they are not standards4 ,people who reason like that are using the wrong unit of measurement4 ,friends1 ,god hath spoken and when ,god speaks all the world should be quiet and listen4 ,we should take his word as final4 ,it should be the standard by which we decide all questions1 and until the world can agree upon the word that ,god has spoken as its yardstick1 as its unit of measurement1 as its standard for determining truth1 we shall continue to have division and confusion in this world4 ,so ,i want to impress you with the fact that ,god hath spoken4 ,let us go to that word to find the answer to every question that pertains to religion4 ,in fact1 ,i might just say the answer to every question1 for almost all questions are answered in the ,bible1 at least in a general way4 ,if we would apply the principles of its teachings1 all of our domestic and social problems would be solved4 ,our industrial and political problems would be solved4 ,our international problems would be solved1 if all people would learn what ,god hath spoken and follow it4 ,,vi ,will ,you ,obey ,his ,word8 ,i hope you are impressed with the fact which ,god hath spoken4 ,are you willing to hear that word8 ,friends1 the word that ,god has spoken tells us that we must believe1 in order to be saved4 8,god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son1 that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life0 7,john #c3af74 8,without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to ,god0 7,heb4 #aa3f74 ,faith is the very foundation of ,christianity1 so much so the ,bible says1 8,the just shall live by faith0 7,rom4 #a3ag74 ,we are to walk by faith and not by sight4 ,the word which ,god has spoken says that 8,except ye repent ye shall likewise perish0 7,luke #ac3c74 ,this word which ,god has spoken unto us through his ,son1 ,jesus1 tells us that if we confess him before men he will confess us before his ,father who is in heaven4 ,but if we deny him1 he will deny us before his ,father who is in heaven 7,matt4 #aj3cb1 #cc74 ,then1 friends1 this same word which ,god has spoken says1 8,repent1 and be baptized everyone of you in the name of ,jesus ,christ for the remission of your sins and ye shall receive the gift of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,for the promise is unto you1 and to your children1 and to all that are afar off1 even as many as the ,lord1 our ,god1 shall call0 7,acts #b3ch1 #ci74 ,this word which ,god has spoken tells those who have been baptized and have gone astray1 to come back repenting and confessing their faults and praying for forgiveness 7,acts #h3bb2 #a ,john #a3i74 ,this word which ,god has spoken promises that he will not let us be tempted above that we are able1 but will with the temptation also make a way to escape1 that we may be able to bear it4 7#a ,cor4 #aj3ac74 ,this word that ,god has spoken tells us to be faithful unto death and he will give us a crown of life incorruptible1 undefiled1 and that fadeth not away 7,rev4 #b3aj2 #a ,pet4 #a3d74 ,are you willing this morning to listen to the word which ,god hath spoken8 ,i am not asking you to listen to me or to listen to any group of people1 but to listen to the word of ,god4 ,he said1 8,come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and ,i will give you rest40 ,if you are willing to hear and to heed that word that ,god hath spoken1 then come forward while we sing and make your wishes known4 ,,ii ,,generic ,,and ,,specific ,,commands ,our topic this morning is 8,generic and ,specific ,commands40 ,this subject may sound like a very technical one2 but it is1 in fact1 a very practical one4 ,a study of this topic is valuable1 not merely for its own sake1 but also because it throws light on many other questions1 and is designed to help in the study of some lessons which are to follow3 ,the ,bible teaches that man must not add to1 or subtract from1 the word of ,god4 ,for instance1 8,ye shall not add unto the word which ,i command you1 neither shall ye diminish ought from it1 that ye may keep the commandments of the ,lord your ,god which ,i command you0 7,deut4 #d3b74 8,for ,i testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book1 if any man shall add unto these things1 ,god shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book2 and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy1 ,god shall take away his part out of the book of life1 and out of the holy city1 and from the things which are written in this book0 7,rev4 #bb3ah-ai74 ,i ,a ,problem in ,application ,these ,scriptures show very plainly that one must neither add to nor subtract from the word of ,god4 ,this fundamental principle is taught in both the ,new ,testament and the ,old ,testament4 ,however1 some have difficulty in applying this teaching to many questions arising today4 ,because of this difficulty we find people who object to such things as a baptistry in the church building1 ,sunday morning ,bible classes1 individual cups1 song books1 collection baskets1 etc4 ,these objections arise from a misunderstanding of the basic principle announced in the ,scriptures just quoted4 ,we hope that what is to follow will help4 ,first of all1 let it be understood that a commandment authorizes everything essential to obeying that commandment4 ,for instance1 the commandment to meet and worship ,god authorizes a place and an hour of meeting4 ,the ,bible does not tell us where to meet to eat the ,lord's supper or upon what hour of the day to meet1 but the very commandment to observe this institution authorizes some place and some hour for the meeting4 ,this leads us to consider the difference between a generic or general commandment and a specific one4 ,a generic commandment is one that authorizes or commands a certain action1 but does not give the details as to how that commandment shall be carried out4 ,the difference between generic and specific commandments must be recognized in applying the ,scriptures that have been mentioned4 ,let it be remembered that a commandment may be mixed1 partly generic and partly specific4 ,it may be generic with respect to certain details which it comprehends1 and specific in reference to others4 ,,ii ,examples #a4 ,the best way ,i know to make these distinctions clear is by giving a number of examples4 ,god told ,noah to build an ark4 ,he specified the kind of wood that should be used4 ,he told ,noah to use gopher wood4 ,that authorized gopher wood and eliminated every other possible kind of wood4 ,since ,god specified that gopher wood should be used1 it would have been wrong for ,noah to have used any other sort of wood4 ,it would have been a sin for him to have used cedar wood1 or oak1 or any other kind which might be named4 ,god also told ,noah to put a door in this ark1 in the side of it4 ,but he did not tell him in which side to put it4 ,hence1 the commandment to build an ark was generic as to the side in which the door should be located4 ,god specified the dimensions of the ark4 ,he told ,noah to build the ark #cjj cubits long4 ,it would have been a sin1 therefore1 for ,noah to have built it #cja cubits long or #bii cubits long1 or any other length except the one which ,god specified4 ,god also told ,noah to build some rooms in this ark1 but did not tell him how many to build4 ,this commandment1 therefore1 was generic as far as the number of rooms was concerned4 ,on that point ,noah was free to build the number of rooms which he thought was best4 ,of course1 he had to build some number4 ,the very command to build rooms authorized some number of rooms1 but ,god did not specify the number so ,noah was free to exercise his own judgment in that respect4 ,god specified the animals that were to be taken into the ark4 ,he told ,noah to take certain ones but he did not tell him which animals to take into the ark first4 ,you see1 therefore1 that the commandment to build the ark was specific in some respects and was generic in other respects4 #b4 ,the commandment to offer a passover sacrifice may also be used as an illustration4 ,if ,god had merely commanded the ,jews to offer an animal1 that would have left them free to offer any sort of animal which they chose4 ,but he specified that they should offer a lamb1 which meant either a sheep or a goat4 ,it was also specified that it should be of the first year1 a male1 and without blemish4 ,these details were specified with the commandment4 ,it would have been a sin for the ,jews to have ignored any of these specifications4 ,in those days the word 8lamb0 was understood to mean either a sheep or a goat4 ,the ,jews were free to offer either1 but they had to heed the specifications that it be of the first year1 without blemish1 and of the male sex4 #c4 ,coming to the ,new ,testament for an illustration1 we refer to the great commission as recorded by ,mark in the #afth chapter of his book1 verses #ae and #af3 8,go ye into all the world1 and preach the gospel to every creature2 he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved1 but he that believeth not shall be damned40 ,here again we have a commandment which is partly generic and partly specific4 ,the word 8go0 is generic with respect to the means of travel to be used4 ,the general form of this commandment leaves one free to travel by any suitable method4 ,in obeying this commandment one may travel by rail1 by boat1 by airplane1 by automobile1 on foot1 on horseback1 or by any other method that is in decency and in order4 ,i recently held a meeting in ,alabama which people attended by practically every means of transportation4 ,they came by train1 by bus1 by automobile1 on tractors1 in buggies1 on horseback1 on foot1 in wagons1 in trucks--in almost every conceivable way except by airplane or motorboat4 ,the general commandment to go leaves one free to travel in any of these ways4 ,but this same commandment is specific in respect to what shall be taught after one gets to the place of teaching4 ,it specifies that one shall preach the ,gospel4 ,the message that is to be delivered is therefore specified4 ,it must be the ,gospel4 #d4 ,matthew's statement of this same commission says1 8,go ye therefore1 and teach all nations1 baptizing them in the name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost3 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever ,i have commanded you40 ,the commandment to teach is specific as to the message1 but it is generic with reference to the method that shall be used in the teaching4 ,according to the general command to teach1 the lesson may be either oral or written4 ,the teacher may be either a man or a woman1 and the size of the class may be whatever circumstances and expediency justify4 ,this commandment to teach does not specify the number that shall be in the class1 or the sex of the teacher1 or whether the lesson shall be an oral one or a written one4 ,in this same great commission we have the commandment to baptize in the name of the ,father and of the ,son and of the ,holy ,ghost those who have been taught4 ,since these names have been specified1 it would be a sin to baptize in the name of any human being or any human institution4 ,the word 8baptize0 itself denotes the act4 ,it means to be immersed1 buried in water 7,col4 #b3ab74 ,however1 this commandment does not tell us how the immersing shall be done4 ,we may immerse one according to this commandment face foremost1 sideways1 lying down1 standing up or in any other appropriate way1 just as long as we obey the commandment to baptize2 that is1 to immerse or bury in water4 ,,iii ,the ,principle ,applied #a4 ,some one may say that according to this principle of interpretation instrumental music may be justified4 ,let us see if this is true4 ,if ,god's word had merely told us to make music1 that would have been generic as far as the type of music is concerned4 ,but it so happens that ,god did not leave this commandment in such a general form4 ,he specified the type of music we shall use in worshiping him4 ,ephesians #e3ai says1 8,speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs1 singing and making melody in your heart to the ,lord40 ,colossians #c3af1 8,let the word of ,christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom2 teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs1 singing with grace in your hearts to the ,lord40 ,god1 therefore1 has specified the kind of music4 ,he tells us to sing4 ,if ,god had merely told ,noah to build an ark1 he could have used any kind of wood that he chose or any other material4 ,he could have used either cedar or gopher1 but when ,god commanded him to use gopher wood1 that drew a ring around the word gopher and eliminated every other type of building material4 ,if he had merely told the ,jews to offer a sacrifice at the passover1 they might have offered either a calf or a lamb2 but when he commanded them to offer a lamb1 that drew a ring around the word lamb and eliminated every other type of sacrifice that might be conceived4 ,likewise1 with reference to the music that we offer in our worship1 if ,god had just said1 8,make music10 then we could have used any kind we chose1 but he has specified singing4 ,this eliminates every other conceivable kind of music as far as our worship to ,jehovah is concerned4 ,sometimes ,i hear people say that ,god does not tell us not to use instrumental music4 ,this is a mistake4 ,he does tell us not to use it4 ,he does so in ,colossians #c3af and in ,ephesians #e3ai4 ,those ,scriptures that tell us to offer vocal music in our worship tell us1 as plain as day1 not to offer any other kind4 ,surely everyone will agree that it would have been a sin for ,noah to have built the ark out of cedar wood4 ,everyone will likewise agree that it would have been wrong for the ,jews to have offered a cow as a passover sacrifice4 ,by the same line of reasoning1 and just as clearly to be seen1 it would be wrong today for people to substitute some other kind of music for the kind that ,god has specified4 #b4 ,the commandment to eat the ,lord's supper in memory of ,jesus ,christ is generic in some respects and specific in others4 ,the ,bible specifies the day of the week upon which this institution shall be observed4 ,this lesson is taught by means of divinely approved example as recorded in ,acts1 chapter #bj and verse #g3 8,upon the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread1 ,paul preached unto them1 ready to depart on the morrow2 and continued his speech until midnight40 ,the ,bible therefore specifies that the ,lord's supper shall be observed upon the first day of the week1 but this teaching is generic as far as the hour of the day is concerned4 ,there have been people who argued that it would be a sin to eat the ,lord's supper at #g3cj ,p4,m4 ,there are others who believe it is wrong to eat it at #aa3jj ,a4,m41 just because the ,bible does not specify that hour4 ,but the same objection could be raised to any other hour mentioned1 and thereby eliminate the possibility of eating it at all4 ,the commandment to eat the ,lord's supper upon the first day of the week1 necessarily implies that it should be eaten at some hour1 and ,god has seen fit to leave man free to use his own judgment in selecting the hour of the day4 ,the ,bible specifies that the fruit of the vine shall be used1 but it does not say whether that fruit shall be fermented or unfermented4 ,the failure to recognize this fact has led some to contend that it's a sin to use grape juice4 ,the very same type of error has caused others to contend that it would be wrong to use wine4 ,we must recognize the fact that ,god has left this commandment generic as to whether the fruit of the vine shall be fermented or unfermented4 ,likewise the ,bible does not designate the number of cups that shall be used1 leaving us free to use our own judgment upon that point as well4 ,it is true that the ,bible refers to 8the cup10 but every careful student knows that that refers to the contents and not to the vessel4 ,as a matter of fact1 there must be some distribution made between the original container and the lips of those who partake4 ,the ,bible does not specify at what stage this distribution shall be made4 ,god has endowed us with intelligence1 and expects us to use it in applying these commandments which are left in generic form4 #c4 ,other examples of generic commands of a slightly different form are these3 8,therefore1 all things ye would that men should do to you1 do ye even so to them2 for this is the law and the prophets0 7,matt4 #g3ab74 8,for the grace of ,god that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men1 teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts1 we should live soberly1 righteously and godly in this present world1 looking for that blessed hope1 and the glorious appearance of the great ,god and our ,saviour ,jesus ,christ0 7,titus #b3aa-ac74 8,pure religion and undefiled before ,god and the ,father is this2 to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction1 and to keep himself unspotted from the world0 7,jas4 #a3bg74 ,all of these are general commandments governing ,christian conduct4 ,they announce certain general principles that should guide us in our behavior4 ,we must use our own best judgment in applying these principles to the various questions that arise1 and we should pray for wisdom to make the proper application4 7,jas4 #a3e74 ,,iv ,important ,conclusions #a4 ,there are certain important conclusions which should be drawn from what has already been said4 ,first1 in a sphere where ,god has made specifications we must heed them4 ,we must not ignore them4 ,we must not change them4 ,what he specifies must be done4 ,in executing a command we must heed these specifications4 ,to do otherwise would be an act of disobedience to ,god ,almighty4 #b4 ,second1 where ,god has made no specifications we should not make any and try to bind them on others4 ,to do so would be to add to the word of ,god1 and to violate the principle taught in ,revelations #bb3ah-ai and at many other places in the ,bible4 ,god had a good reason for leaving certain commandments in a general form4 ,for me to work out specifications concerning how those general commandments should be obeyed and undertake to bind my inventions on others would be a very grievous sin4 ,in the execution of a general commandment1 each individual and each congregation is left to make its own choices4 ,it's just as much harm to make specifications where ,god has made none1 as it is to ignore those specifications that he has made4 ,it would be just as wrong to specify that the ,lord's supper must be eaten at #g3cj ,p4,m4 as it would be to ignore the specification that music used to worship ,god must be vocal4 #c4 ,third1 in the execution of these general commandments1 we should use wisdom4 ,someone has said that there are three kinds of sense3 revealed sense1 common sense1 and nonsense4 ,where there is revealed sense we must follow it2 but where there is no revealed sense1 where ,god has given a general commandment and left us free to execute it according to our best judgment1 we should use common sense and not nonsense4 ,in all matters1 wisdom should be exercised4 ,there are many ,scriptures that verify this conclusion4 ,for instance1 8,if any of you lack wisdom1 let him ask of ,god that giveth to all men liberally1 and upbraideth not2 and it shall be given him4 ,but let him ask in faith1 nothing wavering4 ,for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea1 driven with the wind and tossed4 ,for let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the ,lord0 7,james #a3e-g74 ,wisdom has been defined as the ability to properly apply knowledge4 ,in this connection it would be ability to properly apply the knowledge that we have received from ,god's word4 ,such wisdom comes as a result of experience and age and study and prayer4 ,hebrews #e3ad says1 8,but strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age1 even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil40 ,evidently that is the reason ,god has ordained that the older or experienced men shall be the overseers of the local congregation4 ,evidently that's also the reason he ordained that children should obey their parents rather than parents obey the children4 ,oftentimes those who are older can discern good or evil where the younger and less experienced are unable to do so4 ,even the apostles were admonished to use wisdom4 ,christ said to the twelve in ,matthew #aj3af3 8,behold1 ,i send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves2 be ye therefore wise as serpents1 and harmless as doves40 8,let all things be done decently and in order0 7#a ,cor4 #ad3dj74 #d4 ,remember then these three important conclusions4 ,first1 in a sphere where ,god has made specifications we must heed them4 ,we must not ignore them or change them4 ,we must not substitute something of our own choosing1 for that which ,jehovah has specified4 ,specifications in a given sphere automatically eliminate everything else that comes within the same sphere or category4 ,second1 where he has made no specifications we must not make any4 ,we certainly must not try to bind any on others4 ,and1 third1 in applying his general commandments1 we should use wisdom4 ,we should use common sense and not nonsense4 ,recognition and proper application of these principles will furnish a ready solution to many otherwise difficult questions4 #e4 ,in reference to the plan of salvation1 ,god has been very explicit4 ,he specifies that one must believe in order to be saved 7,acts #af3ca74 ,he specifies that repentance is essential 7,acts #c3ai74 ,he likewise specifies that we should confess with our mouths the faith that we have in our hearts 7,acts #h3cg74 ,and he is equally definite in teaching that baptism is a condition of salvation4 8,then ,peter said unto them1 ,repent1 and be baptized every one of you in the name of ,jesus ,christ for the remission of sins1 and ye shall receive the gift of the ,holy ,ghost0 7,acts #b3ch74 8,and now why tarriest thou8 arise1 and be baptized1 and wash away thy sins1 calling on the name of the ,lord0 7,acts #bb3af74 ,you are invited and urged to heed these specifications4 ,,iii ,,intolerance ,we are certainly happy to have so many visitors present and want you to know that you are always more than welcome at our service4 ,it is our purpose to do everything we can to show our appreciation and make your visit with us pleasant and profitable4 ,our topic this morning is 8,intolerance40 ,it is both timely and important4 ,during the past week an organization of churches throughout the nation has been celebrating what is called ,brotherhood ,week and preaching the doctrine of tolerance4 ,there was a panel discussion on this subject at ,watkins ,institute last ,tuesday night which indicated that people are interested in this topic and also illustrated the need for tolerance4 ,so we feel that we are speaking on something which is of very great current interest4 ,incidentally1 the panel was also an index to the interest people have in a public hearing of religious differences4 ,a religious debate will still attract a bigger crowd than any other sort of church service4 ,it is a mistake to conclude that people are not interested in a discussion of religious issues4 ,there was a debate just a few days ago at ,white ,house1 ,tennessee1 in a very small congregation1 perhaps not more than forty or fifty members4 ,the crowds overflowed the building4 ,they moved to the gymnasium of the local school and filled it before the debate closed4 ,this indicates the extent to which people are interested in public investigations of religious questions4 ,i ,the ,issue ,defined #a4 ,in order to study intelligently the subject of intolerance we need to understand definitely the meaning of the term4 ,the words 8tolerance10 8intolerance10 8tolerate10 and so on1 have several different meanings4 ,if we aren't careful1 one person will be thinking of one meaning of a term and another of a different meaning4 ,if you look these words up in your dictionary1 you will see several definitions4 ,in order that we may understand each other1 then1 ,i want to cite two or three of them4 #b4 ,one definition says that intolerance means unwillingness to bear or endure4 ,in other words1 it means unwillingness to suffer long4 ,of course1 in that sense intolerance is wrong1 because the ,bible teaches that we should be longsuffering4 ,one of the fruits of the ,spirit is longsuffering 7,gal4 #e3bb74 8,and we exhort you1 brethren1 admonish the disorderly1 encourage the fainthearted1 support the weak1 be longsuffering toward all0 7#a ,thess4 #e3ad ,,arv74 ,there are many other ,scriptures in the ,new ,testament which teach the importance1 the necessity1 of our being longsuffering4 ,so1 of course1 in this sense we ought to be tolerant1 we ought to be willing to endure1 to suffer1 and to bear4 #c4 ,according to ,funk and ,wagnal's dictionary1 the word 8intolerance0 also means 8not disposed to tolerate contrary beliefs or opinions40 ,there1 you see1 intolerance is defined in terms of the word 8tolerate10 so we need to know what it means4 ,the word 8tolerate0 means 8to suffer to be1 or to be done1 without active opposition40 ,you put all that together and you simply get this3 tolerance means to let the beliefs and opinions which are contrary to your own go without opposition2 whereas1 intolerance according to this definition1 or meaning of the word1 would mean to oppose the beliefs and opinions which are contrary to your own4 ,now1 the question is1 should we be tolerant in this sense8 ,should we be tolerant in the sense of allowing beliefs and opinions which are contrary to our own go without any active opposition on our part8 ,i think this makes the issue clear4 ,,ii ,some ,necessary ,distinctions #a4 ,in order to answer this question1 ,i am persuaded that we will have to make a distinction between belief and opinion1 and a distinction between things that are essential and things which are not essential4 7,in making this statement ,i am aware that the study of such a distinction may itself involve a debate1 but ,i am not opposed to debates47 ,in other words1 saying that a man should be tolerant is something like saying he ought to 8be in favor of40 ,well1 in favor of what8 ,before you can say a man ought to be in favor1 you have to know what is under consideration4 ,am ,i in favor of it8 ,that depends upon what you are talking about4 ,am ,i tolerant of it8 ,that depends upon what you are talking about4 ,there are some things ,i can and should tolerate4 ,there are some other things that ,i cannot and ought not1 in the light of ,god's word1 tolerate at all4 #b4 ,in reference to things which do not affect one's salvation1 we ought to be tolerant4 ,for instance1 there are some folk who think it is wrong to eat meat1 and some other folk who think it is all right to eat meat4 ,you can go to heaven without eating meat and you can go to heaven while you eat meat4 ,it doesn't make any difference as to your salvation4 ,on a point like that we ought to be very generous and very tolerant4 ,this question is discussed at length in the fourteenth chapter of ,romans4 8,him that is weak in the faith receive ye1 but not to doubtful disputations4 ,for one believeth that he may eat all things3 another1 who is weak1 eateth herbs4 ,let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not2 and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth3 for ,god hath received him4 ,who art thou that judgest another man's servant8 ,to his own master he standeth or falleth4 ,yea1 he shall be holden up3 for ,god is able to make him stand0 7,rom4 #ad3a-d74 ,let a man eat vegetables only if he so desires4 ,let another man eat meat if he wants to4 ,in such cases the strong in faith should be considerate of those who are weak4 8,for meat destroy not the work of ,god4 ,all things indeed are pure2 but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence0 7,rom4 #ad3bj74 8,we then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak1 and not to please ourselves4 ,let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification4 ,for even ,christ pleased not himself3 but1 as it is written1 ,the reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me0 7,rom4 #ae3a-c74 ,if ,i had time this morning1 it would be well to read the entire fourteenth chapter of ,romans and discuss it in connection with the question of our attitude toward matters that are indifferent4 #c4 ,what should be our attitude toward matters of belief that do effect one's eternal salvation8 ,the question really boils down to this3 ,what should be our attitude toward people who are in error according to our judgment8 ,should we allow people whom we believe to be in error to go without correction1 without some effort on our part to show them that they are wrong and endeavor to get them to change8 ,certainly not4 ,on the contrary the ,bible clearly teaches the duty of doing every thing in our power to help people who are in danger4 ,before developing this point1 however1 let us note the necessity of distinguishing between scriptural and unscriptural methods or means of opposing error4 ,we cannot oppose false beliefs with physical or political force4 ,jesus said1 8,my kingdom is not of this world3 if my kingdom were of this world1 then would my servants fight 4440 7,john #ah3cf74 ,even people who are wrong1 who are in error1 who are on their way to destruction1 who hold beliefs which will damn their souls1 are not to be opposed with physical force1 or with political force4 ,neither are we expected to oppose them with scorn and ridicule4 ,we are expected to do everything we can in love and kindness to teach them the truth and persuade them to obey it4 ,,iii ,examples of ,sinful ,intolerance #a4 ,my brethren and ,i should be the first to preach against the use of unfair methods in opposing those who are thought to be in error4 ,we have suffered more at the hands of such intolerance than we have ever caused others to suffer4 ,in a certain town the members of a denomination threatened to boycott one of their own group if he sold a building lot to members of the church of ,christ who were establishing a congregation there1 and thus caused him to back out on a trade he had already made4 ,such prejudiced and unfair opposition was both undemocratic and sinful4 ,to have exercised freedom of speech in a public discussion of religious differences would have been honorable and democratic1 but this the denominationalists would not do4 ,they were too 8broadminded0 and 8tolerant40 ,it is strange that in politics people understand freedom of speech to mean that one may publicly criticize his opponent1 while in religion they pretend that it means something entirely different4 #b4 ,sometimes our young people are treated with sinful intolerance at school because they refuse to engage in dances4 ,sometimes they are treated with intolerance when they fail to take part in the gambling games1 games of chance1 which are played in some of the schools4 ,very often when they refuse to go to picture shows they are laughed at and made fun of4 ,it is not a question of somebody's attempting with love and sincerity to persuade them to change their convictions2 too often it is simply a matter of ridicule4 ,i could give some instances and call names of ,christian young people who have been persecuted in public schools because they had a standard of morality and conduct which was different from that of the majority in the school4 ,that is intolerance of a sinful sort4 ,it is the wrong sort of opposition4 ,endeavoring to teach in love and kindness what one believes1 even mistakingly1 to be the truth is legitimate2 but opposing contrary beliefs and ideals with ridicule and fun-making is wrong4 #c4 ,we saw an example of this at the panel discussion last ,tuesday night4 ,the chairman of the meeting was inclined to poke fun at some in the audience who arose to ask questions1 apparently asking the questions in all sincerity4 ,he would encourage the audience to give them the 8horse laugh40 ,the meeting which was called to promote tolerance manifested intolerance of an ugly sort4 ,it was said that this meeting was being called to advocate the doctrine that we should discriminate against no one because of his color1 his creed1 or his race4 ,these three words don't belong together4 ,color1 creed1 and race do not come in the same category4 ,a man is not responsible for his color4 ,he had no choice in it4 ,a man is not responsible for the race to which he belongs4 ,he had no choice in it4 ,he was born that way4 ,but a man does have a choice in reference to his creed4 ,he chooses his creed4 ,he can believe what he wants to believe4 ,it is not right to put color1 race1 and creed all in the same class4 ,certainly1 you should not hold a man responsible for his color4 ,you should not hold him responsible for his race4 ,he had no choice in the matter and where there is no choice there is no responsibility4 ,but a man is responsible for what he believes4 ,this the ,bible abundantly teaches4 ,for example1 8,beloved1 believe not every spirit1 but try the spirits whether they are of ,god3 because many false prophets are gone out into the world0 7#a ,john #d3a74 #d4 ,the irony of the situation was that some colored men1 who endeavored to attend the meeting1 which was to promote brotherhood of all the races1 all the creeds and all the colors1 were turned away from the door and not allowed to come in1 because they were the wrong color4 ,it is right to make a distinction between a man's color and his creed1 but the distinction ought to be made in favor of not holding him accountable for his color1 while holding him accountable for his creed4 ,it seems that the spirit of the occasion was just the opposite4 8,we won't hold you accountable for your creed1 but if you are the wrong color you can't come in40 ,well1 that doesn't quite make sense1 does it8 ,we ought not oppose error by such illegitimate means as physical or political force1 embarrassment and ridicule1 or making fun4 ,such weapons are very powerful2 but they are unlawful4 ,we ought not try to get one to be baptized by making fun or ridiculing him4 ,if ,i caused him to be baptized by physical or political force1 or by the force of ridicule and sarcasm1 it wouldn't do him any good4 ,he would be prompted by the wrong motive4 ,one's obedience to ,god must be of his own free will4 ,,iv ,intolerance in ,schools #a4 ,while ,i am talking about the advantage which is sometimes taken of people in school1 ,i want to read something from ,harry ,emerson ,fosdick4 ,he is a man that ,i wouldn't ordinarily quote or refer to4 ,he is a liberal4 ,there are a thousand things on which ,i disagree with him1 but he has said something in a recent article which ,i think is worth passing on4 ,i might not even agree with everything in this quotation1 but you'll see the point4 ,he says3 8,i am a liberal2 ,i am not pleading for sectarianism or conventional orthodoxy or anything of that sort4 ,what ,i want most of all is that ,roman ,catholics1 ,jews1 and ,protestants should prepare together some book or books by means of which the best elements in the spiritual heritage of our race can be presented in our schools1 objectively and without offense1 as a matter of information40 ,whether or not that is possible might be open to debate4 ,but listen to what he says next4 8,meanwhile10 it's this meanwhile that ,i am interested in1 8,meanwhile1 however1 ,i am fed up with a familiar type of course in some of our institutions1 where religion may not be taught but where1 by innuendo and clever sniping1 irreligion is taught4 ,the ,jewish prophets1 ,christ1 and the creative seers of our spiritual tradition might as well never have existed1 while ,freud1 for example1 not simply as the great pioneer in psychiatry but as an atheistic materialist1 is presented at length as though he were infallible40 #b4 ,if ,i were to go into some of our public schools and teach the truth on church unity and the meaning of baptism1 ,i would be considered intolerant1 narrow minded and out of order in using the public schools to teach religion4 ,but when a man gets up and teaches that the ,bible is not true1 he is teaching religion1 even though it is a false religion4 ,he is teaching a religion just the same as the man who says that the ,bible is true4 ,that reminds me of one college professor who asked his class at the beginning of the course how many of them believed that ,god existed4 ,several students raised their hands4 ,he said1 8,i predict that by the time this course is finished there won't be any here who believe in ,god40 ,he was teaching religion--false religion4 ,he was opposing the truth4 ,he was taking advantage of a state school in which to do it4 #c4 ,when ,i was going to high school nearly every chapel speaker who was not a member of the church of ,christ would tell us that one church was as good as another4 ,the members of the church of ,christ who came never gave us the opposite side of that4 ,they should have told us that one church was not as good as another--that there is only one church4 ,however1 if they had done so1 they would have been accused of being narrow minded and of preaching their own peculiar doctrine4 ,but the man who says that one church is just as good as another is preaching what he believes just as much as ,i am preaching what ,i believe when ,i say that one is not just as good as another4 ,so you see this matter of tolerance ought to work both ways in public institutions4 ,if one is not allowed to say that there is just one church1 then someone else who believes differently ought not to be allowed to say that one is just as good as another4 ,but to continue with ,mr4 ,fosdick4 8,the separation of church and state is a fundamental principle of ,american democracy1 but we are allowing it to mean what the fathers of the republic never dreamed it should mean3 that youth1 in our public institutions of learning1 may be taught the denials of faiths but not the affirmations of them4 ,our postwar world cannot be reconstructed on the basis of any negative futilitarian philosophy4 ,we desperately need great faiths about life issuing in great ethical standards for life40#a ,in other words1 ,mr4 ,fosdick is saying that if it is contrary to the principles of democracy for one to teach in public schools the tenets of his faith1 it is equally contrary for an infidel to teach his infidelity and try to destroy the faith of his students4 ,both are forms of religion4 ,on that point ,i agree with ,mr4 ,fosdick4 ,it is wrong for infidels to hide behind a hypocritical plea for tolerance while they ply their evil trade of making unbelievers of ,american youth4 ,v ,righteous ,intolerance #a4 ,now1 ,i want to give you some ,scriptures to show that we ought to oppose1 that we are obligated to oppose1 what we believe to be wrong4 #a ,timothy #e3bj says1 8,them that sin reprove in the sight of all1 that others may also be in fear40 ,that is active opposition1 isn't it8 ,according to ,webster1 that is intolerance1 but it is the sort of intolerance which the ,bible demands4 ,paul said in ,galatians1 chapter #b and verse #aa1 that he withstood ,peter to the face1 because he was to be blamed4 ,the apostle ,paul opposed the apostle ,peter concerning his attitude toward the ,gentiles4 8,wherefore rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith0 7,titus #a3ac74 ,this doesn't say merely 8,rebuke them10 but 8,rebuke them sharply40 ,that is active opposition4 8,contend earnestly for the faith once delivered unto the saints0 7,jude #c74 ,here again earnest contention is not only permitted1 but even commanded4 ,second ,corinthians #e3aa says1 8,knowing therefore the terror of the ,lord1 we persuade men40 #b4 ,god told ,ezekiel that if he failed to warn sinners1 then their blood would be required at his hands4 ,hear the charge3 8,son of man1 ,i have made thee a watchman unto the house of ,israel3 therefore hear the word at my mouth1 and give them warning from me4 ,when ,i say unto the wicked1 ,thou shalt surely die2 and thou givest him not warning1 nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way1 to save his life2 the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity2 but his blood will ,i require at thine hand4 ,yet if thou warn the wicked1 and he turn not from his wickedness1 nor from his wicked way1 he shall die in his iniquity2 but thou hast delivered thy soul4 ,again1 when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness1 and commit iniquity1 and ,i lay a stumblingblock before him1 he shall die3 because thou hast not given him warning1 he shall die in his sin1 and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered2 but his blood will ,i require at thine hand4 ,nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man1 that the righteous sin not1 and he doth not sin1 he shall surely live1 because he is warned2 and thou hast delivered thy soul0 7,ezek4 #c3ag-ba74 ,these texts are sufficient to show that we are bound by the law of ,god to give active opposition to the things which we believe to be sinful and harmful to the spiritual welfare of men4 #c4 ,that gentleness and longsuffering should characterize this work has been clearly revealed4 8,brethren1 if a man among you be overtaken in a fault1 ye which are spiritual1 restore such an one in the spirit of meekness10 not in the spirit of braggadocio or sarcasm2 not with ridicule1 abuse1 or persecution2 not with physical or political force1 but in the spirit of meekness 8considering thyself lest thou also be tempted0 7,gal4 #f3a74 ,paul said to ,timothy1 8,i charge thee therefore before ,god1 and the ,lord ,jesus ,christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom1 preach the word2 be instant in season1 out of season1 reprove1 rebuke1 exhort1 with all longsuffering and teaching0 7#b ,tim4 #d3a-b74 ,hence1 in the light of ,god's ,holy ,word1 it is my duty to do everything ,i can1 in meekness and with persuasion1 to correct those whom ,i believe to be in error4 #d4 ,if you believe that ,i am saying something today which ought not be said1 it is your duty to come to me after the service is over1 or even to speak up now1 and tell me wherein ,i am wrong4 ,this is the work of a friend4 ,if you go away and tell somebody else that you think ,i made a mistake and never let me know it1 then you are playing the part of an enemy4 ,but if you come to me and endeavor to show me where you believe ,i made a mistake then you will be proving yourself to be a friend4 ,,vi ,standard of ,authority ,necessary ,before these things which ,i have been advocating can be successfully applied we must first of all have a common standard4 ,it was brought out in the panel discussion last ,tuesday night that the three men on the panel each had a different standard4 ,assumedly1 the ,protestant speaker accepted the entire ,bible as the inspired word of ,god4 ,the ,jew did not4 ,he did not accept the ,new ,testament or the ,christ of the ,new ,testament2 he accepted only the ,old ,testament4 ,the ,catholic speaker plainly stated that he accepted neither as his authority1 but that he placed his confidence in the mind of man2 of course1 that meant the mind of one particular man whom they are pleased to call their pope4 ,the word 8pope0 means father4 ,the man whom they call pope is not married1 never has been married4 ,he is an old bachelor1 yet he is called father by more people than anybody else on the earth4 ,the ,bible says 8call no man your father upon the earth0 7,matt4 #bc3i74 ,the ,catholic speaker was addressed in the panel discussion as 8,father ,so and ,so40 ,if ,i had been on that discussion ,i would have called him ,mr4 ,cleary4 ,i suppose during a meeting advocating tolerance he would have meekly tolerated my doing so4 ,for me to call him father would be a violation of my conscience and of the word of ,god4 ,i couldn't have called ,mr4 ,julius ,mark 8,rabbi ,mark10 because my ,bible says1 8,but be not ye called ,rabbi0 7,matt4 #bc3h74 ,i know ,mr4 ,mark doesn't agree with me on that because he doesn't accept the ,new ,testament as his ,bible4 ,i know the ,catholic wouldn't agree with that1 because he says the ,bible is not the standard1 that this man whom he calls father is the standard4 ,just think how ridiculous it is for three men to pretend that they are brethren when two of them propose to believe in ,christ and the other one doesn't2 one believes the ,new ,testament and neither of the others do2 and one believes that the man whom he calls pope has all the authority and neither of the others do4 ,they haven't yet agreed upon the authority or standard to which we should make appeal in order to settle our differences4 ,,vii ,impractical 8,tolerance0 ,during the few remaining minutes ,i want to talk about a different sort of intolerance--or rather a different sort of so-called tolerance--the kind that is being advocated generally by such meetings as we had last ,tuesday night1 and by a great many folk whom ,i meet from day to day4 ,this particular type of tolerance simply means that we ought to agree with everybody on everything and oppose nobody on anything4 ,that is what it amounts to4 ,its advocates pretend to endorse everything and everybody and oppose nobody and nothing4 ,let me make it clear that this is only a theory4 ,even the people who advocate it do not practice it4 ,nobody practices it4 ,if you are going to take the attitude of opposing nothing and endorsing everything and everybody1 then you have to endorse intolerance4 ,such so-called tolerance would cut off all evangelism4 ,you couldn't try to convert anybody to anything if you put that into practice4 ,you'd just have to agree with everybody on everything4 ,so you see it is mostly a theory4 ,people don't really agree on things on which they don't agree4 ,when they pretend that they are sacrificing their convictions in order to be together1 if you will look right close1 you'll probably find that they don't have any convictions4 ,during this very hour while ,i am standing here talking to you1 ,mr4 ,julius ,mark is preaching at the ,vine ,street ,christian ,church as a token of this 8brotherhood0 that we are talking about wherein everybody is supposed to endorse everybody4 ,think of it6 ,julius ,mark will tell you plainly that he does not believe the ,new ,testament1 that he does not believe that ,jesus is the ,christ1 the ,son of ,god4 ,he denies it4 ,and yet he is preaching at this very minute in a congregation which wears the name ,christian4 ,if there is anything in this world on which ,christians must be united it is the belief that ,jesus is the ,christ4 ,a fellow who doesn't believe that has no right whatsoever to call himself a ,christian4 ,this almost convinces me that the ,vine ,street ,christian ,church does not have too much faith in ,christ themselves or they wouldn't have a man preaching for them who professedly disbelieves in ,him4 ,i think ,i might put this to a little test4 ,i do not believe in the organ that the ,vine ,street ,christian ,church uses and they know ,i don't4 ,suppose you try to get me an appointment there next ,sunday4 ,see if you can4 ,if you can1 ,i'll go4 ,if you get me an appointment at the ,vine ,street ,christian ,church ,sunday ,i'll go preach for them and get somebody else to come here4 ,they won't let me do it4 ,why8 ,because ,i don't believe in their organ4 ,they'll let a man preach for them who does not believe in ,christ1 but they won't let a man preach for them who does not believe in their organ4 ,which do they think the more of1 their organ or the ,christ8 ,what do you think8 ,maybe ,i'm mistaken4 ,maybe they would let me preach there4 ,if they do1 ,i'll take this all back4 ,if ,i'm not here next ,sunday1 you inquire and find out if ,i'm down there1 and if ,i am1 then you'll know that ,i was mistaken in what ,i have said today4 ,think of this6 ,they will let a man preach for them who doesn't believe in the ,christ4 ,but will they let a man preach for them who does not believe in their organ8 ,if they don't1 what does it mean8 ,it means they think more of their organ than they do of the ,christ4 ,and speaking of tolerance1 did you ever know of a public meeting leaving instrumental music out of the worship because of tolerance for the members of the church of ,christ who were present8 ,i talked to a man one time who advocated that we ought to have one community church by just leaving out those things which we can't agree upon and taking the things we can agree upon4 ,i said1 8,what are you going to do about these people who don't believe in instrumental music8 ,will you leave that off for the sake of their conscience80 ,he said1 8,no1 they'll just have to stay on the outside till they can come in with us40 ,the people who teach that sort of tolerance and so-called broad-mindedness don't practice it4 ,in reference to something on which they have no conviction they will appear to be very broadminded1 but if you test them out on one of their pet theories or hobbies or something that they do believe1 then they are just as narrow minded as anyone else1 or more so4 ,,viii ,the ,basis of ,unity ,in the forum last ,tuesday night it was said that we ought to leave off all doctrinal differences and just love our neighbors as we love ourselves4 ,let's put that to the test4 ,what does it mean to love your neighbor8 ,do you love your neighbor as you do yourself when you see him on his way to hell and don't try to stop him8 ,suppose you are thoroughly convinced that your neighbor is following a doctrine that will take him to hell1 and you don't try to stop him1 just throw your arm around him and call him 8,brother10 is that love8 ,why that's the very opposite of love6 ,if you see a man riding down the highway and know that a bridge has been washed out a few miles ahead and he is going to run off and kill himself1 will you try to stop him8 ,you will if you love him4 ,if you see a man on his way to hell1 you'll try to stop him if you love him6 ,i agree that we ought to love our neighbor as ourselves1 but ,i also insist that love will move us to do everything we can in order to correct him when we see him following a course which will lead unto his destruction4 ,love demands that we preach the truth4 ,love demands that we persuade people to obey ,christ4 ,love brought ,jesus to this earth1 and if we have the love that he had1 we will do everything in our power to get people to believe1 understand and obey the truth4 ,in mathematics we have a very simple law which says that things equal to the same thing are equal to each other4 ,if two things are both equal to a third thing1 then they are equal to each other4 ,friends1 that gives you the basis of ,christian unity4 ,when we all get with ,christ we'll all be together4 ,isn't that simple8 ,and that is the only ground for unity4 ,christian unity cannot exist on any other basis4 ,the only way we can have ,christian unity is for all to get with ,christ1 and then we'll all be together4 ,the unity problem will then be solved4 ,there can be no unity when one takes ,christ as his creed1 another follows the ,old ,testament and denies ,christ1 and still another follows a man over in ,rome and calls him 8,father40 ,in such a group unity cannot exist4 ,christ is revealed in the ,new ,testament4 ,when we all take our stand on the ,bible and get with ,christ1 we'll be together4 ,jesus said1 8,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved0 7,mark #af3af74 ,that is what we have to do to get with him4 ,paul said1 speaking by the ,holy ,spirit1 8,for as many of you as have been baptized into ,christ have put on ,christ0 7,gal4 #c3bg74 ,that's the way you get into ,christ4 ,when you believe and are baptized into ,christ that puts you in ,christ2 then you will be with all the other folk who are in ,christ and they are the only ones with whom you want to be4 ,you don't want to be with those who are outside of ,christ because they are lost4 ,you want to be with those who are in ,christ4 ,if you have put on ,christ through obedience to his will and continue to follow in the footsteps of ,christ as revealed in his word1 then some day you will go home and be united with ,christ forever1 and united with all other ,christians forever1 in the world better than this one4 ,surely in this large audience there are many people present who are ready to obey ,christ4 ,when you do1 you'll be taking your stand on the ground of unity1 where unity must be established if ever established4 ,therefore1 you will not be to blame for the division that curses the world today4 ,we invite you to accept the invitation of ,jesus ,christ and come to him and let him save you now4 ,will you come8 ,,iv ,,whence ,,so ,,many ,,denominations8 ,sometimes the question of our topic is asked for information4 ,at other times it is presented argumentatively1 with the implication that the mere existence of so many denominations is evidence of their right to exist4 ,the implication is that churches of human origin1 operating on human authority1 could never have secured such a large following4 ,back of this implication is the assumption that the majority is necessarily1 or at least usually1 right4 ,i ,majority ,frequently ,wrong ,those who make this assumption underestimate the capacity of mankind for making mistakes6 ,in the days of ,noah only eight people on the earth were right4 ,all the others were wrong4 ,you who put your confidence in the majority would have said1 8,noah1 you're wrong4 ,it will never rain as you predict4 ,there are only eight people in your little group2 all the rest in the world1 including many highly educated and brilliant men1 are against you4 ,the majority must be right2 therefore1 you are wrong40 ,i imagine a great many people reasoned after this fashion in ,noah's time2 but those who did got drowned4 ,in the days of ,jesus the majority was wrong again4 ,when he died on the cross only a handful stayed with him4 ,practically all the world had turned against him4 ,if the majority had been right1 then ,jesus would have been wrong1 but we know that such was not the case4 ,the ,bible clearly teaches that the majority will be lost4 8,enter ye in at the strait gate3 for wide is the gate1 and broad is the way1 that leadeth to destruction1 and many there be which go in thereat2 because strait is the gate1 and narrow is the way1 which leadeth unto life1 and few there be that find it0 7,matt4 #g3ac1 #ad74 ,hence in matters pertaining to your soul it is not safe to put your confidence in the majority4 ,,ii ,the ,bible ,demands ,unity ,in all sincerity then1 where did so many denominations come from8 ,did they come from the ,bible8 ,no4 ,the ,bible reveals only one church4 ,jesus ,christ said1 8,upon this rock ,i will build my church0 7,matt4 #af3ah74 ,note that he didn't say 8churches40 ,the ,bible teaches that ,god's children should be united4 ,just before he died on the cross ,jesus prayed that the unity which existed between ,him and the ,father might also exist among all believers4 8,neither pray ,i for these alone1 but for them also which shall believe on me through their word2 that they all may be one2 as thou1 ,father1 art in me1 and ,i in thee1 that they also may be one in us3 that the world may believe that thou hast sent me0 7,john #ag3bj1 #ba74 ,recently ,i heard a college professor say he was glad that we have numerous denominations4 ,i don't think he realized what he was saying4 ,his remark amounted to an expression of gratitude for the fact that the condition for which our ,lord prayed does not exist among the majority of those who claim to be ,his disciples4 ,unity of thought and word is required4 8,now ,i beseech you1 brethren1 by the name of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ that ye all speak the same thing1 and that there be no divisions among you1 but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment0 7#a ,cor4 #a3aj74 ,divisions and parties are condemned 7,gal4 #e3bj74 ,as you know1 we have the opposite of this biblical requirement4 ,all who profess to follow ,jesus are not united4 ,in the ,united ,states alone there are more than two hundred denominations4 ,one group teaches one thing2 another something different4 ,one denomination says1 8,lo1 here is ,christ40 ,another says1 8,no1 ,he is with us40 ,consequently1 people are confused and know not which way to turn4 ,some are driven into infidelity4 ,many decide that the whole thing is incomprehensible and just decide to follow the line of least resistance4 ,what is the source of all this division and consequent confusion8 ,is it the ,bible8 ,is it possible that ,god failed to reveal clearly his will to man8 ,is it so ambiguous that we can not all 8see it alike80 ,if so1 the ,bible is a failure4 ,if the ,bible is not an adequate ground of unity1 there is no such ground4 ,if the ,bible is not a sufficient basis for unity then it is inconsistent2 for certainly its ideal is unity4 ,so ,i wish to go on record in declaring that the ,bible is not the source of the trouble6 ,,iii ,a ,partial ,answer ,in our search for the origin of denominational divisions1 with all their attendant evils1 we must look in some other direction4 ,let me appeal to you as an individual4 ,how did you come to be what you are religiously8 ,where did you get your conception of ,christianity8 ,from reading the ,bible1 or from some other source8 ,did you form your church connection because of conviction resulting from prayerful1 diligent1 and faithful ,bible study8 ,or did you merely follow the example of your parents1 the social set to which you belong1 your personal taste1 the law of convenience1 or some other fallible standard8 ,if you will examine your own hearts1 it will throw a lot of light1 not only on where so many denominations came from1 but especially on why they are able to continue1 which is equally1 if not more1 important4 ,even in a congregation like this1 most likely there are some whose religious course has been determined by convenience rather than conviction4 ,such persons are not steadfast4 ,when it becomes more convenient to do something else1 or to be something else1 they will turn aside4 ,unless you develop some convictions1 you can easily become a liability rather than an asset4 ,in religion1 as in politics1 many blindly follow the example of their parents4 ,even if this policy leads you into the church we read about in the ,bible1 it is not sufficient4 ,if you are a member of the ,lord's church1 you ought to have a better reason than the fact that your parents happened to be members of it4 ,you ought to have some convictions on the subject4 ,you ought to be what you are because you believe you would go to hell if you were otherwise6 ,if that is the way you feel1 then you will be worth something to the group to which you belong4 ,then you will put the church first4 ,but how come our parents to be divided into more than two hundred different sects8 ,the same false standards which cause our generation to be divided1 including the example of their parents4 ,and so we may trace the history of denominations and erroneous doctrines back up the stream of time from generation to generation1 can't we8 ,this1 however1 does not completely explain their origin4 ,they had to begin somewhere between here and ,pentecost4 ,how far back can they be traced8 ,when and where did they originate8 ,,iv ,early ,apostasy and ,roman ,catholicism ,in order to answer these questions let us begin at the other end of the line1 at ,pentecost1 and come down toward the present to see what we can find4 ,since ,jesus built only one church1 at least one hundred and ninety-nine of the approximately two hundred now in existence had to get started somewhere else1 at some other time1 and in some other way4 ,in the church that ,jesus built1 each congregation is entirely independent of every other congregation4 ,the ,bible teaches congregational autonomy1 which means that under ,christ each congregation is entirely independent4 ,according to the ,bible1 there can be no organization whatsoever binding two or more congregations together4 ,this is the first fundamental fact to remember4 ,second1 in the church built by ,christ1 each local congregation is supervised by a group of men who are called by either of six different names3 pastors1 bishops1 overseers1 presbyters1 elders1 or shepherds4 ,in the ,bible these six names are used interchangeably4 ,the words elder and presbyter are both from the same ,greek word 8presbyteros02 the words bishop and overseer are both translations of the same ,greek word 8episkopos02 and the words pastor and shepherd are also synonyms1 being derived from the ,greek word 8poimenas40 ,paul referred to the elders of the church at ,ephesus as bishops and designated their work of feeding or tending the flock by using the verb form of the ,greek word for pastors or shepherds 7,acts #bj3ag1 #bh2 ,titus #a3e1 #a3g2 #a ,pet4 #e3a1 #b74 ,hence1 no distinction of title or rank is suggested by the ,bible use of these words4 ,it is very important that we remember this fact4 ,the overseers1 the pastors1 the shepherds1 the bishops1 the elders1 and the presbyters are all the same men4 ,the nine men here whom we frequently call elders may by the same authority be called by either of these other five names4 ,they are the pastors of this congregation2 they are the overseers2 they are the bishops2 they are the presbyters2 they are the shepherds of the flock4 ,whenever one of these names is used to distinguish one person from the rest of the group they describe1 trouble will always follow4 ,that is exactly what happened in the early history of the church4 ,it probably occurred in a very natural way and so gradually that only the most vigilant became alarmed4 ,in a group of overseers1 it is most likely that one of them will be more active than the others4 ,it is natural for one of them to have more ability and more zeal as a leader than the rest1 and he is liable to become known as the leader of the group4 ,thus it came to pass in the history of the early church4 ,one of the overseers1 or elders1 became so much more prominent and influential than the others that they began to designate him by a different name4 ,they called him the bishop4 ,the rest of the overseers were called presbyters4 ,they took one of these six ,bible names and made it apply to one of the men in the group to distinguish him from the others4 ,now1 that looks like a very small departure1 doesn't it8 ,if ,i had been living in those days and had warned the brethren against such a practice1 they would have said1 8,that preacher is radical4 ,he is making a mountain out of a molehill4 ,what difference does it make if we want to distinguish the man who does most of the work by calling him the bishop80 ,anyone who opposed them would probably have been called old-fashioned1 non-progressive1 etc4 ,but1 friends1 ,i want you to know that that is the seed out of which has grown more than two hundred denominations in ,america4 ,out of that first departure from the ,bible plan has come the ecclesiastical hierarchies that curse the religious world today4 ,if you and ,i aren't very careful1 we will repeat the same error4 ,whenever one man in the congregation is set above all the others in the group and is distinguished by any title whatsoever1 you are taking a step in the wrong direction4 ,well1 let us follow the matter still further4 ,it was also perfectly natural for this congregation which had made one man more prominent than the others1 and distinguished him by the title ,bishop1 to start some missions around over the country and exercise authority over them until they became self-supporting4 ,since the man who was now called the bishop was head of the mother congregation1 you can see how it would be very easy for the same man to become the head of this group of churches4 ,thus1 less than two hundred years after ,christ1 there came into being a form of church organization quite opposite the plan revealed in the ,bible4 ,instead of a group of men1 with equal authority under ,christ1 overseeing one congregation there was one man over a group of congregations4 ,doubtless there were certain congregations who maintained scriptural organization1 contended against these departures1 and refused to share in the digression4 ,when some digressed and others did not1 there was naturally a division--not because the ,bible was at fault1 but because some refused to follow the ,bible4 ,the territory represented by a group of congregations over which a bishop gained control came to be known as a diocese4 ,later these geographic units were grouped to form larger units4 ,in these larger units one of the 8bishops10 usually the one residing in the capital of the province1 gained ascendancy in rank and authority over his fellow 8bishops0 and was called the metropolitan4 ,the digression was augmented by conferences held in the various provinces and in which the local metropolitan served as chairman4 ,at first1 they were innocent 8get-togethers0 of delegates from the different congregations for the sake of fellowship1 friendly discussion of their common problems1 and reaching conclusions on disputed questions4 ,but they soon partook of the nature of legislative bodies1 and were called ,councils by the ,latins1 and ,synods by the ,greeks4 ,thus there came into existence a source of legislation in addition to1 and different from1 the ,bible4 ,the congregations joining in this movement were deprived of their scriptural autonomy4 ,until after ,a4,d4 #cjj each province held its own separate conference1 and each metropolitan was entirely independent of all the other metropolitans in the government of his province4 ,you can imagine how the congregations that refused to 8string along0 with the crowd were condemned and boycotted by the ecclesiastical leaders4 ,in ,a4,d4 #cbe the first general council was called1 and the congregations represented were divided into five groups according to the political divisions of the ,roman ,empire4 ,the ecclesiastical ruler of each group was called 8,patriarch0 or 8,chief ,father40 ,this council formulated what is known as the ,nicene ,creed1 which was adopted by most of the churches and which is still acknowledged by many denominations today1 including the ,roman ,catholic4 ,naturally there was rivalry among the five 8,chief ,fathers40 ,the 8bishops0 of ,rome and ,constantinople managed to gain supremacy over the other three 7those at ,jerusalem1 ,alexander1 and ,antioch74 ,the warfare between these two was long and fierce4 ,in ,a4,d4 #ehh ,john the ,faster1 the ,patriarch of ,constantinople1 assumed the title of 8,universal ,bishop of the ,church40 ,the ,patriarch of ,rome protested bitterly1 but in ,a4,d4 #fjf the title of 8,universal ,bishop0 was transferred from ,john the ,faster to the 8,roman ,see40 ,thus with more than five hundred years of gradual drifting away from the ,bible plan they developed a complete ecclesiastical hierarchy1 with its councils1 creeds1 and dignitaries1 supposedly having authority in addition to1 different from1 and in some cases1 greater than1 the ,bible4 ,authority was now divided between the ,bible and men who were presumptuous enough to set themselves up as legislators in the kingdom of ,god1 which eventually culminated in the 8,pope's0 ridiculous claim to be infallible4 ,by the congregations sharing in this apostasy the ,bible was no longer considered a complete and final authority4 ,sometimes today people undertake to explain the existence of denominations by saying that we cannot see the ,bible alike4 ,friends1 that is an insult to ,god4 ,anybody who says that ambiguity and indefiniteness on the part of the ,bible is to blame for all the division which ,god so plainly condemns is insulting ,god ,almighty2 accusing ,him of being unable to write a book that would express what he wanted folk to know4 ,it is to accuse ,god of passing a law against division1 and condemning division1 and coming right along and giving the world a book that would naturally result in division4 ,i do not believe that ,god is characterized by any such inconsistency4 ,i do not believe ,he would condemn us for being divided1 and then give us a book that would inevitably divide us4 ,friends1 it is not because we are not able to see the ,bible alike1 but it is because so many people consider something else besides the ,bible as authority4 ,i have given you a brief outline of how it started4 ,any ,roman ,catholic 8priest0 in this town will tell you that1 in his estimation1 the ,bible is not the final authority in what people are to do in religion1 but that the man whom they call the ,pope is the infallible guide4 ,v ,the ,reformation and ,protestantism 8,well1 that explains10 you say1 8just one denomination1 but where did all the others come from80 ,we shall try to show you the connection between the ,roman ,catholic ,church and many of the other denominations4 ,for a period of seven hundred years1 the ,roman ,catholics held sway over a vast majority of people who called themselves ,christians4 ,i believe that all down through the ages there were some folk who rebelled against the ,roman 8,pope02 and ,i am of the opinion1 although ,i could not prove it1 that in every generation there were some faithful ,christians not always numerous and prominent enough to win recognition in history1 but who were nevertheless contending for and obeying the truth4 ,be that as it may1 we know that the ,roman ,catholic ,church dominated most of the religious world for many centuries--until finally the ,roman ,catholics and the ,greek ,catholics divided in the twelfth century ,a4,d4 ,then those two held the reins until there came the period in history which is known as the ,great ,reformation4 ,i have great respect for such men as ,martin ,luther1 ,ulrich ,zwingli1 ,john ,locke1 ,john ,calvin1 and ,john ,wesley4 ,i don't know why so many of them were named ,john1 ,i have often wondered4 ,even though a great deal of harm has been done in the name of these men1 we must recognize them as having done some noble work4 ,take ,martin ,luther1 for instance1 who found a ,bible while he was a student in a convent1 and studied it diligently4 ,he became convinced that the sale of indulgences was sinful and endeavored to reform the ,roman ,catholic ,church on this point4 ,as a consequence of this effort he was excommunicated4 ,naturally1 he started an independent movement4 ,his purpose was to get back to the ,bible and throw off all human authority1 taking the ,bible as his only guide4 ,if he and all of his followers had been true to this noble ideal1 there would be no ,lutheran ,church on the earth today4 ,they would have become ,christians and ,christians only4 ,i am convinced that ,martin ,luther did not intend to start a denomination4 ,he pleaded with the people not to wear his name1 but rather to call themselves ,christians4 ,he had strong convictions1 and was willing to suffer for the sake of them4 ,but1 friends1 ,martin ,luther had become well saturated with error before he began to study the ,bible for himself4 ,he could hardly have been expected to discover all the truth immediately4 ,he knew that the ,roman ,catholics were wrong on indulgences1 but they were also wrong on a great many other points which he did not discover4 ,if he and his followers had continued to study the ,bible and to make reformations as the need for them was discovered1 then they would have kept getting back closer and closer to the original plan4 ,this they did not do4 ,instead they made the tragic error of formulating a creed or confession of faith4 ,this they probably did with good intentions1 hoping thereby to protect their followers against the snares of ,roman ,catholicism and other errors1 but they defeated their purpose4 ,it was not long until the creed began to be recognized as authoritative--if not as equal to the ,bible at least as a subordinate authority4 ,naturally the creed was erroneous and ambiguous4 ,it was written by uninspired men and by men blinded and prejudiced by ,roman ,catholicism4 ,the creed makers were wearing the colored glasses of ,roman ,catholicism4 ,they who had had ,romanism drilled into them from infancy could not instantly and entirely disabuse themselves of it4 ,in some cases they retained ,roman error2 in other cases they were driven into opposite extremes4 ,naturally1 after a generation or so1 they acquired members who were in the movement not because of conviction1 but because of convenience1 or because their parents were4 ,this condition1 with the deadening effect of a creed--of a human creed--made progress back to the ,bible very difficult1 if not impossible4 ,each step of reformation called for a revision of the creed1 and creeds are hard to revise4 ,people become attached to them2 they come to think more of them than they think of the ,bible itself1 if they aren't very careful4 ,they develop a patriotic attitude toward the creed which is very difficult to overcome4 ,consequently1 we have the ,lutheran ,church with us today4 ,this appraisal of ,luther's work will fit1 in a general way1 the work of other reformers4 ,they made similar errors4 ,if they had maintained the scientific attitude--which means to test every point1 investigate to see if you are right and change when you're wrong1 prove all things and hold fast to that which is good--then they would have kept getting back closer to ,god4 ,but when their movements became crystallized1 when they became satisfied with their status quo1 and had acquired a number of members who were without conviction1 then they not only ceased getting back closer to ,god but they began to drift away from ,him4 ,as a consequence1 many of the denominations today resemble their mother1 the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 more than they did in the beginning4 ,and so1 my friends1 we have before us a brief outline of how denominations got started4 ,the ,roman ,catholic ,church is the result of centuries of drifting away from the ,new ,testament pattern4 ,since it reached the zenith of its power1 many other denominations have resulted from unsuccessful and incomplete efforts to reform the ,catholics or some other existing group4 ,in most cases the movement of the reformers1 because of indifference and a lack of conviction in their ranks1 eventually lost ground4 ,in every instance1 consciously or unconsciously1 something besides the ,bible has been accepted as authority4 ,errors1 which the ,protestant churches1 willingly or unwillingly1 inherited from the ,catholics have been handed down from generation to generation even to the present4 ,thus1 many unscriptural practices and doctrines of the denominations are traceable to the church at ,rome with its preposterous claim of infallibility4 ,many members of denominations do not realize that much of what they get from their parents and preachers and which they fancy to be of ,biblical origin1 has1 in fact1 descended from ,rome and can claim no higher authority4 ,,vi ,the ,restoration ,movement ,but to pursue our historical survey a little further1 at the beginning of the nineteenth century with three hundred years of ,protestant denominational history before them1 various religious leaders were awakened to the evils of creeds1 and a 8back to the ,bible0 movement was begun4 ,in ,america the work of these men became known as the ,restoration ,movement4 ,it was their purpose to go back to ,pentecost1 to begin at ,jerusalem1 as a surveyor begins at the established corner1 mark out the lines revealed in the ,new ,testament1 and establish congregations just like the pattern that ,jesus gave4 ,that was a noble undertaking and it proved to be a very successful one4 ,it was the fastest growing religious movement the world had seen since the days of the apostles4 ,but remember it is very difficult for reforms to stay reformed4 ,in a generation or so there grew up in this movement also an element who were parties to it because their parents were and not because of personal conviction4 ,such an element is a liability to any movement4 ,this element has become crystallized in the digressive wing of the movement1 who1 although some of their followers may not realize it1 no longer regard the ,bible as complete and final authority4 ,they have no written creed but they have discredited the ,bible4 ,whether they admit it or not1 their principle is3 8,where the ,bible speaks we may be silent2 where the ,bible is silent we are at liberty to speak40 ,without any effort to explain how it is done1 they claim that ,god is still revealing his will to man in some way independent of the ,bible4 ,they claim to have advanced beyond the wisdom of the apostles themselves1 and regard their own intellectuality as equal to1 or superior to1 the ,bible4 ,thus1 each man becomes a law unto himself1 and there is1 therefore1 no ground for unity4 ,i am thankful1 however1 that there were some who refused to assume an indifferent attitude1 who are still contending for the faith once delivered to the saints1 and who realize that we must be ever striving to get closer to the divine plan revealed in the ,new ,testament4 ,since reformations will not stay reformed1 the only way to keep on the right road is to be forever getting back on the right way4 ,this we cannot do unless we have conviction1 and unless we study ,god's word4 ,that's one of our reasons for giving so much emphasis to the importance of your searching the ,scriptures daily4 ,it may be that we have some in our very midst who do not know the difference between the true church and a denomination1 and who cannot give an intelligent reason for the hope that is within them4 ,such an element in a congregation is easily deceived by digressive influences and must become strong in the faith for their own sake and for the safety of the church4 ,,vii ,the ,need of ,constant ,vigilance ,hence1 my brethren1 we need to be watching today1 lest we become slack and allow error to creep into our midst and become established among us4 ,remember that human nature is just the same now that it has always been4 ,the same sort of indifferent attitude and drifting which resulted in the ,roman ,catholic ,church and which resulted in the establishment of other denominations in the world1 will make a denomination out of us if we are not always on the guard4 ,eternal vigilance is the price of being right4 ,we have the same human nature that others have4 ,if we aren't willing to pay the price of being better students of ,god's word1 then we1 too1 will drift into another denomination1 and not be worth the time and place which we occupy4 ,we don't need any more denominations6 ,we have enough6 ,if you want to be a member of a denomination you don't need to start another one4 ,you have more than two hundred to choose from4 ,some of them are very highly organized and well financed4 ,there is no reason for starting another one2 there are many reasons for not doing so6 ,unless we are going to understand the difference between the true church and denominationalism1 unless we are going to contend earnestly for non-denominational ,christianity1 then we do not deserve to exist and the world would be better off if we did not4 ,,viii ,extra-,biblical ,standards ,there is one fact which ,i want to emphasize further4 ,in every case of denominationalism some authority other than the ,bible has been recognized4 ,otherwise denominations could not come into existence1 and denominations could not continue to exist4 ,the extra-,biblical authority might be the man whom they call the ,pope at ,rome4 ,it might be your preacher in some denomination which you look up to as being the final authority4 ,it might be the creed of the denomination to which you belong4 ,it might be the people among whom you move4 ,it might be your own feelings in the matter4 ,it might be tradition or family heritage4 ,but ,i don't care what it is1 if it is outside the ,bible1 it is not a true source of authority in religion4 ,the existence of so many denominations today is not caused by people's being unable to see the ,bible alike4 ,they are here because1 while a few people take the ,bible as their only guide1 a great many take something else as their standard4 ,you meet a great many people who claim to take the ,bible as their only rule of faith and practice1 but when you press them to cite the scriptural authority for certain of their practices they are utterly unable to do so4 ,if one takes the ,bible as sole authority in religion1 then he ought to be able to point to the ,scripture which gives the authority for everything he does4 ,so don't let a man get by with a mere statement 8,we take the ,bible as our guide40 ,if you talk to him a few minutes1 you will possibly find that he is following some preacher1 following his feelings1 or following the church to which he belongs4 ,you may hear him use such expressions as1 8,what does your church believe on this point80 or 8,what does the church of ,christ teach on a certain matter80 ,well1 ,i don't have any church4 ,and the church of ,christ doesn't teach anything on a certain point4 ,if it did1 its teaching would not necessarily be of any value4 ,such questions1 such expressions betray a wrong conception of the church4 ,the question should be3 8,what does the ,bible teach in reference to a certain matter80 ,if you can't find authority in the ,bible for your position1 you'd better not depend upon it4 ,most of the people who are at worship this very hour belong to a church whose name they cannot find in the ,bible4 ,yet the preachers who preach in those churches will tell you1 8,yes1 we take the ,bible as our only guide40 ,to refute their claim you need only ask them one question3 8,where did you get your name80 ,they would probably say1 8,it's a nickname4 ,someone else gave it to us40 8,well1 how come you to acknowledge it80 8,oh1 we just got tired of objecting to it so we finally acknowledged it40 8,you didn't get it out of the ,bible then40 ,friends1 think about how ridiculous it is for a man to say1 8,we follow the ,bible1 and the ,bible only10 when the very name of the church to which he belongs cannot be found from ,genesis to ,revelation4 ,the sad part of it is that a great many of the members don't know the difference4 ,i have asked people who wore an extra-,biblical name if they could find their name in the ,bible4 ,frequently1 they say1 8,yes4 ,i don't know where it is but ,i'm sure it is in there somewhere40 ,it just isn't there4 ,i knew it wasn't there1 but the poor folk thought it was because they had heard some preacher say they were following the ,bible4 ,again ,i protest the statement that denominations are caused by people's being unable to see the ,bible alike4 ,that is an insult to my ,god and ,i object to it4 ,it is because many are following something besides the ,bible4 ,they may deny it but they are4 ,otherwise there could be only one church on this earth because there is only one church in the ,bible4 ,if you belong to something this morning that you cannot read about in the ,bible1 won't you come out of it8 ,won't you say1 8,from this morning on1 ,i will take the ,bible as my guide4 ,i will take one step at a time as that step is revealed in ,god's word until it leads me home to heaven at last08 ,now1 if you will do that1 the way is simple4 8,god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son1 that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life0 7,john #c3af74 8,but without faith it is impossible to please him0 7,heb4 #aa3f74 ,so if you are going to follow the ,bible1 the first thing you must do is believe4 ,again ,jesus said1 8,except ye repent1 ye shall all likewise perish0 7,luke #ac3c74 ,so the next thing you will do is repent4 ,i heard a man say this week that the only thing you had to do in order to be saved was just believe1 but the ,bible says1 8,except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish10 and repentance is not believing4 ,repentance is at least one thing you must do after you believe or else the ,bible says you will perish and have no chance to be saved4 ,and then on the day of ,pentecost ,peter said1 8,repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of ,jesus ,christ for the remission of sins0 7,acts #b3ch74 ,it is not hard to see that4 ,people who refuse to do it simply don't want to see it or just don't want to do it after they see it--one or the other6 ,if you want to follow the ,bible1 the way is plain1 isn't it8 ,if you take something else for your guide1 then no telling where you will land4 ,but someone may say1 8,what is baptism80 ,let the ,bible answer4 8,buried with him in baptism1 wherein ye are also risen with him through the faith of the operation of ,god1 who hath raised him from the dead0 7,col4 #b3ab74 8,therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as ,christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the ,father1 even so we also should walk in newness of life0 7,rom4 #f3d74 ,hence1 according to the ,bible1 baptism is a burial and a resurrection4 ,if you weren't buried when you were baptized1 then you were not baptized2 because the ,bible says we are buried by baptism4 ,a so-called baptism which doesn't involve a burial isn't the kind of baptism the ,bible talks about4 ,if you do something else1 you don't get it from the ,bible4 ,if you stick to the ,bible1 you have the matter settled4 ,you can't get anything else from it except a burial4 ,it doesn't say anything else4 ,incidentally1 do you know where the doctrine of sprinkling and pouring came from8 ,it came from the man who is called the ,pope of ,rome6 ,at the ,council of ,vienna1 ,a4,d4 #acaa1 by no higher authority than the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 it was decided that sprinkling and pouring might be practiced for baptism4 ,most often today the people who accept sprinkling or pouring instead of baptism do not realize that they are following the man over in ,rome who claims to be greater than the ,bible4 ,you probably got it from your parents1 your parents from theirs and their parents from some preacher and so on1 but the chain leads back eventually to the ,roman ,catholic ,church4 ,it has no higher authority4 ,the ,bible condemns it4 ,i beseech you in the name of ,jesus ,christ that you submit unto ,his will as revealed unto us in the ,holy ,bible4 ,if you will follow ,him1 ,he will take you home to rest at last4 ,v ,,which ,,church ,,is ,,right8 7,note3 ,as this sermon was being presented the outline seen below was on the blackboard before the audience47 ,which ,church ,is ,right8 ,introduction3 ,this is a question that concerns every person4 ,i4 ,god ,has ,only ,one ,a4 ,see ,matt4 #af3ah2 ,eph4 #d3d2 ,cor4 #ab3bj2 ,eph4 #a3bb1 #bc4 ,b4 ,there are more than two hundred in ,america4 ,c4 ,which one belongs to ,god8 ,,ii4 ,the ,one ,that ,follows the ,bible ,a4 ,obviously they don't all follow the ,bible4 ,b4 ,the ,bible is a sufficient guide 7#b ,tim4 #c3af1 #ag2 ,gal4 #a3h1 #i2 #b ,john #i2 ,rev4 #bb3ah1 #ai74 ,c4 ,what does it teach8 ,,iii4 ,conditions of ,membership ,a4 ,same as condition of salvation 7,acts #b3dg74 ,b4 ,faith 7,acts #af3ca-cc2 ,rom4 #aj3ad2 ,acts #b3cf74 ,c4 ,repentance 7,acts #b3ch2 ,acts #c3ai2 ,acts #ag3cj74 ,d4 ,confession 7,rom4 #aj3aj2 ,acts #h3cg74 ,e4 ,baptism 7,acts #b3ch2 ,acts #bb3af2 ,mark #af3af2 ,acts #b3dg2 #a ,pet4 #c3ba74 ,,iv4 ,worship ,a4 ,prayer 7,acts #b3db2 ,acts #bj3cf74 ,b4 ,giving 7#a ,cor4 #af3a1 #b74 ,c4 ,studying and teaching 7,acts #b3db2 ,acts #bj3g2 etc474 ,d4 ,vocal ,music 7,eph4 #e3ai2 ,col4 #c3af74 ,e4 ,lord's ,supper 7#a ,cor4 #aa3bj-cd2 ,acts #bj3g74 ,f4 ,in spirit and truth 7,john #d3bd74 ,v4 ,daily ,christian ,living 7,tit4 #b3ab2 ,jas4 #a3bg2 ,mark #ab3cj1 #ca2 ,matt4 #g3ab74 ,,vi4 ,bible ,names for ,god's ,church ,a4 ,the ,church 7,eph4 #a3bb1 #bc2 #e3be2 ,rev4 #a3d74 ,b4 ,the ,church of ,god 7#a ,cor4 #ae3i2 #a ,thess4 #b3ad2 #a ,cor4 #aa3af74 ,c4 ,the ,church of ,christ 7,matt4 #af3ah2 ,rom4 #af3af74 ,,vii4 ,organization 7,acts #ad3bc2 #bj3bh2 ,phil4 #a3a74 ,,viii4 ,charity and ,evangelistic ,work 7,acts #aa3bg-cj2 #ab3be2 #bd3ag2 #a ,cor4 #af3a-d2 ,acts #aa3ai-ba2 #aa3bb-bf2 #ac3a-d2 etc474 ,conclusion3 ,the church that follows the ,bible on all points is the one that is right4 ,by actual count there are #bag people present for this ,sunday evening worship4 ,we are glad you are here4 ,your presence is a distinct encouragement4 ,it helps4 ,we can have better work by your being here than we could if you were not here4 ,we have some visitors and you are very welcome4 ,may you enjoy with us all the blessings that are to be had here and help us make these services even better6 ,at the close of the lesson we shall sing 8,come to ,jesus10 for the purpose of encouraging you to accept the ,lord's invitation4 ,the invitation comes from ,jesus ,christ4 ,by his authority and by the power of the ,holy ,spirit the doors of the church were opened nearly #b1jjj years ago on the day of ,pentecost1 and the doors of the ,lord's church have been standing wide open ever since4 ,whosoever will may come4 ,we sing this invitation song for the sake of the exhortation it contains and to give you a convenient opportunity to come forward and make known your desire to obey the ,lord4 ,backsliders are invited to return to ,god1 confessing their sins1 repenting of them1 and praying for forgiveness4 ,those who have never been born again are taught by the ,bible to believe in ,christ1 repent of their sins1 confess their faith1 and be baptized for the remission of sins4 ,we are prepared to assist you in carrying out your obedience of these commands4 ,if you will come forward and make your wishes known1 we shall be glad to help you in every way we can4 ,i promised to speak to you tonight upon the topic 8,which ,church ,is ,right80 ,that is a very important question1 and the timeliness of it is evident by the fact that in the ,united ,states there are more than #bjj churches4 ,just for the sake of a round number1 we'll speak of them as #bjj4 ,that is1 indeed1 enough4 ,in fact1 too many6 ,for1 in the ,bible1 there is only one4 ,now1 you just think about that--#bjj in the ,united ,states alone1 to say nothing about other parts of the world1 and only one in the ,bible6 ,i ,one ,church in ,bible ,on the board tonight ,i have an outline of the lesson and the ,scriptures which shall be used4 ,i would like for you who are interested to write these ,scriptures down1 that you may give them further study4 ,search the ,scriptures1 as the noble people of ,berea did1 to see whether these things are true4 ,there are many ,scriptures which show that there is only one church in the ,bible4 ,here are a few of them listed under ,no4 #a4 ,in ,matthew #af3ah1 ,jesus said1 referring to the confession that ,peter had just made1 8,upon this rock ,i will build my church40 ,he used the singular form of the word4 ,he didn't say 8my churches10 but 8my church40 ,therefore1 ,jesus ,christ built only one4 ,he bought and paid for only one with his blood1 and he has only one tonight4 8,there is one body0 7,eph4 #d3d74 ,there is 8but one body0 7#a ,cor4 #ab3bj74 ,that body is the church4 8,and hath put all things under his feet1 and gave him to be the head over all things to the church1 which is his body1 the fulness of him that filleth all in all0 7,eph4 #a3bb-bc74 ,since there is but one body1 and that body is the church1 then it naturally follows that there is but one church4 ,only one church in the ,bible1 and more than #bjj in ,america6 ,therefore1 we must face the question1 8,which ,church ,is ,right80 ,please remember that this is no more my problem than it is yours4 ,i'm not to blame for all these churches' being in the world6 ,i did not start them4 ,none of you started them4 ,we found them here when we were born into this world4 ,they are here4 ,we are not responsible for their beginning4 ,some of you may be responsible for helping to keep them going1 but we found them here1 and we have found that in the ,bible there is only one4 ,to decide which one is right is as much your problem as it is mine4 ,you may think that tonight ,i shall undertake to prove that the group of people with whom ,i am associated is the right group and that all the others are wrong4 ,well1 ,i'm frank to say that ,i believe ,i'm right4 ,if ,i didn't1 ,i would change6 ,some people think they are criticizing me when they say3 8,oh1 well1 you just think you're right and everybody else is wrong40 ,i believe that's a compliment4 ,of course ,i believe ,i'm right6 ,if ,i didn't1 ,i would change4 ,a man who continues in a way which he does not believe to be right is a hypocrite6 ,for one to teach what he sincerely believes is not conceit but sincerity4 ,it's not egotism but honesty4 ,not only do ,i believe that what ,i teach is right1 but ,i stand ready to change it whenever anyone can show me wherein it is wrong4 ,but ,i promise not to make a prejudiced or biased approach to this question4 ,,ii ,the ,church ,that ,follows the ,bible ,is ,right ,suppose you were to undertake to examine all the creeds of ,christendom1 and eliminate them one by one to see which church is right4 ,that would take a very long time4 ,you might even die with old age before you had finished the task4 ,i believe there is a much shorter and more practical approach to the solution of the question4 ,just go directly to the ,bible and see what it says and follow its teaching2 then you will naturally be right4 ,if ,i were going to answer my question tonight in just one brief statement1 ,i would say that the church which follows the ,bible is the one that's right4 ,at first thought this may sound like a very trite statement4 ,somebody would reply by saying1 8,well1 all the churches claim to follow the ,bible40 ,such a claim demands investigation6 ,it's easy to make such a claim1 but you notice that ,i did not say that the church which claims to follow the ,bible is right1 but that the one which follows the ,bible is right4 ,there may be a big difference between claiming to follow the ,bible and actually following it4 ,if you will talk to some of these people who claim to follow the ,bible1 you will hear them using expressions like these3 8,well1 ,i think so and so02 8,i feel like that's all right02 8,my church teaches this and that02 8,i heard my preacher say so and so02 and 8,my mother and father or grandparents always belonged to this church40 ,to such standards as these many people are clinging4 ,friends1 such expressions betray the fact that the man who uses them is not taking the ,bible as his one and only guide6 ,they betray the fact that he is following something else besides the ,bible4 ,before we accept at face value a man's claim along that line1 we'd better look behind it4 ,we'd better listen to the man talk for a few minutes and see whether he does actually take the ,bible to be complete and final authority in matters religious4 ,the following ,scriptures show that the ,bible should be our guide3 8,all ,scripture is given by inspiration of ,god and is profitable for doctrine1 for reproof1 for correction1 for instruction in righteousness2 that the man of ,god may be perfect1 throughly furnished unto all good work0 7#b ,tim4 #c3af1 #ag74 8,but though we1 or an angel from heaven1 preach any other gospel unto you1 than that which we have preached unto you1 let him be accursed4 ,as we said before1 so say ,i now again1 ,if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received1 let him be accursed0 7,gal4 #a3h1 #i74 8,whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of ,christ1 hath not ,god4 ,he that abideth in the doctrine of ,christ1 he hath both the ,father and the ,son0 7#b ,john #i74 ,then that well-known ,scripture in the last chapter of the ,bible1 8,for ,i testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book1 if any man shall add unto these things1 ,god shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book3 and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy1 ,god shall take away his part out of the book of life1 and out of the holy city1 and from the things which are written in this book0 7,rev4 #bb3ah1 #ai74 ,many other ,scriptures could be used1 but these are enough to show us that the ,bible should be our guide4 ,it is sufficient and furnishes the man of ,god completely unto every good work4 ,those who claim to be following the ,bible and the ,bible only should be expected to defend that claim1 in the light of the ,bible4 ,frequently1 ,i announce publicly that ,i stand ready to put my finger upon the ,scripture that furnishes the authority for everything we do and teach and believe in matters of religion4 ,i always stand ready to make this claim good4 ,everybody is invited to check me on this basis4 ,if you can find something for which ,i cannot give scriptural proof1 then ,i will cease to teach1 practice1 or believe it4 ,a preacher1 who is not willing to make such a statement1 evidently knows that he is not taking the ,bible as his one and only guide1 and yet ,i believe you will agree that most of the preachers in this city will not make you this proposition4 ,not very long ago ,i heard a man boldly declare that his preacher preached the ,bible and nothing else4 ,i began to name several things which the ,bible teaches and asked him one by one if his preacher taught those things4 ,in every instance he had to answer in the negative4 ,he had not fully realized what was comprehended in his statement4 ,another lady came to me and said1 8,i just believe that all of us ought to go back to the ,bible and take it as our guide40 ,i reminded her that in that case she would have to give up the unscriptural name which she had been wearing and make a number of other changes4 ,she said1 8,well1 now1 let's don't get back too far40 ,the truth was that she didn't really want to take the ,bible as her only guide6 ,i mention all these facts to show that you mustn't be too quick to accept the claim mentioned a moment ago4 ,you'd better examine it4 ,for1 as a matter of fact1 if we were all following the ,bible there would be but one church on the earth1 because there is but one in the ,bible4 ,there's just no escaping this conclusion4 ,so1 ,i believe that my statement is apt4 ,it is appropriate to say that the church which follows the ,bible is the one that's right4 ,therefore1 if you want a scriptural answer to our question tonight1 you don't need to examine all the different creeds separately2 just take the ,bible and examine it4 ,follow its teaching and directions step by step4 ,this course will lead you into the right church1 and into heaven at last4 ,you won't need to investigate all the religious organizations which exist about us without ,scriptural authority4 ,,iii ,conditions of ,membership ,let us see what the ,bible actually teaches concerning the doctrine and practice of the church4 ,then we shall know which is right so far as these items are concerned4 ,i want to say now1 and repeat many times as we go along1 that a church may be right on one point and wrong on another4 ,a church may follow the ,bible on one point and not follow it on another1 and a church is right to the extent that it follows the ,bible4 ,it's wrong to the extent that it fails to do so4 ,no church is all right until it follows the ,bible on all points4 ,first of all1 let's look at the conditions of membership in the church we read about in the ,bible4 ,acts #b3dg shows that the conditions of membership in ,god's church are identical with the conditions of salvation4 8,the ,lord added to the church daily such as should be saved40 ,since the ,lord adds to ,his church all saved people1 the conditions of membership and the conditions of salvation are exactly the same4 ,we learn from the ,scriptures listed here 7speaker points to the board7 that the first thing one must do in order to be saved is to believe that ,jesus is the ,christ1 the ,son of the living ,god4 ,the ,philippian jailor said to ,paul and ,silas1 8,sirs1 what must ,i do to be saved80 ,they replied1 8,believe on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and thou shalt be saved1 and thy house4 ,and they spake unto him the word of the ,lord and to all that were in his house4 ,and he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes2 and was baptized1 he and all of his1 straightway0 7,acts #af3bj-cc74 ,in answer to the jailor's question then1 the inspired preacher said first of all1 8,believe02 then he taught him the word of the ,lord1 which led to his repentance1 evidenced by the fact that1 whereas he had a few minutes ago placed stripes across their backs with a heavy whip1 he now washed those stripes4 ,then ,paul taught him and his household to be baptized1 and taught them that baptism was urgent1 because they were baptized the same hour of the night4 ,they did not put it off a month or a week or even until daylight1 but were baptized immediately1 or straightway1 even the very same hour of the night4 ,faith is emphasized also by ,acts #b3cf where ,peter concluded his great ,pentecost sermon by saying1 8,therefore1 let all the house of ,israel know assuredly that ,god hath made that same ,jesus1 whom ye have crucified1 both ,lord and ,christ40 8,for whosoever shall call upon the name of the ,lord shall be saved4 ,how then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed80 7,rom4 #aj3ac-ad74 8,without faith it's impossible to be well pleasing unto ,god0 7,heb4 #aa3f74 ,therefore1 the first condition of salvation is faith4 ,the second one is repentance4 ,acts #b3ch says1 8,repent02 ,acts #c3ai says1 8,repent02 and ,acts #ag3cj says 8,repent40 ,you can go home and read these ,scriptures and you'll find the commandment to repent in each of them1 and it's given as a condition of salvation4 ,furthermore1 we are taught that 8with the heart man believeth unto righteousness2 and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation0 7,rom4 #aj3aj74 ,and in the eighth chapter of ,acts we read that when the ,ethiopian eunuch said1 8,see1 here is water1 what doth hinder me to be baptized8 and ,philip said1 ,if thou believest with all of thine heart1 thou mayest1 and he answered and said1 ,i believe that ,jesus ,christ is the ,son of ,god40 ,therefore1 confession is a condition of salvation4 ,when the ,pentecostians inquired what they must do to be saved1 the inspired apostle ,peter said1 8,repent and be baptized1 everyone of you1 in the name of ,jesus ,christ1 for the remission of sins0 7,acts #b3ch74 ,ananias told ,paul1 8,and now why tarriest thou8 ,arise1 and be baptized1 and wash away thy sins1 calling on the name of the ,lord0 7,acts #bb3af74 8,the like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us 7not the putting away of the filth of the flesh1 but the answer of a good conscience toward ,god7 by the resurrection of ,jesus ,christ0 7#a ,pet4 #c3ba74 ,no one1 who knows the ,bible1 can have a good conscience toward the ,lord until he has been baptized4 ,baptism is the answer to the quest for a good conscience4 8,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved2 but he that believeth not shall be damned0 7,mark #af3af74 ,friends1 there are a thousand ways to go to hell2 one of them is to disbelieve4 ,but suppose ,i ask you who will be saved4 ,you cannot give me a ,bible answer to save your life without mentioning baptism4 ,for ,mark #af3af1 the word of ,jesus ,christ1 says1 8,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved40 ,to leave out baptism would be to omit part of the ,lord's answer4 ,no sane person ought to take the responsibility of taking away part of ,god's word4 ,you cannot give a ,bible answer to the question without mentioning baptism6 ,according to the ,bible1 therefore1 faith1 repentance1 confession1 and baptism are the conditions of salvation4 ,since all saved people are added to the ,lord's church by the ,lord1 then these are also the conditions of membership in ,god's church4 ,the church1 which teaches this1 is right on this point4 ,it might be wrong somewhere else1 but the church which teaches these facts is the right church as far as the conditions of membership are concerned4 ,any church which leaves off any one of them or adds something to them just lacks that much1 at least1 being right4 ,,iv ,worship ,let us look next at the acts of worship4 ,there's no place in the ,bible which says in so many words1 8,here are the acts ye shall perform as worship to ,jehovah02 but there are certain acts commanded1 which are1 by their very nature1 acts of worship4 ,therefore1 ,god does state for us the acts which the members of ,his church shall perform in worship unto ,him4 ,first1 they should pray4 ,acts #b3db states that the church at ,jerusalem continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine and fellowship1 and in breaking of bread1 and in prayer4 ,acts #bj3cf gives us an example of public prayer4 ,at the seaside the apostle ,paul knelt down with those who were gathered with him and prayed unto ,god4 ,prayer by its very nature is an act of worship4 ,we also learn in ,first ,corinthians #af3a and #b1 that we should lay by in store upon the first day of the week as we have been prospered2 and that itself is an item of worship4 ,giving or sacrificing unto ,god for the sake of ,god is an act of worship4 ,from ,acts #b3db1 ,acts #bj3g1 and many other ,scriptures that could be listed1 we learn that teaching and studying the ,bible are also commanded of ,god's children2 and that1 likewise1 is worship4 ,in ,ephesians #e3ai we read these words1 8,speaking unto yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs1 singing and making melody in your heart to the ,lord40 ,and in ,colossians #c3af1 8,let the word of ,christ dwell in you richly1 in all wisdom2 teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs1 singing with grace in your hearts to the ,lord40 ,these ,scriptures command us to sing praises to ,god and admonitions unto each other1 which is naturally an act of worship4 ,and then1 finally1 we are taught to eat the ,lord's supper 7#a ,cor4 #aa3ag-cd2 ,luke #bb3ai-bj74 ,acts #bj3g tells us that this shall be done on the first day of the week4 ,the church at ,troas1 under apostolic guidance1 met upon the first day of the week to eat the ,lord's supper4 ,and1 friends1 8the sabbath day10 as the expression was used in the ,old ,testament1 meant every sabbath day1 and by the same line of reasoning1 8the first day of the week0 means the first day of every week4 ,tomorrow students will be registering out at ,peabody and ,vanderbilt4 ,their schedules will state that a certain class meets on ,monday1 ,wednesday1 and ,friday4 ,they will not state that it meets every ,monday and every ,wednesday and every ,friday1 but even a college freshman will understand what is meant6 ,when we are told that a class meets on ,monday1 ,wednesday1 and ,friday1 we know that it meets on ,monday1 ,wednesday1 and ,friday of every week4 ,if you were to search the ,new ,testament to find out how often we should eat the ,lord's supper1 you would not find the slightest suggestion that it should be eaten once a year4 ,you would find no sort of hint that it should be taken upon the first of every quarter or upon one ,sunday out of each month4 ,the only ,scripture which throws any light whatsoever upon the question puts it upon a weekly basis4 ,john #d3bd shows that all these acts of worship must be done in spirit and in truth4 8,god is a ,spirit3 and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth40 ,that's what the ,bible teaches about the worship of the ,bible church4 ,the church which does these five things in spirit and in truth is the right church as far as the worship is concerned4 ,a church might be right in worship and wrong in doctrine1 or vice versa2 but the church which1 in spirit and in truth1 teaches and practices these five items and only these1 is right in its worship2 and the church that preaches and practices anything different from this is wrong4 ,the ,bible is right4 ,this is what the ,bible teaches4 ,the church which does this is consequently right2 the one which doesn't is wrong4 ,v ,christian ,living ,a church is responsible for its teaching in respect to how its members should live4 ,it cannot force the members to do according to its teaching and we must distinguish between the conduct of the church as a whole and the behavior of individual members4 ,if the church teaches the truth and attempts to persuade its members to obey it1 and properly disciplines them when they disobey1 the church as a whole cannot be held accountable for their misbehavior4 ,concerning ,christian living the ,bible says1 8,for the grace of ,god that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men1 teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts1 we should live soberly1 righteously and godly in this present world0 7,titus #b3aa-ab74 8,pure religion and undefiled before ,god and the ,father is this1 to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction1 and to keep himself unspotted from the world0 7,jas4 #a3bg74 8,the first of all the commandments is1 ,hear1 ,o ,israel2 ,the ,lord our ,god is one ,lord3 and thou shalt love the ,lord thy ,god with all thy heart1 and with all thy soul1 and with all thy mind1 and with all thy strength3 this is the first commandment4 ,and the second is like1 namely this1 ,thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself4 ,there is none other commandment greater than these0 7,mark #ab3bi-ca74 ,and then in ,matthew #g3ab1 we have what is called the ,golden ,rule1 8,whatsoever ye would that men should do to you1 do ye even so to them40 ,these are general commandments governing ,christian behavior1 and the church which teaches and impresses these ,bible lessons upon its members is right that far1 but the church which fails to condemn worldliness and ungodly living lacks that much being right4 ,it may be ever so sound on doctrine and worship1 but if it fails to properly admonish its members and hold up before them the divine standard of ,christian conduct and insist that they follow it1 it lacks that much being right4 ,friends1 here's 7speaker points to board7 what the ,bible teaches on ,christian behavior4 ,the church which teaches this is right on that point because the ,bible is right and this is what the ,bible says4 ,,vi ,the ,name ,we come now to the name4 ,you know1 there are a lot of churches right here in ,nashville tonight which simply cannot find their names in the ,bible4 ,they could look from now till the end of the world and they couldn't find the names they wear in the ,bible to save their lives6 ,that1 to me1 is an astonishing fact4 ,it looks as if anybody ought to know that the ,bible cannot guide you into a church which isn't even mentioned in the ,bible4 ,a road map cannot direct you to a town which is not shown on the map4 ,a ,tennessee road map cannot show you how to find a town in ,texas1 and so the ,bible cannot guide you to a church which isn't even found in the ,bible4 ,that's a very simple test which you might apply in your search for the right church4 ,what does the ,bible say about the name8 ,in ,ephesians #a3bb we find that ,christ has been made head over all things unto the church4 ,ephesians #e3be says1 8,husbands1 love your wives1 even as ,christ also loved the church and gave himself for it40 ,and so1 first of all1 it is simply called the church4 ,then in ,revelation #a3d we read about 8the seven churches0 of ,asia1 meaning the seven different congregations which are specified in chapters three and four4 ,in a general sense1 including all saved people on the earth1 it is simply called the church4 ,in the plural form this name refers to the various local congregations of that great body4 ,we learn also from ,first ,corinthians #ae3i that it is called the church of ,god4 ,paul said he was not fit to be called an apostle1 because he persecuted the church of ,god4 ,first ,corinthians ,cor #aa3af says1 8,but if any man seem to be contentious1 we have no such custom1 neither the churches of ,god40 ,so in the singular and comprehensive sense1 it is called the church of ,god2 not as a denominational title1 but as an expression of ownership4 ,it is the church which belongs to ,god4 ,and in ,matthew #af3ah ,christ said1 8,upon this rock ,i will build my church40 ,it is1 therefore1 the church which belongs to ,christ4 ,and in the plural form1 we read in ,romans #af3af1 8,the churches of ,christ salute you40 ,friends1 we learn from the ,bible1 then1 that in the broad1 general sense1 including all saved people1 it is called the church1 or the church of ,god1 or the church of the ,lord1 the church which belongs to ,christ4 ,referring to different local congregations1 those same terms are used in the plural form4 ,this leads me to believe that anything bigger than a local congregation and smaller than all ,god's people throughout the world or some specific geographic area1 cannot scripturally be called the church4 ,that's where denominationalism comes in4 ,the only way this universal institution can scripturally be broken down into different parts is to do it on a geographical or congregational basis4 ,splitting it up on any other basis results in sectarianism or denominationalism--creates different parties and sects4 ,i have two pictures drawn here to keep that before your mind4 ,here's the ,bible picture 7speaker points to board74 ,the big ring includes all of ,god's people throughout the entire world4 ,these small dots represent various congregations like the church at ,laodicea1 the church at ,smyrna1 the church at ,ephesus1 the church at ,madison1 the church at ,chapel ,avenue1 the church at ,columbia1 ,tennessee1 and so on around the world--different local congregations4 ,this is purely a geographical grouping4 ,but here is the best figure ,i can draw on denominationalism and it's not entirely accurate 7speaker points to board again74 ,when a group of these congregations1 even if they have all been scripturally baptized--which they have not--draw a ring about themselves and say1 8,we are the #8,a' ,church10 another group says1 8,we are the #8,b' ,church10 and another says1 8,we are the #8,c' ,church10 each group of congregations distinguishing itself from other similar groups by a distinguishing title--that is denominationalism1 pure and simple6 ,that picture does not represent a geographic distribution1 for we have all those different denominations right here in ,nashville4 ,it's not a geographical division1 but a division based on difference in teaching1 practice1 and faith4 ,that's not the ,bible picture 7speaker continues to refer to board74 ,here is the ,bible picture4 ,the church which wears these ,bible names1 and only these1 is the right church as far as the name is concerned4 ,but1 friends1 any church that calls itself by any other name1 any name not in the ,bible1 is not the right church because the ,bible is right4 ,when a church has a name upon their building which cannot be found in the ,bible1 they need not claim that they are taking the ,bible as their one and only guide1 for the very name on the church building denies that claim4 ,just think how foolish it is for a preacher to stand up and say1 8,we take the ,bible as our guide10 when1 out in front of the building1 in great big letters1 is a name which cannot even be found in the ,bible6 ,that's one reason ,i think we had better examine a man's claim to follow the ,bible4 ,here's what the ,bible teaches on the name1 and the ,bible is right4 ,the church that wears these names and only these is right on that point4 ,but merely wearing the right name will not make a church right4 ,it may wear the right name and still be wrong in other respects4 ,i used to preach in a town where there was a great big church building which had a name in bold letters that you could see almost all over town--,central ,church of ,christ4 ,but if you went to their worship1 you'd find something that's not listed here at all 7speaker refers to section of outline on board74 ,they were not following the ,bible on worship4 ,they had the right name but they didn't have the right worship4 ,they were right on one point but wrong on another4 ,there are churches over the country called 8,churches of ,god40 ,that's a good name1 but they have items of doctrine that cannot be found in the ,bible4 ,for instance1 they preach that you have to be baptized in the ,holy ,spirit in order to be saved1 and that's not in the ,bible4 ,consequently1 they are wrong on doctrine2 and to merely wear the right name does not atone for their false teaching on what one must do to be saved4 ,,vii ,organization ,just one more item or two and then we're through4 ,number #g here refers to the organization of the church4 ,according to the ,bible every local congregation is entirely independent under ,god to manage its own affairs1 with its elders overseeing its work4 ,acts #ad3bc3 8,when they had ordained them elders in every church and had prayed with fasting1 they commended them to the ,lord1 on whom they believed40 ,acts #bj3bh says1 8,take heed therefore unto yourselves1 and to all the flock1 over the which the ,holy ,ghost hath made you overseers1 to feed the church of ,god1 which he hath purchased with his own blood40 ,in addressing the church at ,philippi ,paul speaks of all the saints at ,philippi 8with the bishops and deacons40 ,according to this simple but effective organization of ,god's church1 every local congregation is entirely independent1 supervised and tended1 under ,god1 by a group of men known as overseers or pastors or elders4 ,now1 that's what the ,bible teaches on church organization4 ,the church which follows this plan is right on that point4 ,wherever you see a group of congregations tied together by some inter-congregational organization1 that group's wrong on their organization4 ,i know some groups that maintain congregational independence1 but are wrong in some other way4 ,remember that in order for a church to be the right church1 it must be right on all these items4 ,,viii ,charity and ,missionary ,work ,and then1 finally1 the ,bible teaches that ,god's church should be active in beneficent and missionary work4 ,it is the duty of the church to feed the poor and to preach the gospel unto the entire world4 ,i have a long list of ,scriptures here which authorize this statement 7,acts #aa3bg-cj2 #ab3be2 #bd3ag2 #a ,cor4 #af3a-d2 ,acts #aa3ai-ba2 #aa3bb-bf2 #ac3a-d2 etc474 ,even though a church may be right in every other way1 including ,christian living1 including the name1 and including the organization1 if it doesn't do what it can to take care of the poor1 and if it doesn't make a scriptural effort to preach the gospel to all the world1 it lacks that much being right1 and cannot justify its claims to be known as the church of ,christ6 ,now1 friends1 let me repeat again that here's what the ,bible teaches4 ,the church which does these things is right1 because the ,bible is right2 but the church which deviates from these1 leaves off some of them or adds something to them1 lacks that much being right4 ,and even though a church followed this plan in every item except one1 it would still be wrong4 ,,ix ,conclusions ,what practical application shall we make8 ,simply take your ,bible and follow out this plan1 study it for yourself1 see that this is what the ,bible teaches1 and then identify yourself with the congregation which does the same4 ,you say1 8,maybe ,i cannot find one that follows the ,bible plan40 ,i believe you can in this town1 but ,i'll admit there are some towns where you can't4 ,then what would you do8 ,the answer is very simple--just start one6 ,that's one of the easiest things in the world to do4 ,study your ,bible1 follow its simple pattern1 and the result will be a church after the ,new ,testament order4 ,if you can find even one person who is willing to follow this plan and work it with you1 then you'll have a congregation which pleases ,god4 ,jesus says1 8,wherever two or three are gathered together in my name1 there will ,i be in the midst of them40 ,and1 friends1 ,i believe that the most practical and effective missionary work that we could possibly do would be for all church members who move away from ,nashville and other places where the church is strong1 to faithfully and persistently follow this ,bible program wherever they go1 even though they have to meet and worship in their own homes4 ,there are too many who forsake this plan when they go away to a strange city4 ,if all who move away from places where the church is strong1 would simply take ,christ and the ,bible with them and start a congregation wherever they go1 it would be the most far-reaching1 the most effective1 the most practical1 and the most economical missionary work that could possibly be conceived6 ,it would not only be all of that1 it would also be scriptural4 ,what more could you expect8 ,that certainly is enough to recommend it to us all4 ,so1 friends1 simply take this plan1 if you know of a congregation that's following it1 then identify yourself with it4 ,if you can't find one1 then start one1 with the determination to follow the ,bible2 and then you'll be in the right church4 ,you may forget about all these #bjj different denominations1 except to do whatever you can to lead them out of error into the truth6 ,i told you ,i would do no boasting tonight and ,i shall do none1 but ,i will say this3 ,i sincerely believe it is the earnest determination of the congregation at ,chapel ,avenue to follow this simple ,bible plan1 and ,i believe ,i speak the truth when ,i say that if you can point out to the overseers of this congregation that they are failing to follow the ,bible on any single item1 they will change their practice immediately4 ,that should be the attitude of everyone who loves the truth1 and they will not embarrass you or rebuff you if you approach them on the question4 ,if you even think they are failing on some point1 they would welcome an interview and pledge themselves to make any sort of alteration or change that is necessary to bring the teaching1 the practice1 and the name of this congregation into harmony with the ,bible plan4 ,if that were not true1 ,i would not continue to preach for this group except long enough to do what ,i could to get them to reform4 ,friends1 above everything else1 ,i want to go to heaven when ,i die and ,i know that the only way to do that is to follow the ,bible2 so ,i still insist that it is entirely proper and appropriate to emphasize that the church which follows the ,bible is the one that's right4 ,this simple test1 if faithfully and honestly applied1 will eliminate every church in this town which cannot find its name1 its doctrine1 and its practice in the ,bible4 ,are you willing to live up to the claim that you take that ,bible as your one and only guide8 ,if so1 just follow this 7speaker refers to outline on the board7 step by step1 believe that ,jesus is the ,christ1 repent of your sins1 confess your faith1 and then be baptized for remission of sins4 ,then go on1 worshiping ,god as the ,bible directs1 behaving yourself as the ,bible teaches1 supporting the church which wears the right name1 which is scripturally organized1 and which takes the ,bible as its one and only guide4 ,if1 after having been scripturally baptized1 you have failed on one or more of these items1 the ,bible teaches that if you will repent1 confess your sins and pray for forgiveness1 ,god will surely forgive you4 ,as we stand and sing the song announced1 we entreat you to accept the invitation of our ,lord1 who says1 8,come unto me and ,i will give you rest40 ,,vi ,,why ,,not ,,be ,,just ,a ,,christian8 ,religious people seem to realize more keenly than before the importance and even necessity of ,christian unity4 ,but before we can have the unity which the ,bible teaches and demands1 some practical means of attaining it must be employed4 ,it seems to me that it would be well to begin by emphasizing some points of agreement--in other words1 let us see how close together we are1 at present1 and then we will be in better position to discuss the points of difference4 ,i believe in religious debates1 have engaged in such myself and shall be glad to do so again whenever the opportunity presents itself1 but in this sermon ,i want to emphasize the truth upon which most religious people are already agreed4 ,i ,points of ,agreement ,i believe we can say that most of those who claim to be followers of ,christ are agreed upon the following points3 ,a4 ,general ,statements #a4 ,god is4 #b4 ,the ,bible is ,his word written by men as they were guided by the ,holy ,spirit4 #c4 ,jesus is the ,christ1 the ,son of the ,living ,god4 #d4 ,the world needs a ,savior and has no power by which to redeem itself from sin4 #e4 ,redemption or salvation is to be had through ,christ and only through ,him4 ,b4 ,the ,plan of ,salvation ,if we agree upon these five points1 then1 we also agree that there is a plan of salvation1 for these points imply such a plan4 ,it may be that we can get closer together upon the items of this plan than you have thought we could4 ,we will all agree that faith is the very foundation of the plan 7,john #c3af74 ,all accept the fact that repentance is essential 7,acts #ag3cj74 ,everyone agrees that the plan of salvation includes the confession that ,jesus is the ,christ1 the ,son of the ,living ,god 7,matt4 #aj3cb1 ,acts #h3cg1 ,rom4 #aj3aj74 ,some make additions to this simple ,biblical confession1 but ,i have never heard of anyone's subtracting from it4 ,when the comprehensiveness of the term 8,christ0 is understood1 it is obvious that no additions are needed4 ,everyone who agrees on the foregoing will also agree that ,jesus commanded baptism and promised salvation to those who believed and were baptized4 8,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved2 but he that believeth not shall be damned0 7,mark #af3af74 ,we will all agree that ,peter said1 as the ,holy ,spirit prompted him1 8,repent1 and be baptized every one of you in the name of ,jesus ,christ for the remission of sins1 and ye shall receive the gift of the ,holy ,spirit0 7,acts #b3ch74 ,we will agree that ,ananias said to ,paul1 8,and now why tarriest thou8 ,arise1 and be baptized1 and wash away thy sins1 calling on the name of the ,lord0 7,acts #bb3af71 and also that the ,holy ,spirit said through the ,apostle ,peter1 8,the like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us 7not the putting away of the filth of the flesh1 but the answer of a good conscience toward ,god71 by the resurrection of ,jesus ,christ0 7#a ,peter #c3ba74 ,it is also generally agreed that when one has been immersed he has been baptized4 ,there are some who believe that sprinkling or pouring will do as well1 but all agree that immersion is safe4 ,furthermore1 it is generally agreed that when one believes and repents1 confesses his faith1 and is immersed for the remission of sins in the name of ,christ1 he is saved4 ,some believe one is saved before completing this program1 but all will agree that he is saved when he has completed it4 ,so here again we find the ground of unity4 ,c4 ,christian ,worship ,the next question is1 8,what should one do by way of worship and ,christian service after becoming a ,christian80 ,in these realms1 also1 there are many important points of agreement4 ,in reference to public worship all will agree that it is proper for ,christians to meet upon the first day of the week and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs and make melody in their hearts unto the ,lord2 lay by in store as they have been prospered2 pray unto their ,father in heaven2 teach and be taught2 and eat the ,lord's ,supper in memory of ,him who died for them4 ,some dare to add to these items of worship1 some dare to subtract from them2 but all agree that they are scriptural and sufficient4 ,when ,christians come together upon the first day of each week and perform these five ,biblical items of worship to ,god1 doing so in spirit and in truth1 they know that their worship has pleased their ,maker and ,redeemer4 ,this1 then1 is the ground of unity in our worship on the ,lord's ,day4 ,in such a program all ,christians could take part and go away believing that they had done all that was required and nothing that was condemned4 ,d4 ,christian ,service ,in reference to ,christian service there is general agreement upon the broad principles that should govern4 ,everyone will subscribe to the ,golden ,rule 7,luke #f3ca7 and to the ,royal ,law 7,jas4 #b3h74 ,we agree that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts1 we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world1 that we should love our neighbors as ourselves1 and that we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us4 ,,ii ,the ,sufficiency of the ,plan ,the above is a brief outline1 then1 of points upon which there is very general agreement4 ,let me ask you1 dear friend1 if you can think of anything essential to salvation which is not covered1 at least in a general way1 in this outline4 ,if one follows the plan presented here1 do you not agree that he will be saved in heaven at last8 ,can you think of anything else which is needed to insure one's eternal salvation8 ,i believe you cannot4 ,upon the sufficiency of this plan ,i am sure we are agreed4 ,this being true1 would it not be wrong to include anything else8 ,would it not be wrong to insist upon adding something to this simple ,bible plan and thereby cause division and destroy the possibility of the unity that the ,bible requires8 ,if the above plan is sufficient to take one to heaven1 what more do you desire8 ,why add anything to it8 ,would it not be wrong to add anything else8 ,another question3 8,what will the following of this plan make of one80 ,i am sure we will also agree that it will make him a ,christian and only a ,christian4 ,let it be noted that one can do all that is suggested above and which we have agreed to be sufficient unto salvation without belonging to any denomination4 ,you can believe1 repent1 confess your sins1 and be baptized without belonging to any denomination4 ,you who have done so can meet in groups upon the first day of the week and worship ,god as the ,bible directs without becoming members of any denomination1 and you can certainly perform your duties in the field of ,christian service without joining a denomination4 ,,iii ,more ,points of ,agreement ,but while we are in this agreeing business1 let us take it even further4 ,in this country there is a large religious community known as the ,baptist ,church4 ,this group includes many fine people4 ,many of them are honest1 intelligent1 cultured1 refined1 and good citizens4 ,they have taken their denominational title from their emphasis upon immersion as being the only scriptural baptism1 in contrast to those who accept something else4 ,i agree with the ,baptists that immersion is baptism and that nothing short of immersion will meet the definition of baptism found in ,romans #f3d or ,colossians #b3ab4 ,i agree with them that the ,greek word 8baptidzo0 is properly translated by the word 8immerse40 ,but ,i can agree with them upon this great truth without belonging to the ,baptist denomination4 ,i can fully accept the very truth from which the ,baptist ,church has taken its name and still be just a ,christian4 ,the ,methodist ,church is one of the largest in this country4 ,i have more kinspeople in that denomination than in any other4 ,for all of their good points ,i give them due respect and credit4 ,because of their insistence upon method and system in their religious work1 they were nicknamed ,methodists many years ago4 ,this name was later accepted by them as their denominational title4 ,i agree with the ,methodists that system and method are important4 ,i endeavor to be systematic and orderly in every phase of my work and activity4 ,i believe that the ,lord's work should be carried on orderly4 8,let everything be done in decency and in order0 7#a ,cor4 #ad3dj74 ,we should use order1 then4 ,we should use the ,bible order4 ,but one can certainly do this without belonging to the ,methodist ,church4 ,why should one exalt the name of this one aspect of ,christian activity to the point of adopting it as a religious title8 ,one can be methodical without being a ,methodist4 ,just as one can be systematic without being a ,systematist4 ,one can be just a plain ,christian and practice everything the ,bible teaches in reference to order and system4 ,when ,i was attending the ,union ,theological ,seminary1 one of my professors told me that the ,new ,testament churches were 8congregational presbyterian40 ,he explained his statement by saying that each congregation was independent of all other congregations and that each was overseen by a group of men known as elders or presbyters4 ,i agree with him exactly4 ,according to his explanation his statement was entirely correct4 ,but ,i am not a member of the ,presbyterian ,church4 ,one can believe all the ,bible teaches upon the presbytery and practice the same without belonging to the ,presbyterian denomination4 ,why should this characteristic of church government or organization be exalted by using it as a religious or denominational title8 ,one can be just a ,christian and still believe and practice what the ,bible teaches in reference to the presbytery4 ,one does not have to be a member of the ,presbyterian ,church to obey ,god concerning the presbytery4 ,one can believe in the universality of the ,gospel without being a ,catholic or ,universalist4 ,one can believe in the second coming of ,christ without belonging to the ,adventist denomination4 ,one can teach and practice holy living without belonging to the ,holiness ,church4 ,if one had to join the ,baptist ,church because he believed in baptism and the ,methodist ,church because he believed in method and the ,presbyterian ,church because he believed in the presbytery of the local congregation 7#a ,tim4 #d3ad7 and so on down the list1 what would he be when he had finished8 ,one can agree with the denominations on the very truth from which they have taken their names1 insofar as they have taken their names from truth1 without belonging to any of them4 ,,iv ,some ,important ,conclusions ,one can believe all truth and obey every commandment of ,god without belonging to any denomination4 ,can you think of an exception to this statement8 ,can you think of any truth which you cannot believe or any commandment that you cannot obey without joining a denomination8 ,i don't believe you can4 ,can you think of any truth which you cannot accept or any commandment which you cannot obey while being just a ,christian8 ,isn't it sufficient to be just a ,christian8 ,isn't it wrong to be something different from or more than a ,christian8 ,since one can be a ,christian without joining any denomination1 then why join one8 ,would it not be wrong to join one1 since denominationalism is division and division is wrong8 ,let me emphasize the statement that ,i can believe all truth either in the ,bible or out of the ,bible and obey every commandment of the ,lord without joining any denomination4 ,this being true1 what then does it take to make one a member of a denomination8 ,believing truth will not make one a member of a denomination1 because he can believe all truth on the outside4 ,obeying ,god will not make one a member of a denomination1 because he can obey ,god on the outside4 ,if believing truth and obeying ,god will not make one a member of a denomination1 then what will do so8 ,to become a member of a denomination1 it is obvious that one must believe something besides the truth or do something besides obey ,god4 ,since believing all truth and obeying all ,god's commands will not put one in a denomination1 then he must believe something different from the truth and do something which ,god has not commanded or leave off something which ,he has commanded1 in order to become a member of a denomination4 ,it seems to me that these conclusions are inevitable and unanswerable4 ,but it may be that some of my hearers are already in some denomination2 hence1 ,i raise this question3 8,what must you do to get out of a denomination80 ,the answer is1 retrace the steps which you took in going into it4 ,some seem to think that in order to give up denominationalism and to be just ,christians that they will have to forsake all that they have ever held as dear and precious in the field of religion4 ,this is a mistake4 ,believing truth did not put you into a denomination4 ,in order to come out of it1 you will not have to forsake any truth4 ,it will only be necessary for you to reject the error which you accepted in becoming a member of a denomination4 ,in order to come out of a denomination1 you will not have to cease obeying ,god upon any point4 ,it will only be necessary for you to change your conduct on those points where you have been disobeying ,him4 ,since believing truth did not put you in1 you will not have to forsake truth in coming out4 ,merely give up the error that you accepted1 believe the truth revealed in the ,bible and obey ,god2 then you will be a ,christian1 not a denominationalist4 ,in order to come out of a denomination1 you will not have to quit believing that ,god is1 that the ,bible is ,his word1 that ,jesus is ,his ,son and the ,savior of the world4 ,you will not have to quit believing in1 and teaching1 and practicing1 faith1 repentance1 confession and baptism as the conditions of salvation4 ,you will not have to forsake any of the five items of worship outlined in the ,bible4 ,you will not have to forsake any scriptural service to your fellow-man4 ,again ,i repeat1 one can believe all truth1 obey every command of ,god1 be a ,christian1 live the ,christian life1 die in the ,lord and be saved forever without belonging to any denomination4 ,since it is unnecessary to be a member of a denomination1 it is wrong to be so4 ,any non-essential which causes division is wrong4 8,come out from among them and be ye separate1 saith the ,lord4 ,touch no unclean thing0 7#b ,cor4 #f3ag74 8,yet if any man suffer as a ,christian1 let him not be ashamed2 but let him glorify ,god on this behalf0 7#a ,pet4 #d3af74 8,neither is there salvation in any other3 for there is none other name under heaven given among men1 whereby we must be saved0 7,acts #d3ab74 ,,vii ,,excuses ,at this season of the year we frequently say something about the custom of making resolutions4 ,it is a mighty good custom1 provided we make the right sort of resolutions and endeavor to keep them4 ,i would like to encourage you to resolve to do more for the ,lord this year than you have ever done before4 ,such a resolution could be broken down into many elements1 but1 especially1 may ,i urge that each of you make it your goal to lead at least one person to obey the gospel during the year that has just begun4 ,we have more than #ejj members4 ,if each member would lead some person to ,christ during this year1 it would mean more than #ejj additions4 ,that would be the most glorious year's work this congregation has ever had4 ,with the co-operation of every member1 this goal can be reached4 ,surely there is someone in ,nashville with whom you have enough influence to lead him to ,christ1 provided you are willing to fully dedicate yourself to the ,lord and behave yourself each day in the way that will give you the greatest amount of power and influence for good4 ,i ,a ,great ,supper ,i am not going to speak this morning upon new year's resolutions4 ,but ,i shall say something which ,i believe will help you in carrying out the resolution that has just been mentioned4 ,for our text we go to the fourteenth chapter of ,luke1 and begin reading with verse #ae4 8,and when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things1 he said unto him1 ,blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of ,god4 ,then said he unto him1 ,a certain man made a great supper1 and bade many3 and sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden1 ,come1 for all things are now ready4 ,and they all with one consent began to make excuse4 ,the first said unto him1 ,i have bought a piece of ground1 and ,i must needs go and see it3 ,i pray thee have me excused4 ,and another said1 ,i have bought five yoke of oxen1 and ,i go to prove them4 ,i pray thee have me excused4 ,and another said1 ,i have married a wife1 and therefore ,i cannot come4 ,so that servant came1 and showed his lord these things4 ,then the master of the house being angry said to his servant1 ,go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city1 and bring me hither the poor1 and the maimed1 and the halt1 and the blind4 ,and the servant said1 ,lord1 it is done as thou hast commanded1 and yet there is room4 ,and the ,lord said unto the servant1 ,go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in that my house may be filled4 ,for ,i say unto you1 ,that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper40 ,,ii ,three ,slackers ,according to the social customs which are said to have prevailed at that time and in the light of this text1 it appears that the men in this story had already received and accepted the original invitation to attend this great supper4 ,the servant was sent to tell those who were bidden that supper was now served4 ,in spite of their social obligation to attend1 they began to make excuse4 #a4 ,the nature of their excuses is not very commendable4 ,the first one said he had bought a piece of land and he was going to see it4 ,i don't believe he bought that land without having already seen it4 ,such things sometimes happen but not often4 ,he had probably walked over the farm very thoroughly before he agreed to buy it4 ,he was simply making an excuse and he is not the last man who has allowed a piece of land to keep him away from duty4 ,i was brought up in the country and ,i have known men to work on their farms six days a week from early in the morning until late in the evening and then on ,sunday morning they just had to walk over the fields before they could go to worship4 ,they would get out in the grass and in the dew and get their clothes wet and come in late1 too late to go to ,bible school1 or maybe even too late to get to worship at all4 ,of course1 such conduct is not acceptable in the sight of ,god4 #b4 ,the next man said he had bought five yoke of oxen and must needs go and try them4 ,i believe again that he had already tried them or by some other means knew whether they would work4 ,he could have attended the feast if he had wanted to do so1 but he simply preferred to be out with his oxen rather than to carry out the promise which he had made4 #c4 ,the third man merely said1 8,i have married a wife and therefore ,i cannot come40 ,he didn't even say1 8,i beg thee have me excused40 ,he made no apology4 ,he thought the fact that he had a wife was excuse enough for falling down on his duties4 ,he is not the last man who has allowed a wife to keep him from doing his duty4 ,that has happened many times4 ,sometimes it works the other way4 ,the wife allows her husband to keep her from doing what she ought to do4 ,you and ,i regard none of these excuses as being valid4 ,neither did the master of the house4 ,he was angry4 ,he would allow none of these deserters to taste his supper4 ,he didn't even propose to make any allowance for repentance4 ,he1 no doubt1 felt that he had been greatly mistreated or even insulted4 ,but these excuses were no worse than many of those which people now offer for rejecting the ,lord's invitation4 ,even church members sometimes give silly excuses for not doing their duty4 ,,iii ,common ,excuses ,this morning we want to discuss the excuses outsiders offer for not obeying the gospel4#b ,if you start out to do some personal work and to lead people to the ,lord individually1 and that is the most effective way to lead them1 you'll find them making excuses4 ,there are twelve or fifteen excuses which will probably cover #ie per cent of the cases4 ,if you become familiar with these1 and know how to answer them1 you'll be able to handle most of the objections you meet4 ,i have heard all these excuses offered many times4 ,if you set out to do some work tomorrow--work of this nature--you will find people offering one or more of these excuses4 ,let us state and briefly discuss them4 #a4 8,there are so many doctrines preached ,i do not know which one to believe4 ,if wise men differ about which church is right1 how then can ,i be sure80 ,well1 friends1 wise men are still differing about what sort of food you ought to eat4 ,the doctors have not yet decided what is the perfect diet2 but you haven't quit eating while the doctors argue4 ,you are more practical in dealing with your stomach than you are in dealing with your soul4 ,you keep on eating the best you can while the scientists search for the perfect diet4 ,furthermore1 ,i never heard anyone offer this excuse who was a ,bible student4 ,it is always offered by those who do not study the ,bible1 because anyone who is able to study can find the answer4 ,i could entertain you at length1 and maybe profit you as well1 by giving you a number of examples of individuals who have studied the ,bible independently in search for the truth1 with always the same results4 ,anyone who will take the time to investigate ,god's word1 doing his best to lay aside his prejudice and his bias1 if he is sincere and honest1 will be able to understand ,god's will well enough to obey the ,lord on this earth and be saved everlastingly4 ,the man who offers this excuse is simply not willing to make the investigation necessary to gain the enlightenment or information which he needs4 #b4 8,for me to be baptized for remission of sins would be to say that my parents are lost40 ,of course1 that implies that his parents are already dead and that they were never baptized for remission of sins4 ,i answer this objection by giving a concrete example4 ,i visited a lady in ,west ,virginia and anticipated that she would make this excuse4 ,in fact1 when ,i entered the room ,i could see the tenseness in the muscles of her face4 ,she was expecting me to say that her father had gone to hell1 and she was all set to get angry when ,i did4 ,but ,i disappointed her4 ,i didn't say it4 ,i have never said that to anyone4 ,i do not see how it can do any good4 ,there may be times when ,i am convinced that it is so4 ,but after one is dead there is no need to discuss it4 ,my approach was this3 8,i am willing to admit that your father was just as good as you think he was4 ,there is no reason why ,i should deny this4 ,but remember1 if your father was as good as you think he was1 then he did the best he knew1 he lived up to all the enlightenment he had2 because if he had not done so1 he would not have been a good man4 ,he would have been a hypocrite4 ,so we will just assume that your father did the very best he could4 ,then you are not as good as he was unless you do the very best that you know1 and you know that you ought to be a ,christian4 ,you know you ought to be a member of the church we read about in the ,bible4 ,you know that you ought to be baptized for remission of sins4 ,if you don't obey the gospel1 then you are not as good as you say your father was40 ,the tenseness left her face4 ,she relaxed and talked more reasonably4 ,before the meeting closed she obeyed the gospel4 ,if your father and mother are dead1 if they are on their way to heaven1 and if they are conscious1 then they certainly want you to obey the gospel so you will go there1 too4 ,if they are not on their way to heaven1 if they are conscious of being on their way to the other place1 then they certainly want you to obey the gospel1 for torment in fire is one misery which is so terrible that it does not love company4 ,the rich man did not want his brothers to come to the place where he was in hades4 #c4 8,i am better now than some of those who are in the church40 ,in a sense that might be so4 ,morally you might be better than the worst hypocrite in the church1 but why do you want to select the lowest standard that you can find8 ,i have often wondered why a decent man will select a hypocrite in the church1 or an immoral1 disloyal1 unfaithful church member as a standard by which to measure himself4 ,to do so is certainly no compliment to yourself4 ,we do not use such standards in other matters4 ,we want the best standards in the affairs of this world and even though your comparison be true1 it still remains that the best man in the church is far better than the best man on the outside4 ,and the average man in the church is better than the average man on the outside4 ,furthermore1 when you stand before the ,lord ,jesus ,christ you will not be judged according to any human standard1 but according to the word of ,god ,almighty4 #d4 8,there are so many hypocrites in the church that ,i cannot afford to become a member of it40 ,when one makes this excuse ,i don't say1 but ,i feel like saying1 8,well1 come on in1 brother2 there is always room for one more40 ,the man who offers that excuse is a hypocrite himself4 ,that's not what keeps him out4 ,it is just an excuse for not coming in4 ,furthermore1 there are hypocrites in every organization in the world4 ,there are hypocrites outside the church4 ,you can't get away from the hypocrites by staying outside the church1 because they are not all inside the church4 ,the church doesn't have a monopoly on them4 ,most of them are still on the outside1 and you will be with them as long as you remain there4 ,furthermore you'll have to spend eternity with all the hypocrites1 those that are now in the church and those that are now outside the church4 ,so1 if you want to get away from hypocrites1 there is only one way to do it3 become a ,christian and tolerate the few hypocrites in the church while on this earth you dwell1 then go home to heaven to be free of all of them forever4 #e4 8,i'm not good enough to be a ,christian40 ,if you were1 you wouldn't need to become one4 ,the gospel is for people who need to be better4 ,the gospel is for sinners4 ,sinners are the raw material out of which ,christians are made4 ,the people who were saved on the day of ,pentecost were not such good folk to start with4 ,they were murderers4 ,they had murdered the ,son of ,god4 ,yet they could be saved4 ,if you are not worse than the men who1 with wicked and lawless hands1 nailed the ,son of ,god to the cross1 then you are not too mean to be saved4 ,in fact1 ,christ is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto ,god by him4 ,his power is not limited4 ,one of the most wonderful things about the gospel of ,jesus ,christ is that it makes no difference how dark or black your record may have been in the past1 you can have it washed clean and white as snow in the blood of the ,lamb4 ,his blood is able to wipe away all your sins2 though they be red like crimson1 they shall be as wool2 though they be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow 7,isa4 #a3ah74 ,there is no one too wicked to be saved if he is willing to believe in ,christ1 repent of his sins1 obey the commandment to be baptized1 and remain faithful thereafter4 #f4 8,well1 ,i'd like to become a ,christian1 but ,i'm afraid ,i can't hold out40 ,people say a lot of things they don't mean to say4 ,they use a lot of words sometimes when they don't realize what they are saying4 ,so does the man who makes this excuse4 ,let's just look at it a minute and see what a fellow really says when he states that he is afraid he can't hold out4 ,if you analyze his excuse1 it simply means this3 8,i'm on my way to hell and there is nothing ,i can do about it40 ,he didn't mean to say that4 ,he didn't intend to assume such a hopeless attitude4 8,i'm just on my way to hell and there's nothing ,i can do about it40 ,why nobody1 not many people at least1 believes that6 ,and yet that's virtually what you say when you say1 8,i'd like to be a ,christian1 but ,i am afraid ,i can't40 ,god is not the author of such hopelessness4 ,the ,bible says1 8,whosoever will let him take the water of life freely0 7,rev4 #bb3ag74 ,the ,bible teaches that ,god 8will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able1 but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it0 7#a ,cor4 #aj3ac74 ,the ,bible plainly declares that all of those who will may come4 ,anybody who is willing to try can be saved4 ,to say it is impossible for you to be saved is to dispute the word of ,god ,almighty4 ,i do not believe you really want to do that4 #g4 8,i don't know enough yet40 ,that could be so4 ,i think ,i have seen some people of whom that was true4 ,but you can learn enough in a very few minutes4 ,do you know that in every example of conversion we have in the ,bible1 the people who were saved obeyed the first sermon they heard8 ,in every case6 ,now1 if those people who lived nearly #bjjj years ago could learn enough from one sermon to obey the gospel1 how long should it take one today8 ,in every instance they obeyed the first sermon they heard4 ,it didn't take long1 did it8 ,i have worked with people whom ,i had to teach for a full year before they would obey the gospel4 ,of course1 ,i admit that ,i am not as good a teacher as ,peter or ,paul1 but when ,i read to you just what those men said1 then1 after all1 they are doing the teaching4 ,people of that day could learn enough from them in just an hour or so to obey the gospel4 ,surely it ought not to take one several years now to learn the same4 ,after all1 you don't need to know much to be saved4 ,you don't need to know everything4 ,if you wait till you know everything before you do anything1 then you'll always do nothing4 ,in order to be saved1 you simply need to know that you are lost1 that ,jesus is able to save you1 and what he wants you to do in order that he may save you4 ,i can tell you that in less than a minute6 8,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved0 7,mark #af3af74 8,repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of ,jesus ,christ for the remission of sins1 and ye shall receive the gift of the ,holy ,ghost0 7,acts #b3ch74 ,now1 that is enough if you are willing to accept it and obey it4 ,even if you didn't know it when you came1 you now know enough to be saved4 ,an illustration which ,i frequently use is this3 ,suppose ,i start to drive to ,columbia1 ,tennessee1 tonight4 ,i get out here on the street and say1 8,well1 ,i can't see the way to ,columbia4 ,there are many crooks and turns and ditches between here and ,columbia4 ,i might have a wreck and kill myself1 so ,i just won't start40 ,that would be silly1 wouldn't it8 ,why1 ,i could see a few yards ahead of me and ,i would drive on in what light ,i had4 ,as ,i moved on the light would move on and if ,i kept on going1 ,i would likely reach ,columbia or any other place to which ,i started4 ,that's the way it is in going to heaven2 you can't see your way from here into the ,pearly ,gates4 ,if you could1 you would be walking by sight and not by faith4 8,but the just shall live by faith0 7,hab4 #b3d74 ,you can see the first step1 and if you will take it1 you will be able to see a little bit further4 ,take the second and then you can see still further1 and if you keep on going1 you will reach the goal4 8,if a man will do ,his will1 he shall know of the doctrine1 whether it be of ,god or whether ,i speak of myself0 7,john #g3ag74 ,they that will to do ,his will shall know4 ,you can see or learn the way as you go along4 ,remember this1 if you know of just one commandment that you have not yet obeyed1 you do not deserve to understand another until you are willing to obey the one you do understand4 ,if a man does not love the truth1 ,god will send him strong delusions that he may believe a lie and be damned 7#b ,thess4 #b3h-ab74 ,if you know truth and are unwilling to act upon it1 you do not deserve to know any further truth4 ,if you keep on despising what truth you do have1 then ,god will take even that away from you4 ,he will send you a strong delusion that you may be deceived1 may be deluded and may be damned forever4 ,it is a dangerous thing for one to trample under his foot the word of ,almighty ,god4 ,if you know of even one commandment which you have not obeyed1 obey it now4 #h4 8,i live a good1 clean life1 ,i treat everybody right4 ,i pay all my debts1 ,i tell the truth1 ,i am loyal and faithful to my family1 and ,i am just as good as a lot of those folk in the church4 ,the church can't save you anyhow1 so ,i think ,i am all right40 ,now1 you know the answer to that1 don't you8 ,it's found in the tenth chapter of ,acts4 ,i always like to suggest that the man who makes that sort of a statement compare himself with ,cornelius4 ,he was a just man4 ,he treated everybody right4 ,he feared the ,lord4 ,he prayed to ,god always4 ,he was charitable4 ,he gave much alms to the poor4 ,and he was such a good man he had won the favor of the ,jews over whom he was serving as the head of an army of occupation6 ,he had a good reputation1 even among them4 ,yet he was not good enough to go to heaven without obeying the gospel4 ,he was told to send for ,peter1 who would speak unto him words whereby he should be saved4 ,he was not yet saved4 ,if you have ever committed just one sin1 you cannot go to heaven until that sin is washed away by the blood of ,jesus1 for sin cannot enter there4 ,surely there is no one who would say that he had never committed one sin4 ,you don't have to commit a great big catalogue of sins in order to be lost4 ,just one unforgiven sin will take you into torment4 ,if you've ever done wrong on a single point1 then you'll have to repent of that and obey the gospel in order to go to heaven when you die4 #i4 8,i'm waiting for someone else4 ,i'm afraid my parents or husband or wife would object4 ,this religion is unpopular and would cause me to lose my social standing40 ,this is really three excuses in one1 but in each case the person is being influenced by what someone else thinks1 instead of being influenced by what ,god says4 ,a familiar answer to such excuses is that every tub shall set on its own bottom4 ,you'll find that in ,romans1 chapter #ad and verse #ab1 8,so then each one of us must give an account of himself unto the ,lord40 ,it doesn't use the word 8tub10 but it says the same thing4 8,so then each one of us must give an account of himself unto the ,lord40 ,when you get to the judgment day1 neither your father nor your mother1 brother nor sister1 husband nor wife--nobody else can answer for you4 ,therefore1 no one else should be allowed to live for you4 ,no one should be allowed to make your choices or decisions because they cannot answer for you4 ,someone made a remark that one of the nice things about the ,catholic ,church was that the members allowed the priests to make all the decisions1 that they rather expected him to make their choices for them4 ,my answer was that that would be all right if the priest could also answer for you4 ,but the priest cannot answer for you4 ,therefore1 you'd better not let him make your decisions4 ,he might not make a decision that you would want to stand by on the judgment day4 ,nobody can answer for you1 therefore nobody should be allowed to choose your course4 ,in the light of ,god's word you must accept that responsibility yourself4 ,furthermore1 if you want to get your husband1 wife1 or somebody else to obey the gospel1 the way to get them to do it is not to wait for them but go ahead and lead the way4 ,step out and do it yourself4 ,in ,west ,virginia a lady told me that she would obey the gospel but that she was waiting for her husband4 ,i knew that was not a good excuse and ,i tried to get her to see it4 ,one evening while we were singing the invitation song ,i stopped and made this remark1 8,if ,i were you1 ,i'd rather go to heaven alone than to go to hell with my husband40 ,evidently she knew that ,i was talking about her1 for when we began to sing again she came down the aisle4 ,the next day her husband also came4 ,if she had waited for him1 they might both still be on the outside4 ,now they are two of the most faithful members in the congregation4 ,a lady at ,madison1 ,tennessee1 made the same excuse4 ,she even went so far as to say1 8,if you'll just talk to my husband and get him to obey1 then ,i'll come along with him40 ,i told her that wasn't the right attitude4 ,the next ,sunday at church she came down the aisle to make the confession and be baptized4 ,when ,i met her1 she stopped and whispered to me1 8,brother ,dark1 ,i wish you would go back and talk to my husband40 ,he was just two steps behind her and she didn't know it4 ,that's the way to get your husband to come6 ,that's the way to get your wife to come6 ,if you wait for somebody else1 then you'll be lost4 ,there was a lady in ,chattanooga who didn't wait for her husband4 ,she went to church4 ,her husband tried to keep her from going4 ,that's unusual4 ,most husbands like for their wives to be good whether they are or not4 ,but this husband didn't want his wife to go to church4 ,he told her she couldn't have any money to give to the church4 ,she began to take in sewing to make money for her contributions4 ,that made him angry4 ,he said1 8,you can't use that sewing machine1 ,i paid for it40 ,so she just kept on going without any money to contribute4 ,he saw that he was defeated on that point so1 in desperation1 he locked up her wardrobe4 ,he said1 8,i paid for those ,sunday dresses and you can't wear them to church40 ,she defied him again and borrowed some dresses from the next door neighbor and other ladies in the church and just kept on going anyway4 ,he felt like he had to do something about it1 so he went over to the meetinghouse to see if he could find out what could be done4 ,he stood on the outside and listened4 ,it didn't sound as bad as he thought it would4 ,before the meeting closed he was baptized4 ,suppose his wife had been fainthearted and had refused to go ahead without her husband4 ,he now says that he used to be the meanest man in ,chattanooga and ,i'm inclined to agree with him4 ,i heard another story of a lady who was influenced by her husband4 ,she was attending a revival meeting and he was going with her every night4 ,one night while they were dressing1 she said something about going to church1 and he said1 8,no1 we're not going to church tonight1 we're going to the show40 ,she replied1 8,i can't go to a show4 ,the revival is going on4 ,you know that6 ,i have to be over there60 ,he said1 8,no1 we're going to a show40 ,she kept on insisting that they go to church and he kept on insisting on going to the show4 ,finally he said1 8,now1 ,i've been going with you every night1 and it's only fair that you go with me tonight40 ,she still refused4 ,then he said1 8,if you don't go with me tonight1 ,i'm not going with you any more40 ,so she gave in4 ,on the way to town he stopped beside the road4 ,his wife asked him what was wrong4 ,he said1 8,i'm not going to the show4 ,i just wanted to test you out4 ,i was planning to obey the gospel4 ,if this thing is as important as you and your preacher say it is1 then you ought to have gone on tonight regardless of what ,i did4 ,before ,i accepted ,i thought ,i would test you out40 ,i admit that he treated her pretty rough2 but after all1 you can't afford to let even the person whom you love best on this earth keep you from doing that which is right4 ,it would be an act of unkindness4 ,if you love someone1 you ought not to let him keep you from doing right but you ought to go on anyhow and use your influence to get him to come along with you4 #aj4 8,there is plenty of time yet40 ,this one will probably take more people to hell than all the others put together4 ,procrastination is the thief of souls4 ,i've never talked to but one person who said he planned to die and go to hell4 ,others say1 8,yes1 ,i'm going to change my ways4 ,i know that ,i'm lost and ,i'm going to change40 ,but when8 8,well1 sometime40 ,a man who talks like that never gets it done4 ,when ,i go into a man's home1 talk to him1 and urge him to obey the gospel and he says1 8,well1 ,i'm going to think it over2 ,i'm glad you came and ,i'll think it over10 ,i go away without much encouragement4 ,but if a person tells me1 8,yes1 ,brother ,dark1 ,i'll be over there next ,sunday night and be baptized10 then ,i know something is going to happen4 ,that is the only way to overcome the tendency to procrastinate4 ,i talked to some people at ,madison one evening about #e ,p4,m4 ,immediately upon entering the room ,i learned that they knew what they ought to do4 ,they had attended our meeting often and they knew that they ought to be baptized4 ,they understood the plan of salvation4 ,i remarked to them that one could get into the habit of procrastinating4 ,i said1 8,every time you repeat the act of putting this thing off this habit becomes stronger4 ,if you aren't careful1 it may get you bound so tightly that you will never overcome it40 ,they came forward that night and obeyed the gospel1 less than three hours after ,i had talked to them1 and are now two of the most faithful members in the church4 ,afterwards the man told me that the remark about procrastination had prompted him to act immediately4 ,he realized that he had got into the habit of putting it off4 ,this habit was getting stronger and stronger4 ,he had to exert his will power to overcome it4 ,none of these excuses are any good4 ,they will not stand the test of the judgment4 ,i doubt that you would even have the audacity to mention them before ,god4 ,there is no excuse for failing1 or for delaying1 to do what you know ,god has commanded4 ,,iv ,the ,best ,resolution ,the best resolution that you can make today1 if you haven't already made it1 is the resolution to quit doing wrong and to begin doing right4 ,it is preceded by faith2 it is followed by baptism4 ,the resolution to do right will naturally lead to baptism1 for that is a part of doing right4 ,won't you say at the beginning of this new year1 8,i'm going to resolve now that from this day henceforth ,i will live for ,god08 ,if that be your resolution1 come forward and make it known while we stand and sing4 ,,viii ,,an ,,erring ,,child ,,of ,,god ,it is my purpose this morning to discuss the case of an erring child of ,god in contrast to that of an alien sinner4 ,an alien sinner is one who has never been baptized into ,jesus ,christ1 one who has never become a member of the ,lord's church1 one who has never become a citizen of the kingdom of our ,lord and ,saviour1 ,jesus ,christ4 ,the plan of salvation for such an one is clearly revealed in the ,bible4 ,it has been proclaimed from this pulpit numbers and numbers of times4 ,it needs to be repeated over and over again1 and to be kept constantly before the minds of the people4 ,not only should those who are not ,christians know the plan of salvation in order to become ,christians1 but those who have already obeyed the gospel ought to know what an alien must do to be saved well enough to teach others effectively4 ,the alien must know the gospel well enough to obey it4 ,the ,christian must have a working knowledge of the gospel in order to help save others4 ,the ,bible clearly teaches that in order to become a child of ,god one must believe that ,jesus is the ,christ1 the ,son of the living ,god2 that he must then repent of his sins 7,acts #b3ch and #c3ai72 that he must confess with his mouth the faith which he has in his heart2 and finally he must be baptized for remission of sins 7,acts #b3ch2 #bb3af1 and many other places which might be cited74 ,these are the conditions of salvation for an alien sinner4 ,obedience to these commandments makes one a child of the ,lord4 ,i ,a ,word of ,encouragement ,but suppose one errs from the truth after having obeyed these commandments4 ,that would make him an erring child of ,god4 ,the case of such an one deserves our consideration4 ,is there a plan of salvation for one who errs from the truth after having been baptized into ,christ--into the family of ,god8 ,if so1 what are the conditions of his salvation8 ,on this topic there seems to be some confusion and misunderstanding4 ,occasionally we meet someone who thinks that there is no way for him to be saved1 if he sins after he has been baptized--that his case is hopeless1 if he turns away from the church after having once been a member thereof4 ,i would like to speak a word of encouragement to all such4 ,there's only one thing which can keep any person on this earth from being saved1 and that is unwillingness to repent and obey ,god4 ,i believe it is true that no matter how far one may have strayed away1 if he wants to come back1 if he will repent1 and if he will obey the commandments which ,god has given1 ,god is willing to forgive4 ,this is the divine encouragement and inducement which is held out to all by the word of ,god 7#a ,john #a3i2 #b ,pet4 #c3d74 ,i believe we can say that anyone who has been a ,christian very long has at some time or other been an erring child of ,god1 for there are none of us who live perfect lives4 ,i presume there are none here who even claim to live perfectly4 ,in #a ,john #a3h we read3 8,if we say that we have no sin1 we deceive ourselves1 and the truth is not in us40 ,everyone1 then1 who has been in the church any appreciable length of time has been1 at some time1 an erring child of ,god4 ,if it were not possible for an erring child of ,god to be saved1 then none of us would have a chance1 and the whole scheme of redemption would be vain4 ,of course1 we know that such is not the case4 ,,ii ,god's ,willingness ,to ,forgive ,that an erring child of ,god may be saved is clearly taught by ,james #e3ai-bj1 8,brethren1 if any one of you do err from the truth and one convert him1 let him know that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his way1 shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins40 ,that's a clear-cut reference unto an erring child of ,god1 for this statement is addressed unto the brethren4 ,it teaches that if a brother errs from the straight and narrow way1 there is a chance for him to be restored by another brother4 ,the one who restores him renders a very valuable service which covers a multitude of sins and saves a soul from death4 ,that is1 he saves a soul from the lake of fire and brimstone1 which is the second death1 for ,christians as well as sinners are appointed unto physical death4 ,of course1 if the erring brother refuses to obey1 he will be lost4 ,he will be lost because of his unwillingness to obey1 and not because of ,god's unwillingness to forgive4 ,we have another reference to erring children of ,god in the third chapter of ,revelation1 in the letter addressed unto the church at ,laodicea4 ,in this church there were some lukewarm members4 ,lukewarm church members are erring children of ,god4 ,of them1 ,jesus says1 8,i know thy works1 that thou are neither cold nor hot4 ,i would thou wert cold or hot4 ,so then because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot1 ,i will spue thee out of my mouth40 ,surely these people were in a bad spiritual condition1 even to the extent of making our ,savior sick at his stomach2 but their case was not a hopeless one4 ,there was still opportunity for them to repent and to be saved4 ,this letter itself represents an effort on the part of ,god through his ,son1 ,jesus1 to lead these people to repentance1 in order that he might forgive them4 ,he pleads with them as follows3 8,i counsel thee to buy of me gold tried by the fire2 that thou mayest be rich1 and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed1 and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear2 and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve that thou mayest see4 ,as many as ,i love1 ,i rebuke and chasten3 be zealous therefore and repent4 ,behold ,i stand at the door and knock3 if any man hear my voice1 and open the door1 ,i will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me4 ,to him that overcometh will ,i grant to sit with me in my throne1 even as ,i also overcame and am set down with my father in his throne4 ,he that hath an ear1 let him hear what the ,spirit saith unto the churches0 7,rev4 #c3ad-bb74 ,from this1 we not only learn that it is possible for the erring children to be saved1 but that their salvation is conditioned upon their repentance4 ,,iii ,unwillingness ,to ,repent ,the characters mentioned in the first part of the sixth chapter of ,hebrews were lost not because they were incapable of being saved1 but because they were unwilling to repent4 ,of them we read1 beginning with verse #d2 8,for it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the ,holy ,ghost1 and have tasted the good word of ,god and the powers of the world to come1 if they shall fall away1 to renew them again unto repentance2 seeing they crucify to themselves the ,son of ,god afresh1 and put him to an open shame40 ,please note that it does not say that these people could not be saved2 it does not say that it was impossible for them to repent2 but it says it was impossible to get them to repent1 that no one could persuade them to repent1 that they persistently refused to do so4 ,these were not characters who were still striving to live the ,christian life1 but making mistakes along the way4 ,they were men who had completely turned their backs upon that which was right4 ,they were crucifying to themselves the ,son of ,god afresh1 and putting him unto an open shame4 ,and one could not persuade them to repent4 ,they were not lost because of ,god's unwillingness to forgive1 but because of their unwillingness to repent4 ,it is possible for one to turn so completely away from the ,lord that you cannot get that person to repent1 but please remember that the trouble still lies with the man himself4 ,even such an one as that could be saved if he would repent1 but he won't repent4 ,whosoever will may come1 but there are some who won't4 ,jesus says1 8,ye will not come unto me that ye may have life40 ,there is nothing in the ,bible1 then1 which teaches that it is impossible for any individual to be saved1 provided he will repent and obey the ,lord4 ,there are simply some who refuse to obey4 ,anyone can repent1 but there are some who will not4 ,of such characters #b ,peter #b3ba-bb says3 8,for it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness1 than after they have known it to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them4 ,but it is happened unto them according to the true proverb1 the dog is turned to his own vomit again2 and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire40 ,,iv ,simon the ,sorcerer ,in the eighth chapter of ,acts we have another example of an erring child of ,god4 ,his name was ,simon and he was a sorcerer by profession4 ,of him verse #ac says1 8,then ,simon himself believed also3 and when he was baptized1 he continued with ,philip1 and wondered1 beholding the miracles and signs which were done40 ,jesus said1 ,mark #af3af3 8,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved40 ,simon believed and was baptized1 therefore1 ,simon was saved4 ,simon was a child of ,god because he had believed and been baptized4 ,that he was afterwards in error is plainly taught by ,peter in the verses which follow4 ,beginning with verse #ah3 8,and when ,simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the ,holy ,ghost was given1 he offered them money1 saying1 ,give me also this power1 that on whomsoever ,i lay hands1 he may receive the ,holy ,ghost4 ,but ,peter said unto him1 ,thy money perish with thee1 because thou hast thought that the gift of ,god may be purchased with money4 ,thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter2 for thy heart is not right in the sight of ,god4 ,repent therefore of this thy wickedness1 and pray ,god1 if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee4 ,for ,i perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness1 and in the bond of iniquity4 ,then answered ,simon1 and said1 ,pray ye to the ,lord for me1 that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me40 ,simon was a child of ,god because he had believed and had been baptized4 ,afterwards he erred4 ,that made him an erring child of ,god4 ,his condition was serious4 ,he had so sinned as to be aptly described as being in the bond of iniquity1 and in the gall of bitterness4 ,but his case was not hopeless4 ,peter's admonition to him shows clearly that there was still a chance for him to be saved4 ,peter commanded him to repent and to pray4 ,the commandment to pray for forgiveness implied a commandment to confess his sins4 ,one cannot consistently pray for forgiveness until he admits1 at least to himself and to ,god1 that he has sinned4 ,one cannot even repent until he first admits to himself that he has done wrong4 ,the commandment to confess implied by ,peter is clearly stated elsewhere in ,god's word4 ,for instance1 ,james #e3af3 8,confess your faults one to another1 and pray one for another that ye may be healed40 ,again we read in ,i ,john1 chapter #a1 verses #i and #aj1 8,if we confess our sins1 he is faithful and just to forgive our sins1 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness4 ,if we say that we have not sinned1 we make him a liar and his word is not in us40 ,these ,scriptures not only teach the possibility of an erring child of ,god's being saved1 but also the condition upon which his salvation depends4 ,these conditions are3 repentance of his sins1 confession of his sins1 and prayer unto the ,lord for forgiveness4 ,any erring child of ,god who conforms to these conditions will be readily and freely forgiven by our ,father who is in heaven4 ,one who refuses to conform to these simple conditions assumes full responsibility for his own destruction4 ,having put his hand to the plow1 and looking back1 he is not fit for the kingdom of ,god 7,luke #i3fb74 ,he must repent or perish 7,luke #ac3c74 ,v ,the ,prodigal ,son ,the story of the prodigal son very beautifully and accurately illustrates the plan we are discussing4 ,the prodigal son does not represent an alien sinner4 ,he was a son4 ,he represents an erring child4 ,he went away from home contrary to his father's will1 and he wasted his father's goods in riotous living4 ,he was a wayward child4 ,he was a disobedient son of his father2 and finally1 when he had tasted the bitter dregs of sin1 he resolved to go back home4 ,the ,bible says that he came to himself4 ,he recognized that he had sinned4 ,that was the first step in his restoration4 ,when he thought about the good things back in his father's home in contrast with his own suffering1 he recognized that he had made a mistake4 ,then he made a resolution4 ,he said1 8,i will arise and go unto my father40 ,and the very minute he made up his mind to go to his father1 that was repentance4 ,repentance is a change of purpose4 ,a determination to quit doing wrong and to begin doing right4 ,and so when the young man said to himself1 8,i will go1 ,i will return to my father1 and to my father's house10 that resolution constituted repentance4 ,then the story says that he arose and came to his father4 ,that was the fruit of his repentance4 ,he had planned his confession4 ,he said1 8,i will say unto my father1 ,father1 ,i have sinned against heaven and before thee1 and am no more worthy to be called thy son3 make me as one of thy hired servants40 ,the young man expected to plead his case with his father4 ,he didn't even hope to be reinstated as a son4 ,but he was going to beg that he might be allowed to come back as a servant4 ,imagine his surprise when his father ran to meet him and welcomed him back into the family circle4 ,the boy started to make his confession1 but before he had had time to finish1 the father interrupted him and said3 8,bring forth the best robe and put it on him2 and put a ring on his hand1 and shoes on his feet3 and bring hither the fatted calf and kill it and let us eat1 and be merry4 ,for this my son was dead1 and is alive again1 he was lost and is found40 ,now this not only illustrates what an erring child of ,god must do to be saved1 but it also represents ,god's willingness to forgive him4 ,this young man repented1 he reformed1 he confessed1 and he prayed4 ,he prayed to his father to take him back into his home4 7,he had planned his confession in his heart even if he were not allowed to express it all47 ,that is just exactly what an erring child of ,god must do4 ,as we learn from ,peter1 ,james and ,john1 he must repent1 confess his sins1 and pray for forgiveness4 ,just as the father of that prodigal son was eager to receive him back into his home1 so our heavenly ,father stands waiting to receive unto the bosom of his love all of his wayward children who will come back to him in humility1 penitence1 confession and prayer4 ,just as that father showered his son with blessings1 so ,jehovah will shower his wayward children who return to him with the blessings of forgiveness1 protection1 and encouragement4 ,,vi ,the ,church's ,duty ,in conclusion it might be well to mention the duty of the church in reference to an erring child of ,god4 ,it is the duty of the church and of all its spiritually-minded members to warn those who are living in error1 to rebuke them1 to reprove them and to exhort them with all long suffering and teaching1 to admonish them to do these three things which are required of them in order to be forgiven by the ,lord4 ,when we do so1 we shall in no wise lose our reward4 ,i close then by calling attention once more to these verses in ,james1 8,brethren1 if anyone of you do err from the truth1 and one convert him2 let him know that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his way1 shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins40 ,now1 there may be some erring children of ,god in this audience this morning4 ,i want to do just what the ,bible teaches me to do4 ,i want to admonish you1 urge you1 and beseech you to take advantage of ,god's goodness and ,god's mercy and ,god's willingness to forgive4 ,the alien sinner must believe1 repent1 and be baptized4 ,the erring child of ,god must repent1 confess his sin1 and pray for forgiveness4 ,but ,i don't care how black your past may have been1 how many ugly things you may have done1 if you will confess to men1 to yourself1 and to ,god that you have sinned2 if you will resolve in your heart that you will turn away from your evil doing1 and ask ,god to forgive you1 ,he will certainly do so4 ,he never goes back on ,his promise4 ,he's not only willing1 but is eager to have you come4 ,he will welcome you back into the fold of those who are redeemed4 ,all of those evil things which you have done will not only be forgiven1 but they will be forgotten4 ,they will never be remembered any more1 and you can start all over again to live the ,christian life1 with a perfectly clean1 white record2 all the blots having been wiped away by the all-powerful blood of ,jesus ,christ1 the ,son of ,god4 ,don't you want to do that8 ,we urge you to do so1 while together we stand and sing4 ,illustration3 ,three ,dispensations ,,patriarchal ,god's law to the patriarchs and ,gentiles4 ,red ,sea ,,mosaic ,god's law to the ,jews given through ,moses ,cross ,,christian ,god's law to the world given through ,christ ,,ix ,,the ,,sabbath ,negative sermons are sometimes necessary4 ,it is the duty of gospel preachers not only to proclaim the truth but also to condemn error and convict the gainsayers 7,titus #a3i74 ,wherever false teaching raises its ugly head1 we must strike it down with the sword of the ,spirit4 ,wherever it lurks in secret hiding places to destroy unwary souls1 we must search for it and expose it with the light of truth4 ,we must warn people against it4 ,much money and effort are spent to protect people from contagious diseases4 ,in a public building of downtown ,nashville yesterday ,i saw above a water fountain a sign which said1 8,do not put your mouth on the faucet unless you wish to catch or spread disease40 ,certainly we should labor diligently to prevent the spreading of religious error4 ,i wish ,i were able to place a skull and cross bones sign across every false doctrine4 ,i ,purpose and ,occasion ,it is my purpose this morning to label and expose the false doctrine of the ,seventh ,day ,adventists with respect to the sabbath4 ,in view of the current meeting at the ,war ,memorial ,auditorium1 this lesson is certainly timely4 ,i'm taking no advantage of those whose teaching ,i examine1 for my purpose has been duly advertised in the daily press1 and they are invited to be here4 ,the overflow crowd present this morning indicates a lively interest in this topic4 ,i wish ,i had the opportunity to speak to all of those who have been listening to error in reference to the sabbath4 ,i proceed with malice in my heart toward none4 ,the zeal and liberality of the ,seventh ,day ,adventists are admirable4 ,they are spending a lot of money to teach what they evidently believe to be the truth4 ,the advertising for their current meeting is costing thousands of dollars4 ,their winning several converts to a doctrine that is not only false but also unpopular and inconvenient is evidence that advertising is effective4 ,but their zeal is without knowledge and their converts have accepted error4 ,the work they are doing at present constitutes a public challenge to all preachers of the gospel4 ,that challenge shall not go unanswered4 ,i make no personal criticism of their speaker but ,i condemn his teaching because it is false4 ,,ii ,three ,dispensations ,the ,bible reveals unto us three distinct dispensations or periods of time4 ,on the board ,i have a little diagram to represent those three dispensations4 7,see p4 #add47 ,the first lasted from ,adam to ,moses2 the second continued from ,moses until the death of ,christ on the cross2 the third began at the cross and will continue until our ,lord comes again4 ,during the first period1 the family was the unit of worship4 ,in divers manners and various portions ,god communicated with the heads of the families1 such as ,adam1 ,noah1 ,abram1 et al4 ,these men were known as patriarchs 7,heb4 #g3d2 ,acts #b3bi2 #g3h1 #i7 and accordingly this period is known as the patriarchal dispensation4 ,at ,mt4 ,sinai ,god gave another law to the ,jewish nation which continued in force until ,christ died on the cross4 ,this law was given through ,moses and applied to the ,jews only4 ,hence the second period is known as the ,mosaic dispensation4 ,throughout this period the patriarchal regulations continued to apply to the ,gentile families and nations but the ,jews were governed by the law given at ,sinai4 ,there were two laws in force simultaneously but applying to different peoples4 ,god never had two different laws applying to the same people at the same time4 ,during the third period1 or ,christian dispensation1 we have1 of course1 the will or the law of ,christ4 ,in ,hebrews #a3a-b we read1 8,god1 who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets1 hath in these days spoken unto us by his son40 ,that makes a distinct break at the cross4 ,before ,christ came ,god spoke unto our fathers by the prophets in dreams1 visions1 etc41 but unto us he hath spoken through his ,son1 ,jesus ,christ4 ,in the ,new ,testament we have the will of ,christ which went into effect when he died on the cross 7,heb4 #i3ae-ag74 ,,iii ,the ,adventist ,claim ,the advocates of the seventh day sabbath make a very broad claim4 ,they claim that the command to remember the sabbath day and keep it holy 7the fourth commandment of the ,decalogue given at ,sinai7 has been binding on all people throughout all ages and will continue to be in force as long as time shall last4 ,in other words1 they claim that it has been binding throughout each of the dispensations already mentioned4 ,with the diagram 7p4 #add7 to keep these three periods before our minds1 let us examine the claim in the light of the ,bible4 ,,iv ,no ,sabbath for ,man ,during ,first #b1ejj ,years ,first of all1 ,i emphatically deny that ,god commanded anyone to keep the sabbath before the children of ,israel were led out of ,egypt4 ,according to the ,seventh ,day ,adventists1 the 8fourth commandment0 was in force at least #b1ejj years before it was made known4 ,this could not be4 ,moses wrote the book of ,genesis4 ,he probably wrote it after the law was given at ,sinai4 ,it covers almost the entire patriarchal period4 ,in this book the word 8sabbath0 is not found at all6 ,genesis #b3b says that ,god rested on the seventh day1 but it does not say that he told ,adam and ,eve to rest2 neither does it call the seventh day the sabbath4 8,and on the seventh day ,god ended his work which he had made2 and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made4 ,and ,god blessed the seventh day1 and sanctified it3 because that in it he had rested from all his work which ,god created and made40 ,please note that that is not a commandment2 it is a statement of facts4 ,it is a statement of the fact that ,god rested on the seventh day and a statement of the further fact that 7at some later date7 he sanctified and blessed the seventh day4 ,there is no commandment in that ,scripture4 ,furthermore1 the very tense of the verb used in verse #c shows that he did not sanctify the day at the time he rested4 ,note this tense3 8because in it he had rested40 ,it does not say 8because he was resting0 but 8because he had rested0 on that day4 ,the very tense of the verb shows that after ,god himself had rested on the seventh day1 at some later time1 when he could refer to the fact that he had rested in the past tense1 he sanctified that day4 ,genesis does not say when he sanctified it4 ,exodus #bj and ,deuteronomy #e reveal that he sanctified it as a day of rest for the ,jews in the wilderness when he gave the law at ,mt4 ,sinai1 after he had led them out of ,egypt4 ,the seventh day was sanctified at the close of the patriarchal dispensation1 at least #b1ejj years after the world began4 ,the mentioning of the sanctification in ,genesis #b3c has been called a case of prolepsis1 or joining together in statement two events that were separated in time4 ,other examples of prolepsis may be found in ,genesis #c3bj1 #d3bj1 and ,matthew #aj3d4 ,no one can show where ,god sanctified the seventh day1 much less where he commanded anyone to keep it1 until after the deliverance of the ,jews from ,egypt4 ,the seventh day of the week is first called the sabbath in ,exodus #af1 in connection with the giving of the manna to the ,jews in the wilderness4 ,in anticipation of the law soon to be given at ,sinai1 ,god instructed the people to gather two days' supply on the sixth day and warned them not to expect any on the seventh day4 ,the manner in which the sabbath is thus introduced shows that they were not accustomed to keeping it4 ,in spite of these special instructions1 some went out to gather manna on the seventh day and found none4 ,this shows their lack of familiarity with the seventh day sabbath4 ,the sabbath was a new institution soon to be established4 ,here it was first introduced4 ,at ,mt4 ,sinai a few days later it was made known4 8,thou camest down also upon ,mt4 ,sinai1 and spakest with them from heaven1 and gavest them right judgments1 and true laws1 good statutes and commandments2 and madest known unto them thy holy sabbath and commanded them precepts1 statutes1 and laws1 by the hand of ,moses thy servant 4440 7,neh4 #i3ac1 #ad2 see also ,ex4 #bj3h-aa1 and ,deut4 #e3ab-ae74 ,if they were already familiar with the sabbath1 how could ,god have made it known to them at ,mt4 ,sinai8 ,soon after the sabbath command was given at ,sinai1 a ,jew went out and picked up sticks on the sabbath day 7,num4 #ae3cb-cf74 ,that this ceremonial institution was new is shown by the fact that ,moses put that man in jail until he could inquire from ,god what should be done4 ,don't you know that if ,god's people had been keeping the sabbath #b1ejj years1 they would have known what to do with a man who violated it8 7,incidentally1 ,god commanded that he be stoned to death4 ,i have not heard of any modern ,sabbatarians thus punishing the violation of their favorite law4 ,if the seventh day sabbath were still in force1 the death penalty for violating it would also still be in force47 ,and so1 my friends1 ,i boldly declare that there is no verse of ,scripture in the ,bible which shows that any man ever kept the sabbath during the period from ,adam to ,moses4 ,in the history that covers this period of approximately #b1ejj years there is no commandment to keep the sabbath2 there is no example of man's resting on the seventh day2 there is no promise of reward for his doing so2 there is no threat of punishment for his failing to do so4 ,those who teach that the seventh day sabbath was in force during this period are urgently requested to cite the text that says so4 ,since they cannot do so1 the first pillar in the foundation of the seventh day sabbath theory is completely destroyed4 ,it is simply nonexistent4 ,v ,never ,applied ,to the ,gentiles ,coming now to the second part of the diagram 7p4 #add71 ,i emphatically deny that there is any place in the ,bible to show that ,god ever commanded the ,gentile nations to keep the sabbath day1 even during the ,mosaic dispensation4 ,seventh ,day ,adventists are obligated to furnish the text which says that he did so1 but they cannot furnish it4 ,in fact1 there are plenty of ,scriptures to show that this ceremonial institution was not in force among the ,gentiles4 ,speaking of the sabbath1 ,god said1 8,it is a sign between me and the children of ,israel for ever 4440 7,ex4 #ca3ag74 ,if the other nations had been observing the seventh day sabbath also1 it could not have been a sign between ,god and the ,jews4 ,down in the country where ,i was reared each farmer had a certain mark which he used to distinguish his livestock in the woods from that of others4 ,for instance1 one fellow split his hogs' ears at two places4 ,that was his mark1 but if every other farmer used the same mark1 it would cease to be a sign of the stock which belonged to that particular man4 ,if every ranchman in the ,west used the same brand for his cattle1 it would not be a sign of that which belonged to any one in particular4 ,yet the sabbath was a sign between ,god and the children of ,israel4 ,therefore1 it was peculiar to that law which applied to them1 and was not a part of any other law given by ,jehovah to any other people or at any other time4 ,the sabbath was a memorial to an event peculiar to the ,jewish family4 8,and remember that thou wast a servant in the land of ,egypt1 and that the ,lord thy ,god brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm3 therefore the ,lord thy ,god commanded thee to keep the sabbath day0 7,deut4 #e3ae74 ,the ,gentiles were never delivered from ,egyptian bondage and1 therefore1 could not observe the sabbath in memory of any such event4 ,this ,scripture not only proves that the ,gentiles were not commanded to observe the sabbath1 but also that the ,jews themselves did not keep it until after they were delivered from ,egypt4 ,if a stranger desired to become identified with the ,jewish nation and religion he was permitted to do so by submitting to the ,jewish law1 including the sabbath regulation 7,isa4 #ef3c-g74 ,in this event he ceased to be a ,gentile religiously1 but became a ,jew instead4 ,if the sabbath had been a universal practice1 it would not have been necessary for a proselyte to begin observing it when he submitted to the ,jewish religion4 ,what has been said proves conclusively that the sabbath was purely a ,jewish institution4 ,i most urgently request that those who advocate the observance of the ,jewish sabbath show us at least one verse of ,scripture in which ,god ever commanded the ,gentiles to do so4 ,this they cannot do4 ,hence1 the second pillar essential to the support of their theory is completely lacking4 ,,vi ,sabbath ,commandments ,not in ,the ,law of ,christ ,coming now to the last section in the diagram 7on page #add71 ,i emphatically deny that there is any verse of ,scripture which states that ,god ever commanded anybody to keep the sabbath day since ,jesus died on the cross4 ,no one can find such a text in the ,bible4 ,i'm not unaware of some attempts made along that line by ,seventh ,day ,sabbatarians4 ,for instance1 they refer to ,matthew #bd3bj1 where ,jesus told his disciples to pray that1 when the city of ,jerusalem was destroyed 7in ,a4,d4 #gj71 they might not have to make their flight on the sabbath day4 ,but the very same verse tells them to pray likewise that their flight be not in the winter4 ,he told them to pray that their flight be not in the winter because it would be difficult to travel and find comfortable shelter at that season4 ,in like manner1 they were told to pray that their flight be not on the sabbath day because the unconverted ,jews would still be observing the sabbath and in harmony with the commandment given by ,nehemiah 7ch4 #ac1 vss4 #ae-ag7 would keep the gates of the city closed throughout the sabbath day4 ,under such conditions it would have been almost impossible for the ,christians to have fled from the city on the sabbath day4 ,it was for that reason that they were told to pray that their flight be not on the sabbath4 ,such instructions on the part of ,jesus did not imply that the ,christians would be expected to rest on the seventh day4 ,naturally you can find examples of unconverted ,jews keeping the sabbath day after ,jesus died on the cross4 ,paul went to their synagogues and preached to them on ,saturday1 telling them that they were no longer obligated to keep the law of ,moses4 ,we have a parallel case in ,nashville today4 ,the ,seventh ,day ,adventists have advertised a religious meeting at the ,war ,memorial ,auditorium tonight4 ,that does not mean that they recognize ,sunday as the sabbath day1 for they do not4 ,the apostle ,paul went to the synagogue where the people were on ,saturday to preach to them4 ,that does not mean that he recognized ,saturday as the sabbath day1 for he did not4 ,the sabbath is mentioned sixty times in the ,new ,testament4 ,forty-three of these cases are in connection with the life of ,jesus ,christ4 ,according to the flesh1 ,christ was a ,jew4 ,he was born under the law1 8to redeem them that were under the law1 that we might receive the adoption of sons0 7,gal4 #d3d1 #e74 ,before taking the law out of the way 7,col4 #b3ad71 he fulfilled it by obeying it perfectly 7,matt4 #e3ag1 #ah74 ,naturally1 he kept the sabbath1 just as he kept the passover and all the other ceremonies of the law of ,moses4 ,all of this occurred before ,christ died and1 therefore1 before his will1 under which we are now living1 went into effect 7,heb4 #i3ae1 #ag74 ,in ,bible history following the death of ,christ1 the sabbath is mentioned seventeen times4 ,in sixteen of these cases it refers to the worship of the unconverted ,jews4 ,in the other case1 the only one found in the ,epistles1 it is used to state that ,christians are not expected to observe it4 8,let no man therefore judge you in meat1 or in drink1 or in respect of an holy day1 or of the new moon1 or of the sabbath days 4440 7,col4 #b3af74 ,friends1 all of this simply confirms and emphasizes the conclusion that there is absolutely not one word of ,scripture to show that ,god ever commanded any ,christian to regard the seventh day of the week as a sabbath day4 ,,vii ,the ,christian's ,day of ,worship ,christians are taught to worship on the first day of the week4 8,now concerning the collection for the saints1 as ,i have given order to the churches of ,galatia1 even so do ye4 ,upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store1 as ,god hath prospered him1 that there be no gathering when ,i come0 7#a ,cor4 #af3a1 #b74 ,the last phrase in this quotation shows that ,paul did not refer to merely laying aside some money at home but rather to putting money into a common treasury4 ,this definitely implies that the church was accustomed to meeting on the first day of the week4 ,the purpose of this weekly assembling was to eat the ,lord's supper4 ,they were rebuked for allowing something to interfere with this holy purpose 7#a ,cor4 #aa3bj-bf74 ,the importance of this assembling on the first day of the week to eat the ,lord's supper is clearly revealed4 8444 and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works3 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together1 as the manner of some is2 but exhorting one another3 and so much the more as ye see the day approaching0 7,heb4 #aj3bd1 #be74 ,under the guidance of the inspired apostle the church at ,troas also met to eat the ,lord's supper on the first day of the week4 8,and upon the first day of the week1 when the disciples came together to break bread1 ,paul preached unto them1 ready to depart on the morrow1 and continued his speech until midnight0 7,acts #bj3g74 ,seventh ,day ,adventists teach that the ,catholic ,church changed the sabbath from ,saturday to ,sunday1 and challenge the public to cite the ,scripture which says that the first day of the week is the sabbath4 ,there is no such scripture4 ,the first day of the week is not the sabbath6 ,it is the day on which ,christians ought to eat the ,lord's supper4 ,it is a day of worship1 not necessarily a day of rest4 ,neither rest nor work should be allowed to interfere with a ,christian's worship on the first day of the week4 ,we have met today to eat the ,lord's supper by the authority of the ,scriptures cited above and not by the authority of any church4 ,christians were eating the ,lord's supper on the first day of the week several hundred years before the ,roman ,catholic ,church came into existence4 ,i hereby challenge the ,sabbatarians to furnish even one word of ,bible authority for eating the ,lord's supper on ,saturday4 ,,viii ,the ,will of ,christ ,christians are living under the reign of ,christ4 ,they are expected to obey the word that ,god hath spoken unto us by his ,son 7,heb4 #a3b74 ,this word is called the will1 or testament1 of ,christ4 ,as in the case of human wills1 it became of force when he died on the cross4 8,for where a testament is1 there must also of necessity be the death of the testator4 ,for a testament is of force after men are dead2 otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth0 7,heb4 #f3af1 #ag74 ,the will of ,christ teaches ,christians to worship on the first day of the week1 but it does not teach them to rest on the seventh day4 ,the will of ,christ forbids murder1 stealing1 lying1 and such like 7,rom4 #ac3i71 but it does not forbid working on ,saturday4 8,for the law was given by ,moses1 but grace and truth came by ,jesus ,christ0 7,john #a3ag74 ,this grace teaches righteous living 7,titus #b3aa1 #ab71 but it does not teach that ,saturday should be observed as a sabbath4 ,when the will of ,christ was established by his death on the cross1 the law which ,god had given to the ,jews through ,moses at ,sinai came to an end4 ,this the ,bible abundantly teaches4 8,he taketh away the first1 that he may establish the second0 7,heb4 #aj3i74 8,but we have been discharged from the law1 having died to that wherein we were held2 so that we serve in newness of the ,spirit1 and not in oldness of the letter0 7,rom4 #g3f ,,arv74 ,in #b ,corinthians #c3f-ah we have a contrast between the law given at ,sinai1 including the sabbath commandments 7see verse71 and the will of ,christ4 ,the former was glorious2 the latter much more glorious4 ,the former was done away2 the latter remaineth4 8,for if that which is done away was glorious1 much more that which remaineth is glorious40 ,in ,galatians1 chapter #c1 speaking of the law ,god gave to the ,jews at ,sinai1 #dcj years after his covenant with ,abraham1 ,paul says1 8,wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto ,christ1 that we might be justified by faith4 ,but after that faith is come we are no longer under a schoolmaster0 7,gal4 #c3bd1 #be74 ,i ask you if words could be plainer4 8,the law was our schoolmaster 444 we are no longer under a schoolmaster40 ,is that sufficient8 ,do ,i need to cite other texts1 such as ,colossians #b3ad-af2 ,ephesians #b3aj-bb2 ,galatians #d3a-ca1 etc48 ,no wonder ,paul said in ,galatians #e3d1 8,christ is become of no effect unto you1 whosoever of you are 7he who would be--,,arv7 justified by the law2 ye are fallen from grace40 ,,ix ,conclusion ,beloved1 you have seen that the commandment to remember the sabbath day and keep it holy is confined to the law ,god gave to the ,jews through ,moses in the wilderness4 ,it is not named in the history of ,god's people during the #b1ejj years prior to that time4 ,it is peculiar to the law of ,moses4 ,it is not found at any other place in the ,bible4 ,it was not in force during the patriarchal dispensation4 ,even during the ,mosaic age1 or dispensation1 it never applied to the ,gentiles4 ,it is not binding during the ,christian dispensation4 ,it has no place in the will of ,christ4 ,the only law in which it is found fulfilled its purpose1 was fulfilled by ,christ1 and was taken out of the way when he died on the cross4 ,the law of ,moses could not take away sins2 the will of ,christ can 7,rom4 #a3af74 ,i beseech you by the mercies of ,god to believe the will of ,christ1 obey its commandments1 and enjoy its promises4 ,the will of ,christ says to believers1 8,repent1 and be baptized every one of you in the name of ,jesus ,christ for the remission of sins1 and ye shall receive the gift of the ,holy ,ghost0 7,acts #b3ch74 ,the will of ,christ says1 8,and now why tarriest thou8 ,arise1 and be baptized1 and wash away thy sins1 calling on the name of the ,lord0 7,acts #bb3af74 ,the law of ,christ teaches us to worship ,god in spirit and in truth1 by singing1 praying1 studying1 teaching and by laying by in store and eating the ,lord's supper on the first day of the week4 ,the law of ,christ teaches us to love ,god with all our heart1 power1 soul1 mind and strength2 to love our neighbors as ourselves and to do unto others as we would have them do unto us4 ,the will of ,christ promises the faithful a crown of everlasting life4 ,this is the perfect law of liberty4 ,it is holy1 just and good4 ,it is complete4 ,it is a glorious law4 ,its glory outshines that of all other laws as the sun outshines the stars 7#b ,cor4 #c3aj74 ,it furnishes the man of ,god completely unto every good work4 ,it is the law of life1 rather than the law of death4 ,it is the law of eternal happiness1 rather than the law of condemnation4 ,don't you want to hear ,christ and obey this new law enacted upon better promises1 glorious in its origin1 glorious in its power and purpose1 and glorious because it leads to a life of eternal glory for all of those who faithfully follow it8 ,while we stand and sing we bid you come to ,jesus and let him save you from all your sins4 ,x ,,seventh ,,day ,,adventism ,,reviewed ,those of you who were present last ,lord's day remember that ,i spoke on the topic 8,the ,sabbath40 ,since that time ,i have received several letters from people who were not able to be present1 but who requested that ,i send them a copy of the lesson presented4 ,i'm glad to announce that the sermon was recorded by dictaphone and will be ready for free distribution soon4 ,i have also received many requests that ,i continue today along the same line that was begun last ,lord's day4 ,to these requests ,i am conceding4 ,it would be more pleasant to preach without naming the mistakes of others but1 when the souls of men and women are involved1 we cannot afford to shirk our duty4 ,i ,review ,the main points in the lesson last ,lord's day were as follows3 #a4 ,bible history is divided into three periods3 the ,patriarchal ,dispensation2 the ,mosaic ,dispensation2 and the ,christian ,dispensation4 #b4 ,there was no sabbath during the first period which lasted from ,adam to ,moses4 #c4 ,the sabbath commandment never applied to the ,gentiles--not even during the ,mosaic dispensation4 #d4 ,the sabbath commandment was confined to the law of ,moses which was abolished when ,christ died on the cross4 #e4 ,christians are not required to rest on ,saturday4 #f4 ,christians are taught to worship on the first day of the week4 ,in the correspondence received since last ,lord's day there is no word of criticism or objection4 ,i take the silence to mean that those who were present were convinced that what was said was based on ,bible authority4 ,i am determined that the same shall be true of what ,i say today4 ,it is my prayerful purpose to preach nothing but what is plainly revealed in the ,bible4 ,the ushers have given you a mimeographed copy of some of the main points to be discussed in today's lesson4 ,you may use these papers to make further notes1 especially to take note of the ,bible references used1 that you may go home and read them for yourselves and see that what we say is true4 ,the noble people of ,berea searched the ,scriptures daily to see whether they had heard the truth4 ,if all people would do that1 it would not be so easy for error to gain acceptance4 ,,ii 8,the ,two ,laws0 ,in my hand ,i hold a copy of one of the so-called ,bible lessons distributed by the ,seventh ,day ,adventists4 ,the title of this pamphlet is 8,the ,two ,laws40 ,that title implies that ,god has never given but two laws4 ,that is a mistake4 ,god has given different laws to different people at different times1 as the occasion and his eternal purpose required4 ,his law to ,adam before the fall was different from his law to ,adam after the fall4 ,his law to ,cain was not the same as his law to ,noah4 ,his law to ,abram was not identical with his law to the ,jews4 ,his law since ,christ died on the cross is quite different from any law he gave before that time4 ,god does not change 7,mal4 #c3f7 but he changes his laws according to his wisdom4 8,for the priesthood being changed1 there is made of necessity a change also of the law0 7,heb4 #g3ab74 ,god has never had two different laws applying to the same people at the same time4 8,he taketh away the first that he may establish the second0 7,heb4 #aj3i74 ,the law given the ,jews at ,sinai was a unit4 ,it was one law1 not two laws4 ,in the lesson last ,lord's day such ,scriptures as ,romans #g3f2 ,hebrews #f3h-ac2 ,hebrews #aj3i2 ,colossians #b3ac-af2 and ,galatians #c3ag1 #bd1 #be were quoted to show that the law which ,god gave to the ,jews through ,moses at ,mt4 ,sinai was fulfilled and taken out of the way when ,christ died4 ,the ,seventh ,day ,adventists admit that all of this law was taken out of the way except ,exodus #bj3b-ag and ,deuteronomy #e3f-ba4 ,they are thus committed to the fact that ,god sometimes changes his laws4 ,when they teach that ,god abolished part of that law they admit that he could have abolished all of it2 and that is exactly what he did4 ,i want you to read those ,scriptures and note that they speak of 8the law10 not a 8part of the law40 ,for instance1 8,but now we are delivered from the law 7not #8part of the law'7 4440 7,rom4 #g3f74 8,wherefore the law 7not #8part of the law'7 was our schoolmaster 444 but that after faith is come we are no longer under a schoolmaster0 7,gal4 #c3bd-be74 ,where is the ,scripture that says that a part of that law was abolished8 ,every text which teaches that a part of it was taken away teaches that all of it was taken away and a new law1 the law of ,christ1 was given1 not to the ,jews only but to the whole world4 ,,iii 8,ceremonial0 and 8,moral0 ,laws ,at this point ,i want to read to you the leading sentence in this ,adventist pamphlet we are reviewing3 8,the ,new ,testament ,scriptures clearly present two different divisions of the ,old ,testament laws3 the moral law as summed up in the ,ten ,commandments1 which is binding on ,christians as a rule of life and conduct2 the ceremonial law of typical ordinances1 which was abolished at the cross and from which ,christians are entirely free40 ,i want you to carefully note what that quotation says4 ,it says that the ,new ,testament ,scriptures clearly present two laws in the ,old ,testament--the 8moral law0 and the 8ceremonial law40 ,now ,i want to ask you a simple question4 ,how in this world could the ,new ,testament ,scriptures clearly present something that is not even mentioned anywhere in the ,bible8 ,friends1 think of it6 8,moral0 law and 8ceremonial0 law are not mentioned in your ,bible4 ,that is not ,bible language4 ,in order to prove the sabbath theory by the ,bible it will be necessary to find each of these four texts3 #a4 ,the text which says that the 8ceremonial0 law was abolished4 #b4 ,the text which says that the 8moral0 law is still binding4 #c4 ,the text which says that ,exodus #bj3b-ag and ,deuteronomy #e3f-ba are the 8moral law40 #d4 ,the text which says that the rest of the law given through ,moses is the 8ceremonial0 law4 ,how can such texts be found when you may search your ,bible from the first word in ,genesis to the last word in ,revelation and you will find neither the word 8moral0 nor the word 8ceremonial08 ,those words are not in the ,bible4 ,i challenge the ,sabbatarians to find either of them4 ,even if the first two texts named above could be found1 the ,adventist theory would not be established unless the last two could also be found4 ,in fact1 it would be destroyed1 for in the very nature of the case the sabbath commandment is a ceremonial one4 ,there is nothing moral about it4 ,according to ,webster 7the ,bible doesn't mention the word7 a moral commandment is one that's based on common sense and on our natural knowledge of what rules should guide us in our relationships one to another4 ,the sabbath commandment does not come in this class4 ,there's nothing moral about one day in the week any more than another4 ,nothing could distinguish one day from another1 except a positive decree from ,god ,almighty4 ,in that case it would be ceremonial4 ,if you were to sleep for an indefinite period1 upon awaking you wouldn't know the day of the week4 ,you couldn't tell ,saturday from any other day to save your life4 ,as far as our natural senses go1 one day is just like another4 ,there is no authority1 ,biblical or otherwise1 for calling ,exodus #bj3b-ag and ,deuteronomy #e3f-ba the 8moral law0 and the rest of the ,mosaic code the 8ceremonial law40 ,,iv ,the ,sinaitic ,law a ,unit ,the ,bible speaks of the law which ,god gave to the ,jews in the wilderness in the singular1 as one law1 not two laws4 ,such expressions as 8the book of the law of ,moses10 8the law10 8the book of the law10 and 8the law of ,god0 are used interchangeably in the ,bible to designate all of the ,jewish law 7,see ,nehemiah #h3a1 #b1 #c1 #h74 ,they are never used to distinguish one part of it from another part4 8,the law of ,moses0 and 8the law of the ,lord0 are used interchangeably in ,luke #b3ba-bd4 ,all of it is called 8the law of ,god0 because ,god was the author of all of it4 ,it is called 8the law of ,moses0 because it was all given through ,moses as a mediator 7,gal4 #c3ai2 ,john #a3ag2 ,deut4 #e3e74 ,it was all written by ,moses 7,exod4 #ca3bd-bg74 ,exodus #bj3b-ag was originally written by the finger of ,god on tables of stone but those tables were destroyed 7,exod4 #cb3ai7 and it was written the second time by ,moses himself 7,exod4 #cd3bg1 #bh74 ,the only thing we know about that law today is what ,moses wrote in the first five books of the ,bible4 ,it was all given at the same time1 through the same mediator1 to the same people1 by the same authority1 for the same purpose1 and was all taken 8out of the way0 at the cross 7,col4 #b3ad-af74 ,in an effort to make it appear that ,god gave two laws 7one 8ceremonial10 the other 8moral10 one eternal and the other temporal7 to the ,jews at ,sinai1 this pamphlet has arranged1 in parallel columns4 ,scriptures that apparently do not apply to the same law4 ,this is well designed to confuse or mislead the untaught2 but1 in fact1 it proves absolutely nothing4 ,the ,bible speaks of many other laws in addition to the one ,god gave to the ,jews in the wilderness4 ,for instance1 8the law of ,christ0 7,gal4 #f3b72 8the law of the ,medes and ,persians0 7,dan4 #f3h72 8the law of my mind0 and 8the law of sin0 7,rom4 #g3bc72 8the law of works02 8the law of faith0 7,rom4 #c3bg72 8the law of liberty0 7,jas4 #b3ab72 8the royal law0 7,jas4 #b3h72 etc41 etc4 ,in addition to all this1 there are the laws or commandments that ,god gave to ,adam1 ,cain1 ,noah1 ,abraham1 et al4 ,with the ,bible speaking of so many different laws1 it is not surprising that you can find references that apparently do not apply to the same law4 ,it would be surprising if you couldn't4 ,in order to harmonize such texts it certainly is not necessary to apply them to two imaginary laws that are not even named in the word of ,god4 ,the law of faith was established at the cross2 the law ,god gave to the ,jews was abolished at the cross 7,eph4 #b3aj-bb74 ,the law of ,christ is written on the hearts of ,christians2 the law of ,moses was written1 in part1 on tablets of stone 7,heb4 #h3h-aa74 ,the author of the pamphlet places three references from ,romans1 chapter #g1 in his 8moral0 column4 ,even if he were correct in doing this1 his theory would still be ruined1 for verse #f of that same chapter says1 8,but now we have been discharged from the law 4440 7,,arv74 ,some of the references placed in opposing columns by the author really apply to the same law1 and present no conflict whatsoever4 ,for instance1 the law which ,god gave the ,jews at ,sinai was both established and abolished4 ,it was first established and then abolished4 ,it could not have been abolished if it had not first been established4 ,it was established by the life of ,christ2 it was abolished by the death of ,christ4 ,christ came not to destroy the law or the prophets but to fulfill 7,matt4 #e3ag1 #ah74 ,jesus said 8444 all things must be fulfilled1 which were written in the law of ,moses1 and in the prophets1 and in the psalms1 concerning me0 7,luke #bd3dd74 ,christ fulfilled every prophecy concerning the ,messiah in the law and obeyed every commandment in the law4 ,in that sense he established the law1 and after having done so1 he abolished it when he died upon the cross4 ,salvation through faith and obedience to ,christ is in fulfillment of the prophecies found in the law of ,moses4 ,in that sense the law of faith establishes the law given to the ,jews at ,sinai and abolished by ,christ when he was crucified 7,col4 #b3ad-af74 ,not a single text listed by the author in his parallel columns serves to establish the distinction for which he contends4 ,if this is the best he can do in that respect1 it only serves to advertise the weakness of his contention4 ,every text he cites refers either to the law ,god gave the ,jews at ,sinai and abolished at the cross1 or to the law ,god gave to the world through ,christ and which went into force when he died at ,calvary4 ,when this is so clearly the case1 isn't it strange that a preacher would try to make it appear that these ,scriptures apply to two imaginary laws that are not even named in these texts or at any other place in the ,bible8 ,since the law given at ,sinai was a unit1 every ,scripture which teaches that it was taken away at the cross1 indeed teaches that it was taken away as a whole1 in its entirety4 ,please listen again then to ,ephesians #b3aa-ah3 8,wherefore remember1 that ye being in time past ,gentiles in the flesh 444 ye were without ,christ1 being aliens from the commonwealth of ,israel 444 but now in ,christ ,jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of ,christ4 ,for he is our peace1 who hath made both ,jew and ,gentile one1 and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us2 having abolished in his flesh the enmity1 even the law of commandments contained in ordinances2 for to make in himself of twain ,jew and ,gentile one new man1 so making peace2 and that he might reconcile both ,jew and ,gentile unto ,god in one body by the cross1 having slain the enmity thereby 444 for through him we both ,jew and ,gentile have access by one ,spirit unto the ,father40 ,the entire law of ,moses1 and especially the sabbath commandment 7,ex4 #ca3af1 #ag71 was the middle wall of partition between the ,jews and ,gentiles4 ,the ,holy ,spirit says in the text just quoted that it was broken down1 abolished1 at the cross4 ,this text is a sample of the many additional texts that could be cited to show that the entire ,sinaitic law was taken out of the way at the cross1 but even one is enough to convince all who love the truth4 ,in ,colossians #c3ac-af the ,holy ,spirit clearly teaches that this law has been taken out of the way1 and that1 therefore1 the ,jews themselves are no longer required to keep the sabbaths of the ,old ,testament4 ,since the middle wall of partition has been broken down1 there is neither ,jew nor ,gentile in ,christ1 but all are one--,christian4 ,v ,the ,law of ,christ ,the fact that the law of ,moses in its entirety1 including even the ,ten ,commandments1 has been taken out of the way does not mean that ,christians are without restraint1 guidance and law4 ,god hath 8spoken unto us by his son0 7,heb4 #a3a-b74 ,this word that ,god hath spoken unto us through ,christ is called 8the law of ,christ0 7,gal4 #f3b7 or the testament of ,christ 7,heb4 #i3ac-ag74 ,it is the law of love 7,rom4 #ac3h-aj74 ,the law of ,christ1 which has been applicable to all the world since his death1 contains several commandments that were never included in any other law given to man4 ,for instance1 the commandment to be baptized for remission of sins 7,acts #b3ch72 the commandment to lay by in store on the first day of the week 7#a ,cor4 #af3a1 #b72 and the commandment to eat the ,lord's ,supper 7#a ,cor4 #aa3bc-bf2 ,acts #bj3g74 ,the law of ,moses forbade murder2 the law of ,christ forbids not only murder but even needless anger 7,matt4 #e3ba-bb74 ,the law of ,moses forbade adultery2 the law of ,christ forbids looking upon a woman to lust after her 7,matt4 #e3bg1 #bh74 ,the law of ,moses forbade false swearing2 the law of ,christ forbids all swearing 7,matt4 #e3cc-cg74 ,it was wrong for the ,jews to work on ,saturday1 for the law of ,moses forbade it 7,deut4 #e3ab-ae2 ,exod4 #bj3h-aa74 ,it is not wrong for a ,christian to work on ,saturday1 for the law of ,christ does not forbid it 7,col4 #b3af74 ,the law of ,moses did not require the ,jews to engage in special worship on the first day of the week2 the law of ,christ does require ,christians to do so 7#a ,cor4 #af3a-b2 #aa3ag-cj2 ,acts #bj3g2 ,heb4 #aj3bd1 #be74 ,it is wrong for ,christians to steal1 kill1 covet1 etc41 not because ,moses said so1 but because the law of ,christ says so 7,rom4 #c3h-aj74 ,there was a time to hear ,moses but that time has passed4 ,on the mountain of transfiguration1 a cloud overshadowed ,moses and the voice of ,god said concerning ,jesus1 8,this is my beloved ,son1 in whom ,i am well pleased2 ,,hear ,,ye ,,him0 7,matt4 #ag3e74 ,christians should obey ,christ1 not ,moses4 8,for the law was given by ,moses1 but grace and truth came by ,jesus ,christ0 7,john #a3ag74 8,for the grace of ,god that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men1 teaching us that1 denying ungodliness and worldly lusts1 we should live soberly1 righteously1 and godly1 in this present world0 7,titus #b3aa1 #ab74 ,friends1 would you believe me if ,i were to tell you that the ,seventh ,day ,adventists deny the existence of the word spoken through ,christ8 ,well1 just let me read it to you from the last section of the pamphlet under review4 8,the abolition of the ,ten ,commandments would nullify the gospel of ,christ1 and render both grace and the atonement void4 #8,sin is not imputed when there is no law' 7,romans #e3ac74 ,since #8where no law is1 there is no transgression' 7,romans #d3ae71 it follows that if the law meaning the ten commandments were abolished1 there would be no transgression1 and hence no need of a ,saviour40 ,i can't believe the author meant to say that1 but he said it4 ,according to that1 the 8ten commandments0 are the only commandments now in force4 ,that quotation plainly says that if the 8ten commandments0 are not now in force there are no commandments to disobey1 no chance to sin1 and no need of a ,saviour4 ,the author has flatly denied every commandment in the gospel4 ,according to him1 ,christ gave no commandments and it is folly to talk about obeying the gospel 7,see #b ,thess4 #a3h74 ,if the author was aware of what he was saying1 he has deliberately denied the word of ,christ4 ,if he said it inadvertently1 it simply illustrates the absurdities and inconsistencies into which one falls when he undertakes to teach error4 ,,vi ,summary ,summarizing what was said last ,lord's day and what has been said today1 ,i am earnestly requesting the ,seventh ,day ,adventists to furnish the following ,bible texts which are essential to the support of their theory3 #a4 ,the text that commanded any one to keep the sabbath during the period from ,adam to ,moses4 #b4 ,the text that commanded the ,gentile nations to observe ,saturday as a day of rest1 even during the ,mosaic dispensation4 #c4 ,the text in the new covenant1 or will of ,christ1 that commands ,christians to rest on ,saturday4 #d4 ,the text which says that any one ever ate the ,lord's ,supper on ,saturday4 #e4 ,the text that even mentions either 8moral law0 or 8ceremonial law40 ,in the papers furnished you by the ushers you have a copy of this request for ,scriptures4 ,just to show you how earnest ,i am about this matter1 ,i'm offering a reward of #ajj to the finder of either of these texts4 ,this offer is backed by my personal integrity and sufficient resources4 ,i'm not making it to be dramatic1 but to impress you with the fact that no such ,scriptures are in the ,bible4 ,and yet1 friends1 these ,scriptures are absolutely essential to the support of the sabbath theory4 ,without these texts1 that theory has absolutely not one leg on which to stand4 ,the absence of these ,scriptures leaves that theory without any support whatsoever4 ,as further evidence of my sincerity1 ,i want to make you a proposition4 ,if there is anybody in this audience who believes he knows now where to find one of these texts1 ,i'm giving you a chance to let it be known4 ,i'll turn to the reference you give1 read the text you cite1 and see whether it meets the demand4 ,we will not have you arrested for disturbing public worship1 or undertake to embarrass you in any way4 ,if you will just raise your hand and let me know where you are1 ,i'll give you a chance to stand up and cite your ,scripture4 ,if any one here even thinks he knows where to find one of these texts1 we are giving you permission to speak up now4 7,pause4 ,no response47 ,well1 even if you can't find it now1 maybe you believe you can when you get home4 ,if so1 just write to me4 ,my address is on the paper you have4 ,you may write to me in care of the ,chapel ,avenue ,church of ,christ1 ,nashville #f1 ,tenn4 ,if you want to collect #ejj1 just let me know where those five texts are4 ,i'm simply saying this1 friends1 to emphasize that the very texts essential to the sabbath theory are not in the ,bible4 ,until the ,lord gives us a new ,bible1 there is no danger of my having to put out any money on this offer4 ,beloved1 in closing ,i beseech you to hear ,christ and obey his gospel4 ,on the condition that you believe1 repent1 and be baptized1 he promises you pardon4 ,on the condition that you remain faithful to the end1 he promises you everlasting life4 ,his gospel has facts to be believed1 commandments to be obeyed and promises to be enjoyed4 ,while we stand and sing1 we are urging you to come to him and let him save you4 ,,xi ,,leadership ,the word of ,god furnishes us completely unto every good work4 ,but as we learned this morning1 many of ,his instructions are left in general form and must be applied according to our best judgment4#c ,for this reason1 ,god endowed us with intelligence1 and admonished us to pray for further wisdom that we might be able to serve ,him in decency and in order4 ,i ,wisdom in the ,lord's ,plan ,we should not be disturbed by the fact that there are certain decisions which we have to make according to our own best judgment4 ,i believe there is a very good reason why ,god made this arrangement4 ,simply because the detailed instructions that would fit one place might not be suitable at another4 ,for instance1 you had to decide how big to make this house in which you worship4 ,suppose ,god had specified that a house of worship should be #ej #dj feet4 ,that might be a suitable building for one community1 but out of order in another4 ,since circumstances are so widely different in different places it was an act of wisdom on the part of ,god to give us only the general principles that should govern certain activities and to leave each community to use its own intelligence in applying these general principles in a sensible1 expedient and practical way4 ,but it does impose upon us a responsibility of using some intelligence1 of making some wise decisions1 and of giving some thought and consideration unto our plans4 ,,ii ,responsibilities of ,leadership in the ,local ,church #a4 ,autonomy of the local church4 ,as some of you know1 ,i was requested last fall to teach a series of lessons at ,grace ,avenue on the subject of church leadership4 ,when ,i contemplated the task ,i wondered what ,i would say1 but before it was over ,i was wondering how ,i would find time to say what was to be said4 ,of course1 church leadership means leadership in the local congregation because that is the only capacity in which the church can scripturally function4 ,congregational autonomy needs to be emphasized4 ,god has ordained that each congregation shall be entirely independent to manage its own affairs under him without any interference or dictation from any other congregation or from any other group of people upon the earth4 ,since ,god has ordained that each congregation shall be independent1 we cannot function in the capacity of a group of congregations organized together4 ,no inter-congregational organization can scripturally exist4 ,therefore1 there can be no inter-congregational ownership of property4 ,we cannot own property as a whole1 that is1 as a group of congregations4 ,you could not deed a piece of property to the church of ,christ in general4 ,it has to be deeded to a particular congregation4 ,that's the only way the church can scripturally function4 ,therefore1 when we speak about leadership in the church1 we are speaking of the leadership in the local congregation4 #b4 ,distribution of work4 ,now ,i realize that in the church there is not such a clear cut division of labor or responsibility as there is in a business organization because in the church every member is vitally interested in every phase of the work4 ,to use an illustration3 ,i taught temporarily at ,peabody last spring in the mathematics department4 ,except for a very general interest in the welfare of the school and my fellowman1 it made no difference to me what the history teacher next door did or said4 ,i had no responsibility in reference to his work4 ,there was a clear cut division between his department and mine4 ,in the church our relationship to each other is too intimate and our interest in the general welfare too great for such a clear cut division of responsibility to exist4 ,however1 for the sake of efficiency there should be some distribution of responsibility or work1 for the very simple reason that what is everybody's business tends to become nobody's business4 ,unless there is some mutual agreement as to who shall do what1 there is a danger that a great many necessary tasks will be neglected4 ,some congregations that are large have a distribution of responsibility among the elders themselves4 ,instead of bringing up every little detail before a general business meeting1 certain ones are delegated to look after certain phases of the work and to make all minor decisions regarding the same4 ,for instance1 ,i know a congregation which has a maintenance committee1 authorized by the overseers1 to keep the building in repair up to the point of spending so many dollars each month4 ,there's a limit placed upon what they can spend4 ,they don't have to get expressions from all the elders before they replace a broken window light1 or make other minor repairs4 ,this responsibility and authority has already been scripturally and officially delegated to them4 ,that illustrates what we mean1 then1 by division of responsibility--a location of responsibility and a distribution of the tasks that are to be performed4 #c4 ,responsibility of making thoughtful decisions4 ,as we proceed ,i cannot quote a lot of ,scripture tonight1 for the mere reason that ,i'm talking about the sphere in which ,god has not given specific instructions4 ,that's where the leadership of the church comes in4 ,in this sphere the overseers of the church have a great responsibility4 ,oh1 ,i could spend two or three hours reciting ,scriptures and discussing the qualifications and work of elders4 ,but it's not our purpose to discuss that field at this time4 ,we are discussing the sphere1 mentioned in the lesson this morning1 where ,god has given only general instructions4#d ,why1 friends1 where ,god has given specific instructions the overseers don't have to make any decisions4 ,they simply follow the directions given4 ,it's just exactly in the realm where specific instructions have not been given that the overseers are called upon to make decisions of their own4 ,where ,god has specified1 they have very little responsibility4 ,they have no responsibility in making decisions for ,god has already made the decisions4 ,but there are a thousand questions that ,god has not answered specifically4 ,just to mention a few1 ,he doesn't tell us what kind of song books to use4 ,he didn't tell you how big to make this house1 or how many windows to put in each wall4 ,he doesn't tell you how many meetings to have each week4 ,he doesn't tell you how often you should have a protracted meeting1 or how many classes to have on ,lord's day morning1 or how you should arrange your missionary program1 how many preachers you should employ and what part of each one's support you should furnish4 ,a hundred other questions could be mentioned1 which ,god has not specifically answered4 ,and1 therefore1 the elders1 the overseers1 in every congregation1 must make decisions for themselves in reference to these things4 ,please don't think that ,i'm going to tell you the answer to these questions1 for if ,i were to do so1 then ,i would be making specifications where ,god has made none1 and1 therefore1 going beyond that which is written4 ,but the one thing ,i do want to do tonight is to insist that a great deal of thought and study be given to all such matters and that instead of making decisions on them recklessly or thoughtlessly or without proper meditation and study1 the very opposite should be the case4 ,all such questions1 even though they may appear to be insignificant in their nature1 should be weighed very carefully4 ,for1 if there is any field of work in all this world in which we want to do our very best1 it is in the work of the ,lord2 and be it ever so good in the past1 we want to make it better in the future2 for ,god expects us to grow in ,his work1 and to become better and better as the days go by4 ,so the one point that ,i'm emphasizing most of all is that in all these decisions a great deal of study1 thought1 and prayer should be used4 ,sometimes ,i have been surprised at how carelessly decisions were made in certain business meetings of churches where ,i have labored4 ,i have seen important decisions determined by a very slight suggestion from some individual member of the group and passed immediately1 without any time being taken to carefully study the issues involved4 ,i believe that what a church business meeting will do is about the most unpredictable thing in the world4 ,some of their decisions are made with such little study and with such little thought that it's almost impossible to know what may happen when such a meeting is called4 ,now ,i believe that ,god expects us to use wisdom in this field where ,he has left us to our own judgment4 ,there are ,scriptures which authorize this statement4 ,some of them were used this morning4 ,for instance1 8,be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves0 7,matt4 #aj3af74 ,or again1 8,let all things be done decently and in order0 7#a ,cor4 #ad3dj74 #d4 ,importance of careful planning4 ,every outstanding business organization in this country has its post-war plans already worked out4 ,it has its blueprints drawn1 and those plans have not been made hastily4 ,they have been worked out after a great deal of research1 investigation and study4 ,the directors of those businesses have come together and have consulted with each other4 ,they have exchanged ideas4 ,they have weighed details4 ,and after all of that study and work1 they have mapped out their plans for the years ahead4 ,many of these business men are members of the church1 and ,i maintain that1 if men who are able to succeed in the commercial and professional world will apply the same diligent study and careful planning to the work of the church1 then it will succeed far more than it has in the past4 ,there is no other organization in all this world which would have survived as much mismanagement or neglect as the church of ,jesus ,christ has survived4 ,someone has said that the church is certainly a divine institution or it would have perished from the earth long ago through neglect or bad management4 ,i have confidence in the leaders of the churches4 ,i have confidence in their ability4 ,i believe that they are interested4 ,if they will give to the work of the church the same careful study which they devote to the plans for their business enterprises1 ,i believe we will be able to make greater progress4 ,just to give you an illustration close at hand1 everyone will agree that the effectiveness of our ,thursday evening services has been very greatly increased by a group of men coming together and carefully planning the programs4 ,if the attendance is to be taken as indication of what you think about them1 then they have been improved at least one hundred per cent4 ,the attendance is now twice as much as it was before4 ,i am of the firm conviction that what has been done for the ,thursday evening meeting can be done for every other phase of the work of the church if it is properly studied and planned4 ,in some of my connections outside the church ,i have been greatly impressed with the conscientiousness with which certain people go about their work4 ,the head of a department out at ,peabody1 who is engaged in educational work1 which certainly isn't one tenth as important as the work of the church1 studies every little detail4 ,he takes into consideration all the facts that are at his disposal4 ,he is continually revising his program and endeavoring to improve his methods4 ,he listens to every report that he receives4 ,he will call a conference of those who are working under him and discuss ways and means of making his work more effective4 ,now1 if educational work deserves such careful study as that1 surely the work of the church deserves even more4 ,and yet1 friends1 ,i know congregations--great1 big congregations--that never do have any sort of a business meeting4 ,just think of it6 ,they don't even have a business meeting6 ,the overseers never get together to ponder the problems which confront the local congregation1 or to study ways and means of improving their work4 ,now1 please remember that the fact that the ,bible furnishes us completely unto every good work does not relieve us of the responsibility which ,i am emphasizing4 ,anyone who stops to study the matter will realize that this is true1 because there are so many questions which the ,bible does not answer specifically4 ,we must study and give diligence and pray for wisdom and use whatever talent the ,lord has given us to make ,his work just as successful as possible4 ,,iii ,difference in ,success and ,failure ,it needs to be emphasized that the difference between success and failure very often consists not of any one great big item but of a great many details or small factors working together4 ,not one big thing but many little things working together very often makes the difference between success and failure--in every phase of life except the church4 ,in the church they make the difference between outstanding success and just mediocre success4 ,it is very difficult for the church to fail completely4 ,as long as it follows the ,bible there can be no failure1 but those little things frequently make up the difference between outstanding success and merely mediocre success1 between doing something that's really worthwhile1 outstanding and unusual1 and just drifting and dragging along4 #a4 ,running a store4 ,i want to try to make this point clear by use of an illustration4 ,there are some of you here who are in the mercantile business4 ,you know lots more about running stores than ,i do4 ,i believe you will agree that very often the difference between success and failure there consists of many little items working together--the manner in which you display your goods on the shelves1 the spirit with which you meet your customers when they come into your place of business1 the courtesy with which you render service to your patrons1 and just a lot of these little things make up the difference4 ,you don't make a lot of money on any one item1 but making a small profit on each of a great many items is what finally spells success4 ,if you will consider the men who have made fortunes in this world1 ,i believe you will find that they did not get rich by making a whole lot of money on one item or unit of business1 but by making a little money on each of a great many items4 ,the difference between success and failure then is not always one big thing1 but frequently many little things working together4 ,you can never fill a barrel by pouring water into the bunghole while it is running out a thousand nail holes4 #b4 ,keeping house4 ,the same thing applies to house work4 ,i don't know much about housekeeping1 but ,i've had a chance to observe quite a bit of it as ,i've gone around over the country4 ,and ,i try to determine the difference between a good housekeeper and just an ordinary housekeeper4 ,i'm convinced that it consists not of one big factor but of a great many details--the arrangement of this little piece of furniture1 having the magazines up off the floor1 a definite place to keep each of numerous little articles1 the spider webs out of that corner1 and many other little things4 ,i don't know what all of them are1 but some of you ladies do1 and ,i'm sure you get the point4 #c4 ,leading singing4 ,the same thing is true in church work4 ,i remember sitting and listening to a song director who is very outstanding and who has won national recognition for his ability to direct congregational singing4 ,i tried to determine what made him so successful4 ,i concluded that it was no one big factor1 but a lot of little details about the way he directed the service2 and ,i'm sure that ,brother ,murphy1 who is helping us on ,thursday nights1 will verify this statement4 #d4 ,selecting building site4 ,let us consider other details of church work4 ,any one of them by itself is not so terribly important1 and ,i'm sure that ,i could find someone who would argue with me about any one of them1 and say1 8,oh1 well1 after all that doesn't matter10 but when you take all of them together it does matter4 ,it makes the difference between outstanding success and mere existence4 ,take for instance the location of the church building4 ,in many instances very poor judgment has been used in selecting building sites4 ,a certain ,north ,carolina town is still a missionary point1 even though there has been a church in it for at least #be years4 ,the church building is located on a dirty back street4 ,there isn't a store in the community4 ,no business man would have located one there6 ,neither is there a school building in the community4 ,no board of education in the world would have put one there4 ,after #be years in such a location the church is still very small and weak4 ,very recently they finally decided1 after a painful division1 to move up town4 ,i shall not exaggerate in describing their building4 ,the walls were painted1 but the overhead was not4 ,there was no rug1 no paint1 no carpet of any kind on the floor4 ,the benches were such as you cannot find in any country schoolhouse in ,davidson ,county4 ,they were such as you might have found seventy or seventy-five years ago4 ,hanging on the wall just inside the door there was a mop which was used to clean the floor and over the pulpit a bottle opener with which they unfastened the grape juice each ,sunday morning4 ,over on this side of the building there was a country-store stove with a pipe running all the way across the building and into the wall on the other side4 ,there was a baptistry but no dressing rooms4 ,the people had to come down the aisle to a hole in the floor to be baptized and go up the aisle and to some neighbor's house to change their clothes4 ,well1 now1 are you surprised that this church hasn't grown8 ,down at ,kannapolis where ,i went to hold a meeting1 they had a church building on a side street to a side street that got so muddy during the wintertime that they had to discontinue some of their meetings4 ,every time ,brother ,flannery was called upon to tell someone how to find the building he would hang his head4 ,i noticed him one night during our tent meeting2 he started to announce the location of the building and unconsciously his head went down4 ,he was ashamed of it4 ,and there would be little hope for the work at ,kannapolis if they had not decided to remedy that situation4 ,but they've already bought two nice lots downtown on which we held the tent meeting and where they will locate a church building as soon as possible4 #e4 ,keeping the building in proper condition4 ,along with the location of the building is the condition of the building4 ,literally1 ,i have preached in church buildings where the temperature was about #fj or #ee when the service began and #he when it closed4 ,people would have on their overcoats when ,i started to preach and want to pull off their shirts before it was over6 ,well1 you may say that that doesn't make any difference2 but you take one hundred little things like that and it does make a great deal of difference4 ,the arrangement of the program may look like a small item1 but it's one of those little items1 which1 taken along with others1 makes a big difference4 ,reports and records of the treasurer and of other workers in the church are important4 ,our attitude toward strangers when they visit our meetings is significant4 ,that's one respect in which the ,chapel ,avenue congregation is outstanding4 ,your courtesy to strangers has caused much favorable comment4 #f4 ,advertising the work of the church4 ,i've known churches to spend three or four hundred dollars to get a preacher1 and refuse to spend #be to get the people there to hear him4 ,think about that6 ,you know the preacher can't do any good unless the people are there4 ,i went to a certain city in ,west ,virginia to hold a meeting1 and ,i wrote to them in advance urging them to advertise the meeting4 ,well1 ,i couldn't say too much1 you know4 ,they'd think ,i was trying to get them to advertise me4 ,after ,i arrived ,i asked them if they'd advertised the meeting4 ,they said1 8,oh1 yes40 ,i looked around for a sign but ,i didn't see one4 ,the church building was located on a through highway that ran from the ,north to the ,south4 ,a streamer across the road would have attracted the attention of everybody who passed4 ,they hadn't put one up4 ,i looked in the store windows and saw no ads4 ,i saw none anywhere4 ,i decided to find out whether they had advertised the meeting4 ,it was a small town where everybody is supposed to know what everybody else is doing anyway--only about #a1jjj people4 ,i went to the stores and inquired whether a meeting was going on in town4 ,in every store ,i entered ,i was thoroughly informed about a ,nazarene meeting4 ,one fellow got so enthusiastic that he took me out on the street and showed me the preacher's house and told me where they were holding the meeting4 ,after they would finish their story ,i'd always ask if there were any other meetings going on in town4 ,in each case the answer was1 8,no40 ,in our meeting that night ,i related my experiment and its results4 ,and ,i said1 8,now1 don't think ,i told those people any better4 ,i thought ,i'd help you keep the secret60 ,that's the principle on which a great many churches work4 ,remember that you have not advertised the work of the church when you merely let people know it's going on4 ,you haven't advertised it until you make them want a part in it6 ,everybody in this country knows that the ,standard ,oil ,company has gasoline for sale4 ,if that were the end of advertising1 they could discontinue theirs4 ,but that's not the purpose of it4 ,their purpose is to make people want ,standard gasoline1 so they keep on advertising4 ,too often we think we've advertised the church just because people know it's in existence1 but we have not advertised it until we make them want a part in it4 #g4 ,handling the finances4 ,another little detail that needs careful consideration is the planning of the financial program of the church4 ,there is one important respect in which the finance of the church is different from that of any other organization4 ,i'm not a business man1 but ,i know1 nevertheless1 that it's well for a business concern to keep a good surplus on hand4 ,the bigger margin they can keep between their income and their outgo1 the better off they are4 ,consequently the administrators of such businesses endeavor to build up a big bank account2 but friends1 that's the worst thing that can happen to a congregation6 ,you cannot get a group of people to give into a treasury that has several thousand dollars in the bank4 ,you cannot get people to give to a church when they know it is not needed4 ,i got a big surprise a few years ago when ,i preached in a certain town on the subject of giving4 ,after ,i'd finished the members began coming to me and saying1 8,why there's no need of telling us about that4 ,we have several thousand dollars in the bank4 ,why should we give8 ,this congregation doesn't need any money40 ,recently ,i held a meeting for another church which had #aj1jjj in the bank4 ,i didn't know it1 so ,i preached on giving and got the same reaction4 ,during the rest of that meeting ,i preached on spending6 ,before the meeting closed the congregation had plans to start a new congregation in the north end of town4 ,since ,i left they have bought a building for #d1ejj1 paid cash for it1 and started a new congregation with about fifty or sixty members4 ,they were going to wait until the war was over4 ,i wonder what they would have done in case of the ,hundred ,years ,war6 ,that question occurs to me when people talk about postponing church work until after the war is over4 ,we cannot afford to let the ,lord's work wait until the world quits fighting6 ,it's essential in reference to the financial program of the church that plans for ,scriptural spending be kept right up with1 or a little ahead of1 the income2 because the income is flexible4 ,when the congregation sees an increased need and a growing program1 then the contributions will be increased accordingly4 ,i don't blame people for not giving to a treasury that's already overflowing4 ,i wouldn't want to contribute to a church whose leaders would not spend the money that was contributed4 ,i'd find some other avenue through which to contribute4 ,when it is necessary to set aside a fund for a new building1 or some other major1 anticipated expense1 the money should be earmarked and not counted as part of the operating account4 ,the financial program of the church is one of many problems that needs to be given some careful study4 #h4 ,avoiding disappointment4 ,i want to give you another illustration4 ,when ,i went to a certain town to preach1 the ladies1 some of whom were even from another congregation1 began insisting on having a ladies' ,bible class4 ,they said that the preacher over at this other church wouldn't have one4 ,i asked why4 ,they answered1 8,because it always dies on his hands1 and leaves a bad feeling--a feeling of failure40 ,i replied1 8,all right1 we'll have one and not let it die4 ,we're just going to continue it twelve weeks4 ,then we will be through40 ,i planned a twelve-week course4 ,the interest and attendance grew throughout the twelve weeks4 ,some insisted upon its being continued longer but ,i said1 8,no1 we may start another one soon1 but we've finished this one40 ,you know there's a big difference between quitting because you've finished and quitting because you've failed4 ,you can always start again if you think it wise to do so4 ,it is prudent to set a time limit on all activities of the church except those which are essential or already established4 ,when ,i was doing missionary work in ,richmond1 ,virginia1 ,i didn't ask churches to send me 8a contribution20 ,i asked them to send me a definite amount for a definite period of time4 ,then1 when they had promised1 they felt obligated to give that much for that length of time4 ,you know1 if there isn't some agreement about the amount and the length of time1 people will think1 8,well1 it's got to stop sometime and the church has as much right to discontinue it or say when it should be discontinued as the preacher has10 and so after awhile it just plays out4 ,but if a congregation promises to send you #aj a month for twelve months1 they are almost certain to do it4 ,that's just another one of those little details4 ,all such things have to be worked out according to human judgment4 ,they have to be learned by experience and observation4 ,the ,bible does not specify them4 ,i could go on talking like this indefinitely1 but all these items are mentioned for illustrative purposes1 and to emphasize the one central point ,i want to drive home tonight4 ,that is1 that ,god has left a field in which he has not made specifications1 in which we must make decisions1 and those decisions ought to be made thoughtfully4 ,they ought to be made deliberately1 and every little detail ought to be studied most carefully1 for after all1 we are engaged in the greatest work on this earth6 ,,iv ,point of ,diminishing ,returns ,i want to raise one more question and then we'll have to close4 ,we hear people speaking in the business world about 8the point of diminishing returns40 ,maybe ,i should tell you what that means or give you a simple illustration4 ,suppose you drive out on a muddy road like ,brother ,estevez was talking about this afternoon and get your car real dirty and come home to wash it4 ,you turn on the hose pipe and go over it one time1 and it doesn't look like the same car4 ,the first going over makes a big difference1 a very obvious difference1 but you don't have it clean yet4 ,you go over it again and you get it a little bit cleaner1 but it's not as noticeable this time4 ,then you get some soap and wash it real good and get off some more dirt1 but the difference doesn't show very plainly this time4 ,the car still isn't clean4 ,you take some cleaning wax and go over it again and get off a lot more dirt4 ,then you can take a rag and shine it and the more you polish it1 the more it'll shine1 but after awhile you reach the point where the extra lustre that can be added by further rubbing is not worth the effort4 ,that's the point of diminishing returns4 ,when you've reached the point where the additional result obtainable is not worth the effort required to obtain it1 that's the point of diminishing returns4 ,with that in mind1 ,i want to ask this question3 ,do you believe that one can ever reach the point of diminishing returns in his preparation for the work of the ,lord8 ,if by ever so much effort ,i can make myself1 even to a small degree1 a better preacher1 don't you believe ,i ought to do it8 ,if by ever so much effort1 one can become1 to any extent whatsoever1 a better song leader1 don't you believe he ought to do it8 ,and if by ever so much study and careful thought and planning1 the overseers can make the work of the church even slightly more effective1 don't you think they ought to do it8 ,do you believe we can ever reach the point of diminishing returns in the work of the ,lord8 ,don't you agree that in his work all of us should do our very1 very best8 ,i believe you do4 ,that's all we have time to say tonight4 ,in just a moment we're going to sing the invitation song that has been announced1 and in doing so we shall be urging you to accept the ,lord's invitation4 ,these promises are offered to the unbeliever#e on conditions of faith1 repentance and baptism 7,mark #af3ae1 #af2 ,acts #b3ch72 and to the backslider on the conditions of repentance1 confession and prayer 7,acts #h3ac1 #bb1 #bc2 #a ,john #a3i74 ,as we stand and sing we entreat the lost to come to ,jesus4 ,,xii ,,congregational ,,objectives ,,and ,,activities 7,note3 ,while this sermon was being presented the main headings of the following outline were on the blackboard4 ,before the second sermon on the same subject was delivered the following evening1 a mimeographed copy of the entire outline was given to each person in the audience47 ,,introduction ,to set in order the work of the local church it is well to consider the objectives or results desired4 ,below is a list of scriptural congregational objectives and some of the activities that will help to reach the objectives4 ,i4 ,evangelistic 7,mk4 #af3ae1 #af7 #a4 ,local a4 ,lord's day preaching b4 ,protracted meetings c4 ,newspaper and other advertising d4 ,newspaper reports e4 ,inviting and bringing others to meetings f4 ,radio preaching1 contact with interested listeners g4 ,short articles in the paper h4 ,distribution of tracts--in homes1 in public buildings1 by mail1 racks in lobbies i4 ,personal evangelism 7#a7 ,contacts at school 7#b7 ,contacts at play 7#c7 ,contacts at work 7#d7 ,house to house calls j4 ,prospect file--individual and general k4 ,community ,bible classes l4 ,prayer #b4 ,missionary a4 ,tracts b4 ,radio c4 ,financial support to preachers and missions 7#a7 ,should expect regular and complete reports 7#b7 ,workers selected carefully and well supported 7#c7 ,work carefully supervised 7#d7 ,operating funds and assistants furnished d4 ,selecting fields and planning work e4 ,leadership for rural churches near ,nashville ,,ii4 ,devotional 7,acts #b3db7 #a4 ,sunday morning #b4 ,sunday evening #c4 ,wednesday evening #d4 ,announcements ,,iii4 ,instructional 7,matt4 #bh3ai-bj2 ,eph4 #d3aa-ac7 #a4 ,preaching #b4 ,sunday morning classes #c4 ,wednesday evening classes #d4 ,vacation ,bible school #e4 ,bible story hour #f4 ,ladies' ,bible class #g4 ,other special classes ,,iv4 ,looking ,after ,members ,individually 7,john #aj3c1 #ad2 ,acts #bj3bh2 ,heb4 #ac3ag7 #a4 ,church bulletin #b4 ,correspondence with men in service #c4 ,correspondence with1 and in behalf of1 other non-resident members #d4 ,contacts at meetings #e4 ,visiting--sick1 indifferent1 weak1 disgruntled #f4 ,records of names and addresses of members #g4 ,attendance records #h4 ,special attention to new members1 etc4 #i4 ,discipline ,v4 ,practical ,training 7#a ,tim4 #c3aj2 ,eph4 #d3aa-af7 #a4 ,wednesday evening meeting #b4 ,participation in other meetings #c4 ,special classes #d4 ,supervised activities in personal work1 etc4 ,,vi4 ,beneficent 7,jas4 #a3bg2 #a ,cor4 #af3a7 #a4 ,caring for widows #b4 ,caring for orphans #c4 ,helping the poor ,,vii4 ,incidental #a4 ,financial reports1 records1 etc4 #b4 ,maintenance of church property #c4 ,other incidentals ,we are very glad to have visitors with us today4 ,i will not undertake to name those who are present from other places1 lest ,i omit one4 ,but we want all of you to realize that you have a very hearty welcome4 ,we're always glad to have you worship with us4 ,i was very glad indeed to hear that splendid report given by ,brother ,gregory4 ,i wish we could have more frequent reports from those who are being assisted in their work by the ,chapel ,avenue congregation4 ,let us remember that the gospel is being proclaimed today at half a dozen1 or maybe a dozen1 different places by preachers supported1 at least in part1 by the congregation here4 ,to me1 that is a very encouraging thought4 ,i want to talk to you this morning upon the topic1 8,congregational ,objectives and ,activities40 ,the work of the church may be outlined in several different ways1 but the most practical outline that ,i have been able to develop is one based upon the objectives of the church4 ,in other words1 what is the purpose of the church8 ,what is the work that it should do1 and how can it best do that work8 ,i have listed on the board six or seven expressions according to which the scriptural objectives of the church may be classified3 evangelistic1 devotional1 instructional1 watching or looking after the members individually1 practical training1 beneficent1 and incidental--some other activities which are incidental to these main objectives4 ,these are ,scriptural objectives4 ,they are authorized by the word of ,god1 and ,i believe that this outline covers everything which ,god intends for the church to do4 ,someone told me ,i had omitted recreational and social objectives4 ,well1 ,i left those out on purpose1 because ,i do not believe that they are authorized by the ,bible4 ,hence1 as far as ,i'm able to know1 this list is complete4 ,now ,i want to talk about one or two of these items at this time4 ,continuing the effort to give some practical lessons1 ,i'm laying aside rhetoric or any other technical requirements for a good sermon which might stand in the way of practical effectiveness4 ,by the term evangelistic1 of course1 we mean preaching the gospel to the entire world4 ,the ,scriptural authority for that is found at many places in the ,bible4 ,for instance1 the great commission as reported by ,mark #af3ae3 8,go into all the world and preach the gospel unto every creature4 ,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved4 ,he that believeth not shall be damned40 ,this commandment is very comprehensive4 ,it says 8,go into all the world0 and the world includes the people who live here at ,chapel ,avenue1 those who live next door to you1 even those who are in the house with you4 ,it includes the people of this city1 and then1 of course1 people in other cities and other states throughout the entire world4 ,therefore1 we shall discuss this subject of evangelization under two headings3 local and missionary4 ,god has given us a charge to keep as a congregation4 ,he has charged us to preach the gospel unto the people of this community1 as well as the people of other communities4 ,now the question is3 8,how can we do it80 ,there's the command2 it's a general one4 ,god charges us to preach the gospel unto the people who live in ,east ,nashville1 and as little as you may have thought about it1 there are many thousands of people right here within a few blocks of our building who do not know about the church in the ,new ,testament--who do not believe and study the ,bible and are not acquainted with the distinguishing characteristics of the ,new ,testament church4 ,i ,preaching on ,lord's ,days ,our problem is to get the truth unto these people4 ,what means and what methods shall we use in carrying out this charge which ,god has given us8 ,one method we use is that of preaching on the ,lord's day2 ,sunday sermons serve an evangelistic purpose to some extent4 ,some of the lessons are designed for the purpose of reaching those who are on the outside1 and1 of course1 when that is the case1 a special effort should be made to get the outsiders here to hear the lessons4 ,these regular ,lord's day meetings1 then1 and the lessons which are presented morning and evening can be made to serve the purpose of evangelizing this community4 ,but we could not confine all the lessons to that type of thinking1 for to do so would be to neglect some other important matters4 ,even if we did make all the lessons of an evangelistic nature that would not suffice to solve this problem1 for that means alone will not reach all the unsaved1 even of our own community4 ,too many of them are at home at this hour1 or worshiping at some other place where the full gospel is not presented4 ,,ii ,protracted ,meetings ,most congregations supplement their ,lord's day preaching then by what is called protracted meetings1 or revival meetings4 ,such meetings accomplish much good1 and they should be executed with a definite purpose in mind4 ,some definite purpose should characterize every activity of the church4 ,when we hold another protracted meeting1 we want to think of it as a means of helping us carry out the ,god-given charge to preach the gospel unto the people in ,east ,nashville4 ,as long as there is one soul within our reach who has not heard the truth or who has not been properly exhorted to obey it1 you and ,i have not finished our job4 ,keeping the purpose of reaching the unsaved of this community clearly in mind as we plan and conduct our next meeting will contribute much to its success4 ,,iii ,advertising ,you will agree with me that if we should depend entirely upon ,lord's day preaching and upon protracted meetings1 we would never reach all the unsaved even in our own community4 ,god has not prescribed that our efforts shall be confined unto these methods4 ,he has given us a general charge to preach the gospel to all the world4 ,he expects us to use some intelligence and some good judgment in carrying out this command4 ,and1 friends1 he expects us to use every means which is at our disposal in order to make the job complete4 ,of course1 ,i mean every ,scriptural or legitimate means4 ,for no other sort of means would accomplish the purpose intended4 ,we would make a very serious mistake1 then1 if we relied upon any one method alone4 ,god expects us to use every method that is legitimate within its nature in order to carry out this charge4 ,what are some of the other things which can be done along this line8 ,first1 we can make a greater effort to get people to come to the meetings--supplement the public meetings by putting on a special effort to get people to attend them4 ,newspaper advertising would be very helpful4 ,personal visits and invitations to attend the meetings can be used to good advantage4 ,another means of attracting people to the place where the gospel is preached1 is publicizing reports of what is being done4 ,nothing succeeds like success4 ,and if a church will do what ,god intends for it to do1 it will be news6 ,one preacher blamed the churches themselves for not getting more newspaper publicity4 ,he said 8,if there were a church which practiced what it preached1 it would get its name in the headlines of the daily paper40 ,if you'll stop to analyze his statement1 you'll almost have to admit that he told the truth4 ,we are not seeking publicity for its own sake1 but the ,bible says 8,let your light shine10 and condemns the putting of your candle under a bushel where no one can see it4 ,when the church does something which is worthwhile and would serve as a fine example for others1 it is our duty to give it the publicity which it deserves in order that others may profit by the example4 ,such is authorized by the commandment1 8,let your light shine1 that others may see your good works and glorify ,god40 ,,iv ,radio and ,press ,another means which might be used to carry out this charge is radio preaching4 ,of course1 there has been much of this done already in the city of ,nashville1 but there are many other places where it has not been done1 and where it should be used as one of the methods of carrying out the commandment to preach the gospel to the whole world4 ,wherever the radio is used every possible effort should be made to form personal contact with those who become interested4 ,i know a number of congregations that are publishing short articles in the daily paper4 ,the daily paper is a very fine medium through which to reach the public4 ,the business world has known this for a long time4 ,that's the reason you see so many and such costly advertisements in our daily papers4 ,our merchants know that this is an effective way to reach the public4 ,jesus said that the men of this world are for their own generation wiser than the sons of light4 ,it may be that this statement is applicable here1 for too often churches have overlooked the use of the radio and especially the use of the daily paper as a medium through which to reach the public4 ,remember1 ,god has charged us to preach the gospel to everybody1 and one soul is worth more than all the money in the world4 ,if by ever so much use of the daily press1 we can accomplish the salvation of just one soul it would be worth a million times what it cost4 ,if we will stop to consider the value of just one soul1 we will see the great importance of using every means that we can to win lost souls for ,christ4 ,now1 ,i'm just naming some different activities here which will help us to fulfill this duty1 or to reach the objective of evangelizing our own community4 ,do not think that this list is complete2 it is intended rather to be suggestive4 ,perhaps you can think of other means which would also help in accomplishing this task4 ,v ,distributing ,tracts ,but even after we have done all these things there will still be some people who are not yet reached4 ,the church here has been engaged in publishing and distributing tracts4 ,this is another means which we can use to reach our neighbors4 ,i wish we had some system of regularly placing tracts1 appropriate tracts1 in every home in this community4 ,we can help to preach the gospel to the world by carrying tracts in person to those who live in our neighborhood1 and by placing tracts in public places--the ,y4 ,m4 ,c4 ,a41 the ,y4 ,w4 ,c4 ,a41 the bus station1 the ,union ,station1 and other such places4 ,the churches of ,christ in general have neglected this opportunity2 if you doubt this statement1 visit some of these places--hospitals1 terminals1 etc4--and you will realize that we have been letting an opportunity slip by us in this respect4 ,then our tracts in the church lobby may be used to serve a good purpose4 ,i'm glad that ,brother ,billingsley has taken the initiative in providing some racks for them1 because the truth should be displayed just as effectively as possible4 ,i believe that you will agree that in the past the tracts in the lobby have not been attractively arranged4 ,if ,i should preach a sermon as ragged in its appearance as that display of tracts has been1 you would fire me4 ,you'd say you didn't want the truth wrapped up in that sort of a garment4 ,we need to look out after details and take advantage of every possible means to make the preaching of the gospel more effective4 ,paul said1 8,for though ,i be free from all men1 yet have ,i made myself servant unto all1 that ,i might gain the more4 ,and unto the ,jews ,i became as a ,jew1 that ,i might gain the ,jews2 to them that are under the law1 as under the law1 that ,i might gain them that are under the law2 to them that are without law1 as without law1 7being not without law to ,god1 but under the law to ,christ17 that ,i might gain them that are without law4 ,to the weak became ,i as weak1 that ,i might gain the weak3 ,i am made all things to all men1 that ,i might by all means save some4 ,and this ,i do for the gospel's sake1 that ,i might be partaker thereof with you0 7#a ,cor4 #i3ai-bc74 ,,vi ,personal ,evangelism ,in addition to all these methods1 personal evangelism should be greatly emphasized4 ,here is perhaps the greatest weakness in the method of the churches of ,christ today4 ,on this point1 we are allowing some advocates of error to run circles around us4 ,here is a great unworked field which1 when properly worked1 will bring results of which we have not yet dreamed4 ,the ,bible does not command people to come to our public meetings4 ,if we can reach them by these public meetings1 that's fine4 ,if we can persuade them to come so that we may preach the gospel to a large number at once1 that's fine4 ,but what will we do for those who don't come8 ,the ,bible says 8,go40 ,we have not fully discharged our duty when we invite people to come to us4 ,and we haven't always invited them6 ,there are1 ,i am sure1 hundreds of people living almost in sight of this building who have not received a personal invitation to attend the meetings at this place4 ,they ought to receive at least a personal invitation4 ,but even then1 that's not sufficient4 ,if they still don't come1 it becomes our duty to go to them4 ,have we obeyed the great commission1 even in reference to ,east ,nashville1 until we do so8 ,it will help a great deal if we have a prospect file1 both general and individual4 ,every good insurance agent in this town has a prospect file4 ,he knows to whom he will try to sell insurance in the next few days4 ,and we ought to use the same practical common sense in executing the work of the ,lord that men use in selling insurance4 ,i went to a place one time to hold a meeting where they had made very elaborate preparations4 ,they had appointed many committees4 ,they had an advertising committee1 a publicity committee1 a parking committee1 a flower committee1 and an ushering committee1 and everything else you can think of except one little item4 ,they had failed to consider who might be saved during the meeting1 and when ,i asked one of the elders whom he expected to be baptized1 he hesitated1 thought for a while1 and finally named one of the boys who had been coming to the services4 ,they expected to have forty or fifty additions1 but they had never thought about who these additions would be4 ,what would you think of an automobile salesman with no prospects in mind1 who went in on ,monday morning and told the sales manager that he was going to sell five automobiles during the week8 ,the sales manager would probably ask1 8,well1 to whom80 ,the agent would reply1 8,oh1 ,i don't know2 ,i just believe there must be five people in town who'll buy from me this week40 ,do you think the sales manager would be encouraged8 ,why he would realize that the salesman didn't know what he was talking about4 ,every congregation ought to have a prospect list1 and every individual worker in the ,lord's kingdom ought to have a prospect list4 ,whom will you try to save during the next twelve months8 ,every ,christian should be a soul winner for ,jesus1 and you can lead someone to ,christ if you are willing to be used by him in so doing4 ,there is much more that could be said along this line if time permitted4 ,one congregation has used very effectively the method of community ,bible classes4 ,when the members could not get people to come to their meeting-house1 they carried ,bible classes to the communities where the people lived4 ,some good ,christian who had the respect of his neighbors invited those neighbors to his home for ,bible study and had the preacher there to help with the teaching4 ,at ,richmond1 ,virginia1 most of the additions which they have had during the last six months have come from just such a source4 ,if this little method were put in effect in the city of ,nashville by all the congregations1 it would revolutionize this town in just a few months4 ,,vii ,the ,case of ,mary ,doe ,the thing ,i'm trying to impress upon your minds is that we have not been using all the means or methods which ,god has placed at our disposal4 ,let me make the point just as concrete and effective as possible by using a definite example4 7,maybe it's indefinite in some respects47 ,suppose that we have a young lady brought up here in our own community1 maybe not living more than two or three blocks from our church building4 ,we will call her ,mary ,doe4 ,what are the chances that she will learn the truth from our program of evangelism8 ,we'll say that she has been reared by parents who go regularly to a denominational church4 ,they've been taking her there ever since she was a tiny baby4 ,they've taught her to believe in their particular denomination4 ,they have built up within her a denominational pride and a sense of loyalty to the church of her parents4 ,at that church1 she never hears the complete plan of salvation4 ,she hears some nice1 moral lectures4 ,she goes to the ,bible classes and discusses current events and general social problems4 ,if she's like many such young people1 she does not read the ,bible very systematically herself4 ,she may read it occasionally1 but not consistently and understandingly4 ,the chances are that ,mary ,doe will never learn the proper division of the word4 ,she might live in such an environment for fifty years and never learn the difference between the old covenant and the new covenant4 ,perhaps she and her mother ride by our building sometime and she says1 8,mother1 what church is that80 ,the mother replies1 8,oh1 that's the church of ,christ0 or maybe she'll say1 8,the ,campbellite church4 ,they think baptism alone saves you40 ,well1 ,mary ,doe believes that1 even though it isn't true4 ,consequently she'll probably never come to one of our meetings4 ,very likely she'll never read any of our literature4 ,how shall we reach ,mary ,doe8 ,probably her best chance to learn the truth is through her contact with our own children in the public schools4 ,that is a common meeting place1 and ,i suspect ,mary will be more likely to have an intimate contact with a member of the church at school than at any other place4 ,had you ever thought about that as an opportunity for evangelizing ,east ,nashville8 ,i wonder if our boys and girls in school are taking advantage of their opportunity4 ,have you realized what a wonderful opportunity it is1 and are you behaving yourself in such a way as to demand respect from your fellow students that you may be able to teach them the truth8 ,or do you so misbehave that you would be a little bit embarrassed to undertake to show them the difference between truth and error8 ,there is a golden opportunity for personal evangelism that might be used even by a school boy or girl in leading many people unto the ,lamb of ,god that takes away the sins of the world4 ,personal evangelism then may be carried out through personal contact at school1 through personal contact at work1 and through personal contact at play or in our social relationships4 ,,viii ,house ,to ,house ,calls ,and1 finally1 my friends1 it might be possible that before we could reach ,mary ,doe and the several thousand people whom she represents1 we would have to start down the street and go from house to house and call upon every home4 ,it could be possible that ,mary would not be thrown with any member of the church1 even in her association at school4 ,do you believe we can claim to have fully and completely met our responsibility1 in preaching the gospel to the people of ,east ,nashville1 until we have gone from house to house as the apostle ,paul did1 and as some denominations are doing today1 and taken the message to them8 ,that is almost an unused opportunity and method of preaching the gospel to those who have not yet heard it1 and yet it is a very practical and a very effective one4 ,,ix ,prayer ,i would like to climax all of this by saying that prayer should be used in our effort to carry out the great commission4 ,if you have faithfully and diligently engaged in all of these activities mentioned1 and any others of like nature that could be mentioned1 then you can consistently pray to ,god to help you in accomplishing your purpose4 ,that's the reason ,i put prayer at the end of the list4 ,for prayer should not be used without being accompanied by every possible effort on our part4 ,neither of these methods1 nor any other that might be named1 should be used exclusively4 ,they should all be used1 working together to help us fulfill our obligation to preach the gospel to our neighbors4 ,now ,i had hoped to have time to talk about the other phase of the first division of our outline--preaching the gospel to other communities--but the clock on the wall says that the time is gone and so we have to close with the promise that there will be more to follow4 ,if you'll come back tonight1 ,i'll give you a mimeographed outline of the lessons which are being used both this morning and tonight4 ,in just a moment we're going to sing the song that has been announced4 ,that is our means of urging you to accept the ,lord's invitation to come to him and let him save you4 ,if you have been guilty of committing just one sin which has not yet been forgiven1 that sin must be forgiven before you can go to heaven1 because no sin can enter there1 and no sin can be forgiven for those who have never obeyed the gospel by faith 7,acts #af3ca-cc71 repentance 7,luke #ac3c71 confession 7,acts #af3cg71 and baptism 7,acts #b3ch74 ,those who have turned aside since being baptized may be forgiven if they'll come back repenting1 confessing their faults1 and praying for forgiveness4 ,the gospel invitation is yours4 ,while we stand and sing we urge you to accept it4 ,,xiii ,,congregational ,,objectives ,,and ,,activities 7,continued7 ,i promise you in the beginning that ,i do not mean to discuss all of this outline 7,see pages #aif-aih7 at this time4 ,it covers in a general way the entire program of work that ,god wants ,his church to do4 ,the scope of this work is so broad that we have to break it down in order to study it practically and effectively4 ,those who are directing the work of the church need to study it in its separate parts as well as in its entirety4 ,this main list of objectives--evangelistic1 devotional1 instructional1 looking after members individually1 practical training1 beneficent work1 and incidentals--covers the field entirely4 ,every ,scriptural function of the church is included in at least one of these general headings4 ,i do not mean that the lists of activities under the main headings are complete4 ,they are not necessarily so4 ,in most instances they are incomplete4 ,they are suggestive rather than exhaustive4 ,i ,use of ,outline ,i would like for you to take this outline home with you and study it with two or three questions in mind4 ,first1 what can you do to help advance the work of the church8 ,look over this list of activities and write into this outline any others which1 in your judgment1 would be scriptural in nature and help to make the work of the church more effective4 ,these objectives are ,scriptural1 therefore1 we want to do everything in our power to reach them4 ,in order for the church to attain these objectives1 it must have the co-operation of every member4 ,there is something in this general program that you can do6 ,perhaps you'll find many places where you can be of service1 and you know it is your duty to render whatever service you can to make the ,lord's work as successful as possible4 ,these objectives being ,scriptural1 this outline may help the overseers in their work of edifying the church4 ,please remember that we are engaged in the greatest work in all the world--the work of saving souls6 ,we are undertaking to accomplish a divine task1 one which has been assigned to us by the ,god of heaven4 ,in ,his work we ought to do our very best1 remembering that one soul is worth more than all the material wealth in the world4 ,we should leave nothing undone that will contribute toward our success4 ,some constructive work was done in our business meeting this afternoon4 ,a committee was appointed to plan the missionary program of the church for the year4 ,this committee is to give some very careful study to the selection of the most appropriate fields and the amount that should be invested in each4 ,the results of their study1 including the program they recommend for the next fiscal year1 will be announced at the next meeting of the overseers4 ,this is a very practical step4 ,it is a definite step in the right direction4 ,it pertains to ,item ,no4 #b under our evangelistic objectives as shown on the outline4 ,another committee was appointed to study our ,sunday morning ,bible school program and to make recommendations for improving it4 ,that's ,item ,no4 #b under our instructional objective4 ,so that makes two items on this list that will be given very careful study by committees that have been appointed for that purpose4 ,we know that our ,thursday evening meeting has been very much improved by giving a little more thought to planning the program4 ,i believe that that meeting can be even further improved1 and ,i am also convinced that similar improvements may be brought about in every other phase of the church's work if the proper study and careful planning is devoted to it4 ,i am hoping that every item in this outline will be given thoughtful consideration by those who are responsible for the work at ,chapel ,avenue for the sake of improving every phase of our work and worship4 ,we are told to seek first the kingdom of ,god and his righteousness4 ,god would not be pleased with a secondary place in our lives1 and that means1 among other things1 that our program of work in the church should be given our best thought1 our most careful consideration1 and our most diligent support4 ,,ii ,sending ,messages ,i want to say a few things tonight under ,item ,no4 #b of our evangelistic program4 ,god tells us to go into all the world and preach the gospel unto every creature4 ,we discussed some methods this morning that might be used in carrying out that responsibility in our own neighborhood4 ,now1 the question arises1 8,what can we do about preaching in communities that are too far away to receive any direct benefit from our local program of services and personal work80 ,one method which we have been using recently is that of distributing tracts4 ,we have published #gj1jjj tracts for free distributions4 ,bro4 ,shacklett reported this afternoon in the business meeting that the most of this supply has already been distributed4 ,he probably has enough calls on his desk now to more than exhaust the remainder4 ,if it is not too optimistic to assume that each one of those tracts has been read by at least one person1 that's the equivalent of preaching a sermon to #gj1jjj people1 which certainly is no small consideration6 ,and ,i happen to know that those who are selling tracts on a commercial basis1 at least some of them best known to me1 are making from #ajj to #bjj per cent profit4 ,the tracts that cost us less than #a cent each1 are being sold by those who are in it for the money at #b cents each4 ,that means that by spending less than one penny we can give to these missionary fields a service that would cost them on the market #b cents4 ,therefore1 from a financial point of view1 by giving away tracts instead of giving the money with which to buy tracts1 we are making a great saving4 ,the response that has been received from this work is very encouraging4 ,if we had time1 we would like to read some of the letters that have been received4 ,in addition to the tracts distributed by ,chapel ,avenue1 the church at ,madison has made a very wide distribution of one of the same tracts1 and is now contemplating publishing #ajj1jjj with which to answer the calls they are receiving4 ,that seems to be one good means of carrying the gospel to those of other communities who have not heard it4 ,and1 remember1 it is our duty to use every legitimate means at our disposal4 ,the next item on your outline is radio preaching4 ,there has been some talk of a national radio program1 and no doubt that would do a great deal of good4 ,there is some question as to whether the money that such a program would cost might not accomplish more good if spent in some other way4 ,that's a question which ,i1 personally1 would not know how to decide4 ,but we do know that the radio is being used very extensively on a local basis in various missionary fields of our country1 and those who are engaged in that work are pleased with the results4 ,however1 trying to whip the devil by using the radio is somewhat like trying to whip the ,germans by fighting them from the air4 ,a great deal can be accomplished but the battle cannot be completely won until we go in person4 ,radio work1 to be as effective and fruitful as it ought to be1 must be followed up by personal contact4 ,those who become interested by means of radio preaching ought to be contacted and encouraged to render complete obedience to the commandments of the gospel4 ,,iii ,sending ,money ,a third way in which we can help to attain this objective of preaching the gospel to the entire world is by sending financial support to missionary fields and to preachers working in those fields4 ,in that respect the church at ,chapel ,avenue has been very active and no doubt will continue to be4 ,in fact1 we have just about gone as far as we can go with the present means at our disposal1 and ,i think it would not be out of order to tell you that in the business meeting this evening another man was put on the payroll at #bjj per month1 on a temporary basis1 hoping that when the congregation learns about it1 they will increase their contribution enough to cover this cost4 ,those who are managing the financial affairs believe that the present income is not sufficient to warrant this additional expense1 but they have acted upon their faith in you1 upon their confidence in you1 that your knowledge of this increased need will bring about an increased response4 ,i do not believe that you will betray that confidence6 ,the man added to the payroll has a family of six children and recently resigned a job paying him several hundred dollars per month as district manager for an insurance company in order to devote his entire time to preaching the gospel4 ,with a charter membership of about ten souls1 twenty-four people were present for the initial meeting last ,lord's ,day4 ,this man seems to be well qualified for the task which he has undertaken1 and we believe he will accomplish great results4 ,there are certain items listed in your outline which we believe should characterize our work of supporting missionaries4 ,it is my conviction that regular and complete reports should be received from those who are being supported4 ,brother ,estevez made a fine talk along that line here last ,sunday afternoon4 ,brother ,gregory gave us a splendid report of his work this morning4 ,i believe that one reason the ,chapel ,avenue church has continued to be so vitally interested in the work at ,kingsport is that one of our elders is on the job there and keeps the congregation here acquainted with what is being done4 ,furthermore1 the workers to be used in these fields should be selected very carefully4 ,you ought to be just as careful about selecting some man to preach for you in ,north ,carolina as you are about selecting some one to preach for you here4 ,it seems to me that the two cases are exactly parallel in that respect4 ,we ought to be just as much concerned about who preaches for us over there as we are about who preaches for us here4 ,if such a policy were followed by all the churches it would bring about a distinct improvement and prevent considerable embarrassment4 ,in addition1 the man selected should be well supported4 ,it's worth just as much to preach in ,kingsport or ,north ,carolina or ,louisiana or some other place as it is to preach in ,nashville1 and when the men have equal responsibility and equal qualifications1 it seems to me that they ought to be equally well supported4 ,certainly the man in the field ought to be supported well enough that he will not be cramped in his work or distracted by concern about how he will meet the next month's grocery bill4 ,remember that it is our work when we send a man out to a field like that1 and it would be inconsistency and folly on our part to send one without supplying him with the resources necessary for the success of his work4 ,something in addition to his bare living ought to be provided4 ,he should have funds with which to operate4 ,think about how much it costs to carry on a program of work here1 by way of advertising1 maintaining a meeting place and supporting a radio program and all that sort of thing4 ,in some ways it is more expensive in those fields than it is here4 ,for instance1 we have fifty other congregations in ,nashville to help us advertise the cause of ,christ in this city4 ,in those fields the little mission church has to take all this responsibility by itself4 ,it has to bear all the cost of supporting a radio program1 publishing articles in the daily paper1 and of carrying on all of these varied activities that are listed under our local program of evangelism4 ,no business concern would send a man to some field to represent it and work for it without furnishing him with the support necessary for success in his work4 ,i am convinced that it would be wiser and better in the long run to have a few men in the field fully supported than to have several that are but half supported1 and therefore handicapped and unable to accomplish what should be accomplished4 ,it is also my conviction that the church which furnishes the money is also obligated to supervise the use of that money4 ,i do not suggest that we dictate to churches at other places1 for there is no one who believes more firmly in congregational autonomy than do ,i4 ,every congregation must be entirely independent4 ,but1 surely1 if you have a man preaching for you in the state of ,north ,carolina1 or some other place1 it is your duty to know what he is doing1 what he is accomplishing1 and whether it would be well for him to continue there or to move to some other community4 ,i know of one man who was supposed to be preaching in a missionary field1 not supported by ,chapel ,avenue incidentally1 concerning whom ,i have received a report that the only thing he did was to teach a ,bible class on ,wednesday night4 ,over a period of several months he received a good income from churches throughout the country who were gullible enough to answer a call without knowing the condition of the field and the kind of work that was being done by the one who made the call2 while being paid to preach he was working at a secular job1 receiving a living wage therefor1 and putting the money he received from the churches in the bank in his own name4 ,this illustrates what ,i mean by saying that it is necessary that we keep a line on those who are being supported4 ,those who are worthy will welcome investigation and those who are not worthy certainly ought to be investigated4 ,i believe that ,i am1 at least to some extent1 qualified to speak here for ,i have worked at both ends of the line4 ,as you know1 ,i spent five years at ,richmond1 ,virginia1 in the missionary field1 receiving support from you and others back home4 ,i've also worked at this end of the line1 and ,i think ,i know a little about how such work ought to be done4 ,surely regular and complete reports ought to be received1 and careful supervision should be exercised by those who furnish the money4 ,it is my conviction that1 when ,god places resources in the hands of an individual or a congregation1 they are responsible for seeing that those resources are properly used4 ,that's the reason ,i am reluctant to tell a rich man how to give away his money4 ,if he had sense enough to make it1 he probably has more sense about how to spend it than someone who could never make any4 ,of course one should teach the principles that are revealed in the ,bible concerning the use of money1 but ,i believe that the responsibility of spending one's money rests primarily upon the one to whom ,god has entrusted the money1 and that will apply to a congregation as well as to individuals4 ,,iv ,a ,three-,cornered ,affair ,now arranging a program of missionary work is a three-cornered affair4 ,there is first of all the missionary field in which the work is to be done1 and next1 there is the preacher who is to do the preaching and third the church to do the financing4 ,by some means or other these three must be brought to an agreement upon a plan of procedure4 ,that means that somebody must take the initiative in getting the work started4 ,sometimes a few members who live in the missionary field take the initiative1 and undertake to find a preacher and someone to support him4 ,they contact a preacher and ask him to come and work for them4 ,they contact some church or churches and ask them to support the man while he works for them4 ,whenever there is enough leadership in the mission field to take such initiative1 that's all right4 ,but that is presupposing a goodly degree of leadership in a mission field6 ,there are many mission fields which do not possess such leadership4 ,sometimes the few members who live in these mission fields are relatively indifferent4 ,they are not always so4 ,sometimes they are the finest people on the earth1 but often they are not4 ,and maybe the reason it's still a mission field in many instances is because they are not as wide awake and zealous as they should be4 ,so if a great many fields are ever reached1 some of them not having any members at all1 someone else must take the initiative4 ,in other instances1 the preacher takes the initiative4 ,he selects a field to which he would like to go and then he gets some churches to support him while he does so4 ,that's the plan ,i used in going to ,richmond4 ,it sometimes works all right and sometimes it doesn't4 ,for very often a preacher who undertakes to do such work is comparatively inexperienced1 and is not nearly as well qualified to plan the program of work as some congregation that helps support him would be4 ,when ,i went to ,richmond1 twelve years ago1 one had to do it that way1 because at that time1 so far as ,i know1 no one congregation considered itself able to assume full responsibility for the support of a missionary4 ,but ,i do not believe that this is the most satisfactory method4 ,in the third place1 the congregation itself very often takes the initiative1 selects a field1 selects a preacher1 and sends him there to work4 ,bro4 ,gregory gave us an example of that this morning4 ,he told of a congregation which made thorough investigation of the places needing a preacher in ,east ,tennessee and finally concluded that ,kingsport would be the most advisable place for them to help4 ,they've been following that plan for many years4 ,bro4 ,charles ,king has been on their payroll for quite a long time4 ,several years ago they sent a committee to ,east ,tennessee1 at an expense of #aej1 to select the best place for him to preach4 ,at that time they decided in favor of ,harriman1 where there is now1 ,i understand1 a strong congregation4 ,in this case1 you see1 the church took the initiative2 the church selected the field after proper investigation2 the church selected a preacher and paid him a salary and supported him while he represented them in that field4 ,where this can be done1 it seems to me to be a very fine plan4 ,hence1 one way for an established congregation to contribute to the success of evangelizing the world is to take the initiative not only in planning1 but also in supervising the work4 ,with such an arrangement the work will be promoted according to the judgment of a seasoned and experienced group of elders rather than according to the judgment of some young1 inexperienced fellow who gets the idea that he wants to be a missionary4 ,a few objections to this plan have come from preachers on the field4 ,it has been said1 8,i'd rather have twenty churches supporting me than to have just one4 ,for that one might get discouraged at my pessimistic report and cut me off40 ,the answer to that is that there should be a more definite agreement on the part of the preacher and the church as to how long he is to be supported4 ,the man on the missionary field should not expect a guarantee of a lifetime job4 ,and1 furthermore1 if his reports were too pessimistic1 it may be that his support should be discontinued4 ,or perhaps he ought to be advised to discontinue his activities in that field and to move to some other4 ,it would not have been well for ,paul to have remained indefinitely in the city of ,athens4 ,according to the inspiration guiding him1 it was better for him to move on4 ,i would have welcomed counsel and advice from those supporting me when ,i was working in ,richmond4 ,there were about twenty different churches supporting me--too many for me to confer with each of them to get advice on questions that arose2 and consequently in most instances ,i relied only on my own judgment1 which meant that the work was being directed by the judgment of one young preacher rather than by the combined judgment of some experienced group of elders4 ,and nothing would have given me greater encouragement than for a committee of elders of some church that was supporting me to have spent a few days in ,richmond studying the situation and advising me on the problems which arose4 ,there were times when ,i wondered if the results being accomplished justified the money being spent4 ,of course1 the money was well spent4 ,for growing out of that work which ,i entered twelve years ago there are now two self-supporting congregations4 ,one of them has a building completely paid for and supports a full-time preacher4 ,the other has a part-time preacher4 ,coming from one of these congregations1 a young man graduated from ,david ,lipscomb last spring and has gone back to ,virginia to preach the gospel in his native state4 ,another young man from one of these congregations is now at ,lipscomb preparing himself to preach the riches of ,christ4 ,on the side1 some work and encouragement were given at ,norfolk1 ,virginia1 where there is now a growing and prosperous congregation4 ,these developments have come about in only twelve years4 ,but ,i couldn't see it then4 ,oftentimes ,i became discouraged4 ,if some one congregation had been supplying all the necessary support and supervising the work1 it would have been very helpful to me4 ,but after all1 friends1 when you contribute only five or ten dollars per month to a place1 you are not likely to have a vital interest in the work4 ,to give you a concrete example1 an elder and treasurer of a church in ,middle ,tennessee which sent ten dollars each month to ,richmond1 year after year1 spent several days in ,richmond on a social visit and didn't even come around to see what was being done4 ,well1 they only had #aj per month invested there and so they were not particularly interested4 ,but if they'd been spending #bjj a month1 paying the full salary of the man on the job1 then an elder who spent the week end in town would have looked into the situation6 ,where a man's treasure is1 there will his heart be also6 ,in fact1 ,i have said1 and ,i'm about to say again1 that to contribute just #e a month here and there and elsewhere for mission work is somewhat like giving a nickel to a beggar on the street4 ,do you know why you give that nickel8 ,not because you are interested in the beggar and not because you are concerned about what he is doing1 but to ease your own conscience4 ,you are seeking to purchase ease of conscience with expenditure of a mere nickel6 ,if the beggar is worthy1 he ought to have more than a nickel2 if he isn't worthy1 he doesn't deserve even a nickel4 ,and so when a congregation merely contributes five dollars to each of a few places1 to soothe their conscience1 they can say1 8,yes1 we are doing some mission work10 but certainly they are following the line of least resistance4 ,they may have purchased ease of an untrained and misinformed conscience at a minimum cost1 but this does not mean that they have done their duty in meeting the responsibility that ,god has placed on them6 ,another way in which ,chapel ,avenue can and is contributing to the attainment of this objective1 is by furnishing leadership for rural churches in reach of ,nashville4 ,bro4 ,clark1 ,bro4 ,shacklett1 ,bro4 ,autry1 and others who have been going out1 know that there are many congregations within driving distance of ,nashville which are almost totally lacking in leadership4 ,they need someone to be there on ,lord's ,day to conduct the worship and to teach and encourage them4 ,and we have an opportunity to do a lot of good along that line4 ,v ,practical ,suggestions ,now these are just scattering thoughts and remarks on what we can do and1 therefore1 what we ought to do to attain the ,god given objective of preaching the gospel unto the whole world4 ,i advise you again that this list of activities is not exhaustive but suggestive4 ,the same kind of treatment given this particular objective could be applied to the others in this outline as well4 ,we don't have time to do so tonight1 but ,i want you to study it for yourself and consider how you1 individually and personally1 can do something to help us reach these scriptural objectives4 ,and further1 consider how the church itself may improve its efforts along this line4 ,if you think of some change that ought to be made in this outline1 or some items that ought to be added to it1 ,i would certainly be glad to receive your suggestions4 ,friends1 remember that we are engaged in the ,lord's work1 the greatest work in all the world6 ,if there is any body of people on earth who ought to be enthusiastic1 it is the church of ,christ6 ,we are working in the ,lord's kingdom1 and we know that our labor will not be in vain4 ,if so much can be accomplished by the little that has been done1 ,i want you to think about what could be accomplished if we were all doing our best6 ,it yet remains to be demonstrated what can be accomplished by a congregation which is wholly and completely dedicated unto the work of the ,lord4 ,i recommend that you give a practical and careful study then to each item on this list4 ,consider our devotional program and how it may be improved4 ,it can be improved6 ,to claim that there is no room for improvement would be to claim perfection which none of us would like to do4 ,bro4 ,murphy has been making some fine suggestions in our ,thursday evening work4 ,those of you who have missed them have been missing an opportunity to improve the effectiveness of your own service in the kingdom of ,god4 ,he's made some practical suggestions4 ,you may think some of them are not good1 but certainly every suggestion he has made should be given very careful consideration by those who are supervising and taking part in the work here4 ,perhaps our greatest sin is our failure to put into use the knowledge which we receive1 to make practical use of suggestions offered4 ,it would be easy just to let ,dr4 ,murphy's advice pass by and go unheeded4 ,if we do that1 it will mean that the church will be very little better off after this eight weeks of training than it was before4 ,but1 if his suggestions are promptly and faithfully heeded1 the church will be a great deal further along toward the accomplishment of its scriptural objectives than it was before4 ,you will notice that the ,wednesday evening meeting appears three or four times in this outline and might appropriately appear at even some other place4 ,for instance1 the ,wednesday evening meeting may be used for devotional purposes4 ,it may be used for instructional purposes and will be for the next eight weeks4 ,it may also be used for the purpose of giving practical training to those who would be workers in the kingdom of ,god4 ,if we'll think about it like that1 you see1 it will give purpose to our mid-week meetings4 ,here are scriptural goals4 ,god is holding us responsible to do everything we can to attain these objectives promptly and effectively4 ,our mid-week program can be made to serve a very important purpose in the attainment of these ends4 ,and1 therefore1 along with every other scriptural phase of the work1 should receive the wholehearted co-operation and support of every member4 ,i'm looking forward to much greater things for the church at ,chapel ,avenue in the weeks1 months1 and years ahead4 ,don't you want to have a part in it8 ,if there are some here tonight who live in our community and would like to work and worship with the church here1 we invite you to make that known by coming forward tonight4 ,if there are those who have backslidden1 you are invited to follow the ,bible plan of repenting1 confessing your faults1 and praying for forgiveness1 that ,god may save your soul4 ,and1 of course1 you who have not been baptized1 if you believe that ,jesus is the ,son of ,god1 if you will repent of your sins and confess your faith and obey the commandment to be baptized for remission of sins 7,acts #b3ch7 ,god promises that your sins will be forgiven1 washed away by the blood of ,christ1 and you will receive the gift of the ,holy ,spirit6 ,christ invites you to come to him and let him save you6 ,will you accept that invitation while together we stand and sing8 ,,xiv ,,how ,,much ,,is ,,liberal8 ,the subject of giving has been assigned to me for this occasion4 ,this assignment pleases me for two reasons3 ,first1 it is a popular subject4 ,folk like to hear it because it hits them so hard4 ,in the second place1 it is a vital question4 ,those who have taken the time to count the instances say that the ,bible mentions money more often than it does faith1 repentance1 confession1 and baptism all put together4 8,the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil40 ,whether1 therefore1 we base our judgment on the danger of our sinning with respect to it1 or the amount of space devoted to it in the ,bible1 the subject of money1 or giving1 is a very important one4 ,i am approaching the subject from the standpoint of this question3 8,how ,much ,is ,liberal80 ,the reason for this approach will appear as we proceed4 ,i ,new ,testament ,authority ,you know1 as well as ,i1 that in every instance we must go to the ,new ,testament for our guidance in matters religious4 ,our people have been thoroughly taught1 but not too thoroughly1 that we are no longer bound by the laws given to ,moses and ,noah1 but by the law of ,christ4 ,in studying the subject of giving1 therefore1 we must go to the ,new ,testament4 ,in ,first ,corinthians #af3b we read3 8,upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store1 as ,god hath prospered him1 that there be no gatherings when ,i come40 ,this ,scripture teaches that we should give regularly1 weekly 7not weakly74 ,the giving is to be just as regular as the eating of the ,lord's supper--upon the first day of each week4 ,this quotation also teaches that we should give according to our prosperity4 ,the more prosperity one has the more he is expected to give4 ,a third ,new ,testament requirement is cheerfulness in giving4 8,god loveth a cheerful giver0 7#b ,cor4 #i3g74 ,sometimes it is said that we ought to give until it hurts4 ,it is all right to give until you can miss what you give1 or until you have to do without something that you want4 ,but you should never give until it hurts4 ,it is all right to give until you can miss hurt you to give as ,god requires4 ,he loves a cheerful giver4 ,fourthly1 we are taught to give purposely4 ,the ,christians at ,corinth made a purpose a year in advance and were commanded to give as they had planned4 8,every man according as he purposeth in his heart1 so let him give0 7#b ,cor4 #i3g74 ,they had not only purposed but they had expressed their purpose and when a ,christian does that1 it very nearly becomes a promise4 ,the text does not specifically say that we should make a purpose1 but it implies it2 and if we purpose1 we should give accordingly4 ,in reference to this question on which we are so likely to stumble we ought to do some prayerful planning1 lest we make the mistake of not giving as we should4 ,the temptation to give sparingly is so great that one can not afford to depend merely upon the impulse of the moment4 ,make a purpose or plan and then give according to your plan4 ,finally1 the ,new ,testament commands us to give liberally4 8,he that giveth1 let him do it liberally0 7,rom4 #ab3h1 ,a4,r4,v4 or footnote in the ,a4,v474 ,the word 8liberal0 comprehends both the attitude of the giver and also the amount of the gift4 ,the ,new ,testament does not specify any amount or percentage that we should give4 ,it does not tell us to give any certain amount or percentage of our income2 but it does command us to give liberally4 ,you have often heard the statement1 8,we are not commanded to give a tenth40 ,this statement is literally true1 but it may imply an error4 ,the inference is that the ,new ,testament assures us that we need not give as much as a tenth4 ,such an inference is false4 ,the ,new ,testament does not command us to give less than a tenth4 ,it names no definite amount and no definite percentage4 ,in #b ,corinthians #i3e-g we are not only taught to give liberally but we are encouraged to do so by the statement3 8,he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly2 and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully40 ,it appears to me that the ,new ,testament thus puts us on our honor4 ,if it had named a certain number of dollars or a certain percentage of our income1 we might just give that amount and claim the rest to do with as we pleased4 ,but ,god has placed us on our honor1 the amount of our giving to be determined by general instructions and our love of ,him and those to whom we give4 ,when an honorable man is placed on his honor1 it seems that he should do even more than when he is under definite laws4 ,some schools have what they call 8the honor system40 ,according to this system1 the teacher may put a test on the board and leave the room4 ,the students are on their honor4 ,it seems to me that one would be less likely to cheat under those conditions than with some one on guard4 ,the ,new ,testament puts us on our honor1 so to speak1 with only general instructions and commands to guide our giving4 ,,ii ,individual ,responsibility ,each individual must answer for himself this question3 8,how much is liberal80 ,the ,old ,testament required a certain percentage2 the ,new ,testament requires liberality4 ,how much is liberal8 ,what does the ,bible mean when it says1 8give liberally80 ,liberality would not mean the same amount in every case4 ,some must give more than others4 ,this story was published some years ago in the ,gospel ,advocate3 ,there was a certain rich man in a congregation who had as much money as all the other members4 ,when money was being raised for any purpose he would propose to give as much as any other one4 ,when the congregation was trying to raise money to put a new roof on their building1 he arose1 according to his custom1 and said1 8,brethren1 ,i will give as much as any other man in the house toward putting on this new roof40 ,there happened to be a rich infidel present that day1 who arose and said1 8,well1 ,mister1 you and ,i will pay for the new roof2 ,i will give half the cost40 ,now1 if you expect me to tell you exactly how much you should give1 you will be disappointed4 ,i am not going to tell you because the ,bible doesn't tell me4 ,if ,i were to undertake to tell you1 ,i might put it too low4 ,i would certainly be afraid to tell any one that he was giving too much4 ,a man once asked me a question which several other preachers had been unable to answer4 ,he said1 8,my wife and ,i make #aej per month4 ,we give #be of that to the church each month4 ,i want to know if we are giving enough40 ,when ,i heard the question ,i knew why the other preachers had not answered4 ,he and his wife were giving more than a tenth4 ,they were giving #af per cent1 but ,i was afraid to tell him whether they were giving too much or not enough1 because ,i didn't know4 ,jesus ,christ watched the poor widow give away all her living1 and ,he didn't tell her that she was giving too much4 ,some of our brethren today would probably have said1 8,just wait a minute1 lady1 we appreciate your motive and admire your liberality1 but you ought not give all you have4 ,we wouldn't want you to starve to death or to do without the necessities of life40 ,but ,jesus stood there and watched her give away the very last thing she had and ,he made no effort to restrain her4 ,so1 ,i can't tell any one that he is giving too much or the exact number of dollars that he should give4 ,each one must answer for himself4 ,how much is liberal8 ,i can't answer for you2 you can't answer for me4 ,you must answer for yourself and your answer must be a definite one1 expressible in terms of a certain number of dollars and cents4 ,you must decide how many dollars and cents you should give in order to meet the requirement of liberality4 ,how much have you studied the question8 ,how much have you prayed about it and investigated the word of ,god in your search for an answer8 ,how much time have you spent on the question8 ,are you sure that you have reached a scriptural conclusion8 ,you must not merely decide what is liberal according to your own standard1 but what is liberal according to ,god's standard4 ,for1 after all1 ,god is to be the final judge as to whether you are giving liberally4 ,you must reach a definite conclusion as to what ,god will consider a liberal amount from you4 ,i urge you to study the question of liberality4 ,search the ,scriptures1 pray ,god to lead you to the right answer4 ,because the question must be answered4 ,it is a commandment of ,god in the ,new ,testament4 ,,iii ,abram ,although the ,new ,testament does not1 and ,i can not1 tell you definitely how much is liberal in the sight of ,god1 we can get some light on the question by studying what ,god has required of his people in other dispensations4 ,in the #adth chapter of ,genesis there is an account of four kings who went to war against five other kings4 ,the four kings won the war and among the captives was ,lot1 the kinsman of ,abram4 8,and when ,abram heard that his brother was taken captive1 he armed his trained servants1 born in his own house1 three hundred and eighteen1 and pursued them unto ,dan40 ,with this small band of men he won a great victory over the four kings and their powerful armies and rescued ,lot and his goods and his people4 ,after his return from this battle ,abram met ,melchizedek1 priest of ,god1 and gave him tithes 7a tenth7 of all4 ,god wants you and me to know that ,abram gave a tenth4 ,the book of ,genesis is very brief4 ,in a very few pages1 less than the number ,i hold in my hand1 ,god has given us the history of the world for a period of several thousand years4 ,it is very brief4 ,if man had written such a history1 the volumes would have filled a shelf all the way around this room4 ,men have written many volumes of history concerning the ,united ,states which has been a nation for less than two hundred years4 ,but ,god has condensed the history of the world1 for a period of thousands of years1 within these few pages4 ,yet1 he took enough of that precious space to tell us that ,abram gave a tenth4 ,if man had written an account of this war1 he would have told the names of the captains in each army1 how many men were killed1 how many were wounded1 how much the war cost1 and so forth4 ,god omitted all those things of interest1 but he did take the space to tell us that ,abram gave a tenth and that he prospered4 ,he even repeated this information in the ,new ,testament1 where he says1 8,now consider how great this man ,melchizedek was1 unto whom even the patriarch ,abraham gave the tenth of the spoils0 7,heb4 #g3d74 ,he had some reason for wanting us to know this1 for ,he has a reason for everything ,he does and says4 ,he took the space to tell us twice that ,abram gave a tenth1 and ,abram prospered4 ,you may draw your own conclusion from these scriptural and vital facts4 ,,iv ,jacob ,turning on over to the #bhth chapter of ,genesis we find another interesting story that throws some light on our question4 ,jacob had taken ,esau's blessing4 ,esau was angry4 ,jacob was afraid ,esau would kill him4 ,for refuge he went to ,padanaram4 ,on the way he spent the night at ,bethel1 and slept in the open1 with a rock for a pillow4 ,i don't know why he chose such a hard pillow4 ,people do some strange things4 ,i have heard that in days gone by the ,oriental people slept with their feet1 instead of their heads1 on the pillow1 because the feet did the harder work4 ,according to that rule ,i think ,i know some people who ought to change ends with the pillow4 ,while ,jacob was sleeping with a rock for a pillow he had a strange dream4 ,he saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven and the angels of ,god going up and down 7not down and up7 on it4 ,the ,lord stood above it and promised to be with ,jacob and to bless him4 ,when ,jacob arose early in the morning he vowed a vow saying1 8,if ,god will be with me1 and will keep me in this way that ,i go1 and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on1 so that ,i come again to my father's house in peace2 then shall the ,lord be my ,god3 and this stone which ,i have set for a pillar1 shall be ,god's house3 and of all that thou shalt give me ,i will surely give the tenth unto thee0 7,gen4 #bh3 #bj-bb74 ,with this vow in his heart ,jacob continued his journey to ,padanaram1 where he spent twenty-two years and became very wealthy4 ,as he was returning to ,canaan we find him praying to ,god as follows3 8,o ,god of my father ,abraham1 and ,god of my father ,isaac1 the ,lord which saidst unto me1 #8,return unto thy country1 and to thy kindred1 and ,i will deal well with thee'3 ,i am not worthy of the least of all the mercies1 and of all the truth1 which thou hast showed unto thy servant2 for with my staff ,i passed over this ,jordan2 and now ,i am become two bands 4440 7,gen4 #cb3i-aj74 ,please note that twenty-two years ago he had passed over this ,jordan with nothing but a stick in his hand and in his heart a vow to give one tenth of all his increase to ,god4 ,in the meantime he has become very wealthy4 ,the extent of his wealth is partially indicated by an incident that followed4 ,jacob was afraid that ,esau was still angry4 7,he should have known that ,esau was too lazy to stay mad twenty-two years47 ,to find grace in the sight of ,esau he sent him a present1 a token of his good will4 ,such presents usually represent only a small fraction of one's total possessions4 ,yet this is what ,jacob sent ,esau3 8two hundred she goats1 and twenty he goats1 two hundred ewes1 and twenty rams1 thirty milk camels with their colts1 forty kine1 and ten bulls1 twenty she asses1 and ten foals0 7,gen4 #cb3ad1 #ae74 ,few farmers in this county have that much livestock1 yet that represents a small fraction of what ,jacob was worth and had acquired since crossing the ,jordan twenty-two years before4 ,since that time1 he had been giving one-tenth to ,jehovah4 ,again1 remember that ,god has taken space to tell you and me about that in this much condensed book1 the book of ,genesis4 ,he evidently meant for us to get some lesson from these facts4 ,during a financial depression1 a business man in ,kansas went broke4 ,he lost everything he had and found himself #ej1jjj in debt--fifty thousand dollars in the hole4 ,a friend of his offered to give him a medical formula to be used in any way he saw fit4 ,the man took the formula and went home4 ,he turned to ,genesis #bh3bb and drew a ring around these words3 8,of all that thou shalt give me ,i will surely give the tenth unto thee40 ,with that vow1 now become his vow1 he began to manufacture a medicine4 ,you probably have some at home4 ,it was ,mentholatum4 ,on the bottle or tube you will find the name of ,a4 ,a4 ,hyde4 ,when ,i first heard this story he had become a millionaire and was still giving one-tenth of his income to what he considered the work of the ,lord4 ,in private conversation ,i told this story to some one who said1 8,well1 he can afford to give a tenth1 because he is rich40 ,i replied1 8,yes1 but remember that he was #ej1jjj in debt when he began doing so40 ,it is easier for one to give a tenth when he is poor than when he is rich4 ,a man who practiced giving a tenth said that when he was working for #a4jj per day it was easy to give #fj cents on ,sunday2 but when he began making #ejj per week and had to give #ej on ,sunday1 it was hard to do4 ,it is easier for a poor man to give liberally than it is for a rich man to do so4 ,that may be one reason the ,bible says it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of ,god4 ,v ,jews ,now1 back to the ,old ,testament4 ,you know the ,jews were required to give a tenth of their income and even more4 ,some ,bible students say the requirement was _/ all the time and _/ every third year4 ,that is not entirely clear to me1 but we do know that they had to give a tenth and in addition to that1 they had to make daily1 weekly1 monthly and annual sacrifices4 ,so at the very least1 they gave more than a tenth1 and you know that the ,jews were a prosperous people4 ,for some reason ,god tells us about all these ,old ,testament characters who gave a tenth and prospered while doing so4 ,they were required to give a tenth4 ,the ,new ,testament commands us to give liberally4 ,now1 which is more8 ,of whom does ,god require and expect more--those who give a tenth or the ones who are told to give liberally8 ,now1 ,i could stand up here and give you many more examples of those who gave a tenth of their income and were blessed while they did so4 ,a man in ,richmond1 ,virginia1 who had himself and a wife to support1 was making only #bj per week4 ,he purposed to give a tenth to the church4 ,later1 he became sick and his remuneration was only #aj per week4 ,he continued to give #b4jj per week to the church4 ,he soon recovered1 returned to work1 and was promoted to a position that paid #ge per week4 ,my wife and ,i had another good friend at ,richmond1 ,virginia1 who gave #e4jj out of her #ce per month salary4 ,one month1 after meeting all necessary expense1 the #e4jj that she had set apart for the church was all she had left with which to buy a new spring dress and you know how much a young lady wants a new dress in the spring4 ,after debating the question for awhile she overcame the temptation and gave the #e4jj to the church as she had planned4 ,the next day her employer1 who was not a ,christian and who knew nothing of the battle the young lady had fought and won1 gave her enough material to make two new dresses4 ,i could continue compiling such examples indefinitely4 ,if you think a tenth is too much for one to give1 ask the man who has tried it4 ,i never knew any one to discontinue the practice of tithing after trying it for a while4 ,experience proves that it is a good practice4 ,a church in ,dallas1 ,texas1 has a large sign on the wall of its building which reads as follows3 8,if any member will practice giving one-tenth of all he earns for one year and at the end of that time can say that he has been made poorer by doing so1 we will give him #a1jjj in gold40 ,no one has claimed that #a1jjj4 ,the church at ,lily ,chapel1 near ,portsmouth1 ,ohio1 doubled its contributions4 ,that meant1 of course1 that some of the members were even giving more than twice as much as they had been giving4 ,one night ,i requested that all who had been made poorer1 or who had less left to live on1 as a result of increasing their contribution1 raise their hands4 ,nobody raised a hand4 ,then ,i said1 8,why don't you double it again1 then80 ,,vi ,blessings ,some people don't give away enough and that is the reason they don't have enough left to pay their bills4 ,if you are having trouble making 8tongue and buckle meet10 and don't have the necessities of life1 ,i suggest that you start giving more to the ,lord's work4 ,then you will have more left to live on4 ,this may not sound like good arithmetic2 but it is good ,bible teaching4 8,he that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly1 and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully40 8,the liberal soul shall be made fat0 7,prov4 #be3aa74 ,jesus said1 8,verily ,i say unto you1 there is no man that hath left house1 or brethren1 or sisters1 or father1 or mother1 or wife1 or children1 or lands1 for my sake and the gospel's but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time1 houses1 and brethren1 and sisters1 and mothers1 and children1 and lands1 with persecutions2 and in the world to come eternal life0 7,mark #aj3bi1 #cj74 ,that is a wonderful promise4 ,it does not apply to those who give for the sake of handsome returns2 but to those who give for the sake of ,christ4 ,those who give for ,his sake shall receive a hundredfold in this life4 ,do we believe the ,bible8 ,then why don't we give more8 ,many do not believe the above promise4 ,they do not believe that all necessary things will be added to those who seek first the kingdom of ,god and ,his righteousness4 ,they are afraid they will come to want if they give liberally4 ,instead of giving liberally and trusting ,god's promises they try to provide for themselves by holding on to what they have4 ,they should heed the words of the ,bible3 8,there is that withholdeth more than is meet suitable1 but it tendeth to poverty0 7,prov4 #aa3bd74 ,christians need more faith4 ,we need to believe that 8it is more blessed to give than to receive40 ,i don't believe any one was ever made poorer as a result of giving1 if he gave according to the ,bible4 ,to do so would be to disbelieve the word of ,almighty ,god4 ,may ,i insist again that you give prayerful consideration to this question3 8,how much is liberal80 ,ask yourself1 8,how much must ,i give in order for the ,lord to consider me a liberal giver80 ,this question must be answered to the satisfaction of the ,lord ,almighty4 ,when a widow can give all she has without being reproved by the ,lord1 do you believe that ,god will be pleased with less than a tenth from you8 ,in the light of what ,god required of the ,jews do you believe that one-tenth exceeds the demands of liberality8 ,if all the members of ,god's church gave a tenth which they certainly could do and still have plenty left the contribution of the average congregation would be at least four times as much as it is at present4 ,think of the good work that could then be supported4 ,we could preach the gospel to the entire world in a short time2 we could take care of all the poor2 we could count the elders that rule well worthy of double honor 7#a ,tim4 #e3ag74 ,how many ,jews did it take to start a congregation and support a priest8 ,it took only ten4 ,wherever there were ten ,jews they could employ a priest and support him with their tithe1 or tenth4 ,the priest was required to give a tenth also4 ,this left each in the group _/ to live on and meet other obligations4 ,how many ,christians does it take to support a preacher8 ,in this age1 it takes from one hundred to one thousand so-called ,christians to keep one man busy in the work of the ,lord4 ,in the light of this comparison1 how do you think we will stack up with the ,jews on the ,judgment ,day8 ,why does a congregation of five hundred1 or one thousand1 members do but very little more than a congregation of one hundred members8 ,even if it takes one hundred ,christians to support one preacher1 why can't a congregation of five hundred1 or one thousand members support five1 or ten full-time workers in the ,lord's vineyard8 ,is it not because the members of the average congregation are content to give barely enough to carry on a local program that is respectable in the eyes of the public8 ,such a limited conception of what is needed is not a scriptural standard of giving4 ,the ,new ,testament requires liberality4 ,the ,jews had to give a tenth1 and more4 ,we must give liberally4 ,let us be sure that we meet this ,new ,testament requirement4 ,let us prove our faith by our giving4 ,let us obey ,god and trust ,his promises4 ,let us give liberally1 and watch the growth in our individual and congregational prosperity4 ,i want to leave just one more thought before closing4 ,i suppose you are glad to be here1 grateful for your existence on the earth4 ,most people are4 ,very few are tired of living4 ,god blessed you when he gave you your life on this earth4 ,i will tell you how you can get a blessing still greater--by giving your life to ,god4 8,it is more blessed to give than to receive40 ,if you were blessed when you received your life1 you will be more blessed by giving your life in obedient service to your ,maker4 8,i beseech you therefore1 brethren1 by the mercies of ,god1 that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice1 holy1 acceptable unto ,god1 which is your reasonable service0 7,rom4 #ab3a74 ,give your life to ,jesus4 ,live for ,him who died for you4 ,while we stand and sing we entreat you to accept the ,lord's gracious invitation4 ,,xv ,,and ,,such ,,like ,you and ,i ought to be very thankful to the ,lord for the opportunity to meet and worship ,him4 ,such a blessing is not universal4 ,it is exceptional in the history of the world1 and ,i am glad to see people show their appreciation of this blessing by taking advantage of the opportunity4 ,i ,the ,will of ,christ ,as many of you well know1 the ,new ,testament teaches that the law of ,moses is not binding on ,christians today1 but that we should follow the law of the ,spirit of life in ,christ4 ,this means that the ,ten ,commandments1 as such1 are not today binding1 but the principles involved in the ,ten ,commandments are binding in so far as they have been included in the law of ,christ4 ,frequently1 when ,i make such a statement someone replies1 8,do you mean that we may do as we please8 ,do you mean that it's all right to kill today8 ,that it's all right to steal80 ,evidently the ,holy ,spirit knew that people would ask such questions and1 therefore1 the #eth chapter of ,galatians was written4 8,stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith ,christ hath made us free1 and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage4 ,behold1 ,i1 ,paul1 say unto you1 that if ye be circumcised1 ,christ shall profit you nothing4 ,for ,i testify again to every man that is circumcised1 that he is a debtor to do the whole law4 ,christ is become of no effect unto you1 whosoever of you are justified by the law2 ye are fallen from grace4 ,for we through the ,spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith4 ,for in ,jesus ,christ neither circumcision availeth anything1 nor uncircumcision2 but faith which worketh by love4 ,ye did run well2 who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth8 ,this persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you4 ,a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump4 ,i have confidence in you through the ,lord1 that ye will be none otherwise minded3 but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment1 whosoever he be4 ,and ,i1 brethren1 if ,i yet preach circumcision1 why do ,i yet suffer persecution8 then is the offence of the cross ceased4 ,i would they were even cut off which trouble you4 ,for1 brethren1 ye have been called unto liberty2 only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh1 but by love serve one another4 ,for all the law is fulfilled in one word1 even in this2 ,thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself4 ,but if ye bite and devour one another1 take heed that ye be not consumed one of another4 ,this ,i say then1 ,walk in the ,spirit1 and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh4 ,for the flesh lusteth against the ,spirit1 and the ,spirit against the flesh3 and these are contrary the one to the other3 so that ye cannot do the things that ye would4 ,but if ye be led of the ,spirit1 ye are not under the law4 ,now the works of the flesh are manifest1 which are these3 adultery1 fornication1 uncleanness1 lasciviousness1 idolatry1 witchcraft1 hatred1 variance1 emulations1 wrath1 strife1 seditions1 heresies1 envyings1 murders1 drunkenness1 revelings1 and such like3 of the which ,i tell you before1 as ,i have also told you in time past1 that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of ,god4 ,but the fruit of the ,spirit is love1 joy1 peace1 longsuffering1 gentleness1 goodness1 faith1 meekness1 temperance3 against such there is no law4 ,and they that are ,christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts4 ,if we live in the ,spirit1 let us also walk in the ,spirit4 ,let us not be desirous of vain glory1 provoking one another1 envying one another40 ,the fact that we are not bound by the law of ,moses then does not mean that we can do as we please4 ,this ,scripture plainly says1 8,ye cannot do the things that ye would40 ,we are restrained by the law of the ,spirit4 ,we are restrained by the law of love4 8,thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself40 ,in order that we may clearly understand what this implies1 the ,holy ,spirit has listed for us the works of the flesh and the fruits of the spirit4 ,this list is the basis of the lesson which ,i want to present this morning4 ,i have the items on the board4 ,perhaps those in the back of the building cannot see them4 ,but at least we shall refer to them as we go along and you will get the picture anyway4 ,,ii ,the ,works of the ,flesh ,let us look at the works of the flesh first4 ,the ,bible plainly says that those who follow the works of the flesh shall not enter the kingdom of ,god4 ,if you find yourself guilty of one or more of these works of the flesh1 then remember that you are on the outside1 that you will remain on the outside until you repent and obey ,god4 ,people who follow the works of the flesh simply cannot enter the kingdom of heaven4 #a4 ,adultery and ,fornication4 ,the first four in the list are adultery1 fornication1 uncleanness1 and lasciviousness4 ,all four of these words have reference to immorality4 ,some state legislatures make a distinction between adultery and fornication1 using the word adultery to apply to immorality on the part of married people1 and the word fornication to apply to the same sort of sin on the part of unmarried people4 ,therefore1 those words cover exactly the same sort of crime--illegitimate relationship between men and women4 ,i don't know just how prevalent this sin is in the world--,i have no statistics on that point1 and would not be particularly interested in gathering any1 but ,i do know that such sins are very common1 and ,i know that you know whether you are guilty4 ,if you are guilty the ,bible says that you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven4 ,you must repent of that sin and have it washed away by the blood of ,jesus before there is any hope for you4 #b4 ,uncleanness4 ,this word probably covers a little more territory than either of the first two words4 ,the best definition ,i know for uncleanness is found in ,romans #a3bd3 8,wherefore ,god also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts1 to dishonor their own bodies between themselves3 who changed the truth of ,god into a lie1 and worshiped and served the creature more than the ,creator1 who is blessed forever4 ,for this cause ,god gave them up unto vile affections2 for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature2 and likewise also the men1 leaving the natural use of the woman1 burned in their lust one toward another2 men with men working that which is unseemly2 and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet40 ,if ,i were to talk an hour1 ,i could not give a clearer definition of what is meant by uncleanness4 ,it is obviously a work of the flesh1 and all who are guilty stand condemned in the sight of ,god ,almighty4 #c4 ,lasciviousness4 ,this term is apparently still more comprehensive4 ,it not only includes general acts of lewdness and abandoned sensuality but is sometimes used to describe that which tends to produce voluptuous or lewd emotions4 ,for instance1 8,the lascivious pleasing of a lute0 7,shakespeare74 ,the plural of the noun form is found in ,romans #ac3ac where it is translated wantonness4 8,let us walk honestly1 as in the day2 not in rioting and drunkenness1 not in chambering and wantonness1 not in strife and envying40 ,referring to this text ,thayer's ,greek ,lexicon quotes the following definition of lasciviousness from ,fritzsche3 8wanton acts or manners1 as filthy words1 indecent bodily movements1 unchaste handling of males and females1 etc40 ,there may be some who would not 7at least think they would not7 actually become guilty of adultery but who do allow themselves to daydream about things which are unclean and immoral4 ,such unholy meditations are liable to produce wanton and lewd desires and may even lead to an overt act of immorality4 ,you should study the meaning of the word lasciviousness and diligently avoid the sin it describes4 8,but put ye on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and make not provision for the flesh1 to fulfill the lusts thereof0 7,rom4 #ac3ad74 #d4 ,idolatry4 ,we turn now to a different sort of transgressions but we are still talking about works of the flesh4 ,everybody knows what idolatry means4 ,if a man worships something other than the ,god of heaven1 he is guilty of idolatry4 ,if one values anything in this world more than he esteems ,god and his relationship to ,god1 he is virtually guilty of idolatry4 #e4 ,witchcraft4 ,then comes the sin of witchcraft1 or sorcery1 which1 ,i believe1 includes what is commonly called fortunetelling4 ,it is condemned both in the ,old ,testament and also in the ,new ,testament4 ,it is a work of the flesh4 ,friends1 if it is wrong to practice the fraud1 the craft1 the art1 7or whatever it is7 of fortunetellers1 then it's wrong to patronize them1 for when you do so you are giving them both your financial and moral support4 #f4 ,hatred4 ,hatred is a sin of the disposition4 ,it is an attitude of the heart4 ,it is the state of being an enemy4 ,this term describes aversions and antipathies which are opposed to brotherly kindness and love4 ,i'm not sure that these words were intended to be arranged in logical order1 but ,i do believe we can see some sequential significance in the order of the word hatred and the three which follow just as we did in the first four4 #g4 ,variance4 ,this word means contentions4 ,it is hatred in action1 manifesting itself in contests1 altercations1 lawsuits1 and disputes in general4 #h4 ,emulations4 ,this word signifies envious and contentious rivalry or jealousy1 which often are associated with hatred and variance4 ,jealousy is strife to excel at the expense of another4 ,it is destructive1 not constructive4 ,when you are jealous you try to pull the other man down in order to get above him4 ,but you can't do it6 ,in the effort to injure another you sink lower yourself4 #i4 ,wrath4 ,this is the climax of the last four words4 ,wrath is hatred in violent action4 ,it consists of turbulent passions which disturb the harmony of mind and produce domestic and civic broils and disquietudes4 7,once ,i used ,jiggs and ,maggie of comic strip fame as an example of wrath when they were throwing pots and pans at each other1 but someone corrected me by saying that ,jiggs never threw any1 they all came from the other direction6 ,but anyway the point of the illustration was clear47 ,when hatred1 variance1 and jealousy break out into violent action1 that's what is described by the word wrath4 ,herod's jealousy became wrath when he killed the babes of ,bethlehem in an effort to destroy ,jesus4 ,these last four are sins of the disposition4 ,in some instances they are committed1 especially the first three1 by people who come to worship every ,sunday and pass as devoted ,christians4 ,but friends1 ,i want you to see what ugly company they are keeping4 ,they are classed by the ,holy ,spirit right along with idolatry1 adultery1 uncleanness1 and lasciviousness4 ,that's mighty bad company1 isn't it8 ,we are inclined to be more tolerant of sins of the disposition than of sins of immorality1 but we'd better be very careful how we appraise sins without ,biblical authority4 ,god has put them all in the same catalogue1 and therefore sins like hatred and jealousy will send you to hell just as quickly as idolatry or adultery4 ,if you're guilty of any of them1 you must repent before you can go to heaven for people who continue in the work of the flesh cannot enter the kingdom of heaven4 #aj4 ,strife1 ,seditions1 ,heresies4 ,the word 8strife0 represents a courting of distinction1 a desire to put one's self forward1 contention and wranglings with a partisan and factious spirit which tends to result in division4 ,the word 8sedition0 suggests the act of dividing4 ,it means dissension4 ,the word 8heresies0 applies to the parties or sects arising from diversity of opinion and aims4 ,note1 therefore1 that division is condemned in every stage of its development4 ,the disputing1 arguing1 wrangling1 and vanity which lead to it are condemned by the word strife4 ,the act of separating into parties is condemned by the word 8divisions0 or 8seditions10 and the parties themselves are condemned after they occur by the word 8heresies40 ,again ,i call your attention to the fact that ,god puts these sins in the category of fornication and adultery4 ,the very disposition to divide is wrong2 the act of dividing is wrong2 and the parties and sects which result from the division are likewise wrong4 ,division is evil from beginning to end4 ,it is a work of the flesh and all of those who are guilty of it1 who encourage it1 who endorse it1 or who support it1 morally or financially1 will be condemned as following the flesh rather than following the spirit4 #aa4 ,envying4 ,this is another sin of the disposition4 ,the best definition ,i have found of envying is this3 8,pain felt1 and malignity conceived1 at the sight of excellence or happiness40 ,did you ever notice someone who is happier than you or more successful than you1 and as a result feel some sort of pain within you1 or some sort of uneasiness8 ,well1 that's envy4 ,it is pain felt or malignancy conceived at the sight of happiness or success on the part of another4 ,after reading in some religious paper a glowing report of a very successful meeting1 a preacher may have a strange feeling of discontent or chagrin which self-analysis would show to be the result of his natural 7fleshly7 reaction to the success of a brother evangelist4 ,is not this a case of envy8 ,is it not a work of the flesh8 ,can those who do such things enter the kingdom of ,god8 ,preachers are not the only ones who are tempted to envy each other4 ,business men1 doctors1 school teachers1 young people in their social relationships may all be guilty of this sin and must guard against it4 ,if you cannot see your boy friends or your girl friends be more popular or successful than you without having a feeling of uneasiness and a disposition to harm them in some way1 then you are guilty of the sin of envy1 and a murderer can come just as nearly going to heaven as one who is guilty of envy4 ,because they are both works of the flesh and stand condemned by ,jehovah4 #ab4 ,murder4 ,we don't need to comment upon the word 8murder40 ,you know what it means4 ,you can be guilty of murder at heart4 ,the ,bible says1 8,whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer3 and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him0 7#a ,john #c3ae74 #ac4 ,drunkenness4 ,everybody knows what this sin is4 ,it's the work of the flesh1 and those who are guilty of it will be lost4 ,and there's only one way to be absolutely certain that you won't get drunk--just don't drink of anything that's intoxicating4 ,if you never take the first drink of beer1 if you never take the first cocktail or sip of whiskey1 then you'll never get drunk4 ,but if you do take the first one1 you don't know what may happen4 #ad4 ,revelings4 ,reveling signifies lascivious feasting with obscene songs and music1 feasts and drinking-parties which are continued until late at night with unclean songs1 dissolute conduct1 and boisterous merrymaking4 ,those occasions when people turn themselves loose and do not observe proper restraints of natural desires1 are occasions of revelry4 ,remember 8that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of ,god40 ,,iii ,the ,fruits of the ,spirit ,in contrast with the works of the flesh let us look at the fruits of the ,spirit4 ,they are the fruits which will be produced in the life of one who is following in the ,spirit4 ,they are the characteristics which will adorn the life of one who obeys ,god4 ,i want you to notice how attractive these are4 ,i want you to see how beautiful this list is4 #a4 ,love4 ,love for ,god1 for your brother1 for your neighbor1 and even love for your enemy is a fruit of the ,spirit4 #b4 ,joy4 ,god expects his people to be joyous4 ,paul said1 8,finally1 my brethren1 rejoice in the ,lord0 7,phil4 #a3a74 8,rejoice in the ,lord alway3 and again ,i say rejoice0 7,phil4 #d3d74 ,again we read1 8,and these things write we unto you1 that your joy may be full0 7#a ,john #a3d74 ,as ,christian people1 those who are following the ,spirit are full of joy4 ,people who are trying to follow the ,spirit and the flesh both are not full of joy4 ,but those who are truly following the ,spirit are joyful1 because joy is one of the fruits of the ,spirit4 #c4 ,peace4 ,peace--peace with ,god1 with one's self1 and usually with most1 if not all1 one's fellowmen--is a part of the fruit of the ,spirit4 ,the calm1 quiet1 order1 and hope which abide in the heart of a ,christian are more precious than gold4 ,the sinner has doubts1 fears1 alarms1 and dreadful forebodings4 #d4 ,longsuffering4 ,people who follow the ,spirit are patient2 they are not easily provoked2 they bear the troubles and difficulties of life without murmuring or repining and submit cheerfully to every dispensation of ,god's providence4 #e4 ,gentleness4 ,one who is harsh and unkind is lacking in this fruit of the ,spirit4 ,it has been said that to be gentle means to always do and say the kindest things in the kindest way4 #f4 ,goodness4 ,this means uprightness of heart and life--a constant desire and diligent effort1 not only to abstain from every form of evil1 but also to do good to the bodies and souls of all men4 #g4 ,faith4 ,the word faith is here used in the sense of fidelity1 the character of one who can be depended upon to keep all his promises1 to meet all of his obligations1 and to be true to every relationship4 #h4 ,meekness4 ,meekness is likewise a fruit of the ,spirit4 ,it is the very opposite of anger4 ,moses was called a meek man4 ,jesus said1 8,blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth40 ,and although ,christ was brave and uncompromising1 he was nevertheless one of the very meekest of men4 #i4 ,temperance4 ,temperance means self-control4 ,remember this very chapter says1 8,ye cannot do the things that ye would40 ,you cannot give free expression unto the passions of your body4 ,your body must be buffeted and brought into subjection as ,paul did with his4 ,we must learn to exercise self-control and to make ourselves do that which we know we ought to do4 ,these are the fruits of the ,spirit4 ,they are the characteristics that should be developed in your life if you are a ,christian4 ,i just want you to look at these two pictures--the fruit of the ,spirit on the one hand and the works of the flesh on the other4 ,they are contrasted in every sense of the word4 ,they are incompatible and antagonistic4 ,to the extent you have one you fail to possess the other4 ,let me ask you this question3 ,do you believe the fruit of the ,spirit will make anybody unpopular8 ,sometimes when people are unpopular and are being persecuted they say1 8,oh1 well1 those who live ,godly lives are to be persecuted40 ,that's true4 ,the ,bible teaches it 7#b ,tim4 #c3ab74 ,but ,i'm afraid that very often our persecution comes from other causes4 ,we might be suffering because we have hatred1 jealousy1 and envy1 and not because we have the ,spirit of ,christ4 ,before you take pride in your persecution you'd better examine the source of it4 ,it might be coming from the wrong side of the fence4 ,those who follow the ,spirit are a living rebuke to those who fail to do so1 and as such they will receive some degree of persecution4 ,but ,i also contend that everybody in this world will have to admire a person who has the fruits of the ,spirit in his life4 ,his character presents a beautiful picture to all who know him4 ,you just can't help admiring him4 ,let us be very careful then about the cause of our persecution4 ,but ,i promised to talk to you about 8,and ,so ,forth0 or 8,and ,such ,like40 ,after the apostle ,paul had finished naming the works of the flesh he said1 8and such like40 ,he said that there were some things like those named which also belong in the same classification4 ,now suppose you were requested this morning to come forward and list in this blank column some things that are like those ,paul named4 ,what would you put in this column8 ,there must be some things like these4 ,the ,bible says there are some things like them4 ,otherwise1 there would have been no sense in saying 8and such like40 ,what are those things which are like the ones named by ,paul8 ,the ,bible itself mentions some others that could be put in this class4 ,for instance1 lying is a work of the flesh4 ,it could certainly be included in the 8and so forth0 of ,paul's list4 ,but now ,i want to put some words in this blank column1 and leave it up to you to decide whether they belong under the ,fruit of the ,spirit or the ,works of the ,flesh4 ,from this point on1 ,i'm going to let you preach this sermon4 ,it'll be your sermon from here on out4 ,i shall not tell you where ,i think these words belong4 ,not that ,i'm afraid or ashamed to tell1 but ,i want you to make your own decision4 ,for after all1 people will not do right until they decide to do so themselves4 ,if ,i can provoke you to think and to resolve in your own heart that you will do right1 then that will be much better than anything else which ,i might do for you today4 ,the first word ,i'm listing is3 #a4 ,dancing4 ,i want you to decide for yourself which column it belongs in4 ,would you list it as a work of the flesh or as fruit of the ,spirit8 ,into which list does it fit better8 ,i'm not going to say4 ,decide for yourself4 ,if you were called upon to classify it in one or the other of these groups1 in which group would you put it8 ,you may say it doesn't belong in either4 ,well1 ,i'll still leave that up to your judgment4 ,i'll put another word up here4 #b4 ,bible ,study4 7,that's two words1 isn't it87 ,do you have any trouble classifying that8 ,in which list would you put it8 ,would you say that ,bible study belongs with the fruit of the ,spirit or with the works of the flesh8 ,i shall not try to influence your opinion4 ,decide for yourself4 ,you see ,i can put most anything up here today because ,i'm not committing myself4 ,i'm playing safe4 ,well1 let's list another word4 #c4 ,movies4 ,not as they could be and not as they ought to be1 and not as they are in some isolated cases1 but as they are in general1 would you say that they look like this crowd 7,fruit of the ,spirit7 or do they look like this crowd 7,works of the ,flesh78 ,do they contribute to lasciviousness1 do they contribute to envy and hatred and such like things1 or do they look more like peace1 self-control1 and goodness8 ,decide for yourself6 ,i've asked a great many people this simple question3 8,do you believe that movies as they are in general are helpful to society or injurious to society80 ,all of the answers to that question except in one single instance have been on the same side4 ,i think you know what the correct answer is4 #d4 ,card playing4 ,let's consider card playing here1 playing bridge1 and such like games4 ,please note what happened in ,cincinnati a few years ago4 ,the city council passed an anti-gambling law which1 of course1 outlawed playing bingo4 ,some of the preachers of the city got together and wrote out a petition asking the city manager to amend the anti-gambling law to give the churches permission to play bingo in order to raise money to carry on their work4 ,the city manager granted the petition4 ,it's on the legislative record of the city of ,cincinnati4 ,do you wonder why so many people have quit going to church1 why the buildings are empty on ,sunday8 ,a young lady in ,cincinnati told me the first time ,i ever saw her that she didn't like to go to church1 that she came away feeling worse than when she went and that she didn't get what she needed when she attended the typical place of worship in the city of ,cincinnati4 ,do you wonder why8 ,now ,cincinnati may be a little bit extreme1 but similar conditions prevail at a great many other places4 ,there was a lady in ,louisville1 ,kentucky1 who told me she was alarmed about her son4 ,she said he was a natural-born gambler4 ,there are a lot of 8natural-born gamblers10 but they are not all in ,kentucky4 ,i asked the lady if she didn't go to bridge parties1 and she said she did4 ,then ,i said1 8,don't you contribute your share of the money to buy a prize80 ,she admitted that she did4 ,next ,i asked1 8,don't you play a game of chance to see which lady will take the prize home80 ,again she answered in the affirmative4 ,my reply was1 8,well1 you taught your son to gamble4 ,why are you alarmed80 ,she was perfectly content to gamble in the living-room with a group of so-called refined ladies1 but she didn't want her son to bet on the horse races or go to some gambling den in the city4 7,i almost told you where ,i thought that one belonged1 didn't ,i8 ,i didn't mean to do that47 ,let's take something else4 #e4 ,prayer meeting4 ,where would you put attending prayer meeting8 ,i never heard anybody raise a question about that4 ,i think everybody knows where it belongs so we pass on to something else4 #f4 ,petting4 ,we just as well talk about it2 everybody knows about it4 ,many have been guilty of it4 ,where would you put petting8 ,does it look like lasciviousness1 tending to produce wanton and lustful desires1 or does it look like it belongs with the fruit of the ,spirit8 ,now about the only difference ,i see in petting and dancing is that the dancing is done to music and the petting without the benefit of music2 dancing is usually done in public1 where the presence of others imposes at least some degree of restraint1 whereas the petting is done in a parked automobile on a side road or in some living-room with the shades pulled down4 ,that's about the only difference4 ,i'm perfectly willing to leave the decision to your own honest judgment1 because if you're not honest you're certainly lost anyhow4 #g4 ,tobacco4 ,maybe you think ,i'm going too far1 but ,i'd like to ask you to classify the use of tobacco4 ,would you classify tobacco--whether it's dipping1 chewing1 or smoking--as a work of the flesh1 or as fruit of the ,spirit8 ,do you believe that using it will help you to save souls or hinder you in saving souls8 ,would you be a little bit ashamed to let the man whom you were trying to convert see you smoking or dipping or chewing8 ,again1 ,i'm just asking questions4 ,not answering them4 ,if anybody wants to know what my answer is1 see me after we're through and ,i'll tell you4 ,but ,i want to leave it up to your own judgment4 ,where would you place these things8 ,do they belong in the list of works of the flesh or the fruit of the ,spirit8 ,friends1 we are talking today about something that's fundamental4 ,there's no part of the ,bible more fundamental than the #eth chapter of ,galatians4 ,the ,bible says those who do these things 7works of the flesh7 shall not inherit the kingdom of ,god4 ,against these things 7fruit of the ,spirit7 there is no law4 ,you're perfectly safe when you're on this side4 ,there's no law of ,god or man that would condemn anything in this list4 ,you never heard of a law forbidding one of these fruits of the ,spirit4 ,there's not a state legislature on this earth that would even think about condemning one of them4 ,against such things there is no law4 ,perhaps the greatest progress the church of ,christ could make today would be to heed diligently the lesson of ,galatians1 chapter #e1 and get all of our thinking1 conversation1 and conduct in harmony with the fruit of the ,spirit4 ,the very example of the membership would then be a tremendous drawing power4 ,it would win the admiration of all those who observed it4 ,all serious-minded people who want to go to heaven when they die1 would like to have a part with a group of people who are governed in such a way4 ,if there are some present this morning who are guilty of following the lust of the flesh1 there is still a chance for you to be forgiven4 ,if you will repent1 confess your faults1 and pray ,god to forgive you1 he will do so--that is1 those of you who are erring children of ,god4 ,you who have not yet been baptized into ,christ may secure forgiveness by believing in him as ,god's son1 repenting of your sins1 confessing your faith1 and obeying the commandment to be baptized for remission of sins4 ,if you are subject then to this call of ,christ1 we invite you to accept it4 ,,xvi ,,what ,,must ,i ,,do ,,to ,,keep ,,saved8 ,allow me to add a word of welcome to all of you who are present and especially to the visitors4 ,we are very grateful for such good attendance at our ,sunday evening meetings1 and especially for the large number of young people present4 ,i know of no better way to build a courtship1 and eventually a marriage and a home1 than upon regular attendance to all the meetings of the church4 ,i have just learned recently of one young man who is seriously considering obeying the ,gospel as a result of attending our ,sunday evening meetings with his girl friend4 ,this is an example of how you young people may do a lot of good1 not only for yourselves but for those whom you may bring with you4 ,hence ,i urge you to come back tonight to hear ,brother ,bradford and every ,sunday evening to our program of worship and study4 ,we had so many questions arising in my class upstairs this morning that we didn't get to our lesson4 ,we are taking the same lesson next ,sunday1 the first twenty-two verses of the ninth chapter of ,acts1 and the memory verse will be ,colossians #b3ab4 ,if you want a copy of the questions1 you can find them here on the pulpit at the end of the hour4 ,we had a fine program last ,wednesday evening1 even a bigger crowd than expected4 ,i hope you realize the importance of the training we are giving the young men on ,wednesday evening4 ,it means a lot to them4 ,they'll be the leaders of the churches in just a few years from now and they'll appreciate your presence and encouragement as they conduct our services for the next five weeks4 ,we are expecting a good program again this week4 ,this morning my topic is 8,what ,must ,i ,do to ,keep ,saved80 ,there have been many sermons1 and rightly so1 preached upon the subject1 8,what ,must ,i ,do to ,be ,saved80 ,that is indeed a very important question4 ,it is asked and answered three times in the book of ,acts 7,acts #af3cj-cd2 #b3cf-ch2 ,acts #i3f2 #bb3af74 ,these answers teach that in order to be saved1 one must believe that ,jesus is the ,christ1 the ,son of the living ,god2 repent of his sins2 and then be buried with ,christ in baptism for remission of sins4 ,one who has done these things is then a child of ,god1 a member of the ,lord's family1 a citizen in the ,lord's kingdom1 a member of ,god's church2 for ,jesus said1 8,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved10 7,mark #af3af7 and ,god adds to the church day by day such as are being saved 7,acts #b3dg74 ,all people then who have been saved are in the church because ,god put them in1 just as soon as they were saved4 ,i ,the ,danger of ,falling ,it's not our purpose to speak at this time on the topic1 8,what ,must ,i ,do to ,be ,saved80 but rather upon one which is equally important1 8,what ,must ,i ,do to ,keep ,saved80 ,this very question implies not only the possibility1 but even the danger1 of one's falling from grace4 ,if it were not possible for one who has once been in a saved condition to fall out of it into an unsaved condition1 then our topic would be entirely out of place4 ,furthermore1 a big part of the ,new ,testament would be of no value4 ,a great portion is devoted to warning ,christians against falling and to telling them how to keep from falling4 ,every warning in the ,new ,testament addressed to ,christians implies not only the possibility but also the danger of apostasy4 ,simon1 the sorcerer1 believed and was baptized2 therefore he must have been saved for ,jesus said1 8,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved0 7,mark #af3af74 ,but after ,simon had reached that condition1 he endeavored to buy the gift of ,god with money1 to whom ,peter said1 8,thy money perish with thee1 because thou hast thought that the gift of ,god may be purchased with money4 ,thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter3 for thy heart is not right in the sight of ,god4 ,repent therefore of this thy wickedness1 and pray ,god1 if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee4 ,for ,i perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness1 and in the bond of iniquity0 7,acts #h3bj-bc74 ,surely ,simon was then lost1 although he had been once saved1 illustrating the fact that one can fall from grace4 ,addressing the ,christians at ,galatia who would be saved by the law of ,moses1 ,paul said1 8,ye are fallen from grace0 7,gal4 #e3d74 ,why argue about the possibility of falling from grace when such a plain statement is found in the ,bible8 ,if any further evidence could be desired1 you can find much more in the ,bible to the same point4 ,for instance1 ,james1 chapter #e1 and the last two verses thereof1 8,brethren1 if any one of you do err from the truth1 and one convert him2 let him know1 that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death1 and shall hide a multitude of sins40 ,save a soul from what death8 ,not from physical death4 8,it is appointed unto men once to die10 physically4 ,in that sense everybody has to die1 the good and the bad alike4 ,the only death from which you can be saved is the second death1 which means to be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone 7,rev4 #bj3ad1 #ae2 #ba3h74 ,this verse says that if you save a sinner from the error of his way1 you have saved him from the second death4 ,but who are the sinners here addressed8 ,they are members of the church4 ,verse #ai says1 8brethren10 you people who have already been saved1 8if any one of you0--one of you saved people--8do err from the truth1 and someone convert him10 then he has saved his soul from eternal torment4 ,surely this teaches that a brother in the church1 who has been saved1 may so sin as to go to hell1 and will go to hell if somebody doesn't convert him4 ,no wonder1 then1 the ,apostle ,paul said1 8,let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall0 7#a ,cor4 #aj3ab74 ,let him who thinketh he standeth--let the man who thinks that apostasy is impossible--take heed1 lest he experience that which he denies4 ,these ,scriptures then are sufficient to show that there is a danger of one's falling from grace4 ,,ii ,the ,power to ,stand ,please do not get the impression1 however1 that you have to fall from grace4 ,you don't have to do it6 ,you can stand if you will4 ,if you will stand1 ,god will give you the power to stand4 ,if you submit your life unto ,him for safekeeping and maintain the right attitude toward ,him1 and the right sort of service for ,him1 then ,he will keep that which has been committed unto ,him4 ,you don't have to fall from grace4 ,anybody can be saved who wants to4 ,if you don't go to heaven1 it will be because you didn't want to badly enough to put forth the proper effort4 ,i'd like to emphasize the fact that anybody can go to heaven who wants to4 ,it is like ,brother ,freed used to tell us at school3 8,you can do anything you want to1 if you want to badly enough40 ,a story which illustrates the point comes from ,england1 where they are said to dig graves deeper than we do in ,america--in fact1 ten feet deep4 ,instead of having the cemeteries hard by the church building as we often do1 the story says that they have them adjacent to the school buildings1 sometimes on the school campus4 ,in one instance they had a graveyard between the boys' dormitory and the administration building4 ,of course the boys did not walk around it4 ,they made a path right across it4 ,one day the caretakers digged a grave ten feet deep across the path and failed to put up a red light1 leaving the grave open during the night4 ,after it got dark a boy started from one building to another and fell into the open grave4 ,he tried to climb out1 but the walls were straight up and down and ten feet high4 ,finally1 he gave up and sat down in the corner to await developments4 ,it wasn't long till he heard another boy coming down the path--8pat1 pat1 pat40 ,he sat right still1 and boy number two fell off in the grave with him4 ,then boy number one said1 8,can't you let a man rest in peace in his own grave80 ,the second boy jumped right out of the grave like a cat--without any trouble at all4 ,he had a stronger desire to escape than the first boy did4 ,he was scared worse6 ,this illustrates the point that you can do anything you want to if you want to badly enough4 ,if you are scared enough of hell1 you will go to heaven4 ,if you want to go to heaven more than you want to do anything else in this world1 then you will go there1 and there is no power on earth1 or in heaven1 or beneath the earth that can keep you from going to heaven if you want to 7,rom4 #h3ce74 ,you are the only person in all this universe who can keep you out of heaven4 ,now ,i may surprise you a little bit when ,i tell you that there are not many people who want to go to heaven4 ,i can prove it by the ,bible4 ,the ,bible says that very few are going to heaven1 and since anybody can go who wants to1 then only a few want to go4 ,if many wanted to go1 then many would go2 but the ,bible says that there is a strait and narrow way which leads to life everlasting and few there be that find it4 ,but there is a broad way that leads to destruction and many there be that travel it 7,matt4 #g3ac1 #ad74 ,anybody can go to heaven who wants to1 but only a few are going2 then only a few want to go4 ,if you will examine yourself and observe the people around you1 you will soon become convinced that not many people want to go to heaven4 ,an illustration which ,i frequently use on this point is this3 ,one ,sunday afternoon ,i was talking to two young ladies who were backsliders4 ,i asked them if they loved the ,lord4 ,they said1 8,why1 ,brother ,dark1 of course we love the ,lord40 ,then ,i said1 8,do you want to go to heaven when you die80 ,as you might expect they answered1 8,why1 sure1 everybody wants to go to heaven60 ,my next question was1 8,will you be at worship this evening80 ,they grinned a little bit and looked at each other4 ,i said1 8,you have some dates1 don't you80 ,they grinned a little more1 and said1 8,yes40 ,i said1 8,your boy friends don't want to go to church with you1 do they80 ,they grinned a little bit more and said1 8,no40 ,well1 they didn't come to worship that night4 ,i asked which they loved more1 those boy friends or the ,lord4 ,they didn't make any answer4 ,now1 which do you think they loved the more8 ,they said they loved the ,lord more than they loved anything else in the world1 but they went out with some boy friends that night instead of coming to worship4 ,they thought they wanted to go to heaven1 and they did want to a little bit2 but they wanted to go out with those boys more than they wanted to go to heaven4 ,and that's the case with a great many people4 ,you ask them if they want to go to heaven and they will say 8,yes02 but there is something they want to do more4 ,they want to have a good time1 make money1 or do something else1 more than they want to go to heaven4 ,that's the trouble with most people4 ,that's the reason most people are going somewhere else4 ,god allows people to go anywhere they want to and if they prefer to go somewhere else rather than to go to heaven1 then they go somewhere else and ,he permits them to do it4 ,just remember this3 you cannot possibly go to heaven without traveling the road which leads there4 ,a lot of people would like to go to heaven but they don't want to travel the road which leads there4 ,they want to travel some other road and then get to heaven4 ,well1 you can't travel the road that leads to ,memphis and get to ,chattanooga1 can you8 ,you can't travel the road that leads to hell and wind up in heaven4 ,it just can't be done4 ,so if you want to go to heaven more than you want to do anything else in this world and are willing to put forth the effort required to do it1 you can certainly go there4 ,that to me is a very encouraging thought4 ,my destiny1 under ,god1 is completely within my own hands4 ,i don't have to depend upon anybody else's wishes1 anybody else's choice or word about it whatsoever4 ,god wants me to go to heaven1 and with that point settled then it is all up to me1 and you can't keep me from going there4 ,nobody else can1 if ,i want to go4 ,nobody can keep you from going6 ,sometimes people make excuses1 and they blame others for their failure4 ,they find fault with other people and say1 8,he did so and so1 and therefore ,i did so and so40 ,that's no good at all4 ,there is nobody in this world who can keep you from going to heaven if you want to4 ,,iii ,three ,rules ,from this point on ,i shall assume that ,i am speaking to people who do want to go to heaven4 ,on this assumption ,i can give you three little rules to follow1 which will insure your success4 ,i do not mean that the mere formality of doing these three things will make you safe for heaven4 ,there is not necessarily any virtue in the mere routine suggested4 ,but granting that you want to go to heaven1 if you will follow these three simple rules1 they will enable you to do what you want to do4 ,the beauty of them is that they are so simple that anybody can follow them who wants to4 #a4 ,the first one is to read the ,bible every day4 ,if you want to go to heaven1 you are willing to do that much1 aren't you8 ,if you really want to go to heaven1 won't you want to read the ,bible8 ,it's the book that tells you how to get there4 ,it is the road map that shows you the way4 ,if you want to go to heaven1 the first rule then is to read the ,bible every day4 ,from doing that you'll learn what ,god wants you to do in order to be saved and in order to keep saved4 ,the ,bereans were more noble than the ,thessalonians 8because they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the ,scriptures daily0 7,acts #af3aa74 ,now1 if you don't read the ,bible every day1 ,i believe you'd have a hard time establishing the fact that you want to go to heaven4 ,don't you believe you would8 ,how can you prove that you want to go to heaven when you fail to read the only book in the world which can tell you how to get there8 ,i suspect that ,i'm talking to two or three hundred people right now who don't read the ,bible daily1 and if ,i knew how to make this more emphatic1 ,i'd do it6 ,i'd like to fix it so you never would forget it4 ,the ,bible is the only book that can tell you how to do what you propose to want to do4 ,it is the word which ,god hath spoken4 ,the mere fact that you are a member of the church is an announcement that you want to go to heaven1 but your behavior contradicts your profession1 if you do not read the ,bible every day4 ,i have found sometimes that those people who argue the loudest and take the most dogmatic positions on points of doctrine are the very ones who don't read the ,bible4 ,they think they know6 ,they can tell you what's right and what's wrong4 ,if you ask them how much they read the ,bible1 they'll hang their heads in shame and say1 8,well1 ,i haven't read it much40 ,sometimes they even preface their remarks by telling you they haven't read it much4 ,they say1 8,now1 preacher1 ,i don't read the ,bible much1 and ,i know you do1 and so and so0 and then proceed to tell me just exactly how it is4 ,a man who doesn't read the ,bible has no right to express an opinion in the field of religion4 ,a man who begins his conversation by saying1 8,now1 ,i'll admit ,i don't read the ,bible10 ought to stop right there until he has read it4 ,he doesn't have any right to talk about it1 nor to undertake to tell anybody what to do1 or what one ought to do until he has read the ,bible--the only reliable standard of right living4 8,as newborn babes1 desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby0 7#a ,pet4 #b3b74 8,receive with meekness the engrafted word1 which is able to save your souls0 7,jas4 #a3ba74 8,study to show thyself approved unto ,god 4440 7#b ,tim4 #b3ae74 ,if you will read the ,bible every day1 there is not much that needs to be done for you2 if you will not read the ,bible1 there is not much that can be done for you6 ,anybody who doesn't love the ,lord well enough to read this letter that ,he has written1 anyone who doesn't want to go to heaven bad enough to be a daily student of ,god's word1 ,i just can't see much chance for him4 ,one of the most alarming things is the ignorance of our own people concerning the ,bible4 ,many of our own members are not daily students of ,god's holy word4 ,i wish ,i could say something that would scare you just as much as the second boy who fell in the grave4 ,if ,i knew what to say1 ,i'd say it4 ,i'd like for you to become so badly scared that you would read the ,bible every day4 ,now1 you can do it6 ,if you don't read it1 you cannot blame anybody but yourself for your failure4 ,you say1 8,but1 ,brother ,dark1 ,i don't have time40 ,oh1 yes1 you do2 you have as much time as anybody4 ,there are twenty-four hours in the day and you have all twenty-four of them4 ,you say1 8,yes1 but ,i have so many other things to do40 ,well1 are those other things as important as going to heaven8 ,do you love them more than you love going to heaven8 ,do you want to do them more than you want to be saved8 ,how many of you read the newspaper every day8 ,i suspect we would get a unanimous response on that4 ,how many of you listen to the radio every day8 ,now1 it is not wrong to listen to the radio4 ,it's not wrong to read the newspaper1 maybe1 but certainly you will agree that a man who loves the newspaper and the typical radio program more than he loves the ,lord isn't much interested in going to heaven4 ,he had rather go where they have newspapers and radios1 than to go to heaven where they have the word of ,god and a choir of angels singing4 ,you see1 your behavior reflects your interests4 ,so1 you can read the ,bible every day2 and if you don't do it1 you can blame no one but yourself for your failure4 ,you can't say1 8,i tried to be a ,christian and couldn't40 ,you'll just have to say1 8,i didn't try4 ,i didn't do what ,i could4 ,i didn't do my best40 ,sometimes ,i hear people say1 8,well1 ,i've done the best ,i can10 when ,i know they have not4 ,i know they are telling a falsehood when they make that statement4 ,anybody who doesn't read the ,bible daily is not doing the best he can6 #b4 ,rule ,number #b is just as simple3 8,pray every day40 ,you can6 ,the ,bible commands you to pray without ceasing 7,eph4 #f3ah74 ,anybody1 who can talk1 can talk to ,god4 ,i am afraid that there are a great many church members who do not pray to ,god every day4 ,one cannot believe the ,bible and deny the efficacy of prayer4 ,prayer is powerful6 ,prayer moves the hand that rules the universe4 ,prayer will cause ,god to do things that ,he would not have done if you had not prayed4 ,prayer is a means of drawing upon the riches and the glory and the wisdom of ,god4 ,what a wonderful thing it is to be able to write a check on the bank of heaven with the assurance that it will be honored4 ,that's exactly what prayer is4 ,through prayer you can draw a check upon a bank whose resources are inexhaustible1 with the full assurance that the ,teller will honor the draft or check4 ,prayer changes things4 ,god will do things for you after you have prayed that ,he would not have done if you had not prayed4 ,whatsoever ye would therefore1 that ,god should do unto you1 ask him for it4 8,ask and it shall be given you2 seek1 and ye shall find2 knock1 and it shall be opened unto you3 ,for every one that asketh receiveth2 and he that seeketh findeth2 and to him that knocketh it shall be opened0 7,matt4 #g3g1 #h74 ,he will withhold no good thing from them that call upon ,him according to faith and in the name of ,his ,son4 8,if ye then1 being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your ,father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him80 7,matt4 #g3aa74 ,if you haven't been praying to ,god daily1 you ought to begin to do so right now4 ,i heard ,brother ,h4 ,leo ,boles say one time that he never even bought a pair of shoes without first asking ,god to guide him in the choice that he made4 ,one should ask ,god's guidance in every choice1 however trivial it may seem to be4 ,if you are not using the power which can come to you through prayer1 then you are going along without a great blessing that you could be enjoying4 ,you are not doing what you can4 ,you can only blame yourself for the failures that come your way4 #c4 ,rule ,number #c is one that ,i have emphasized here many times3 8,go to worship every time the congregation meets40 ,be faithful and regular in your attendance at worship4 ,now1 you can do this also6 ,of course1 ,i know there are legitimate exceptions in cases of severe sickness on your part or some member of your family or something else of like nature2 but you know the difference between that and just staying away because you prefer to sleep1 read the paper1 listen to the radio1 go fishing1 take a trip1 or some other such illegitimate1 unscriptural excuse4 ,you need to have the contact with other saints upon the first day of the week4 ,god knew what ,he was doing when ,he arranged for us to meet together to worship ,him4 ,he knew we would get inspiration and encouragement there that could not be found anywhere else4 ,whenever you show me a man who is neglecting his church attendance1 ,i'll show you a man in the same person who is drifting away from ,god4 ,i believe there is no exception to this statement4 ,whenever a man willfully stays away from worshiping with ,god's people1 he certainly drifts away from the ,lord4 ,i read a story one time about a certain family who had been missing the worship4 ,one of the overseers of the church went to see this family4 ,he went into the room and exchanged the customary greetings2 then sat down before the open fire4 ,he picked up the tongs and got a red hot coal1 just glowing with heat1 and laid it out on the hearth by itself4 ,it wasn't long until it cooled off and turned black4 ,the man of the house spoke up and said1 8,brother1 you need not say anything4 ,we'll be at worship next ,sunday40 ,that illustrates what happens to anybody who deliberately stays away from worshiping ,god with the saints4 ,you can attend worship regularly2 if you don't you can only blame yourself for your failure4 ,you cannot say1 8,i tried1 and couldn't40 ,you'll have to say1 8,i didn't try40 ,one time in ,west ,virginia1 ,i closed a meeting by talking along this line4 ,when ,i went back a year later one of the elders got up and said1 8,we had twenty-four additions when ,brother ,dark was here last year4 ,eighteen of them are still with us4 ,three of them have moved to other towns1 and three have fallen from grace40 ,i asked whether the three backsliders had followed these three rules4 ,of course they had not4 ,they couldn't have fallen from grace if they had been following these three rules2 at least ,i have never heard of anybody's falling who did4 ,have you8 ,i have heard of people's falling from grace while following one or two of them1 but not all of them4 ,these are not the only requirements but when faithfully performed they make it possible and easier for you to do your duty in every way4 ,may ,i insist then1 if you want to go to heaven--and you say you do--that you read the ,bible every day1 pray to ,god every day1 and go to worship every time you can4 ,let me read a ,scripture before ,i close this lesson4 ,it's found in the first chapter of #a ,john #a3d4 ,it's one of the sweetest promises in all the ,bible4 8,these things write we unto you1 that your joy may be made full40 ,god wants us to be full of joy4 ,he said1 8,i'm writing these things that you may be full of joy40 ,well1 what is it1 ,john8 8,this1 then is the message which we have heard of him and declare unto you1 that ,god is light1 and in him is no darkness at all4 ,if we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness1 we lie and do not the truth3 but if we walk in the light as he is in the light1 we have fellowship one with another1 and the blood of ,jesus ,christ his ,son cleanseth us from all sin4 ,if we say we have no sin1 we deceive ourselves1 and the truth is not in us40 ,will you note this promise again8 8,if we walk in the light as he is in the light1 we have fellowship one with another1 and the blood of ,jesus ,christ his ,son cleanseth us from all sin40 ,this promise is to those who walk in the light4 ,the word 8walk0 suggests continuation4 ,the blood cleanseth from all sin those who continue in the light4 ,just as the word 8walk0 suggests continuation1 ,i believe the cleansing is also a continuing process4 ,the best way ,i know to illustrate this point is by the blood of the human body1 one purpose of which is to remove poison from any place which becomes infected1 and eliminate the poison through the natural channels of elimination4 ,so the blood of ,jesus ,christ flows1 so to speak1 through the veins of a ,christian1 keeping all impurities removed therefrom4 ,this ,i believe with all my heart4 ,but don't get the wrong impression4 ,somebody might say1 8,well1 if that's the way it is1 ,i'll not be so careful4 ,i'll just take it easy and drift along and let the blood of ,jesus keep me clean40 ,well1 it won't do it in your case4 ,you've missed the point entirely4 ,the promise is to those who walk in the light1 to those who are doing the best they can1 to those who are working at the job1 to those who really want to go to heaven1 who read the ,bible1 go to worship1 and pray to ,god1 and do everything they can4 ,in spite of all this they'll make some mistakes4 ,this ,scripture doesn't say that you won't sin4 ,the promise is to those who do sin--who sin in spite of the fact that they are walking in the light4 ,if people who are walking in the light can't sin1 then this promise would be out of order2 but this promise is to those who are walking in the light1 who are doing the best they can1 and yet they sin4 ,when they do so1 the ,bible says the blood of ,jesus will cleanse them from all unrighteousness--keep them clean4 ,in that sense1 you see1 you can stay in a saved condition all the time4 ,suppose ,i were to ask you right now1 how many of you believe1 if you were to die at this minute1 that you would go to heaven2 ,i wonder how many would raise your hands4 ,i find very few people who answer this question properly4 ,they say1 8,well1 ,i hope ,i would4 ,i'd like to4 ,i don't know40 ,people go through life in doubt about their own salvation4 ,god didn't expect his people to experience such uneasiness4 ,he has written these things that our joy may be full4 ,a lot of people have doubts and fears4 ,they think if they were to die just after saying their evening prayers1 confessing their sins1 that they would go to heaven1 but if they were to die five minutes before1 that they would go to hell4 ,if ,i felt that way about it1 ,i'd want somebody to shoot me just after ,i'd finished my evening prayer so ,i'd be sure to go to heaven4 ,i'm not boasting when ,i say that ,i believe with all my heart that if ,i should fall dead in the midst of this sentence1 ,i would spend eternity in heaven4 ,that's not because ,i'm so good2 it's certainly not because ,i have never sinned4 ,but ,i can say this3 if there is a single sin against me of which ,i have not repented1 ,i do not know it4 ,if ,i did know it1 ,i would repent of it before ,i finished this statement4 ,i wouldn't wait till time for my evening prayer4 ,the time to repent of a sin is just as soon as you become aware of it1 right then and there4 ,that's what you have to do in order to be walking in the light4 ,never allow an unforgiven sin to hang over you for one minute for you might die during that minute1 and have to spend eternity in torment4 ,god doesn't expect his children to go through life having so many ups and downs1 thinking one minute they're on their way to glory and the next minute on their way to hell4 ,it isn't necessary to be like that4 ,god doesn't want you to be4 ,he wants you to be full of joy4 ,if you will read this verse1 meditate upon it1 and conform to the conditions stated1 it will certainly help you to be full of joy4 ,i'm emphasizing the fact that you can go to heaven if you want to4 ,i'd like to read one more ,scripture and then we close4 ,this is found in ,,ii ,peter1 chapter one1 verse #e-aj1 8,and beside this1 giving all diligence2 add to your faith virtue2 and to virtue knowledge2 and to knowledge temperance2 and to temperance patience2 and to patience godliness2 and to godliness brotherly kindness2 and to brotherly kindness love4 ,for if these things be in you1 and abound1 they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,but he that lacketh these things is blind1 and cannot see afar off1 and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins4 ,wherefore the rather1 brethren1 give diligence to make your calling and election sure40 ,do you notice that word 8sure08 8,give diligence to make your calling and election sure02 it didn't say to make it likely1 or to make it probable1 but to make it certain4 ,it requires diligence1 but if you will give the proper diligence1 you can make your calling and election certain4 8,for if ye do these things1 ye shall never fall4 ,for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our ,lord and ,savior1 ,jesus ,christ40 ,a man who does these things will not barely slip in by the skin of the teeth1 but for him the gates will stand wide ajar4 ,he will receive an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our ,lord and ,savior1 inherit eternally a mansion which ,jesus has gone to prepare for those who love him1 for those who walk in the light1 for those who do the best they can4 ,do you want to go to heaven8 ,i suspect if ,i were to take a vote on it and ask all who want to go to heaven to raise their hands1 that every person in the house would raise his hand4 ,you say you want to go1 but do you8 ,are you on the road which leads there8 ,a man driving toward ,louisville1 ,kentucky1 at sixty miles an hour1 knowing that ,atlanta is in the opposite direction1 would have a hard time convincing me that he wanted to go to ,atlanta4 ,he may want to go some day but he doesn't want to go now1 because he is going in the other direction4 ,the man who is going toward hell at sixty minutes an hour can't convince me that he wants to go to heaven1 unless he is just mistaken about his direction4 ,do you really want to go to heaven8 ,if you do1 let's be on the way4 ,the ,bible reveals the road which leads there4 ,get up and follow the sign posts and some day you will get there4 ,why not start right now8 ,will you come to ,jesus now8 ,,footnotes #a;,harry ,emerson ,fosdick 8,the ,revolt ,against ,paganism0 in ,ladies ,home ,journal1 ,february1 #aidf4 #b;,for a similar discussion see ,j4 ,w4 ,brents1 ,gospel ,sermons1 7,nashville3 ,gospel ,advocate ,company1 #ahia71 pp4 #bhb-bih4 #c,see ,chapter ,,ii4 #d,see ,chapter ,,ii4 #e;,bracketed text is a conjectural reconstruction of line omitted in the printed copy4 ,illustration3 ,,harris ,j4 ,,dark ,harris ,j4 ,dark was born in ,maury ,county1 ,tennessee ,february #h1 #aije4 ,he graduated from ,david ,lipscomb ,college and did additional work at ,vanderbilt ,university and ,randolph-,macon ,college where he received the ,bachelor of ,arts degree in #aicd4 ,he received his ,master of ,arts degree from the ,university of ,richmond in #aidj4 ,he has studied one year in the ,vanderbilt ,school of ,religion and one year in the ,union ,theological ,seminary at ,richmond1 ,virginia4 ,he is just now completing work for his ,doctor of ,philosophy degree at ,george ,peabody ,college for ,teachers1 ,nashville1 ,tennessee4 ,transcriber's ,notes --,silently corrected a few typos4 --,retained publication information from the printed edition3 this e,book is public-domain in the country of publication4 --,in the text versions only1 text in italics is delimited by underscores4 --,where a line was omitted in typesetting1 inserted a reconstructed line within brackets4