Volume  3    Issue   35   July 6th, 2003

A publication of the:
Butler church of Christ

Our meeting location is:
201 5th Ave.
Butler, PA 16001
724-287-0628 (building) / 724-282-9417 (home/office)

Assembling Times:
Sunday Bible Class - 9:30 AM
Sunday Worship – 10:30 AM
Wednesday Bible Class – 7:00 PM
 

Editor / Preacher –
Brian A. Yeager
 

Check out the web site:

http://www.wordsoftruth.net

     Last week’s article dealt with liberal congregations that try to squeeze entertainment into the work of a local congregation and how that can help sound brethren to realize those congregations are not sound.  This week we will examine another obvious thing that would show whether or not a congregation is sound in the faith.  That obvious thing is what they teach and do not teach.

     Some congregations are very difficult to examine and find where they stand by just listening to a few sermons and examining the environment.  One would know immediately that a congregation is not sound if they observed teaching that either bound where God has not bound or loosed where God has not loosed (Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32, Proverbs 30:5-6, Galatians 1:6-12, I Peter 4:11, and Revelation 22:18-19).  However, there are congregations you could attend that take a philosophy of “accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative.”  In other words, truth would be taught on various matters, but pointing out error such as the New Testament demands is not done (Romans 16:17-18, I Timothy 20, etc.).  Those individuals cannot claim to be pure from the blood of all men; because they only teach what will not offend (Acts 20:26-27).  The preaching of the word of God is essentially 2/3 negative and 1/3 positive (II Timothy 4:2).

     A congregation that stands for nothing will fall for anything.  One is not sound if they will only teach what will not offend.  What God said to Ezekiel surely applies well: (Ezekiel 3:17-19) “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.  When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.  Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.”  A sound congregation will have more to say from the pulpit, classes, and their other teaching opportunities than a whole lot about nothing.  A sound congregation is going to have members who examine what is taught by opening their Bibles during those lessons (Acts 17:10-11).  A sound congregation is not going to be indifferent about what they hear, they will demand sound doctrine that covers the whole counsel of God.

     One way that I have found very effective in realizing the soundness of a local congregation is examination of the written material they display for all to see and take.  If a congregation has a bunch of tracts by Institutional brethren or those whom bind further than God does, that certainly should raise some red flags.  When we display something we are giving credit to that source for the good things they say.  If a congregation has a tract on why women must wear an artificial head covering that tells me that those brethren are going to seek out to bind what God did not in first Corinthians chapter eleven.  If I see a tract that encourages the unauthorized spending of the Lord’s money I know where those brethren are doctrinally.  A tract rack is typically a good source to look to for what position a congregation holds on certain doctrinal matters.

     Being able to examine what is and is not doctrinally correct means that we must spend time in personal study to know those things (John 5:39 and Acts 17:10-11).  Once we know the truth, we will be able to identify false doctrine.  We must also be willing to take that knowledge we have and when we do stumble upon those in error we must be willing and able to point that out to them (Galatians 6:1).  I have personally seen many cases, including times when I personally was wrong, wherein someone taught something and just did not know any better (Acts 18:24-26).  We must love truth, hate error (Psalms 119:104), but also love souls that are bound for Hell enough to warn them.  Our next article will deal with identifying sound congregations by how they spend the Lord’s money in helping those in need that the Lord has authorized to be helped with His money.
 

Quick Notes

Those Serving Today:
Announcements – Brian Yeager
A.M. Song Leader – Mike Lockwood
Lord’s Table – Jay Wagner
Assisting – Young Jay Wagner and Bill Graham
First Prayer – George Papp
Closing Prayer – Terry Nannie

Those In Need of Our Prayers:
Tony Sassano (a young man who is Carol’s niece’s husband who has cancer spreading throughout various parts of his body), Beth Deemer (ear surgery to help her hearing and nose surgery to help her breathing), Joan Croyle, Marie Glunt (a friend of the Papp’s who is suffering from cancer), Brenda Graham (having knee problems), Valarie Johnson, Kathleen Santana, and Julie Rado (a friend of the Graham’s who has been diagnosed with breast cancer).