The Ideal Congregation (Pt. 7)

Posted on August 18, 2021 by Bob Mathews

The ideal congregation maintains faithfulness in doctrine, worship, and life. John, generally regarded as the apostle of love, commented forcefully upon each of these.

Regarding doctrine, he said, “Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God” (2 John 1:9a). The one who progresses beyond the authoritative and scriptural boundary line of the inspired Word of God and thereby no longer resides in the teaching whose origin is Christ — this is the very one whose fellowship and unity with God, the Father, has been broken.

Regarding worship, John said, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Accordingly, our worship of God, the Father, must be in the proper attitude (in spirit) and in harmony with revealed truth (in truth). Worship in truth but not in spirit degrades into mere ceremonialism and formalism while worship in spirit but not in truth degrades into mere emotionalism.

Regarding life, John said, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10b). If we truly expect everlasting spiritual life as a crown, then may our faithfulness in life be unto death, that is, until we die and be that which, if necessary, brings about our untimely death.

Yes, the people of God maintain faithfulness in doctrine, worship, and life. To do otherwise constitutes a course which robs us of our present spiritual security and our future spiritual inheritance. May we always have the courage to seek out the Lord’s will in all matters wherein he has spoken and the fortitude to live and teach accordingly.

The ideal congregation concerns itself with the physical and spiritual needs of others. The apostle Paul said, “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10). We are thus commended to extend acts of moral excellence to the mass of society, with a special obligation unto members of the Lord‘s church (ref. 1 Tim. 3:15). In so doing, let us be wise to avoid the extreme of failing to be good stewards of our possessions (1 Cor. 4:2) as we actively employ a benevolent spirit both individually and congregationally. May the people in our community know us as a giving, caring people, and may they witness this in our daily life.

Someone once said, “People do not care how much we know until they know how much we care.” This old proverb has been confirmed in church growth studies and in everyday life. Genuine church growth is rooted in great sacrificial love for others. The heavenly Father has set the example for us (John 3:16; Eph. 5:1). Therefore, as we evidence our concern for the physical well-being of our friends, neighbors, and brethren, let us also “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15) and “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness;” (Gal. 6:1). May we not only be spiritually-minded as a child of God (ref. Rom. 8:6) but may we also so employ this righteous disposition so that others who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be truly filled (ref. Matt. 5:6) because we dared to exercise this spirit in our personal relationship with them. May the Lord bless each of us this week as we serve our Risen Savior.

Is our worship too casual?

Posted on May 10, 2021 by Bob Mathews

It’s 10:30 AM on Sunday morning. (Maybe your services don’t start at 10:30 AM, but humor me here.)

Worship is about to start. How will you know when it does?

The song/worship leader begins to sing a song.
Someone in the audience spontaneously begins to sing a song and the congregation follows.
An elder gets up to make announcements and says, “Good morning!” Then he repeats his greeting if the congregation doesn’t reciprocate loud enough.
As congregants enter the auditorium, they see a scripture displayed on the screen. At 10:30 AM, a man goes to the podium, greets the congregation, reads scripture, and says a few words to help the assembly prepare for the next hour in the presence of Holy God.

J. Randal Matheny, a missionary in Brazil, writes one of the blogs I sometimes read. He suggests we’ve become too casual in our approach to worship. A few years back, he observed…

…kids are text-messaging during worship. Elders must move them to repent (parents, to discipline), and repent themselves for not taking action.…Praise teams, praise music and contemporary worship have not elevated our sense of the divine presence in worship, but coarsened our spirits to be titillated by sensual and visual stimulation. We miss seeing the Invisible.

We need to prepare for worship — not just appear at the appointed time (or 10 minutes late; after all, what do we miss? A couple songs?), but to recognize that we’re being “ushered into the Lord’s presence”, as Matheny wrote.

I know people who have admitted to attending worship only on Sunday morning (and never Bible class) “because that’s all that’s required”.

He also believes it’s shameful to “start a song to quieten people down”. I think I’d agree with that, if that were truly the reason. I’ve been a member of more than one congregation though, where we did begin services that way, and the reason wasn’t to quiet people down. The song was chosen specifically to help us remember that we are indeed sinners in the presence of a Mighty God, and were assembled to worship Him. What’s wrong with that?

“We miss seeing the Invisible.” Indeed!

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17)

If that’s what’s on your heart when you begin worship — great! If not, why not?

Matheny observed, “Our worship, also, has been sanitized. The blood and gore of the cross have been mopped up.” I agree. The cross was a horrendous way to die! It was painful. It was humiliating.

You’ve seen The Passion of the Christ. If you thought Mel Gibson went overboard, if you thought he made the scenes from the scourging through the crucifixion needlessly gory, I’d like to suggest you don’t have a real sense of how terrible it was to be sentenced to death at the hands of the Romans. If anything, Gibson sugar-coated it.

Here’s the crux of the matter, according to Matheny:

The main issue, probably, is emotional burnout. We’ve thrilled ourselves to death. Worship doesn’t send a shiver up our legs. So it’s ho-hum, ho-hum, to dreary church we go.

That’s right. We’ve become tired of worship. It does take 1-2 hours out of our weekend, after all. Why be bothered? In fact, I know of people who have admitted to attending worship (not to mention never attending Bible class) only on Sunday morning “because that’s all that’s required”. Ouch. Let’s reverse that. What if Jesus did “all that was required”? Not a single one of us would have a hope of eternity in heaven. Jesus, yes, did what was required in order for us to have a hope of eternal life, but He didn’t do only what was required for Him to remain Holy God. He already had that stature, and nothing can change that.

What was required? Nothing. What was necessary in order for His younger brothers & sisters to have a hope of eternal life with Him? Exactly what he did. He, the perfect, spotless Lamb of God, gave His life so that I, the ugly, blemished-all-over black sheep sinner, might live with Him forever.

Hallelujah!

Instrumental Music in Worship – What does the Bible say?

Posted on April 28, 2021 by Bob Mathews

Everyone has questions about the teachings of God from time to time. Maybe this question is one that you have been pondering.

First off, the biblical teaching concerning music in the New Testament church is governed by the New Testament and not by the Old Testament. Examples of this truth are found throughout New Testament scripture (1 Co. 9:22-27; Rom. 7:1-4; Gal. 3:23-26; Heb. 7:11-14; 8:7-13; 10:4).

In Ephesian 5:19, th kardia [the heart] is the direct object of psallo [making melody; strumming, plucking] illustrating that this passage specifically names the instrument to be strummed. Therefore, all other instruments are excluded by the exclusionary force of specific terminology. However, lets say that one tried to use this verse as the reason they use mechanical instruments in worship. Well according to this verse, that would mean that only the few people “strumming or plucking” their instruments would be worshiping God. If everyone else in the congregation wanted to worship they would have to bring their instrument so they could play along… if not then they are not worshiping God and therefore they are not obeying the command to worship!

Biblical evidence illustrates when biblical silence is permissive (giving permission) or prohibitive ( forbidding ). Biblical silence is permissive when the command expressed is generic in connection with the action commanded. For example, Mark 16:15 says, “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” How do we “go” into all the world… boat, plane, by foot, on a donkey.. God doesn’t care. Biblical silence is prohibitive when the command expressed is specific in connection with the action commanded. For example, Mark 16:16 says one verse later, “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.…” Just because God did not say specifically.. “Those who disbelieved [and has not been baptized] shall be condemned” It doesn’t matter. Because He didn’t have to. He said what a person needs to do to be saved.. therefore no one has the right to do any different. Also, why would a person who doesn’t believe think anything of the baptism part of the statement? If they don’t believe, they would not go on to be baptized. If they do believe, baptism was the next step towards salvation. Look at another (one of many) example of this Biblical silence point:

– In Hebrews 7:11-14 the Hebrews writer is making the point that Jesus being our priest required a change in the law. Why? Hebrews 7:14 gives us the answer: “For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood” (NKJV). The tribe of Levi was the priestly tribe under the Old Covenant; this was specifically ordered by God (Numbers 1:49-52). When God specified the Levites he therefore automatically excluded the other tribes. God didn’t have to list out all of the tribes that were not able to be the priestly tribe.. All He had to do was declare which one was the priestly tribe.

Silence was prohibitive because the charge was specific. Jesus, from the tribe of Judah, was prohibited from being a priest under the Old Covenant. The KIND of music for worship in the New Testament church has been specifically prescribed: singing [Eph. 5:19]. Therefore, this specificity excludes any and all other kinds of music, including mechanical instrumental music, in the worship of the church.

Everything we do [religiously] must be stamped with the authority that comes from the Father through Christ [Col. 3:17; 1 Pet. 4:11]. Since the mechanical instrument is not seen in the terminology of Eph. 5:19 then what authoritative reference can one give to establish scriptural authority for the including mechanical instruments in the worship of the New Testament church?

Binding examples involving New Testament worship are supported by a background command.

(a) Prayer: Example, 1 Co. 14:14-17; command, 1 Th. 5:17

(b) Free-will offering: Example, 2 Co. 8 – 9; command, 1 Co. 16:1-2

(d) Congregational singing: Example, 1 Co. 14:15-28; command, Col. 3:16 and Eph. 5:19

(e) Playing a mechanical instrument: Example? Any form of authority?

Those worshipping with the mechanical instrument of music in the Christian Age are caught in a dilemma of faith and judgment. If the kind of music is a matter of faith, then one must have scriptural authority for its practice. The authority required is totally absent from the New Testament. If the kind of music is a matter of personal judgment and opinion, then one must not practice that which causes unnecessary division (Rom. 14; Eph. 4:3).

The practice of using the mechanical instrument in Christian worship is not of apostolic origin. It was first introduced into Christian worship ca. 670 A.D. Since we are required to reject that which is not of apostolic origin [Gal. 1:6-9], then the use of the mechanical instrument in Christian worship must be rejected. Ref. Acts 2:42

There are significant biblical omissions related to the use of mechanical instruments in Christian worship.

(a) It is never authorized.

(b) No apostle ever sanctioned it.

(d) No apostle ever practiced it.

(e) No approved example of it can be found.

(f) No biblical inference of it can be found.

(g) No New Testament passage records it.

In answering this question my intention is to help any God-fearing individuals who are seeking to live by His commandments. In no way am I trying to interject my personal thoughts or feelings into this article. The only proper way for any of us to follow God is to live by His Word, not our own. Due to this fact, I have done my very best to present what God’s Word has to say on the subject, but I am an imperfect man and by no means infallible. Don’t just take my word, or anyone else’s word, for it, study God’s Word and look at what He says and then make your conclusion.

30-minute worship

Posted on March 1, 2021 by Bob Mathews

While driving from Dallas to Austin some time back, I saw a banner with that phrase on it — 30-minute worship. My reaction was, Really? So who’s this targeting? People who just can’t be bothered to give more than 30 minutes out of their busy life to Jesus on Sunday morning?

I’m pretty sure Jesus didn’t respond to a “30-minute cross” banner on his way to Golgotha.

If that’s offensive, I assure you I don’t mean it to be, but I would like us to take a look at our priorities.

We hurry home from an after-dinner rush to the supermarket so we don’t miss the beginning of MacGyver.

We have our child at school 45 minutes early for her kindergarten “holiday program” so we can sit in the front row.

We quietly slink out of Sunday morning worship so we can beat the _____ (insert name of denomination) to El Diamante and still make it home in time for the kickoff.

After a late Saturday night, we just can’t get it going the next morning, so we totally skip Bible class and arrive at worship 10 minutes late. We only miss a couple of songs.

We’re on time for Sunday morning worship, but have some things to take care of, so we make a hasty exit after communion. At least we were there for the most important part.

Do I sound cynical in the least? Please feel free to kick me if you’ve never experienced (or been guilty of) any of this.

…infants (and kids of all ages) tend to have schedules of their own, but many times when we’re late, isn’t it because we simply failed to plan far enough ahead?

What are we “here” for, anyway? I don’t agree 100% with Rick Warren, but I do agree with him that our purpose on earth is to give praise, honor, and glory to the One Who put us here. Period. That’s why God created us.

I understand there are times when there are business trips on Sunday and there are airplanes to catch. Been there. I also understand that there are other things that take us away from worship, and these just can’t be avoided. Most of the time though, isn’t is because of a choice we make? We choose to be on time and to participate fully in the things that truly matter to us.

We choose to hit the snooze 3 or 4 times, and end up being late to worship.

We choose to be in our easy chair when Yellowstone (or The Mandalorian or NCIS, or whatever it is you can’t miss) comes on the tube, and we don’t miss a second of the action.

We choose to have our 10-year-old son at his soccer game 15 minutes early so he can be a “starter”.

Anyone who’s ever had a child knows infants (and kids of all ages) have schedules of their own, but many times when we’re late, isn’t it because we simply failed to plan far enough ahead to get ourselves and our kids there in time for Bible class?

We can just as easily choose to make worship a priority in our lives. If it takes a full 60 or 90 or 120 minutes of our precious Sunday morning, day-off, day-of-rest time, then so be it. What are we here for anyway? How long was Jesus on the cross? (Hint: It was between 5 hours and 7 hours — Mark 15:25, 33-34.) I don’t think showing up on time and staying until the last “Amen” is too much to ask. What do you think?

Lettuce Statements

Posted on February 3, 2021 by Bob Mathews

We all need a little lettuce in our spiritual vegetable gardens. Not literal lettuce but the kind we find in the Book of Hebrews. The writer offers us great motivation in the form of “let us.” Every time we hear that phrase our ears should perk up and listen, and we should obey the command.

“Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, no forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” – Hebrews 10:19-25 (NASB)

Let us draw near to God. We can have sweet fellowship with the Father, having our hearts sprinkled with Christ’s blood and having been spiritually cleansed in the waters of baptism. Through Jesus, our mediator and high priest, we can confidently talk with our Creator and receive his blessings.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess. We can be determined and convicted, resting on the promises of God. He is faithful and just. He is able to fulfill all the things he has spoken to us. The glory of heaven that God has promised his faithful children is the focal point of our faith.

Let us consider how we may spur one another on. We can have a great impact on the faith of others. We can urge them on. We can light the spark that may motivate other Christians to greater heights of service. Our motivation may make the difference between heaven and hell for the soul of another person.

Let us not give up meeting together. We can make a significant impact on others by our commitment to the assembly. It is one vehicle by which we draw near to God, express the hope we have, and spur one another on. It is also one indicator of our faithfulness to Christ. It should be a little piece (peace) of heaven on earth.

Why do we have the ability and confidence to draw near, hold fast, consider one another and meet together? This is where we have to switch from the veggies to the meat. It is all possible “by the blood of Jesus” (Heb. 10:19). Jesus gave his life to save your soul. He shed His blood on our behalves. What does that sacrifice mean to you? Is it everything or nothing?

Things that influence a first time visitor

Posted on January 31, 2020 by Bob Mathews

Many factors influence a visitor’s perception of a church. The following things influence a person before they visit a church, or whether they return. Every item can help or hinder their decision about whether or not to darken the door again. See what you think.

Website and/or Facebook. Its presentation and general content. Its mission statement and indicators of church life/activity. In other words, how we talk about ourselves. This includes any blogs which indicate the church’s spirit and kind of thinking.
Signage. (A sign was seen which said “Merry Christmas” on one side and “Turn or Burn” on the other side?!)
Printed material available in the foyer. What kind, quality, and variety? Is it easily accessible?
Greeters/Ushers. Who they are and how they present themselves. What information do they offer the guest?
What others have told this person about your church.
Coffee. (Don’t underestimate this.)
Friendly gestures.
The person who invited them.
They are listened to.
How they are talked about when in attendance.
Advertising, especially in a small community. (And is the church what it advertises itself to be?)
Presence (visibility) in community life.
Children. How many and what place do they seem to have in congregational life?
Facility.
What you believe and how we express it.
A person from your church helped them in some way.
The preacher

Stumbled onto this in my files. What do you think?

robert

Shout joyfully!

Posted on November 23, 2019 by

“Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve him with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing.” Ps.10

Worship, whether in a church building or in a forest glade should be done with joy and excitement. He always does what is right and is always mindful of us for he made us. He has redeemed many of us and so “we are his people and the sheep of HIS pasture.” Maybe the reason you don’t enjoy being in a worship service is because you dread it or you don’t put anything into it or your heart has grown cold. God has done so much for us all — “he makes the sun to shine on both the good and the evil”, how can we not shout joyfully to the Lord not only on Sunday but every day of our lives.