Daily Archives: August 21, 2015

Why Didn’t Jesus Think of That? (or, Where does it all end?)

As noted last week, Jesus set the mission of the Lord’s church: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15,16). This is a focused, unconfused mission. I am afraid, however, that many are no longer satisfied with that simple charge and have sought out more liberal and more personally gratifying goals.

The “church of Christ” at White Station in Memphis, to use one example, operates a “community Life Center” in an effort to “connect with the community that surrounds” the building. The community is invited to “participate in activities and programs” that the church provides. In this facility there are many pieces of exercise equipment and all in the community are invited to “come and exercise in this safe and friendly environment.” They believe they serve the community by offering exercise classes, basketball, pickleball, and zumba dance classes. Besides all this, they operate the “Common Ground Coffee House.” Other congregations have a “motorcycle ministry,” offer employment services, alternative Halloween events like gluten free/dairy free trunk or treat and one even offers a golf tournament!

Now, why didn’t Jesus think of that? If Jesus had only offered a dance class or golf tournament, maybe the Pharisees, but, I am sure, especially the Sadducees, being the more open-minded group, would not have been so critical of Him. If He had only “reached out” more to the “community” and been less critical of others, less dogmatic, He would have attracted a greater following and not suffered such rejection and isolation.

My friends, where does it all end? If we can have Zumba classes and basketball courts, why not something that I like? Let the church have classes on woodworking and metal shop. After all, if the church can offer employment services, then why can’t it train people for employment in specific areas? Since people need to eat, why can’t the church offer classes on gardening and hunting. And if it can offer classes on hunting, why not have a class on the proper use of firearms. And since it can have this, then operating a shooting range should not be out of the question. We could have a church of Christ shooting range and we could call it “Missing the Mark” Shooting Range! Again, I ask, where does it all end?

The Lord’s church used to be known for its members always having a book, chapter and verse for what it practiced. We used to adhere to the slogan: Let us speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent. We called Bible things by Bible names and did Bible things in Bible ways. When we spoke, we spoke as the oracles of God (I Pet. 4:11). Now, not so much. Now, in some quarters, hardly at all.

The New Testament authorizes by command, binding account of action and by implication. If we don’t have a command, if we don’t have an example, or if we don’t have an implication for what we do, then what we are doing is not an authorized New Testament practice and we should quit that practice. This was the Restoration plea that defeated denominationalism and brought about a restoration of simple, New Testament Christianity. It was the practice of the first century, New Testament church (II Thess, 3:6-15; II John 9; Rom. 16:17). This was the teaching of Jesus (Matt. 15:1-9). Jesus violently condemned those “religious” men who abused the Temple of God (Matt. 21:12,13) by turning that holy house of prayer into a den of thieves. Would He not also righteously condemn those who have turned the true tabernacle into an amusement park?

Eric L. Padgett