The Truth in Print Vol. 20 Issue 9, Oct. 2014

A Publication of the Valley church of Christ,

2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364 (928-782-5058)

 

Website Address ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com

 

Discontent followed by the “Curtain Call” followed by the “Go Get ‘Em Letter”

    

The Pattern

 

   There is a pattern at times that is manifested in local churches.  One or more members, and at times among a family unit, manifest discontent — one will often even state that someone is just not happy therefore “they” might have to leave to please others or another. With brief intermissions the state of someone being unhappy is manifested again and again — the we will stay a little longer feeling wears off finally issuing in the curtain call. A final curtain call where one stands before the church, states that it saddens them to have to say that they’ve withdrawn their membership and will be worshipping elsewhere.

 

Applicable Preaching and Teaching

 

   I hear repeatedly that far too many of our churches cannot take applicable preaching and teaching (cf. 2 Tim. 4:1-4). The above pattern is often due to not being willing to accept applicable preaching and teaching. Bear in mind this article is in support of the Truth being taught and not about personality conflicts which is often nothing more than an excuse.

 

Visitors’ Reactions

 

       Unlike our visitors who appreciate the truth with application, we’ve had visitors who are visibly upset and get up and walk out right in the middle of classes as well as during sermons brought by various teacher. The teacher or preacher already knows what to expect by just looking at the faces (cf. Ezk. 3:7-9). You can’t miss it if you are up front where they stand. Too many are so accustomed to a sermon starting out with a cute story to make everyone laugh or smile they don’t know what to do without it. Some stay and then when greeted at the door offer no reply — exiting silently with gritted teeth and pursed lips. There is nothing as telling as having a visitor just “grunt” as he walks by you at the front door! Then there’s the one who says they’ve been a member of the church of Christ for umpteen years and have never heard, before now, anyone called a false teacher. One can only be thinking have they never read Paul’s and Peter’s epistles! The grimaces show the contempt and disgust of those who cannot please God as their Master — they work at pleasing self and man, courting man’s favor above God’s (cf. Col. 3:22; I Th. 2:4; Gal. 1:10; Matt. 6:22).  Stubbornness contends with God’s Word when one is resolved to go their own way (Jer. 2:31); liars reject what God’s word says while proclaiming innocence in their own hearts (Jer. 2:23); a refusal to repent goes with a refusal to receive instruction that corrects (Jer. 5:3). And a refusal to be ashamed of error always comes with being allowed to have one’s own way in churches where application is lacking! Thus faithful members scripturally understand such visitors who exit visibly upset upon hearing the Word. It just says something about them — their being used to being fawned while pleasing self and men.

   Step back in years to the “latch on to the affirmative” — accentuate the positive, and eliminate the negative stereotyped preachers of the 1980s who followed Christianity Magazine writers — those false doctrines they eased off on, or refused to withdraw fellowship from the great preachers who preached them are still around today: the Romans 14 error, Homer Hailey’s divorce and remarriage only applies after one enters the kingdom, Romans 14 and false fellowship doctrines. Have things simply continued that way for a majority in churches of Christ?

 

Members

 

   Here are just a few of the discontents’ complaints:

1. You attacked brother so and so in your lesson. You will hear this even though it is necessary to name a false teacher while exposing a false doctrine he and others espoused (Cf. Rom. 16:17).

 

2. Language is not “age appropriate” – speakers used the word fool (cf. I Cor. 15:36), stupid (Jer. 4:22; Pr. 12:8), whore (De. 22:21; Pr. 23:27; Rev. 17:1), and others they don’t like. Isn’t it interesting that the adults are the ones really upset not the children. You’ will hear even though it is in the Bible I don’t believe you should have used it. Simply amazing! I don’t believe I have to go into a lengthy explanation of what is wrong with that to those who study and apply God’s word the way they should. They know that it is foolishness!

 

3. You offended my denominational friend or family member — if they never obey the Gospel it will be because of your preaching. God is not pleased with the elders of churches that forbid preachers to name denominations (cf. 2 Tim. 4:1-5).

 

4. Their childhood preacher where they grew up got stepped on in a lesson.

 

5. Their favorite human institution in the brotherhood got preached against.

 

6. They are told their dependable “reference” they seek out who says some issue is a non-issue is wrong.  

 

   Does your church have members acting like denominationalists who can’t take the truth? More than not the issue at hand is someone’s success in the world, and their amassing material wealth that lies at the heart of such complaints — not making the sacrifice to put God first above the things of this world. Then suddenly they, someone else, or some in the family is unhappy therefore “we” might have to leave this church is talked up. It is either the husband or wife, or teen, or in-law or eventually all of them.

   If they air their complaints and bring no scriptural charge against anyone then often they’ll say that they’ll discuss it some more among themselves —- things quiet down briefly but up it comes again because they go right back to “opinion” not scripture; soon they are right back to discontent (cf. Ja. 1:8). Then what? You didn’t listen to my or our complaints — it’s your fault not theirs!

 

The Final “Curtain Call”  

 

   They think they deserve your applause. After skipping church a lot, they’ll come in usually on an evening service and ask a brother if they can say something at announcement time just before the dismissal prayer — It’s Show Time! You get to hear the it saddens my heart to say this but we’re out of here speech.  

   Then they line up in the foyer expecting hugs and best wishes from all the faithful.

 

Do not throw God’s Word out the Window for Show and Emotionalism!

 

   At times if they don’t get their desired response to their false humility and outward display of being pained at heart — before they get out the door they’ve displayed once again their discontent in outbursts of anger (Gal. 5:19). Brethren you should not run to the back and shake hands with those who have no desire for applicable teaching and preaching that exposes error and works of the flesh! (cf. Titus 3:10).

 

The “Go Get ‘Em Letters”

 

   Having left, here comes the “go get ‘em letters.” A few weeks go by and then all the members they can find the addresses for get a letter airing out their complaints again – with the emphasis on how badly they’ve been treated by the teachers and preachers in the church. The intent of these letters is to tell the general membership that it is high time that you scald the preacher and teachers. Its benefit, of course, is it serves as a quick reference, example and reminder of how stalwart they are in their despising sound doctrine.

   When a church has the right kind of teaching and preaching these phony, hypocritical, “go get ‘em letters” are like chaff blowing in the wind against sound doctrine — those they left are still “striving together for the faith of the gospel” and not intimidated and controlled by the enemies of the truth (cf. Phil. 1:27-28).

   Memberships that receive the “go get ‘em letters” and respond by threatening sound teachers and preachers are displaying their own discontent with the truth, as well their own failed effort to please God —  saturated with always working to please self and man, and courting man’s favor above God’s!  They need to repent!

 

 By Bob Lovelace

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