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Congregations
without Elders By
It
is clear that many of the New Testament churches existed for a time without
elders. Barnabas and Paul “returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and A
congregation without elders is a New Testament church. It has not come to the
full maturity that God intends but it can function within the boundaries of the
New Testament pattern of church work, worship and organization. Until such a
time elders can be appointed, the church must carry out its work of evangelism,
benevolence and discipline as prescribed by God’s law. A means to carry out
that work is referred to as a “business meeting” and this serves to fulfill
the work of the church. This process is a valuable tool to use in the absence of
men who would serve as elders. The
business meeting must be viewed as a temporary means to grow to full maturity
with the oversight of elders. The elders are the ones whom the Holy Spirit has
made to be overseers and to care for the church of God purchased with the blood
of Jesus Christ (Acts 20:28). They have been entrusted with the watch-care of
souls (Hebrews 13:17). The qualities listed in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 are given
for the work of elders to carry out the mission of the church. The business
meeting – while effective to maintain a decent and orderly working of the
church – has not been given those admonitions. One
of the most important works that a congregation without elders must include in
church work is to grow to the establishment of elders. This must be the constant
focus and planning of the brethren. There can be many reasons why this cannot be
accomplished in a certain period of time but when a congregation continues to
exist year after year without efforts being made to establish an eldership they
have failed to mature to the pattern commanded by the Lord in the New Testament.
Men
must be encouraged to strive to this goal – whether from their youth or their
older age. New converts must be shown the pattern to strive for in their lives
to fulfill and mature to the role of the elder one day. In existing elderships,
men must be challenged to prepare for the future to maintain the eldership. As
elderships grow older, other men must fill those shoes. Let these men be of the
character the Lord seeks as in the days of Ezekiel when He said, "I
searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap
before Me” (Ezekiel 22:30). We
need families who will rise to the challenge of the eldership so that the church
of our Lord can mature in spirit and number as found in the pattern of the New
Testament church. As we stand for the truth in seeking to be the New Testament
church, let us not forget to stand for the truth within our own ranks to obey
the commands of Him who gave His life for the church.
& Why
I Still Wear a Tie to Church
By
David Reagan (Matthew
22:11-12) In
an age when shorts, sweatpants, and bare midriff (sometimes all at the same
time) are considered acceptable attire for most churches, I stand out like a
wooly mammoth. In this day of extreme casual, more and more men are throwing
away their ties when they go to church. Like some newly awakened Rip Van Winkle,
I still wear mine. I thought I would tell you why. Nothing
in the nature of a necktie either compels us to wear it or condemns it—though
some have tried to connect it to an evil beginning. Those who use it practice
the tradition of giving honor to our Lord by dressing up a bit when they go to
meet with His people to worship Him. So I ask: Is this practice encouraged or
discouraged in scripture? In
the parable told by Christ in Matthew 22:11-12, the king expected each of his
guests to come with the proper "wedding garment.” Not to do so was to
show disrespect for the king and for the occasion. In like manner, our
forefathers felt it important to come to church with clothing that showed proper
respect to the Lord and to the occasion. In different times and places, that
proper respect was shown in different ways. But it was shown. Even the Saturday
night bath was established for the purpose of being physically clean and
properly trim on the Lord's Day Today
we swerve boldly in the other direction. We energetically oppose dressing
especially for church. Many even consider it hypocritical to do so. We should
come as we are and avoid any pretense. But do the dress patterns of today prove
that we have a greater sincerity and are more genuine than our predecessors? I
think not. The
slouchy dress that we see in worship services directly corresponds to our
flippant attitude toward meeting with our Maker and Saviour. We have lost our
respect for the spiritual dimension of God meeting with His people. Now, we want
to dress like we would at a backyard barbecue. God is everywhere. Why approach
His house with any more formality than we would enter the neighborhood grocery
store? The
key word for today is comfort. "Why shouldn't I feel comfortable? After
all, my comfort is the main thing. I'm not going to go out of my way for
anyone--even God." We exult in our come-as-you-are philosophy. Our services
have become user-friendly for everyone except God. More and more, He seems to be
left out in the cold. O how we love ourselves unto death! The
Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes may be a tradition that is quickly fading away. But
it was a good tradition and one whose parting is just another sign of the
times--the last times. Where is our sense of awe in the presence of God? He says
He dwells in the midst of us when we meet with Him (Matthew 18:20). The church
is the people, not the building. When the people of the church meet, they become
the “house of God” (1Timothy 3:15); they become His dwelling place. What a
special privilege to enter into this presence! Psalm
96:8-9 "Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering,
and come into his courts. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear
before him, all the earth." When
I meet with the congregation of the Lord, I count it not a burden, but an honor
to give extra pains in preparation, in physical cleanliness, and in dressing up.
I count it a privilege to wear my Sunday best. Any discomfort I may feel from a
tie about my neck, from a coat about my body, or from clothes too good for
playing kickball is offset by the solemnity and wonder of the occasion. It
is seldom that we in Singing
in Church By
Bob Myhan Notice
Paul's charge to the Ephesians on the subject of singing. “Speaking to one
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in
your heart to the Lord” (5:19). We
are to sing: 1.
psalms—songs
devoted to the praise of God, extolling His name, power, character and works; 2.
hymns—songs
of praise, thanksgiving, and supplication, teaching our dependence on God; 3.
spiritual
songs—intended to inspire and cultivate feelings of spiritual devotion and to
bring the spirit of man into harmony with the Spirit of God. Singing
is a blend of music and intelligible speech. “Making melody in your heart to
the Lord” is “bringing the thoughts and feelings of the heart into harmony
with the sentiment of the song” (“meaning what you sing”). Notice
also Paul's charge to the Colossians. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you
richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns and
spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (3:16). The
ideas contained in the words do the teaching and admonishing. The song is a
vehicle by which the sentiments are conveyed to the heart of those who hear and
understand. “Singing
with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” The melody of the lips must come from
and fill the heart. The words you sing must be an outgrowth of the word of
Christ in the heart. Is this true when you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual
songs, dear reader? & |