Posts Tagged ‘church’
Is the Church of Christ a Cult?
by David Diestelkamp via The Sower, Vol. 51, No. 4, July/August 2006 One man jokingly wrote that a cult was any group he didn’t like. He was pointing out the tendency to use prejudicial or inflammatory language to describe those with whom we disagree. People sometimes throw the word cult around out of fear of…
Read MoreCongregational Independence (Dark)
by Harris J. Dark via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 2, Dec. 1951. via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 3, Jan. 1952. (Note: The following was electrically recorded when delivered as a sermon by the author at the Chapel Avenue Church of Christ in Nashville, Tennessee in the spring of 1950 and is reproduced here…
Read MoreHow do you get other members to participate?
Question: I am sure it is not unusual for a couple of the members to be doing a lot of the work within the church while others are just sitting around. What can be done to encourage other members to be more involved and participate? The work never ceases and the rewards are enormous. Answer:…
Read MoreIs “body of Christ” more proper than “church of Christ”?
Question: I was recently given some materials about using “church” in the name “Church of Christ”. Apparently, this information came from another congregation, whose minister has been known to be very determined to prove a point or very legalistic. The congregation is also the “Church of Christ”. The question is using “church” instead of “body…
Read MoreWhen should I leave a church?
Question: I am looking for guidance on where I should worship in general and more specifically: If there are multiple sound congregations nearby, must I worship with the most local? Am I free (in God’s eyes) to change which local congregations I worship with as I please? When must I leave or disfellowship a congregation?…
Read MoreWithdraw Yourselves
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. The concept of withdrawing comes from II Thessalonians 3:6 and I Timothy 6:5 (KJV) A. In II Thessalonians 3:6, Stellomai means avoiding – see II Corinthains 8:20 (avoiding trouble) B. I Timothy 6:5 (KJV and NKJV only) – aphistemi means a departure, a falling away, or a withdrawing 1. Luke 2:37 – She never…
Read MoreWho Are We?
by Jefferson David Tant From to time, in talking with people about churches of Christ, people ask “Who are you?” “What are your beliefs?” We are “one” in Christ. One of our nation’s mottos is “E Pluribus Unum”—”Out of many, one.” In one way, that well describes us. As to what we believe, the simple…
Read MoreDespising the Blood of Christ
Text: Hebrews 10:23-31 I. The Hebrew writer warned that just as Moses’ law required obedience, rejecting Christ’s law would bring a greater punishment. A. He calls is trampling the Son of God underfoot 1. Counting the blood of Christ as a common thing 2. And insulting the Spirit B. I suspect that if you ask most people, they would…
Read MoreA brother who was helping me in the Lord’s work left. What can I do?
Question: A brother here was very involved in a ministry that we were a part of. He and I were both the male figures who were coordinating this ministry. Because of his addiction, he has recently left the church and ministry thereby leaving me by myself to manage it. I feel as though l have…
Read MoreHow can a congregation stay focused?
Question: I attend a small church of Christ which is faced with challenges, such as members leaving to go to other churches, brethren falling away because of their selfish ambitions, and family issues. The reason I bring it up is that we have so much potential to grow as we have a beautiful church building…
Read MoreWhat is the history of the “Church of Christ?”
Question: What is the history of the “Church of Christ?” Answer: The true history of the church is found in the Book of Acts in your Bible. However, I assume from your question you are wondering about the history of the churches of Christ in the United States. A really good and detailed account is…
Read MoreWhat can the church do for widows?
Question: I am interested in knowing what can the church do for the widows? There is a lady who is a widow and a member of the Lord’s church. She has five grown children. Can the church pay for her husband’s funeral out of the treasury? What if all members quit paying their life insurance…
Read MoreThe Authority of the Church
by Dan Gatlin What is your attitude toward the church? For many sectarians, a foundational belief is that the church has all authority. Whatever the church says to believe and practice, that is what must be done without question. This is the basic attitude of the vast majority of Roman Catholics. They are taught…
Read MoreThe “Right” Church
by Robert F. Turner A brother told me his friend asked if the church of which he was a member was the true church. The brother is an honest, conscientious man, and he said he couldn’t tell his friend the church of which he was a member was perfect. He knew, and the friend knew,…
Read MoreHow do you explain that the church is the pillar and ground of the truth?
Question: About the authority of the church: Do you have a response to I Timothy 3:15 where the church of God is referred to as the pillar and ground of truth? Whereas the Bible is never referred to because it did not exist until the church put it together? How can you accept the product of the…
Read MoreCan a church organize tasks without elders?
Question: I would like your thoughts on organizing works in a church that does not have the luxury of elders, such as visitors, attendance, sick members, evangelism. Can men be appointed or volunteer to serve as leaders over these areas with an assistant? Wouldn’t this make these areas offices? Do we have authority for this?…
Read MoreHow Effective Is Your Congregation?
by Gilbert Alexander Evaluating a local congregation and its effectiveness in a community is not a simple task. Population shifts affect the number of members in a local church. Such shifts may be caused by economic changes, persecution, or the relocation of people who have an interest in spiritual things. If some of our modern…
Read MoreIs Matthew 28:19 a part of the setting up of the church?
Question: I am concerned about baptism. I have found that all of the Bible corresponds with Acts 2:38 from the prophets until the Spirit came upon the apostles. What I do not find is Matthew 28:19 having a part in the setting up of the church at Jerusalem. The prophets Isaiah and Micah tell us Jerusalem, and the…
Read MoreThe Church Will Never Be the Same
by Bob Plunket via The Sower, Vol. 54, No. 3, May/June 2009. Several years ago, Time Magazine carried an article, with the caption, “The Church Will Never Be The Same,” because, they say, “The baby boomers are coming back to church.” The article said among other things, “These returnees are described as traveling from church…
Read MoreChanging Churches
by Benjamin M. Shropshire via bulletin of the Leeward church of Christ in Waipahu, Hawaii, August 12, 2007 Someone who had moved his membership from one church to another was asked why he had left his former church. He answered, “I didn’t leave my church; my church left me.” By that, he meant his former…
Read MoreWhen There Are Problems in the Church
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. One way to learn how to handle various situations that arise in any congregation is to examine similar situations A. Our problem will not be exactly similar, but what was done, how it was done and why it was done can be greatly useful. B. Sometimes we think that the perfect church will…
Read MoreThe Social Church
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. As you visit various congregations, you will quickly notice that there are differing beliefs held by various groups. A. Some of these differences appear to be minor. Some quite significant. B. I have notice as time moves on that the number of fractures have been increasing. I count at least four or five…
Read MoreThe Kingdom: Past, Present, and Future
Text: Hebrews 11:8-16 I. God had foretold the coming of a kingdom like no other A. It was a kingdom that would not end – Daniel 2:44 1. Every kingdom of the world has ended at some point 2. Mighty kingdoms, such as Assyria 3. Ancient kingdoms, such as Egypt 4. The world has never seen an invincible kingdom B. Its…
Read MoreNotes on Buildings, Assembly Halls, and Fellowship Halls
Assemblies The church is commanded to come together for the purpose of worship and encouragement – I Corinthians 11:18, 20, 33; Hebrews 10:25 The purpose of coming together as a church is specifically separated from eating meals – I Corinthians 11:22, 34 Fellowship Fellowship is a state of being. It is a noun and not…
Read MoreWe Are Simply Christians Without Being Members of Any Denomination. You Can Be Too!
by Dale Smelser We read with interest the reports on every hand of the growing disenchantment with present religious forms which originated in the middle ages and have become meaningless. We hear of displeasure with denominational structures and their pronouncements which reflect only the preferences of an influential elite, ignoring the convictions of the rank…
Read MoreTypes Seen in the Tabernacle and Temple
by Michael Hatcher Taken from “John 9:31″ in Defender, November 2004 The physical structures of the Tabernacle and the Temple were typifying the spiritual aspects of the New Testament system (Hebrews 8-10). God gave specific instructions as to the making of these structures, and the Israelites were to follow the pattern God gave them (Exodus 25:40).…
Read MoreCan a church consist of just one person?
Question: Can a church consist of just one person? Answer: A church is an entity separate and distinguishable from a single individual Christian. This can be seen in the separation of responsibility seen in I Timothy 5:16, “If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be…
Read MoreTen Little Christians
Author Unknown Ten little Christians standing in line. One disliked the preacher, then there were nine. Nine little Christians stayed up very late. One overslept Sunday, then there were eight. Eight little Christians on their way to Heaven. One took the low road, then there were seven. Seven little Christians chirping like chicks. One disliked…
Read MoreIs the church a business?
Question: Is the church a business? Answer: Generally, a business is “an organization established for generating profit; a commercial organization.” As such, the church is not a business. It is an organization, established by God for the primary purpose of worshiping Him and spreading the good news of salvation to mankind. The church holds assemblies.…
Read MoreWhen a church splits, who is right?
Question: I am a Catholic. I understand that my religion is kind of looked down on by the church of Christ. I am wondering how many churches of Christ are doing what is being asked for in the Bible? Recently a church in my town split up over an issue and I can’t help but…
Read MoreThree Kingdoms
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. John 3:1-21 A. In this teaching to Nicodemus, Jesus alludes to three different kingdoms. One directly and two indirectly 1. The kingdom of the flesh, or the world. 2. The kingdom of God, or the Spirit 3. The kingdom in heaven B. One preacher, Alexander Campbell referred to these three kingdoms as the kingdoms of nature,…
Read MoreThat Church Isn’t Doing Anything!
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Philippians 1:24-30 I. Periodically criticism is leveled at a church – not just this church, I’ve heard it said against many churches – “That church isn’t doing anything!” A. I will admit that there is always room for improvement. 1. There are many things I wish we had accomplished. 2. I sure there…
Read MoreWhy did Jesus start Catholicism?
Question: Why did Jesus start Catholicism? Answer: The simple answer is that Jesus did not start Catholicism. Catholicism is a system of religion that gradually developed from the church started by Jesus, but Catholicism has long ago stopped resembling the original church. Jesus stated, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and…
Read MoreThe Autonomy of the Local Church (Hamilton)
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. One area that sharply distinguishes the Lord’s church from the various denominations is its organization A. The church is the organization through which God’s wisdom is made known – Eph 3:9-11 1. It is a product of that wisdom and is organized by God. B. The head of the church is Jesus – Ephesians…
Read MoreWhy I am a Member of the Church of Christ
by Irvin Himmel via The Voice of West End, Vol. 5, No. 23, Feb. 16, 1964. People have offered a variety of reasons for their religious connections. I am here to present my reasons for being a member of the church of Christ; but, first, some negative thoughts: Not because of wealth The Roman Catholic Church…
Read MoreWhat Are You Looking For?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton “‘Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.’…
Read MoreThe Lord’s Church: Means or Result of Salvation?
by Robert F. Turner via Plain Talk About God’s Church, pages 77-80 When followers of Christ are likened to a physical body, Christ is the head, and the saints are the members of that body, the church (Ephesians 1:22-23). All who are in Christ are, by this figure, considered members of His body. We ignore priorities…
Read MoreIt’s Not What I Expected
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 53:1-12 I. Perhaps you are wondering A. Where are the special Christmas displays and decorations? B. How come the bulletin doesn’t mention the Christ’s birth? C. This is not what I expected! II. Naaman – II Kings 5:1-19 A. Naaman was expecting Elisha to come out of his house, wave his arms and chant…
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