Every now and then, a preacher (usually young or inexperienced) gets the idea that he has discovered something new and wonderful in his non\u00adsectarian, undenominational concept of the church or that salvation is a gift of God through Jesus Christ rather than the product of legalized obedience. He startles the brethren (and makes them antagonistic) by announcing that he will tell them something they have never heard before – or that is very different from what they believe and practice – and all who question his exaggerated statements are sectarian or do not understand him.<\/p>\n
There are party members and le\u00adgalists among this generation’s brethren, just as there have been in the past-and just as there will be in the new movement today’s iconoclast will form. But many have been pushed into such concepts by preachers’ careless arguments and could be rescued by loving, tender care and sound teaching. Of course, that is work, and it does not satisfy the pride of the iconoclast nor produce a revolution.<\/p>\nMore than thirty years ago, I conducted my first protracted meeting and preached God’s People, The Church. No claim is made for originality. Bros. Srygley, Hardeman, Brigance, and others taught me that one’s allegiance must be to the Lord, not to a party, and my private Bible study confirmed this.
\nI have called out empty chairs during tent meetings, painted blocks on TV programs, and chalked marks on a thousand boards (more or less), and in every case, Christ was the Savior, His gospel the call, and His church consisted of those who obeyed His call, being submissive to His will.\n
Our brethren believe in salvation by the grace of God. If they have an imperfect grasp of its significance – if their concepts are shallow and immature – all the more reason why the subject should be carefully studied and presented. But start with common ground. Take a statement often made and accepted, and dig into it. Help brethren to expand, grow in knowledge, and mature in understanding.<\/p>\n
It is bad enough when a preacher discovers a truth (which his more experienced brethren have known and preached for years) and allows his pride to cause friction. It is much worse when his new-found truths are actually Calvinistic errors concerning the Holy Spirit, imputation of righteousness, faith only, etc., which were debating issues when he was in diapers but which he now absorbs from sectarian commentaries.<\/p>\n
We cannot learn much from one who does not know enough to teach us what he does know, and he thinks of increasing his own stature by repeated reference to our lack of knowledge (James 3:1ff).<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Robert F. Turner Plain Talk, March 1972 Every now and then, a preacher (usually young or inexperienced) gets the idea that he has discovered something new and wonderful in his non\u00adsectarian, undenominational concept of the church or that salvation is a gift of God through Jesus Christ rather than the product of legalized obedience.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[59,48,1511],"class_list":["post-80121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-calvinism","tag-grace","tag-preachers"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":59005,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/larimore-and-tant\/","url_meta":{"origin":80121,"position":0},"title":"Larimore and Tant","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 13, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"by F. Yater Tant Gospel Guardian, September 22, 1955 In the 1890s the beloved T. B. Larimore held a six-month meeting at Sherman, Texas, and baptized something like 250 people. His prestige there and his influence were almost comparable to Paul's in Galatia at the time the Galatians \"would have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":41286,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/brethren-with-too-many-relatives\/","url_meta":{"origin":80121,"position":1},"title":"Brethren with Too Many Relatives","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 4, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"by Edward O Bragwell, Sr. via Guardian of Truth, April 18, 1985 No, I am not talking about a population explosion. I am not even talking about long-lost cousins that surface when someone starts a rumor that we have come into some money. I am talking about relatives as opposed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":50657,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/beware-diotrephes-at-work\/","url_meta":{"origin":80121,"position":2},"title":"Beware: Diotrephes at Work","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 4, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. via Guardian of Truth - August 20, 1992 In August of 1956, I heard the late brother Gardner Hall preach on \"The Baptism of Diotrephes.\" I recall very little of the sermon beyond the announcement of the title and brother Hall's unique way of introducing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":34413,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-a-church-not-hire-a-preach-because-he-and-his-fiancee-are-different-skin-colors\/","url_meta":{"origin":80121,"position":3},"title":"Should a church not hire a preach because he and his fianc\u00e9e are different skin colors?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 14, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Dear brother, I am facing a dilemma in the congregation with which I worship. 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But no people used it more effectively than the restorers of New\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":33200,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/would-we-recognize-trends-which-point-to-an-apostasy\/","url_meta":{"origin":80121,"position":5},"title":"Would We Recognize Trends Which Point to an Apostasy?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 13, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by Floyd Chappelear Sentry Magazine, March 2001 Salmagundi I have been attending churches of Christ for more than fifty years. I have been preaching the gospel for more than forty of them. I do not think it presumptuous to suggest that I know what I am talking\u00a0about. 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