 THE CONSUMING POWER OF CHANGE
The champions of change prefer stories over Biblical preaching. I have a story to share with you and them. Many years ago my younger brother bought a hotrod car. The previous owner, whom we will call Lynn, started with a Henry J. (Young folks may never have heard of that one, but it was a real brand, on the market in the 50s). When the owner wanted a hotrod to use for racing he began to modify and change his Henry J. First he removed the fenders. Then he removed the seats and installed bucket seats in the front. Roll bars were added. Special springs and shocks were placed on the back to elevate it and large oversize racing tires were installed. The Henry J motor was replaced with a powerful Cadillac engine, the transmission and drive chain with that of an Oldsmobile. The differential was also exchanged for a racing type. The mufflers were stripped away.
Now my question is, when did Lynn's car cease to be a Henry J and become the creation of Lynn. When I saw this machine it did not look like, drive like, sound like or in any way resemble the Henry J designed by and produced by Kaiser-Frazier Motor Company. It was, at that point, a car that had been totally changed by Lynn and its original design marred and destroyed.
Another Lynn and lots of his friends are busily at work among Churches of Christ attempting to redesign and change our churches into a new model that meets their personal interests and needs. The original model was designed by Christ and set in motion by his apostles. The blueprint and design are clearly recorded in the New Testament. The following changes have already been made in many places:
- The name. It seems the change agents are uncomfortable with the name Church of Christ (Rom. 16:16) and prefer most any other designation.
- The communion. Rather than a sacred memorial in an hour of worship (I Cor. 11:17-34), they prefer a setting with a common meal (See John Mark Hicks, Come to the Table).
- The congregational, acappella singing (Eph. 5:19), they would replace with choirs, soloists and instrumental music.
* The proclamation of the gospel by men of God (I Cor. 1:21), they would replace with story telling, drama and interpretative dances. - The ancient way of Salvation by grace through faith, repentance and baptism (Acts 2:38) they would replace with "grace only" or "faith only." (See Max Lucado and Rubel Shelly's pronouncements).
- The New Testament as an authoritative pattern for the church to follow (Heb. 8:5; II Tim. 1:13) they would replace with "love letter" and personal illumination of the Holy Spirit.
- The one unique church purchased by the blood of Christ, built by the Savior, loved by the Master as his bride and to be saved by Him, they would replace with a denomination founded by Alexander Campbell and Barton Stone.
- The church as the one and only family of God to which He adds all the saved, they would change to a denomination of the same value as the 1200 others in our world.
- The male leadership God ordained for his church (I Cor. 14:34), they would change to a leadership made up of both men and women.
- The decent and orderly worship of the New Covenant (I Cor. 14:40), they would exchange for a boisterous service or hand-clapping and emotional display.
- The church that is always looking back to the original pattern set forth by Christ and attempting to be like it, they would change for a church that is open to new ideas and ways of doing things.
I am sure there are other modifications that these designing brothers are working on, but these suffice for my point. We asked when did Kaiser-Frazier's Henry J cease to be their product and become Lynn's? Now when does a church that is being so radically changed ceased to be Christ's and become Lynn's or Royce's or Rubel's? When the church in Ephesus left her first love, Christ warned them, "Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I come...and will move they candlestick out of its place..." (Rev. 2:5).
JHW |
