The Institutional Mindset

by Json Moore
www.cvillechurch.com

I used to hear in my teens sermons on the subjects of “Institutionalism,” “The Work of the Church,” “The Sponsoring Church Arrangement,” and such. I thought when the lessons were finished: “Why can't everyone see that? It's so simple.” Perhaps so. But institutionalism has less obvious costumes. It can appear in subtle disguise. When it dresses up in flashy clothes it gets lots of attention. Just the novelty of its arrangement alone makes folks suspicious, even before its innovations upon the biblical pattern are neatly exposed. It is institutionalism in plain clothes that needs to be feared. And it is not just a fad of modern times. It's been around for a long time.

An institutional mindset in religion occurs whenever people begin to think of religion as a function of the church rather than a function of the individual. When religious activity is conceived as being done “in” and “through” and “by” and “for” the church, an institutional concept of the church has evolved. The church is thought to be something greater than the saved individuals who comprise it. It is an “institution” in the same way as a bank, or a school, or a hospital. And of course when people begin to think of the church as an institution, we shouldn't be surprised when the church begins to behave that way. This doesn't happen all at one time, but gradually. And there are a few evidences of this gradual evolution of which we need to be cautioned.

Proof-text preaching. There are certain passages of Scripture which have been used so long to fight a particular doctrinal deviation, that the original context of the passage may be forgotten. For instance, Matthew 7:21 was not written to refute the misleading invitation to merely “accept Jesus as your personal savior.” That is a proper application of the passage. However when an application of the passage becomes its interpretation in the minds of the people, the original point of the passage is blunted. It may escape our observation that the passage has application to superficial allegiance of every kind, not just the denominational variety. In fact it is a particularly heinous variety of hypocrisy that cries “Lord, Lord” to invoke his authority for the work and worship of the local church while ignoring His lordship in personal purity, in individual growth, and in brotherly love.

The problem with the proof-text is the same as the theorem in mathematics. The student who takes up the theorem without having proven it for himself places his confidence in the professor of mathematics who delivered the formula. The man who memorizes the proof-text without testing it for himself places his faith in the person or persons who derived the doctrine, not in the principles and Person which underlie the doctrine. In his case, contending earnestly for “the faith” is no longer a defense of the “system of faith,” but a defense of the “system,” in other words the “institution” that is manufactured by his thinking it so.

Tradition. When a whole body of proof-texts arise and are circulated generally -- whether in written or unwritten form -- they become a body of tradition, and reflect a sort of creed. The example of the Pharisees ought to warn us that you can be averse to the concept of human creeds and still embrace the reality in your zeal to build a hedge around the truth. Pretty soon people begin to admire the hedge and are more committed to its maintenance than that of the truth behind it. The truth or falsity of the applications of the prooftexts is not the problem, at least not the only problem. The problem is that the applications of the Scripture begin to be raised to the status of Scripture itself, so that a generation arises that no longer reasons through the context. They merely outline its teaching with the stencil handed down to them by the fathers. Soon any other application of the proof-text is gazed at with an eye of suspicion because it doesn't have the familiar ring of “orthodoxy.” When that happens, Christianity begins to wreak of that same odor of cedar shavings and mothballs that characterized the religion of the Pharisees. You see one of the “institutions” of “institutionalism” is “tradition.”

Sunday school. I don't hear the term “Sunday school” used by our people much. It has an institutional ring to it. But so does “Bible class,” and “Bible curriculum,” and “resource room.” I'm not opposed to any of those terms -- they are merely descriptives. Nor am I opposed to the existence of Bible classes, and curriculums, and resource rooms. Their kinship to secular terms and contrivances can pose some real dangers however. Bible instruction may come to be understood as a corporate endeavor, a work of the church, rather than a privatized industry. The Scripture commands fathers, not churches, to bring up children “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). When families depend upon churches to teach their children the Bible in the same way that the public school system teaches them reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic, then religion is made the function of an institution which has as one of its goals the spiritual education of youth. Bible classes should only supplement and complement the biblical instruction of the home. When it becomes the sole or even the primary dispenser of biblical teaching then fathers have forsaken their post and have yielded their responsibility to an organization which has neither the authority nor the resources to provide children with biblical instruction. Don't blame the church when young people leave the Lord. They were never the church's responsibility -- at least not in the Lord's eyes. The man who sees differently has his eye set on an institution which the Lord never conceived nor commanded.

There are other instances of the institutional mindset which deserve addressing, but for which there is not the space in this writing. Perhaps another time. Address them yourself. It's up to you to do so. And that's the real cure -- keeping religion a personal, private, individual devotion to God, His word, His work.

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Do You Remember Your Forgiveness?

by Larry Rouse
www.cvillechurch.com

It is remarkable what some people can remember. Years ago when I lived in Lincoln, Nebraska I ran across a man who, when he heard that I grew up in Alabama, anxiously wanted to talk with me. Over dinner at a restaurant he relived almost every play of every Alabama football team that played under Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. This man never lived in Alabama, but for whatever reason he knew more about that period of Alabama football than anyone I had ever met, even amongst those I knew in Alabama. However, when it came to talking about the Bible, my new found friend had forgotten the few things he had known about the Bible and had no interest in discussing that subject.

Over the years I have been perplexed by a growing problem that I have seen in some churches. Just like my friend in Nebraska, Christians have things they get excited about and cannot wait to discuss, but when it comes to foundational themes of Christianity they seem to have no interest. Why is this so?

The apostle Peter addresses this issue in the first chapter of Second Peter. After Peter explains the healthy steps of growth in a Christian’s life, he mentions some who did not add to their faith the components of self-control, kindness and brotherly love. Why are these people not growing? Peter through the Holy Spirit looks into their hearts and proclaims “For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.” (2 Peter 1:9)

What does the thought of your own forgiveness provoke within you? King David wrote the 51st Psalm with a powerful memory of a time in his life where he lay crushed by sin and separated from his God. After committing adultery with the wife of a good friend, he then had that friend murdered at the hands of Israel’s enemies through his instructions as King. He thought he had covered up this sin for over a year. Through the agony of a guilty conscience and by having his heart opened by the rebuke of the prophet Nathan, David was crushed and turned to God with his whole heart. What did his forgiveness mean to him? Hear his words, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” (Psalm 51:7-11)

The very essence of our relationship to God, of our praises to Him and of our evangelism to others, lies in a heart that overflows with thankfulness of what God has done for us. What greater thing has our God done for us than our own forgiveness through the blood of His own Son? What is the measuring stick of God’s love for us? “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Do you remember that you have been forgiven? The truth is that your life will proclaim what is in your heart. David knew that once he found forgiveness and had the firm assurance of his relationship with God, that he could not help but talk to others. “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You.” (Psalm 51:12-13)

The next time you assemble with Christians you should not keep hidden within your heart the great news about what God has done for you. “I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth From the great assembly. Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord; Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.” (Psalm 40:10-11)

Satan is pleased when churches are filled with men and women whose hearts are hardened and cold, whose religion is nothing more than an outward pretense. There is a better way, and that way begins by asking ourselves some hard questions about our own conversion and about the present condition of our hearts. Would you, too, like to have the joy of your salvation restored within your heart? Begin at the cross and let the knowledge of what God has done for you melt your heart and your will into a humble, but fervent, disciple of the Lord.
Jesus said this to Christians who had forgotten their forgiveness: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20)

Do you hear Him knocking?

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The Daunting Challenge of Truth

by Larry Rouse
www.cvillechurch.com

When Jesus appeared before Pilate, He summarized His character, His work and His followers in this way: “For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:37). Pilate could not bear to admit that there was such a thing as “truth” because this admission would demand that he follow the path of truth and thus any consequences it would bring. The fear of such an unknown path brought this question from his lips: “What is truth?” (John 18:38).

Those who are truly Christians gladly welcome and seek the truth. The apostle John wanted to know that those Christians he had converted and nourished in the faith would continue in the truth. “For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” (3 John 3-4)

What is at stake?

The entire life of the Christian is defined by the truth. Every relationship and all future relationships will be defined by the path of truth. Consider these four things:

1. Your associates will be determined by this. (Psa 1:1-4)
2. Those whom you associate with (fellowship) on a religious basis will be determined by this. (Ephesians 5:8-13)
3. Your relationship with God will be determined by this. (1 Pt 3:10-12)
4. Your eternity will be determined by this. (1 John 4:1-6)

Why is seeking the truth so hard?

From the standpoint of the pure-hearted man, the truth is not hard to seek and find. God has given us a revelation that can be understood (Eph 5:17) and He has promised that such a heart will find the truth. “If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority” (John 7:17). Truth becomes “hard” to find when one’s real desire lies elsewhere.

In the ministry of Christ there was a man who had given his entire life to the study of the Scriptures but would admit that he did not know an elementary truth. The Holy Spirit describes this lawyer’s motive when he asked a question to “test” or “tempt” or to “make trial of Him (ASV)” (Luke 10:25). This man wanted to defend the human sect that he belonged to by discrediting Jesus among the people with a question that he thought would lead to a carefully set trap. He never entered this discussion with a desire to find the truth with the help of our Lord. The Lord easily avoided his trap and in turn led him to the truth to his great dismay!

“And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”” (Luke 10:25-29)

The truth will call you out of sectarianism.

How was it possible that this knowledgeable lawyer was “unable” to understand the definition of an easily defined word in a passage that by his own admission was the key to eternal life? The Holy Spirit tells us that he wanted to “justify himself.” The only “truth” that he wanted was that which agreed with his current practice and that of the religious sect he was loyal to. He, as a likely member of the Pharisees, did not want to admit that a Samaritan could be his neighbor. After Jesus told him the parable of the Good Samaritan, this lawyer grudgingly admitted the truth about who his neighbor was (Luke 10:30-37). Jesus then challenged him with a command that likely was unbearable to this lawyer: “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37).

Do you really want the truth?

Consider some of the reasons people rejected the teachings of Jesus.

1. They feared the religious leaders of their group. (Jn 12:42-43; 9:22)
2. They hid behind the claim that truth was unknowable. (John 18:38)
3. They allowed others to define the character and teachings of Jesus without hearing Jesus themselves. (Luke 7:33-35)
4. They never developed a trust in God and, as a result, became wearied of the struggle and rejections that truth brings. (John 16:1-3, Luke 8:13)

The truth will exact a high price in your life.

Hear this quote from H. L. Mencken: “For the truth-teller and truth-seeker, indeed, the whole world has very little liking. He is always unpopular, and not infrequently his unpopularity is so excessive that it endangers his life. Run your eye back over the list of martyrs; nine-tenths of them stood accused of nothing worse than honest efforts to find out and announce the truth.”
What has the truth cost you? Anyone who begins the course of pursuing “Undenominational Christianity” will quickly discover that most religious people have no interest in such a stand. When others see that you are willing to sincerely question long-held religious practices, you will become a perceived threat to them. Those who cannot defend their practices based on the truth will often “justify” themselves by a slanderous attack on you personally.

In my own life I made the difficult decision on two occasions to leave a local church and the human movement they had identified with because of the truth. Such a stand did not mean that I had all knowledge or that I could read the hearts of other men. It did, however, mean that I had to stand upon what I did know. When you make a firm commitment to seek and stand upon the truth, then you will find those difficult occasions where you must choose between relationships with men and the truth of God. My prayer is that you will always struggle for and stand with the truth!

“Seek good and not evil, that you may live; so the Lord God of hosts will be with you, As you have spoken. Hate evil, love good; Establish justice in the gate. It may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.” (Amos 5:14-15)

“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)

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Change for the Better!

by W. Frank Walton
www.cvillechurch.com

Most people aspire to better themselves. You are created in God’s image and have great potential for positive spiritual growth! Are you looking for a positive change in your life?

Where do we get the lasting power to change spiritually? We invite to you to consider God’s plan for positive change in a negative world.

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” - 2 Cor 5:21

Unchanging Divine Truth

In a rapidly changing world, many look for a spiritual compass to help them make sense of this life. The power for positive change comes from building our lives on unchanging spiritual realities. The Bible can be summed up in 4 words: God, man, sin and salvation.


1. God’s Ultimate Reality. “I am the LORD, I do not change” (Mal 3:6). The God of the Bible “dwells in eternity” (Isa 57:15). He is the uncaused Creator of our marvelously designed universe. He, as the great “I AM” (Ex 3:14), is the self-existent God who defines ultimate reality.


The tried and true way of the changeless God is the only sure foundation for the future. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov 1:7). Without the eternal God, there is no ultimate meaning or objective standard of right and wrong. So, how close are you to God now?


2. Man’s Search for Meaning. For every person, God has “set eternity in their heart” (Ecc 3:11). No society of atheists has ever been found. We all have a spiritual dimension that this physical world cannot satisfy. You are made in God’s spiritual “image” (Gen 1:27), fitted for a relationship with Him.


We all have an inner God-shaped space that He alone can fulfill. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all. God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecc 12:13-14).


3. Sin’s Deadly Problem. Virtually all the bad changes in the world can be traced to the universal problem of sin. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). If you doubt the reality of sin, most of the headlines in the news are due to sin somewhere: murder, stealing, lying, violence, hatred, selfishness, etc. We know the reality of sin, because we’ve all been hurt or misused by others.


Also, deep in our conscience, we know we’ve done things wrong too. The problem with sin is the spiritual penalty God assigns it. “The wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). Our greatest problem isn’t crime, pollution, terrorism or the federal deficit. It’s our spiritual alienation from God (Isa 59:2).



4. Jesus’ Exclusive Salvation. Despite the problems in the world, there’s hope that things can be better! “God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (Jn 3:17). The saving power of Jesus Christ can dynamically lift us up to a new plane of living. He is in the people changing business!


Many things disappoint us in this world, but He is always there – near to help and mighty to save. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb 13:8). As members of this local church of Christ, the Lord Christ has changed our lives for the better! We know He can do the same for you and your family.


5. The Bible. “You have been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever” (1 Pet 1:23). The Bible is God’s revealed, perfect will for our lives. Only the Bible tells us where we came from, where we are going, and what God’s plan for our lives is. It’s timeless wisdom that can change your life from the inside out.
We would love to have you study the Bible with us. We offer great family Bible classes for all ages. Our preaching and teaching aim to bring the Bible to life. We’re striving to restore the ideals of New Testament Christianity in faith, practice and spirit (Phil 1:27). We take the Bible seriously enough to have Book, Chapter and Verse for all beliefs and practices.

You can find a church home here in an undenominational congregation of Jesus’ sincere disciples. Our goal is to be just like the Lord’s church we read in the Scriptures (Acts 2:37-47). In Christ, we’ve found forgiveness of sin, peace of mind, joy in living, and a loving family of like-minded believers.

Tap Into God’s Power to Change!

Are you really looking for the power to change for the better? Conversion is changing from the wrong way to the right way, from a self-centered life to a God-centered life. In obeying the gospel, “we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:4). Jesus Christ offers real hope of lasting change from self-defeating behavior, rotten attitudes and sinful habits. “If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed” (Jn 8:36).


The new life of discipleship in following Jesus Christ has the power to make us whole through the gospel (2 Cor 5:21)! Please come visit us! You will be our honored guest. You will find a warm welcome. We hope to see you soon!

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The Result of Growing

by Wayne Jackson
www.cvillechurch.com



The inspired apostle declares: “For if these things be in you and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful unto the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 1:8). He speaks of the “Christian graces” cataloged in the previous passages. Peter further announces that if such traits are incorporated into one’s life, he will not stumble; moreover, he will be granted an abundant entrance into the eternal kingdom (1:10-11). The following observations will thus focus upon four results of Christian growth.

First, the Christian life can never be one of idleness. From Eden onward productivity has been an identifying mark of those who please God. Adam, even prior to his sin, was to keep the garden of Eden (Gen. 2:15). The Old Testament is filled with warnings against idleness. The book of Proverbs chastises the sluggard (6:6) and him who is of “slack hand” (10:4). Idleness is not natural; it is learned (1 Tim. 5:13), and in the early church such inactivity was to be disciplined (2 Thess. 3:6ff). Christianity is a vocation of sweet labor. The Lord admonishes: “Go work today in the vineyard” (Matt. 21:28). We were created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God prepared aforetime that we should walk in them (Eph. 2:10). James admonishes that faith, divorced from works, is profitless, dead, demonic, barren, and imperfect (James 2:14ff). The child of God can truly be happy only when he is vigorously employed in faithful service to his King.

Second, fruitfulness is an effect of Christian growth. There is a two-fold thrust to this aspect of maturity. As one commences to pursue the upward way, he is, of course, walking in the light of the Spirit’s instruction as such is revealed in the Holy Scriptures. “Walk by the Spirit…” was Paul’s admonition in Galatians 5:14. He then subsequently observed that “...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control…” (5:22-23), and that against such there is no law. The growing child of God will surely develop these marvelous traits as he is transformed by the power of Christ.

Moreover, as one is refreshed by the joys of salvation, he becomes keenly aware of the fact that he is under a divine debt to see that others know of the gospel (Rom. 1:14). It is not surprising, therefore, that fruitfulness is biblically connected with winning souls. “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; And he that is wise winneth souls” (Prov. 11:30). The principle is clear: a good tree will bring forth good fruit (Matt. 7:17). In the narrative of the vine and the branches, the Lord affirmed that those in union with Him would bear “much fruit,” and he further warned that barren branches would be severed and destroyed (John 15:1-6). Indeed, one of the crucial reasons we are joined to the Lord is that we might bring forth fruit unto God (Rom. 7:4).

Third, spiritual growth will prevent stumbling (2 Pet. 1:10). Calvinism asserts that since the Bible teaches that God is able to keep His child from stumbling (Jude 24), if that child were to fall, it would reflect upon the Almighty’s ability. That notion reflects a woeful misunderstanding of Jude 24 and related passages. Certainly the Lord is able to prevent our stumbling by means of the strength inherent within His powerful word! But it is only when we, by individual initiative and the application of God’s truth, add the divine graces of 2 Peter 1:5ff that we are assured of not stumbling. When one fails to develop these qualities he is “blind” (2 Pet. 1:9) and is bound to stumble. But walking within the light of the Holy Scriptures will surely prevent such stumbling. Notice how Jude stresses individual responsibility in this connection. “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (20-21).

Finally, the faithful servant of the Lord will be granted an abundant entrance into the eternal kingdom of Christ. The term “kingdom” is used in several senses in the Bible. For instance, the reign of God among the Hebrews was called a “kingdom” (Matt. 21:43), which would be taken from them and given to a more productive nation (i.e., the church—1 Pet. 2:9). Then again, the Lord’s church, as to its governmental form, is a kingdom (Matt. 16:18-19; Luke 22:29; Col. 1:13; Rev. 1:5, 9). In addition, the final state of the faithful is biblically termed a kingdom. Near the end of his final epistle Paul declares: “The Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will save me unto his heavenly kingdom…” (2 Tim. 4:18). And, of course, in the passage at hand (2 Pet. 1:11) saints are promised an abundant entrance into the eternal kingdom.
It is interesting here that the term abundant” [plousios] is related to the word “riches” [ploutos] in the Greek New Testament. The loyal saint will be afforded a rich entrance into the final phase of God’s kingdom [i.e., heaven itself]. We are cautioned, though, that this glorious kingdom will be entered only through “many tribulations” (Acts 14:22).

Yes, there are tremendous rewards in store for those who continue to mature and remain steadfast in the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us each resolve to be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the Master’s work (cf., 1 Cor. 15:58). Such labor will not be in vain!

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