Great Smoky Mountains Church of Christ, Who Are These People?

Great Smoky Mountains Church of Christ; who are these people? The Church of Christ is a distinct fellowship of believers who are bound together by their common relationship to Jesus. Our central concern is to follow our Master in every detail of life and faith. We believe the heart of God is most vividly portrayed in the sacrifice of his son on the cross. The death of Jesus on the cross and his resurrection form the fundamental doctrines of our faith. Through his death we obtain forgiveness of our sins, and through his resurrection we receive the promise of eternal life.

Congregations of the church of Christ are dedicated to being the body of Christ in unity, doctrine, love, and faith. We look to the New Testament as our guide for both the corporate body of Jesus and for our individual lives as Christians. In matters of faith and practice we are committed to following the pattern exemplified in the church of the first century.

In a world of denominational division and religious confusion, the churches of Christ strive for unity through submission to the will of God revealed to us in Scripture. Hence, our source of authority is the Word of God itself, and our source of unity is our mutual fellowship with Jesus Christ.

We believe in the oneness of Christ's body and, in keeping with the prayer of Jesus at the Last Supper, that we are one with the Father and Son when we are one with each other.

For additional information check Church of Christ.org

A Modern Parable; Batsell Barrett Baxter, The Work of the Church -- Evangelism

There was a farmer who owns a large field of grain. It is harvest time, and the wheat is already golden brown and needs to be cut. It must not be left in the field very long because the wind or the rain may destroy the crop. Early in the morning he goes into the small town and calls for helpers to come and harvest his crop. The immediate response is favorable and many respond to the invitation.

When they arrive at the field they see the golden harvest and are deeply impressed. They talk about what a wonderful privilege it is to get to harvest so big and bountiful a crop. But someone points out that the fence around this field is not very attractive. It is an old rock fence and in many places the stones have tumbled down. So the people set to building a new fence. They spend all morning getting stones from a nearby stream which they use to build a beautiful wall around the field.

When the fence is finished, someone suggests, “Let’s get to work.” Someone else responds, “Wait, if the sun gets any hotter, or if it should rain, we will need shelter.” They all agree, so over in one corner of the field they build a shelter for themselves. It is so beautifully done that they decide to put a plaque on it, with names inscribe, so that everybody who passes by in generations to come will know just who was thoughtful enough to build such a wonderful shelter.

Then someone says, “Now let’s get to the harvest.” But others say, “It is noon and we ought first to eat.” So they work diligently until quite a feast is prepared. It is in keeping with the beautiful wall and the fine shelter and is a wonderful feast indeed. After the dinner is finished, there is a period of rest, of course, and then someone says, “Now for the harvest.” But someone else replies, “ With such a great responsibility and with such a great challenge before us, do we not need to be better dressed than we are?” Immediately, each provides for himself better garments with which to do the harvesting. Then again they turn their thought to the golden grain and begin to sharpen the scythes with which to cut the grain. After a while they are razor sharp. But as they look at the grubby old handles they are not satisfied. They are unworthy instruments for so great a work. So they begin to carve those ugly handles into beautiful pieces, and some even add intricate filigree work of gold and silver. One man is even able to adorn his scythe with mother of pearl. It is truly a beautiful thing.

Now they are ready to go to the harvest. But suddenly someone says, “It is night, the sun is gone down.” It is then that they realize that only a few have cut any grain. So these wonderful people (like us) turn back sorrowing with guilty feelings to meet the man who owns the field. He comes to meet them, expecting shoulders laden with heavy bags of grain, but instead he finds only beautiful tools and a story of wonderful fences and fine clothes and a good dinner and a shelter to take care of those who work. He asks sadly, “But where is the harvest?” the people are speechless and ashamed.

Bible View, Loose or Strict?

In 1787 representatives of each of the colonies met to revise the Articles of Confederation and make them adequate to the demands of the colonies. History tells us they decided to wipe out the Articles and adopt a Constitution for the United States of America.

Several months went bye with many different sentiments regarding the Constitution, but in the end, two major forces argued back and forth.

One idea of government was championed by Alexander Hamilton; the States should sacrifice their powers and form a strong federal government. The other was put forth by Thomas Jefferson; the States should retain their powers, not yielding too much to the central government.

After much discussion and various compromises on, September 17, 1787, the Constitution was adopted. Next was the election of a President. As we know George Washington was elected with John Adams elected Vice President. The Constitution was considered the supreme law of the land. Once elected, President Washington then selected his cabinet. They were: Alexander Hamilton to lead the Treasury Department, Thomas Jefferson to be the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, now Secretary of State, Henry Knox Secretary of War, and Edmund Randolph Attorney-General.

Soon it became generally known that the country was deeply in debt. Alexander Hamilton secured passage in Congress of a bill assuming all the State debts and all the debts incurred by the war. He devised ways and means in harmony with the Constitution. He established tariffs on foreign articles, liquors and the like. The government was launched.

Alexander Hamilton then had another proposal, and that was the government should go into the banking business. He insisted the government establish a national bank.

Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State objected and the first great fight in the new government began.

Jefferson said the Constitution is the supreme law of the land and it says nothing about establishing a national bank. Alexander Hamilton contended there was nothing in the Constitution prohibiting the establishment of a national bank.

These two ideas were the foundation of two political parties the Federalists and Anti-federalists. As time went on Alexander Hamilton’s party was known as the Loose Constructionists, which is to construe loosely the Constitution, on the ground the Federal government is at liberty to do anything not specifically prohibited. Thomas Jefferson’s party was known as the Strict Constructionists that is they proposed the Federal Government be governed strictly by what was written and warned there was danger in going beyond.

The discussion became: Are we to be governed by what the Constitution says or is the government at liberty to provide any measure, establish any system, and engage in any kind of business the Constitution does not specifically prohibit?

Sound familiar?

We have the Bible which claims to be and we believe to be inspired by God. Unlike the Constitution of the United States of America the Bible is infallible and is not subject to amendments that take from or add to.

Do we look at the Bible as granting us the liberty to do anything not specifically forbidden? Are we governed by what it says or by what it does not say?

It was never a question with Hamilton and Jefferson as to whether there was anything wrong in a national bank. To Thomas Jefferson, that was not the issue. His question was: Are we going to respect the Constitution or not? That was and is the issue. Will I take God’s word strictly? Will I be governed by what God says or am I privileged to do anything just so God, in so many words, does not declare 'thou shalt not?"

Since the Bible has been, there have been two groups. One group takes the Bible strictly and holds closely to its teaching. This group, when questions come up asks, “What does the Bible have to say?” And they limit their practices within their understanding of the Bible. The other group interprets the Bible more loosely, and asks, “Is it forbidden or prohibited?” And what is not forbidden or prohibited is free to be practiced. One group walks by what the Bible says, while the other walks by what the Bible does not say which means they depend heavily on their own ideas. They feel free to do the things suggested by that wisdom, unless it is specifically forbidden. The practices of one group originate from God. No practice can be accepted with this group that does not come from God. God is the author of all religious service with this group. The other group looks largely to its own wisdom for authority and for guidance in religious things, and anything their wisdom approves may be used in religion unless specifically forbidden in the Bible. These paths rapidly diverge, and those on these diverging paths cannot walk together.

These diverse ways of regarding the Bible led to an early division among Christians.

In the 1530s Martin Luther was asked about infant baptism. He asked, “Where is it forbidden?” And because it was not forbidden he retained it. He taught that any religious activity is permissible unless God has specifically forbidden it in the Bible and using that logic, infant baptism is not even mentioned in the scriptures; hence, infant baptism is permissible. Later, others responded “'if infant baptism is not found in scripture we can have nothing to do with it.”, and they left it out. That is the reason why mottoes such as "Where the Bible speaks; we speak; where the Bible is silent, we are silent" began to be uniformly heard and became the battle cry of the restoration. Around the year 1539, Martin Luther was asked to consent to the bigamous marriage of Philip of Hesse a German nobleman who was very much involved in the reformation. With that request came enormous political and social pressure. He advised Prince Philip of Hesse that bigamy is allowed because it is not specifically prohibited. Of course, Matthew recorded Jesus’ thoughts on the matter in Matthew 19:6-9 and Paul presupposed monogamy as normative for the Christian. (Rom 7:3; I Cor 7:2; Eph 5:32-33) But Martin Luther’s position was I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict the Scripture

My intent is not to pick on Martin Luther but to illustrate how the way you interpret the Bible is extremely important to the decisions you will make as to what is acceptable and what is not. Realizing that what man thinks is irrelevant unless it coincides with what God thinks.

Under this rule, many destructive and harmful practices may be brought into the church because they are not specially prohibited in the Scriptures. This principle of interpretation releases people from a close adherence to the will of God as revealed in the Bible, and gives wide license to the introduction of human wisdom as the rule in the church and the life of a Christian.
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Over time, some have forgotten that our emphasis should be on what pleases God, not on what pleases us. Some have come to the conclusion that whatever makes us happy should be alright with God. The events around the golden calf in Exodus 32 must have been exciting, but it was not pleasing to God.

The Oyster Man

In the 1827 edition of Alexander Campbell’s Christian Baptist he included an article in which he reported on what he considered the loose and careless way in which the Bible was being understood and applied by the preachers of his day. To illustrate his point he reviewed three sermons. One example was a sermon titled “The Oyster Man. Campbell wrote: A man who can neither read nor spell can preach a sermon on a text or preach a sermon from a text. A certain man took for his text

Luke 19:21-22 (KJV)
For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. [22] And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

Luke 19:21-22 (ESV)
for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' [22] He said to him, 'I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?

The preacher could not spell well and he made it, “thou art an oyster man, He raised his whole doctrine on the word oyster. Accordingly, his method was

• To show the …resemblance between the Savior and an oyster man.
• To point out how suitably sinners resembled oysters.
• To demonstrate how beautifully tongs which the oyster man uses to take up oysters represented ‘ministers of the gospel’.
• To prove that the oysterman’s boat was a fit emblem of the gospel and of a ‘gospel church’.

Historically, correctly interpreting the Bible has often been at the center of controversy.

Erroneous teaching and erroneous doctrine can be identified only one way. We must know what the Bible teaches well enough that when we hear some strange teaching we can compare what is said with what the Bible says. Just like the Bereans in

Acts 17:11 (ESV) Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

It is not a matter of how great a thing a person may do, how much sacrifice they may make, of how much persecution they may suffer, but rather how implicitly they put their trust in God and with what humility they give him the complete rule over their life, doing honor to the wisdom of God by the care with which they follow His teaching. The Bible has many examples of God’s dealing with man through the ages. On many occasions where man did the will of God implicitly he received God’s blessings, and on many occasions where he fell short of implicit obedience he suffered for it.

When God had made man, we are told

Genesis 2:15-17 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it. [16] And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, [17] but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

God gave a two part instruction:

• Man was to work the garden and keep it and
• He was not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

No where do we see any indication that Adam and Eve failed to do what God told them to do but we do have record of their failure to respect God in regard to that which they were not to do.

We all know the story of Eve’s temptation. She knew God’s instructions. She know that God had told them not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; but she was not willing to accept God’s way as best. The fact that God had spoken was not enough. She ignored His instruction and began to weigh the matter for herself. Eve resorted to her own thinking in the matter, and was soon led to ignore God’s teaching. This was her fatal mistake and one that is still being made by many today. She proposed to weigh the facts for herself. She did. She arrived at her own decision, one that removed God from ruling her life. The facts given to her in regard to the fruit were correct. It was good for food. It was delightful to the eyes. And it would make her wise to know good and evil. As she thought of these things and remembered that God knew that it would cause her to know good and evil, and surely she would not die for doing a thing like that, she seems to have come to the conclusion that her Creator and Maker would not do what he said he would. So she disrespected His teaching. She exchanged God’s instructions for her own reasoning which man has been doing ever since. How often do we hear people today justify some practice in rejecting some portion of God’s Word as “this is just a little thing,” admitting that they are not following the will of God in the strictest interpretation but reasoning that “surely this will be all right,” or “this is just as good.” What does “this is just as good” really mean? What is just as good as what? It means that man’s idea is just as good as God’s teaching on the point in question, that man’s wisdom is just as good as God’s wisdom. Eve may have thought the same thing but it was a mistake!

Have we ever fully considered what Eve really did in the light of human reasoning?

• She did not repudiate God;
• She did not deny that he was God;
• She did not refuse to worship him as God;
• She did not blaspheme his name;
• She did not become moral degenerate;
• She did not steal from her neighbor (whoever that may have been);
• She did not kill anyone (whoever else may have been around);
• She did not lie.

What did she do?

She merely took a piece of fruit and ate it and gave it to her husband and he ate. Can you think of an act less offensive? Can you think of an act that would be less degrading? Then why was this such a terrible thing to do? The magnitude of this wrong cannot be measured by our evaluation of the act itself. It can only be measured correctly when God’s Word is taken into consideration. From that standpoint what had Eve done? She had replaced God’s teaching by her own decision in the matter, and in so doing; she had dethroned God and enthroned herself or her judgment. When we exchange our reasoning for God’s we insult God. Because of that act, Adam and Eve were separated from God, driven into the world that was cursed because of them, a world in which they lost the place of honor that God had assigned to them when He set them over His creation.

The only way we can honor God is by implicit obedience to His will. The teaching God has given to us through his Son must be respected as fully and carefully as the teaching God gave to Adam in person or that which he gave to Israel through Moses.

Jesus made this point at the time of his temptation in the Wilderness. When Satan challenged Him by asking him to change stones into bread Jesus answered

Matthew 4:4 But he answered, "It is written,
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
But by every word that comes from the mouth of God.' "

Moses had given the same teaching long before this time.

Deut. 8:3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

It is true today

Adam and Eve failed to do it, so they were cut off from the tree of life and they ceased to live. God drove man out from that close association because man refused to respect God’s word. Why should we think that he will receive man back into that close relationship to live for eternity when man has not learned to respect His word? This does not imply God expects perfection but he does expect man to treat him as God, his creator.

During Moses’ final message to the people of Israel as recorded in Deuteronomy he also said;

Deut. 4:2 You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.

Imagine how Moses felt when he said those words and remembered what happened in the wilderness of Zin and the water of Meribah where the people complained about not having water.

Numbers 20:7-12 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, [8] "Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle." [9] And Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he commanded him. [10] Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?" [11] And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. [12] And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them."

Moses reminded the people of this experience and told them that he had asked God to let him enter the land on the other side of the Jordan but had been told he must die in the land of Moab. Why should Moses who had led the people of Israel for nearly forty years and Aaron be refused admission to the land of Canaan? God answered in:

Numbers 20:12
And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them."

Numbers 20:24 “Let Aaron be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land that I have given to the people of Israel, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah.

Numbers 27:12-14
The Lord said to Moses, "Go up into this mountain of Abarim and see the land that I have given to the people of Israel. [13] When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, [14] because you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin when the congregation quarreled, failing to uphold me as holy at the waters before their eyes." (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)


Remember when Israel came to Samuel with the request that he give them a king. They knew that was not God’s order of things and Samuel tried to get them to change their mind.

1 Samuel 8:7 And the Lord said to Samuel, "Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.

This was not an announcement by the people that they would no longer worship God. They were not discarding the Tabernacle worship. They were not saying they no longer believed in God. They had not set aside one item in God’s arrangement.

But God said “they have rejected me from being king over them.

They had done the same thing that Eve had done: they had replaced God’s teaching by their own decision in the matter, and in so doing; they had dethroned God and enthroned themselves or their judgment.

Studying God’s Word is the most natural way to show our love and respect.

Luke 10:38-42 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. [39] And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. [40] But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." [41] But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, [42] but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."

On the Day of Pentecost

Acts 2:14 (ESV) … Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.

Acts 2:37-47 (ESV)
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" [38] And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. [39] For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." [40] And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." [41] So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. [42] And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. [43] And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. [44] And all who believed were together and had all things in common. [45] And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. [46] And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, [47] praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.


How can we “devote ourselves to the apostle’s teaching? The Bible! We can devote ourselves to the apostle’s teaching by reading what they wrote as God inspired them. Picture this:

• A group gathered on the Day of Pentecost.
• Peter and the other Apostles taught those who gathered on that day.
• Some of those received the Apostle’s teaching and were baptized.
• They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching.
• They devoted themselves to other people who had been baptized.
• They devoted themselves to the Lord’s Supper as they remembered Jesus’ sacrifice.
• They devoted themselves to praying, communication with God.
• As needs of others who had been baptized became evident they distributed their possessions.
• Day by day they attended the temple.
• Those who owned houses in the area opened those houses and shared their food with others who believed.

At what point did this group of people decide that they should:

• Decide that since Jesus was not on earthy they needed to elect someone to be the earthly head of the church?
• Make a distinction between the “clergy” and the “laity”
• Elect a pastor to lead the church?
• Call the Apostles “reverend”?
• Begin baptizing babies?
• Since it was difficult to baptize a soldier with all of that armor they should substitute sprinkling or pouring for immersion?
• This chanting just doesn’t do it for me so let’s add instrumental music to their worship?
  Weekly is just to much so how about observing the Lord’s Supper monthly or quarterly or annually?
• Substitute bake sales, garage sales, car washes and bingo games instead of giving their own money and possessions?
• Even though they had been baptized it really wasn’t necessary to they should teach that people were saved by faith only?
• Although we were baptized they would let people pray “the sinner’s prayer” to be saved?

The command that really tests our faith in God is one in which we see no logical connection between God’s command and the promised blessing

Our obligation toward the Bible is the obligation Thomas Jefferson felt toward the Constitution, It is the supreme law of the land…I must do what the Constitution says and not presume to go beyond it.

The Bible is the supreme law of the land and we must do what the Bible says and not presume to go beyond it.

We should take God at his word, believe what he says, become what he requires, live as he directs; worship according to his decree; practice those things for which there is authority in his word.

Acts 2:42-47 (ESV)
And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. [43] And awe came upon every soul… [44] And all who believed were together and had all things in common. [45] And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. [46] And day by day, … they received their food with glad and generous hearts, [47] praising God and having favor with all the people. …

We need to sit at Jesus’ feet and hear his word and the Bible is the only way we have to do that.

A person who does not read has no advantage over a person who cannot. A person who does not read their Bible has no advantage over the millions of people who don’t have a Bible and cannot get one.

Christianity Spread By Persecution

1 Peter 1:3-9
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, [5] who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. [6] In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, as was necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, [7] so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. [8] Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, [9] obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Acts 7:59-60
And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." [60] And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Acts 8:1-4
And Saul approved of his execution.
And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. [2] Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. [3] But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.[4] Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.

Acts 11:19-21
Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. [20] But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. [21] And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

As we know the church began on Pentecost with just a few disciples. It was to grow and multiply until it filled the earth.

John 3:16 (ESV)
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

2 Peter 3:9 (ESV)
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

The purpose of God is that the knowledge of Him should cover the land. There are many things which help to spread the gospel:

• Preaching the gospel is sowing the seed of the kingdom, and in this way Christianity spreads.
• Persecution is another way to spread Christianity.

In fact, God has so arranged that man cannot prevent the gospel’s spreading if there are faithful believers willing to proclaim the truth. The greater the effort that man makes to prevent the spread of the gospel, the more rapidly it will spread.

2 Tim. 3:12 (ESV)
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

and persecution may give occasion for blessings of God and the spread of Christianity. Persecution helps to gender zeal in the advocates of Christianity.

Persecution not only helps to spread Christianity, but sometimes it helps spread error. While there is a way to confront error with the truth and oppose it without persecuting the advocates of that error, persecution only strengthens the determination in the cause proclaimed. If this cause is the truth, persecution helps to spread the truth; if the cause is error, persecution helps spread that error. No cause can be stopped by persecuting the advocate of the cause.

Stephen was one of the seven selected to minister the daily ministration to the Grecian widows in the church at Jerusalem. He was involved in a controversy with the enemies of Christianity, and was brought before the council of the Sanhedrin; and there he made his defense by preaching the gospel to them. At the conclusion of his speech many of his hearers were infuriated because they could not answer him. He concluded his speech by showing that Jesus is the promised Christ. He was Messiah.

Acts 7:51-54
"You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. [52] Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered [53] you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it." [54] Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him.

The truth when not accepted can infuriate the hearers.

Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit, and did not attempt to defend himself against their attack on him.

Acts 7:58
Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him.

They disregarded the law of Rome in their mad state and took the matter into their own hands and killed Stephen. It’s worth remembering that Stephen prayed for them while they were hitting him with stones. He was very much like his Savior in his prayer. Think of an injured and dying man, under such torture, he got to his knees and prayed for his murderers.

Acts 7:60
And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

He died while he was praying for his murderers.

Those who think they cannot pray for their enemies and for those who would injure them should remember the example of Stephen.

These enemies thought they would stop the force of Stephen’s arguments if they put him to death; they thought that if the preacher was killed, that would destroy the principles which he was preaching. The gospel and the truths of the gospel cannot be destroyed by putting to death those who proclaim the gospel. Stephen is the head of a long list of Christian martyrs.

Among the martyrs listed in Fox’s Book of Martyrs are:
· Stephen, James the Great , Philip, Matthew, James the Less, Matthias, Andrew, Mark, Peter, Paul, Jude, Bartholomew, Thomas, Luke, Simon, John, and Barnabas.

Among the persecutions the following are included:

1. Under Nero, AD 67;
2. Under Domitian, AD 81;
3. Under Trajan, AD 108;
4. Under Marcus Aurelius Anttonius, AD 162;
5. Commencing with Severus, AD 192;
6. Under Maximus, AD 235;
7. Under Decius AD 245;
8. Under Valerian 257;
9. Under Aureilai, AD 274;
10. Under Diocletian, AD 303.

Over a time span of 236 years Fox lists 10 persecutions. That is a persecution every 23-24 years with the length of each being unknown to us. That averages 3 persecutions during the life of a person living 75 years.

Stephen is the first of which we have any record to die for Christianity. By his example Stephen has proclaimed the truth and emphasized the gospel as much in his death as he did by his preaching. He accomplished by his death possibly more than he could have accomplished by living longer.

After Stephen’s death and burial,

Acts 8:1
… And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem...

Saul of Tarsus was involved in this persecution.

Acts 8:1
And Saul approved of his execution….

As a Roman citizen Saul could be quite influential working with the Roman government and the Jewish leaders. Being a Roman citizenship may have added some legitimacy to the execution. In an effort to carry out the Sanhedrin’s decision to destroy Christianity he had a part in the persecution against the church at Jerusalem.

Acts 8:3 (ESV)
But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.

Some versions read

Acts 8:3 (KJV)
As for Saul, he made havock of the church…

The Sadducees had tried to stop the progress of the church by threatening the apostles and scourging them; the Pharisees (Saul being one of them) had joined the Sadducees in the persecution to stop the progress of Christianity. Both had failed in their efforts to suppress the truth with gentler means, and now they both joined in a common persecution of the church. It seems they had selected Stephen as the first victim because he had been their most formidable opponent in the discussion. They intended to proceed in their bloody purpose with the form of the law, but in a moment of frenzy they had broken loose from all restraint and had put Stephen to death with mob violence. They were determined to continue this method of opposition until other leaders were put to death and the progress of Christianity stopped.

The church at Jerusalem numbered more than 5,000 men, and so sharp and fierce was their persecution, in which Saul had a prominent part, that the congregation at Jerusalem was for a time broken up, the members being compelled to flee for their lives to the remote parts of Judea and Samaria---in fact, they were all scattered abroad except the Apostles.

Acts 8:1-3
… they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

The apostles were steadfast worshipers, and may have been more tactful and even bolder than others. They were in danger as much as other members, but the cause which they loved demanded that they remain at Jerusalem. So in their courage and steadfastness the nucleus of the church remained in Jerusalem. It may be that because the apostles were enabled to manifest miraculous power the persecution was not directed so much against them; at least, in the providence of God the apostles remained at Jerusalem and the church there continued its work and mission.

Acts 8:4
Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.

We see here the blessings which resulted from this persecution. All except the apostles were scattered abroad. More than 5,000 disciples were scattered into all parts of the country. The persecutors thought that they were checking the spread of Christianity by breaking up the church at Jerusalem; but instead of checking Christianity, they were, in their ignorance, doing the very thing which would cause Christianity to spread more quickly. Because of this persecution, more than 5,000 preachers of the gospel are driven out of Jerusalem; and wherever they go, they are busy “preaching the word.” These good people did not stand up in the pulpit and preach sermons they had no time for formal appointments. When asked why they as strangers were fleeing, they could say that they were being persecuted for the sake of the gospel. This would call for the story of Jesus and of his gospel to be told to the inquirers. The truth, when told would find a place in the heart of every Israelite who was looking for the promised King and Messiah. They could tell that Messiah had come, had fulfilled the prophecies, had died for the sins of the world, and had saved them. They could tell the people that he was ready to save others. Such statements of facts would develop an interest in the gospel and the church. In this way the persecution of the church at Jerusalem became one of the greatest blessings that had come to the church. Wherever these disciples went, they preached the gospel, people obeyed the gospel, and churches were planted. So, instead of checking the spread of Christianity by persecution, it was spread more rapidly than it otherwise would have done.

It’s worth noting that these thousands of disciples who were driven from Jerusalem had learned the facts, commands, and promises of the gospel and could relate them to others. They had learned to love the truth, so that they wanted to tell it to others; they had learned the blessings of salvation and felt under obligation to tell them to others. This should be an example for every member of the church today. These disciples had not been in the church but a very short time, and yet they were able to preach the gospel to others. Church members today who have been in the church for a number of years cannot tell the story of the cross to others in such a way as to win them to Christ. The example of these early Christians should be followed by all Christians today.

Acts 11:19
Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.

Some think that it had been from 5 to 8 years since the death of Stephen before the gospel reached Antioch. However, we have no way of knowing how long it had been. They began preaching at Jerusalem and spread the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. Notice the missionary work which was going on during this period:

• Philip was preaching in Samaria, to the eunuch, and in all the cities from Azotus to Caesarea;
• Paul had been converted and was preaching the gospel in Damascus and Arabia and possibly in his native country Cilice;
• Peter had gone throughout Judea, Samaria, and Galilee.

All this was done in a few years by the church and through no other missionary organization than the church.

Up to this time these Jewish Christians were preaching only to Jews; but when they came to Antioch,

Acts 11:20
But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus

This may have been after the conversion of Cornelius, but we do not know. The Greek-speaking Jews from Cyprus and Cyrene were not as intensely prejudiced as the Jews of Judea. So the church at Antioch was the first Gentile church of which we have any record; it ranked next in importance to the church at Jerusalem. As the church at Jerusalem was the center of missionary operations among the Jews, so Antioch became the center of missionary activities among the Gentiles.

Acts 11:21
And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

The Gentiles who turned from idolatry to God believed the gospel, repented of their sins, and were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. This was the way that they turned to the Lord, and this is the way that people must turn to the Lord today.

God usually accomplishes His purposes by ways which man does not know. He often turns to good account the very schemes which Satan has devised against his people.

So far as we know, the early Christians showed no disposition to leave Jerusalem and propagate the gospel until persecution drove them out. Oftentimes persecution today will prove a blessing to the Lord’s people. The true worth of a person appears at its best in a great crisis. Stephen set an example for God’s people to pray for their enemies. It is a crime for anyone to become a persecutor. It is a blessing to be persecuted for the cause of Christ. There is enough in this to encourage all to suffer persecution. All Christians should be encouraged with the fact that God’s purposes will be carried out and that no opposition can prevent the will and way of our God from moving on to success.

Research shows that surprisingly, there has been no discernible growth among non-denominational Christian churches. A decade ago they drew about 4% of the nation’s population. Today, that number is statistically identical (5%).

Research confirms, what more traditional measures have been suggesting, little is changing in the religious realm, despite a lot of discussion regarding new models of church experience and the need for a deeper faith commitment. There is a lot of evidence of people church hopping and experimenting with congregations of different sizes and theological persuasions, but the end result is that there is little evidence of outside-the-box activity. For the most part, people are staying put in their faith: a little tinkering here and there, but generally seeking stability and continuity.


How long do we think God will put up with the church’s unwillingness to spread the gospel?
Where "commands" are involved we have no choice. But our practices show we consider commands suggestions because "Grace" will forgive any failure to comply. If we do not obey Jesus' commands Jesus says we do not love Him but we say we do. If we do not forgive, Jesus said our sins are not forgiven but we say they are.


Matthew 28:19-20
And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Matthew 22:37-40
And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with your entire mind. [38] This is the great and first commandment. [39] And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. [40] On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."

Luke 2:49
And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"
Or another version:
…I must be about my Father's business?

Shouldn’t we be using Jesus comments to Satan in the wilderness?

• …" 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.' "
• …” 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.' "
• … “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.' "
  

Today people become Christians…

…the same way they did back in the time of Stephen.

The Bible teaches that four distinct changes happen during the course of one’s conversion to Jesus:

1. a change of heart,
2. a change of life,
3. a change of Lord, and
4. a change of relationship.

The Bible also pinpoints four distinct actions that produce these changes:

1. faith changes the heart;
2. repentance changes the lifestyle;
3. confession changes the Lord; and
4. baptism changes the relationship to God.

None can take place of the other as part of our obedience to God and becoming a Christian.




Shouldn’t we be about our Father’s business?

What Do Families Need?

1. Nationwide surveys with parents have identified seven primary needs of families:
   
   1. Trustworthy Counselors
   2. A true Partnership in Marriage
   3. Better Child Development Skills
   4. Better Parenting Skills
   5. Greater Courage to Change
   6. Greater Emotional Support
   7. A Family-Crisis Safety Net

Nationwide surveys of teenagers on the same issue:

• A deeper sense of belonging to and unconditional love from their family;
• Better communication with their parents;
• More time spent with their parents in meaningful interaction (i.e., more than being in the same room watching television together—which is currently the dominant “shared experience”);
• Receiving genuine respect from their parents;
• Their parents acceptance of teen’s peers;
• Greater emotional closeness among family members;
• Their parents showing deeper respect and tolerance for each other;
• Less financial stress for the family;
• Greater physical safety or protection against crime.

The stated needs of parents and of teenagers — and the gap between their respective needs indicate that families seem mired in a perpetual state of flux and redefinition. While that is not necessarily bad, it does suggest that there is also an on going need for a variety of types of support to facilitate the proper development of the family.

Christian churches have long been friendly to families but survey data suggest that Americans are not convinced that churches are doing much too truly help families. Most people admit that churches are doing a good job of teaching biblical principles about family, offering Christian-based counseling services to families that are experiencing crisis, encouraging people to strive for a family that is consistent with biblical norms, and praying for the need of families and their children.

However, most adults say that churches fare poorly at facilitating meaningful relationships within families as well as among the family units in the church. Most claim that even though the church professes to care, theirs does not regularly check up on families to ensure that they are getting the attention and resources necessary to be effective and healthy. Even larger majorities claim that their church does not adequately provide family development resources or role models.

Most Americans expect churches to help families and that opens the door for churches to build trust-based, solution-driven relationships with families.

In the end, highly effective churches have learned enhancing family life requires more than sermons and programs. The best approach is to provide families with the opportunities and skills they need to grow in their ability to implement God’s principles by themselves. The church plays the role of equipping families to understand and implement those standards and to encourage families in their journey. Transferring responsibility for family health from the church back to the family is a monumentally difficult but freeing and empowering endeavor.

Becoming a highly effective ministry is never easy but is achievable. God assures us that He will never abandon us and that He will always provide what we need, when we need it, as we seek to do His will for His purposes.

Americans Agree: Kids Are Not Being Prepared for Life

Surveys show that less than one out of every five adults believes that children under the age of 13 are being “superbly” or “pretty well” prepared for life intellectually, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and morally. Fewer than one out of every twenty adults believe that America’s youngsters are receiving above average preparation in all five of those areas of life.

Moral and Spiritual Development Lags the Most

Adults were asked to evaluate how well children under the age of 13 are being prepared for life in each of five dimensions. Using a scale that ranged from “superbly” to “poorly,” half or more of all adults contended that children are “not being prepared well enough” or are “poorly prepared” for the life that awaits them in relation to each of the five dimensions tested.
Intellectually:

• (18%) kids are prepared “superbly” or “pretty well” in the intellectual dimension.
• (50%) kids are “not prepared well enough” or are “poorly prepared” intellectually to effectively grapple with life.
  

Physically:

• (16%) felt that children were being superbly or pretty well prepared physically;
• (54%) felt they were not being prepared well enough or were being poorly prepared physically.

Emotionally:

• (12%) gave positive ratings compared;
• (62%) offering a negative assessment.

Spiritually:

• (8%) said kids get better-than-adequate preparation in the spiritual realm;
• (71%) said children get inadequate spiritual training;

Morally:

• ( 8%) said kids get above average moral preparation;
• (75%) said youngsters get inadequate moral preparation.

Everyone’s Waiting for Someone Else

Parents feel they are being let down by society. The same people anguished about the mediocre support that children receive – i.e., parents – are the ones primarily responsible for the problem. Parents alone may be incapable of fully equipping their children in every area of life, but the common strategy of waiting for social institutions to provide whatever their children need is seriously flawed. The family is obliged to invest in the life preparation of their own children. Passing youngsters off to agencies ought to be a secondary option, not the primary means through which values, skills and perspectives are developed. And when parents lean on institutions for help in this process, unless parents hold those institutions accountable, the quality of life preparation that our nation’s children receive will continue to fail to meet even the most modest standards.

Most parents of children under 13 claim that they are responsible for the moral, spiritual, intellectual and emotional maturation of their offspring. However most parents lack defined standards for evaluating their child’s preparation, spending surprisingly little time engaged in developmental activities with their children, and generally assume the brunt of the responsibility for facilitating life skills and perspectives lies on the shoulders of schools, churches and community organizations. Combined with the increasingly busy schedules of adults, the result is a culture in which nobody is responsible and nearly everybody is dissatisfied with the results.

Ultimately, children get neglected because parents rely upon everyone else to do their job for them. The popular notion that ‘it takes a village to raise a child has become an accepted excuse for millions of parents to assign away the commitment for their child’s development. Families may not be able to provide everything that a child needs to be successfully launched into today’s world, but they can do a lot more than they are seeking to provide today. Rather than play victim and blame social institutions for inadequate performance of duties, millions of families would be well-advised to rearrange their priorities and reclaim their commitment to preparing their children for life.

Few adults have identified the plight of children as one of the key issues requiring greater attention. What does it say about our society when we admit that our children are being set up for failure, but we do not incorporate that challenge among the most pressing issues facing the nation? Even if government policies and programs are not the ultimate solution, you would expect adults to integrate the needs of children into the dialogue regarding the future of our country.

What Makes a Parent Successful Identified by Parents

Characteristics contributing significantly to effectively raising children:

• (36%) having patience;
• (32%) demonstrating love;
• (22%) enforcing discipline;
• (22%) being understanding;
• (20%) having a significant faith commitment and an identifiable set of religious beliefs;
• (17%) having good communication skills;
• (14%) being compassionate;
• (12%) knowing how to listen;
• (11%) being intelligent;
• (9%) being an encouraging person
• (8%), having substantial emotional strength;
• (8%), making consistent choices;
• (7%), having a clear philosophy of parenting;
• (6%) knowing how to plan and set goals;
• (4%) being a praying person;
• (1%) having integrity or good character.
  
  

Most Desirable Outcomes for Kids Identified by Parents

• (39%) a good education;
• (24%) helping the child to feel loved;
• (22%), having a meaningful relationship with Jesus Chris;
• (16%) a sense of security;
• (14%) feel affirmed and encouraged;
• (13%) a firm spiritual foundation;
• (12%) having access to basic necessities such as: (12%) shelter; (10%) food.
• (10%) feeling of happiness;
• (9%) having a sense of belonging or connection;
• (8%) being and feeling safe;
• (4%) helping to establish appropriate moral values.
  
  

Trade-Offs Parents Make

When asked if they were more likely to battle their children over every issue that emerged, in order to establish control and appropriate choices, or to instead limit those battles to particular issues the parent deemed to be significant, parents responded:

• (77%) took the “pick your fights” approach;
• (13%) felt it was important to interact on every issue.

Telling their child that the Bible teaches moral absolutes that must always be obeyed, no matter what the situation is, or instead teaches that there are no moral absolutes, so the child must be prepared to make good choices in every situation without any absolute guidelines.

• (43%) teach there are some moral absolutes;
• (45%) teach that there are no such absolutes.

Another tradeoff posed was related to the child’s media exposure.

• (56%) gave their youngsters general guidelines about the amount and quality of media they were allowed to access and then let the children regulate their media intake by themselves;
• (36%) strictly limited the amount and quality of TV, music and other media the children were allowed to access.

How do parents determine whether they have been successful in raising their children?

• (62%) define success as having done the best they could, regardless of the outcomes;
• (28%) the fruit of their efforts is the defining factor.

Surprising Insights Into Parenting
Qualities parents, who consider themselves Christians, say an effective parent must possess, the outcomes they hope to facilitate in the lives of their children, and the media monitoring process in the household was indistinguishable from the approach taken by parents who have not committed their lives to Jesus Christ.

• At (60%) parents considering themselves Christians were twice as likely as others to teach their children that there are certain moral absolutes they should obey;
• (30%) included the salvation of their child in the list of critical parental emphases.
  For an emphasis on their kids becoming followers of Christ to not be on the radar screen of most Christian parents is a significant reason why most Americans never embrace Jesus Christ as their savior.

When our kids are exposed to the same influences, without much supervision, and are generally not guided to interpret their circumstances and opportunities in light of biblical principles, it’s no wonder they grow up to be just as involved in gambling, adultery, divorce, cohabitation, excessive drinking and other unbiblical behaviors as everyone else. What is built into a child’s life prior to the age of 13 represents the moral and spiritual foundation that defines them as individuals and directs their choices for the remainder of their life. There’s no magic that suddenly changes the young person from what they were trained to be in their formative years into a model Christian once they get older.”

Perspectives

As our nation’s culture has changed dramatically in the last 30 years, so has the way in which people come to Christ. The weekend church service is no longer the primary mechanism for salvation decisions; only (10%) of believers making a decision to follow Christ do so in a church setting or service. Personal relationships have become even more important in evangelism, with a majority of salvation decisions coming in direct response to an invitation given by a family member or friend.”

When someone becomes a Christian during their adult years, their beliefs are an inconsistent blend of biblical and non-biblical ideas that lead to some unusual lifestyles and some questionable evangelistic explanations. However, those adult converts are also more likely to be involved in church activities and to be serious about sharing their faith with non-believers.
Families and churches must recognize that primary window of opportunity for effectively reaching people with the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection is during the pre-teen years. It is during those years that people develop their frames of reference for the remainder of their life – especially theologically and morally. Consistently explaining and modeling truth principles for young people is the most critical factor in their spiritual development.

---The Barna Group Ventura, California