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Things to Ask Your Preacher, Part 1 J. R. Bronger Preachers have an important place to fill with respect to spreading the gospel. God has decided to use preachers to make his gospel known, which is the power of God to save men. Paul said in 1 Cor. 1:21, “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.” Scriptures confirm that it is God's plan to save the lost by preaching. This plan may seem foolish; so it is called “the foolishness of the message preached.” In order for God's plan to be carried out, preaching must be done, and preachers preach. Men and women have often distorted the work and the role of preachers. Some conclude that preachers are unimportant and therefore consider them to be parasites, viewing them as third-rate members of the Lord’s kingdom. These people tend to minimize the work and the function of preachers. But in view of Paul’s statement, we should not minimize the role of gospel preachers. Then there are those who are predisposed to almost deify a preacher. These people seem to believe that anything a preacher says must be true simply because he said it. My friend, that is a perversion to all involved. You should respect the work of preachers, but you should also know that they can be, and sometimes are, wrong in what they teach. Preachers are commissioned to preach the gospel of Christ and nothing else. Jesus said it like this in Mk. 16:15: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” According to Rom. 1:16, it is this gospel alone that is the power of God unto salvation. Anything less or more than this gospel will not save. This is why God pronounced a condemnation upon preachers who preach anything contrary to the scriptures. Paul, an apostle of Christ, wrote in Gal. 1:8, “But even if we [an apostle], or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” This places a great responsibility upon a preacher and condemns him if he preaches the theories and doctrines of men instead of the gospel of Christ as delivered by the apostles. Whenever you hear a sermon, you should read your Bible to see if the preacher is preaching the truth of God or his own theories. This is exactly what the noble people from the small city of Berea did in Acts 17:11: “These were more fair‑minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” If you have a question about what has been taught or about what is being done in the church of which you are a member, then you need to ask your preacher. This morning, and perhaps continuing next week, I have some questions I want to bring up to you that you may present to your preacher. I believe that these questions are important. You may have often thought about them. Your preacher should be willing to help you find an answer to them. I encourage you to get a pencil and write them down as we go along so that you can ask your preacher. Are you ready? Here is the first question. Ask your preacher: Where you can find the name of the church to which you belong in the Bible? I am convinced that this audience is made up of men and women who are members of various churches. Many churches are represented among the listeners of the What is Written broadcast. I am not going to spend time reading a list of churches that might be represented by this audience. This is because you know what church you are a member of, and you know the name of your church. So just go to your preacher and ask him to give you the book, chapter, and verse in the Bible that mentions the name of the church to which you belong. If it is there, then he will definitely know where to find it; if it is not there, you have a right to know it. So ask him to help you. Here’s how I would answer this question. In 1 Cor. 1:2, Paul addresses his letter “to the church of God which is at Corinth.” Then he said to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:28, “Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which he purchased with his own blood.” This same apostle wrote to the church in Rome in Rom. 16:16, “The churches of Christ greet you.” It is an irrefutable fact — if a number of congregations were called “churches of Christ,” one of them would be a church of Christ. Taking these scriptures together, we read of “the church of God” and “the church of Christ.” These were not different religious organizations, but simply different designations for the same body of people. Is it possible to read anywhere in the Bible of any mention of the name of the church to which you belong? This is an important matter, for the Bible is our guidebook from Earth to Heaven, and surely we would not want to belong to something about which the Bible says absolutely nothing. So ask your preacher to help you find the name of your church in the Bible. He shouldn’t become offended if you ask this of him. Next, ask your preacher where the Bible says the church is not necessary for salvation. It is often said that the church does not save you. This is sometimes said to confuse you. Everyone knows that the church is not the Savior. Jesus is our Savior. But the statement is made to suggest that the church is unimportant and unnecessary to your salvation; that you can be saved in the church or out of the church. You may have heard your preacher make that or a similar statement many times. As he is your teacher in spiritual things, he should be glad that you want to know where to find such a statement in the Bible. If there is such a statement in the Bible, he should know where it is; if he does not, it should not take him long to find it for you. I can read the declaration of Paul in Eph. 5:23, which says, “Christ is head of the church; and he is the Savior of the body.” In Eph. 1:22–23, Paul identified the body as the church. Therefore, Christ is the savior of the church. Ladies and gentlemen, the simple truth is that Paul’s statement could not be true if Jesus saves men out of the church. In that case he would be the savior of men out of the church and not the “savior of the church.” But Paul says Jesus is the savior of the church. Ladies and gentlemen, if the Lord saves one person out of the church, then Paul’s statement is false. Do not misunderstand me here. While the church is not the savior, it is the home of those whom the Lord saves. Acts 2:47 says, “The Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” Every saved person in the city of Jerusalem was added to the church. There was not a saved person in the whole city who had not been added to the church. What was true of the city of Jerusalem has, throughout the ages, been true in every place. The Lord adds to the church everywhere those who are saved. If anyone from that time to this has been saved out of the church, then he was saved when he should not have been. But in spite of what the Bible says, you will hear preachers constantly tell you that it’s possible to be saved and yet not be in the church. If you have heard your preacher say this, then ask him to tell you where it is found in the Bible. Also, ask your preacher where the Bible says that one church is as good as another. I am convinced that denominational preachers have made no statement more often than this: “One church is as good as another.” From most every pulpit you will hear the statement, “One church is as good as another, so it makes no difference which one you belong to.” I am sure that you have heard your preacher preach it all of your life. If that is the case, then you should want to know just where the Bible makes the statement. I am not asking too much when I invite you to ask your preacher about it. That is, after all, what your preacher is for — to tell you where you can find in the Bible the things he preaches. So why not ask him? In Eph. 4:4, the Bible says, “There is one body and one Spirit.” We have already established that the body being discussed by Paul is the church. Eph. 1:22–23 says, “And he put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” Therefore, the unavoidable and obvious conclusion is that there is only one church. One church can't mean two churches, let alone two thousand. This is consistent with the promise of Jesus when he promised to build the church. In Matt. 16:18, Christ says, “On this rock I will build my church.” This is singular, not plural. Therefore, Jesus mentions only one church. He promised to build only one church. If the Lord built just one, and he certainly did because one is all he promised to build, then somebody else must have built all the others. Then are we ready to say that any church man built is as good as the one the Lord built? I don’t think so! But this is what we have to say if we claim that one church is as good as another. In Col. 1:18, Paul also announced that Jesus is “the head of the body, the church.” Take a close look at Col. 1:18 in your Bible. Read what it says. Don’t take my word for it, read it yourself and believe just what it says. Does it say that Jesus is the head of the bodies, the churches? No, it does not say that. It says, “He is the head of the body, the church.” My friends, there is the same number of bodies that there are heads. Jesus is the only head, therefore there is only one head. And since there is one head, there can only be one body, or one church. And since Jesus is the head of only one church, somebody else must be the head of every other church. Do you believe that a church over which man is the head is as good as the church over which Jesus is the head? You must believe this if you believe that one church is as good as another. I don’t believe that I could establish and build a church that would be as good as the one established and built by Jesus. If you believe that one church is as good as any, then you must believe that the church built by man is equal in quality to the church built by Jesus. No uninspired or inspired man could do that. Jesus died that He might establish his church — He purchased it with his own blood. If man could establish one just as good, without even dying for it, as the one Jesus purchased with His blood, then Jesus died in vain. This would give man more power than the Lord had. So if your preacher has been telling you that one church is as good as another, ask him for the scripture that says so. Also ask your preacher where the Bible says to join the church of your choice. In view of what we have just discussed, it is not necessary to say much about this. But does the Lord allow men to have their choice in matters of this kind? If man is allowed to choose the church that suits him best, then the Lord has no choice in the matter. But since Jesus built only one church, do you think He will allow you to choose one that some uninspired man built instead of the one He built? The Lord gives you the choice of accepting him or rejecting him, but if you reject him, he will see that you do not go unpunished. Here is another question you need to ask your preacher. Ask where the Bible says that all denominations are branches of the same vine. You probably have heard this statement made many times when there has been any discussion of denominationalism. You and I both know that the religious world is sorrowfully divided, with conflicting denominations and churches of every sort. Not only do denominations differ in name; they differ in teaching and practice. Their doctrines contradict one another. In no sense is there unity or harmony, but only discord, disagreement, and division. Those of us who are concerned about this division sometimes ask if God is pleased with a condition like this, and we are told that it is perfectly all right, because all denominations are just branches of the same vine. Now if you have heard your preacher say this, please ask him where the Bible says so. I have read the statement made by Jesus in Jn. 15:1–6 that is often relied on to prove this theory, but it doesn't say anything even remotely resembling it. In this passage, Jesus is talking to his disciples about discipleship. He is not talking to denominations about denominationalism. Jesus said in verse 5. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing.” If Jesus was speaking about denominations, then He would have said, “I am the vine, and they are the branches.” But He did not say “they,” He said “you.” Disciples, not denominations, are the branches. Christ is the vine, the disciples are the branches, and each disciple in Christ is a branch in the vine. It takes just one disciple to make a branch. Jesus said in verse 6, “If anyone does not abide in me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered.” The Lord said “anyone,” that is, one person, not any denomination. This destroys the idea that Jesus referred to denominations as branches. If denominations were branches, it would take a great group of men [not anyone] to make a branch. So this is not the passage that must be found. If your preacher refers you to this passage, call his attention to the fact that one man is a branch and ask him to find some other passage. Here is another question you should ask your preacher. Ask where the Bible says that inspired men, such as the prophets, evangelists or apostles, ever told the unsaved to go to the altar to pray for salvation. The practice of telling the unsaved to pray through for salvation is universally common in the religious world today. Perhaps it is being practiced in the church where you worship. If so, then I don’t know of a better question to ask your preacher. My friends, just go up to your preacher in a friendly way and tell him you want the book, chapter and verse where any inspired man ever told the unsaved to come to the altar for prayer so that they might be saved. If your preacher teaches this, then he could not object to your question. So don't hesitate to ask him. Let me warn you before you quiz your preacher that he will be unable to give you any Bible verse where any unsaved man or woman was ever told to go to the altar and pray for salvation. As a matter of fact, the Bible gives us a verse where an inspired preacher told a praying unsaved man to stop praying and do something else to be saved. The passage is Acts 22:16, where Saul of Tarsus was told to get up from prayer and do something in order to be saved. Before his conversion, Saul had been one of the worst enemies Christianity ever had. But he became convinced of the sinfulness of his way. He asked the Lord what he would have him to do. Jesus told him to go to Damascus and there he would be told what he must do. So he went to the city and waited for that information. Ananias, a certain disciple in that city, was sent to tell him what to do. When he came into the presence of Saul, the sinner, he found him engaged in prayer. But Ananias did not tell Saul to continue to pray until he gets through to God. Here is what this inspired man told Saul: “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” Ananias told Saul to get up from his praying and to do something else in order to be saved. He told him to be baptized and wash away his sins. Therefore, this couldn't be the passage your preacher would point you to, because the preacher there — Ananias — told a sinner to do just the opposite of what your preacher is teaching. Also, there is the answer Peter gave to those seeking to be saved in Acts 2. In verse 37 the lost asked, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Peter did not say to them, “Go to the altar and begin praying, and ask Christ to come into your heart.” Instead, he said in verse 38, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” If God intended for men and women to be saved by going to a prayer altar, this would have been the time for Peter to tell them — but he didn’t. He told them to repent and be baptized, not go to the altar and pray. Therefore, instead of these unsaved men and women being told to come to the altar of prayer, they were told to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins. Besides, Jesus said in Matt. 7:21, “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven.” None of these statements resemble the religious practices of men who tell sinners to go to some prayer altar for salvation. Therefore, I am just wondering if your preacher knows where inspired men ever told someone something other than what we have just read. Just ask your preacher to give you the passage in the Bible that contains the practice he preaches. Also, ask your preacher where the Bible tells us that instrumental music was ever used in the New Testament church. This is no longer just a question of a piano or an organ. Some churches have in their services orchestras, combos, or special singing groups to put rhythm in your feet and to stir your heart. Some churches certainly play instruments in a subdued and serious manner. But the type of music is not the core of our discussion. And, frankly, it is not the kind of instrument that concerns us, but the very use of the instrument itself in religious service. Are instruments authorized and permitted by Christ? Whether it is a fiddle, a tambourine, or an organ, all are the same in so far as divine authority is concerned. I am suggesting that you question your preacher whether divine authority permits any of them. Does the church where you worship use any kind of mechanical instrument in their service? If so, evidently your preacher sanctions their use. Do you know where Paul, Peter, James, John, or any inspired men in their day ever used them or sanctioned their use in religious worship? If you don't, then surely your preacher does if he teaches you to use them. Therefore, go to him and ask him for the passage in the New Testament that says so. Now the church of which I am a member does not use instruments of music in worship. The reason is simple — we have never found one verse in the New Testament where their use is authorized. To the contrary, Eph. 5:19 says, “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” This passage certainly refers to praise service in the New Testament church, because Paul was writing to the church at Ephesus. He said, “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.” He did not say “playing on an instrument,” but he said, “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.” Speaking is not playing. Furthermore, he said, “Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” Notice that verse does not say, “playing and making melody on your harp or other instrument of music.” You and I both know that singing is not playing. To be perfectly honest, there is not one single verse in the New Testament authorizing the church to use even one instrument in praise unto God. Be aware of this if you ask your preacher for the text in the New Testament. Again, don’t merely take my word for this — ask your preacher for the passage. If he tells you that David used instruments and told others to do so, just remind him that David lived and died several hundred years before the church of the New Testament was ever established. David is, therefore, not authority for worship in the New Testament church. David offered animal sacrifice, burned incense, kept the law of circumcision, and did many other things that Christians are not authorized to do, because he lived under the law of Moses and not under the gospel of Christ. But the church is a New Testament institution and must have New Testament authority for its worship. So insist that he give you the passage in the New Testament where the church ever used musical instruments. If he cannot give you the passage, then ask him why he uses instruments. These are just some questions for which you should demand answers. Your soul is in the balance. |
