ADIAPHORISM - ALLOWANCE OF ANYTHING NOT SPECIFICALLY CONDEMNED IN SCRIPTURE

This is the theory that many religious groups use to explain many of the practices they have. We should always try to “speak where the Bible speaks, and are silent where the Bible is silent.” Some have taken that to mean that if the Bible does not say something is wrong by name then it is silent on that subject and we are free to do it.  That is not at all what we should mean. Let us look at a few of the things that are wrong in principle, but that are not specifically mentioned in scripture.

Recreational drug use, gambling, racism, baptizing pets, speeding (along with many other laws of man), destruction of other’s property, abortion, pornography, rape, and child abuse are all things that are never mentioned by name in the Bible.

The list could go on and on.  We must be sure that we don’t fall into the trap of believing in Adiaphorism. We must understand that God speaks on many things by stating the positive action to be taken and not mentioning all of the negative actions to be avoided. The golden rule is a perfect example of this. Jesus could have given a 500 page thesis on all of the things that we should not do to our neighbors (i.e. kick, hit, poke in the eye, pull hair, stab, shoot, choke, etc., etc.), but He instead told us how we should treat them and saved us and Himself a bunch of time and energy. His universal principle, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” even though it is stated positively is still prohibitive.  Without the fuss of mentioning every sin that would ever be invented by man toward his fellow man, he managed to condemn them all.

To see the true biblical principle at work in our daily lives, let’s imagine the last time we went to a restaurant. Whether it was fast-food or sit-down there was a menu. On that menu there may have been something like this:
SANDWICHES
All sandwiches may be topped with Pickles, Mustard, Ketchup, Onion, Lettuce, Tomato, and are served with your choice of ; Baked Potato, French Fries, Onion Rings, or Hashbrowns.

Below this would be many different sandwiches listed. If you placed your order and specified “I want the Hamburger with Lettuce and Tomato and an order of Fries.” and the waiter/waitress returned with a Cheeseburger with Lettuce, Tomato, and Pickles (which you are allergic to) and a side order of Hashbrowns, what would you think, say or do. The server had obviously not done what you asked. Now let us follow the conversation that follows.
You: This is not what I ordered.
Server: What do you mean?
You: I ordered a Hamburger, this is a Cheeseburger.
Server: Oh no, it is just a Hamburger with cheese on it. I thought I would give you a little more than you asked for.
You: I didn’t want Pickles, in fact, I am allergic to them.
Server: Well you didn’t tell me not to put any Pickles on it.
You: I also asked for Fries, not Hashbrowns.
Server: Oh really, what is the difference they are both potatoes, just fixed two different ways.
You: But what about my order?
Server: Well, you should really have been specific about it.
You: I am not going to eat this, take it back and fix it.
Server: Fine, but you will have to pay for it and what you eat.
You: I am not paying for this it is not what I ordered.
Server: That isn’t true I brought you everything you asked for and even some extra. Why are you mad? 
You: You did not bring what I asked for, you changed it. Good bye. I will go eat somewhere else.

Absurd isn’t it? However, this is exactly the conversation that the doctrine of Adiaphorism creates between people and God’s word. I know the excuse, “you didn’t say I couldn’t” never worked with my parents when they had been clear as to what I could do, and we better know it won’t work with God. Let us be sure we do what he said how he said and nothing beyond what he said.

Can you think of anything at your church that is done because God never said you couldn't? If you can consider
how displeased you would be in his place, and what wrath He will pour out on those who don't keep his
commandments.

As we start this new year this is a question that we need to answer. Where we will spend eternity is dependent upon the answer and the follow through of that very question. So, the question comes to you, “What will you do with Jesus?” Even if you don’t consciously answer this question you are answering it each and every day by the way you live your life. 

In Matthew chapter 27 Pilate is facing the most difficult and most significant decision of his career. He has Jesus, falsely accused of treason and other crimes, before him. Pilate can find no wrongdoing in Christ. Under those circumstances Jesus should have been cleared and freed. Pilate made a mistake that is almost unimaginable. Picture a courtroom with a judge and a defendant and a plaintiff, a common picture. Now, after the questioning is over and no evidence against the accused has been found, imagine if you can, the judge turning to the accusers and saying, “What should I do?” What do you think the accusers will say? As shocking as it seems that is what Pilate did. You see Pilate was asking the right question, he just went to the wrong source for the answer.

Pilate’s wife had sent a message to him to have nothing to do with Jesus. She warned him that Jesus was a just man. Of course, he is much more than that, and her advice to have nothing to do with him was not wise.  Pilate, regardless of her advice, could not avoid this decision. Even though he tried to pass it off to Herod (Luke 23), Herod sent Jesus back. We are in the same difficult position as Pilate. We can’t pass the decision off to someone else, we must each answer for himself.

There are several responses that can be made to this question: 


1) You may choose to ignore it and do nothing. This is the same as rejecting Jesus.


2) You may choose to wait until later and do nothing now. This is the same as rejecting Jesus.


3) You may choose to reject Jesus and his claim on you.


4) You may claim to serve him in word, but do your own will. This is also the same as rejecting Him.


5) You may pretend to serve him with your actions, but not with your heart. This is rejecting Him.


6) You may ask others, even Jesus’ enemies, what they think you should do? This can be dangerous.


7) You may try to serve Jesus and someone or something else. This rejects His absolute sovereignty.


8) You may choose to serve Him and worship Him according to his commands with your whole heart.

You may be able to think of other responses or scenarios, but the fact is that anything other than total submission to Jesus and his commandments is a rejection of Him as Lord and Christ. 

What are you going to do with Jesus? You had better make sure you choose wisely and follow through because one day all who have ever lived will stand before Him in judgment and wait to see what He will do with them. I will be there, and you will be there, too. It will be too late then. We must answer now. 

In Matthew 27:3-4 we read the following: "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, {4} Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that." If we look we can see the attitude that many have toward those they have seduced into sin. The chief priests and elders mentioned in verse 3 are the ones who had given Judas the 30 pieces of silver in the first place. They were only interested in getting Jesus and killing Him. They didn’t care how or at what cost, and certainly didn’t care about His innocence. They didn’t care who else got hurt in the process as long as Jesus was dead at the end of it.

Judas was different, and didn’t really want Jesus dead. He was greedy and a thief who had stolen money out of the money bag that he kept for Jesus and the apostles (John 12:5-6). This greed possibly combined with some other motive that we are not told of drove Judas to betray Jesus to the Pharisees. But it is apparent from Matthew 27:1-4 that Judas did not realize that Jesus was going to be killed. When he “saw that he(Jesus) was condemned, repented himself” and he tried to take the money back. We don’t know what Judas thought they were going to do to Jesus, but he should have realized their intentions were to kill Jesus because the disciples had talked with Jesus about that very thing on earlier occasions (John 11:8,16; Matthew 16:21-22; Matthew 17:22-23).

Many people get caught up in something not realizing what the final outcome will be. Most of the criminals on death row never imagined that they would end up dying over the choices that seemed so insignificant at the time they were made. We need to learn from Judas Iscariot the importance of looking before we leap. It is true that we can’t always know what consequences may follow, but we should examine the possibilities as much as possible.

The biggest lesson we need to learn here is that those who help entangle us in sin usually couldn’t care less what happens to us. A boy gets a girl pregnant and then disappears from her life after he had enticed her by telling her how much he loved her. A group of troublemakers convinces a newcomer to do something illegal to become part of the group, but when the sirens sound it is everyone for himself. There are a dozen other scenarios of this kind that we could mention, and some probably happened to you or someone you care about. These people don’t really care about anyone but self. They are vampires who use people and suck them dry and then leave them for dead and move on to someone new. The chief priests and elders that Judas dealt with were just like that. When he came to his senses and realized that innocent Jesus was going to die because of him and tried to go back and make things right, did they care? Of course not they had gotten what they needed from him. There response says it all, “What is that to us?” What do we care? So what? That’s not our problem. You deal with it. Don’t bother us. Sound familiar?

When will we learn to quit following this kind of person and follow Jesus instead. Judas made a fatal mistake when he switched his allegiance. Don’t make the same mistake he did. It cost him his life and his soul. If only he had come back to Jesus for forgiveness instead of to those who were involved with him in the sin.

Notice what Jesus says in Matthew 21:28-32 "But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. {29} He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. {30} And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. {31} Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. {32} For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him."

Jesus is once again focusing on one of his most preached topics in this passage. He wants the religious leaders of his time, and ours as well, to know that actions speak louder than words. The religious world of our time had better wake up to this fact or there will be tons of disappointed people on judgment day. We can’t give God lip service and expect him to be happy. Jesus seems to teach this message in every way he possibly can. In Matthew 7:21 He says,  "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." But no matter how often or how many different ways he gave this message there were many then and now who proudly proclaim to be Christians, children of God, and followers of Christ and go about living like the devil. 

It is sad to know there will always be hypocrites, but it is sadder still to see churches and church leaders who condone, approve, or even actively encourage this sinful lifestyle. We all have sinned, but we should be ashamed of those things and work diligently to get that sin out of our lives. Just pretending to be holy on Sunday will never impress Jesus or His Father.

Jesus in asking, “what think ye?”, let’s us know that He wants us to think about what we do and what will please God. We live in a world that emphasizes emotions or feelings to such an extent that how someone feels has become far more important to most people than what they think. Just ask ten religious people if they are right with God, and most if not all will respond with, “I feel. . .” or something similar. But what think ye? It is a wonderful feeling to feel safe and saved, but God won’t be determining who gets into heaven on the basis of feelings. Feelings just are not always right and we know it. It would not be good, for example, for me to decide whether to slow down and stop at an intersection based on whether I felt safe. I might feel safe going right through a red light just before being smashed by an 18-wheeler. No, we can’t live life based on our feelings alone.

Christianity is a religion based on what we can know and reason from God’s word. It is a religion of the mind first and the heart second. We must learn to do what we know is right regardless of how we feel, and then learn to feel good about doing what is good.

That brings us to the two sons in Jesus’ parable. The father gave them both the same command. The first did not feel like obeying, and consequently told the father he wouldn’t. This son’s feelings about the task may or may not have changed, but his attitude (state of mind) did change. He did what he knew was right. The other son knew what was right and told the father what he wanted to hear. He apparently didn’t feel like doing it either, however, and followed those feelings. The people Jesus was talking to thought the first son was the one who did right, but there are many today who would probably argue that if the sons didn’t feel good about doing it then it was okay for them to not do the work. They would probably say that it was okay for the second son to lie to his father so the father’s feelings wouldn’t be hurt. That is certainly what people do.

So, what do you think? Which son did right? The one who followed his feelings? Or, The one who followed his reasoning? What about you? Are there things that you are doing because it feels good or right even though the Bible teaches that it is wrong?

Jesus asks two questions in Matthew 16:26. First, "...what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” As we mentioned in our last article the answer is ‘nothing’ and in fact he has lost a great deal in the bargain. The second question is, “...what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” This is the question we want to focus on this week. Instead of thinking of ‘a man’ as Jesus asked the question, we need to make it more personal. It is always easy for us to tell what others should do or what some hypothetical person should or shouldn’t do in some hypothetical situation. It is quite different for us to look as honestly and objectively at our own lives. 

That is why we often ask a question as Jesus did to get an honest answer and then see if people will take it to heart and apply the lesson to their own lives. For example: when asked if it is wrong for someone to steal from them almost everyone would say, “yes, of course it would be wrong for someone to take something that belonged to me.” But when push comes to shove there are far fewer people who believe that principle, ‘it is wrong to take something that is not yours’ applies to them. We know it is wrong to steal, but many of us practice it on a regular basis. At this point people say ‘not me’ and some really mean it. Do you report all of your income on your tax forms? Have you ever bought or sold food stamps? Did you ever take a few supplies from your office or job? You see, most of us have never broken into someone’s house and carried out their TV, but many take things that don’t belong to them on a regular basis.

So, it is easy for us to say nothing is more valuable than a soul and nothing would be worth losing your soul. The real question is will we apply that fact to ourselves and the way we live our lives. Instead of wondering what a man will give in exchange for his soul, ask “what will I give for mine?” What answers do you come up with?

You may be thinking this is silly. Why would anyone ever make a trade that would cost his or her soul? The answer is simpler than you might think. Most of the time the soul is lost before it is even realized. Much like an addiction that starts working before the person realizes it. Maybe you have already traded your soul and don’t know it. With some it is alcohol and drugs. With others it is lust, pornography, and sexual immorality. With many it may be friends and family. With a few it is a job or a business or some other wealth building scheme. Sometimes it is apathy,  laziness, or a desire for fun and games. Maybe it is hatred, racism, or bigotry. Whatever pulls you away from God is what the devil will use to destroy your soul.

Ironic isn’t it that some of the very things God created for us to enjoy and to help bring us closer to him are the very things the devil adds to his own evil ways to try to draw us away. Who would ever imagine that the innocent little baby cooing in your arms could be exactly what Satan needs to keep you from prayer and Bible study. Sometimes Satan even uses churches and religion to keep people firmly in his grasp. When we put man-made rules and traditions before God’s word we have traded our souls for those things just as the Pharisees of Jesus day had.

What are you giving in exchange for your soul? I hope you won’t trade it, but even if you have there is good news. God is in the business of buying back or redeeming souls that have been traded. We would be happy to help you get your soul out of the devil’s hands and back into God’s. Let me know if we can help.

Last time we determined that man is in fact of greater value than a sheep or any other animal for that matter. We looked at some of the reasoning for that conclusion beginning with the way Jesus asked the question. We also discussed briefly the impact that the teaching of evolution has had on this type of value comparison. But just saying man is better doesn’t really answer the question. Jesus asks them ‘How much’ better a man is. When someone is using logic to reason there are certain things that are taken as assumptions. In other words, there is a common understanding that must exist before the argument can be made. In this case there are several assumptions that Jesus has made before asking the question. He assumes that the group knows what a man is and knows what a sheep is, and more importantly he assumes that the people all accept as fact that a man is better than a sheep. His question wouldn’t make sense otherwise. So, if we get to the point where we can agree that man is better than a sheep (or another animal), then we can begin to deal with the actual question.

If you had to put it into dollars what would you say? How much is a sheep worth? How much is a man worth? Different people will give different answers to the question, and, of course, if he could a sheep would probably disagree with the assumption that man is better. How can we even begin to determine which is better or of greater value and by how much? There is only one standard that Jesus was considering at the time in question. It wasn’t how many good things they were each capable of or how many evil things either. A sheep can do wonderful things like providing wool for clothing or meat to save someone from starving. That is no less than many men do, and some men never do that much good. Jesus was not basing his question on this. If we base it on how much evil one had done compared to the other, then we would probably agree with the sheep that he is better than man. No sheep ever stole or murdered or abused little ones. This is certainly not the basis Jesus used.

Jesus is not comparing their actions or their thoughts or anything of that sort, because if that were the case we could all point to people, like Hussein, who are so awful that many don’t believe they deserve to live. In fact, Jesus himself spoke of some of these in Matthew 18:6, and said that it would have been better for Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him, if he had never been born in Mark 14:21. Jesus is instead referring to something about the fact that a man is a man. There must be something about being a human being that gives us greater value. There must be something of intrinsic value in the human race. But what?

What separates us from the animal kingdom? It is not a physical feature like our hands: raccoons and other animals have similar structures. It is not our ability to use tools: monkeys can learn to do that. It is not our ability to communicate: many animals communicate with each other and some like parrots have even been taught to talk, count, and distinguish colors and shapes. It is not our intelligence: some people are born mentally handicapped or become so through disease or accident, but we still consider them human. It is not our emotions: animals get angry, sad, happy, etc. just like we do. We have covered any argument the evolutionist could use and rejected them all. No wonder they don’t understand that man is better than the animals. There is only one thing that truly separates man from animal and it can’t be seen or tested or examined by science or the five senses. Every human being no matter how high or low the intelligence, no matter how physically capable or incapable, no matter how good or evil; every single one of us has a soul.

Even though someone recently tried to auction off his soul on the internet, the fact is that just one soul is of greater value than all of the sheep that ever have and ever will live on the earth. Jesus asked another question in Matthew 16:26, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” The answer is simply ‘nothing’. Did you know you were that valuable? Do you really believe you are that valuable? If we would spend our time trying to understand what Jesus wanted us to see in the question he asked in Matthew 12:12 maybe we would not take so many risks with our lives and especially our souls. If we come to grips with our value as humans created in the image of God with a soul that will continue for eternity, then, maybe we will stop selling ourselves for drugs, alcohol, money, cars, houses, etc. Next time we ask “what will you give in exchange for your soul?”

That might seem like a silly title to you, in fact, you may think it is a stupid question. Before you judge it too harshly you might want to know that it is a question that Jesus asked in Matthew 12:12. Surprised? Of course we should realize that Jesus knows the answer to the question. He is not asking out of his need for knowledge, but as with most (possibly all) of the questions he asked in the Bible he is making those around him think about the answer to the question. If Christ thought it was something worthy of their time and attention then it would seem that the question is worthy of our consideration as well.

First let’s see why Jesus was dealing with this subject. (Matthew 12:9-14 KJV)  "And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: {10} And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. {11} And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? {12} How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. {13} Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. {14} Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him." The Pharisees of Jesus’ time believed, practiced, and taught the wrong thing about the value of things. The law of Moses under which the Jews lived at the time of Christ was clear that no work was to be done on the sabbath. Some had gone so far as to say that you couldn’t even get out of bed or open your eyelids all day. You want to talk about hard work -- just try laying in bed with your eyes closed all day long. Those Jesus is with at this time didn’t go that far in fact Jesus claims that it was common for them to go get a sheep out of a pit on the sabbath. It is strange then that these same people wanted to destroy him for doing something similar but of a greater value when he healed a man on the sabbath. This was certainly not the only time the Pharisees fought with Jesus over doing good on the sabbath. Jesus is trying to show there hypocrisy and convince them to reevaluate there doctrine about this topic.

See, the Pharisees had foolishly placed the good of a sheep above the good of a man. Does that sound like anything people today would do? Since Jesus asks ‘how much’ better the man is, then we must believe that Jesus believed that man was better than a sheep. We live in a confused world today. You could probably find thousands, maybe even millions or billions, who believe that man is no better than an animal. Evolution, the belief that man is nothing more than an animal that has developed special skills and abilities over millions of years, is being taught as a fact to our children as young as 5 or 6 years old. Is it any surprise then that people are starting to act like animals? Some believe that is all we are. How sad. The Bible tells us that mankind was created by God in the image of God. How differently people who believe they are supposed to be like God act when compared with people who believe they are supposed to be like the animals.

It is disturbing how truly mixed up some people are. There are places where fat cows walk around in complete safety while people are starving to death refusing to eat the food available because the cows are sacred to them. I wonder if it would even change them if God Himself spoke to them and told them to rise, kill, and eat like he told Peter (Acts 10:13-16). I remember a case a few years back where a child was lost in the forest. The rescuers in a helicopter found him, but weren’t allowed to land and save him because of a fear that the wind and noise from the helicopter would harm the ecosystem in the area. Meanwhile a lost child was facing the possibility of death. We have people who will risk their lives to try to save a whale or manatee or some other animal. We are definitely supposed to care for the world God has given us and not be wasteful of life of any kind, but we must remember that only humans have an eternal soul and are, therefore, more valuable than any other creature on earth even if it is the last of its kind.

I remember the wisdom of a judge in Arkansas who was dealing with a wreck where a man claimed it was caused because he had dodged a dog. He had in the process damaged property, endangered his life, and endangered others. The judge said, “I don’t mean to be cruel, but next time hit the dog.” Hopefully, none of us would ever go out and intentionally run over dogs, but if there was a choice to be made between the safety and health of ourselves and our families and the life of a dog wouldn’t we make the right choice? To be Continued.

We have discussed the fact that nothing is as needed as time spent with Jesus listening to him and his teaching. So let’s listen, really listen to his teaching in Matthew chapter 19. In the first part of this chapter Jesus teaches on one of the greatest plagues in our society, that of divorce. Let’s leave that for next time. Beginning in verse 16 he has a conversation with a rich young man. The young man wants to know how to gain eternal life, but as we will see the price Jesus asks is too high. And unlike other things salvation never goes on sale. The price has been the same for 2000 years.

Their heart to heart begins with the man asking what he can do and Jesus responds that he should keep the commandments. Remember that until Jesus died the Law of Moses was the spiritual law that was in effect. The young man replied that he had done that and then asked the crucial question that each of us should ask each and every day of our lives. In verse 20 he says, “...what lack I yet?” You see, following God and Christ is not like many other things in life, which can be completed. Being a Christian is a life-long pursuit that is not finished until death. When we have learned our ABC’s, for example, we are done; we know them, and unless there is an accident or some severe illness that affects our mind and memory, we never have to learn them again. Many skills are that way and some of Christianity falls into that category as well, but unlike finishing school in the secular world we can’t graduate from Christianity.

The young man in our text probably thought things were going well when he asked this question. He was, apparently, a faithful Jew who thought he had kept the ten commandments and probably the whole law. Millions of people today think the same kind of way. We all want to believe that we have a good relationship with God whether we really do or not. Many have convinced themselves that because they joined one church or another, or their parents baptized them when they were little, or they live a good moral life, or any number of other similar reasonings there is nothing else necessary for them to please God and gain eternal life.

Christianity, however, is a race and not everyone who enters finishes. What’s more you can’t just go out and run down the street to be part of a race, you have to enter. Of course, races have rules and courses that must be followed without shortcuts. The Christian life is no different, and it is only concluded at death. We must always be working to correct sins, add virtues, increase knowledge and faith, and ask the tough questions. When we ask those tough questions we must be prepared for tough answers and have the courage and fortitude to respond. The young man in our story wasn’t prepared, and he lost the chance of heaven because of it.

 What lack I yet? Jesus answer to this young man was that he needed to go sell his goods and give the money to the poor. He couldn’t respond. He asked the tough question, but when he got the tough answer he wasn’t prepared to do it. When we ask the question ‘what lack I yet’ and listen to Jesus’ teaching, we must make the change. The answer to that question will be different for us at different times and under different circumstances, and our feelings will never be a sufficient guide. We must look to the teaching that Jesus left for us in the Bible. What are you lacking, that is keeping you from having the best relationship possible with God?

I hope that you are enjoying these articles, and learning from them. If you have a Bible question you would like answered with a Bible answer, or if there is a Bible topic you would like to see covered, please write me at the address below.

Is that an offensive question to you? If so, ask yourself why. The reason, most likely, is that you believe the idea that you can join the church of your choice, I can join the church of my choice, and others can join the church of their choice with all of us meeting in heaven at the end. This idea has been spread throughout the country and anyone who disagrees with it is considered judgmental and divisive. Since the idea of one Christian group being just as good as another has been embraced by most people the movement now is to equate the Christian religion with all other world religions. My last article dealt with the distinctive nature of Christianity. Now, if you are willing I want to challenge you to examine the idea that all churches are of equal value and see if it is true.

First, some believe that a big church is better than a small church, or that a rich church is better than a poor church. That is ridiculous, God is interested in faithfulness not money or prestige. Noah and his family were only 8 people in the whole world, but God thought they were the better group. In the letters to the seven churches in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 there was a poor church, Smyrna, and a rich church, Laodicea, read it and see whether God thought they were of equal value. Despite these two examples, we cannot go to the other extreme and assume the smallest and poorest are always better. Quite simply size, wealth, and popularity from men is irrelevant in God’s eyes.

I believe there are some things that can and will make one church better than another. Look at the following comparisons and see if you find them to be true. They may seem rather obvious, but they fly in the face of the idea that it doesn’t matter which church you go to or of which you are a part.

(1) A church established by the Lord is better than a church established by men.
(2) Churches that teach truth are better than churches that teach error.
(3) Churches that teach all the truth are better than those that teach only part of the truth.
(4) A church whose doctrines give all glory to God is better than one whose doctrines give glory to men.
(5) A church whose sole authority is the Word of God is better than one that refuses to obey Christ’s commands and takes for doctrines the commandments of men.
(6) A church that encourages godly living is better than one that allows and encourages sinfulness to continue unchecked.
(7) Churches that worship in spirit and in truth (Jn. 4:24) are better than those that worship in vain (Mt. 15:9).
(8) Churches that practice the truths they teach are better than those that do not.

Now, honestly, do you really believe that all the churches in the world, or even in your community are equivalent in these 8 areas? How does your church stack up? Compare churches not by size, wealth, location, building and grounds, its history or age, or any other worldly measure. Instead compare churches by their willingness to teach and practice the things God teaches in the New Testament of Jesus Christ. If you still believe churches are pretty much the same, take a closer look at the 7 churches in Revelation. Five of those churches were sternly warned because of their sinfulness and 2 of them were on the verge of being disowned (2:5, 3:16). Two others had wicked factions that God was going to fight against and destroy (2:14-16, 2:20-23). Another is already mostly spiritually dead and the rest is about to die (3:1-3). There are two churches that are complimented and encouraged because they were faithful. Which of these seven churches would you have wanted to be a part of if you had been there?

At the time Revelation was written there was only one church in each of these 7 towns some faithful Christians were stuck to do the best they could in some unfaithful churches. There are in your community today dozens of different churches. There is no reason for anyone to feel stuck in a church that is spiritually dead, full of wickedness, practicing false doctrine, following men, or any of the other things mentioned above. Let me suggest that we have two responsibilities if we find ourselves in that kind of church. First it is our responsibility to point out the problem biblically, point out the biblical solution, and encourage the change necessary to correct the problem. If that attempt were to fail, then we have our second responsibility: to stop supporting sin and error and come to the truth ourselves even if no one else follows. The fact of the matter is that regardless of what they call themselves those who reject the counsel of God against their own souls and will not repent are not Christians: they are not believers. In 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 Paul reminds us that we should not be yoked together with unbelievers, and that we are to come out from among them and be separate. If you cannot find a church that follows the Bible it is still your responsibility to worship God as He demands, even if that means you are alone as Noah was in his day.

How would you feel on the day of judgment if your association with sinful false teachers caused your friends, neighbors, children, or other family members to be lost? What if you yourself become one of those who call Jesus, ‘Lord, Lord’, but to whom He responds, “Depart from me”? 

If you are looking for a church look for the best and go even if it is miles away. Just be sure that you determine its value based on the Bible and not on any other basis. 

Happy New Year! How about those new year’s resolutions? Are you going to do it this year? Are you ruined already and waiting to try again next time? It seems everyone makes resolutions for the new year whether they make a big fuss over it or not. And, it seems that everyone breaks them by the second week of the year. Maybe we set our goals too high, perhaps our confidence is too low, could be we make too many resolutions to keep, but whatever the reason the breaking of new year’s resolutions is as much of a tradition as the making of them.

Why not do it different this year? I mean let’s face it we haven’t exactly got a great success record with the current plan, and since we can’t fire ourselves or trade ourselves to another team, why not a new plan? Funny, I can’t think of a good reason to keep making the same mistakes over and over again either. 

A plan has to be simple to be truly effective and so my new plan is. Of course you don’t have to follow it, but you are certainly free to try it if you would like. So, here it is: ONLY ONE THING IS NEEDED. Now, most of us have long lists of hopes and dreams for the new year, and some of it is well outside the realm of reality. But, if we could just do one thing in 2013 (yes, just ONE thing), then about 330 days (We are already into February) seems like enough time to do it or at least to get a good start on it.

So, what is the 1 thing? Look at this short section of Luke 10:38-42 "Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. {39} And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. {40} But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. {41} And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: {42} But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

Did you see it? I bet you did, but just to make sure I’ll repeat it. Martha was a lot like all of us. She had a dozen irons in the fire: a load of clothes in the wash, dinner cooking, a full-time job, a part-time job, a house to clean, guests to serve, etc. We don’t know what all here worries were, but we can be sure that the 21st century has not been the only one with busy people. Jesus said that she was “troubled about many things” translated to our time, she was ‘stressed out’. Jesus is concerned about this condition which among other things is not healthy. In verse 42 Jesus tells us that Mary has chosen something that will not be taken away from her, and that is the ‘one thing’ that is needed. All of the things that Martha was concerned about were temporary and unnecessary. 

What had Mary chosen? What does the scripture say? Verse 39 says that Mary “sat at Jesus’ feet” (she was spending time with him), and “heard his word” (she was listening to him). Now, Jesus said one thing was needful, so, let’s put this together into one thing. Mary was spending time listening to Jesus. Look at the contrast between these two sisters. Jesus, the Son of God, the Creator of the Universe was in their home and Martha was missing out. Mary knew the dishes could be washed after Jesus was gone. Maybe Martha thought that she could impress Jesus if she fixed an incredible meal, we don’t know what she was thinking. Whatever it was she was wrong. The only thing she really needed to be doing she was neglecting.

We seem to be determined to make everything more complicated than it should be. This year get back to the simple satisfying life of spending time listening to Jesus. If we would the noises in the world around us would grow dimmer, and the voice of the savior clearer. Since Jesus isn’t here on earth as he was, we can’t sit at his feet as Mary did and as Martha should have. We must hear his voice calling through the inspiration of the Bible. As a preacher of the Gospel, my task is to preach the Word of God, and I try to do that whenever I preach and even through articles like this one. I’m sure my voice is not as pleasant to listen to as Christ’s, but I invite you all to come and hear that though the voice is not the same the teaching is. 

May we all seek to put God first this year and to spend time listening to those things He has spoken to us through his son. Hebrews 1:1-4