Welcome friend: I’m Mack Lyon. The program’s a Bible study called In Search of the Lord’s Way. We’re trying prayerfully hard to learn from the Sacred Scriptures, the Lord God’s way of salvation –and His way of life. Today our study is in the form of a question: “Has The Church Lost Its Way?” Stay tuned.
My warmest greetings to you, friend. It’s a genuine joy that I have to have you in the Bible study with us today. And hearing so very, very many ways to be saved that are being offered these days, we are especially interested in the Lord's Way of salvation –as well as His way of life. We pray we’ll both be blessed by our study. You may want to tell others about our program, too. You’ll see, if you haven’t already seen one of the programs that it is different from most religious television and radio programs. First of all, it is not a business; it’s a ministry. It’s a twenty-nine-year-old non-profit effort to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with people all around the world. Yes, we are reaching into homes like yours universally twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week by radio, television, the printed page, satellite and the internet. Secondly, we won’t be hounding you to send us money or to buy anything. We’re presented here --as we are on all the stations by some churches of Christ and some members of churches of Christ who of their own free-will and conviction, want our messages available here and everywhere. “This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes” and that’s a quote from the Psalmist. We’re glad you’re with us today.
I’ve been reading a book published in 2003. It’s authored by a respectable and informed minister who has authored –well, --this one was the 20th book and I have others of his that were written after this one. So he’s a prolific, informed and respected author. He writes a lot about our current world culture and the church’s role and its responsibility in both the cause and the cure of this sordid condition. My thought is --he is as Jesus once said to a man, “You are not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:34). This man wrote about his not having made a “truce with the world.” He seems to think that “the church” –meaning current American style Christianity –has “made a truce with the world” and has thereby lost its way. I agree. So my subject for study today is “Has The Church Lost Its Way?”
If after you’ve heard the discussion, you’d like a free CD, audio cassette tape or printed copy of it, you need only to address your request to In Search of the Lord's Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or by e-mail it’s Searchtv@searchtv.org. You are welcome to use our toll-free telephone number, too. That number is 1-800-321-8633. Or you may access it on our website at www.searchtv.org. Ken Helterbrand, who’s been leading our singing now for twenty-seven years, will lead us in a hymn, and then I’ll be back to read 1 Timothy chapter 3 verses 14, 15,and 16.
We’re reading from the book of 1 Timothy chapter 3 and we’ll read verses 14, 15, and 16. “These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.” Now we go to God in prayer. Holy Father, we would not dare to come into Your sacred presence except in the name of Jesus Christ to offer to You our petition and our thanksgiving for the blessings of this program and of this passage that we have read today. We pray Father, that you will bless our meditation on the thoughts that we have prepared and we pray that each one present with us today will be strengthened in the most holy faith. In Christ Jesus, Amen.
I had a program with a similar title that I have given this one on May 28, 1995. However, the contents are very different. American religious and cultural conditions have continued to worsen in the last fourteen years so that another look at the question, “Has the church lost its way?” seems to be greatly needed now. Now, that is not an admission that preaching and teaching about a problem doesn’t help. No, not at all; it could be taken more appropriately as an apology for my not having said more about it in the intervening years. It is an admission, too, that more teaching and preaching are needed in the churches and by the churches in programs like this that reach into many millions of homes. Different authors have described in their own words and ways some media programs and assemblies of some churches as “showtime religion.” Well, you know and I know “showtime religion” is not Christianity, don’t we? The church with the best show wins the biggest crowds. But real, genuine, true Christianity is not showy, friend. Jesus Christ, Himself, said and I quote Him; hear me now, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it”. That is Matthew chapter 16 verses 24 and 25. The false impression of the church of Jesus Christ is a nonessential it renders it weak and lacking in qualities that interest --and stimulate --and even challenges the honest seeker of truth. Whoops! Did I say “truth?”
Well yes, that’s what I said, friend. But, what is “truth?” That’s the question governor Pilate asked Jesus in John 18:38. People are still having problems with that same question –and they’re not all illiterates, either. No, they’re not; most of them would say that they are the “intellectuals” among us. Some seem not to know that there is such a thing as truth, and others say truth really doesn’t matter. But the judge says to the witness in a court of law, “Sir (or Ma’am, or Madam, as the case may be), remember you’re under oath to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so let’s hear it.” Dare the witness reply, “But your honor, there is no such thing as truth?” Probably not, --unless he or she is bidding for free room and board for awhile. Truth in the case is what really happened, what really was.
A father says to his small son, “I want to know what happened and I want to know the truth!” And he says with a firm voice and he is very solemn faced at that time. Does the boy know what he’s talking about? Oh yes, he does. Of course he does. Even a pre-school boy knows to tell the truth when he’s charged like that. He doesn’t have to have a PhD, to know that. His father simply says, “Son, you tell me how it really was. I’m not interested in what you’d like to think it was, or what you wish it had been, but just the way it was.” That’s what truth is, friend, reality. It’s the way things really are, not the way someone would like to believe –or someone would have you believe. Truth is not circumstantial or situational.
Well, in reality –that is to say in truth, the church you read about in the New Testament is planned and designed and ordained to be by the word of the Lord God, Himself, to be the “pillar and the ground of the truth.” Some versions have it, the “pillar and support of the truth.” I ask, then: “Has the church lost its way –or its purpose?” Is it no longer “the pillar and support of the truth?” In view of the way that much of the postmodern church is relenting to the demands of the secular world, it has lost its assignment to be “the pillar and the support of the truth.” The church is in retirement, friend.
The first two verses of the epistle from which we take our text, say, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ..... to Timothy, a true son in the faith.” To Timothy or to anyone else living in Ephesus, this imagery is particularly impressive. You see, while Ephesus was a political capitol of Asia, --and its geographic location made it an important commercial city, as well, its significance was enhanced more than anything else by its religious interests. At Ephesus was one of the seven wonders of the world, the magnificent temple of the goddess Diana (Artemis), who in ancient Greek mythology was the daughter of Zeus, who was the supreme god of all their Gods. The temple stood just outside the city walls and was made of magnificently beautiful shining marble. It is said to have been something like 425 feet long, 239 feet wide and was supported by 100 huge columns 55 feet in height, each one a master of art and costly gift of a prince. So the imagery of the church being “the pillar and the support of the truth” is appropriate and its effective here. Just as these costly and imposing columns supported the super structure of the magnificent temple, the church is the pillar and the support of the truth. God’s word, God’s communication with man, is truth. It always is in every instance truth, my friend. Jesus prayed to God the Father, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17). The Bible is often called “the word of truth” as in 2 Timothy 2:15.
Now friend, truth is of two kinds: doctrinal truth and moral truth. For example, Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” That’s the truth about that. It has never been proven wrong. What was “In the beginning” isn’t even a subject to the scientific method. Why doubt or reject it or apologize for it? Accept it, friend. Our text says the church is the pillar and the support of the word of God. No, that truth is not relative. The word of God is for all people of all times and all nations and all cultures. It doesn’t change to accommodate each person’s whim or fancy. “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever. Now this is the word which by the gospel is preached to you” That’s I Peter chapter 1, verses 24 and 25. My friend, the Bible just doesn’t change so as to make me –or you comfortable with our lifestyle or with our “besetting sin” as we read in Hebrews chapter 12, verse 1.
So now you see when the Scripture says, for example, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him” (Genesis 1:27), that settles it. We can know and be absolutely sure about our origin. It isn’t open to debate. That’s why we can be certain that man did not evolve from the other forms of life! With the creation of man, God climaxed his work of creation. Furthermore, He made nothing else that He did make, in “His own image.” Then, --man is different, isn’t he? That sets man apart, not only in his physical appearance, but just as God is spirit there is a spirit in man (James 2:26). That makes human life very sacred, doesn’t it? That’s why God spoke the “moral law,” “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man” (Genesis 9 and 6). In Romans chapter 13 verses 1 to 7, God gives authority to human governments to execute a person who commits murder. How long has it been since you have heard a preacher preach about such things? That’s why I ask, “Has the church lost its job? Has the church of today lost its way? Has the church lost its sense of purpose of being the pillar and the support of the truth of God? Some writers, respected writers, too, religious writers, some ministers are saying “yes!” They are saying the churches have defaulted –they’ve abandoned their role as pillar and ground of the truth. What about that? Is it really true, friend? Does the secular world not even know that the church is present in the here and now? The criticism that I detest the most –I guess --because it has enough truth in it to sting: “The church reflects the culture of the day, rather than resisting it. That in spite of God’s word in Romans 12:1-2: “I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to the world (or the culture, if you will), but be transformed by the renewing of our mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
When I visited the site of the old city of Ephesus in 1978 I viewed with keen interest the few remaining pieces of those one hundred beautiful and costly columns that once supported the magnificent temple of Diana as they lay scattered in the crumbled ruins. Do you suppose –well –might there be a lesson for the 21st century church in those ruins?
Well… the church’s mission is to be the “pillar and the support of the truth.” Truth is precious, friend. Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we are thankful that you have given us purpose in our reason for being in the Church and being the Church which Jesus our Savior bought with his own blood… that he loved so much. Father, we pray that we can be faithful to the commission, the charge, the responsibility that you have given us, to be the pillar and the ground of the truth. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
The Holy Spirit “expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth” (I Timothy 4:1-3). The worship of Christians must be “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). Therefore, the church must reclaim its position as “the pillar and the support of the truth.”
How important is “truth?” “Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ”. Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free”. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through Me”. Therefore, faith in Jesus Christ is acceptance of the truth that He is the Son of God. A person can’t preach Christ without preaching doctrinal and moral truth. You can’t become a genuine child of God without a love for the truth and “obeying the truth” (I Peter 1:22). That will mean acceptance of what is taught in Acts 2:38. There the apostle Peter, being inspired by the Holy Spirit to teach the truth, said to those Jews who had crucified the Savior and sought forgiveness for it, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit... Then those who gladly received his word were baptized and that day about three thousand souls were added to them” (Acts 2:38, 42). If we can assist you in “obeying the truth,” by finding someone in one of the churches of Christ to baptize you –or to study with you –do let us be that help, will you?
If for any reason you need to speak with one of us, simply call us on our toll-free telephone line 1-800-321-8633. If we may send you a free copy of this message on a CD or an audio cassette tape, or if you prefer a printed copy, you may use our telephone number, which I just gave you. Or you may request it by title, “Has The Church Lost It’s Way,” by writing us at P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or by e-mail at Searchtv@searchtv.org. This program, along with others on various subjects are “streamed” on our website at www.searchtv.org. You may use the free telephone number or either of those addresses to enroll in our free Bible studies or our correspondence, too, that’s free. The primary course takes you completely through the Bible in a systematic way –and the beauty part of it is, you can do it all at your own pace. Why not enroll today?
Well, we plan to be back next week at this time. We hope you will too. In the meantime, why not tell your friends about the program? Perhaps you will have an opportunity to visit one of the churches there. We’ll be back next week. God bless you. We love you.
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