A Return to Gospel Meetings

By Ken Weliever

     COVID-19 has altered our lives in so many ways. And none more profoundly for pastors, preachers, and churches than the impact on our worship services.

     All of my spring and summer meetings were canceled. In fact, most churches did not even assemble in their meeting houses for several weeks. During our travels to Montana and back to Florida, we were privileged to preach several Sundays at various congregations. Yet, it wasn’t quite the same.

     Today, we’re beginning a meeting at the Manslick Road church in Louisville, Kentucky. The brethren have put a lot of thought and planning into making this meeting work. Not just in terms of the protocols concerning the health and safety of those attending, but presenting topics that meet their members’ spiritual needs.

Lord willing, we will be with 5-6 other churches this Fall doing what we love to do. Preaching. While COVID-19 will no doubt influence our personal interactions, it feels like a step to the return of some semblance of normalcy.

     In the minds of many people, and sadly even some Christians, preaching and meetings focused on preaching are outdated and old fashioned. The opposite is true. We are in need of hearing gospel preaching more than ever.

     Preaching has been a part of collective worship since the church began on Pentecost Sunday in Acts 2. Peter preached. He preached Jesus. His death. Burial. Resurrection. And ascension. He preached God’s plan for salvation. His preaching was plain. Understandable. Relevant. And directed to people who needed it.

Gospel preaching is, of course, Bible-based. It calls people to repentance. Obedience. And a personal realization of their standing before God.

     Good preaching meets the spiritual needs of the hearers. Preaching should encourage. Edify. Exhort. And embolden. Preaching should inspire. Motivate. And challenge. At times it must reprove and rebuke. Dee Bowman is fond of saying that good preaching should storm the will.

     Today around the world where Christians meet there will be preaching. May it be Biblical. Unmistakable. Uncompromising. And unadulterated by the philosophy of the world.

     Preaching. Let it be presented with power. Spoken with love. And communicated with care, concern, and compassion for struggling saints and unsaved sinners.

     Today, I’m thankful for the opportunity to be preaching. May God bless all of my colleagues who preach the Word. And may we all receive the Divine message with a willingness to learn. To change. To grow. And to be all that God created us to be.

From Heaven or From Men?

by Ken Weliever

    Though it happened years ago, I will never forget driving into the parking lot of the High School where I lived and seeing for the first time a bumper sticker that challenged: “Question Authority.” I’m guessing it wasn’t on a teacher’s car. Since then, I’ve seen and heard it many times.

     This slogan was popularized by the late, controversial psychologist Timothy Leary who was known for advocating the use of LSD and psychedelic drugs.  

     Questioning authority is nothing new.

      In the final week of Jesus’ life when he came to Jerusalem, the Jewish religious leaders constantly questioned Jesus trying to trap him. They were fed up with Jesus. He healed on the Sabbath. Associated with sinners. Forgave sins. Condemned their traditions. Overturned the tables in the temple. And generally disrupted and disturbed their comfortable lives.

     By what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?” They demanded.

     But Jesus turned the tables on them by asking, “The baptism of John — was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.” If they could answer, then he would answer their question.

     They were caught in a perplexing dilemma of their own devising. They realized, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ However, they could not say it was from men, because “they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.”

     “So, they answered and said to Jesus, ‘We do not know.’”

     Jesus responded, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” (Mark 11:27-30).

     “From Heaven or from men.” That’s a good question. When we seriously examine our religious beliefs and practices, are they of divine or human origin?

      Authority is necessary for every area of life. The government. The home. The church. Societal order. Imagine driving where there is no respect for the rules for the road. No regard for speed limits. No agreement on the purpose of a red or green light. No recognition of a stop sign. Without authority you have chaos.

     Religiously speaking it is possible to become like the Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day and be guided by tradition instead of Truth. When asked “by what authority do you do these things,” some respond, “We’ve always done it that way.” Or “that’s what my church teaches.” Or may even admit, “that’s just our tradition.” But is your practice “from heaven or from men”?

     Furthermore, subjectivism diverts us from divine authority and leads us into justifying ourselves with reasoning that begins with subjective statements like “I feel.” “I think.” “I don’t believe God will ______” (you fill in the blank). And the ever-popular “That’s not my truth.”

     It’s disconcerting to hear Christians hurl pejorative epithets that disparage the Lord’s church, gospel preachers, and Bible authority. Often on Facebook I read statements that scorn the apostolic examples recorded in the New Testament. Or poke fun at the idea of a commonsense Biblical inference. And even outright reject the plain, simple commands of Scripture.

     I want to ask those inclined to ridicule authority, what is your Biblical hermeneutic? Your method of interpretation? Your approach to understanding Scripture? I would like to know, “Is it from heaven or from men?”

     It is well to remember that the church is not democracy. It is not our place to change God’s Word. Some vote to amend their doctrine. Or sanction an alternative lifestyle condemned in the Bible. Or eliminate from Scripture that which they find offensive and not politically correct. Is it fair to ask, as Jesus did, “Is it from heaven or from men?”

     Finally, what directs our personal lives? Our morals? Ethics? Behavior? And habits? Is it based on popular opinion? Political correctness? Or fleshly desires? Jesus has given us a standard to live by. The Bible says, “Be not conformed to this world” (Rom. 12:2). “Abstain from fleshly lusts that war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11). “Be holy for I am holy,” says the Lord. (1 Pet 1:16).

     Jesus’ question to the Pharisees was not difficult. But it was painful to ponder.

What about you and I? How will we answer? “Is it from heaven or from men?”