HOW HISTORY IMPACTS THE
CHURCH R.D.Ice
[The idea
for this came from an article in the Christian Standard April 10 - 05 by Tom
Lawson. I have adapted this to speak to
the Churches of Christ.]
"Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday, today, and forever." Hebrews 13:8; 2 Cor. 1:19-22. As the Bride of Christ, the Church is
unchangeable. Truth cannot change - but opinions
and style may be modified by social changes. When people moved off the farm and into the
city, they faced new challenges and had to rethink some opinions.
Events create a lot of tension among
people. We are a New Testament
Church! But we are also influenced in
some ways by things around us. Paul
wrote: "So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another
anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to
fall in our brother's way. I know and am
convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him
who considers anything to be unclean, to him is unclean." Romans 14:12-14
Each of the following was a point of
controversy and a point of change - some good and some bad.
War Between The States The tensions created by the Civil War
threatened and changed the unity of the "restoration movement."
The melodeon (1850-1900) - a
non-electric keyboard. Up to 1850 most
churches simply sang "a-capella."
Organs were wildly expensive. The
cheap melodeon brought changes. Churches
of Christ continued to sing without an instrument. Daniel Sommer made this a test of fellowship
at Sand Creek , Illinois
Sunday School (1870-1900) - Bible
study classes for all ages. These began
in England
Furnaces (1880-1930) - Forced-air heating made for
even heating (compared to potbellied stoves), and larger church-buildings
became possible.
Speaker systems (1915-1990) - Charles Spurgeon had
"leather lungs" and preached to a congregation of 10,000 people in London , England
Patriotism 1916-1950 - WWI and
especially WWII changed attitudes about military service. Cornelius was a military man in the Roman
Army (Acts 10:22).
Radio 1922-1950 Churches rushed to broadcast the Gospel. Since the broadcasting had to be done in the
radio studio (you could not make a tape back then), this changed the singing
that went along with it, as well as the style of the preaching.
Mimeographs (1930-1960) - a type of printer. A. B. Dick invented a process in the 1870s
which made it possible to cheaply print thousands of copies of bulletins,
papers, lesson sheets, etc. These were
superseded by Xerox machines and computer printers.
Old Time Religion Worship changed dramatically from 1850 to
1950. Fundamentalism was a movement to
return to the recent past. It was
advertised as a return to The Fundamentals of Faith. However this was influenced by John Darby's
view of the Book of Revelation (dispensationalism) as preserved in the
Scofield Reference Bible. Churches of
Christ are not "fundamentalist" but seek a return to the worship of
the New Testament - "all the way back to Jerusalem
The invitation A call to get right with God. Without putting pressure on people, a focus
on faith in Christ and obedience to God's terms of salvation.
Worship God
"You worship what you do not know;
we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the
true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is
seeking such to worship Him. God is
Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:22-24
Examine yourself Paul wrote: "For though He was crucified
in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God.
For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of
God toward you. Examine yourselves as to
whether you are in the faith. Prove
yourselves. Do you not know yourselves,
that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you are disqualified." 2 Cor. 13:4-5
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