Our
Common Desire
By - Clarence W. Fell
That They all May Be One
John 17:21
Chapter one
Chapter One
Our Common Desire
We all want to go to
heaven. Whether you are involved in one
of the world’s religions, or one of the many denominations, or have no
religious practice at all, you still hope for a better place of some sort when
this life is over. This is our common
desire, but there is a problem. In
religion there are many conflicting ideas and beliefs. One preacher says that
you have to be baptized and another says that you don’t. One preacher says that women can be preachers
and another says that they can’t. One
preacher says that homosexuality is a sin
and another says that it isn’t.
These differences are
confusing and frustrating. This
is why many people give up on religion.
They want to go to heaven, but it’s just too confusing. And so, they walk away never finding the salvation that they and their loved ones
need. Tragically, Satan wins
again.
Not Everyone Who Says To Me “Lord, Lord”
Satan is extremely clever at using
confusion to deceive and overcome people.
The Bible tells us that even religious people can be deceived.
In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus warned, “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. Many will say to Me in that
day, ’Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your
name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ’I
never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
We all understand that rebellious sinners
are lost, but Jesus is telling us that many religious people are lost,
too. They live their lives thinking that
they are going to heaven, but they aren’t.
It’s not enough that they are sincere and want eternal life. They must actually follow the word of
God. Sadly, many will learn too late
that they have been deceived by Satan’s strategy of confusion.
God does not want one single soul to
perish (II Peter 3:9), and neither do we.
Our goal is to be certain that we are on the strait and narrow way. We don’t want to be victims of Satan’s
deceptive strategy.
2000 Years Ago
How can we make this security a reality?
How can we stand together and fight the
confusion that Satan has created?
How can we bring people of various
religious backgrounds together to form a common family that supports and
upholds one another?
These are exciting questions. Fortunately, we live in a time when answers can be freely searched out. Lets begin our search for answers back at the
beginning, nearly 2000 years ago when
Jesus said, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it”
(Matthew 16:18). Jesus succeeded and
later when Paul wrote the letter to the Romans he said, “The churches of
Christ greet you” (Rom. 16:16). For
a time there was just one church with no frustrating divisions. Christians walked together in unity with
their friends and loved ones.
Division Foretold
Satan would not sit idly by and let that
early unity go unchallenged. He quickly
implemented the age old divide and conquer strategy and has used it with
chilling success ever since. Paul warned
people about Satan’s evil plan. Paul said, “For the time will come when
they will not endure sound doctrine,
but according to their own desire, because they have itching ears, they will
heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the
truth, and be turned aside to fables”
(II
Timothy 4:3,4). Unfortunately, divisions
occurred just as Paul warned. Some of
the division started from honest disagreements that Satan took advantage of by
stirring up man’s pride. Some of the
division was the result of evil teachers, Satan’s henchmen, who were making
money by preaching just whatever people wanted to hear. Division also came about because some people
were not satisfied being just Christians. They wanted something more than God’s
simple New Testament pattern. They wanted to customize Christianity. They wanted it to reflect their own ideas and
creativity. Satan’s henchmen were more
than willing to help these people redesign Christianity—for a hefty profit, of
course.
The many changes that men have made over
the years have deprived us of the
greater joy and power that is available in Christ. These changes strain friendships, tarnish
family ties, and even destroy some relationships. Most of the division that hinders us today
springs directly from these man-made changes.
Denominational division is a monument to Satan’s success.
Satan’s Buffet
It is
easy to see that denominational division is not from God nor pleasing to
God. Think about it this way, if one preacher
approved of all the doctrines of all the denominations all at the same time and
always taught just whatever people wanted to hear, we would not think kindly of
that preacher. We would say that he
lacked conviction and that he was wishy-washy.
We would be angry with such a preacher for not taking a consistent
stand. We might even call him a liar and
a hypocrite. Yet, many people think that
God is just like that preacher. They
think that God approves of all the conflicting doctrines and that God lets
you believe just whatever doctrine
you want. To them, the denominations are
like a long buffet that a person walks through picking out just whatever
doctrines he wants. One person chooses
to believe that women can be preachers, another chooses to believe that women
cannot be preachers. One person chooses
to believe that baptism is necessary, while another chooses to believe that it
is optional. Another chooses to believe
in the Pope, while another chooses to denounce the Pope. Satan has tricked many people into
believing that God set up this buffet of confusion, that God supplies all the
conflicting doctrines, and that He smiles upon whatever selection anyone makes.
They forget that “God is not the author of confusion but of peace” (I
Corinthians 14:33).
Through this denominational concept of
God, Satan has lowered man’s view of God.
The god of modern religion is a groveling deity with no conviction or
consistency. This modern god is Satan’s
slave imprisoned to serve up any doctrine the denominations desires. Denominational division is clearly Satan’s
victory.
Division and the Bible
Imagine the blessing and power we would
share if we became one. Jesus prayed for unity in John 17:20,21. He prayed, “I do not pray for
these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that
they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also
may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” Notice the degree of unity that Jesus wanted
us to share. He prayed that we would all
be as closely united with one another as He and God are united. Think of the joy and strength that we would
share if we each gave up the man-made changes that we have accepted, came
together on common ground, and stood together as Christ prayed. We would be Christians, nothing more, nothing
less, and our Lord would be pleased.
The apostle Paul also stood firmly against
Satan’s divisive strategy. He wrote, “Now
I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same
thing, and that there be no divisions
among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in
the same judgment” (I Corinthians
1:10). Denominational division with all
its conflicting doctrines works against us.
It weakens us. It is Satan’s victory. He has used the divide and conquer strategy
so successfully that some people actually give God the credit and praise for
this destructive division. It is time
for us to rally our forces, unite, and rescue souls deceived by Satan.
Link
to graphic – (Common
Ground)
This division is what we are
fighting. We are staking out common
ground where we can stand together in unity and strength against Satan. This requires us to make changes and
sacrifices, but we would rather make changes and sacrifices than to be victims
of Satan’s divide and conquer strategy.
We will not foolishly aid Satan by proudly holding on to man-made
changes. We will make certain beyond
reasonable doubt that we are loyal to Christ.
We will not take chances with our eternity, your eternity, or the eternity of our loved ones.
The Reformation Movement
The frustration that people experience
today is not new. Nearly 500 years ago, back in the 1500’s, a
movement began that aimed at correcting
some of the problems of their time. This
movement is called the Reformation Movement because the movement leaders wanted
to reform the religion of their day.
The corrupt religious leaders of that day did not welcome the reformation
efforts. Eventually the reformers were
forced to either give up their efforts or forced out of the existing religious
establishment. This is basically when
modern denominationalism had its beginning:
the
Mennonite church 1525
the
Lutheran church began in 1530
the
Church of England 1534
the
Presbyterian church began in 1536
the
Episcopal church began in 1609
the
Baptist church began in 1611
the Quakers
1650
the
Methodist church 1729
These were originally attempts to correct
religious problems.
Unfortunately, the Reformation Movement stopped short of a true return to New Testament Christianity.
The
Restoration Movement
After the Reformation Movement many
problems remained and some new ones were created. In the late 1700’s another movement
stirred. This movement is called the
Restoration Movement.
This effort
involved various men, such as:
Dr.
Abner Jones, a Baptist preacher in 1780
Elias
Smith, a Baptist preacher in 1789
James
O’Kelly, a Methodist preacher in 1793
Barton
W. Stone, a Presbyterian preacher in 1807
Thomas
Campbell, a Presbyterian preacher in 1807
Alexander
Campbell, a Presbyterian in 1810
These men were frustrated with the
division and confusion that Satan had stirred up. Instead of just reforming the established
denominations, they had a better idea.
They wanted to find common ground where
people from various backgrounds could come together and be one just as
Christ had prayed. To do this they would
start from scratch with only the Bible.
Their loyalty would be solely to Christ.
They made personal sacrifices.
They gave up their man-made creeds, man-made doctrines, and man-made
practices. They desired to base their
efforts on a solid book, chapter, and verse foundation. They endeavored to use Bible words in
Bible ways. They would speak
where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible is silent. They wanted no creed but the Bible. With this Bible based approach they knew
that their eternity would rest upon the safest foundation.
The Restoration Movement and the Bible
The men who led this search for common
ground had clear Bible support for their
efforts. In addition to Christ’s prayer
in John 17:20,21, other verses directly supported and encouraged their
plans. Verses such as:
“Now I urge you, brethren, note those
who cause divisions and offenses,
contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them” (Romans
16:17). Paul warned us not to be
deceived by those who taught different things from the original Bible
message. Paul actually told us to avoid
divisive people.
“But even if we, or an angel from
heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let
him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8).
Paul condemns teachers of man-made changes.
Link
To Grapgic (Church
History)
“Brethren, join in following my
example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern” (Philippians 3:17). Paul tells us to follow the pattern of
Christianity taught in the Bible.
“Therefore, brethren, stand fast and
hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle” (II
Thessalonians 2:15). Again, Paul tells us to follow the Christianity taught in
the Bible.
“Whoever transgresses and does not
abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has
both the Father and the Son” (II John 9).
Once again, making changes in
Christianity is condemned.
Man-made changes are simply wrong.
The leaders of the Restoration Movement
recognized a simple truth: If departure from the Bible pattern was wrong back
when the Bible was written, then departure is still wrong today. It was just that simple. Satan’s sweet propaganda proclaiming that
people can just be sincere and attend the church of their choice
is not Bible based. While it is true
that we must be sincere, we must also attend the church of Jesus’ choice
(Matthew 7:21-23). Souls are being lost
because of Satan’s melodious lies.
Could It Really Be Done?
The goal of the Restoration Movement is a
wonderful idea, but is it really possible?
Can we really return to a simple Bible based Christianity? Can we find common ground and stand together
against Satan? Certainly! It is just a matter of planting the same
spiritual seed that was planted in the first century.
Returning to New Testament Christianity is
comparable to restoring the game of baseball to its original form. Baseball could be restored to its original
form by tossing out all the changes that have been made over the years and
following the original rules. That’s the
basic idea we follow. We toss out all the changes that men have
made over the years and practice only what is clearly authorized in the
original rule book, the New Testament.
When we do this we overcome Satan’s divisive strategy and become the
church that Jesus built, nothing more and nothing less. That is how we find
common ground to stand together as one.
That is also how we find spiritual safety for ourselves and our loved
ones.
Is It Really Safe?
At first, some people are a little
uncomfortable with the idea of giving up their creed books and tossing out all
their man-made changes. They question if
it’s really safe to base their faith and eternal hope solely on the Word of
God. For many people this idea is too
radical and they simply refuse to let
go of their old ways, but actually, this is the safest way to heaven.
The Bible teaches…
“There is a way that seems right to a
man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12). Man-made changes are based on what men think
is right. These changes have a tragic
ending.
“O Lord, I know the way of man is not
in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah
10:23). Man-made changes are
man’s attempt to direct his own steps, but Jeremiah tells us that man does not
have this ability.
“And in vain they worship Me, teaching as
doctrines the commandments of men. … Let them alone. They are blind leaders of
the blind. And if the blind leads the
blind, both will fall into a ditch” (Matthew 15:9, 14).
Jesus warned us that man-made changes make worship vain. He also warns us that the authors of these
man-made changes are blind leaders.
“Brethren, I speak in the manner of men:
Though it is only a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or
adds to it” (Galatians 3:15). Paul warns
us not to add to or take away from God’s word, yet that is exactly what
man-made changes do.
“For I testify to everyone who hears the
words of the prophecy of this book; If anyone adds to these things, God will
add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away
from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from
the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in
this book” (Revelation 22:18,19). John also warned us not to add or take
away from God’s word, yet that is exactly what man-made changes do.
Everyone will agree that the Christians
who followed the simple teachings of the apostles in the first century went to
heaven. Everyone will also agrees that
if we reproduce that same Bible based Christianity, we will go to heaven,
too. The course for us to pursue is
clear. The safest foundation
to build our eternal hope upon is a solid book, chapter, and verse
foundation. Our eternity and that of our
loved ones is far too important to take chances.
What About the Frustration?
Unfortunately, our efforts won’t end
religious division. We can’t force
people to unite upon this simple Bible based approach. We can warn people about Satan’s strategy of
confusion. We can offer people a way
that is free from man-made changes. We
can invite people to stand together with us in loyalty to Christ fighting the
good fight. But, if a person wants to
hold on to man-made changes, then we can’t force them to change.
A Strange Church
Our efforts have resulted in a church that
some people say is strange, but that’s OK.
Our members are really very normal.
Some of our members are active in civic organizations that work to make
our communities better. They might be
your neighbor or your co-worker, but they don’t stand out like some sort of
weird religious fanatic. They enjoy
watching sports and participating in sports like baseball, football,
basketball, hunting, fishing, camping and hiking. They like going out to eat, shopping,
traveling and many other activities. But
when it comes to our souls and eternity, we don’t play around. Entering heaven is our priority. We don’t take chances. We are fully committed to overcoming Satan’s
strategy of confusion. If that means
that some people will call us names, then that is a burden we will gladly bear
because our number one goal is to get ourselves and our loved ones to
heaven.
We are a simple church in organization and
doctrine. We emphasize “the
simplicity that is in Christ” (II Corinthians 11:3). We don’t have every answer to every
question. Sometimes we just have to
admit that there are some things we don’t know.
Our members are not perfect in every way,
and we don’t expect you to be either. We
are somewhat like a hospital, a place where people meet to help one another get
better. We expect our members to keep
growing and maturing, but we also realize that we each have different talents
and that we are at different stages of growth.
We are a diverse group of personalities.
We have some of the most loving people you will ever meet, and some
people that are not always pleasant.
In our zeal to warn people about Satan’s
deceptive strategy, we have not always made the best impression. We have tried in many ways to get their
attention but our efforts have not always succeeded. It has been heart breaking to experience
failure and see souls continue on down the broad road of destruction, but we
refuse to give up. Something would be
terribly wrong if we stopped trying to reach people. And so, we continue the fight emphasizing the
words of Jesus, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of
wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents
and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16).
Does It Really Matter?
Some people will question, “Oh,
come on now, do you really think it matters?”
Many
people have been taught that what they believe and practice does not matter as
long as they are sincere. Before you
accept that idea and stake your eternity on it, check the Bible first. The Bible is the rule book by which you will
be judged (John 12:48). Don’t merely
trust in some man’s word, but rather search the scriptures and get your feet
planted squarely on a solid book, chapter and verse foundation.
Read the following
Bible verses, consider the question that follows, and then ask yourself if
sincerity alone is acceptable to God.
Compare different translations if you would like, the message of these
verses will be essentially the same.
Lev.
10:1-3 Why did Nadab and Abihu die?
I
Sam. 15:22-33 Why did God reject Saul?
II
Sam. 7:7 Did David’s sincerity alone
please God?
I
Kings 13:1-29 Why did God kill the
young prophet?
Prov.
3:5 What is man not suppose to lean on?
Prov.
14:12 What is the end of the way that
seems right to man?
Prov. 28:26 What is a person who
trusts his own heart?
Isa.
55:8,9 Does God think like we think?
Jer.
10:23 What is not in man?
Matt.
5:19 What does God think of the man who “breaks
the least of these commandments, and teaches men so”?
Matt.
7:21-23 Does everyone who says “Lord,
Lord” enter heaven?
Matt.
15:9 Why was their worship vain?
Matt.
15:13 Which plants are plucked up?
Matt.
15:14 What if the blind lead the blind?
Matt.
28:20 What are Christians to observe?
Luke
6:46 Who was Jesus angry with?
John
8:32 What sets a person free?
John
12:48 By what is a person judged?
John
14:15 What does love do?
Acts
2:42 What did they continue steadfastly
in?
Acts
17:11 Why were these more fair-minded?
Rom.
10:1-3 Why were these lost?
Rom.
16:17 Who are we suppose to mark?
I
Cor. 7:19 What matters?
Gal.
1:6-9 What if someone preaches something
different?
Gal.
3:15 What about making changes?
Phil.
3:16,17 What is our pattern?
Phil.
4:9 When will the God of peace be with
you?
I
Thes. 5:21 What are we to test?
II
Thes. 1:7-9 Who will be punished?
II
Thes. 2:15 What are we to hold?
II
Thes 3:6 Who are we to withdraw from?
I
Tim. 1:3 What did Paul tell Timothy?
II
Tim. 1:13 What are we to hold fast?
II
Tim. 2:5 What are we to compete by?
Titus
1:16 What did they profess?
Heb.
11:6 Who does God reward?
James 1:22-26 What if a person is
not a doer of the word?
James
2:10 How many laws does a person have
to break before God is displeased?
II
Peter 3:16 What do some people twist to
their own destruction?
I
John 2:3-5 Who is a liar?
I
John 2:24 What is suppose to abide in
Christians?
I
John 4:1 What are we to test?
I
John 5:2,3 What is love?
II
John 6 What is love?
II
John 9-11 Who does not have God?
Jude
3 What are we to contend earnestly for?
Rev.
3:1 What did God think about the church
at Sardis?
Rev.
22:14 Who is blessed?
Rev.
22:18,19 What about adding to or taking
away from God’s word?
The only foundation to build your eternal
hope upon is a solid book, chapter, and verse foundation. Your eternity and that of your loved ones is
far too important to take a chance. We
can stand together just as Christ prayed. We can have strength to fight Satan’s strategy
of confusion. We won’t win every soul to
Christ, but together we will make a difference.
Yes, But...
After reading this material you might be
thinking, “I agree with what you are trying to do, it’s a great idea, but what
about those people who choose to stay in a church that accepts man-made
changes?” This is an important
question. These people, just like
everyone else, will, “Appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each
one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done,
whether good or bad” ( II Corinthians 5:10). God is their judge and He has the final say.
When we think about Jesus’ warning, “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” (Matthew 7:21), and when we
also consider verses that forbid man to make or accept changes to the Bible
(Rom. 16:17, Gal. 1:6-9; 3:15, Rev. 2:18,19), then we understand that many
people who think that they are right with God, actually aren’t. These people will find themselves saying,
“Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name
and done many wonders in Your name” (Matthew 7:22). And because Satan has deceived and misled
them, Christ will make the sad announcement, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice
lawlessness!” (Matthew 7:23). That day will be an eternal tragedy for many
people.
In
some matters it is easy to see that scriptures are being violated and
twisted. We do not wish these people any
harm, but it is difficult to see how Christ could say to them, “Well done
thou good and faithful servant,”
when they have blatantly disregarded, violated, and twisted the scriptures to
please themselves.
Other matters require closer study. When we are faced with the choice of choosing
between a way that is clearly ok and a way that might be ok, we have chosen to
take the safe path. We believe that
our eternity and that of our loved
ones is far too important to take a chance.
We would rather be safe and have some people think we are a little
strange, than risk hearing Jesus say, “Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matthew 7:23).
Our Invitation to You
A
common goal: heaven.
A
common foe: Satan and his strategy of confusion.
A
common desire: to be one, standing united together upon common ground.
A
common love: for Christ and our families.
A
common loyalty: to Christ and our families.
A
common cause: truth.
A
common sacrifice: giving up man-made changes for the sake of Christ, family,
unity, and eternity.
If returning to a simple Bible based
Christianity is your desire, if you want to work for unity in your community,
then this series is a tool that you can definitely use. Future chapters include...
Chapter
Two, Becoming Just a Christian
Chapter
Three, New Testament Worship
Chapter
Four, Instrumental Music
Chapter
Five, Once Saved, Always Saved
Chapter
Six, The Holy Spirit and Tongues
YOU
ARE INVITED
Come visit with us, look us over, and ask any
questions that you have about the church of Christ.
Sunday
9:00 A.M. Bible Study
Sunday
10:00 A.M. & 5:00 P.M. Worship Service
Wednesday 7:00 P.M. Bible Study
If
you prefer, you may write or call, and ask us any question that
you have. Mail your questions to:
7115 West 65th Street
Little Rock Arkansas 72219-0062
E-Mail—donmcclain@sbcglobal.net
Call—(501) - 568-1062
Web-Site— http://www.w65stchurchofchrist.org/My_Homepage.html
—————————————————–
Elders Deacons Evangelist
George
Rumker Glen Gray Don
McClain
Louis
Sharp Brady Speer
Bill
Wharton Bennie
Stephens
Karl
Vandevender
Kevin
Webb
Not a church of
Christ . . . .