Finish The Story

There was once a congregation in which every member was just like you. Each one cooperated and supported every phase of the work just like you. Everyone worked as hard and attended the same services and gospel meetings that you did. The elders, deacons, and preachers were all as interested in the church as you are. They put the same emphasis on recreation, business, and other material affairs that you do. Each member contributed monetarily just like you do. Within a year or so, this congregation… Is that happening here in this congregation?
Think about it, the church will be as strong or as weak as you are. The chruch is composed of members.

When Church Is Boring

Written by

Frank Himmel
What do you do when you find that church is boring? It's time for a change! Now the question is, change what?
Many folks think the answer is change the church. I just read an article about a new church created for men only, men who find church boring. Discarding more traditional environments, they meet in a gymnasium one Saturday evening a month. A rock band provides the entertainment. The preacher speaks in front of the scoreboard, with the clock running. He guarantees to have them out in one hour! This sort of innovation is not unusual. Many religious leaders hail it as a positive development, a way to reach out to those who otherwise would have no interest in church.
Some might not go that far, yet they still insist on change. Contemporary music, drama, and short sermons that are little more than pep talks are the order of the day. Clapping and cheering have replaced old-fashioned amens. Celebration and praise are the buzzwords, with the world's calendar dictating the subject celebrated.
Malachi lived at a time when people found "church" boring. Speaking of Israel's worship, God said through the Prophet, "You also say, 'My, how tiresome it is!' And you disdainfully sniff at it" (Mal. 1:13).
God proposed two changes to these who turned up their noses at His worship. One was to just stay home. "Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you" (v. 11). The better solution, the change He preferred, was to repent. "'If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name,' says the Lord, 'then I will send the curse upon you'" (2:2). Notice what God did not approve: changing the structure or activities of wor-ship to accommodate individual tastes.
The preacher can work to make his sermons more interesting, the song leader can try to select more meaningful hymns, and the one who leads in prayer can give more thought to what he says. However, when worship as God directed is boring, the main change that is needed is in the heart of the worshiper.

Preacher, "Your Preaching Is Too Harsh"

It’s not the first time that I hear people saying that they do not want to come to Northside church of Christ because my preaching is too “harsh”. Some say that I am not a “loving person”. By “loving,” what they really mean is I don’t “tolerate sin”. That’s another way to say that the preacher is not a loving preacher.
I ask my self, what is it that people find “harsh”? Exactly what are these people looking for? What do they want?
Someone told me: I’m shopping around for a church. You hear that, “shopping around”. People are not looking for the truth but for the church that concedes with their lifestyle. Will they find it? Yes, there are thousands of churches that will please this type of people.
But again, what is it that they find harsh about the preacher at Northside church of Christ?
Do they find it harsh that we ask for: Bible book, chapter and verse for everything that we do?
Do they find it harsh that we continue admonishing those in sin to repent?
Do they find it harsh that we admonish those who are forsaking the service to wake up from their apathy and revive their Christian life again?
Do they find it harsh that we in this congregation do not condone sin?
Do they find it harsh that we do not sell a cheap Gospel in order to please people?
Do they find it harsh that we do not commune with those practicing sin?
Do they find it harsh that we do not have a baseball league or teams to compete with sectarian churches?
Do they find it harsh that we do not lie to one another but preach the truth of Jesus?
Do they find it harsh that we do not tolerate inmmodesty in this congregation?
Do they find it harsh that we condemn promiscuity?
Do these people want me to preach lies? I believe that we are reaching the same point as the people of Israel were when they were asking the prophets of the Lord:
Isa 30:10 Who say to the seers, "Do not see," And to the prophets, "Do not prophesy to us right things; Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits.
People are asking today, perhaps in a different manner, the same things that the Israelites were asking. Should we please them?
Many want to come to church in their sins and when they hear the preacher attacking sin they say: “This preacher is too harsh.” They want me to congratulate them when they are living in sin and to compromise the truth from God in order to make them feel good. Brothers, should I do that? Should I preach “peace, peace” when there is no peace?
Jer 6:14 They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, Saying, 'Peace, peace!' When there is no peace.
My preaching is too harsh. I remember that the Jewish were saying the same about Jesus when He was attacking sin. For this reason many did not follow Him anymore, because Jesus was “too harsh”.
John 6:60-61…Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?
Was Jesus begging them to stay? NO, He let them go. Northside is in the same position. If people will not follow Jesus and His truth in all sincerity they can go any time, but we will not change the gospel of Jesus in order to please the masses.
“Preacher, your preaching is too harsh, you are not teaching for the teenagers.” Can someone please show me where in the Bible we find the gospel for: Old, for Young and for Teenagers? Where in the Bible do you hear about “youth preacher”? Was Paul a youth preacher, or Barnabas or Peter? All I read in the Bible is that they were preaching the gospel and those who believed obeyed and were added to the church (Acts 2:47).
“Preacher, your preaching is too harsh when you don’t plan any activities for the ‘youth’”. Do you want to have secular entertainment? Talk to mom and dad, it is their responsibility to entertain you, not the church’s. The work of the church and of the preacher is:
· Edification
· Evangelism
· Benevolence
The preacher is not “Ronald Macdonald” to entertain anyone. His job is to preach and if people are touched in their hearts they will obey.
“Preacher, your preaching is too harsh”. This was the same reason that the Jews killed Jesus, Stephen, James, Paul and the other Apostles.
Mt 15:7-9… "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"
Northside took me as a preacher to preach the truth and not to please people.
May the Lord bless us.
Eric C.

Let Not Your Heart Be Trouble.

John 14: 1-7-->
I would like to start off by asking a simple question, how many of us have been troubled in our lives? I believe that mostly everyone can say that they have been troubled in their lives. The truth is brethren that to be troubled is something natural in human beings. Whether it be for sicknesses and family problems, human being go through troubled states countless times in their lives and is in fact a part of everyday living. Then we can also find Christians troubled in their spiritual lives. We find many brethren dragging their feet ready to quit the race. But what can we say to these brethren that are in these conditions? Can we use the the scriptures to encourage such brethren and tell them to not give up or risk losing eternal life? The answer is a definite yes. That is why I have title my lesson “Let not your heart be troubled” found in John 14:1.
The message from Jesus to his disciples in John 14 starts with the encouraging words which say

“Let not your heart be troubled”. This message was necessary due to the events that had just occurred in chapter 13. The denial of Peter, Judas leaving them to go betray their Lord and it seemed that the journey to the cross was ever more near. And it seemed that everything was going all wrong for his disciples and their spirits were slowly starting to diminish, but what they didn’t know is that a prophesy was being fulfilled. That is why Jesus being the loving and caring Lord that he was took the time to encourage and edify their faith by telling them the encouraging words “Let not your heart be troubled” and also not to be afraid John 14:27.
Jesus as God knew very well what his disciples were going through and what was awaiting them, that is why these consoling words were necessary as they would help encourage and lift up his disciples to continue this difficult journey. The fact that Jesus uses the word troubled in such a consoling way is something worthy of glorifying, as he is going through the most difficult moments in his life, but what do we see Him worry about the most? At this moment what He is worried about the most are His disciples and their state of mind. The beautiful thing brethren is that this passage does not only reflect on his disciples but can also reflect on us, as we know that our Lord Jesus was going through all this ultimately for our Salvation. Our Lord was suffering for us but at the same time using his suffering to encourage us. But sometimes brethren we read these passages without actually meditating in them. Let’s take the time right now to immerse ourselves in this passage. How many of us have thought about our Lord’s state of mind at these crucial and difficult times? We realize and know that on earth he was a man. Do you think he got troubled with the events that were to happen to him? There is no doubt if there were a time to be troubled, it would be these days, realizing that cruel and difficult road of suffering he had to endure at the cross. And yes we see in the Bible He was troubled when he asked his Father to let the cup pass from Him, Matthew 26:38- 45. It was evident that our Lord was suffering as He said “his soul was exceedingly sorrowful”. He was troubled for what would happen to Him, He was troubled because His disciples could not stay awake to encourage Him with their presence. He was troubled to the extent where we read that His sweat were like great drops of blood. But what do we see brethren our Lord doing? As a man yes He was troubled but as the compassionate Lord that He was, He took his troubled state and His suffering to encourage His disciples and us with His compassionate words. If we take the time to consider the despair our Lord went through for us so that we could have a chance of eternal life, how much more can we give up for our Lord and God, who probably suffered twice as much than we will ever suffer. He gave everything to us. How much do we really give back to him? Our Lord took the time to encourage his disciples giving words to encourage them by showing them the way and the life.
The truth is brethren that the holy Scriptures are drenched with words of encouragement. And the purpose is to lift up and encourage every Christian in times of distress and trouble.
Philippians 4: 13
Ephesians 2: 14
Philippians 2: 1- 2
As we read in these few passages we have a guide in which to turn to when in need and in times of distress. In Him we have peace (Ephesians 2:14), consolation and a way of escape from all our troubles. It is through him that we can do and defeat anything. And it is through his words that we can find consolation to all our troubles.
In conclusion brethren I would like to finish how I started.

Getting troubled is part of everyday life in human beings. But if we understand and apply the Holy Scriptures in our lives we will realize that Jesus is more than sufficient to lay our burdens on Him so that one day we may see that place in our Father’s house with many mansions that is prepared for each and every one of us.
May the Lord bless today and always.
In The Lord

Antonio Arguera.