THE TWENTIETH CENTURY CHURCH UNDER FIRE
#686 THE TWENTIETH CENTURY CHURCH UNDER FIRE
Scripture Hebrews 10:25, NIV Orig. 12/1/1977
Rewr. 1/16/1985
Passage: 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Purpose: To state the three essential criteria for the contemporary believer.
Keywords: Believer Evangelism Revival Church Worship
Introduction
One of the great art galleries in our country has a famous painting by G.F. Watts called Hope. The painting itself may not elicit the interest that has centered around an absurd little story about the painting.
To describe the painting is to see a blindfolded woman seated on a sphere with her head bowed, holding a lyre. She seems to represent human fertility in a shrinking world. The musical instrument which she holds retains only one string. The space around the sphere contains one star against a backdrop of blackness. The artist wanted those who viewed his work to see it as he did. He therefore labelled it Hope.
Watts, G.F. Hope1
The story is about two cleaning women who worked in the gallery. One of the women regularly cleaned in this part of the museum, the other was on her first round. When she came to Watt’s display she stopped dead in her tracks and looked with wonderment at the painting. Finally, she said aloud, “Hope! Hope? Why is it called ‘Hope’?”
The other replied, with little wonderment, and probably some agitation, as she turned her attention to the precariously perched figure, “Why, I suppose because she hopes she won’t fall off.”
There are people around us, some who identify themselves as Christian, who view the contemporary church scene with the same doubtful perplexity. What does “church” mean? Has it become an art-form symbolizing that is no longer meaningful? Is it only a supplier of sanctimonious symbols?
The writer of Hebrews sees it differently. He declares it to be what it is: What God has made it to be. It is people, alive in a dead world, with a sense of mission. It is an awesome explosive power awaiting the torch of commitment. There are 3 guidelines.
I. They were to Attend Their Church. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is.”
Though I rule it out, I wonder if boredom was ever the cause. Or fatigue: I heard of one pastor who called a meeting of the board following the service. A stranger was present. “Sir, we were happy you came, but this meeting is just for the board.” “I have trouble believing that these people were more bored than I!”
We are here instructed that our first attitude about our church is faithful attentiveness. (1)There is a triad of meaning (Romans 3): For worship and praise; for instruction from the Word; for preparation in ministry. (2)Romans 1:21 (Glorified not as God, nor were thankful.) When these go begging, no matter what other reasons we have, we have rejected our mandate.
Old Testament—Samuel anointed Saul (I Samuel 12), had the people assemble at Gilgal. They sacrificed, had great joy in praise. I Samuel 12:7, “Now, therefore, stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord of all the righteous acts of the Lord, which he did to you and to your fathers.”
New Testament—Acts 11:26, when Barnabas located Paul he brought him to Antioch. “For a whole year they assembled themselves with the church and taught many people. They were first called Christians at Antioch.”
This “assembly” was essential for empowering in and to service. The young Indian brave inquired of the steps necessary to become chief. [Some text lost.] The sacred bobcat: You must bring down the great white buffalo with your bard hands. You must wrestle the brown bear [to] win two of three challenges. Then must come the trials of fire and ice. The brave interrupted with “What ever happened to wholesome good looks and a nice personality?”
II. They were to Defend Their Church. “Exhorting one another.”
This is akin to paraklētos—“comforter.” This form is never retrospective, and always prospective. (Parakaleo.) It is “beseech, entreat, admonish.” See Psalm 141:5—
"Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—that is oil on my head.
My head will not refuse it,
for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.”
It guards against the infiltration of error. II Timothy 4:2-4, “Preach the word; exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts they will heap themselves teachers. . . .” Notice again the charge to exhort, a call to higher living. Notice the condemnation of “heaping”: Man in Oakdale who enlarged capacity of concrete plant without increasing foundation.
To defend against worldliness. II Timothy 4:10 “Demas hath forsaken . . . having loved this . . . world.” Revelation 3:14, Laodicea—“I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing; thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”
To defend against complacency. Not enough just not to oppose. One must take a vital stand.
To defend against cliquishness. Like at Corinth, people separate into factions: talents, worldly goods, gifts, pastors. “Paul is my favorite.” I Corinthians 3:11, “ For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
III. They were to Extend Their Church. “And all the more as you see the day approaching.”
Which statement he clarifies in the verses that follow. The example of the Old Testament covenant. Anyone rejecting Moses died by the witness of two or three. Rejecting Jesus is rejecting His death, rejecting God’s will, and insulting the Holy Spirit (29). It is deadly for the so-called believer and unbeliever alike.
We are to be extensions of our church: From active participation—worship, study, ministry awareness; we receive the enablement to be Christ’s representative in our community and beyond.
We might say that through this means we Commend our church. You commend it first and foremost by your support. You commend it to the degree that you support it. What think you of token support to: your job? Your children’s school? Your family? You commend your church by supporting and praying for its leaders. It is much easier to criticize another than to condition one’s own life to support just causes in Christ. You commend your church by every positive referral.
Closing
As the day approaches
***The remainder of this sermon has been lost.***
1Watts, G.F. (2020). Hope. [Oil on canvas]. Watts Gallery, Compton, Surrey, U.K. In Reitsema, E.M. Hebrews 11:1—Hope by G.F. Watts, ArtWay Visual Meditation, (16 February 2020). (Original work 1885/1886). https://artway.eu/content.php?id=2901&lang=en&action=show
Hope https://artway.eu/content.php?id=2901&lang=en&action=show