ASK YOUR PREACHER (Number 2)

     Thank you and a pleasant good morning to each one. It is so good
to have you in our listening audience. Are you telling others about
the program? May we be open and receptive to the teachings of the Word
of God, realizing that we one day shall stand before our eternal
creator and give an accounting of how we have handled His Word in the
life that we are living each day.
     I do not know a better way to get before you the fact that
certain religious practices and doctrines in which some are engaged
today are not taught in the Bible, than the plan I followed in our
lesson last week -- and that was a request that each one ask your
preacher for certain information.  I wish to follow this approach for
the next few studies with you.  Having been a preacher myself for many
years, I have some idea as to what should be expected of a preacher
and of what should be his attitude toward those who inquire of him
concerning the things he teaches and practices in religion. With the
Bible as our rule of faith and practice, we should be very anxious to
do just the things it authorizes. Nothing more nor nothing less. Even
a preacher should not want to practice in religion those things that
God's Word does not teach.  And, if he is following the New Testament
as his authority, he should be more than willing to tell you just
where you can read the various things he teaches and practices.
Consequently, I come to you again today with the request that you ASK
YOUR PREACHER regarding a number of things that I shall introduce.
     ASK YOUR PREACHER where the Bible says that all denominations are
branches of the same vine. You have heard this statement made many
times, no doubt, when denominationalism is being discussed. It is
rather obvious that the religious world is woefully divided, with
conflicting doctrines and practices of every kind. Not only do
denominations differ in name; they differ in teaching and practice.
Their doctrines are in many places in direct conflict with one
another. In no sense is there unity, harmony or concord, but there is
discord, disagreement and division. We sometimes ask if God is pleased
with a condition like, and we are often told that it is perfectly all
right, for all denominations are just branches of the same vine. Now
if you have heard your preacher say this, please ask him where the
Bible says so.
     I have read the statement made by Jesus in John 15:1-6 that is
often relied on to sustain this idea, but it does not say anything
that even remotely resembles that. In this passage Jesus is talking to
his disciples. He is not talking to denominations, but to his
disciples. And to his disciples Jesus said in verse 5, "I am the vine,
ye are the branches." If He were speaking of denominations, would He
not have said, "I am the vine and THEY are the branches"? But He did
not say, "They are the branches." He said, "YE are the branches." A
number of disciples made a number of branches. Christ was (and is) the
vine; the disciples were (and are) the branches; and each disciple in
Christ was a branch in the vine. It took just one disciple to make a
branch, for Jesus said in verse 6: "If a man abide not in me, he is
cast forth as A BRANCH." This repudiates the idea that Jesus referred
to denominations as branches, for in that case it would take a great
group of men to make a branch, but Jesus said one man makes a branch.
So, this is not the passage that must be found. If your preacher
refers you to this passage, call his attention to the fact that one
man is a branch, and that he must find some other passage.  This one
will not, for it does not even begin to say that all denominations are
branches of the same vine.
     ASK YOUR PREACHER where the Bible says that inspired men ever
invited alien sinners to the altar to pray for salvation. This
practice has been followed by many in the religious world. Perhaps it
is practiced in the church where you worship. If so, then I do not
know of a better one to tell to ask your preach for this information
than you. You are well acquainted with him; you have been in his
audience many times; you have heard him preach over and over the
things he believe. So just go to him and ask of him for book, chapter
and verse where any inspired man ever told alien sinners to come to
the altar for prayer that they might thus be saved. Surely he could
not object to a thing like this. So, do not hesitate to ask him.
     I have read in the Bible of an alien sinner engaged in prayer,
when a heaven-sent man came to him to tell him what to do. A case of
this kind is found in Acts 22. Saul, who had been an enemy of the
early church, became convinced of the error of his way. He asked the
Lord what he would have him to do. Jesus told him to go to Damascus
and there he would be told what he must do. So, he went to the city
and waited for that information. Ananias was sent to tell him what to
do. When he came into the presence of Saul, the sinner, he found him
engaged in prayer. But, you will note, he did not tell him to keep
praying. No, he told this praying man, "And now why tarriest thou?
arise, and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of
the Lord" (Acts 22:16). To "arise," means, "to get up." There is
something else that you MUST do. Ananias told Saul to get up from his
praying and do something else -- to be baptized and wash away his
sins. This could not be the passage your preacher could point you to,
for the man of God there followed the very reverse of the course of
many preachers today.
     I also remember reading in the second chapter of Acts about a
great multitude of sinners being condemned by the preaching of the
apostle Peter. In Acts 2:37, they asked him and the rest of the
apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"  Would not this have
been a very good time for Peter to tell them "to pray through to
salvation; but according to my Bible, that is not what was said. My
Bible says that Peter answered, "Repent, and be baptized, every one of
you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).  So, instead
of these alien sinners being told to come to the altar of prayer, they
were told to "repent and be baptized for the remission of sins." Jesus
said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter
into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doeth the will of my father
which is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). None of these statements resemble
the religious practices of men who invite sinners to the altar to pray
for salvation. So, I was wondering if your preacher knows where
inspired men ever followed a course like that? Perhaps you can ask
your preacher. Just ask him to give you a passage in the Bible that
contains the practice. And then if it is not too much trouble for you,
I would be glad for you to send the information to me. If it taught
and practiced in the New Testament of Christ Jesus, I would like to
teach and practice it.
     ASK YOUR PREACHER where the Bible says anything about "getting
religion." As far back as I can remember I have heard people talk
about getting religion; I have read reports of numbers of people who
"got religion." I have heard preachers talk about it. And I do not
doubt that some of you have heard similar statements. If you have
heard your preacher talk of "getting religion," why not ask him to
tell you where you can find anything about it in the Bible.
     Yes, the word religion occurs in the Bible. It is not mentioned
many times. The word does not occur in the Old Testament, and it is
found only five time in the King James translation of the New
Testament. But in all these passages it is evident that religion is
something that men DO, and not something that they GET. Paul referred
to his early religion as his manner of life. Listen to him, "My manner
of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at
Jerusalem, know all the Jews: which knew me from the beginning, if
they would testify, that after the straitest sect of our religion I
lived a Pharisee" (Acts 26:4,5). His religion at that time was not
something he received in answer to prayer -- but it was his manner of
life: it referred to what he did. In Galatians 1:13, 14, he said, "For
ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jew's religion,
how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
and profited in the Jews' religion about many of my equals in mine own
nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my
fathers." The religion mentioned here was his conversation, or his
conduct, his manner of life, instead of something he received in some
way. James says in James 1:26, 27, "If any man among you seem to be
religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart,
this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God
and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their
affliction, and to keep himself unspotted form the world." Two kinds
of religions are here mentioned -- vain religion and pure religion.
But even the vain religion refers to something the man does -- bridles
not his tongue but deceived his own heart. Also the pure and undefiled
religion is not something one gets, but something he does, for James
says it is "to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction."
This refers to deeds we do. Also, to "keep himself unspotted from the
world." Surely this refers to the manner of living. But, James says
that is religion. Where, then, can we read anything about "getting
religion"?  As much as I have heard it talked about, I confess to you
today that I do not know where to find anything about it in the Bible.
If your preacher knows, surely he will tell you, and you can pass that
information along to me.
     Before I close this morning I wish to make something crystal
clear. It is not my intention to defame or belittle anyone by the
comments which I make. I do not wish to question the honesty or
sincerity of anyone of you in this listening audience. But, my
friends, we are dealing with a very serious matter. Your eternal
destiny depends upon how you handle the Word of God. So does mine. We
both shall stand before the judgment bar of heaven one day. I, and
you, will then be judged as to how we have handled the Word of Life.
These questions are extremely important. They focus in on some of the
religious differences which we see about us every day. I encourage you
to take these seriously. Or, do you care?  I believe that you do, or
you would not be listening to me at this time. And I must conclude
that you have an honest heart, until you show me differently. Jesus
in Luke 8:15, when teaching the lesson on the sower, said, "And that
in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart,
having heard the word, hold it fast, and bring forth fruit with
patience." May we all have good and honest hearts. Hearts that are
receptive to the truth of God's Word. I do not ask of you to accept
something because I say it. But, I beg of you to accept what God's
Word says about every matter.
     To those who would wish to correspond with me about these or any
other matters religious, our address is Route 1, Box 502, Anahuac,
Texas 77514. That's the White Park church of Christ.
                      --Much of this taken from a tract by:
                        W. Curtis Porter, Cogdill Pub. Co.
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