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THE GOSPEL OBSERVER
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching
them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you
always even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20).
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November 17, 1996
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Christian Weight Control?
by Harry R. Osborne
In recent years, it has been amazing to see the
variety of activities in which some churches have been
engaged. There are churches offering dental clinics, GED
classes, day care centers, political action drives, job
placement services, business enterprises, and many other
things having nothing to do with the spiritual function God
commanded of the church we read about in the New
Testament. One church in Tennessee even advertised a
series of adult classes including one on wood carving,
another on basket making and a third for men only entitled
``Fun Facts About Your Prostate.''
A few days ago, I saw an institutional church here in
Alvin advertising a class on their sign as follows:
``First Place''
Christian Weight Control
I later found that the class was a weight loss program
which held all the promise of turning Jehosaphat into
Jehosaslim. Though I have no question that the class is
offered with every good intention, I do question what
business the church has being involved in ``weight control.''
Paul did say, ``let us lay aside every weight, and the sin
which so easily ensnares us'' (Heb. 12:1), but he clearly had
spiritual encumbrances rather than flabby middles in mind.
Such programs which concentrate on physical life
rather than emphasizing the priority of spiritual life are
contrary to the focus given by the Bible instruction:
"If you instruct the brethren in these
things, you will be a good minister of Jesus
Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of
the good doctrine which you have carefully
followed...and exercise yourself toward godliness.
For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness
is profitable for all things, having promise of
the life that now is and of that which is to
come" (1 Tim. 4:6-8).
But what does the Bible say about the mission and
work of the church? Let's see.
Bible Teaching
on the Church's Mission
1 Timothy 3:15 says the church is ``the pillar and
ground of the truth.'' Proclaiming that truth upon which it
is based ought to be the focus of the action of the church.
The New Testament church did not dilute the message
inspired of God with programs aimed at trim waistlines.
In 1 Timothy 4, as noted previously, the Bible shows
how that spiritual emphasis should be fulfilled. The first
five verses instruct the people to identify and combat
attempts to change the doctrine God gave. The rest of the
chapter shows the supremacy of the spiritual matters over
the physical. The mission of the church is found in the
spiritual realm.
Ephesians 4:11-16 makes the principle even clearer.
The ones mentioned in verse 11 (``apostles, prophets,
evangelists, pastors and teachers'') were all involved in the
revelation and proclamation of the word of God. Their effect
was spiritual.
They ``perfected the saints'' so that the saints might
do the ``work of ministering'' resulting in ``the building up
of the body of Christ'' (v. 12). The word of God caused
people to be perfected or made complete spiritually. Then,
they went out and served others by teaching God's word.
The result was the spiritual strengthening of the body, the
church.
This fact is evident in verses 13-16 as the truth or
message of Christ is emphasized as the necessity for the
body's growth. One cannot escape the fact that the church
has a spiritual mission. That mission is to preach the truth
of God's word causing people to grow spiritually, not shrink
physically.
In 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, a church was rebuked
because they abused the spiritual purpose of their
gathering together. Instead of worshiping the Lord in eating
the Lord's supper, they made it into a common meal. Such
was condemned! The writer said that the proper means for
engaging in such social activities was the responsibility of
the home, hence, showing a distinction between action
provided for by the church collectively and by individuals
in the home (1 Cor. 11:22).
When Did It Get ``Liberal''?
A few years ago, the Bering Drive Church of Christ in
Houston offered the readers of their bulletin an opportunity
to ``Come Take A Bite Out Of A World's Record--300 Foot Hot
Dog!!!'' The event was promised to have live television
coverage and all the trappings of a real social attraction.
Some of the less liberal institutional brethren (please excuse
the oxymoron) decried such spectacles as an example of
``liberalism.'' This caused me to wonder when that hot dog
became "liberal." When it was a six-inch hot dog back in
their kitchen or so-called ``fellowship hall,'' the same folks
thought it was fine and decried the ``antis'' who opposed
such. Now that the hot dog has grown to 300 feet in length,
it has become a sign of ``liberalism.'' How long did that hot
dog have to get before it became ``liberal''? One foot? Five
feet? Ten feet? One hundred feet? Where was the ``liberal''
line that was crossed? Maybe Wayne Jackson, Johnny
Ramsey, Alan Highers, or one of the Spiritual Sword crowd
can tell us. Do you think they will?
The truth is, it became ``liberal'' and unscriptural
when the church provided for social activities, however
small they seemed at the time, which were not authorized in
the word of God. At that point, the one engaged in such
action was properly described as that which ``goeth onward
and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ'' (2 John 9).
Whether it was six inches or 300 feet beyond the teaching is
beside the point. The path of disobedience started with the
first step. I seriously doubt that the Spiritual Sword crowd
would justify the 300 foot hot dog or the ``Christian weight
control'' program necessitated by such huge appetites for
social gospel programs. However, if they trace its lineage,
they will find themselves as the fathers of that which they
now call ``liberalism.''
Conclusion
The Bible approves of individuals being involved in
social activities. It also approves of individuals planning
and providing for business ventures, recreation, political
agendas, educational pursuits, child care, and weight loss
programs. But where is the church charged with these
matters? We need to let individuals do their work and let
churches get back to their spiritual mission.
Christ did not die to purchase gyms, businesses,
dental clinics, day care centers, some political agenda, or
weight control programs. He died so that a saving message
could be preached to people and purchase a people
redeemed from sin, the church (Acts 20:28). If a work is not
worth the blood of Jesus, the church has no business being
involved in it! The Savior's blood was not shed to rid the
physical body of unwanted pounds, but to rid the spiritual
man of sin (Rev. 1:5). Spreading that message of truth is
the focus of the church which conforms to the pattern
found in God's word.
-- Via Guardian of Truth, October 17, 1996
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NEWS & NOTES
Christine Stambaugh's surgery for breast cancer
began November 13, and she will be returning soon for
additional surgery. Let us keep her in our prayers.
David Thomley solicits prayers for Louise Coburn and
writes, ``Louise's bone marrow test was not as good as we
had hoped. It showed only a 3% improvement on when she
first went down there. They have decided to go home to
Florence. If she decides to have more chemo they will be
able to do it there. Steve left today to go back to Houston
to take them home. She is to be released tomorrow [11/15].''
Ray Sherman reported to ``Mark's List'' that Peter J.
Wilson is now in the ``last stages of stomach cancer'' and
that he ``has been fighting cancer and other diseases for
some time now.'' In addition, Ray also stated: ``Pete Wilson
has had a very positive influence on me and I am sure on
many other Christians. He still continues to be an example.
Irene told Bill that Pete said `now that it is coming near the
end, it really is quite exciting.' I hope that when it is my
turn to leave this life and go be with the Lord that I can
say `it really is quite exciting.'''
FREE Bible course upon request.
Live nearby and need a ride to our services, call the
number below. One of the members would be happy to
accommodate you.
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A Matter of Perspective
Funny how $10.00 looks so big when you take it to
church...and so small when you take it to the store.
Funny how laborious it is to read a chapter in the
Bible...and how easy it is to read a best-selling novel.
Funny how we can't think of anything to say when we
pray...but we don't have any difficulty talking on the phone
or over the back fence with a neighbor.
On second thought, maybe these things aren't so
funny after all. Perhaps they reflect our mixed-up
priorities. Maybe our problem is that we're viewing our
commitment to God through the wrong end of a telescope.
-- Selected
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Mantras #7
"It's My Body!''
by Warren Berkeley
The infamous W.C. Fields was quoted as saying, on
several occasions, ``Get away from me, kid, ya' bother me.''
Here is a man who had very definite carnal interests and
children were considered an intrusion. Yet, the same
attitude toward children remains in our day, expressed in
the form of abortion. One argument that has become popular
is...
``It's My Body!''
Women who champion the right to abort babies make
this argument, as if it settled everything. The concept
implied is, there is some sort of absolute right women have
over their own bodies that is a greater right than that of
the unborn child to live. They cite no authority and give no
precedent to this. It is simply asserted.
The modern practice of abortion is the killing of
unborn babies. In the Texas Family Code, the law defines
abortion in Section 15.02[b]: ``Abortion is an intentional
expulsion of a human fetus from the body of a woman
induced by any means for the purpose of causing the death
of the fetus.'' The modern practice of abortion amounts to
abortion-without-qualms, for the sake of personal
convenience. This awful practice has been legalized since
Roe v. Wade (1973), yet many of the state law books
continue to state the reality of this now sanctioned murder:
``the death of the fetus.''
``It's My Body!'' Yes, but there is another body inside
of your body. That body may be smaller than your adult
body, and dependent upon you for nourishment, but it is a
body and a life. In the Bible, there is no distinction
between pre-natal and post-natal life. After conception and
before birth (during the human gestation period), THE
BIBLE SPEAKS OF THE PRODUCT OF CONCEPTION AS HUMAN
LIFE! (Jer. 1:5; Psa. 139:13-16; Lk. 1:36 with 2:16).
A woman may have a ``right of privacy'' in regard to
a number of things, including her body, but the killing of
innocent pre-natal life is never a private matter about
which there is some ``right.''
Don Feder has said, ``A society doesn't arrive at
Auschwitz overnight.'' There are laws, judicial decisions and
popular prejudices which ought to sound an alarm. The Roe
v. Wade decision over 20 years ago; since then, there have
been over 28 million abortions in this country--these should
sound the alarm.
In a debate over a nuclear power several years ago, a
feminist named Juli Loesch was forced to re-think her own
contradictory views of fetuses. She was a vocal organizer
attempting to stop the construction of the Three Mile Island
facility. She had schooled herself on what leaked radiation
could do to prenatal development. {Remember, she is
pro-abortion; taking the view that the fetus is not a
person}. At a meeting one day, a group of women issued an
unexpected challenge: ``if you're so concerned about what
Plutonium 239 might do to the child's arm bud, you should
go to an abortion clinic and see what a suction machine
does to his whole body!'' (source: Jason DeParle, ``Beyond
The Legal Right,'' The Washington Monthly, 1989 by The
Washington Monthly Company, 1711 Connecticut Ave. NW,
Washington, D.C. 20009.)
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Tri-State
CHURCH OF CHRIST
713 13th Street, Ashland, Kentucky 41101
Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class
10:50 A.M. Worship
6:30 P.M. Worship
Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742
e-mail: tedwards@wwd.net
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