“Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
“‘But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.
“‘Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? And you say, “If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.” You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.
“‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
“‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
“‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
“‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, “If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.” Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.” [1]
“There’s no reason to be walking around with a mask.” So said America’s oracle of all things medical, Dr. Anthony Fauci, during an interview presented on Sixty Minutes in March of this past year. He continued, saying, “When you’re walking around in the middle of an outbreak, wearing a mask might make people feel a little bit better, and it might even block a droplet. But it’s not providing the perfect protection that people think that it is. And often there are unintended consequences. People keep fiddling with the mask and keep touching their face.” [2]
To be sure, the prominent advocate for aggressive governmental mandates to lockdown the economy and to compel compliance with a variety of questionable responses meant to control the COVID-19 pandemic, changed his view within a couple of months, arguing that masks were helpful, even essential. He hedged his view with what some scientists might call “weasel words” when he continued, “[Masks] can protect you to a certain degree, not a hundred percent, in protecting you from getting infected from someone who, either is breathing, or coughing, or sneezing or singing or whatever it is in which the droplets or the aerosols go out.” [3] Such is the expertise that has guided governmental response to this particular pandemic.
Consequently, Dr. Fauci now admits that he deliberately lied in his earlier estimates of how much to allow the virus to spread throughout the populace. A recent article in the NY Times, admits, “Dr. Fauci acknowledged that he had slowly but deliberately been moving the goal posts. He is doing so, he said, partly based on new science, and partly on his gut feeling that the country is finally ready to hear what he really thinks. [4]
Continuing, “…Dr. Fauci said that weeks ago, he had hesitated to publicly raise his estimate because many Americans seemed hesitant about vaccines, which they would need to accept almost universally in order for the country to achieve herd immunity.
“Now that some polls are showing that many more Americans are ready, even eager, for vaccines, he said he felt he could deliver the tough message that the return to normal might take longer than anticipated.” [5]
Well, that is certainly a pertinent illustration of the prevailing craziness at this particular time. We’ve witnessed governments compelling the citizenry to cover the face with a piece of cloth, force Christians to cease attending church, demand that parishioners avoid singing or chanting (who chants, in any case), and forcing multiple businesses to shut down. Increasingly we are witnessing people pushing back against the burdensome strictures. Politicians appear oblivious to the possibility that it is the dishonesty of the experts that has caused people to question what they are being told, to object to what appears to be heavy-handed demands. Perhaps honest communication would go a long way toward gaining co-operation. You have undoubtedly heard some wit express the opinion concerning experts, “Just remember, the Titanic was built by experts; and the Ark was built by amateurs.” Of course, one of those vessels sank on the maiden voyage; the other carried eight people to safety when the earth was judged during the Great Flood.
Tragic as the lies may be that are now propping up government shutdowns, more tragic still are the lies told by those who are seen as experts for the soul of mankind. Lies are never a foundation on which to build trust. Falsehood, even what is usually called mere stretching the truth or white lies, ultimately destroy the very foundation of community. Whether we speak of social community, or whether we speak of the community of the faithful, a lack of honesty destroys unity.
This introduction points us to the grave danger facing every facet of life as we know it. Truth seems inevitably to be surrendered to the speculation of experts, calling into question the basis for all progress, the basis for all stability in our world. I want us to think about the broad surrender of our minds to the experts in society as a whole. Then, I want us to seek the explanation of how we came to this situation in this day.
WORSHIPPING AT THE FEET OF EXPERTS — A disturbing news report appeared on social media this past Christmas Eve. The mayor of Washington, DC, declared December 24th as “Anthony Fauci Day.” [6] Apparently, that was sufficient motivation for news presenters on one major network to give the doctor a new status, calling him “our 2020 Lord and Savior.” [7] Many people appeared to take leave of their senses, growing effusive in their praise of the man, even going so far as to exult, “In Fauci we trust!” [8] There appears to have been scant restraint as the apparent absence of respect for the Living God permitted people to exalt a mere mortal, and an aged one at that.
As I read the account of the adulation heaped on this prominent physician, I recalled another prominent individual who received the praise of a crowd without giving glory to God. In the Book of Acts, we read the account of Herod on the occasion of a speech, “On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, ‘The voice of a god, and not of a man’” [ACTS 12:21-22]! My goodness, but the people were enthusiastic, even ecstatic. But God was not amused, for we read, “Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last” [ACTS 12:23]. Ouch!
Lest someone should be tempted to relegate this stunning account to the realm of Christian mythology, know that another contemporary writer was present on the day in which Agrippa spoke, and he described this particular event in these words. “Upon [being adulated as a god] the king did neither rebuke them, nor reject their impious flattery. But, as he presently afterwards looked up, he saw an owl sitting on a certain rope over his head, and immediately understood that this bird was the messenger of ill tidings, as it had once been the messenger of good tidings to him; and fell into the deepest sorrow. A severe pain also arose in his belly, and began in a most violent manner.” [9]
It is dangerous when anyone exalts his or her name without giving glory of the Lord. It is dangerous to receive praise without acknowledging that God has permitted you to excel. We do well to remember that God, through Isaiah, testifies,
“I am the LORD; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other.”
[ISAIAH 42:8a]
And again, the Lord God cautions, “My glory I will not give to another” [ISAIAH 48:11b]. Those individuals who seek to glorify themselves, or those individuals who permit themselves to receive excessive praise without giving glory to God are playing a dangerous game. Let the people of God be forewarned.
Our political betters hector us to look to experts for solutions to the problems that confront us as individuals, and especially those challenges we are facing us as a society. A major reason impelling us to look to experts is fear. We don’t want to appear to be wrong; thus, we quickly learn even during our years of preparation in elementary school that we must avoid taking risks. We must avoid thinking outside of the box, taking care never to colour outside the lines. This training from earliest days teaches us to avoid making a decision, always deferring to experts. We believe that the experts are the ones trained to tell us what to do and how to do it. If they err, well, that is on them. At least, if they recommend a course of action we don’t have to assume the risk of making a mistake. What we have actually done is allowed our fear to rob us of thinking.
Christians should memorise and rigorously apply the words the Apostle wrote to the young pastor for the saints in Ephesus. Paul wrote Timothy, “God did not give us a spirit of timidity but one of power, love, and self-discipline” [2 TIMOTHY 1:7 ISV]. Timidity marks the mass of humanity. Thoreau was correct when he wrote, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.”
Our natural inclination is to avoid offending the herd; we are uncomfortable if we believe we are going against the flow. We are trained from earliest years to avoid situations in which others may disapprove of whatever position we may wish to adopt. We see such disapproval as disapproval of ourselves; and in the cancel culture that has developed today, we assume that all disapproval is against us as a person. In truth, we are trained to stifle our beliefs until we effectively begin to live a lie. No one appears to actually know what the crowd believes because the individuals making up the crowd refuses to reveal their thoughts lest they be exposed as being opposed to the majority.
Thus, if most of the people around us are in a panic, we don’t want to put up with anyone pointing a finger at us or attempting to shame us because we aren’t going along with whatever position the mob has adopted. Our condition is sort of the Stockholm Syndrome on steroids. It requires conviction for any of us to stand firm when almost all about us are those who are hunkering down and surrendering freedom just to avoid conflict. It requires real courage, courage that appears to be in short supply, to refuse to go along with the crowd.
With this, I’m prepared to recommend another verse for you to memorise. Perhaps we who profess to follow the Saviour should begin a list of verses to memorise. Among the verses I would urge each Christian to memorise would be the admonition of the LORD given through Moses: “You are not to follow the majority in doing wrong” [EXODUS 23:2a ISV].
Question the crowd! Watch out that you aren’t adopting a particular course of action just because everyone else is doing it. When you were a child, your mother likely chided you when you were begging for permission to participate in some activity and you tried the argument, “But, everyone is doing it!” No doubt you heard your mother say, “And if everyone was jumping off a bridge, would you have to jump?”
Since I’m recommending verses to be memorised by each individual who follows the Saviour, I recommend yet another verse for your encouragement. Paul writes in the Ephesian encyclical, “Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm” [EPHESIANS 6:13].
Verses akin to the verse just cited that encourages us to assume a steadfast stance in the Faith would include the Apostle’s final admonition to the saints in Corinth, written in his first letter written to that assembly. “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” [1 CORINTHIANS 16:13].
Experts are like a bright light shining in a darkened room. That light can be helpful, revealing what needs to be seen when it is shined in the right direction. However, shining in the wrong direction, that same light will inevitably be blinding. When we suspend common sense to rely solely on experts, we are moving in a dangerous direction. If experts tell us the sky is falling and yet during our daily walk we look up to see the sky is staying put—the clouds floating overhead, the sun shining in the heavens, birds still winging their way through the heavens, it would be foolish for us to hide. When social and traditional media are telling you to panic, I advise that you unplug, take a deep breath and go for a walk. In the midst of panic, I have discovered that God is still seated on His throne, the Son of God still reigns in my heart, and the people of God are still admonished, “You are [Sarah’s] children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening” [1 PETER 3:6b]. Excellent advice! Wise counsel.
If shouldn’t be a great surprise to discover that what is observed in society at large is inevitably brought into the assembly of the faithful. For centuries, the people of God have been trained to surrender their responsibility before the Lord in order to permit “experts” to control the life of the Body of Christ. Among liturgical churches, people are often taught specific prayers; it is as if the experts don’t trust the people to speak from the heart. Therefore, the people must be directed what to pray, even given precise wording to ensure that their petitions are actually heard, since apparently God must be manipulated by the manner in which we speak.
That same attitude is seen among the Evangelical churches as self-appointed experts offer their prayers in flowery language couched in meaningless flattery meant to at least impress those about the one praying, even if God is not particularly impressed. I was compelled on one occasion to endure a church leader who was a master at praying precisely such flowery, meaningless prayers. I don’t recall a more godless man assuming leadership in a church in the entirety of my pastoral ministry. Yet, he had promoted himself as an expert among the people. Ultimately, he, and those few whom he gathered as his cabal, managed to ensure the death of the congregation.
Jesus excoriated the experts who had ensconced themselves among worshippers in the synagogues of that day. He was unrelenting as He held them to account, calling them blind guides, and providing receipts for why they should be so identified. He identified them as the hypocrites they were, repeatedly demonstrating why that was an appropriate designation for them. He spoke of them as whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside and filled with death. The olid stench arising from their rotted practise clung to them, disgusting those who heard them each time they sought to speak. It was not that they did not know the will of God. In fact these religious experts were icily precise in demanding that the hoi polloi live up to the demands they imposed on them even while refusing to subject themselves to the very demands made of the people.
THE ROLE OF THE FAITHFUL SURRENDERED — Among the people of God, it is undoubtedly true that those whom God appoints to service are not only responsible to fulfil the ministry to which they are appointed, but they are divinely equipped to fulfil that service. Think about that! Apostles are equipped to fulfil the ministry of an apostle. Prophets are equipped to prophesy. Teachers are equipped to teach. Whatever ministry is in view, God provides to fulfil that ministry.
However, just because the various ministries of the congregation are entrusted to different individuals, all are responsible to varying degrees for ensuring that these ministries are carried out among the faithful. In short, we are to engage in participatory service rather than deferring to “experts.” Pastors have responsibility to shepherd the flock and to teach the Word of God, but pastors are responsible to preach prophetically! Those who are gifted in administering the affairs of the assembly are to fulfil their service, but all are responsible to hold the administrators accountable for their service! Perhaps some have gifts of healing, but all can show mercy, all can show hospitality, all can urge the sick to cast themselves on the mercies of Christ the Lord!
An old story tells of the Christ after His ascension into the Heaven of heavens. Myriads of angels meet the Master as He enters the hallowed precincts of Heaven. Having bowed before the Saviour, one angel dares speak for the other angels gathered. “Master, did You accomplish the work you intended to do?”
And the Saviour answered His angel, “Yes, I have made atonement for mankind. Salvation is now available to all who will receive it.”
The angel, counted among those who long to look into such matters and intrigued by the answer the Master had given, asked a further question, “And do all those in the earth know of Your gracious provision? Have all heard of Your salvation?”
Again, the Saviour responded, “Not yet; but I have charged those who follow Me to tell all people of the salvation I have purchased with My sacrifice.”
Astonished, the angel sputtered, “But Your disciples are mere mortals; they have no power. They are fishermen, tax collectors, teenage boys, rebels and housewives. Surely You have others more capable of fulfilling Your will than these!”
The Saviour gently replied, “They will accomplish all that I have appointed.”
Again, the angel openly questioned how this was to be accomplished, asking, “And if they fail, what is Your alternate plan?”
“There is no other plan,” the Saviour replied. “They shall not fail.”
Mere mortals, undistinguished individuals not noted for their expertise comprise the congregations of the faithful. We who follow the Risen Lord of Glory have received His charge that commands, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” [MATTHEW 28:19-20]. Congregations of mere mortals advance the cause of Christ. They tell others of His power to save, call all who will hear to receive the gift of life, each member fulfilling the ministry that the Saviour has assigned as each redeemed soul allows the Spirit of Christ to work through them. Each becomes a powerful witness as the Spirit reveals the grace of God at work in their lives individually and collectively.
Paul, writing one assembly that he spoke of as exceptionally gifted, spoke of these church members as unimpressive according to the standards of this world. He wrote, “Consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord’” [1 CORINTHIANS 1:26-31].
If he were addressing that letter to the New Beginnings Baptist Church of Dawson Creek, the Apostle would speak of ranchers, of farmers, of policemen, of truckers, of housewives and taxidermists. He would speak of gas plant operators, of dental assistants, or parts men and of first aid attendants. He could say with authority that by the standards of this world, none among us are considered wise or powerful or distinguished. To be certain, none whom the Apostle might name could be thought of as experts. And yet, the Apostle would say, “Because of God you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”
When we adopt the rule of this dying world, we soon surrender the field to experts, failing to see that the congregation is the Body of Christ. Since this is the Body of the Lord, we each must invest ourselves into the service of the assembly. There is no place for reducing the assembly to a spectator sport. Each of us has a role to play.
Whenever we witness a person or a group of people usurp control of the assembly of the righteous, it does seem apparent that those seizing control are honest in their belief that they are doing what is best for those over whom they are exert control. They honestly believe that their expertise is being exercised for the welfare of the church. They may not even begin their usurpation by presenting themselves as experts, but they do nothing to dissuade the congregants of their assumed expertise. With the passage of time, people begin to naturally assume that those in control know what is best because they are the experts. Eventually, they may even obtain a title indicating their expertise.
However, we do well to consider the words of a wise man who wrote of such tyrannies. “Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victim may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated, but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their conscience.” [10]
Here is the grave deficit observed among the churches. Unspiritual men and women assume power, presenting themselves as experts and demanding that the people do what these “experts” command. The intentions of these “experts” is to do the work of the Spirit of God. What is accomplished, however, is the destruction of the church, stifling the work of Christ through His redeemed people. Soon, the emphasis is upon being in an assigned seat to watch a performance of a talented worship team and to listen to a spiritual pep talk, to give money to support the programme of the church and the denomination, to invite others to become spiritual zombies that clap and dance when commanded before living in the world as they have always lived.
Ofttimes, these “experts” have obtained a degree from a theological school. The uninitiated naturally assume that years spent seated in a classroom makes one an expert. The reality may be far different from the assumption. The presumed experts speak with stilted language which intimidates the unwary who without giving serious thought to the situation will conclude that because they have a large vocabulary, those speaking with such a rhetorical flourish must be experts.
Even more of a threat are those destructive termites who quietly insinuate themselves into positions of power where they then manipulate the people of God for their own interests. The people, either through disinterest, through ignorance or through unwillingness to stand firm in the Faith, allow the powerbrokers to assume control of the work of Christ. However the deed is accomplished, the faithful will have surrendered their responsibility to fulfil the ministry Christ assigned. And the work of the Lord suffers as the church drifts inexorably toward ruin and disaster.
A CALL TO PARTICIPATORY FAITH — How did Jesus deal with the tyranny of the experts? He focused on fulfilling the Father’s commands. He focused on honouring God, without allowing His disappointment in the actions of the experts to move Him from doing the most important things. He did not counsel rebellion, though He refused to submit Himself to their practises. Jesus admonished those who heard Him speak, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice” [MATTHEW 23:2-3].
To us today, Jesus would say, “Hold the experts to the Word you have received.” In agreement with Isaiah, Jesus would counsel, “To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn” [ISAIAH 8:20]. Those who distort the Scriptures, those who twist what God has given, destroy the souls of those who listen to them. Examine their lives! Hold their teaching against the Word!
To Jewish believers scattered throughout the Roman Empire, Peter counselled, “Be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen” [2 PETER 3:14b-18].
Focus on Christ and on the words He has given those who would follow Him. Train yourself in the Scriptures so that you recognise error when it is presented. Don’t settle on orthodoxy, but insist on orthopraxy in the lives of those who present themselves as experts. This was the danger Jesus exposed as He taught those who heard Him on the day in which He spoke so ardently against the scribes and the Pharisees.
Jesus exposed their lies and distortions that had been tolerated, even approved, by those who should have been watching. Jesus cautioned those who listen at that time, “[The experts] tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” [MATTHEW 23:4-12].
Like the mainstream media in contemporary society, there were always those willing to turn a blind eye to the error of the experts even as they censured those who sought to live by the truth. They allowed themselves to become expert in straining out gnats even as they swallowed camels [see MATTHEW 23:24].
One should not assume that this was the only time Jesus confronted the religious experts with their distorted teaching and crooked lives. On another occasion, Jesus condemned them. We read, “Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, ‘Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.’ He answered them, ‘And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, “Honor your father and your mother,” and, “Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.” But you say, “If anyone tells his father or his mother, ‘What you would have gained from me is given to God,’ he need not honor his father.” So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:
‘“This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”’
“And he called the people to him and said to them, ‘Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.’ Then the disciples came and said to him, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?’ He answered, ‘Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit’” [MATTHEW 15:1-14].
Repeatedly, Jesus pointed to specific instances of hypocrisy. He pointedly revealed the discrepancies in what the religious experts taught and what they did for themselves. Much like politicians in our day who make videos demanding that their constituents remain locked down while they vacation in Cabo San Lucas, holiday in Hawaii, lounge on the beach on the Island of St. Barts, or travel to Barbados, the Pharisees were eager to control the lives of the people, though they ensured there was wiggle room so that they themselves did not have to be held down by their rules. Just so, the people of God will need to be forthright in calling out hypocrisy.
The believers in Berea were commended because when they heard the teaching of the Word, they examined the Scriptures diligently, and consistently, to see if what was being taught was so [see ACTS 17:11]. In a similar fashion, the people of God need to hold what is taught from the pulpit against what is written in the Word. We do not need explanations for why we can ignore Scripture; we need to know what Scripture says. We don’t require a new theology; we need to apply the old theology that stood our forebears in good stead as they advanced the Kingdom of Heaven across the wilderness.
Christ calls us to salvation. And we who are saved are appointed to serve Christ. Ours is not a passive service that consists of sitting and soaking; we are appointed to serve one another in love. In the Letter to the Churches throughout Galatia, Paul writes, “You were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” [GALATIANS 5:13]. The life to which the follower of Christ is called is an active life. And it is a life that constantly assesses the message delivered by those who would be leaders.
Not even Paul felt he could deliver a message and have it accepted uncritically. As an example, recall that when Paul was urging the Christians in Corinth to avoid surrendering to the desires of the flesh, the Apostle reminded the Corinthians of the Lord’s Table at which each had participated on multiple occasions. He reminded them that they could not be seated at both idolatrous feasts and the Lord’s Table—they could not indulge the flesh and then casually participate at the Lord’s Table. When he presented his argument, he did not merely command them, though he had every right to do so; Paul appealed to them to use their judgement. He wrote, “Flee from idolatry. I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say” [1 CORINTHIANS 10:14-15]. His argument is that those hearing what is presented are responsible to think, responsible to use their minds, responsible to share in assessing what is taught.
The message is not unlike that which John delivers when he writes in the first of his missives, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world” [1 JOHN 4:1]. Each member of the assembly is responsible to “test the spirits to see if they are from God.” Christians test the spirits by comparing what is said to the Word God has given.
God calls each one following the Saviour to a life characterised by participation within the Body of Christ. The Church of the Living God is not meant to be defined as passive people gathering occasionally in order to watch a performance. I don’t mean to imply that our services are to be chaotic; but I do mean that each member is working, and the Spirit of God is guiding the labour of each member of the Body so that we are encouraging one another, building one another up in the Faith, consoling one another.
We witness the life of the Body of the first congregation in Jerusalem when Doctor Luke wrote, “The believers continued to devote themselves to what the apostles were teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to times of prayer. A sense of fear came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All the believers were united and shared everything with one another. They made it their practice to sell their possessions and goods and to distribute the proceeds to anyone who was in need. United in purpose, they went to the Temple every day, ate at each other’s homes, and shared their food with glad and humble hearts. They were praising God and enjoying the good will of all the people. Every day the Lord was adding to their number those who were being saved” [ACTS 2:42-47 ISV].
Reviewing worship in the New Beginnings Baptist Church of Corinth, Paul wrote, “When you come together, each one has a song, has a lesson, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all these things be done for the strengthening of the church” [1 CORINTHIANS 14:26 NET BIBLE]. We see that the church was busy in that each member was sharing in the worship. The divine instruction provided was to encourage each one to ensure that what was done was done to strengthen the entire assembly.
We have no experts here. We have people who are committed to honouring the Saviour Who has redeemed them. They are striving to glorify His Name. We want to meet for worship, but even when we are unable to do so we must determine to invest ourselves in each other to glorify the Name of Christ our Saviour.
None of us know what the coming year holds. These are times characterised by uncertainty and turmoil. Multiple experts deliver messages that change almost hourly. And governmental functionaries react rather than providing leadership. Local congregations are uncertain how to respond to increasingly heavy-handed governmental dicta. As governments imposes rules that grate on personal freedom, people become increasingly fearful and/or angry. And those negative emotions spill over into congregational relations with one another and with outsiders.
Fearful people and angry people often react in a similar manner to any situation that they feel is spinning out of their control. As a result, people increasingly express anger toward churches that don’t appear to satisfy expectations. Governments see the churches as voluntary organisations rather than seeing congregations as essential to people of the Faith. The Faith no longer provides guidance to contemporary Canadian society. Society is guided by a quasi-religiosity that is best described in the words of the writer of Judges, “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” [JUDGES 21:25b]. What is abundantly evident is that Canada is not a “Christian” nation.
How should we respond to the pressures of the day. Determine that we will seek to honour God in all that we do. Pray for wisdom for those who government our city, our provinces and our federal government. Pray for those who are providing guidance to the congregation, asking that God enable them to act with discretion and wisdom. Pray for one another. Stand firm in the Faith and refuse to give in to fear. Don’t accept the fearful message delivered by “experts,” but rather learn to weigh what is said with a healthy measure of sanctified common sense. Practise serving one another in love. Use these days to find a way to fulfil the admonition to comfort one another, to console one another, and to build up one another in the Faith. These are turbulent times, but God is still on the throne and Christ has promised that He is coming soon. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] Transcribed from interview at Dr Anthony Fauci Says Masks Don't Work - YouTube, accessed 24 December 2020
[3] Alexandra Kellty, “Fauci: why the public wasn’t told to wear masks when the coronavirus pandemic began,” The Hill, June 16, 2020, Fauci: why the public wasn't told to wear masks when the coronavirus pandemic began | TheHill, accessed 24 December 2020
[4] Donald G. McNeil, Jr., “How Much Herd Immunity Is Enough?” New York Times, Dec. 24, 2020, Covid-19: How Much Herd Immunity is Enough? - The New York Times (nytimes.com), accessed 24 December 2020
[5] Ibid.
[6] Muriel Bowser, December 23, 2020, Mayor Muriel Bowser on Twitter: "In honor of Dr. Fauci's 80th birthday tomorrow, I proclaim Thursday, December 24, 2020, “Dr. Anthony S. Fauci Day” in Washington, DC. We are incredibly proud to count Dr. Fauci among the many DC residents who are sacrificing so much to keep our communities healthy and safe. https://t.co/UqvS4sebMf" / Twitter, accessed 26 December 2020
[7] Commentary, The Spectator, “CNN Celebrates Birthday of Their ‘Lord and Savior’ Dr. Fauci on Christmas Eve,” December 24, 2020, CNN Celebrates Birthday of Their "Lord and Savior" Dr. Fauci on Christmas Eve | The Spectator | Truth Conquers All, accessed 26 December 2020; Kristinn Taylor, Dec 24, 2020, “CNN Celebrates Birthday of Their ‘Lord and Savior’ Dr. Fauci on Christmas Eve,” CNN Celebrates Birthday of Their “Lord and Savior” Dr. Fauci on Christmas Eve | CauseACTION Clarion, accessed 26 December 2020
[8] Ibid.
[9] Flavius Josephus and William Whiston, The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged (Hendrickson, Peabody, MA 1987) 523
[10] C. S. Lewis, “The Humanitarian Theory of Punishment,” God in the Dock (Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI 2014) 318-33
