LESSONS TO FORTIFY YOUR FAITH IN THE DAY OF A CHANGING CHURCH by JOHN WADDEY, EDITOR CHRISTIANITY: THEN AND NOW Published by The Church of Christ 12213 W. Bell Rd. Ste. 211 Surprise, AZ 85374 INTRODUCTION Winds of change are blowing gale force across the landscape of the churches of Christ. That which fifteen years ago was a problem only in a few scattered places has now become a raging controversy that is affecting congregations in every major city in every state of the Union and in many of our mission outposts. Teaching that a few years ago would not have been tolerated on the campus of most our Christian schools or allowed in the pulpits of the overwhelming majority of our churches is now commonly heard in both quarters. While a significant number of our brethren have embraced the denominational agenda of the change agents, many more are ignoring the problem, refusing to deal with it and thus allowing it to grow in their midst. The family of Christians that assemble on West Bell Road in Surprise, Arizona, though small in number, are rich in faith and good works. When they saw the damage the agents of change were imposing on the Lord's church they decided that they would do what they could to fortify the faith of their brethren and strengthen the resolve of sister churches to resist this destructive movement. In addition to the monthly publication of Christianity: Then and Now which is mailed to the leaders of over 5,000 congregations, they launched a weekly email publication entitled "Lessons to Fortify Your Faith." These are prepared by John Waddey, minister of the West Bell Road church. Two years of these lessons are collected together in this book. They are sent forth with the prayer that they will serve a useful purpose for Christians as we face the storms of change that are upon us. Most of them are formatted on a single page. The book can easily be taken apart so sheets can be copied for distribution. We hope that elders and preachers will use these lessons to further instruct the members of their congregations. May God protect his church from those who would harm her. May he raise up a band of faithful men and women who will be steadfast in faith and strong in their defense of the faith once delivered to the saints . JHW If you wish to order a copy of this book, make your check to the Church of Christ for $7.50 and send to John Waddey, 12630 W. Foxfire Dr., Sun City West, AZ 8. ii CONTENTS 1. A TEAM EFFORT TO PROTECT THE CHURCH FROM HARM p. 1 2. A NAME OF WHICH WE SHOULD NEVER BE ASHAMED p. 2 3. A WATERSHED SITUATION P. 3 4. CHANGE YES: APOSTASY NO! P. 4 5. IF YOUR CHURCH LEAVES YOU p. 5 6. WHEN IS A CHURCH OF CHRIST NOT A CHURCH OF CHRIST? p. 6 7. WORSHIP IS NOT ENTERTAINMENT P. 7 8. THE WONDERFUL GRACE OF GOD p. 8 9. A GENERATION THAT KNOWS NOT P. 9 10. BACK TO THE FOUNTAIN HEAD p. 10 .EA U ALL OVER AGAIN p. 11 12. DOES THE NEW TESTAMENT AUTHORIZE THE USE OF INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC IN WORSHIP? . 12 13.THE CHURCH AND DENOMINATIONALISM p. 13 14. GOD'S REMNANT p. 14 15. DO YOU REMEMBER? . 15 16. VOCABULARY OF CHANGE AGENTS p. 16 17. THE PARABLE OF THE MOSQUITO . 17 18. IDEAS ABOUT EVANGELISM IN THE 21st CENTURY p. 18 19. AVOIDING THE DITCHES p. 19 20. OUR PAST, THE KEY TO OUR PRESENT PROBLEMS . 20 21. IS BAPTISM A WORK OF MAN? . 21 22. BEFORE YOU INVEST IN A NEW THING, CHECK IT OUT p. 22 23. LET'S DISARM THE ENEMY . 23 24. DELUDED DISCIPLES WHO LOATHE THE LORD'S CHURCH p. 24 25. CAN YOU SEE THE WOLF? . 25 26. RENEWING CHRIST'S CHURCH . 26 27. SACRED MUSIC 101 p. 27 28. IF WE DO NOTHING P. 29 29. BROTHERHOOD P. 30 30. RESTORING A THING OF VALUE p. 31 31. CHANGES DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE . 32 32. CHRIST AND THE CHANGE AGENTS: A STUDY IN CONTRASTS P. 33 33. THE PATTERN OF CHRISTIANITY . 34 34. DID DAVID HAVE GOD'S AUTHORITY TO USE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC IN WORSHIP? p. 35 35. WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP p. 36 36. INCREMENTALISM: ONE OF SATAN'S DEVICES P. 37 37. THE MANY SIDES OF BAPTISM p. 38 38. LESSONS FROM THE TERMITES p. 40 39. TWO WAYS OF VIEWING THE CHURCH . 41 40. APPLAUDING IN WORSHIP . 42 41. THE REAL QUESTIONS THAT MUST BE ANSWERED . 43 42. PARABLE OF THE BIRDS . 44 43. TWO KINDS OF CHURCHES OF CHRIST P. 45 44. PARABLE OF THE LOST LIMB P. 46 45. BIBLE 101 FOR NOVICES IN THE FAITH . 47 46. BIBLE 101, LESSON # 2 P. 48 47. THE BIBLE MUST BE RIGHTLY DIVIDED P. 49 48. DIMENSIONS OF WORSHIP p. 50 49. A PLEA TO ADMINISTRATORS AND TRUSTEES OF OUR CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS p. 51 50. THE BROTHERHOOD AND YOU P. 52 . A AAE O E CISIA AMIY . 4 2. CASUA EIGIO . . AS OG AS WE AE E AE . 6 4. EAYE . 57 . IS U EAIE O ASOUE? . 8 6. EAES: GOO EOE WO E OES O A IGS . . A ISI O A CAGE CUC . 60 8. SAIG A E COSSOAS . 6 . E AW O SIECE . 62 60. AAE O E AMAGE KIGOM 6 6. COMMUIY CUCES A CUCES O CIS . 64 62. AE CAGE . 6 6. OUEES O E ESEAIO O E CUC . 66 64. E IICA OCIE O SEAAIO . 6 6. E COICIO I AKES O WI 68 66. COCE O E WOE CUC . 6 6. E AUOIY I CISIAIY . 0 68. E SOCIA GOSE . 6. WA I IS WE AE AOU? . 2 0. SOME IGS A O O EOG I CISS CUC . . OU GOA . 4 2. COME O WOSI, O O AY . 4 . A OG IS O A IOSAU . 4. MUS I E I E CUC? . . OSE WO CIICIE E CUC . 6 6. OW A AGE O CAGE IEWS CUCES O CIS . . CISIAS A CISMAS . 8 8. ESOYIG OU ISOY . . IEECUAISM O E CAGE MOEME . 80 80. OSE EGAIE IEIGES . 80 8. AE CUCES O CIS EAGEICA? . 8 82. IS I OIG O YOU? . 82 8. IEAISM A COSEAISM: E MOA SUGGE . 8 84. IGS MOS COMMOY EIEE A OW ISEIEE AMOG US . 8 8. UE A UUE IES O CIS . 86 86. MISAKES A EOE MAKE . 8 8. IIU, ASSIE CISIAS . 88 88. OS A MUS E OU . 8 8. WY WE AE OEMS A OES CUCES O O AE . 0 0. EU 0 ACKSIIG ISAE . . "IK I O SAGE" . 2 2. CISIA SCOOS E A OW . . A AYE O E I IS AY O ISESS . 4 4. OES IGGE EQUA EE? . . SECUAIAIO O E CUC . 6 6. AAE O E QUAESOME SEES . . ECUSOS O AOSASY . 8 8. E IEA MI SE . . WAS AE UI O SAEY . 00 00. AAE O OE E SOIE . 0 0. O YOU EYES EE EAME? . 0 02. AKIG E IG GOU . 02 0. AIOS A AIOS . 0 04. A AYE O E SOIES O CIS . 04 i ea ie i Cis: ease ake a mome o ea aou: A TEAM EFFORT TO PROTECT THE CHURCH FROM HARM A siiua wa is eig wage agais e oeoo o cuces o Cis. Acoss e aio aes ae eig oug as ages o cage wok o gai coo o cogegaios, scoos, a missio ouoss. ey ae we ace, we ue a we eae o ei coques. ey ae uy awae o wa ey ae oig a wee ey ae goig. ey ae igy moiae a coie o icoy. Uouaey e maoiy o ose wo ae ei iee icims ae uawae o e age acig em. Some eaie ee is a oem u seem o o eceie e ee o i a e immie age i oses. I we ae o eeciey ock is akeoe o cogegaios wic wi esu i ei eig swe io aosasy, ose wo oe e o a is cuc mus ake acio. We mus ac ow a ac ecisiey. We mus ecui a amy o ouees a we mus eucae a iom ou eowCisias. An Operation in Which You can Help We ee a ousa Cisias wo ae access o e Iee o oi as wi us i a eucaioa oec, egiig oay. Eac Sauay I wi se you a aice aessig some asec o e cage moeme amog ou ee. Some o e aices wi emi us o e iica easos wy we eiee a wosi as we o. ey wi aess ose iems eig caege y e omoes o cage. Oe aices wi aess e eos o aacies o e ase eaces. Some wi eiew ei ooks a seeces. I wi se e aices o eowsoies o my emai is. We you eceie e aice, ea i a e owa i o e o moe memes o e cuc o you maiig is wi a oe ecouagig em o ea i a owa i o Cisias o ei is. Suc a eo as e oeia o eac ousas o ee wii a ous ime. Eac week ey wi eceie a ie esso a wi emi em o wo we ae, wa we eiee a wy. ey wi e emie o e ages o e cage moeme. I a yea ey wi ae eceie 2 suc essos. oeuy some o em wi see e ee o ge ioe a e us.