29 24 Revealed Sense, Common Sense, Versus Nonsense
24 Revealed Sense, Common Sense, Versus Nonsense
24. Revealed Sense, Common Sense, Versus Nonsense
INTRODUCTION
Great harm has been done to the cause of Christ by those who claims to be its friends because of their substituting
nonsenseforrevealed senseandcommonsense.
When our God says, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord" (Isaiah 1:18), he says as strongly as it could be said that he has placed in man the power to reason, and that he expects man to use this ability. But remember we are to reason together with God. When we thus- exercise ourselves, we are safe so long as we let God come into the reasoning. Man alone cannot afford to depend on reasoning things out, so far as the welfare of his soul is concerned, for the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." (Jeremiah 10:23).
Go to Acts 6 and you find some claiming that the Grecian widows were being neglected in "the daily ministration" of food and supplies that they needed. This murmuring must be stopped, hence the twelve apostles called the multitude of the disciples unto them and said: "It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables." Therefore, they were commanded to look out seven men to be placed over such work so that the apostles could continue their teaching of the word of God to the people. Just ordinary common sense would suggest that the preach-ing of the gospel to the people, the ministry of the word, which would save the souls who heard it and received it was of more importance than ministering to the needs of the body. The apostles were perfectly qualified and fitted for the preaching of the word. Men could be found who could not teach the word so well as the apostles, but, perhaps, could serve tables better than they, hence reason demanded that this be done.
Thus enough has already been said to show the thoughtful reader that God expects us to use our heads and hearts in the great work that he has placed before us.
Revealed Sense.By revealed sense we simply mean those things we could never have known had not God revealed them to us. The gospel, God’s power to save, is such sense. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:16-17). I see no need of going into details here. All know that there are many things we could never have known had not God revealed them unto us. This is true of the way in which we should walk; for, as we have already learned, it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps, and there is a way that seemeth right unto man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (Proverbs 14:12). This teaches the importance of our ever taking God’s word as a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path. (Psalms 119:105). We must let his word dwell in us richly (Colossians 3:16), we must lay itup in our hearts that we may not sin against God. (Psalms 119:11).
But with all this we have already learned that God expects us to reason together with him, and that the apostles themselves referred to reason or common sense for some of the things they did and had done.
Common Sense. It should be here understood that common sense is was much God’s sense as revealed sense. By this is simply meant that the powers or capabilities that see within us were placed there by our God. He expects us to use these powers or faculties, and we sin against ourselves as well as against God when we fail to do so. Physically speaking, he has given us eyes with which to see, ears with which to heap, lungs with which to breathe, hands with which to work, and feet with which to walk. Every part of the body was given for a specific purpose to be used for man’s good and the glory of God. But man must use these things. Man is taught to "labour, working with his hands the thing which is good." (Ephesians 4:28). How often did our Lord say: "Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." (Matthew 13:9). Now the same is just as true of the inward or unseen man, as it is with the outward man which is the body in which we live. The faculties, the capabilities of the mind and heart this unseen man, are placed within him to be exercised, to be used, to be developed by use. The writer of the Hebrew letter speaks of "those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." (Hebrews 5:14 b). We have members in the church who have not thought, they have never used their brains and allowed common sense to have a chance in their lives. Congregations today—many of them—lie helpless because of such leadership. There are many things God has told us to do, and has not told us how to do these things. Get it: When God tells us to do a thing, and fails to tell us how, he is saying in thundering tones: Use common sense here! But the sad thought just here is that we too often use nonsense where common sense is supposed to reign.
SOME EXEMPLIFICATIONS
1. We are commanded to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. We are not left to guess what to preach. It is always and ever the gospel of Christ that is to be preached. With Paul, wherever we go, we are "not to know anything. save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2:2) What to preach contains the revealed sense of our God. But will someone tell us how to go? The how is left entirely with common sense. And we are in rebellion to God when we fail to use common sense, a sense he gave us when he made us. There can be but one conclusion here—viz., we use that way of going that common sense suggests and approves. For instance, an emergency call comes for the writer to hurry one thousand miles from where he now is to help save a congregation that is about to go to pieces over a question that he can undoubtedly solve for them. Now he can walk, get on the train, in an auto, or take a plane. Which shall he do? Common sense must assert itself here. If the call is exceedingly urgent, the plane might be the only sensible way to go. But most assuredly common sense would rebel at the thought of his taking his suitcase, hang it on a stick across his shoulder, and start out walking. And if he did, every step would be a step of rebellion against God.
2. If you will study closely Paul’s charge to Timothy, you find it is "Preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season" and to be diligent in preaching it in season and out of season. I would suggest that you begin in 2 Timothy 3:14 and read right on through this chapter and down into chapter 4 through verse 5. This will give you the whole setting of this great charge. But are we told here how to preach it? No, this is left to common sense. There are times—many of them —when this can be best done by writing. And it is just as true that there are times when it can be most effectively done by word of mouth. And the radio today is a most effective way of doing it. I think, however, I have heard of objections to the radio, but those objecting certainly were not using common sense but quite a bit of nonsense in all they had to say. The Sunday School Question, Women Teachers, and Literature. These things should be studied right here. The devil well knows that the thing he has most to dread is the word getting into the hearts of the people Hence, if there are any theories that he can get started that will restrict the teaching, impede its progress, he must get them started. And the most of the confusion over these questions had its birth in his heart, just as all the theories about faith’s coming or conversion being effected in some mysterious, miraculous way were started by the devil to get the attention of the people from the word and by these theories steal the word from the hearts of the people to keep them from obtaining saving faith. Study Luke 8:11-12. This Scripture teaches the faith that saves comes from receiving and holding fast God’s word, hence the devil is disturbed when the word gets into the heart and he gets busy to get it out. The only way he can get it out is by intruding himself upon that heart with the theory that the word is a dead letter, your heart is totally depraved; hence, you must look to God, pray to God to send you a miraculous impact of the Holy Spirit. to enable you to believe. How well we do need to remember that "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17) and that we are begotten and born again by the gospel Paul and Peter preached. Study 1 Corinthians 4:15 and 1 Peter 1:22-23.
Preaching or teaching the word in season has reference to our preaching or teaching it at the designated time and place revealed in the doctrine of Christ. The church is taught to meet on the first day of the week, not only to eat the Lord’s Supper, to lay by in store as we have been prospered, and to pray and sing together, but to be taught and to teach and edify each other. (Acts 2:41; Acts 20, 7; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; Hebrews 10:25; Ephesians 5:18-20; Colossians 3:16). All such teaching is done in season, at a meeting suggested by our Lord, and on the day he has set apart for such. But much that we do in such meetings is left for common sense to determine. For instance, where shall we meet? We are taught to come together in one place (1 Corinthians 14:23), but this place is left for us to select and provide. Also the time to assemble, how long to remain assembled, and whether we begin with a song or prayer is left with common sense. Often I have seen the regular Lord’s day worship begin with the whole church praying together. Then I have seen it begin with the congregation standing together and singing, "All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name," or some other good old song. But what about this "out of season”? I think our Lord expects us to make opportunities to preach the word. Our revivals conducted at the home church or in a mission under a tent come in here. Our midweek prayer meetings come in here just here let me say that much of our midweek prayer meetings are mere formalities and a farce so far as really edifying and accomplishing any good. In 1 Corinthians 14:26 we are commanded: "Let all things be done unto edifying." This applies to anything we do, at any time or place, in season or out of season.
There were women teachers and helpers in the church in the days of the apostles. Phoebe was a servant of the church at Cenchrea. (Romans 16:1). Paul speaks of women who labored with him in the work. (Php 4:3). He gives special instructions to women -about teaching in Titus 2:3-5. There are lessons that women can teach women much more effectively than any man can teach them. The duty of the wife to the husband as taught in 1 Corinthians 7:1-5 and how she should conduct herself at home and away from home and rear and care for her children can be better taught the wife by some godly woman.
Doubtless the widows enrolled or taken into the number (1 Timothy 5:9-10 : are widows enrolled as teachers, and they are supported while they teach and help with the work of the church. Something was said about women’s work in Lesson X, "The Second Look at the Model." Turn back and review it. The use of literature certainly is one of the ways of teaching. Paul says: "Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you." (Php 4:9). As we study and watch this, one of the greatest of all of our Lord’s great men, we find him teaching by word of mouth, in his writings, illustrations, and every way he could, and so must we if we follow his example. God has left us no cut-and-dried method of teaching. He expects us to look for opportunities to teach, to make opportunities to teach, and then to go about it in the way common sense will allow. Peoples and communities differ. But if we have in us the Spirit of the Lord and the devotion of Paul, common sense will find the best and most effective way to preach and teach wherever we go. Here we should turn and study 1 Corinthians 9:20-23. Paul became all things to all men that he might by all means save some. It is too bad when one who claims to represent the church of our Lord starts out with a hobby to ride which forces him to try to make all men by all means bow to his hobby, or be cast out as a heretic, unsound and dangerous. Much of this nonsense we have seen among our own brethren.
Revealed sense and common sense never clash. For instance, let us take what revealed sense has to say about receiving people into the fellowship of the local church. Study again what was said in Lesson XIX, "A Study of the Fourteenth Chapter of ROMANS on how we should receive them into our fellowship. Remember it says.: Receive them not for the settling of doubtful disputations or the passing of judgment on their scruples. This has reference to souls who have obeyed the gospel, about which there can be no doubt, and who are living godly lives before the people, and are not interfering with the regular worshipful assemblies, but they have ideas about this and that that they may have and harm no one. God will not refuse them because of these ideas. Now, does not common sense approve strongly what revealed sense in this chapter commands? Making things tests of fellowship that God has not made not only tramples under foot revealed sense, but common sense as well, and goes beyond nonsense and makes those who thus do "destroy the work of God" and sin against Christ.
There is too much of this making laws where God has not made them and binding upon the church the hobbies and teaching of sin- cursed man. Nothing does the church need today more than an eldership that knows this and will arise in the name of our Lord and put a stop to the church wreckers and peace destroyers that have arisen.
A GENTLEMAN AND CHRISTIAN The true gentleman is God’s servant, the world’s master and his own man. Virtue is his business; study, his recreation. contentment, his rest; and happiness, his reward. God is his Father; Jesus Christ, his Savior; the saints, his brethren. and all that need him, his friends. Devotion is his chaplain. chastity, his chamberlain; sobriety, his butler; temperance, his cook; hospitality, his housekeeper; providence, his steward. charity his treasurer; piety, his mistress of the house; and discretion his porter, to let in or out. as most fit. Thus is his whole family made up of virtue, and he is master of the house. He is necessitated to take the world on his way to heaven, and he walks through it as fast as he can, and all his business, by the way, is to make himself and others happy.
Take him in two words—a man and a Christian. —Selected.
THE LORDS DAY AND THE LORDS SUPPER
Continuing the consideration of revealed sense, common sense, and non sense, let us think, for a few moments about our Lord’s Day Worship.
The command is easily seen, viz. we are commanded to not forsake our assembling to break bread and lay by in store and that this was done on the first day of the week, is just as easily seen. Acts 20, 7; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; Hebrews 10:25. That Paul refers to the church’s claiming to come together to eat the Lord’s Supper, but shows by their conduct they could not, is the whole intent of 1 Corinthians 11:20-34. Here there is no room for controversy— the first day of the week is the Lord’s Day, it is a memorial day, and they assemble for the Lord’s Supper on this day as well as to lay by in store, teach and edify one another. It is one of those "in season" meetings indicated in 2 Timothy 4:2 in which the word is taught.
But where shall the meeting be held? And in what hour shall the assembly come together? And again, how shall the collections be taken? —You know churches have been split by a hobby-rider coming in and saying, "you must go up and lay it on the table, the Bible says nothing about contribution plates or baskets."
Here is where the elders function. It is the duty of the elders or leaders in the local church, to set the best time and place, and to decide how the collections should be taken, who shall teach or preach in a public way. This you know. "And here is where much common sense has to be exercised by these leaders. It is too bad when the leaders substitute non sense for common sense.
But the question arises: Is it wrong for the church to assemble more than once on the first day of the week? Certainly not—they can meet and stay together all day, which I am sure was often done in the days of the apostles, or they can assemble three times on Lord’s Day, as is often the case. But will it be right to let the Lord’s Table be unspread more than once on this day for the benefit of those who could not be in the first meeting? I would love for someone to cite the scripture that has an intimation of its being wrong. Those who partake of the supper in the second meeting have done no more and no less than those who did so in the forenoon meeting—they partook of the loaf and fruit of the vine in our Lord’s memory, and this is all that is required—why can they not do it in one hour as well as another? If the overseers and feeders of the local church think it is just to those who cannot be present in the forenoon to give them that privilege at night, who am I to rise up and say: No, there is no scripture for this? Why not rise up and say: The Bible nowhere says to do this at the noon hour, which, almost as a rule, is the hour we come to the supper. Why undertake to make laws where God has not made them? He has given us a law that puts this in the hands of the leaders—they have the right to fix the hour and place of meeting. This you know. But you say, Those who come at night could have come in the forenoon, and if not, they should be denied this privilege. Where do you get any such instruction in the Bible? But you say, they come at night because it is more convenient for them. Why object to meeting the convenience of the members? The 11 o’clock hour has been set because it meets the convenience of more people than any other hour. But you say. those who come at night are not as sincere as those who come in the forenoon. But Paul well asked the question: "But why cost thou judge thy brother? Or why cost thou set at naught thy brother? for we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." Romans 14:10 : "Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way." Romans 14:13). Those who eat the supper at night are under the same instructions as those who eat in the forenoon, viz., what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:27-29. I have taken the supper to the hospitals and homes in the afternoon on Lord’s Day when the sick members call for it. This I will continue to do. There are two points to remember: (1) It is the Lord’s Supper; (2) It is eaten on the Lord’s Day. The time, place and circumstances are left with us. And we dare not bind laws here that God has not made. How important it is that we be silent where the Book is silent.