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THE NORTHERN KENTUCKY SEARCHER VOLUME 1, NUMBER 9, APRIL 2, 2001 “ARE
WE THERE YET?”
Is there any parent among us who has not heard the words of the title to
this article? My father’s
customary answer to that question was, “Every turn of the wheel, we are a turn
of the wheel closer.” As I recall,
even as a six or seven year old I understood that my dad was telling me to just
sit back and be patient. I would be
patient, for another ten or fifteen minutes and then it was time to ask once
more, “Are we there yet?”, and
to hear the response, “Every turn of the wheel, we are a turn of the wheel
closer.”
That is the way it is in our journey to heaven.
Sometimes I feel like the trip there is never going to end and with eager
anticipation I find myself praying, “Even so, come Lord Jesus.”
But “every turn of the wheel, we are a turn of the wheel closer.”
Whatever the day brings, we are getting closer to our destination. Every turn of
the wheel brings us closer to the time when “The Lord Himself will descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet
of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in
the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the
Lord.” (1 Thess.
I long for the day when faith becomes sight, but I am not there yet.
I am reminded of Paul’s statement in Phil. 3:12 – 14.
He wrote, “Not that I have already obtained it, or have already
become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid
hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I
do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do:
forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on
toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
The eager anticipation in Paul’s words is apparent.
However, those same words indicate that Paul knew that if he ever stopped
in his journey, if his “wheels quit turning”, he wasn’t going to get
there.
It is imperative that we all keep in mind the truth that we have not yet
taken hold of our ultimate ambition. Heaven
is out there prepared for us, but like a runner who expends every ounce of
energy pushing and straining for the finish line, we have got to keep on
working.
Let’s all examine ourselves and make sure that we are still on course.
Let’s make sure that the “wheels are still turning”.
Is the person we see in the mirror someone who is honestly “reaching
forward to what lies ahead”? Is
that person who is looking back at us someone who is really “pressing on
toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”?
Is our reflection in the mirror the reflection of someone who truly loves
the brethren? Is it someone who
visits the sick, makes calls of encouragement, refuses to gossip, and always
gives the benefit of the doubt? That
person looking back at us, is it someone who never misses a service that they
are physically able to attend, who participates in all the works of the church
that they can and who looks for things to do in God’s service?
At the time of the Lord’s ascension into heaven, the bible tells us
that “two men in white clothing” stood beside the apostles.
I believe it is obvious that these were angels.
But more important than who they were is what they said, “Men of
“TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE”(MATT.
28:20)
As the Apostles went about fulfilling the Great Commission in the first
century, one of the things that they taught those who were converted to Christ
was how to worship. We see in the
New Testament that Christians came together on the first day of the week –
Sunday. Acts 20:7, teaches us that
the disciples came together on the first day of the week and also indicates
something that they did on that day. On
Sunday the disciples partook of the Lord’s Supper.
1 Cor. 16:2, also informs us that on the first day of the week, they
contributed to the work of the church. Those
two acts, partaking of the Lord’s Supper and making a contribution, were
unique to Sunday.
Our study of the New Testament also indicates that the early Christians,
under the guidance of the Apostles, also prayed in worship; sang psalms, hymns,
and spiritual songs with grace in their hearts, and listened to the exhortation
of God’s Word. Faithful children
of God strive to abide within that pattern, worshipping God in the way that He
has set forth.
We have within our possession today a description of a second century
worship that I thought you might find interesting.
It was written by a man named Justin Martyr.
He was a Christian and an apologist, born approximately 100 A.D.
Justin was converted to the Lord about 130 A.D., and suffered martyrdom
sometime around 165 A.D. He is
most noted for his works, “Apologies” and “Dialogue”.
This man was not inspired and we will notice certain departures in
terminology and practice from what the first century Christians did, but in the
main, the worship Justin describes was remarkably similar to what we find in the
New Testament and what we do today.
In his work, (“Apology I, 67), Justine wrote, “And on the day called
Sunday there is a gathering together in the same place of all who live in a city
or rural district. The memoirs of
the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits.
Then when the reader ceases, the president in a discourse admonishes and
urges the imitation of these good things. Next
we all rise together and send up prayers. And,
as I said before, when we cease from our prayer, bread is presented and wine and
water. The president in the same
manner sends up prayers and thanksgiving according to his ability, and the
people sing out their assent saying the ‘Amen’.
A distribution and participation of the elements for which thanks have
been given is made to each person, and to those who are not present it is sent
by the deacons. Those who have means
and are willing, each according to his own choice, gives what he wills, and what
is collected is deposited with the president.
He provides for the orphans and widows, those who are in want on account
of sickness or some other cause, those
who are in bonds and strangers who are sojourning, and in a word he becomes the
protector of all who are in need.”
While we can see a slight difference in terminology and practice, I think
we can all agree that Justin has described what we do on the first day of the
week. His use of the term
“president” is simply referring to the one who is presiding over the
service, not an official office in the church.
Such a departure from the truth would come later.
We can also see the indication of a beginning to view the Lord’s Supper
in a “sacramental sense”, by their taking it to those who were not present.
However, for the most part these mid-second century Christians worshipped
God just as we do. The pattern had
not yet been abandoned. There is great joy in knowing that when we gather together to worship according to God’s pattern, we are in fellowship with all the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ who have gone before.
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