Un-denominating Christianity Reduplicating Tradition? Or Restoring Christianity?

How Much of What We Do Is Tradition? Confrontation with a visitor over the number and order of songs we sing. His tradition was different from ours. So? When we think about the things we do as members of the Lord’s body, how much is tradition and how much true Scripture?

How Many Of these Are Commanded? Church buildings Sitting in pews Name on the building Sunday P.M. worship Midweek worship? Wednesday? Thursday? Congregational singing only (Solos? Groups?) Worship order Five acts of worship every time we meet?

What About These? Baptism for remission of sins? Only male elders? Only male deacons? Song leaders? Public prayer leaders? Announcements? Invitation Song? Bible classes? Multiple loaves/cups?

Are Traditions Right? Wrong? Maybe? Thinking through the issue: John 2:14-16 -- And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; and to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business.”

Questions: What’s the difference? Why did Jesus drive them out? What do Matthew and Mark add the second time Jesus did this? Is this the same as… Selling books of an author who has just preached? Selling music after a singing group has led the worship? What’s the difference?

When Are Traditions Wrong? When they are bound as doctrine. Matthew 15:6b, 9 – “…and by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition….But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.”

What about worship days/times? Acts 20:7 – “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread….” 1 Corinthians 16:2 – “On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save….” Seems to be the practice of the early church to meet on the first day of the week.

During transitional times… Acts 13:14 – “…they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, and on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.” Acts 16:13 – “And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.”

A church we visited once… Outgrowing their building. Already had two full worship services on a Sunday morning. Proposed adding a third on Saturday night complete with communion. What say ye?

And They Used In support… “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostle’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer….And all those who had believed were together….Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart….” – Acts 2:42, 46

As compared to… Sunday P.M. services – no clear record of when they began to become popular. Evidence of some in 1600s and 1700s. Some believe it was to accommodate farmers. Some during WWII to accommodate laborers.

Can We? Should We? Must We? Scripture says nothing about number of times we can meet. Nor does it command a particular time. Problem comes if we try to determine a person’s righteousness based on attendance to certain worship services. Same is true of Wednesday nights.

But I’ve seen: Elders and preachers bullying members with the “elder authority” argument into attending. Church members judging congregations that don’t meet Sunday evenings (or Wednesday evenings) and members who do not attend. Are these services good? Sure. But cannot be bound.

Can We Find Bible Authority For… Song leaders? Communion servers? Having them raises questions: Who is qualified? Male only? Baptized only? These are our traditions. But the restrictions are based on our application of Scripture from other matters.

And What About Singing? Ephesians 5:19 – “…speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord….” Colossians 3:16 – “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Our Tradition is… Congregational singing only. No solos, or choral groups. Because: “speaking to one another” indicates that all of us are speaking to one another at the same time, all together all the time. 1 Corinthians 14:26 – “What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.”

Each one? Greek is HEKASTOS which means each, each one, every one, every. Used almost exclusively in Bible as designating one from the remainder of the group. So, Paul recognized singing of solos, apparently, as acceptable worship so long as it was done in an orderly fashion to edify the group.

Why This sermon? Not to suggest we start changing all kinds of things. To point out that if we divide from one another over matters that are purely based in tradition, then we are guilty of denominating the body of Christ. We stand for unity. Before we ever divide from another, we better be sure what we’re dividing over is truly doctrine and not tradition.