"SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM"

Part 4

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal: But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth nor rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal; For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Mt. 6:19-21)

"But seek first his kingdom, and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Mt. 6:33-34)

Our first three lessons in this series have contrasted the preachers of the past with those of our generation from my own personal experience. I am not one to look back with fond nostalgia and not remember the negatives, however the change in the role of preachers clearly has not been positive. As we have seen today's ministers are being properly supported but their work is now one of feeding and shepherding the flock of God. They no longer "do the work of an evangelist" (2 Tim. 4:5) but like the preachers in the denominations around them are now ministers to the members. Evangelism is rarely more than pulpit sermons on the plan of salvation. Will these members of the "Church of Christ" allow them to return to the N.T. pattern and make going to the lost their primary responsibility? I have serious doubts.

My father was like the old time preachers and made bringing sinners to the cross his life's work. On the other hand I was part of the new, and may I add, unscriptural practice of preachers serving the congregation and her needs. It has taken me a lifetime of study and meditation (Ps. 1:2) to fully understand the sin of this and its part in our declining conversions. If those in the pews were stronger, more knowledgeable and tireless in seeking the lost I might have a different view. But they are not. They are spiritually weak and must be coddled just to keep them from getting their feelings hurt. They can no longer quote Scripture and therefore produce fear in the door-to-door cult preachers as they use to. Today it difficult to get them to attend even three-day meetings much less obey God and go everywhere preaching the word. (Acts 8:4) I am not saying that local preachers alone caused these sad changes but I believe that making them ministers of the congregation instead of ministers of the Gospel has not produced any positive results. While fulfilling this new role they are neglecting those who are dying without Christ.

There was a time when sinners were brought to Jesus by the tens, the hundreds and even the thousands. It was a time when preachers, elders and saints lived the words of our Savior "seek first his kingdom...and all these things will be given to you as well." It was a time when Christians would sacrifice their income, their personal lives and even their families in the service of the Kingdom. This concern for the spread of the Gospel can be seen in a story an old farmer named Harry Williams told me about Daniel Sommer. (You know I am not a big fan of Sommer but it illustrates his attitude and those in his generation.) He was having supper at bro. William's home and Harry asked bro. Sommer why he always wore a long black frock coat and was so serious in his sermons. Daniel Sommer explained, "As long as there is one lost soul in this world there is nothing to be happy about." This is typical of Sommer. He always took things to the extreme even if it violated other scriptures (the Bible teaches that Christians are the happiest people in the world and should show this joy to the world: Gal. 5:22, 1 Pet. 1:8-9) but the fires of hell were real to him. He and our brother's back then could not imagine allowing even one neighbor to suffer that judgment if they could do something.

Raccoon John Smith
1784-1868

Hundreds of men thru the 1800's and first half of the 1900's are examples of what preachers should be. I have selected only one so let me tell you a little about the fascinating life of Raccoon John Smith. We begin in 1824 when this simple frontier Baptist preacher went to hear Alexander Campbell preach about the restoration of the ancient order. When the sermon was finished bro. Smith remarked to someone that he had ridden a long and hard 20 miles to hear a 30-minute sermon. The man replied that he was mistaken. Smith took out his pocket watch and realized that bro. Campbell had preached for 2 1/2 hours. Bro. Campbell had opened his eyes to non-sectarian service of God and it changed his life! He returned home and began to study the Bible about the first century church. The Bible led this honest man to throw off the chains of denominationalism. However this was not an easy decision. He sat down with his wife and listed all the sacrifices they would have to make if he preached what he now knew to be the truth. Their families would disown them, their Baptist brethren would accuse them of leaving the faith, he would have no place to preach etc. But they agreed that they would sacrifice everything if necessary to take their stand with God's word.

For a while he worked his farm to pay off a debt and preached as he had time but he knew he had to go out and preach his newfound truth. The message that men must abandon their sectarian names and return to the New Testament Church burned in him like Daniel's fiery furnace. One day in January 1828 he stopped what he was doing, turned to his wife and said "Nancy, I shall work no more! Get whom you please to carry on the farm! I am determined to preach the gospel, and will leave the consequences to God." Nancy knew she would have to assume all the responsibilities of the children, their home and the farm. She hired a man to do the plowing and went to the field with her hoe to support the family. Why? She was a faithful preachers wife and knew that she must do her part if Raccoon was free to tell the lost about Jesus.

In our last lesson we discussed results. The scriptures are clear: If we do the will of God and do it his way he will give the increase i.e. results. (1 Cor. 3: 6-7) What were Raccoon John (and Nancy) Smith's results because they put the Kingdom first? Raccoon preached 523 sermons. He had 3 public debates. He baptized "with his own hand" 705 souls into Christ. He brought 1600 Baptist out of the Baptist church, some were entire congregations, and into the non-denominational body of Christ. 2305 people now proudly told the world they were "just Christians" and no longer needed a sectarian name or denomination to serve God. Oh, I forgot to mention that Raccoon John Smith did this in just one year, 1828!!! Only God knows how many10's of thousands of souls are now in heaven because of the sacrifice of Raccoon and Nancy Smith. You see he continued to labor in the Lord's vineyard with the same enthusiasm for another 39 years! If you are a preacher I hope this makes you ashamed of your results. I pray you will go back and read carefully the first three lessons and see if your life and preaching are what God wants them to be.

Bro. Smith only went to school for four months, enough to learn to read, but everyone said that going back to school would only ruin him. His strength and power was in his heart not his book learning. He loved the lost as much as he loved his Lord and people could feel it. A stained glass window at the old Cane Ridge Meeting house in Kentucky illustrates his influence. The Restoration Movement had developed on two different fronts with little contact between the two. They were both trying to restore the simple, non-sectarian faith of the Bible and had done so independent of each other. Many years later when the "Christians", who came from Barton W. Stone's work, and the "Disciples", who learned the truth from the Campbell's, met to show the world that following the Word of God alone had led them to the same faith and practice it was this simple man of God who is seen in that window shaking hands with bro. Stone.

As you have already seen I grew up in a family of faith much like the Smith's. My dad put the Kingdom of God first in his life and saving souls more important anything else in this world. My mother sacrificed many material things to make sure his mind and heart were free to fulfill his heavenly task. Together they labored in the gospel and trusted God to provide the physical needs if they only put the cause of Christ first. Yes they believed "the Lord will provide." When mother went home to Jesus in 1999 the building couldn't hold the people who came from all over the country to say good-by. Most were Christians, many of them preachers, who thru mom and dad's tireless effort and personal sacrifice had been led from the kingdom of darkness into the glorious kingdom of His dear Son. Each had a story to tell about their conversion but I don't remember a single one that said they were taught the truth by dad's pulpit sermons. They were taught the old fashioned way, the scriptural way, when dad went to their home and opened God's word.

So the next time you hear some one complain that they invite sinners to our services to hear the gospel but they won't come. The next time you hear a Sunday morning sermon directed to sinners that encourages them to obey the gospel. The next time you hear that they have a great preacher because he visits the sick. The next time someone says they are too busy to go teach the lost. The next time you hear a preacher complain that he is not making enough money. Please, lift your eyes to heaven and pray the prayer of Jesus, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."

The Parson