In the papers furnished you by the ushers you have a copy of this request for Scriptures. Just to show you how earnest I am about this matter, I’m offering a reward of $100 to the finder of either of these texts. This offer is backed by my personal integrity and sufficient resources. I’m not making it to be dramatic, but to impress you with the fact that no such Scriptures are in the Bible. And yet, friends, these Scriptures are absolutely essential to the support of the sabbath theory. Without these texts, that theory has absolutely not one leg on which to stand. The absence of these Scriptures leaves that theory without any support whatsoever.
As further evidence of my sincerity, I want to make you a proposition. If there is anybody in this audience who believes he knows now where to find one of these texts, I’m giving you a chance to let it be known. I’ll turn to the reference you give, read the text you cite, and see whether it meets the demand. We will not have you arrested for disturbing public worship, or undertake to embarrass you in any way. If you will just raise your hand and let me know where you are, I’ll give you a chance to stand up and cite your Scripture. If any one here even thinks he knows where to find one of these texts, we are giving you permission to speak up now. (Pause. No response.) Well, even if you can’t find it now, maybe you believe you can when you get home. If so, just write to me. My address is on the paper you have. You may write to me in care of the Chapel Avenue Church of Christ, Nashville 6, Tenn. If you want to collect $500, just let me know where those five texts are. I’m simply saying this, friends, to emphasize that the very texts essential to the sabbath theory are not in the Bible. Until the Lord gives us a new Bible, there is no danger of my having to put out any money on this offer.
Beloved, in closing I beseech you to hear Christ and obey his gospel. On the condition that you believe, repent, and be baptized, he promises you pardon. On the condition that you remain faithful to the end, he promises you everlasting life. His gospel has facts to be believed, commandments to be obeyed and promises to be enjoyed. While we stand and sing, we are urging you to come to him and let him save you.
XI
LEADERSHIP
The word of God furnishes us completely unto every good work. But as we learned this morning, many of His instructions are left in general form and must be applied according to our best judgment.[3] For this reason, God endowed us with intelligence, and admonished us to pray for further wisdom that we might be able to serve Him in decency and in order.
I
Wisdom in the Lord’s Plan
We should not be disturbed by the fact that there are certain decisions which we have to make according to our own best judgment. I believe there is a very good reason why God made this arrangement. Simply because the detailed instructions that would fit one place might not be suitable at another. For instance, you had to decide how big to make this house in which you worship. Suppose God had specified that a house of worship should be 50 × 40 feet. That might be a suitable building for one community, but out of order in another.
Since circumstances are so widely different in different places it was an act of wisdom on the part of God to give us only the general principles that should govern certain activities and to leave each community to use its own intelligence in applying these general principles in a sensible, expedient and practical way. But it does impose upon us a responsibility of using some intelligence, of making some wise decisions, and of giving some thought and consideration unto our plans.
II
Responsibilities of Leadership in the Local Church
1. Autonomy of the local church. As some of you know, I was requested last fall to teach a series of lessons at Grace Avenue on the subject of church leadership. When I contemplated the task I wondered what I would say, but before it was over I was wondering how I would find time to say what was to be said. Of course, church leadership means leadership in the local congregation because that is the only capacity in which the church can scripturally function.