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Baccalaureate Sermon to the 1984 Graduating Class of Tomlinson College
(as printed in the June 16, 1984 edition of the WWM)
My soul weighs heavy as I mediate on the awesome responsibility that rests upon us as “The Church of God” and particularly on those of us who have been called and appointed to the leadership positions in the Church. There is an aura of awe that overwhelms me when I give thought to the magnitude of our responsibility. This brings to me a very deep sense of respect, reverence, and fear. … It is required of this leadership that it possess a positive sense of direction. Positive leadership will cause the Church to perform her role and fulfill the Great Commission mandated by our Lord. This dutiful responsibility frightens me and makes me cry out, “Oh God, please help us, for we stand in a very crucial hour in the history of the Church!” It matters not what phase of the ministry in which we are involved, our responsibility remains equally grave.
It is very evident that a new generation is being prepared to carry on the ministry of the Church. This new generation will be a product of our preaching, teaching and example. What they learn from us will be the motivating force in their lives; therefore, the motivating factor of our vision should be conveyed to this new generation as it was given to us by those before us. It was the powerful preaching and vision within men such as D. H. Queener, José A. Jiménez, L. S. Rhodes and many others, as well as the inspired writings of our former and present General Overseers that have motivated the present generation of ministers. We must not let the excitement of the Church die! We must not let the message of a holy and glorious Church be silenced by the passing away of the Old Guard. It is the responsibility and duty of those of us who are teaching and preaching to see to it that this wonderful message lives on. This new generation must hear this message expounded. They have a right and should hear this message for it is the heritage of every member of the Church. The Apostle Paul told the Thessalonians: “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work” (2 Thess. 2:15-17).
We must instill in those whom we are teaching that there is a difference between the Church and the Christian denominations in this world. There seems to be a lot of pressure being directed toward the Church for changes in our way of believing, teaching and standards of holiness. We must not allow the world to dictate to the Church how to live and practice the Word of God.
We are admonished by the Word to remain faithful. Romans 12:1, 2 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
The Church of God must not be influenced by the world. The Church must never try to imitate the world. We cannot have the image of the world and expect to retain God’s Spirit and attain unto His image. There are those who feel that we must find some neutral ground in order to gain the confidence of the organizations around us. Some feel that we should strive to become more acceptable to those around us. The truth is that we must always strive to be acceptable to God and not worry so much about public acceptance. The Church must be the Church! Let the Church be the Church whatever the cost or consequences! We must carry out our God-given responsibilities as the Church and never conform to the world around us. Men may criticize us and judge us, but we must please Him who has called us.
There seems to be an acceptance syndrome which tends to rationalize, saying, “We’ve been ignored, neglected and rejected by the prominent religious organizations for so long; we must commence doing things that will cause us to relate to others and thus be accepted. This will attract friendship and fellowship with Christians of the denominational structures; then we’ll win them to the fold.” Some feel that the stunting of our growth here in the United States is because of our lack of compatibility to those in the kingdom of God outside of the Church. I reject this theory and repudiate its rationale. If anything, our problem stems not because of how different we are from others, but because of how much we are trying to resemble the others, not being ourselves.
I am thoroughly convinced that people are seeking for the real thing. A “form of” holiness, spirituality and godliness can be found in diverse places; however, “a form of” is not the true and authentic source of these virtues. The spiritual excellence of the Church should not have to be orchestrated or choreographed. It is the nature of the Church to be different from the world. The uniqueness of the Church will not be a “put on” affair. This should be and is by nature our “lifestyle.”
Let me share with you a recent incident. I attended a Youth Convention in Kentucky. Also, in attendance was a brilliant man whose name is Br. Hiro Tanamachi, a theologian, psychologist, and a linguist. He came to lecture and minister to us in a specially prepared class of “Ministerial Counseling.” He very ably and with great professionalism presented his material. He was a blessing. He later wrote me a letter and also corresponded with the Overseer of Kentucky and shared his feelings of what he received during his visit to that Youth Convention. Let me share part of his letter to me with you.
“Some thoughts and feelings defy our verbal ability to express. It is just as well, however, as a thought or a feeling so expressed inevitable becomes, however unintended, delimited by the very limited nature of the vehicle of communication. Nonetheless, I would like to attempt to say that I was blessed by the Lord last weekend in Elizabethtown and Sunday in Waynesburg as never before. What characterized those occasions was the warm, uplifting love of Christ, which was mediated through His children. I shall never forget the memorable worship services at the Waynesburg church and shall never case to thank God for sending you this way…I trust that the Lord will provide us with another opportunity, somewhere, sometime.”
And in his letter to Brother Fred Fisher, the Overseer of Kentucky, Mr. Tanamachi states: “The fellowship was so nurturing and uplifting! I could not help but to marvel at the fact that everyone there was so warm-hearted and caring, reminiscent of what the early Christians in Antioch must have been like. For the very first time in a long while I really felt like I belonged there, that everyone there was my brother and sister in Christ. Their positive and caring attitude toward me indeed was an affirmation of my individuality and as such the reflection of the strength of their love for and faith in Christ. Indeed, Christ was there with us all the way through.”
The Church folks in Kentucky didn’t try to impress this prestigious and eminent visitor. They were just themselves worshipping God as always. We must be what we truly are. The people of the world are searching for this.
Please take note that the growth of the Church is greatest among the people who preach and teach of the Divine Institution, the Church. One of the noticeable facts is that the “churchier” (an old cliché) the people, the grater their growth. The people who are strong “pro-Church” in every sense of the word, are also retaining with greater zeal the high standard of holiness that we should all have. Of course, there will be those who will accuse them of being extremists and even go so far as to say that they border on fanaticism; but I will say one thing, they are having results—the Church grows numerically, financially, and spiritually. Let’s not be too concerned with the judgments of the world or even the judgment of some among us who are passive toward spiritual permissiveness, I mean those who offer little or no resistance to the encroachment of the world upon the Church. WE cannot become the least bit worldly because this has been the tragic downfall of many. Furthermore, God expects us to stand fast and “be not conformed to the world.” It won’t matter what people may say of us. What’s important is what God thinks of us. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:3, 4: “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.”
When men are judging us, what we do may well be good enough for them for men seeth on the outside but God searcheth the hearts. When God is making the appraisal, He requires that our works be perfect, complete, total and without compromise.
Therefore, it is necessary to be found acceptable unto God. Again, Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:9, “We…labour…[to] be accepted of him.” The important point then becomes: how acceptable are we to God, and how does our work appear unto God Almighty? So many times our daily worship becomes routine, geared and directed toward making a good impression. Coexistence with the world is displeasing unto God. To coexist with the enemy in a peaceful atmosphere one must make some concessions. Take for example the situation that existed recently between Israel and Egypt. In order to have peace between those two countries, pressure was applied so that “some” concessions were made. Someone had to give in so they could arrive at some type of peace treaty between those two nations that had been enemies for so long. So it is between the world and the Church. Pressure is constantly being made that we give in to the ways and demands of the world and allow the world to dictate our form of conduct. A church that makes concessions and gives in to the pressures of sin and Satan can live peacefully and in tranquility with the world. The world may admire that church and give it the name of being a live church as they did to the church at Sardis:“…that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.” It’s a bad sign when people who are supposed to be Christians and the world live happily together.
The last days’ Church of God and the world may never have an armistice and exist in harmony prior to the Rapture. God’s Church is required to resist sin. Its members must live holy and strive toward perfection. We must preach against sin and admonish everyone to forsake all manner of sin—even the appearance of evil. James, in writing to the Church, said: “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4).
John wrote to the Church in 1 John 2:15, 16 saying: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
It is clear then, that the world will never accept or endorse the Church and her teachings. It is also clear that even some members and ministers will try to resist the Church’s firm stand on holiness and righteous living. Some may try to persuade you and convince you that we don’t need to be so strict, that we must change with the times, but this can never be! The church of God will continue to teach and preach the old-time religion. We will hold fast to the teachings of the Bible.
The world may accept your salvation by your raising your hand but we will preach CONVICTION, REPENTANCE, REGENERATION and a true BORN-AGAIN EXPERIENCE.
The world will tell you that sanctification is progressive, that you become sanctified little by little but the Church will teach that SNCTIFICATION IS A DEFINITE INSTANTANEOUS WORK OF GRACE and that YOU MUST RECEIVE THIS EXPERIENCE BEFORE YOU CAN RECEIVE THE HOLY GHOST. The carnal man must be crucified and all carnality eradicated.
The world may tell you that you can have the Holy Ghost and may even try to teach you to speak in tongues, or that you need not speak in tongues, but the Church will tell you that THE HOLY GHOST WILL ABIDE ONLY IN A SANCTIFIED VESSEL AND THAT YOU WILL SPEAK IN TONGUES AS THE SPIRIT GIVES UTTERANCE when baptized with the Holy Ghost—that is the evidence!
The world will tell you that it’s all right to have a good time in worldly things but the Church will teach that YOU MUST LIVE HOLY EVERY DAY and will continue to advise us against diversions that are frequented by the world.
The world will not accept or endorse the Bible teachings such as: Divine Healing, Tithing and Giving, Restitution, Total Abstinence from All Liquor, Against the Wearing of God for Ornament, Against Swearing or Against the Evil of Divorce and the Sin of Remarriage.
Many will resist the Bible preaching and teaching of: 1)one fold or one church for all; 2) the perfection of the saints, 3) theocracy or government of God for all; nevertheless, the Church of God is committed to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church to preach His Word. WE must not only preach it, but we must live it. It is easy to profess religion, but we must possess true holiness! LET THE CHURCH BE THE CHURCH, and “BE NOT CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD.” Amen!
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