THE RECIPE IS THE SAME
Carl B. Garner (via Collinsville IL bulletin)
If there is one thing we humans can
agree on it is the need for change. Nothing is as boring as the “same-old-
same-old” things we have always seen, read, watched, or eaten. Variety—that’s what America
is sold on, and that’s what America
is going to get. Even if it kills us, we
want a change of scenery, food and action.
Well, change has its value, though
even “change” becomes boring. It is nice
to sleep in our own bed, sit in our favorite chair, and read our hometown
newspaper. We like to know where to find
things. And—we like to get where we want
to go without looking at a map.
During a recent trip to East
Texas we stopped at McDonald’s for a bite to eat. We ordered the “Big Breakfast” because we
knew what to expect, and we were not disappointed. It’s the same in Texas,
California, Maine,
and Alabama. Boring? Not at all. The biscuits, the sausage, the hash browns,
the eggs—they all taste the same everywhere I’ve been. They must use the same recipe all over the
world. How do they do that? Is it just a coincidence? I think not—they all use the same recipe.
In the summer of 1956 I sold Bibles
in the state of Ohio. On a Saturday night, we arrived in the town
where we would live for the next three months.
In that small town, there was a church building with a sign, “church
of Christ.” We were pleased we would not have to drive a
long distance to worship. The next
morning we got up early, dressed and drove to the church building. When we entered we were surprised to see a
huge pipe organ and many other things that did not “look right.” The preacher came out of his office and
welcomed us, and he wore one of the “backward collars” that often characterize
a “reverend.” We must have looked
shocked. He asked us where we were
from. When we said “Texas,”
he understood and sent us twenty-five miles to a town in Indiana. To say the least, things were very different
in that small Ohio town.
Should we have been shocked? Is it wrong for some things to be alike and
for others to be different? No, to both
questions; but when Christ has given us the “recipe”
for worship, doctrine, and daily living, those things ought to be the same in Ohio,
Texas, and New
Caledonia.
McDonaId’s
are the same in Florida and Vermont
because they all use the same recipe from the same source—their
headquarters. Why can’t the church that
belongs to Christ be the same in Texas
and everywhere else? Since everything we
believe, practice, and teach comes from our “headquarters,” Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:18; Philippians 3:20), we should be able to find the same truths taught
and practiced in Montana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, and wherever we
travel.
Baptism is “for the remission of
sins” in Dallas, Boston,
Sacramento and Tucson
(Acts 2:38). Bible authority for every doctrine and
practice is demanded in Rome, Munich,
and Hong Kong.
Not because they decided that is so, but because the Bible said it is so
(Colossians 3:17). The “doctrine of Christ” must be taught and
honored in every place of worship, whether it be on Mercer Street, Pennsylvania
Avenue, or Madison Avenue (2 John 1:9-11).
When man gets bored with some
activity, he wants to make a change. Man, however, has never had the right to
change or modify God’s way of doing things.
Moses could not (Deuteronomy 4:2). The apostle Paul could not (Galatians 1:6-9); and when we refuse to
walk in the “way that leads to life,”
we can be sure that we are walking in the “way
that leads to destruction” (Matthew7:13-14). For this reason, and this reason alone, we
are determined to do “all things
according to the pattern” (Hebrews
8:5; Romans 6:17). This is not because we want to be different,
but because we want to be what Christ wants us to be—His church. This being true, we shall: (1) Worship God “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24); (2) Preach only the
truths revealed in the Bible, God’s inspired Word (I Peter 4:11; II Timothy 3:16-17); (3) In areas of
expedience, we will practice only that which is “unto edifying” (I
Corinthians 14:26); and (4) Be consistent in our convictions by practicing
meekness, self-discipline, forbearance, gentleness, joy, and perseverance (Galatians 5:19-23; I Corinthians 15:58; II Peter
1:5-10).
We often hear of Christians who
travel from home and stop on a Sunday morning to worship with their brethren. Some leave the building with puzzled looks on
their faces. They came to a building
with a sign that was familiar, but when they went inside nothing was familiar. We all like an occasional change, but we have
no authority to change God’s Word. There
is a place for diversity, but not a diversity that ignores God’s Word. McDonald’s would not tolerate such diversity
in their biscuits, and it must not be desired or tolerated in the church Jesus
purchased with His precious blood (I Peter
1:18-19).