In today’s thought-provoking discussion, we reflect on the historical challenges faced by the Israelites and the lessons they provide for contemporary believers. The broadcast underscores the detrimental impact of neglecting religious education, as seen in the apostasies of the past, and critiques the modern tendency to undervalue the church’s role. By emphasizing personal responsibility and the power of diligent teaching, this episode encourages listeners to uphold and cherish the church as a pivotal part of God’s plan for salvation.
Let’s not hide anything about the Lord from our children. These are the words of the psalmist, and we’re going to think on this and more coming up from the International Gospel Hour. Please stay with us.
SPEAKER 02 :
It’s time for our broadcast from the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jay Webb, and welcome to our study today as we embrace God’s Word to help us meet the challenges of today. Let’s open our Bibles and open our heart for this time of Bible study with our speaker Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour, a broadcast of the Churches of Christ. Here’s Jeff.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, we always appreciate the good words of our J-Web, and we appreciate each and every one of you joining us today. Greetings and hello from the International Gospel Hour. You know, the International Gospel Hour has been on the air since 1934, and we love to hear from our listeners. You can write us at P.O. Box 118 Fayetteville, Tennessee 37334. We’re under the oversight of the elders of the West Fayetteville, Tennessee Church of Christ. Fayetteville, Tennessee is located about 30 miles or about 20 miles rather north of Huntsville, Alabama. Also, you can contact us through our website at internationalgospelhour.com. Click on the contact tab and leave us a message. Matter of fact, let us know where you are listening to our broadcast from. And as always, our toll-free number of 855-444-6988 And you can always call us. And again, we’d love to hear where you’re listening to our broadcast from, if nothing else. Just give us a call and say, Hi, I’m listening to your broadcast from maybe Indianapolis, Indiana. Or maybe Albany, New York. Maybe down in Dalton, Georgia. Or possibly Mobile, Alabama. We’re all around the country, all around the world. The International Gospel Hour is striving to serve the Lord. From Psalm 78, verses 1 through 4, Give ear, O my people, to my law. Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings of old, which you have heard and known and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. Friends, we want to know the Lord’s will for our lives. And in a few moments, we’re going to talk about truth for the generations to come as we springboard from Psalm 78. But first, we know of the power of the Lord, His strength, and His wonderful works from the Word of God. Let’s begin with a free booklet that we love to share from time to time with our listeners. And our J-Web has the details.
SPEAKER 02 :
In a world of division and even confusion in the religious world, friends, please know this. The Bible is always right. The free booklet, Something is Wrong, But the Bible is Right, is available from International Gospel Hour. Please call us toll-free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name, your address, and just say, Bible Tract. That’s it. You may also go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the Contact tab, and leave us the same information, name, address, and type Bible Tract in the message box. We will get it to you right away.
SPEAKER 01 :
Friends, God spoke, and Israel heard and knew the law of the Lord, and their fathers had taught them to honor and respect the word of their God. But what will happen to the generations to come? Will they continue to retain the knowledge of God’s will? The immediate generation had been the recipients of a rich heritage from their fathers. They had been trained and schooled in the law of the Lord. But what about the generations to come? Each generation has an obligation to teach its children the way of truth, and we must not hide the word of the Lord from them. They need to know the wonderful works of Jehovah, His strength, His glory, and they should be taught to sing His praises. Then the children yet to be born should arise to declare these things to their children. Psalm 78, verses 5 through 9. Only by faithful indoctrination will the children learn to set their hope in God and keep His commandments. God expects each generation to transmit His word to the next generation. This is God’s plan for perpetuating His word to every age. For Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2 verse 2, And the things that you have heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also. Israel was obligated to keep the law given by Moses, and lest they should forget, God ordained a constant teaching program based upon repetition that would instill the truth in their hearts. From Deuteronomy 6, 6 and 7, And these words which I command you this day shall be in your heart, and you shall teach them diligently unto your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. They were commanded to maintain a continual teaching program, and it was required that they repeat the law over and over again so that they would never cease to remember the Lord their God. How often have we failed to teach our children only to see them lose their faith and desert the Lord and His church? Apostasy is the inevitable result when we fail to indoctrinate our young. Jeremiah wept bitter tears over a generation who had forgotten God. Can a maid forget her ornaments or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number. Jeremiah 2, verse 32. Solomon recognized this fatal weakness in the lives of men and pleaded with youth from Proverbs 3, verses 1 and 2, My son, forget not my law, but let thine heart keep my commandments, for length of days and long life and peace shall they add unto thee. The history of Israel is replete with shameful examples of many who forgot God and turned to immorality and adultery. What shall we say of many in our day who have forsaken Christ and the church because they, like Demas, love this present world too much and the Lord too little? Even some gospel preachers have given up on the church, and they seldom speak of the church except in terms of reproach and derision, calling it an irrelevance in which their children will not continue to worship, and they write books and sponsor lectureships where the church and pioneer preachers are subject to ridicule, misrepresentation, and abuse. It is passing strange that they profess such respect and preference for the writings of certain liberal German theologians who deny the virgin birth, reject biblical inspiration, regard the miracles of Jesus as mere myths, while refusing the Genesis account of creation as factual. They regard these skeptics as the only real scholars. Friends, we have no cause to be ashamed of the pioneers of the Restoration or of their successors. Many held high academic degrees but were in our biblical scholars and, more importantly, strong believers in the Word of God. Some of us are ashamed of the men who stand in the pulpits of large congregations which were established through the efforts of faithful gospel preachers and yet have the gall to ridicule the men who fought the battle before they were born. It is a shame that they would criticize their predecessors as being unkind, unloving, and ignorant of the grace of God.” I claim no merit or recognition for myself, friends, but I have known some of the great good men that these modern pretenders vilify, and I have heard these preachers of the past exalt the grace and the love of God. And they were not perfect, but they loved the Lord and relied on His grace and mercy. Some of these men received little support and made many sacrifices for the cause of Christ. Faithful servants of the Lord are sick and tired of hearing what is wrong with the church, So let’s quit this bashing the church and show a little love and respect for the bride of Christ. Let’s not forget the truth expressed in one of the great songs that we used to sing, and in many places still do. The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord. She is His new creation by water and the Word. From heaven He came and sought her to be His holy bride, and with His own blood He bought her, and for her life He died. When we change our attitude and stop berating the church, our young people will come to love the church and take pride in being members of the body of Christ. The story is told of the denominational preacher who was preaching a sermon in which he declared that the church was non-essential and that people could be saved outside as well as in it, and then very inconsistently said that he was opening the doors of churches and invited all to become members. One of the older men arose and responded with these words, Preacher, I have been a member of this church for forty years, but you have finally convinced me that there isn’t anything in the church that I can’t get outside, so while you have the door open, I think I’ll just get out. Friends, when preachers quit deriding the church and start emphasizing the distinctive nature and vital importance of the church’s place in God’s plan of redemption, Our young people will be proud of being members of the church that Jesus purchased with His blood, Acts 20, 28. In view of persistent efforts to change and restructure the church, many faithful brethren are greatly concerned and grieved over what the future holds for their children and grandchildren. A familiar pattern seems to be developing like the tragic division that led to the introduction of instrumental music within the church and the missionary society and resulted in compromise and apostasy. Friends, always remember that when the church ceases to be distinctive, it forfeits its right to exist. Friends, our generation to come and generation now need to know the truth. That’s why we teach such lessons here from International Gospel Hour and offer as well a study material from our broadcast that we hope will be of help to you and your family. How about our Bible Correspondence course? It’s available by mail. Here is our J-Web with how you can receive that free course.
SPEAKER 02 :
Our long-time free Bible study course by mail is always available. Have you tried it yet? Just call us toll-free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name, address, and just say Home Study. That’s it. You may also go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the Contact tab, and leave us the same information, name, address, and type Home Study in the message box. Study the Bible at your own pace. Again, it’s free from your friends here at International Gospel Hour.
SPEAKER 01 :
Friends, we hope that Bible course will be of help to you, as well as the free booklet, Something is Wrong, But the Bible is Right. So let us know how we can be of help to you in your studies and even for your children and grandchildren. I am indebted to the late J.A. McNutt, who lived until 1999, and in 1994, he shared the thoughts that I just brought to you today. To see how prophetic He came forth with many things that have changed today is amazing. Friends, let’s make certain that we do not hide from our children the praises of the Lord and His strength. Let’s use His word to teach. We’ll continue these studies together at another time, and thank you for joining me on the International Gospel Hour today. I’m Jeff Archie, and friends, keep listening.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you for listening today to God Be the Glory and we hope that our study today will draw you closer to His Word to walk in His way. Feel free to listen to our other programs at our website at internationalgospelhour.com and join us next time.
