Another Uncertain Sound
Efforts are being made to "agitate" and "stir up" the churches to respond to a post-war plan of religious work. This, like many other "uncertain sounds," started on the West Coast and is being relayed to us via Lubbock. The article by Brother Brewer announcing this plan was deemed so important, that it was published in two or three papers and was commended by at least one editor and one other doctor. The prominence given to the plan demands that it be given some attention. In scrutinizing it to discover its merits--which, by the way, become demerits when observed in the light of God's word, there are some things that are to be noted and especially notice that they are contrary to the New Testament. The quotations I make from Brother Brewer's article are taken from the Gospel Advocate, February 18, 1943.
Just who has jurisdiction in the selection of "missionaries" to the various countries is not made clear by the article, this point should be clarified.
Notice this quotation, it astonished me: "Some Christians are today beginning to prepare for such a campaign of missionary work as the world has never known." If that statement is true, and I reckon it is because it is from the pen of Brother Brewer, some Christians are getting ready to do something they should not do. What is it about this newfangled "campaign of missionary work" that the "world has never known"? Have these Christians hatched up some new method of approach, a system of diplomacy such as the "world has never known"? Are these Christians so ambiguous and egotistic as to think that they will outstrip the apostles and operate on a bigger scale and accomplish more than they did? Paul's preaching turned the world upside down, what will happen when this plan is unleashed? It is not clear what there is about this plan that the "world has never known," but I assert that whatever it is it will be unscriptural, and most probably when we find out what this new thing is, we will discover that it is not even new but that the denominations have had it for many years.
Brother Brewer's article further informs us, quote, "the Lubbock Church sponsors this plan." It is elsewhere in the article called a "movement." Now it is obvious and cannot be reasonably contradicted, when other churches participate in this plan, they put themselves under the sponsorship of the Lubbock church, to the extent that they participate in the Lubbock sponsored plan. Please excuse me, I don't want the church where I preach to be under the sponsorship of the Lubbock church in any way. I don't mean any reflection on the Lubbock church--I am unacquainted with that church, it is just a scriptural principle that one church cannot sponsor another regardless of how small or how large.
The Bible dissents from the post-war feature of the Lubbock plan. I quote from the article, "in the fear that financial conditions will be in distress and that money will not be as free as it now is, these churches are urged to set apart a certain amount and to put it into a sinking fund which will be used to evangelize the other nations when the opportunity comes." According to the article the plan will not go into operation until the war ends. Note what Paul said, "Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (II Cor. 6:2.) All the gospel work we have resources to do should be done now, because now is the day of salvation. We know not when the Lord will come and the world will end. If He comes before the war ends and examines the work of His servants, will they say, "Lord, we haven't been doing as much as we could during the war, but we had a big bank account and were going to do great things when the war was over." Will some soul be lost in hell who could have been saved had the money been used in preaching the gospel now, instead of putting it on deposit for future opportunities and letting present opportunities pass by? The Lubbock plan is contrary to what Jesus taught. Note what He said, "Be not anxious therefore for the morrow, for the morrow will be anxious for itself." (Matt. 6:34.) The Lubbock plan assumes infinite knowledge of the morrow, that there will be more opportunity and less money in the post-war world.
In explaining how the plan originated, Brother Brewer says, "It seems that the matter was first discussed among the brethren who attended the Yosemite camp meeting or lectureship last summer. It has been further agitated by some brethren on the West Coast since that meeting." I imagine if the sectarians had of had the Yosemite lectureship they would have called it "the Yosemite convention," and I suspect their nomenclature would not be far wrong. It seems as though I have read of a "convention" in the past that hatched up a plan for "missionary work." That convention was in Cincinnati, Ohio, their plan developed into the U. C. M. S. and resulted in division of the body of Christ. Of course, it is too early to predict what the Yosemite (lectureship or convention) plan will develop into or what it will result in. It may turn out to be only a "tempest in a teapot," but it will bear watching.