Heretical movement decriesany perceived tradition

Regular day of meetingOrder of servicesBlind to own rituals

“I [Frank Viola] have participated in such meetings for the last nineteen years.”

Our actions are biblically basedCommand: Meet on first day,1 Cor. 16:1, 2Judgment: time of dayBy the Lord’s authority, Mt. 7:21-23

Use of Elizabethan English“Many contemporary pastorsstill pray in this outdated language—even though it has been a dead dialectfor four hundred years!”

Use of Elizabethan EnglishInfluence of King James VersionStrive about words, 2 Tim. 2:23

Invitation at End of Services“The ‘anxious bench’ was located in the front where preachers stood on an elevated platform. It was there that both sinners and needy saints were called forward to receive the minister’s prayers….”

Invitation at End of Services“Finney’s method was to ask those who wished to be saved to stand up and come forward. Finney made this method so popular that ‘after 1835, it was an indispensable fixture of modern revivals.’”

Invitation at End of ServicesPeter used it, Acts 2:37, 38; 3:19, 20Stephen could not, Acts 7:51-54No better time for call to obedience,Mt. 25:14-30

Invitation at End of Services“As far as modern pragmatism goes, Christians should decide for themselves whether a particular practice is of the Holy Spirit or if it is mere human ingenuity at work. We leave such judgments to the individual reader.”

Invitation at End of ServicesMy judgment: “organic” church is hereticalJohn endorsed invitation, Rev. 22:17Jesus too, Mt. 11:28-30

Evangelism“Pretribulation dispensationalism gave rise to the idea that Christians must act quickly to save as many souls as possible before the world ends. With the founding of the Student Volunteer Movement by John Mott in 1888, a related idea sprang forth: ‘The evangelization of the world in one generation.’”

Evangelism“The ‘in one generation’ watchword still lives and breathes in the church today. Yet it does not map well with the mind-set of the first-century Christians who did not appear to be pressured into trying to get the entire world saved in one generation.”

EvangelismThey did, Col. 1:23Not pressured, compelled, Phil. 3:12Each generation responsibleLord’s view, Mk. 16:15

EvangelismDisciples’ action, Acts 8, 9, 10, 16;1 Thes. 1HCM dislikes labor & confrontationOf evangelismPromotes vomiting, Rev. 3:15, 16

Evangelism“The apostles stayed in Jerusalem for many years before they went…They were in no hurry to evangelize the world. Equally, the church in Jerusalem did not evangelize anyone for the first four years of its life. They, too, were in no hurry to evangelize the world…”

EvangelismDisciples forced out of Jerusalem……BECAUSE of their evangelismActs 3:1-26; 4:1-21; 5:17-42Acts 6:7-14; 7:54-60; 8:1-5

EvangelismEmotionalism of Premillennialism wrongStill labor because of pending JudgmentMk. 13:32-37Bible exhortationsRom. 13:11-14; Mt. 9:35-38; Lk. 10:1-12

Order of Worship“…all Protestant traditions share the same unbiblical features in their order of worship.”

Order of WorshipWe are not Protestant, Acts 11:26Prove we areDo what Bible says, Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 14:15

HCM sees our worship as dull“…absolutely no room for anyone to give a word of exhortation, share an insight, start or introduce a song, or spontaneously lead a prayer. You are forced to be a muted, staid pewholder!” and “…it encourages passivity.”

HCM sees our worship as dull“…for many Christians, the Sunday morning service is shamefully boring.”

HCM sees our worship as dullSays who?Same true of Jewish worship (Jesus)Is assembly for our amusement?Introduce X-treme worship?

HCM sees our worship as dull“The New Testament never links sitting through an ossified ritual that we mislabel ‘church’ as having anything to do with spiritual transformation. We grow by functioning, not by passively watching and listening.”

HCM sees our worship as dullFraction of Christian life in assembliesGifts exercised elsewhere, Rom. 12:4-8Taking notes, thinking not passive,Psa. 119:15, 27, 48, 148; 1 Tim. 4:15Thinking is hard work, Rom. 12:1, 2

HCM sees our worship as dull“Let’s suppose the authors of this book attend your church service. And let’s suppose that the Lord Jesus Christ puts something on our hearts to share with the rest of His body. Would we have the freedom to do so spontaneously?”

HCM sees our worship as dullThe Lord put something on my heart……and on paper, 2 Jn. 10, 11“Laid” on the elders’ hearts, Titus 1:9-11

HCM sees our worship as dull“Let’s suppose the authors of this book attend your church service. And let’s suppose that the Lord Jesus Christ puts something on our hearts to share with the rest of His body. Would we have the freedom to do so spontaneously?”

Heretical movement decriesany perceived tradition

Regular day of meetingOrder of servicesBlind to own rituals

“I [Frank Viola] have participated in such meetings for the last nineteen years.”

Our actions are biblically basedCommand: Meet on first day,1 Cor. 16:1, 2Judgment: time of dayBy the Lord’s authority, Mt. 7:21-23