Twenty
Five Years of Preaching (Conclusion)
As mentioned last week, May marked my 25th year of
preaching the Gospel. Not all of it has been on a full time basis and there have
been some issues that have come up over the years. What I remember most are the
people. In this article, I wish to talk about some events, some people that made
an impression on Regena and me, then address some past and current issues.
As you can imagine a number of funny and strange things
have happened over the last twenty five years. One Wednesday night Regena was at
home with Noah. She was less than a year old and I took Eli and Hope to services
with me. I remember getting flustered at something and turning to ask Eli where
Hope was. Eli looked up at me and said, “Dad you are holding her.” It took a
second or two before I realized he was right. One Sunday I was about to start
preaching when the electricity went out. The auditorium was almost pitch black,
but we opened a side door and I preached the lesson standing at the door.
Afterward, we realized a major storm had turned over vehicles and downed power
lines just a few blocks from us. At
Trenton
, Regena was trying to deal with both Eli and Hope. I stopped the lesson and
told some of the ladies that Regena needed help. Afterward, I was nearly flogged
by the ladies of the congregation. However, Regena and I had already discussed
situations such as that and all was well at home.
One day while preaching at Shoals, I noticed a member watching a young
boy across the isle. Later I found out the boy was playing with a rubber snake,
but the man had a phobia of snakes. He told me it was all he could do to not
rush over there and kill that snake. At least it wasn’t the boy he wanted to
kill. At Tuckerman we had a guess speaker one night. Somebody let off a stink
bomb in the back part of the building just as the sermon started. The speaker
said he hoped it was not an indication of his sermon.
One of the most heart touching events came while Regena
was pregnant with Eli. Her father had suffered a stroke and was in the hospital.
If Regena was going to see her father alive, she would have to go now. We did
not have the money nor the time to take off from
Florida
to
Oklahoma
. However, the brethren at
Trenton
said go. That Sunday morning they
said to leave and stay as long as we needed to be there. I remember Christians
coming up to shake my hand and leaving a five, ten, or twenty-dollar bill in my
hand. They made the trip possible. Whenever we get cynical about our brothers
and sisters in Christ I remember this day and am thankful for such brethren.
Over the years we have gotten to know a number of
preachers. Marshall and Rachel Patton stayed with us for a week in Shoals.
Regena and I had not been married for long and it was a learning experience. At
the end of the week we found out that Rachel liked watching the soaps on
television. H.E. Philips preached a Gospel Meeting in
Trenton
while we were there. I was terribly
disappointed with our attendance that week. H.E. Philips was a good preacher and
did a good job of presenting the lessons. That Sunday I told the congregation
that we had a Gospel Meeting and it was a shame our own members did not show up.
Some of the issues we have faced have been very serious
and others just silly. At
Trenton
we had the great Lord’s Supper controversy. The ladies took turns preparing
the Lord’s Supper. One had not been a member for long when it came her time to
do her duty. She used the unleavened bread one buys from a store. The men were
furious. It had always been a practice there for the women to make the bread. We
actually had a business meeting discussing the bread on the Lord’s Table. I
preached a lesson on binding where God has not bound and having the proper
attitude toward one another. As it turned out some of the women bought pie crust
from the store and used it for the Lord’s Table; most of the bread was not
home made!
The most reoccurring issue I have faced over the last
twenty years has been the marriage/divorce/remarriage issue. In the 1970s and
early 1980s, most brethren understood Matthew 5.31-32 & Matthew 19.9 to
teach the only reason for divorce was sexual immorality and only the “innocent
party” had the right to remarry. While preaching in
Trenton
,
Florida
, I found out one of the men had been married twice before and he admitted to
being the one to commit adultery in the first marriage. Some were trying to
justify his marriage by saying adultery is the breaking of the marriage bond,
the filing for divorce, and not the sexual act in a marriage. This doctrine has
been promoted by Olan Hicks. The phrase was used, “a person can not live in
adultery.” They need to read Colossians 3.5-6 for it plainly uses the term
fornication and says they had been living in it.
States adopting no fault divorces have created problems
among brethren. Not because it changes the Bible, but because it has changed the
number of people affected by the Bible. So many people have been married two or
three times that some preachers do not want to address their marriage and what
God says.
While dealing with this issue in
Florida
, I asked the question, “Can a person live in a homosexual marriage and be all
right with God?” Most brethren said no. I asked why and they said because it
is a sinful relationship. If a couple living in adultery can “repent” and
then continue in their relationship, so can a homosexual couple. Over the last
few years two states have decided to allow homosexuals to get married. On the
very day I am writing this article, June 16, 2008, two women are getting married
in
California
. The legal battle has been waged and lost on homosexual marriages. I believe
every state will be forced to recognize homosexual marriages. This will be a
problem in the Lord’s church. It may sound far fetched at the present time,
but some brethren will advocate homosexual marriages. Arguments such as “God
wants us to be happy” and “you can repent and stay in the marriage” will
apply to this issue as well as marriage and divorce for any reason.
I have been blessed to get to know other preachers. I
hesitate to mention any names for I would leave someone out.
However, I will mention two. I worked for 18 months in
Gainesville
,
Florida
with Carl McMurray. Mac has been a good friend over the years. On numerous
occasions I have called him with a Bible question for his thoughts and advice.
In 1994 I went to
Russia
with Mac. It was an experience of a life time. We conducted a number of Bible
Classes and individual studies during those 30 days. While it was hard work it
was very rewarding.
The other person is
Terry Sanders. I met Terry in Shoals, IN. Like Mac I have admired Terry’s
intellect, just don’t tell him, and his conviction for the truth. Terry drove
over six hours to attend my Dad’s funeral. The Bible speaks of a friend that
sticks closer than a brother, Terry is such a friend.
Over the past twenty five years I have gotten married and
had three children. They have been a blessing above any I could have imagined.
We have been able to laugh and cry together. They have all obeyed the Gospel and
are growing in their service to God. A father could not ask for more. Regena has
been able to put up with me for over twenty one years. I remember a night in
which neither one of us got any sleep. It was while dealing with a couple in an
unscriptural marriage. Regena was upset
because of their soul and what it meant for them to be lost. We have come a long
way from those Newlywed Days.
Perhaps over the years I have learned a little more
patience and hopefully gotten better at preaching. I sometimes wonder if I have
the same zeal as when I first started or I have just gotten smarter.
It is my hope the next five years will showgrowth for this
congregation and each individual here. — Dennis Tucker
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