Old Time Religion

[DependentOnJESUS]

AMEN Me4Him! Could not have said it better. Old time religion won't save ya, only the mightly Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ can, but I'd rather be an old time Chistian than anything I know.

I know when I stepped back into the little baptist church I goto, conviction of my backsliding was so strong I could not get away. And when I got my eyes back on Calvary, praise God, he was standing there just as he was when I was saved.

No I am not saying everyone has the experience I have had, but I felt 2 acres of Heaven come down in my soul that day. And I have never been the same since. Glory to God he set me free!

God bless all....

 

[natters]

It's where they don't hand you a "Schedule" for the services, what songs to sing, what scripture to read, or even certain who is going to preach.

Where people come/kneel at the altar if they want a prayer answered, and half, to three fourth of the church will join them at the altar, and at any time during the service.

Where the "heartache" of one, aches the hearts of all, and it's not forgotten by none after the services are over.

Where the "SPIRIT" is so strong people "Literally Cry" for "Joy".

It's a place so close to being "HEAVEN", people look forward to going and hate to leave.

Just as God works in "mysterious ways", so does the "SPIRIT", you can't box him in with a certain "FORMAT".

When the "SPIRIT" is turned loose, people will shout the praises of God, if they don't, it's because the "Spirit s "quenched".

Granny, move over, I feel like climbing that tree too.

I dunno, that doesn't sound like "old" time religion to me, that sounds more like "chaotic" time religion and has nothing to do with "old". Maybe it's for some people, but I prefer a little order at church.

 

[FBCPastorsWife]

natters...once you experience a God led (not man controlled) service you wouldn't want to go back! I know from experience what it's like to be in services that are led by the Holy Spirit. People start testifying, tears are free flowing....and there is nothing chaotic about it. People are getting right with God!

 

[4His_glory]

Originally posted by FBCPastorsWife:
natters...once you experience a God led (not man controlled) service you wouldn't want to go back! I know from experience what it's like to be in services that are led by the Holy Spirit. People start testifying, tears are free flowing....and there is nothing chaotic about it. People are getting right with God!

Sounds just like Pentecostalism and isn't much further from it. Emotionally based, theologically bankrupt messages that stir people into a "confession" is not "getting" right with God.

This is not old time religion, but rather a product of the revivalism of the mid 1800's and continues on till this day.

 

[FBCPastorsWife]

Believe me...it is a million miles away from Pentecostalism and our sermons are Bible based so their is nothing bankrupt about it. God's Word does not return void! People have become so afraid of letting God take control of a service because of the charismatic movement.

Maze Jackson was in a service once where a lady stood up and started testifying and the host preacher said, "Brother Jackson I think you need to sit her down!" Maze Jackson replied, "Brother, I ain't sitting her down because I ain't the one who stood her up!"

We have had services where it took almost two hours to get to the preaching because the song service "got on" and then people started praising God for the blessings he poured on their lives and the church. You can tell lives are being changed all through the service. Why would you not want that?

 

[standingfirminChrist]

Amen, FBCPastorsWife!

Maze Jackson was a wonderful preacher and he would do nothing to hinder the moving of the Holy Spirit in a service. I used to listen to his 'Truck Drivers Special' on the radio back in the 90's.

People need to be sensitive to the Spirit. Too many churches are programmed with bulletins and time schedules and if they don't let out at a certain time, they are afraid they will miss the last baked potato at Picadillys or their favorite restaraunt.

Slow down folks, listen to what the Spirit is telling you. Get the flesh out of the Way. God will only move in your life as you allow Him.

 

[Scott J]

I believe there is truth in what both of you are saying. Emotion is a legitimate part of worship and spirituality... but it is a result, not the object nor the means of spirituality. Saying something is "Good preachin'" is never an excuse for poor theology. A man who purposes to preach or teach to others has a responsibility to search the scriptures and educate himself on the context.

What I mean is that I have known services that were emotional and reflected genuine repentance. I have also known emotional, supposedly spirit-filled revivals where the "conviction hangover" didn't even make it into the next week... including some preached by Bro Maze (who I happened to have loved). He preached a revival at our church every year when I was growing up.

 

[FBCPastorsWife]

Scott J what you say makes perfect sense! I too have been witness (in one of my old churches) to the type of meetings where people get right and then go back to their old ways almost immediately. It's sad but all too common now. It has to be a delicate balance of certain elements. A preacher of the Word needs to be well-studied and fully surrendered to preach what God lays on his heart but the key is for him to yield the service to God and not try to control it for time sake. I don't believe in "every service has to be a hollerin service." I believe some of the most convicting and moving times can be when there is pure silence.

 

[natters]

Maze Jackson was in a service once where a lady stood up and started testifying and the host preacher said, "Brother Jackson I think you need to sit her down!" Maze Jackson replied, "Brother, I ain't sitting her down because I ain't the one who stood her up!"

1 Cor 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion/tumult/commotion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

There's a difference between being sensitive to the Spirit, and letting emotion control (or uncontrol is perhaps a better word) a church service.

And again, where does the "old" come in? Still not clear on that.

 

[DependentOnJESUS]

Sorry I have gotten off of this one for a few days.
"Old" comes from the days of Whitefield, Wesley, Sheffey, Spurgeon, Moody, Sunday, Ironside, Bob Jones Sr, Oliver Greene, RG Lee, J. Frank Norris, and on and on. The Welch Revivals were God's presence was real and could be felt all over for months.
"Old" is when people allowed God to come into His services and take over and we all have to admit at times we do hinder him. .
"Old" is where people actually were proud to be saved and let the whole world know, I am not saying you all do not do this.
"Old" is where people, even unsaved, and respected the children of God and the church because they knew they had the power of God.

No, I am not saying you have to shout or holler or wave hands. Just give into God; he will make His presence known to you. I do not amen everything in church, but when God moves praise Him! I believe with my whole heart this is “controlled” by the Holy Spirit. I am not too ashamed of my praise for the Lord. Let me say it this way, have you ever been in the car,home, etc and hear something that honors God and you wale-up inside but you are too proud to, next time let it out and you will see. I pray every day that God will crucify this flesh and when I put self to the side he really moves. I do not just shout amen when the choir is singing or when the preacher is preaching, I can be reading the Word and God will reveal something to me that will have me amening every word I read. I have been in churches where God does not move and I hate that. Please believe me this is not some fleshly emotion, I have been in churches that do that and it feels almost nasty. Also my pastor preaches very sound doctrine and no, his sermons are not “theologically bankrupt”, I can try to send you some if you would like.
Sounds like the disciples did this:
Luke 19:37 “And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;”
Have we not seen a mighty work? Jesus gave himeself to save our hell deserving souls, AMEN!

God bless all I pray.

 

[DependentOnJESUS]

More... Sorry I left out.

"Old" is where God is #1 in the heart, household and the church.
"Old" is where we know Him in the power of His reserection.
"Old" is where faith and trust is put into the the Almighty.
"Old" is the Book, the Blood and the Blessed Hope!
"Old" is where liberal and legal are not the gospel truth.
"Old" is where we do not say "Can God?" but we say "God Can!"
"Old" is where Jesus is still Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
"Old" is where we praise God in the valley and on the mountain top!
"Old" is where we seek God with our "whole" heart.

 

[DependentOnJESUS]

Resurrection.... Sorry would help if I would learn how to spell, I am from SC though...

 

[natters]

Originally posted by DependentOnJESUS:
"Old" comes from the days of Whitefield, Wesley, Sheffey, Spurgeon, Moody, Sunday, Ironside, Bob Jones Sr, Oliver Greene, RG Lee, J. Frank Norris, and on and on.

"Old" is relative then, I guess. To me, "old" is not just the last 5% of church history. It seems a bit ironic to me to refer to those days as "old time religion", when those days are so recent.

 

[Ransom]

The carryings-on of the revivalists and the "Higher Life"/Holiness crowd aren't all that "old-timey," unless your view of Church history starts somewhere around 1850.

Also, I don't think men like Whitefield and Spurgeon were into the hooting and hollering. For them, the Word faithfully preached was central.

"Old time religion" should mean what is preached from our pulpits is the same truth preached by faithful men like Paul, Timothy, Augustine, John Chrystostom, Athanasius, Luther, Calvin, Edwards, Spurgeon, and other wise and great men of God - not the shouting, hollering, Bible waving, and other emotional warm fuzzies we get from going to meeting.

 

[mnw]

From my understanding part of the old time religion is when people responded to God and stayed right! When Grandparents, parents and children all went to church together. It is about keeping the main thing the main thing.

Some have commented on "bankrupt theology" and that is a danger. However, that is not something I have seen in the OTR. They knew their doctrine.

They may have not known the finer points of calvinism vs. Armenianism, or the 27 step plan to leading someone to the Lord, or 17 different ways to understand a single verse, but they did live righteous lives, they did lead souls to the Lord and they did love their Lord without shame.

It seems they were simple times, comparitively, and they got the job done!

(And Augustine and Spurgeon in the same sentence! )

It is because of the effects of the OTR religion that many of us are here today and why fundamental churches still exist.

Whether it can "officially" be called "old time" I don't know, and don't really care, but would to God those days would come back!

I am 25 and never heard any of the preachers others here have mentioned. But you can be sure my life has been affected by them.

mnw

 

[DependentOnJESUS]

Did I say Shouting, hollering, etc was Old Time Religion? No, but they are a product of it though. As far as the preachers we know about, to me they are old time. Also we do need to make sure the gospel being preached from our church pulpit's is the Gospel, as many baptist churches preach some feel good message and no conviction. Basically the true honest Gospel of Jesus Christ is "old time religion" to me. If that is not cut and dry, I do not know what else is. May God bless your services tomorrow.

 

[Bob Alkire]

Originally posted by mnw:

Whether it can "officially" be called "old time" I don't know, and don't really care, but would to God those days would come back!

I am 25 and never heard any of the preachers others here have mentioned. But you can be sure my life has been affected by them.
mnw

So true.
I think what one call OTR has alot to do with his age and what he has seen. I'm in my 60's and there is a former pastor who goes to church with us and his view of OTR is much different than mine on a lot of things. My older daughter is 40 and my son is 35 and their view of OTR is much different than mine and I'm sure my 10 year old daughter's would be much different than mine and her older brother and sister. But the true Gospel is the same.
What ever happen to the city wide services that most of the churches in town all backed( all churches can't be wrong but mine). They were great and many a person came to the Lord in those services. Look at the different churches that backed an Oliver B. Greene service coming into town or a John R. Rice and many others, what happen to that.

 

[mnw]

I think the closest I have come to what I think of OTR is through the preaching my pastor.

My pastor, Tom Dotson, sat under the preaching of many of the preachers mentioned here. He is originally from Georgia in the USA and is one of the best preachers I know.

 

[Ransom]

DependentOnJESUS said:

Did I say Shouting, hollering, etc was Old Time Religion? No,

Er, yes, you did. In your second post to this thread (on page 1), you set out to explain what you meant by "Old Time Religion," and the entire post was about Grandma and Grandpa shoutin and hollerin in a way most Baptists would think was foolish.

 

[DependentOnJESUS]

Ransom,
I believe several times I explained that my wording was wrong. But if you must continue to believe that is what I am saying and that I am wrong, that is your opinion and between God and you. I believe God knows my heart and that is all that is left for me to say on the issue. I appreciate the feedback from all and God bless.