The Weekly Bulletin of the Livingston Church of Christ

Meeting at 639 2nd Street, Livingston, CA 95334

Office: (209) 394-3511 | Preacher: Jovan Payes
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Is Love All You Need? Jesus v. Lennon | Jovan Payes January, 9 2011

On June 25, 1967, the Beatles participated in the first worldwide TV News and Notes
special called “Our World”. During this special, the Beatles introduced “All
You Need is Love”; one of their most famous and recognizable songs. In it, A Note to Our Visitors:
John Lennon with Paul McCartney spelled out the mantra of the anti-war- Welcome! We want you to
pro-peace-youth of their day with the slogan: “Love is all you need”. know you are our honored
The “love” of the sixties generation has become the philosophical guests. Let us know how we
foundation of our moral scene which affirms, “if it feels good, then do it”; can serve you. We have free
accordingly, love is supposed to be of the non-judgmental variety. As long as biblical literature and offer
free home bible studies.
two lovers are cohabitating out of “love”, then it is intolerant and unloving to
openly speak against it. Tonight | Special evening
Love of this kind is a license to practice, or behave any way we want discussion on church’s
never mind the moral implications; specifically, because there is only one ministry. Be here to
moral guide – love that feels good and is non-judgmental. According to this participate.
line of reasoning, neighbor has no ability to judge another person. Barrios Family Update| Last
Is Lennon and those like him right? Who would have the audacity to Wednesday night, Lucy
disagree with the countless masses who believe “love is all you need”? Enter Barrios passed away in her
Jesus of Nazareth, Son of God. The Gospel Accounts reveal that He taught mother’s home surrounded
that love is not extended in a vacuum, there are at the very least two by her family. Continue to
relationships involved which are necessary components to living out love. keep the family in prayer.
When asked about the “greatest commandment” that God had given to Remember in Prayer: our
mankind in the Scriptures, Jesus said the following words: Dreams, friend of the
You shall love the Lord you God with all you heart and with all your Browning’s - Terry Witt
soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. (ulcer), Fred (neck), Linda
And a second is like it: You shall love you neighbor as yourself. (Matt. (knees), Gerald (recovery),
22.36-39, Mark 12.29-31; Deut. 6.4-5, Lev. 19.18) Hazel (recovery), LeAnne
Jesus said that living out love is built upon two relationships: (1) our Figueroa, Rose Mary, Mike
relationship with God, (2) our relationship with our neighbor. (back), Shelly (foot tendons),
According to Jesus, the Scriptures teach that “feeling” is not enough; but Connie Payes (dialysis), Elsa
instead, a relationship with God and neighbor is based upon a love (agape) Avalos (Alzheimer’s), Elsa
that (1) does what is right as the Lord’s Scriptures teach it, and (2) does what is in Padilla.
the best interest of another, independent of a desire to receive anything in return. Jan. 14-16 | Youth Fellowship,
Despite its popularity, Lennon’s song needs revision. Love is not all we with Chuck Webster, at the
need; we need love that is lived out in the framework of God’s Word, our Oceanview church of Christ;
relationship with Him, and our relationship with our neighbor: theme: “Dangerous Waters:
By this we know we have come to know him, if we keep his Surviving the Cultural Tide”.
commandments… whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of
Jan. 23 | Ladies’ Day with
God is perfected… if God so loved us, we also ought to love one
Kathleen Ferrell, at the
another. (1 John 2.3, 5, see vv. 3-7; 4.11)
Airport church of Christ.
For those seeking a biblical Christian experience, this is the love we need.
 Schedule of Services Clapping as an Accompaniment to Singing in Worship | Wayne Jackson

Sunday Services
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK
Bible Class 10 AM
The “Category” Argument
(Classes for All Ages)
It is alleged that in order for a “sound” action to be a violation of the
Morning Worship 11 AM New Testament pattern of praise worship, it would have to be a sound
Evening Worship 6 PM of a different “class,” or “category,” i.e., not a “human” sound, but a
4th Sunday Services “mechanical” sound. A strictly “human” sound is allowed; a
Bible Class 10 AM mechanical sound is forbidden. This contention is flawed, both in logic
(Classes for All Ages) and in the application of scripture. The “classification” argument is
Morning Worship 11 AM wholly arbitrary, with a manufactured distinction.
If the point were valid, whistling, humming, and yodeling could
Birthday Fellowship Meal
accompany the singing, since all of these are human sounds. The fact is,
Afternoon 1:30 PM playing an instrument ultimately is a human sound, because no
Wednesday Services instrument can play itself. If the argument under review were
Bible Classes 7 PM consistent, it would suggest that singing with a piano is acceptable
(Classes for All Ages) because ultimately it is a human sound, and the instrument is only an
Daily Bible Readings aid. That is precisely where this line of argument leads.
1/9 Matthew 14 Sound or Song?
1/10 Matthew 15 We are not instructed to “make sounds”; rather, the command is to
1/11 Matthew 16 sing (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). Clapping is not singing. Singing
1/12 Matthew 17 is the expression of thoughts by words through melody. Singing is
intended to convey “understanding” (1 Corinthians 14:15). There is no
1/13 Matthew 18
“instruction,” analogous to singing, in a mere sound.
1/14 Matthew 19 This was Paul’s point in forbidding speaking a language in an alien
1/15 Matthew 20 assembly when no interpreter was present (1 Corinthians 14:28). To
contend that clapping is permitted, because it can impart
“encouragement,” opens the door for the instrument, for the sound of
an instrument can impart encouragement (e.g., the cavalry charge; cf. 1
Corinthians 14:8).
If any human action different from singing is to be sanctioned –
because it is restricted to the category of “body” action – then
“dancing” would be allowed as an accompaniment to singing. Dancing
was commonly practiced as a form of praise under the Mosaic regime
(Exodus 15:20; 2 Samuel 6:14; Psalm 149:3; 150:4). It does not inhere a
“mechanical” instrument. Are we ready for the sacred dance?
Earl Edwards, professor of Bible at Freed-Hardeman University,
correctly has observed:
“Clapping is a type of percussion very similar to the music we
produce on a drum.” (291).
He further noted that there is no difference in using “live skin” to make
Monterey, CA a noise (clapping), and “dead skin” to make a noise (beating a drum).
March 31 to April 2 One cannot license the former without endorsing the latter.
CONTINUED NEXT WEEK…
JOVAN’S OFFICE HOURS SOURCES
Tuesday to Friday Edwards, Earl. 2007. Protecting Our “Blind Side”. Henderson, Tenn.: Hester
9:30 AM to 3:30 PM Publications.