The Lord’s church is called “a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 2:5). It is entered by a spiritual birth (Jn. 3:3-5), and all spiritual blessings are in Christ (Eph. 1:3). We sing spiritual songs (Eph. 5:19) and wrestle against “spiritual hosts of wickedness” (Eph. 6:12).

There are many things we do as individuals that are not authorized for the spiritual house of God. We are to work with our hands in order to earn a living (Eph. 4:28;      2 Thess. 3:10). Churches are not authorized to enter into business to earn money. Individuals are taught to bring up children, lodge strangers, wash the saints’ feet, relieve the afflicted and diligently follow every good work (1 Tim. 5:10).

The church is charged with the responsibility of teaching the word of God and relieving its needy (1 Thess. 1:8; 1 Tim. 5:16; Acts 6:1-6). In recent years the distinction between individual and congregational responsibilities has been ignored and churches have gotten into social, recreational and money-making businesses which God never authorized.

In the 1951 Annual Lesson Commentary, published by the Gospel Advocate, lesson thirteen discusses the Christian and recreation. Here are some quotes that are Biblical and have been taught by brethren for years.

“It is the duty of parents to provide recreation for their children. Children need and will have it somewhere and in some form. If parents do not provide and supervise such recreation as is wholesome, children will get their re-creation elsewhere which will likely be anything but wholesome...The church has an interest in the recreation of the young people, but it is the same interest it should have in the welfare of the home, or the success of a business owned and operated by any member of the church. It is not the duty of the church to provide entertainment for young or old. It is not a part of the program of the church to provide playgrounds, programs of entertainment, or supervisors of such programs. The church should have an interest in the type of entertainment provided for the young people just like it should be interested in the type of business carried on by any member of the church. If a man cheats and defrauds in his business, the church should do something about it. If young people engage in recreation of doubtful morals, or things definitely lascivious, the church should do something to correct the situation to bring the young people to walk in right paths. But it definitely  is no more the duty  of the church to provide recreation for the young people than it is the duty of the church to provide a business for every member of the church to conduct.”

In Volume five of Hardeman’s Tabernacle Sermons (presented by N.B. Hardeman in 1942), he said: “I do not consider it a part of the work of the church to try to run the government. I am taught in the Bible to be subject unto the powers that be, just so far as I think they do not conflict with some law of God. Again, I say to you, with caution and thought, that it is not the work of the church to furnish entertainment for the members. And yet many churches have drifted into such an effort. They enlarge their basements, put in all kinds of gymnastic apparatus, and make every sort of an appeal to the young people of the congregation. I am wholly ignorant of any Scripture that even points in that direction. Furthermore, it is not the work of the church to try to adjust labor troubles, or to supervise our social conditions. It was never intended that the church should run politics, stop wars, supervise public morals, or to be any kind of a collecting agency to pile up a large sum of money. The church should not go into the banking business. Money is contributed for the work of the Lord, and my observation is, that if you want to take the life out of a church, and rob it of doing good, just pile up a big fund in the church. Many will quit giving altogether or reduce their amount to a minimum. Churches should be encouraged to give liberally, and the money should be used, as it accumulates, for some worthy cause. Let the churches look ahead and keep the good work going.”

The Gospel Advocate, which published both the Commentary and Hardeman’s Tabernacle Sermons, would not publish such Biblical teaching today. Those who write for that magazine have changed in their doctrine, but the word of God has not changed. The principles set forth in these quotations are as true today as they were then. Many churches that wear the name of Christ have gotten so far away from the pattern found in the New Testament that they bear little resemblance to the New Testament church.

Once people turn from, or never learn, Biblical authority, there is no stopping place for apostasy. We must “speak as the oracles of God” (1 Pet. 4:11).