Traditions — Murray McCandless

2 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 15. Therefore brethren now there's a break and what he has really been taking up but I'm just going to go from here and into chapter 3. Therefore brethren stand fast and hold the traditions which you have been taught whether by word that means what he had written to them or rather what he had spoken to them and then by our or our epistle what he had written to them.

Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our father which hath loved us and has given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace comfort your hearts establish you in every good work good word and work now.

Prayer, Work, and Order in the Church

Chapter 3. Finally brethren pray for us that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified even as it is with you and that she may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men. For all men have not faith but the Lord is faithful who shall establish you and keep you from evil.

And we have confidence in the Lord touching you that you both will do the things which we command you and the Lord direct your hearts under the love of God and unto the patient waiting for Christ. Now we command you brethren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly and not after the tradition which you received of us for yourselves know how we how you ought to follow us.

For we behave not ourselves disorderly. Again the same word among you. Neither did we any man's bread for naught but wrought with labor and travail night and day that we might not be chargeable to any of you not because we have no not power but to make ourselves an example unto you to follow us.

For even when we were with you this we commanded you that if any would not work either should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly. Interesting just a third time that we have it this chapter disorderly working not at all but our busy bodies.

Now them that are of such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ and that with quietness they work and eat their own bread. But ye brethren be not weary in well-doing any man obey not our word by this epistle.

Note that man and have no company with him that he may be ashamed. He count him not yet count him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother. Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means the Lord be with you all.

The salutation of Paul with mine own hand which is the token in every epistle. So I write the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Be with you all. A man pointed out that second epistles are often relevant to last days.

And that is absolutely true. I want to speak about this afternoon is something that has been thrown up to me quite often the last two years at least. And it is this guy you've heard it to this kind of thing that's just the tradition of the brethren as if they had nothing for the Word of God to support.

You've heard that overseers hear that people that I've heard that from that I'm surprised that they speak that way. People that speak that way are not reading their Bible. I want to speak very plainly briefly and concisely about traditions.

Bad, Biblical, and Beneficial Traditions

First of all I think about three different ways. Bad traditions. Is there such a thing as bad traditions. Yes there is. Biblical traditions. Is the biblical traditions pulses are are that the scripture to support the traditions that they were turning their back on that traditions.

Biblical traditions. And then beneficial traditions. Beneficial traditions. What has been traditional for me if you like the early days of the church on down to the centuries men that pioneered their way across this country our country.

There have been beneficial traditions that we have learned from you pay the price. Let's get straight. You pay the price and I will pay the price when I turn my back on these traditions. Let's start maybe with the poor and go to the better side of it.

But what are. Well let me say this traditions and habits they are not the same. But there are two words if you like that our first cousins are pretty close. When you think of habits you're thinking of something more personal and individual.

When you're thinking of traditions you're thinking of something that's more general. Ok. But more than that you know traditions give us give to us our identity and to a certain extent traditions. Traditions literally plant borders borders that can have a positive effect on our behavior.

Now they're likely habits in your household. That were not habits in my household then there were habits in the home in which I grew up in that maybe not in my home today. I used to think some of those habits that my dad had were a little outside the box.

Really. But the older I got I realized we're in a bad idea. Sorry I have that I have to follow up with my family big-time. When I hear these ones ranting and raving about the way they were brought up it was this.

And that didn't do me any harm. Sort of my dad did do things that you might have thought were extreme. It didn't kill me. Believe it or not I actually survived it. No I was to enforce that on my children.

They don't. They would say that's what your dad did. Wasn't it. You know the truth. That's what he did. I spoke to a relative of mine one day and he it's what he said. Look he says Murray I just might well be playing with you.

I am NOT going to bring up my children. Now here's a man a time I thought him was in his late 40s few years younger than I am. I am NOT going to bring up my children. The way my father brought us up I said is that so one question.

Do your children have the same respect for you that you do for your father never answered the question. Do you know why. Because he couldn't. I'd love to tell you that things have gone well for him that he's still in the assembly.

But he's not was then most of his children aren't in the assembly either. So was his dad wrong. More than that you know the introduction of something that is new and it's this expression non-traditional.

Okay my kids in a joking way said would say that dad is a rock man. I'm reminded of a sign out in Alberta northern Alberta. One time in the spring roads are broken up. There are ruts all over the place.

It you came to a why in the road and it said this somebody put a good not Department Highways obviously not. The local township put a sign up and said this choose your rut carefully. You'll be in it for the next 25 miles.

So you get into a rut. Make sure it's a good one going to meetings. A good rut for sake of a better expression. Tradition for tradition sake will stifle us. Tradition for tradition sake. What do I mean by that doing something.

And I don't know why I'm doing it. That will stifle you. Legalism will strangle us. And I'm not talking about either. But let's come to. First of all what do I mean by bad traditions or bad habit. Let's give me an illustration of it.

If I am late consistently late for meeting all the time the Christians just get to know that I'm the last one in or I'll be late. That is a bad habit. When I go to an assembly at seven minutes before starting time and there's nobody there.

That's a bad tradition. Because you know what has happened bad habits have multiplied themselves and I know where I'm speaking on two occasions I've gone to an assembly. They weren't expect me to come very well.

If they were that might have been at least one or two there to save their bacon. And I'm there at. I thought I got the right I got the wrong night. No I got right night. Nobody there. Come on brethren that you would say well not everybody's got be like you got me half an hour early.

What's wrong with that coming in time and quieting yourself and reading the Word of God that that is a bad tradition. Somebody needs to break that a brother told me from the UK that came over to one of our assemblies in this country or Sunday night he was flying during the day a business to do and he figured that the prayer meeting would be at half an hour before meeting time.

So he planned his time accordingly when he arrived. What he thought. The permitting would start at 630 quarter to 7. There was nobody there for the permit. Finally a brother come rushing in and there was two others that was the prayer meeting.

There's four of them at the permitting and there's 40 in fellowship. Some wrong. What that is as a bad tradition. Bad tradition. I don't know what happens here or other places but I am saying brethren and sisters just as bad habits are easier to pick up than to develop a good one.

What it takes. It takes a little bit of backbone exercise and determination before God that some of those bad habits that we break less they when they spread to others they become a tradition. You see here to go to have the opportunity of going to the Labrador coast at any time for their conference where I have worked considerably and usually do their conference every year in the fall.

But this Scott will attest to this. If you went for the breaking of bread less than 20 minutes before starting time you likely be the last person in. And some of them are second and third generation Christians.

Some of them are new Christians. That has become a good tradition and good habits that have been developed by some of that assembly have spread to others. And there are others that it wouldn't matter.

It wouldn't matter. I remember one time I used to like speaking in Stark Road. That's when they used to like me and then uh you know cars could drive in. I said you know some of you slept out there. If you slept out there and that entry you still be late for meeting brother.

Jim balance gave me the announcements to make for Lord's Day. So I just back to each one off ten minutes. So I'm up making the announcements of the gospel in John Procopio. In our gospel rings I said I forget what the time may be.

Breaking bread was 10 o 'clock. I said breaking a bread 950. Jim was putting up his hand to correct me. His wife was pulling his hand down. She got the message. Sometimes we need a sister to put a straight and pull a hand down.

Jesus' Rebuke of Human Tradition

Now just as sure as we have bad habits and bad traditions sort of the Pharisees the Lord Jesus had to rebuke them on the same more than once even a mark chapter 7. And you have it Matthew's gospel to the synoptic gospels where he said.

And laying aside the commandment of God. Notice what they did. It wasn't a case that they just decide. This is what we're going to lay aside the commandment of God. You hold the tradition of man. So in other words something has to be laid aside before something else is picked up.

And what they laid aside was the commandment of God. For what. For the traditions of men. And the Lord went on the course to rebuke them. And that he referred to their ceremonial washing of the pots and cups and many other such things like that you do when you get the Matthew chapter 23.

That's why he said to them do you not after the Pharisees and after after these that made broad their phylacteries and they put grievous burdens upon men grievous to be born. And they will not lift them with their one fingers with their little finger.

In other words they were putting on people something they couldn't sustain themselves said the Lord bad tradition. Because they have laid aside the commandment of God for their traditions. For he says now he says what they do can be right.

But he says they say and they do not. They say and they do not. Other words. My walk should be in keeping with my talk. My life should be transparent before all. I should not be a different person in Midwest than I am in the Maritimes.

The ministry that I give should be exactly the same here as it is back home. What I would teach here. I want to teach. The Apostle says so teach I in all the places. Okay. I'd love to say that that is done amongst us away with this being politically correct.

And because of where I am that I cannot do this now I realize there's gonna be consideration. Maybe because of a very sensitive situation in that but I'm talking about general truth as it can be preached and taught from the Word of God.

The Apostle writes in the Colossian Epistle. And he goes over just this same thing. He says beware lest any man spoiled through the philosophy of vain deceit after what their traditions of men traditions of men.

Biblical Traditions and Apostolic Teaching

So without saying anymore our Bible does teach us that there are bad traditions. Let's go to some biblical traditions. That's why I read to you in the second chapter he said. Therefore brethren stand fast.

Hold the traditions. Hold the traditions which he have been taught whether by word or our epistle. In other words what I put in pen and what I say from the pulpit of the same thing they have equal value so that when a man stands here ministers the Word of God as taught to us in the New Testament it is God speaking through that pen if he is in fellowship with God guided by the Spirit of God.

And that's what Paul's. Because earlier in that Colossian Epistle he says as you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him knows where he says rooted and built up in him established in the faith and as you've been taught abounding therein with thanksgiving because he said metals spoil through their philosophies traditions.

Just a minute just a minute. I didn't take time to read 1st Corinthians chapter 11. But it's exactly the same thing we have back there is the same word that is used by you like just turn back to it 1st Corinthians in chapter 11.

It's the word ordinance. 1st Corinthians chapter 11 verse number 2. What's the Apostle say. Now I praise you brethren that you remember me in all things and keep the ordinances. That is the word traditions.

Keep the traditions as I delivered them unto you. And that word for delivered is a light companion word to the word delivered in 1st Corinthians chapter 15 word is a word that is used of a courier. Courier pick something up and brings it to your place.

You want it in relatively the same condition and which he picked it up. I got a shipment of gospel tracks one time and the operator of the forklift was a little too high and careless with the forklift that went to a couple boxes of tracks.

Obviously they were not delivered to me in the order which they were picked up somewhere along the way. Some transport company got careless whenever it might have been but there had to be a carefulness there.

So just don't right off to it. I know you don't like I'm speaking to people here today and all I'm you know what I'm doing. I'm strengthening what you already believe. You wouldn't be here if you didn't agree with what I'm hearing.

Likely it'll just strengthen you. I trust likely some that would need to hear it. They don't want to hear it and that's why they're not here. We don't always like what we hear but sometimes that's what we got to hear.

So coming back now to what I call biblical traditions. That's what Paul is speaking of the same word you second in chapter 3. Now we get to chapter 3. Notice he's not looking at this lightly. You know what he the main thrust of chapter 3 is this is a concern.

Those walking disorderly we're not working. Okay they're put nothing into it. And you know invariably people have put very little in the life itself will put very little into the assembly. But when people make the assembly their life then they'll put into it.

That's what the apostles. That's why we command you. We command you. And that's why I was emphasizing that as I read through chapter 3. Because that's what he is conveying to them this truth. We command you brethren.

Verse number 6. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you would draw yourselves from that walk disorderly and not after the traditions which you received of us. What's he saying what you read. Those that don't want the traditions are walking disorderly.

People that have just thrown them out the window ignore them are unfortunately those that are walking disorderly. So what is a biblical tradition. The breaking of bread. That's what we have. The word ordinance.

And the second verse in chapter 11. Chapter 11 the woman with her long hair. That is a tradition. That's a biblical tradition. The preaching of the gospel and the preaching of the gospel. Don't reduce it brethren to what's going on in some quarters where a man stands in the corner with his PowerPoint dress as if he as if he came out the golf course and sisters profess sisters in their pants with no head covering rise up from the audience and ask questions to the moderator of the meeting.

If I could call him that supposedly to provoke interest in the people are there. Oh no. They don't call the gospel mean they call it the community our. We have a church just outside our town. That's not my speaking but does exactly the same thing what I'm talking about right now.

If some of those older men who we esteemed and regarded highly that poured their lives into that assembly ever knew that was taking place it would break their hearts. You know I'm so thankful for that.

They're in heaven. They don't know what's happening. Oh you say I would never happen here. I would like to think the same. There would been a day when believers in that assembly would have said the same thing.

That'll never happen here. But it has it has. So that's why we support our gospel beings. That's why we go to the prayer meeting of the gospel meetings. Yes. Gotta leave a few minutes early. Yes. But wait a minute wait a minute.

If it was your boy who had no interest in the gospel for years and finally in his 20s he starts coming back out to just put yourself in that seat comes back out the gospel. You're not going to go in the permitting and pray for him.

I was at a having a series of gospel meetings one time and there's a brother there. And he wasn't doing too well at coming to the gospel meetings. But my age grew up with him a little talk here. Didn't you post on gospel hall form the need to pray for what happened the permitting.

Sure we're gospel. He's haven't seen you. Yes he says you know I got to get going. I said make it quick. We're already in second week. I said I'm sorry I don't use straight language brethren. It's a no-brainer.

It's just I'm appealing to the logic of your thinking and your spiritual understanding. There are biblical traditions. No one amongst us talked to us from the Word of God. That's why in chapter 5 of the first epistle which I didn't take that read he says again.

Now we exhort you brethren. We exhort you brethren. He says. Warn them that are unruly disorderly. Comfort the feet of mind that people might support the weak and be patient toward all men. Now see disorderly.

We're not only those that were not wanting to work just orderly. Were those that said to do with these traditions. They are just the traditions of the brethren. That is not a scriptural expression. It's not a bad one.

We're known by that. There's some traditions that we are known by. Yeah there are. We meet together to pray. If you don't know what permitting night is ask your neighbor. If you've been enough he likely knows one of our good brethren back home he told the story in himself.

This is how I heard it before. Oh one night he said I don't worry. It's 25 minutes drive. And now you know he says you're never feeling good on permitting night. So I just said the wife you know I don't desire to do something.

And the neighbor called over him to a bit. Hey isn't this your church night. Good question. Are you gonna answer that one. That's all the neighbor knew. So he said you know I couldn't say that. Yeah it is.

That's all he said. You didn't have to say anymore. I knew what he meant. How come you're not there. You're usually there. You're expected to be there. So there are biblical traditions. I'm reminded of a time I was not in a series of meetings.

It was Peter Orszag that was in them. He told the story about I've preached in the tent when he used to have the tent there in Markham and Unionville gospel halls front property there when they had room before them they did the recent expansion there.

One night a big storm was coming up and as we do in tent work of course it was not safe for the people to be in especially got elderly people that need to be maybe wheeled back the home. They just shut the meeting down and ask everybody out of the tent and so on this one night there's a ripper came right through a thunderstorm came rolling right through southwestern Ontario aimed right at Toronto.

Brother made a decision to the cake the tent. And they did that. It was start always the rain was coming in ahead of time. The brethren were just getting people out safely out to their cars and back over to the to the home there and Bethany and so on.

And boy the wind was whipping that tent pretty soon. Yes sir your main poles gave away. Then the side poles started going down. My boys are in the business. I know how it happens in these stores. For what they tell me can anyhow the corner the corners what they call the anchor corners usually are bigger one than just the side poles.

If they're using say two by fours for example on cycles they'll use six by six in the corner. Usually the corners the last to go down. They say you know it was so funny there was the whole tent was flat.

There's one corner standing that corners weapon and the tent was winding around with almost really lift off from the stakes and go. And one of the brothers said hey before that whole roof gets ripped and were into a big damage.

Go there and lay the corner down. So young brother say hey I'll go. Hey be careful this service. There was lightning and everything around so it went into the corner course where the fabric could be vinyl of the tent had wrapped around.

Is my brother-in-law his company. Don't the tents. And he went to grab the pole. And there's a man inside there here. There was a dear old gentleman 80 years of old 80 years of age. He didn't care what happened.

The rest of his corner wasn't going and it was gonna go. He was gonna go with it now. Insurance reasons and everything else he should never have been there. That's why Paul says hold fast to them. Hold fast.

You don't have to come up and tap him on the shoulder say I think she'll hold fast here. Storms on brethren. There are storms that come on in testimony in the assemblies. What will make the survival of a day are those that are willing and prepared to hold to biblical traditions.

That's why the Apostle uses that expression. I've quoted to you often when he says hold fast our biblical tradition. The word for holding fast is is it's an old verb and it means in English it means to have a masterful grip on it.

Like it your life was there your your life savings whatever it might be so important suppress. We let things go that it I get another one tomorrow. But something that has value to it we're least likely to let it go.

Biblical traditions. More than that he speaks here he has in mind the preservation of the gospel. And brethren I don't have to come this far to tell you in Waukesha or related assemblies. We lose our spirit in the gospel.

We've lost the day. We have lost the day brethren. Okay young man I know very well that wouldn't gather with us in a different gathering. One of the men there said to him this keep in mind calling him by name.

He says I want to tell you something. This man's older than I am and he's been there for a while. He said when the former gospel hall people are gone we're done. We're done. He says. That's the only thing that's kept us going.

He says where have we gone with the gospel down the road. The gospel hall gone all around the preaching the gospel not conflicting with them. I mean they some of them would go and some of them wouldn't.

Whatever. So we've been known by that as a biblical tradition. So like I say I could go over them and I could spend a more time on. But there's many things like I say that are biblical traditions. Now what the Apostle has here is the protection of the gospel.

Beneficial Traditions in Bible Versions, Hymns, and Worship

Okay the protection of it. That's why he uses the word deliver and hold fast the proclamation of the gospel very important to Paul. Paul wanted to preach in all its dignity and power. More than that he wanted to see the progress of the gospel.

In other words for the gospel to prosper the preacher had to be in a right condition. But so do the people. So do the people. And that's what the Apostles laying before these. In other words men that were not prepared to go to work.

We're gonna affect the testimony because people say so he's not with you. And he doesn't work either. It doesn't want to work. No. I realize there can be conditions and circumstances come into a person's life whereby he's laid off and maybe has been injured or whatever it's got except help.

I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about people that have made up their minds that if they couldn't do what they were formerly doing they weren't gonna do anything. Now I have to speak very personally and locally their dear brethren who got saved in gospel things we had.

And I love them dearly. But because of things happening in their business one of them with a new big Western star triaxial trailer for hauling logs his driver I think fell asleep 2016 truck with baby 30 ,000 miles on it almost written off.

So what are you gonna do when the insurance company tells you it'll be three months till it is fixed. No I told him get a job. Get a job. Well the hard part you'd have to actually go and work for your brother.

That'd be an awful come down when you're a boss yourself go now work for your brother. But I'm so thankful to hear before I left home he's gone and he's driving for his brother. God'll honor him for that.

He knew this listen. He used to give out tracks and speak in the lumber yard a big mill in our town. He knew he couldn't do that if he collected from the insurance company and did nothing. How much more effective when he's.

Even I don't say it's a step down for him. But driving his own brother's truck into that same yard he can still give his tracks out. That's what the Apostle is talking about. Is the protection if you like of the gospel.

More than that he says that we might be delivered from unreasonable unreasonable. What does he mean by unreasonable unreasonable. Our is the word for out of place. Okay. The word refers to our behavior as next it refers to character.

Out of place. He said that we would be preserved from that. Now I want to speak to you about what I have called beneficial traditions. What are beneficial traditions. Okay. Well might as well say it far as I'm concerned what I've known to be the authorized version of the Bible and its use among the assemblies in the 50 years that I've been in fellowship has been a beneficial tradition.

Are we clear. It's a beneficial tradition for its memorization. We have men far more godly than we will ever be that poured hours into this book without the tools we have without the electronic aids that we have and have written books that we read and have benefited from them.

Has that been a beneficial tradition. Absolutely. I do not want to go to a conference and have to say don't. What. Listen. Give it attention on to reading is the public reading of the Word of God. I do not want to have to go to a conference or any gathering.

I wonder what version I'm gonna take. Or they're gonna take three or four because there's one here he likes this one that he likes that and he likes it. Listen. Don't go to here. Say McCandless doesn't like any other version.

I have nine of them on my computer. I resort to all of them J and Darby. A lot. Okay. And some of the those older ones I use conservative. I'll go and resort to them. But you've got to admit that has been a beneficial tradition.

Our hymn books. Is there a little in bookshelf when this authorized version goes you can bury the hymn book we're using in the same grave. You'll have to go to the hymn book that we use. Look it up sometime.

Read about the people that wrote those hymns. Godly people. Beautiful hymns. We haven't come out with any that I think are better than what we have. Okay we haven't. I've heard them. I've heard them sung.

They're all right. And some of them are not too bad. But I don't think they are an improvement over what we have. Tell me. Has that been a beneficial tradition. Well what if I told you that my sister hard living a hard sinful life got saved in a bedroom when I was first in the work in a mobile trailer didn't want to go at the middle of the night to get her Bible.

But there was a believers hymn book sitting up on the shelf. She brought it down. Get saved reading one of the hymns in that hymn book. I'm not saying that couldn't happen in another hymn book. What I'm saying is these are beneficial traditions.

Okay. The very way that we know I know that mr. Crawford is book. I have highest respect respect for Norman in his book as well. The way that we gather the circle the brethren could have easy said that's a lot of work all these brethren.

We'll just leave it like this and and but when you can do it sitting what we know to be the circle or the square has been a beneficial tradition. It keeps us focused on. Not that we're worshiping the emblems but it keep us focused on what we are gap.

It has been a beneficial tradition. I picked a young fella up one time. Of course the boys. He was a relative of mine he was actually going on a flight with me him and two others. The boys. Of course my boy said he was dead as soon as he showed up with father with his hat on backwards and his shades on and his white pants and his everything he did have a chance.

Likely didn't. The hat on backwards was kind of cute. Okay I said listen. Who started that wearing a hat on backwards. I don't want to wear your hat sideways. It don't matter. They wear it anyway today.

Who started that. No I'll start before that. Anyhow I said I tell you you can start something. Why don't you wear your shoes backwards. I don't know. Don't think I could give it get in there too good.

I said it'd be nice thing to start. Maybe some others would pick it up. Well I should finish this story. Yeah I know it's going on record. There's kind of a long flight. Bad headwinds. He's back there tapping me on the shoulder asking me how long till the next stop.

And I looked at the computer on the plane and I said our five minutes. Whoo he says I knew what was up. You know what was up. Now we stop finally. I'm going to details but it's very humiliating for the boy.

But I'll tell you how you got back on for the next leg of the flight. Hat was on. Straight shades were gone. I don't think his white trousers are looking too fancy either. Sometimes you know we got face facts.

Don't we brother. Really beneficial traditions. Absolutely brethren. Don't give them up in God's name. Don't let them go. Hold them pulses. Hold them fast. See that. That's what his prayer is. We say.

But they're just tradition. No he says it's it's the word. It's the word that I preached on to you. It's the carrying out of that word actually becomes it isn't. It's a tradition. But it's based on the Word of God.

Holding Fast to Biblical Order and the Gospel

So people will say it sometimes. And what I'm coming back to the circle there. I know that it does say about the Lord in the center. I know it says that they couldn't gather around. And this the thought of David being in the center when they sought for David on Jesse's farm.

And that those are good things. But sometimes it might be just a little hard push to say that we have to sit that way. Unfortunately a company back our way where I would have been very happy to go three years ago.