Jack Carroll Convention Notes: San Diego - 1951

“I’m just going to talk to you about some things that might help during the year in connection with coming together on the first day of the week or during the week. In Old Testament days there were regular gatherings of God’ s people and there were also many special gatherings. The regular gatherings, as we know, were the annual feasts; the feast of the Passover, the feast of Pentecost, and the feast of Tabernacle. The people of God came from the north, south, east and west, traveled many miles to reach Jerusalem to keep these feasts. The children of Israel were expected to attend these annual feasts, the purpose of which was mainly to unite the widely scattered people of God in one fellowship. There were also many special gatherings mentioned in the Old Testament.

There are regular gatherings of God’s people mentioned in the New Testament and also special gatherings. The convention is a special gathering of God’s people, and we are very grateful to those of our friends throughout the world who are willing to place their property and homes at our disposal so that God’s people can spend four days away from home reasonably comfortable and enjoy fellowship with others and with God as His word is spoken.

I do not wish to speak about these special gatherings today, but about the regular gatherings of God’s people that all of you are more intimately associated with.

You’ve often heard that there are two fundamentals which we dare not depart from. The first is “the preacher without a home”, and the second is “the Church in the Home” and only in the home. No preacher in our fellowship can have a home of his own. He must be willing to have fellowship with Jesus in His homelessness. One of the first conditions those who think of entering the ministery [sic] must face is willingness to have fellowship with Jesus, the homeless Son of Man, the Son of God. He Himself said, “Foxes have holes, birds of the air have nests but the Son of God hath nowhere to lay His head”. There are in this meeting men and women who have voluntarily made themselves homeless for the Gospel’s sake in order that they might have fellowship with Jesus in His homelessness as the pattern Sent One, the pattern Servant. This is the first of those two fundamentals of the '“faith of Jesus” - the preacher without a home.

The second fundamental is “the church in the home”. Might I say, we value very highly all in this state and other states who are willing to have fellowship with their brethern [sic] in using their homes as the early Christians did in the New Testament Days, of welcoming each first day of the week little groups who gather in order to worship Him in spirit and in Truth.

We make no secret of the fact that we are deliberately and purposefully teaching men and women the world over how to do without the hireling ministry and the public building and to worship God in spirit and in truth as those early Christians did in homes consecrated to God, as recorded in the New Testament.

When in Rome some years ago, we planned to visit one of the oldest churches in that city, and we found that the present structure was 16’ below the level of the street. The foundation of this church was built on the foundation of another church building still older, and that second church building was built on the foundation of a private home. When we entered into this home which had been excavated, the floor of one of the rooms had been preserved marveously. The Franciscan priest that was our guide told us that away back in those first New Testament days the church met for worship in this home. He said this home is believed to be the home of Pudens whom we read about in II Timothy, chapter four, verse twenty-one. The point I wish to make is that this Catholic priest told us that in this home, believe [sic] to be the home of Pudens, the early church met for worship in the room that we were then standing in.

From there we went to St. Peter’s, the largest Roman Catholic Church in the world. We went into several of its chapels, looked into the crypt where Peter is supposed to be buried, went up into the dome, and from the dome went right up into the cupola from which we could look over the whole city. One of our company remarked that every step taken from that home 50 feet below the level of the street, to give the world St. Peter’s, was in the wrong direction and only tended to blind the eyes of men and women to the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ.

We glory in this fact that God has opened our eyes and made clear to our minds that we can worship Him in spirit and in truth without priest, parson, or church building; without the religious ritualism which is considered so necessary by all the daughters of Babylon. For this reason, it is true of us as it was of those first Christians that “after the Way that they called heresy, so worship we”.

You may wonder why we insist upon this, that the early Christians met in small groups and worshipped in homes only, and in these consecrated homes had fellowship with Him and their brethren. We all have heard quite often that there is a very close connection between the Old Testament Passover Feast and the New Testament Breaking of Break [sic]. It would be very helpful to read ans [sic] study the 12th chapter of Exodus, Luke 22 and other portions of scripture concerning the Breaking of Bread and have this fact established firmly in our minds that there is this close connection between the first Passover and the first New Testament Breaking of Bread.

Some years ago, in the city of Vancouver, the Church of England put on a Palestine Exhibition to raise money for their missionaries. It was very interesting and in some ways very instructive. I attended a lecture on the Passover and listened to the speaker explain very clearly and scripturally how the Passover feast was established and what it signified. After the lecture he invited some to come forward and ask any questions in connection with the Passover feast. I asked if the passover Feast was established in the homes of the children of Israel and never celebrated anywhere else? He replied, “That is true, and even to this day the Jews keep the Passover Feast not in their synagogues or in their temples, but in their homes”. I asked him then, “What is the connection between the Old Testament Passover Feast and the New Testament Breaking of Bread?” And he answered “The New Testament Breaking of Bread is the perpetuation of the Old Testament Passover Feast.” I asked, “Where was the New Testament Breaking of Bread established?” He said, “In a private home in Jerusalem, later they broke bread from house to house.” I asked, “When did they cease to Break Bread in Homes?” He replied, “I cannot tell you, neither can I justify the Church taking the communion service out of the homes of the people of God and placing it in the hands of a priest in a public building.” I then asked, “Would it not be a good thing to take the Breaking of Bread back to where the Lord Jesus established it?” He replied, “That would be revolutionary, it would turn the world upside down”, and he hurried away.

To take the Breaking of Bread out of the hands of the hireling preacher, priest or parson, out of the church building and into the homes of the people of God and place the responsibility of providing and distributing these emblems in the hands of common ordinary working men would revolutionize Christendom.

There are those who do not value the privilege of meeting together on the first day of th week to Break Bread in a home consecrated to God. The reason is they do not clearly understand its meaning and significance. When you leave your home on the Lord’s Day to go to the home of another to keep this feast, this memorial, you are not only obeying the scripture but you are registering a protest against every false system of religion that has blinded the minds of men and women through all the ages, to the glorious Gospel of Christ.

All should make ourselves familiar with the scriptures that refer to the church in the home and only in the home. One of our brothers expressed his disappointment that so many of God’s people were unable to give a simple, clear reason for the hope that is in them. When a stranger asks questions, they are not able to give answers that satisfy the minds and hearts of those who may be seeking for the Truth.

Read over Exodus 12 and note the different statements that are made about the Passover Feast and try to establish in your mind parallel between what you read in this chapter and so many chapters in the New Testament about the Breaking of Bread.

The first day of the week to the child of God is the most important. Jewish people and Seventh Day Adventists keep the seventh day. God’s people keep the first day of the week, they begin the week with God. We are glad that on the first day of the week God’s children have the privilege of beginning the week with God and seeking to live in such a way that daily He will be able to bless and honour them in their homes and in their business lives,

We believe that the spiritual health of the people of God, to a very large extent depends on how they spend the hours of the Lord’s Day. Some have wrecked their health rushing here and there to places not necessary and certainly not profitable. If you are anxious to spend the day in a way that will please Him, you will find ways and means that day to bring honor and glory to Him - not for your pleasure but His pleasure.

We are living in a strange age, everybody is in a hurry. How good it would be if God’s people would deliberately set aside some hours of Lord’s Day for quiet reading and meditation. It would be a help mentally, physically, and spiritually. One of the reasons people are so nervous is because they have not learned the value of waiting patiently and quietly in the Lord’s presence on the first day of the week to get the rest of mind, body and spirit that will warm their hearts and illuminate their minds and fit them better for the conflict in the days that follow.

I have often enjoyed hearing Workers speak of feeding the heart of God. We can bring great pleasure to the heart of God by the way we spend the Lord’s day. If we are purposeful in this, we will be albe [sic] to fight a better battle and get more victory within and without during the other days of the week.

We can safely leave this matter with God’s own people as they seek to spend the Lord’s day in helping others, visiting others or trying to relieve the need of others. Don’t let your sacrifice be limited to those inside of God’s Kingdom, but allow an overflow to reach out to needy men and women outside. When you minister to those in need, do so in the spirit of not “letting your left hand know what your right hand doeth”.

The regular meeting on the first day of he week is very important. It is a double appointment first of all with our Master and Lord; second with our brethern [sic]. None should permit anything, unless it is very serious, to hinder them from keeping this double appointment on the “first day of the week”. Don’t come too early and don’t come too late. Try to arrive on time and take your seat, quietly meditate until meeting begins.

Every meeting consists of four parts — each very important. There is singing, praying, testimony and then the breaking of bread. I have been to meetings in many different lands and the same simple plan of singing, praying, testimony and breaking of bread is followed.

Everything in connection with the way of Christ is simple — all can understand it; even the youngest can lay hold on this. The singing part of the meeting is important. Unfortunately, I can’t sing. One of the brethern [sic] sympathized with me in this and undertook to give me singing lessons. He gave me one lesson and never offered to give me another. I learned later that my voice isn’t baritone, it’s monotone.

The second part of the meeting is taken up with prayer. What shall I say about this? We have appreciated the fact that here in California during the last two conventions that the prayers have been brief. Sometimes just one or two petitions from the hearts of those who prayed. The place for long prayers is in the secret place. When we come together in the meeting place, we are expected to pray to edification. Pray so others can join in your petitions and say a hearty amen. I have said if I attended some meetings for about six weeks, I would be able to memorize most of the prayers. I would hear the same prayers week in and week out — a matter of repetition, repetition, repetition. It would be far more helpful to be brief in prayer so that the youngest babe might feel free to voice his or her petitions in true prayer on the Lord’s day.

Nothing so helpful as when the Lord’s people come together on the first day of the week with some fresh prayer in their hearts, some fresh petition to which they give expression audibly so that the brethren can share with them in their desires.

We’re not voicing any criticism, we value every voice we’ve heard praying for God’s blessing on the meetings here and in this you are having real fellowship with us. All prayers audible and inaudible can be a help in any meeting. It is best when possible, and there is room, for all to kneel in prayer. In some instances, there are those who cannot kneel and they should not be in the least embarrassed. Don’t be in bondage about this. Paul said “I bow my knees to the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ[“]. Kneeling is an attitude of helplessness and it is a very appropriate attitude; we cannot put up much of a fight if we are on our knees.

The third part of the meeting is taken up with testimony. There are three ways by which the Lord speaks to his people. First — the Lord speaks to His people by His Spirit in their hearts. It is possible for us each day to hear His still small voice. Second, He loves to speak to His people by His word as they read it. The real value of God’s word to a child of God is not to learn geography, biography, or history, but to have our hearts fed as we hear His voice through His word. No child of God can be healthy that habitually neglects reading the word of God. Third, God loves to speak to His people through His people. This is the real value of a fellowship meeting upon the first day of the week.

God takes great pleasure in speaking to His people through His people. I have sat in some little fellowship meetings with twelve or fifteen brethern [sic] and listened to what the Lord has been teaching them during the week and have been amazed at how much spiritual food was placed upon the table as each one arose one after the other and gave expression to the thoughts the Lord had put in their hearts. What a poor substitute for this to go out to a public building and listen to a hired preacher.

We are most anxious that the meeting on the Lord’s day should be helpful to each and all. Each brother and sister should feel free to take part in prayer and testimony. It isn’t wise, and certainly not edifying, to select a long chapter and comment on every verse. Far more helpful to select a few verses that have spoken definitely to your own heart and pass these verses on kindly and graciously with brief comments to your brethren. It is hurtful to the spirit of a meeting to preach to, or at, each other.

On one occasion, a brother did not take part in meeting and was asked, “Why didn’t you speak today?” That brother answered, “The man I had my testimony for wasn’t there.” That man came prepared to preach at his brother in that meeting, to take advantage of the liberty that is ours in Christ and knowingly sin so grievously.

There was in North Ireland a man professing to be a brother who was not behaving very well and a great source of worry to his brethern [sic]. He stayed away from meetings for some time and his absence was a relief to all. One Sunday morning he returned and was not very welcome but was first on his feet when the meeting was left open and said, “He that is without sin among you let him cast the first stone.” All of their ammunition was taken away with one sweep and they did not know how to continue the meeting.

You know when we come to the meeting on the Lord’s day, we are in the Lord’s presence and should avoid any attitude or speaking any words that would “grieve the Holy Spirit of God wherewith we have been sealed unto the day of redemption”.

What shall I say more? I have been surprised how much can be said in three to five minutes or less. One of President Wilson’s sons asked him how long would it take to prepare a 20-minute address? He said, “two weeks of hard work and study.” How long would it take to prepare a 50 minute address? “One week”. How long would it take to prepare an address for 60 minutes? He answered, “I’m now ready”. It takes less prayer and meditation to give a long testimony than a short helpful word. If we learn to be brief and to the point, we will find we can be more helpful in the church. President Roosevelt’s son asked his father on one ocassion [sic] how to become a successful public speaker. The father answered “It is very simple — just be clear, be brief and be seated”.

Don’t try the patience of your brethren by a long discourse, or taking a long chapter, commenting on every verse, or by recounting conversations with friends or neighbors. This is not profitable. Give expression to some thought that the lord has given as you read His word that has given you a desire to do His will, this will edify and encourage. There are some young converts here who hesitate taking part because they can’t speak as long as those who are older. We would encouraged those who are older to be considerate of those who are younger.

The fourth part of the meeting, the Breaking of Bread. I sometimes fear that this fourth part of the meeting on the first day of the week is not valued as it should be. To some it becomes a form — a meaningless form. It was never intended to be that. The main purpose of coming together according to the teaching of the New Testament on the first day of the week was to Break bread and thus express their fellowship with Him and each other in the family of God.

The first disciples of Jesus came together on the first day of the week to Break Bread — to perpetuate that Old Testament Passover Feast which was a memorial of their redemption on the first day of the week in the Breaking of Bread.

It is a very wonderful privilege to partake of these simple emblems that cost so much. Everything in the way of Jesus is simple; simplicity characterizes everything in connection with the service and worhsip of God, just a little peice [sic] of bread and some wine. The bread speaks of His body broken, the wine speaks of His blood shed for us. We are reminded that that blood was shed for the remission of sins.

A man came to me up north and said, “It’s not the sins I committed before I professed in God’s Way that trouble me, it’s the sins I have committed since I professed.” Therein is one of the real values of our coming together on the first day of the week. For we are reminded that sins confessed and put away can be forgiven and the blood speaks to us of the “remission of sins”. John said, “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. These things I write unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Some think that it makes no difference if we sin, but John said, “Sin not”. When any of you have no sins to confess, no sins to be forgiven, then you can set aside the cup which reminds us His “blood which was shed for the remission of sins”.

When we partake of these emblems, we think of His love for us, our love for Him and when we pass these emblems one to the other, we express our love for each other. After briefly giving thanks by brother or sister, the elder takes first the bread and later the wine to the one nearest him. The seating of the room should be so arranged that when the time comes for this fourth part of the meeting it is easy for the elder to reach for that bread and wine and pass to whoever is nearest him. The leader is not supposed to take these emblems to each one separately. These emblems should be passed one to the other and so on until they come back to the leader of the meeting. Each individual is responsible for partaking or not partaking. It isn’t right for the leader or any other to set himself up as a judge to decide who should partake or not to do so. We leave it entirely with themselves whether they partake or note. When these emblems are passed around and they partake or not, that is their responsibility and no offense is given.

Some have the habit of speaking against other religious groups in the fellowship meeting especially if strangers are present. That is most uniwse [sic], just forget about them being there and as they listen to you speaking to edification they may leave saying God is with those people. We want to manifest to all the love and grace of God. Strangers who come to Sunday morning meetings should be treated with the greatest courtesy and encouraged to come back.

We have been sorry to learn that some have formed the habit of not taking part on the first day of the week. We would like all to take part. We seek to arrange the number in each meeting place so that within a reasonable time all present will have time and opportunity for a word of prayer or a word of testimony. The reason some don’t take part is because they feel they can’t speak so long or as well as some who are older. A short word of edification from those who are older would encourage them. Prolonged pauses between testimonies spoil meetings.

Mid-week evening meetings. We have been greatly pleased that week evening meetings are a great help to God’s people in the studying of certain chapters and Bible characters. We would like to think that all of you value the privilege of attending the mid-week meeting. We feel that surely God’s people can deny themselves a little so that they can attend these meetings and take part and be a help to others.

Now just a few words more. What about those lengthy visits after the meeting is over? What about those side-walk visits that sometimes annoy the neighbors? What about monopolizing the attention and time of Workers after a gospel meeting and prevent them helping strangers? We should be considerate of each other and aim at being true helpers in the Gospel.”