Am I Anti-Establishment, Anti-SBC?

The answer to that question is yes and no. I love the SBC, but I think we are getting away from the document on the Great Commission Resurgence.

Paul is probably one of my favorite teachers in the Bible. He gets right to the heart of the issue(after all he is being spurned on by the Holy Spirit) and cuts through all the garbage, telling it like it is. He doesn’t mince words, yet he isn’t hateful, but so full of love for the people he is speaking to that you can feel that love, that frustration, because he loves the people he is speaking to so very much. Several times he reverts back to his own testimony of who he was before Christ and who he is now.

The bottom line in all his messages is Christ, Christ, Christ. And frankly, though we are finally getting back to that message in the Southern Baptist realm, we are also continually getting away from it.

When the message is why we should be against abortion, or why we should not drink, go to R rated movies or dress a certain way, and Christ is left out of that message, we are not being Biblical. When we preach a message that we should hate certain individuals, even praying for their death, we are not being Biblical. When the message is why Calvinism is wrong and Arminianism is right, we are not being Biblical. When we preach why Arminianism is wrong and Calvinism is right we are not being Biblical. When you preach about how many children a couple should have that is not being Biblical. I could go on and on.

Christ is the message we are supposed to breath, preach and teach. Christ is to be not only who we are, but what message we give in our Sunday Schools, in our worship services. Christ is who we should be singing to and about. Christ, Christ, Christ.

Christ, his death, burial and resurrection, and how that is salvation, how that is our freedom, how that is God’s love, how that is God’s grace, should be our message. That’s the message that transforms.

Right now Wade Burleson is preaching on 1 Corinthians 13. He is the only minister I have heard preach an entire series on this chapter. He has challenged us to memorize this great chapter, and because it is one of my favorite chapters, I have taken up the challenge. Doing so has begun to change my life again. God is so awesome. I challenge others who are reading this post to begin to memorize this chapter. Doing so will probably cause you to become anti-establishment, because it will begin to motivate everything you do and say. It will completely change how you view God, Christ, and others in the realm around you.

1Co 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
1Co 13:2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
1Co 13:4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
1Co 13:5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
1Co 13:6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
1Co 13:7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1Co 13:8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
1Co 13:9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
1Co 13:10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
1Co 13:11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
1Co 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
1Co 13:13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

I am speaking to myself when I say this. Scripture interprets scripture. So in all the sermons on holiness, incorporate this in as well. This must be our first priority. Until God does this in us, any message or sermon given means nothing. It may produce temporary results, but any message given without this in mind, according to this very passage, is fruitless.

When Church Becomes An Idol

Alan Paul, who has been a insightful commenter here, pointed me to a blog by Pastor Glen, that I have been reading the last few days.

One post in particular has haunted me since I read it earlier yesterday. It is convicting, insightful, and true. The subject of this post is something I had never thought of before, yet as I read through it realized that anything that takes our eyes off of Christ can become an idol, even the local church. We can care so much about how those in our local church perceive us, it can cause us to perform for the accolades of the local church, than for the accolades of God.

This statement however, seemed to hit me right between the eyes. Pastor Glenn writes:

When the church is your false god, getting rejected by a church (not the Church) feels like, well, being sentenced to hell.

Read the rest of Pastor Glenn’s post here.

It’s easy to forget our worth to Christ and we let others assign our worth to us. It’s easy to make idols of most anything. Including our local church.

Danger Danger Will Robinson

If Will Robinson were a pastor that is.

Now that I have your attention, Chuck Swindoll has a good post today on the dangers that pastors can fall in, and this can quickly divide a church, Authoritarianism.

Speaking as a church member who has been under authoritarianism and loving, shepherding leadership, the latter is more of a growth factor for the laypeople of the church. Not only can they grow in God’s time, but they can use their spiritual gifts in ways that God leads them, and not their minister or deacon.

There is a huge difference between shepherding, guiding and feeling like someone is watching your every move, ready to pounce. The former is like having someone get off of your chest, which allows  you to breathe deeply. Fortunately I have found the former to be more true of Southern Baptist churches than the latter, but it is an easy trap of Satan to get into.

Realize that while we can all fall into that trap, (yes, Sunday School teachers can too, so can husbands, even wives, even lay people), “If we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive those sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Battles Among Christians Part 2

In 1 Corinthians, the church of Corinth was in conflict.

The City of Corinth was located on the Mediterranean, it was a wealthy trading center, also known for its wickedness, it was hard for the Corinth church to not act like society. In fact, they were taking sides against each other in the church.

Paul’s letter to the church of Corinth was to scold them and teach them how Christians should act. He wanted them to know right from wrong. Each view begins with the truth, but excludes the other truths, thus leading to over extensions of all the three truths. They began right, but end up being wrong.

Corinth was a very intellectual city, so the church of Corinth was no stranger to intellectual debates. These people had a passion for Christ, to the point that they were willing to die for their faith, but shortly after the church was begun, the people began dividing into three groups. 1. Those who were radical about the Christian view of freedom. 2. Those who believed that Christianity was a life of joy, and should be celebrated as such, although they went a little overboard in their celebrations. 3. Those who believed in strict rules and church discipline. There were also those who were not part of any of the groups. They simply wanted to go to church, learn the Word of God.

Paul begins as he usually does in his writings, teaching theology for the first few chapters, then in the last chapters, he applies this to their lives. I realize I am repeating this, but the Bible repeats many things, the reason, because it’s important. To know Paul’s pattern, which is done for a purpose, is important to remember.

He begins by starting from scratch in the teaching of theology. First, with divisions in the church(1 Corinthians 1: 10-17), then he speaks of the power and wisdom(seeing things through God’s point of view) of Christ (18-2:16), then speaks again on the divisions in the church.(3:1-23) He goes through all the doctrines he has previously taught them, concluding that all three views are correct, but also wrong.

1 Corinthians 13 is an important, albeit very quoted chapter among Christians. Paul says that they could all have the gifts, the education, the right doctrine, but without love, it means nothing.

Verse 12 however is the key to solving church conflict. “Now we see through a” poor reflection”(NIV) We interpret scripture based on our finite human understanding. “Now I know in part; then I shall know fully as I am fully known.”

He was telling the church of Corinth that they only have part of the picture, yet they are fighting as if they have the full picture. They were fighting as if they were right and everyone else was wrong, the truth being that they were all right, yet all wrong.

I believe this can be applied to those who would battle today. We don’t have the monopoly on truth. There are two many things not essential that are not clear in scripture, and as we aim to get it right, as we all love God equally, the truth is, we are right and we are wrong just like the church of Corinth, and we are foolish to believe any of us have the monopoly on truth. According to 1 Corinthians, the opposit is true, we don’t.

We can learn from each other, we can agree to disagree on matters such as alcohol, how to dress, music, worship styles, where to hold church, Reformed faith, non-Reformed faith, and thousands of other things we as Southern Baptists have been fighting about for a couple hundred years. Kindness and treating each other with the respect due to every human being should be our behavior. This too according to Paul in 1 Corinthians. We are brothers and sisters in Christ if we have the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, not because we agree on every jot and tittle of doctrine. Something the church of Corinth didn’t even do.

After 1 Corinthians, Paul then begins to teach the people how to apply the things he has told them in the earlier chapters, to their lives. He talks about how a local church should conduct it’s services, how the people are to act. We would do well as the people of God today to read these chapters over and over again.

Look throughout church history, it is a history of battles, wars, against Satan? No, against other Christians. The trend continues.

Yet, we are to be different, we have something the world does not, but no one would know this by our battling all the time, just like the world.

We say we believe in ierrancy and infalliblity of the Bible, not just certain parts, but all of it from Genesis to Revelation. Isn’t it time we behaved as though that were true? Studying all of the Bible and not just become an expert in one book, or select passages?

Yes, we could study a lifetime and not know it all, but we need to begin to behave as who we are in Christ. The new creation Paul speaks of.Battling each other over non-essentials, which takes time away from study and giving of the gospel, is miles away from who we are. It’s the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us, who causes us to persevere, not each other hounding one another.

We, the church of Christ,  need to begin to be a model for the world, not model the world.

Something more to think about.

Further Answer To Questions Concerning The Universal Church

I inadvertently  skipped completely over Tim Guthrie’s question that the Universal church has no checks or balances associated with it. I will address it here. I’m assuming by checks and balances, Tim is referring to the passages in scripture that give specific instructions on how to conduct a church, choose a minister, conduct of the parishioners etc.

My answer would be this, the Universal church is also known as the invisible church. Not because those who have sincerely confessed Christ are invisible, but because we as human beings cannot see the faith. Just as Judas’s false faith was hidden until his betrayal of Christ, and his ultimate suicide, except to God. Only God knows those who are truly His. We can do our best to know, but even then we can never be totally sure of someone’s sincere God given trust in Christ.

Those who do truly belong to Christ will join a local church, because they are obedient to God’s word and the head of the church, Christ Jesus. Each have the Holy Spirit to guide. As long as there are those who professing Christ as their Savior, do not commit gross sins, show in their outer life that a true conversion has taken place, we as believers in a local church, accept their word. Puritans call it “judgment of charity.”

The joining of a church may not happen right away, but it’s inconceivable to think that either right away or eventually this would not take place. It is Christ’s will and command for us to assemble together.

It could be that the new believer would be wrongly instructed on the attendance of a local church, and not attend for that reason.  The Bible speaks of wolves in sheeps clothing, and they could wrongly instruct a new believer, but I do not believe that God would leave them there according to Phillipians 1:6. I believe God would send a mature true believer to instruct this person rightly. I also believe the Christian life to be supernaturally driven by the Holy Spirit.

If you have ever met or been a part of giving the gospel, having someone truly accept it, he/she usually has an unquenchable thirst for the Bible. I believe that to be supernaturally done. The hunger being given by the Holy Spirit who now indwells them. It will not always happen right away, which if not, eventually happens as the Holy Spirit begins a work in that new converts life. In scripture, no one that was touched by Christ either before or after his death on the Cross, was ever the same again. I believe that to be true now.

John 10:5 tells us that those who belong to the Body of Christ or the Universal church will know his voice and will not follow a voice that he does not know such as a stranger.

Stephen refers to the Body of believers aka the Universal church in Acts 7:38

I believe John 3:16 is speaking of the Universal church with the use of the word world. Now I know that is opening up a can of worms, and I will write a post on just this passage sometime later on.

Please study and read the other passages I have given in my last post and I hope that this clarifies my position concerning the Universal church. A great source is David Roger’s post where he has a piece written by J.C. Ryle. I do not agree with Ryle on everything, but on this I agree totally.

If anyone, anyone, believes in Christ Jesus, which is the only way to salvation, even if he does not fully understand theology or doctrine, the Bible says he/she will be saved. So it stands to reason with just that, there are believers all over the world, in different denominations, cultures, languages, who are born again believers. I think we will be surprised at both the number and who is and isn’t there when we reach heaven.

More On The Universal Church And The Local Church

Tim Guthrie, whose comments always proves interesting, challenging me,  had previously commented on a post I wrote where the subject matter was the Bible teaching on the Universal Church and the Local church. No I am not a  proponent of Universalism nor am I a part of the ecumenical movement. Not by a long shot. By Universal Church, I am referring to all born again believers, past, present, and future, all over the world who make up the Body of Christ, or the Universal church.

Because of Tim’s comment, which brought up some good questions, I wanted to post further on this often confused subject. For some, this is the first time they have heard this. This is not a new doctrine, since I believe the Bible teaches it, Paul taught it in Ephesians, Galatians, and many other places in his writing.

Christ prayed for the Universal church, it has not been taught in many churches, for many years, due to the emergence of the social gospel, and the teaching of isolationism from other denominations, in the early 20th century.

The doctrine of the Universal and local church is important because it prevents confusion of what the church is, and it stops us from presenting an erroneous picture of the church when we evangelize.

The definition of the local church is a body of believers of Jesus Christ, who meet in one central location. The Universal church is made up of redeemed believers in Christ worldwide. The word church (ekklesia) is used two ways in scripture, one meaning “gathering” or “assembly”(1 Thessalonians 2:14; 2 Thessalonians 1:1). The other word for church speaks of ownership, belonging to the Lord.(1 Corinthians 11:20; Revelation 1:10)

Because the church is made up of people who have trusted Christ as their Lord and Savior, and not a building,  church is the church even when it isn’t holding a meeting. Christ came to this earth to build up the Universal church, the Kingdom.

The Universal church is what Christ was referring to in Matthew 16:18. The Bible teaches that it is made up of all the saved, both living and dead.(Hebrews 12:22-24) There is only one church  or one Body, that being the Body of Christ spoken of in Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 4:4, which we read in Acts 2: 1-47,  began on the day of Pentecost.  Peter tells us this is just the beginning. (Acts 11:15)

Other passages in the Bible that teach us more of the Universal church can be found in 2 Timothy 2:19; Ephesians 5: 25-27; John 15:2;6; Romans 11:19-22; Revelation 3:16; 1 Peter 2:5; Phillipians 1:22-23; 1 Thessalonians 5:10.

This is where it is heaven on earth, as I see the Universal church being an earthly picture of heaven, where there are believers from all over the world, gathered together in constant praise, with knees bowed, to Christ Jesus. The Universal church is the Kingdom people are being added to when they hear and accept the gospel, it is the Kingdom Christ is building. The next post will be concerning the Biblical teaching of the local church. And finally, how both fit into the plan of God.

Is The Church Local Or Universal?

The answer? Both. The Bible speaks of the local church in Hebrews 10:24-25, commanding us to be part of a local assembly, Hebrews 13:7 and 17, telling us we are to be under the protection and nurture of the local church, and 1 Timothy 4, deals with how to conduct the local church. Acts 2 shows how the early church was conducted.

The local church is a necessary part of the Christian life. It’s in the local church that we learn, grow, have a spiritual family to keep us accountable and to go to for spiritual advice.

The Universal church is also spoken of in scripture as every true born again believer all over the world. Galatians 3:28, refers to the Universal church as “all one in Christ Jesus”, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, refers to by one spirit we are all baptized into one body. Other passages are John 10:16, Ephesians 2:14-16 and Ephesians 4:13.

Christ prayed for unity in the Universal church several times in scripture.The word unity does not mean sameness or conformity, but peace, getting along despite diversities. We are each given different spiritual gifts when we enter into the Kingdom as born again Christians. Each difference is to be accepted, not rejected.  When the scriptures speak of the one true church, it is not speaking of Southern Baptists, Roman Catholics, or any other denomination. The Universal church has no denomination nor does it have a name such as Lutheran, Pentecostal, or Assembly of God. There are no lines drawn in the Universal church.

We cannot welcome those who deny that scripture is the God breathed word of God nor can we welcome those who deny that Christ is all that He says He is. These are people who are trying to creep into the local churches, but their message is a lie, and the very message that Paul spoke against in his letters to the Galatians for example, who were attempting to add to salvation rituals, laws, and works.

Different beliefs on tertiary issues however, do not hamper or should not hamper unity. Denominational lines should not be drawn, but unity should be priority, according to the Bible. Churches and Christians that fight against each other grieve God greatly. It leads to nothing but fractured churches, fractured people, and a disenfranchising of the Gospel. To hold secondary issues as a reason to fight and quarrel, to exclude, is the very thing Paul spoke against to the church of Corinth.

We should not forsake the truth all together, but at the same time there are not going to be even two Christians who agree on the same passage of scripture all the time, and this should not be used as a weapon to forge disagreements, otherwise used by Satan to disassemble the church Universal or local.