Audio for 2010 Word of Truth Conference

At this LINK you can find the audio for the 2010 Word of Truth Conference at Bethel Baptist Church, El Sobrante, CA.  Two of the Jackhammers participated.  Enjoy.

Dan, Bethel, and Parachurch Organizations

1 Kings 12:25-33 is a pivotal section of scripture.  In those verses we get some insight into God’s thinking about what He said about worship.  God wanted the kingdom split at that juncture (1 Kings 11, 12:1-24).  However, He didn’t want changes in worship, like changes in the manner, the place, and the time of prescribed worship.  To keep his crowd and make it all more convenient, Jeroboam built new places of worship at Dan and Bethel.  “But God didn’t say that they couldn’t worship somewhere else!”  He did say Jerusalem, but He didn’t say “not Dan and Bethel.”  And Jeroboam did argue the advantages of Dan and Bethel.  And that reminds me of Saul arguing the advantages of what He did.  Stuff makes sense to us that is different than what God said.

Today God prescribes the worship in a place too—the church.  I’m happy about all the writing today that criticizes the modern violations of the means and manner of worship.  I believe we have New Testament absolutes about the kind of music God wants to receive in worship.  I think contemporary Christian music is a travesty.  But what about all the deviations of New Testament place of worship?  Why then the silence about this aberration?  The worship prescriptions of Romans 12 don’t stop at vv. 1-2.  You move to vv. 3-8 to find the place of the “reasonable service,” that is, “spiritual worship.”  The place is the church.  Is modern evangelicalism and fundamentalism moving out of the limitation of the church akin to Jeroboam moving out of the limitation of Jerusalem?  I believe they are.

The church is the New Testament temple of God (1 Cor 3:16-17).  The church is the means by which God has chosen to make known His manifold wisdom (Eph 3:10).   God designed the church to protect and propagate the truth (1 Tim 3:15).  God has chosen in this age for the church to judge all matters (1 Cor 6).   Unto God is glory in the church (Eph 3:21).   Jesus gave His authority and the promise of His presence to the church (Mt 16:18-19; 18:15-17; 28:18-20).

Neither the college, the mission board, the convention, the association, the fellowship, nor the camp are found in the Bible.  They fall outside the limits of biblical teaching, like Dan and Bethel did and like the cart that carried the ark did.  Some might say that those things are not prescribed, but neither are they wrong.  They are simply out there to supplement the church.  They come up beside the church (“para”) to help the church.  Consider what God says about the issue of place with Jeroboam in 1 Kings 12:30:  “And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.”  Worshiping in Dan was a sin.

Some might argue that these organizations are just additions.  They aren’t replacements for the church.  But they are innovations that deviate from scriptural worship.

Someone might say that they are well-intentioned.  They’ve got good motives.   Uzzah seemed to have a good motive too when he touched the ark.  And Saul had a good motive when he kept the best of the animals to use for sacrifices.

Someone might contend that these people are doing good things.  They have good preaching, good music, and say the right things to one another that are helpful for the Lord.  They are a good opportunity to serve.  For instance, in the chapel at the Christian university, the preacher preached a good message and the student body sang really good hymns to worship the Lord.  Is that true?  If you took various components of Jerusalem worship and moved them to Dan and Bethel would they be acceptable?  Verse thirty of chapter twelve says it was a sin.  It was a sin.  Deviating from God’s prescription for worship is sin.

Faith is simply taking God at His Word.  Romans 14:23 says that “whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”  God says do it this way and we do it another way.  That’s sin.  Jesus always did the Father’s will.   Like Him, we are to be sanctified by the truth, not by our opinions, by what we think will work, or by what makes us feel good.  We are not sanctified by an unbiblical way of doing things.

The Jews thought signs were an effective means of accomplishing God’s will.  The Greeks thought that wisdom would work if relied upon.  Fundamentalists and evangelicals think that parachurch organizations will help.  They can even start listing all the good ways that those non or un-scriptural organizations have helped, just like Charismatics will list all the ways that signs have helped their ministries.  But then in 1 Corinthians 3 we see that if we don’t do it His way, it is wood, hay, and stubble.  It’s not how God wanted us to build.

So, in other words, I’m not wanting people to have their works be worthless.  I don’t want them to be sinning.  We probably would all say that we want God to be honored.  So I want you to think about this.  The fact that I wrote this could become the big deal here.  The big deal is our worship of God.  What God says about that worship is the big deal.  I can’t make someone’s worship valueless.  They do that to themselves.  I’m just reporting.

OK.  Now this is the part that most will think is the tough part.  I could have even left it out.  But I don’t want to be confusing here.  Still, however, I’m going to put it in the way of question.  What about Bill Rice Ranch, The Wilds, Bob Jones University, Pensacola Christian College, Ambassador Baptist College, Baptist World Mission, Baptist International Missions Incorporated, or the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches?

I’ll ask it before you do.  What about Jackhammer?  What about ‘What is Truth’?  Fair question.   These aren’t organizations.  These aren’t institutions.  I’m not serving the Lord at Jackhammer.   I’m sent by my church to preach where ever I preach, including online.  Jackhammer is nothing more than an element like an offering plate, a cell phone, or a letter.  Everything I write here represents my church, exactly what my church would teach.  I don’t compromise anything my church teaches to write here.   Jackhammer and What Is Truth for me are elements in the ministry of my church.

Many of the arguments for parachurch organizations parallel very closely to the kind of rationalization that Jeroboam made in his own heart.  They will work better.  They’re just necessary in the times in which we live.   A lot of good experiences have been had in and through them.

I know my last three paragraphs might be the most popular in the whole piece.  The other popular thing, even more important than judging whether the teaching is scriptural, is to make sure that I’m practicing it all consistently.  But read everything that comes up to those three paragraphs.  Think about that first and consider whether parachurch organizations are sin.

Pastor and Church (Colossians 2:1-7)

For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.  As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Colossians 2:1-7

v     The Pastor

• Pastoral anguish
  • Because of his absence – prayer
  • Because of his testimony – faithfulness
• Pastoral “goal” – he was not passive
• Pastoral vigilance
• Pastoral presence (absent, yet with you) – wisdom, gives directions
  • Joy
  • Observation

v     The Church

• Church comfort – encouragement
• Church unity
  • Love
    • Many aspects to love
    • Cannot love until loved
  • Understanding – application of knowledge
    • If ye will do my will…
    • Gives full assurance
  • In Christ
• Church danger (pastoral vigilance)
  • Members beguiled
  • Enticing words
    • Lawyering
    • Making wrong decision seem to be the more plausible
• Church condition (observed) – military terms, regimented
  • Order – in place (in the phalanx)
  • Steadfastness – always faithful
• Church walk and life
  • Walk “as ye have received Him.”
    • Same faith to walk as to be born

¨      First an act then an attitude

¨      First a crisis then a process

¨      First obtaining then maintaining

• Christ Jesus the Lord

¨      Christ – anointed, divinely commissioned

¨      Jesus – human, historical person

¨      Lord – supreme controller of all the universe

• All these contribute to Christian life and walk
• Rooted – past tense
  • A tree with roots deep in the soil
  • The roots are the source of nourishment and stability
  • Psalm 1
  • Built – present tense
    • A house on a firm foundation
    • Stands through storms
    • Wise man/foolish man
• Church faith
  • Not “frozen orthodoxy” – Paul expressed new lines of thought about Christ in Colossians
  • Foundational faith and unchanging truth
    • Some are unwilling to change anything even if their practice is different from the unchanging truth of God’s Word
    • Some want to change anything that will help “remove” a stigma that the world puts on us
  • As ye have been taught – more to “evangelism” than just “gospel” preaching
• Church thanks
  • Overflowing and abounding
  • Constant
    • Thanksgiving makes things lawful and makes the person glad – 1 Timothy 4:1-5
    • Unthankfulness brings doubt and spiritual delusion

v     The Savior (Christ has all treasures) – hidden, contrast with gnostics

• Wisdom – presentation of knowledge
• Knowledge – recognition of knowledge

Keeping Rank, Holding the Line, and Marching Forward (Colossians 2:4-7)

As far as Paul was concerned, a war was on with the Colossian church, as much as any physical battle that could be fought, except even more was at stake.  The church was more important than anything.  I see his view of military imagery here, the picture in his mind of armies waging warfare.  So like a commanding officer, he has his orders for both the Colossian and Laodecian churches.  You find this description in the words of Colossians 2:5:  “beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.”

“Order” and “steadfastness” were both military terms.  “Order” is “rank,” that is, the line that soldiers kept in their maneuvers.  He is commending the churches for still holding rank, keeping the line.   The arrows and spears of doctrinal attack may have been flying, and yet they had not broken ranks, but had held their lines intact.

“Steadfastness” had to do with firmly holding ground, keeping the line solid, not having any gaps.  Not only were they holding the line, but they were solid in it, not allowing any of the enemy to come through at any point in the line, so as to result in a flanking or being surrounded.  Nothing was breaking through their lines.  Everybody was doing his part.

Paul had great love and then desires for these churches (2:1).  These desires would be what kept their lines secure and strong.  In 2:2a it was found in their minds strengthened by the thinking the truth.   Out of that right kind of thinking came the practice of love that would unite them (2:2b), so that members would not turn on one another.  The right practice that came from the right thinking would continue into full assurance (2:2c).   They would not be wavering in their belief in the deity and sufficiency of Christ.  They were firm in their relationship with the Lord Jesus, despite the attacks on His Person (2:3-4).

With their keeping ranks and holding the line (2:5), now they needed to march forward, walk in Christ (2:6).  They shouldn’t change their viewpoint of Christ, but keep living according to His example, doing what He would do.  Walking in Christ would build up the church, establish it even more in the faith, producing thankful attitudes (2:7).  I get the picture of a company, working within an even larger army, withstanding attacks, sticking together, and gaining ground against its enemy.

Hearts Comforted (Colossians 2:1-2a)

Christianity is Christ.   Belief in Christ saves.  But it is belief in the Jesus of the Bible, the one and only true Christ.  The wrong thinking about Christ would destroy the churches of Colossae and Laodecia.  Paul is torn with concern over two churches he had never visited or seen.  He agonized (“conflict” in 2:1, “strive” in v. 29) over them.  Paul was saying that those churches did not know the anguish that he experienced over them because of the spiritual threats brought by the false teachers.

Paul loved the church, and so he loved these churches.  He had desires for them that would provide what they needed to overcome spiritual attack.  The first was that their hearts would be comforted.  When you read those words at the first part of v. 2, it sounds like what someone would need who was discouraged or depressed.  I don’t think that’s what it is at all.

The center of emotions in Hebrew culture were the “bowels.”  The “heart” is synonymous with the mind.  The word for “comfort” is often translated strengthened.  It’s a word, parakaleo, that is translated a number of ways, including “edify.”   It’s  compound Greek word that means literally:  “called along side of.”   That’s why it is translated a number of different ways.  Different situations demanded different types of help.  Sometimes it was comfort.  What helps are the words that are said to someone that will alleviate the need.

The problem of the false teachings about Christ was in the mind.  They weren’t thinking correctly.  Paul wanted their minds to be strengthened or built up in a way that would have them thinking the right way.  He desired that their minds might find it easy to say “no” to the false doctrine of the gnostics and ascetics.   He wanted their minds to be so full of the truth that they would easily see the counterfeits.  Then they could stand for the Lord without falling.

Solution to All Human Problems (Colossians 1:1-2)

You would not have included a Roman prison in a travelogue.    The very confined, trepidacious conditions of Paul, chained to a Roman guard, would have kept most people from visiting from just across town, let alone the 1000 to 1300 miles Epaphras had to journey to Rome from Colossae  in c. AD 60 out of concern for his own church, a congregation not even started by Paul that we know of.   It was God’s church at Colossae after all, and so very important—the doctrinal and practical issues were not a waste of time.  He knew that.  Whatever the problems that motivated this visit, they were serious enough for Epaphras to take the time out at great expense, energy, and danger to get some specialized instruction from Paul about what to do.

The apostle would offer authoritative words that could be counted upon for solutions.  Epaphras brought an encouraging report of his people, but the false teachings were a perilous threat to the budding assembly.   The contents of the epistle brought back to Colossae from Paul tell us that the problems he faced there involved confusing undermining of the identity and nature of the Lord Jesus Himself.  The faith that saves and keeps every church centers on Jesus, so Epaphras thought it was worth the trip, that what he was witnessing threatened the very future of the work there.

The solution for every difficulty in life is found in Jesus Christ.  He is All in All (Col 3:11).  Satan has always centered his attack on the seed of (Gen 3:15) or child of (Rev12:1-6) the woman.  He targets the foundation of the church (Mt 16:12-16).  Without Jesus we have no true knowledge, no success, no absolutes, no life, no meaningful relationships, no authority, no fulfillment, and no hope.

Christ loved the church.  Paul and his companion Timothy loved it too.  Like Epaphras, Paul and Timothy didn’t want to see this church suffering under such cataclysmic, destructive influences, so he sent back this inspired letter to buoy that church and others against the corrupt teaching about Jesus Christ.  In so doing, we continue today all the more enriched and established by Paul’s master portrait of our Lord.

Before You Read Colossians…

It happened on the Night Bus.  I was a college freshman.  As they say in college football, I was a “true” freshman.  We had dropped off all the teens and adults after the Sunday Night service, and now it was just us college guys.  And as was our custom, we all got up to preach, one at a time. 

I’ll never forget one particular message on that night.  One of the upper classmen invited us to turn in our Bibles to Colossians 2:21.  For the next twenty minutes, we were barraged with quotes and applications of “touch not, taste not, handle not.”  He talked about our girlfriends, and he said, “touch not, taste not, handle not.”  He talked about drugs, and he said, “touch not, taste not, handle not.”  He talked about liquor, and he said, “touch not, taste not, handle not.”  He discussed our roomates’ clothing and shoes and ties and money, and he said, “touch not, taste not, handle not.”  He brought up every forbidden thing, every tabboo that he could think of, and he said, “touch not, taste not, handle not.”

That’ll preach, right?  Right.  Meanwhile, I found myself sneaking a peak, in between stories, at my Bible.  Imagine that.  I kept it open to Colossians 2.  Something seemed strange.  Didn’t seem quite right, what he was saying.  I read verse 20…

Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) 

…and I thought to myself, “something ain’t right here.”  In my true freshman mind, it seemed to me that Paul was saying just the opposite of what this preacher, a college senior, was preaching. 

Lo and behold, Colossians 2 is in fact saying just the opposite.  Which reminds us of the necessity of context.  If we would truly understand the Word, we must understand the context.  Of course, the Scriptural context is always, shall we say, helpful and stuff.  But we should also consider the historical and cultural setting of a book as well.  

Paul did not plant the church in Colosse.  In fact, he had not even visited the city.  All that he knew of the brethren in Colosse came from the report of Epaphras, their pastor (1:7).  When Epaphras declared their love in the Spirit, Paul was stirred up to pray for them, “desiring that they might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding…”  The word “knowledge” in verse 9, and repeated in verse 10, is the Greek word epignosis, which goes beyond mere knowledge (gnosis), and indicates a fuller, deeper knowledge.

Paul desired fuller knowledge for the Colossians in order to counter the pernicious teachings of the Gnostics, who claimed a special, deeper and fuller knowledge given to them personally and uniquely.  It is amazing to note how much of the New Testament was written to counter Gnostic error.  The Gnostics considered themselves to be the enlightened, and some of the early church fathers mention Simon Magus as a leader of that cult.  Interestingly, we still find much of Gnostic error prevelant in our day.  It was no accident that so much of the New Testament is written to address it. 

Gnostics believed that they had a higher knowledge of God, one that came independently of God’s revelation in the Scriptures.  As a result of this faulty starting point, the Gnostics proclaimed much heresy and false doctrine, what Paul called “philosophy and vain deceit” in Colossians 2:8.  This philosophy and vain deceit was “after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”  Naturally then, Gnostic philosophy was as empty as a clean dinner plate.  In Christ, Paul said, “are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Gnostic error included the teaching that Jesus Christ was not fully God and fully man, but that “the Christ” came on him at some point, and left him later.  I am summarizing as briefly as possible here.  Gnostic teaching is much more in depth, especially concerning the person and nature of Christ, then what I have mentioned.   Paul addresses their false views of Christ very thoroughly in Colossians.  Christ is “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature (Colossians 1:15).  “By him were all things created…” (v. 16).  “…he is before all things, and by him al things consist” (v. 17).  “For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell” (v. 19).  “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (2:9).  These are just a sampling of verses in which Paul accomplishes a dual purpose — answering Gnostic error and giving the Colossians a full knowledge of Christ.

The Gnostics also taught that the material world was corrupted and that sin came through contact with the material world.  Similar to the Pharisaic idea that corruption came through eating with unwashed hands, the Gnostics believed that sin came from the outside in, rather than from the inside out.  Because of their view of sin, Gnostics either became extremely ascetic and spartan in their lifestyle, or else extremely licentious and Epicurean in their principle.  Those who lived by the Epicurean principle of “if it feels good, do it” believed that since sin came through contact with the material world, and contact with the material world was unavoidable, one might as well live it up.  Those who took a spartan principle believed that if sin came through contact with the world, contact with things in the material realm must be avoided as much as possible.  This form of Gnosticism majored in self-denial, in keeping of feasts and the law, and in the Essene principle of “touch not, taste not, handle not.” 

The Gnostic principle of ascetism along with a sprinkling of Essene teaching greatly influenced the believers at Colosse.  For that reason, Paul takes the first two chapters and the beginning of the third to address this error.  Colossians 2:18-23 gives a wonderful refutation of the vain philosophy of Gnostic asceticism.  But, lest the Colossian believers think that their liberty gives them license, Paul concludes the book with instructions to “mortify your members (the true contaminants) which are upon the earth” (Colossians 3:5).  In the remainder of the book, Paul exhorts them to holiness and godliness in their living. 

Of course, this is just a thumbnail sketch of the issues at stake in Colosse.  We trust that the remainder of the month will flesh out some of these issues a little further.

Why Am I in a Church like the One I’m in? pt. 3

I’ve read polls for why people go to church.   I talk to thousands of people every year about the Lord and church and spiritual matters, and I have heard from them what’s important about the church they attend or are a part of.  Based on what people want in a church, churches have designed their programs to meet those desires.  This is a prescription for church growth.  Some churches and their leaders have modified this a bit, using the church growth methods that attract people while hanging on to various of their core values, attempting to get a bit of the “best of both worlds.”  They mix the attractions with the traditional reasons for church to varying degrees.

If you talk to anyone at all about church, then you know some of what people say they want in a church.  They love the building.  They love the pastor’s preaching.  They love the children’s programs.  They love the people.  They love the school.  They love the pastor and his family.  They feel comfortable there.  It gives them peace to go and be a part.  It helps them to make sense out of life.  It centers them.  They love the programs.  They love the music.  They sing in the choir.  They grew up in the church.  All their friends are there.

In this series, I’ve asked why I’m in the church I’m in.  I’m encouraging you to do the same.  I am giving what the reasons should be.   I started with God.  God is the chief reason for the church we’re in.  Next I said we should consider the belief and practice of the church.   Another one is closely related, that is, what is the preaching and conduct of the church.  I’m differentiating practice from conduct in this way—the practice would be the stated practice of a church and the conduct would be what is actually happening.  I believe the latter would include the discipline of the membership.  Is the church following the proclaimed body life of the New Testament?  Is there admonishing, exhorting, restoring, teaching, provoking, warning, strengthening, bearing, and supporting that is explained and directed by the inspired and authoritative teachings of Jesus, Paul, John, James, Peter, and Jude?  A church can say that it practices a certain way, but is that practice the conduct that someone would actually see?  The way to guarantee that is to follow those commands in the New Testament that are the basis for enforcement.

First though, is the Bible being preached?  All of it?  I don’t think the whole Bible will be preached without expository preaching through the Books of the Bible.   On a root level, the question is:  Is the Word being preached?   A church should preach the Word and the whole counsel of God, all of it.  This is the only way that a man could be throughly furnished unto every good work.  We want the whole Bible preached because we are responsible for all of it.  We don’t want someone to think otherwise.  If we’re to practice it all, then we must preach it all.

Not only must the Words be preached, but the authority of those Words is found in their meaning.  We must be careful to look at Scripture in its context.  We must find the understanding of the Words, how they are used.  Our goal is to comprehend what the people in that day would have understood them to mean.  We are going to be judged by those Words and that judgment will be based upon their plain meaning.  We must take responsibility to understand God’s Word in the context in which it was written and then apply it for today.  Preaching the whole counsel requires preaching what the Bible actually means.

Success doesn’t stop at the Bible being preached.  It must be followed.  The conduct of Scripture should be lived and then enforced.  I’m in the church I’m in because we do hear all the Words preached and the people are responsible to keep all of them.  That doesn’t mean that they always do.  However, when they don’t, they are dealt with according to the Bible.   Our church expects people to conduct themselves in fitting with the doctrine of God.  That’s a reason to be in the church I’m in.

Why Am I in a Church like the One I’m in? pt. 2

Churches today use a lot of different means to get people to join.  They often start with the interests that people have, their carnal desires, hoping that their lust could be a jumping off point for spiritual interest later.   A whole new theology has been built around this, a doctrine to justify talking people into coming to church on their terms.   Fundamentalists, evangelicals, emergents, and even the orthodox use marketing techniques and strategies to lure people in.  This does give one major explanation for why you will hear people offer many different reasons why they attend church or why they go to the church they do.

In my first submission in this series, I contended that God should be the top priority for why you’re in the church you’re in.  God should be what and Who church is about.   This one thought should serve as a baseline for elucidating why we’ve joined the church we have.   In one sense, the thinking about God relates to the subject of eternity.  Since we believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we make decisions based upon the fact that we will face God some day and that He is our ultimate Judge.   With this in mind, all the following reasons for why I’m in the church I’m in do relate to the first.   All the reasons hence will correlate to the first reason.  All the other reasons consider what will please God, since He is why I’m in church.

With pleasing God as the major grid for my church decision, the doctrine and practice of a church stands as the next two criteria for joining a church.  I want a church that believes and practices according to Scripture.  As long as a church keeps the same, right doctrine and practice, I will stay a part of it.   I see those as the emphasis in the Bible.   We want the right view of God and then to do what He says.  Those both keep God in the highest priority.  We know God exalts His Word.  Jesus said that those Who love Him will keep what He said.  With all other factors considered, belief and practice will determine what church I’m a part of.

If a church continues in the right doctrine and obeys the Bible, I can keep fellowshiping with it.   I may have a personality issue with someone else in the church.  I want to get that resolved.  Of course, that’s what God wants me to do, but it will be worth it to remain in fellowship with a church that believes right and does right.  Even if I’m the one that has been offended, I want to do what it takes to stay in the church.

Why Am I in a Church like the One I’m in? pt. 1

On some other blog someone asked this kind of question.  I thought it was a good question and something I wanted to explore with everyone for perhaps more than one post, that is, unless we pick a topic and go after it.  I’ll put this on hold then for a little while.  The other two jackhammers can write on this too if they want.   I think we’ll be back to our old schedule sometime soon.

First, I should get to the most basic part of the question, why am I in a church?   Perhaps the first thing you thought of was those people who say that they don’t believe in organized religion.  You get that out there when you’re talking to the lost.   But I’m not going there first.  I’m going to get into something that is even more basic than saying something good about the institution of the church itself.  The reason I’m in a church is because of God.

I want to please God.  I’m not in a church for myself.  I’m in a church for God.  That guides all the other thoughts and actions that I have about a church.  I don’t attend church for myself.  I go to church for God.  I don’t determine whether the church is good by what it does for me.  I make that decision based on what I believe is best for God.  I might have a bad relationship with someone in the church, but that doesn’t stop me from being in church.  Why?  I’m not there for other people.  I’m there for God.  I’m there for other people too, but entirely without one single other person, I would still be there.

God never fails.  He never changes.  He’s always great.  He’s always the best.  He’s amazingly worth it.  What it is that I like about whatever church that I’m going to be a part of starts with who God is.  He loves me.  I love Him.  Every good and perfect gift has come from Him.  I could never repay Him, but this life I’m living is going to be about Him.   So I’m there for Him.  I don’t care if my feelings are hurt.  He didn’t hurt them.   No one or no thing is going to keep me away, because it is all about God.

If you don’t have that as the reason, I feel sorry for you.  If you don’t have it as the reason, I think you’ve got it wrong right off the bat.  You’ll likely have problems because you don’t have that settled.  I also think that not having that as the reason is at the root of most problems with churches and with people toward churches.  Have church first be about God.  It will be the best thing you’ve every done for church is to have it not be about you or about your family, but about God.  It will be the best thing for you and for your family and for everyone else in the world if church would be about God to you.

Why Are We Losing the Kids?

Bobby Mitchell, pastor of Mid-Coast Baptist Church, Brunswick, Maine, sent me an email in which he and his father chronicled the reasons why churches and their Christian families are losing their children to the world.  He was asked by someone doing research for a book to give his explanation.  I thought they were bullseye at diagnosing the problem, so I asked Pastor Mitchell if we could publish it here or at my blog, What Is Truth. Here is the answer that was authored by his dad and him

1.  Many are not genuinely converted because of the watered down Gospel presentations that are so prevalent.  They are told to acknowledge a few facts, they are led in a prayer, then they are told to never doubt their experience.  Of course, over time, if they are never genuinely converted then they either continue on trying to “fit the mold” of their church, or they just walk away from it when they are able.

2.  Many are told what to do, but not taught why to do it, or what not to do, but not why. They have been told that baptism is by immersion only, that the KJV is the Word of God in English, that women should be modest, etc.  But, these things are not taught to them from the Scriptures.  They grow up just thinking that these are merely the rules of life for independent Baptists.  So, they are not really convinced, or convicted, and it is easy for them to slip into other doctrines and practices.

3.  Many grow up in homes that are plagued with inconsistency.  The standards change based on who the family is around.  The family Bible time is hit-and-miss or non-existent.  Discipline is not consistent.  There is an open or even silent disagreement with what is taught by the church concerning entertainment, dress, roles in the home, etc.  The inconsistency relates to young people that the parents are not really set on doing things the Biblical way.  They become unstable and are easy prey for the world.

4.  Many hear their parents criticize the pastor and other strong Christians in the church.  This can result in confusion.

5.  Many times when the pastor is seeing the young people really embrace the truth and Biblical living the parents become obstacles.  It seems the parents are bothered by their children surpassing them in the things of the Lord.  The parents pull them back and some even express jealousy concerning the influence the pastor has concerning their children.

6.  Many times the parents get their children wrapped up in the things of this world.  The parents are concerned about their children loving the Lord and walking in the light, but they are just as concerned with their kids playing organized sports, becoming popular, being fashionable, seeing the latest movies, making a lot of money, having the newest video game systems, acquiring every type of technology without proper accountability regarding those “toys,” etc.  Through it all the dad and mom seem to be sowing thorns that choke the seed of the Word of God.  This is especially true when the sports, fun, and such ever come before any of the aspects of New Testament ministry.

7.  Many times the young people are not really involved in the ministry of the church until they are pressed to do so in their late teens.  Too many are just observers and not participators.  All that is expected of them is to sit and be entertained instead of training and serving.  They are not taught that we exist to glorify God.  Practically, they are being taught that the ministry exists to make sure that they are having fun.  They are not taught to “buy in” to the work of the ministry.  Eventually, they realize that the world’s entertainment is better and they look for fulfillment in getting involved in worldly groups and activities.

8.  Many Christian young people are not taught to pray, study the Bible, meditate on the Word, memorize the Scriptures and appropriate them practically in real-life situations.  Real life then comes along and they don’t respond Biblically.

9.  Many times young people grow up knowing of all sorts of sin in the church that is not dealt with Scripturally.  Of course, they also see young people leaving the church and that not being dealt with Biblically.  They don’t realize how wicked this is and they have no fear of God concerning it.

10.  The bar is set too low for so many young people.  They are treated as if they are expected to be “silly teens.”  As long as they don’t do a few really bad things and as long as they do a few good things they are treated as if they are Godly.  So many of the young people in churches that I have been familiar with are good (in the commonly used sense of the word) but they are not Godly!  Good kids will eventually get devoured by the world, but truly spiritual ones will develop into mature Christians.   Too many are treated according to the worldly concept of “teenager hood.”  The Bible speaks of infants, children, young men, young women, and older men, and older women.  I think that a lack of teens understanding that they should be Godly young men and young ladies is hurting many.

11.  Many young people have heard very little of the “fear of God.”  They have a warped image of God that magnifies his love and mercy while almost completely ignoring his holiness, majesty, and wrath.  Subsequently, they walk in pride and rebellion.

12.  Too often the preaching to young people is just fluffy and light, and often-times it is just motivational speaking.  Too many young people do not grow up really learning sound doctrine and being taught through books of the Bible.  Too many preachers that are youth-focused are trying to be “cool” and “hip.”

13.  Many kids from good homes and churches graduate high school and are pushed into the Christian college environment.  Sadly, most (prayerfully, not all) of the Bible colleges are anemic in their teaching and practice.  There is almost an idolatry of fun and good times at many schools.  One college has even been heavily promoting a water park with a wave pool and a place for the young ladies to tan (as if that is so important).  When I visited that same school I was awestruck with the amount of money and time put into “fun.”  The young adults are, in a great way, withdrawn from their parents, church, and pastor.  What little time they have with godly teachers and staff is outweighed by the influence of so many worldly students in the dorm rooms and activities.  There is a mixture of doctrinal persuasions among many of the student bodies.   Their parents and pastors are compared to those of the others and often the lowest common denominator is embraced in matters of holiness.  The dating game is played.  Endless debates rage among peers.  The “pillar and ground of the truth,” the local NT church, is downplayed.

14.  The local New Testament church is treated by many parents as optional instead of vital to spiritual growth and New Testament Christianity.  The same goes for the pastor.