A Quote for Today

"If I am still standing at the end of the race, hit me with a board and knock me down, because that means I didn't run hard enough." 

-Steve Jones, former marathon world record holder

Yep

Thanks Tim.

Another Great Quote by C.S. Lewis

Um, Yes, Sharing the Gospel Does Require Words

(HT: Arthur Sido)

If the Old Covenant Tithe Applies to the Church...

If the Old Covenant tithe applies to the church, then we all better start growing crops.

Orwell Spot On

Theologians Off the Rails Again...

In a recent blog post Arthur Sido asked an excellent question: "What is it about ecclesiology that makes otherwise sound theologians go off the rails?"

I had been thinking about that question quite a bit this week when a magazine arrived at our house. This particular magazine is published by Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (where I graduated in 2006). Despite my current views on the church, I still think SEBTS does some good things. For example, I love their emphasis on international missions. A sizable chunk of this magazine focuses on that topic. However, I did find one article that is disturbing. Not surprisingly, that article focuses on the dreaded subject of church membership.

The SEBTS article is an overview of a conference held back in September that was a joint venture between SEBTS and 9Marks. The conference's name was "Meaningful Church Membership." Speakers included Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, Alistair Begg, Danny Akin, and others.

What I find most problematic is the two quotes from the conference that the writers of this article decided to highlight, placing them in bold font in the middle of the magazine's pages. These two quotes are prime examples of theologians going off the rails.

First, Jonathan Leeman (editorial director of 9Marks) is quoted as saying, "The local church represents heaven. It is also God's embassy on earth. We don't join churches, we submit to them. Church membership is the declaration of citizenship in Christ's Kingdom."

Let's be clear about something: when these speakers refer to church membership they are talking about the extrabiblical idea of belonging in a special way to only one particular local body of believers (sign your name on the card and you go on the membership roll).

Leemon's statements in that quote are unbiblical and absurd. His final sentence is the most shocking. He is calling into question the salvation of anyone who is not a member of a specific local church. He has, therefore, equated church membership with the gospel. Now, I'm sure he would deny this if asked in these terms, but his statement certainly makes things murky at best.

Later in the article, speaker Thabiti Anyabwile is quoted with the following, " Every time we talk about the body of Christ we are talking about church membership. God puts His body together. Pride tears it apart."

I agree completely with Anyabwile's second and third sentences. It is the first one that is troublesome. The key is the definition of church membership. Anyabwile's statement is correct if by church membership he simply means everyone who is part of the church everywhere. However, in light of this specific conference, he is much more likely to be talking about the extrabiblical specific church membership I mentioned earlier. If that is the case, then Anyabwile, like Leeman, is referring to the body of Christ as only those whose names are on membership rolls somewhere.

What do these speakers do with folks like me (and probably you) who claim Christ as Lord and Savior but who shun the idea of specific church membership? The answer is that they want to ignore us because we do not fit their paradigm for what church membership is.

Returning to Arthur's great question, what is it that causes normally solid theologians to go off the rails when it comes to church issues? My answer is an old one: the love of man-made traditions. These theologians either cannot or will not see past the church traditions that they love so much. These men consistently fail to use the same principles of biblical interpretation for the church that they do for other topics such as Christology, salvation, and social/cultural issues.

The church institution is not based in scripture. Rather, it exists as part of man's own comfort zone. It makes him feel good. The problem is that it is not what God wants. It bears little resemblance to the church of the New Testament. It remains based much more in Rome than Jerusalem.

Many theologians continue to ride the same train off the rails again and again and again. Let's hope and pray that God will open their eyes to the magnificent thing His church can be when we live church life according to sound biblical principles.

A Great Quote

I saw this on Twitter a few days ago:

"The greatest distraction to discipleship in church history is trying to pull off an amazing Sunday service."


Thanks to Seth McBee (@sdmcbee) and Kathleen Ward (@ChurchInACircle).

Only Two Kinds of People

"There are two kinds of people in this world: followers of Jesus Christ and potential followers of Jesus Christ."

A few minutes ago it struck me that only two kinds of people really exist. I posted it on Facebook, but I wanted to write about it briefly here, too. The two kinds are those who are in Christ and those who are potentially in Him.

The greatest difference between people is not skin color, socioeconomic status, language, geographical location, political party, favorite sports team, or even whether or not they like bacon. The largest difference carries significance far beyond all the others. That difference is one of eternal salvation.

Our tendency is often to think in terms of "Christian" and "non-Christian." I think it is more helpful to think about people as those who know Jesus and those who potentially know Jesus. This is not simply a matter of semantics. Rather, the words we use often hint at our frame of reference and even shape it to some degree. When we think of unbelievers as potential believers, it also helps us think about how we can influence them positively for Christ.

I believe that God predestines all he chooses to salvation. I also believe that the gospel message is for anyone and everyone; all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Exactly how these truths fit together is beyond my small brain. Therefore, I want to remember and I encourage you to remember that anyone who doesn't know Jesus Christ as Lord has the great potential to do so.

This Applies to the Church, Too

Although the above Voltaire quote is most likely aimed at politics, it actually applies to all of life. When it comes to the church, this maxim certainly holds true.

Ironically, the only true Head of the church, and therefore ruler, is beyond criticism. You can't criticize someone who is perfect is every way.

Vader Theology

This is one of my all-time favorite quotes, regardless of source.

Fascinating Quote from Billy Graham

I don't normally take my beliefs about the church from Billy Graham, but he said something in 1965 that I find fascinating. According to Graham,

"Multitudes of Christians within the church are moving toward the point where they may reject the institution that we call the church. They are beginning to turn to more simplified forms of worship. They are hungry for a personal and vital experience with Jesus Christ. They want a heartwarming personal faith. Unless the church quickly recovers its authoritative Biblical message, we may witness the spectacle of millions of Christians going outside the institutional church to find spiritual food."

Thanks to Frank Viola for digging up this quote.

Semi-Interesting Link

CNN's Belief Blog offers 15 Faith-Based Predictions for 2012 by fifteen folks from varying religious backgrounds. I link to the post not because its all true, but rather because it gives a glimpse into what people are thinking mostly outside of the evangelical bubble.

The quotes I found the most interesting:

"The year will see an increase in the number of people 'coming out' as nonbelievers. Major events like the Reason Rally in March will be a catalyst for more people to publicly declare their secular worldview." -Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association

"There's no question the worldview of most younger Christians already differs from previous generations regarding social justice, cultural engagement and politics. The next issue of probable divergence? The conflict in Israel and Palestine." -Cameron Strang, publisher of RELEVANT magazine

"Significant numbers of millennials (young people born in the 1980s and 1990s) will continue to walk away from socially conservative religious traditions. Bringing them back will be tough, especially for religious organizations deeply invested in brick-and-mortar and bureaucracy." -Joanna Brooks, Mormon author and columnist for Religion Dispatches

"More churches will lose the moat dragon mentality, lower the drawbridge and dispatch members beyond the church service to church SERVICE, applying their faith in the community through volunteerism and outreach." -A. Larry Ross, Christian communications executive representing clients like Billy Graham and Rick Warren

Jim Elliot on the Church

Christian missionary and martyr Jim Elliot wrote, "The pivot point hangs on whether or not God has revealed a universal pattern for the church in the New Testament. If He has not, then anything will do so long as it works. But I am convinced that nothing so dear to the heart of Christ as His Bride should be left without explicit instructions as to her corporate conduct. I am further convinced that the 20th century has in no way simulated this pattern in its method of 'churching' a community.... it is incumbent upon me, if God has a pattern for the church, to find and establish that pattern, at all costs."

Elisabeth Elliot, Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and Testimony of Jim Elliot

(This is a re-post that seems appropriate for the beginning of a new year.)

Myths About Organic Church

Milt Rodriguez has much experience in organic church life. He offers sound advice on his blog for those seeking authentic church according to biblical principles. For this reason, he's on my blogroll.

Milt is in the process of writing a series entitled "10 Myths About Organic Church." So far in the series he has penned six of the ten entries. I encourage you to read all of them. While I don't necessarily agree with everything Milt has to say, I almost always find his thoughts to be both informative and challenging. Below I've included links to the six entries followed by my favorite quote from each:


Myth #1 – Organic Church is a New Method for Doing Church

“Why is it that we don’t come seeking life instead of more information and knowledge? Why don’t we come seeking Christ instead of other things? Organic church is really only about one thing – the Lord Jesus Christ Himself! It’s about His life and living by His life with a group of believers.”


Myth #2 – Organic Church is a New Movement

“So we can see by the scriptures that God’s church is something that is founded upon none other than Jesus Christ Himself and not all of man’s ideas about Him. So it’s very clear by these definitions that actually the new movement is the institutional church itself, not the organic church. The organic church is the attempt of modern day believers to return to their ‘roots’ in primitive Christianity. These ‘roots’, of course, are nothing new, but rather a return to something very ancient.”


Myth #3 – Organic Church is a Spontaneous Free-For-All

“It’s not that we throw away structure in the organic, but rather that structure comes to have a whole new meaning for us. Of course there is still structure in organic church, but this structure is not mechanical as in the system, it is organic. That means it has a totally different nature. The essence of organic structure is based upon the indwelling life of Christ, not any man-made mechanism that is external.”


Myth #4 – Organic Churches Do Not Have Leaders

“We are ALL called to lead and to minister. Our Christ is the ALL in ALL (of us). But the key is that we all (hopefully) desire his Headship and his Centrality and to live by his Life. But all of these things or aspects of Christ are expressed THROUGH US! But this can only happen as we all learn to live by Him and abide in Him. This comes by mutually submitting ourselves one to another. He is our only Head and we discover his direction and leadership by submitting ourselves to the members of the body. This will happen in different ways at different times. Different members of the body will lead in different areas at different times depending upon what the Head wants for that particular season.”


Myth #5 – Organic Church is All About Rapid Multiplication and Discipleship

“Fruit only happens because there is much transformation (pruning) that goes on as the branches realized that apart from Him they can do nothing! All fruit comes in season. And the idea of seasons in the church (which is organic) has been abandoned for church growth principles, programs, and agendas.”


Myth #6 – Anyone Can Plant an Organic Church

“The record (New Testament story of the early church) shows that true biblical church planters are not made overnight. It also shows that not everyone is called to this work. It also shows that it takes years of preparation. It never has been, nor will it ever be a quick and easy task. At least, not if we do it His way.”


I'm anticipating Milt's final four entries in the weeks to come.

We Must Be Precise

Robert Murray M’Cheyne, a Scottish pastor who lived from 1813 to 1843, stated the following, "The greatest need of my people is my personal holiness."

The above is an example of a quote gone wrong. What it is lacking is precision.

Since M'Cheyne was a pastor in the traditional sense, when he says "my people," I can only assume that he is referring to the people of the church where he was employed.

In this relatively famous quote, at least among pastors, M'Cheyne says that his people's greatest need is his own personal holiness.

Really? Is that truly their greatest need? I can easily think of ten things that his people needed more than his holiness:

1. God the Father
2. God the Son
3. God the Holy Spirit
4. Salvation
5. Sanctification
6. An attitude of servanthood
7. Scriptural knowledge
8. A loving church family
9. A holy hatred of their own sin
10. Their own personal holiness

M'Cheyne's quote lacks precision. I'm sure that if asked he would have said that the people of the church needed God far more than him. Since he was a solid Christian, there can be no doubt of this. However, his quote suggests otherwise.

How could the quote have been both better and more accurate? Here's my suggestion: "The greatest need of my people from me is my personal holiness." Simply by adding the two words "from me" we take a seemingly heretical statement and turn it into something that can at least be argued to be accurate.

As we write and speak, let's be careful. Precision is important.

Theology from Micah

My good friend Micah Thornton is a student at Boyce College in Louisville. He is extemely busy balancing school and work so he doesn't get to blog very much. However, when he does he always has good things to say. I encourage you to read this post from his opening class in Christian Theology. It stems from his professor's thoughts on the study of theology. Good stuff Micah. Below are some of the best quotes:

"You do not study the Bible as a textbook. We do study the bible but we study it not only to grow in knowledge of God but also to be transformed in our lives."

"So the challenge in our Christian ministry is to engage our minds and our hearts in the study of God."

"This is ultimately what we are after; the exaltation of Christ, in our study of theology, in our proclamation of the gospel and the truth of the bible, and in our daily Christian lives."

"The moment you say that Jesus is Lord, you are making a most profound theological statement. And the moment you start living in such a way that proclaims that Jesus is Lord, you are living your life in the most profound theological way."

Watchman Nee on Biblical Examples

According to Watchman Nee, "A word of explanation may be needed regarding the examples God has given us in His Word.  Christianity is not only built upon precepts, but also upon examples.  God has revealed His will, not only by giving orders, but by having certain things done in His Church, so that in the ages to come others might simply look at the pattern and know His will.  God has not only directed His people by means of abstract principles and objective regulations, but by concrete examples and subjective experience." 

The Normal Christian Church Life, Introduction, 1980.

Piper on TVs and Movies

I've written several times on this blog about why we don't have a television and the benefits that have come from this. We also only go to the movies once in a great while. I think I saw one film last year - Toy Story 3.

I'm encouraged that at least some other Christians feel the same way. John Piper has this to say about television:

"It’s the unremitting triviality that makes television so deadly. What we desperately need is help to enlarge our capacities to be moved by the immeasurable glories of Christ. Television takes us almost constantly in the opposite direction, lowering, shrinking, and deadening our capacities for worshiping Christ."

Read the whole thing here.

Interesting Commentary on I Corinthians 14:26-33

As I was looking through some of my books today, I happened upon William Barclay's commentary on I Corinthians (The Letter to the Corinthians, Westminster Press, 1975). I don't even know how this book ended up in my possession, but rather than ponder that, I decided to see what Barclay says about I Corinthians 14. In particular, I was curious about what he thinks about early church gatherings (read I Cor. 14:26-33 here).

Among other things, Barclay writes this on page 134,

"There was obviously a flexibility about the order of service in the early Church. Everything was informal enough to allow any man who felt that he had a message to give to give it. It may well be that we set far too much store on dignity and order nowadays, and have become the slaves of orders of service. The really notable thing about an early Church service must have been that almost everyone came feeling that he had both the privilege and the obligation of contributing something to it. A man did not come with the sole intention of being a passive listener; he came not only to receive but to give. Obviously this had its dangers, for it is clear that in Corinth there were those who were too fond of the sound of their own voices; but nonetheless the Church must have been in those days much more the real possession of the ordinary Christian. It may well be that the Church lost something when she delegated so much to the professional ministry and left so little to the ordinary Church member."

While I don't agree with all of Barclay's terminology ("service," "member"), I do appreciate his observations on what early church gatherings looked like. In particular, Barclay points out the flexibility, informality, and participatory nature of church meetings. Notice that Barclay writes of the gatherings that each man had "both the privilege and the obligation of contributing something to it."

What impact should the above information have on our church meetings today? What obligations do we as individuals have to bring something to our gatherings? Should we learn from the early church, or do we have freedom to do what we want to do?