Doctrine and Debate, Preachers and Pew-Sitters

There has been much talk among my family and friends lately about different views about Bible doctrine, Theology, and salvation (soteriology).  I have been greatly encouraged by it, because I think it is a reflection of people desiring to know God deeper.  I believe (and hope) that people are not willing to “drink the koolaid” of some religion that will not stand up to thought, debate, and analysis.  I think about what God said through the prophet Habakkuk, “My people perish for lack of knowledge.”  There are so many weak and feeble ones filling our churches.  Many are unsaved people with religion only, but others are true children of God so weak in their new man.  My heart breaks for this, and that’s why I love to see thinking studying Christians seeking to know what God said. 

 

This weakness and anemic state of the people does have cause.  There is weak and anemic preaching and discipleship from pastors and those in leadership.  I know personally the temptation to change the message in order to keep a good paycheck and parsonage.  I know the pressure to “lay low” and skip the hard stuff so that you will not become  a target for the church power group.  I know the desire to have “success” and to bend in order to get it.  Many pastors today compromise the Truth for some motivation that holds more weight in their minds than a Holy God and His Word.  Maybe they think God won’t mind a few tweaks – just to knock off the rough edges of the Gospel.  After all, the true Gospel from the Bible is all “gloom and doom” for most, and offensive to all. 

 

Jeremiah spoke of this attitude among those of his day who were supposed to speak for God.  They refined the message in their time too.  They went for a more positive approach.  They preached “Peace”.  What could be a more attractive message – “Peace, Peace”.  It would have been a great message to preach, except for one problem.  God said “there is no peace.”  So when they set out to tweak, they completely changed.  When they tried to refine, they actually polluted and corrupted greatly.  When they wanted to knock off the rough edges, they actually shattered God’s entire masterpiece.  They received truth, but delivered lies.   Why would they do that?  What would motivate those men to compromise like that?  Jeremiah says, “My people love it so.”  That was the real root of the problem.  The people loved it.  If the people had stoned the first “false-speaker”, then I believe there would have been more consideration put into what the next guy said.  If the people would only accept sound truth, then there would be no market for the lies peddled by others.  I believe that we live in the same kind of world today – with the same people who love it so.  I pray for the day when the church will rise up and fire the false-teacher.  No matter how much the attendance is up, no matter how pretty, no matter how well spoken, no matter how much fine-sounding philosophy – if it’s not God’s truth, then you’re out of here.  This would go hand-in-hand with NOT firing the man of God who is faithful to the Word because the numbers are down, or he’s not as popular as we wished, or some other pragmatic criteria that we construct. 

 

Christian, stop touting the man who rides his Harley on stage at church.  Quit praising the guy who brings a fishing boat into the auditorium.  Don’t focus on whether the sermon made good use of PowerPoint slides and video clips.  Start asking, “Did he say what the Bible says?”  Hint: If he’s jumping around the Bible from week to week, be suspicious – is he using the Bible to back up the sermon, or preaching the Word as it is written?  Jeff Noblit (one of my new favorite preachers) says that this is the difference in Rick Warren and John MacArthur – well put.  Church, demand that your pastor preach expositionally – that is just preach what the text says.  Read out of the text the truth that God placed there, don’t read INTO the text the convenient message from me.  When the preacher gets finished, you should be able to look at his passage of scripture and see the points he brought out – the outline should come from the Bible. 

 

I know that for many Christians this seems impossible.  How can we “call the preacher” on something we are not versed in.  That is true, and a part of the problem.  The “average” saved person should be growing in how to handle the Word.  We should be learning how to read what is there rather than what we “thought it said”.  Becoming Bible-Saturated, rather than Bible-Ignorant, would be a great thing for churches…for your church…It would be a great thing for you.

 

So for all of you who are active, studying and thinking, analyzing and considering; Keep it up!  Let’s grow together to bring God glory.  And if you’re not…Today would be a good day to start.  I’d recommend the Gospel of John – It shows the Deity of Christ.  Stop reading the stuff I’ve got to say, and get into the Word –right now. 

   

Pastor