False Dichotomy of Evangelism and Discipleship

Many times I will hear people say that we must be very simple in our approach to evangelism.  It seems as though people even think that there must be a certain dumbing-down of the Bible in order to be effective in sharing the gospel.  The gospel is simple, but it is not easy.  While it is true that there are some conversations that are better discussed among more mature believers, it also must be realized that a good evangelist will present the whole counsel of God.  Please remember that Timothy was instructed that doing the work of an evangelist involved teaching sound doctrine (2 Timothy 4:2-5).  It is also interesting to note that the word euangelion from which we get evangelism is not a verb but a noun.  It means the good news and it is something we do only because it is first something we have.  The command to make disciples however demands action.  It must be lived out and the only way to make disciples is to teach sound doctrine.  I am afraid that in our quest to do evangelism we have created churches full of people who are gathering around the lowest common denominator instead of cherishing the truths of Christ.  We probably do not need to discuss five theories of the Atonement, four views on Creation, or dating the book of Exodus, or argue the points of Dort versus Arminianism (you get the point) with someone to whom we are witnessing, but we must not neglect the whole counsel of God either.  The attributes of God, the sinfulness of man, the person and work of Christ, the truth of Scripture all must be a part of making disciples.  I cannot find anywhere in the Bible that evangelists or prophets were hurriedly attempting to get people to simply repeat some words of prayer after them and then declare those people as saved.  I do think prayer is important and it is good to pray with people who are making a decision to follow Christ, but making disciples is more than that.  I was saved from my sin because Jesus died on the cross for me and He used a preacher who taught the Bible to declare this truth.  As the preacher expositionally taught God's Word I realized that I was a liar and the truth was not in me. He did not shy away from declaring the whole counsel of God's Word.  He taught deep theological truth and never dumbed-down the message.  May we do the same and may the Lord add to our number those who are being saved.

A Word To My Generation of Church Leaders

I was born in 1974.  I saw many things in church life that were hypocritical and damaging to the cause of Christ.  I witnessed a fair amount of dry, dusty religion that was essentially dead.  I think many of the people my age who are now leading our churches have responded to the same things I experienced while growing up.  We have church leaders who are emerging in more directions than I can count.  The titles of movements are enough to make even the most attention-deficit people confused.  New-Reformed, Emerging, Emergent, Missional, New-Evangelical, and Ancient-Modern just to name a few.  I don't have the time or space to attempt a definition at each and I doubt that I'm even capable of such a task.  But here is the one thing that my generation of church leaders seem to share in common:  we want genuine spirituality.  We want a relationship with Christ that is real and vibrant.  We want a church family that is not just meeting for social enjoyment but makes a difference in society.  My concern is that many of our movements are swinging the pendulum too far in a reactionary response to what we perceived the churches to be lacking in the previous generations.  I agree there has been some dead ritualism but please remember that there have also been many great and faithful saints in those churches of yesterday.  I can think of some wonderful people I have known through the years who loved songs from the hymnbook, potluck dinners, KJV, and dignified church attire.  God used these faithful saints to pass on The Faith to us and they deserve respect.  They should not be treated as expendable or unimportant as we try to develop methods to reach a younger generation.  We should be missional but we shouldn't be worldly.  We should contextualize but we shouldn't try to make the church what a lost culture wants it to be.  We should not be out-of-date but neither should we neglect biblical truth in an attempt to be relevant.  We should "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints."  (Jude 3)  The faith was delivered once.  It was delivered for all time.  It was delivered to the saints.  May we continue in the richness of our Christian heritage and avoid the mistakes of the past.

Where Is God In Natural Disasters?

Where Is God In Natural Disasters?

As I write this I have just read about recent tornadoes that have swept through the southeastern United States and left hundreds of people dead as a result.  I am reminded of the recent tsunami in Japan that claimed the lives of multiplied thousands.  Few images have been more disturbing than the news reports of the 2010 Haiti earthquake which took over 200,000 lives and left an island in destruction.  A tornado swept through Myanmar in 2008 killing 138,000.  The year 2004 brought a tsunami from the Indian Ocean that decimated Indonesia and swallowed  approximately 230,000 people.  In fact there have been many natural disasters in just this last century and this list excludes countless other disasters that have come straight out of nature without known causes.  The two greatest calamities in the past century have struck China.  In July of 1976 the Tangshan earthquake engulfed between 250-775,000 people.  November of 1931 brought the same country what is considered to be the greatest disaster of the past century (if not of all time) with floods that killed countless people (estimates go as high as 4 million) and affected 28.5 million people by disease and loss.   With every disaster comes one of the deepest questions of humanity.  A question asked through the ages by all who know and witness personal suffering in the midst of natural disaster.  Their question is, “Where is God in all of this?”

There is never a shortage of supposed prophets desiring to explain things for God.  Some are quick to explain to all who will listen that this destruction must definitely be the hand of God’s judgment calling people to repent.  Some are quick to explain that God would never do such a thing to people who are so good and innocent.  Both of these schools of prophecy seem somewhat presumptuous to me.  In the midst of various voices (and difficult emotions) the Bible gives us guidance regarding God’s sovereignty over nature and His involvement in such suffering.  Everyone at some time asks this question.  Believer and non-believer alike want to know, “Where is God in natural disasters?”

It is true that God has promised to remove His wrath from His children.  This promise to all who believe in Christ is found in Romans 5:9, “having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him (Christ).”  Romans 8:1 states, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  And the comfort of 1 Thessalonians 5:9 is, “God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  God has assured all who are in Christ that they are free from ever receiving His awesome wrath and judgment.  

However, the Scripture also promises that those who are not in Christ by faith are currently and will be the recipients of God’s wrath.  John 3:36 says, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”  John 3:18 reports, “He who believes in Him (Jesus) is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already.”  And of course the book of Revelation provides vivid pictorial samples of the wrath which is to come when God brings His final judgment upon the earth.  The kings and men of the earth will hide themselves in caves and in rocks of the mountains and beg for the rocks to fall upon them and dash them to pieces just so they may hide from the face of God’s holy vengeance and the wrath of the Lamb of God (Revelation 6:15-17).  One natural disaster after another is described as continuous acts of God’s judgment.  This final day of judgment comes to its consummation when Christ returns in Revelation 19:11-20:15 and “He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God (19:15).”  

One presumptuous school of prophecy in the discussion of God’s involvement in natural disasters says He is not involved.  They are quick to explain the situation away so that no one in our culture will think that God is the least bit unfair.  These people however ignore the rebellious state of sin and the ensuing condition of sinful man.  The nature of God’s perfect holiness is such that He must bring judgment upon those who have revolted against Him and refused His reconciling grace through Christ.  These who are eager to speak for God say things like, “God would not do this to these innocent people” and “God would never do this because He is a God of love.”  First, there is no such thing as innocent people.  We are all guilty of sin.  People are “sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2) and “children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3).  We have all turned away from God (Isaiah 53:6) and our hearts are “deceitful above all things and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9).  Let us be honest, we are not innocent and our actions condemn us.  We all deserve judgment and destruction but God is rich in mercy in that He gives us life.  He has even provided for us in His richness of mercy the way to escape condemnation by trusting in the gracious work of Christ Jesus.  Second, God does love us.  This love however does not cancel out the attribute of God’s justice.  His infinite love toward us extends Jesus as the sacrifice for our sins and sets Him forth on the cross to receive the judgment that we deserve (Romans 3:25).  But to receive the benefits of God’s love we must receive it.  All who are in Christ by faith have escaped God’s wrath but all who are not in Christ stand on their own to receive the wages of their sin (Romans 6:23).  Those people who are quick in their attempts to defend God’s fairness need to remember that fair is a synonym for just.  Justice is what we deserve and it is sometimes what God delivers through natural disasters.  “If there is calamity in a city, will not the LORD have done it?” (Amos 3:6)

Another school of prophecy seems to be overly anxious to declare their knowledge of God’s purposes in natural disasters.  They are quick to declare that God sent this storm or earthquake or fire to get people’s attention.  While this many times is the case, it is best not to be presumptuous in speaking for God regarding what He may or may not be doing.  This certainly must be considered and not ignored but to speak specifically about events and their subsequent destruction must be done very carefully with much thought and prayer.  The appropriate question in these times of suffering is not “did God do this?” but “how does God want to use me in this?” and “what is God teaching me through this?”.  We know God is sovereign and His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8).  He is doing things which are now more wonderful for us to understand and many times these gifts come through suffering.  For some, pain is the only voice loud enough to cause them to repent.  For others, we must consider the possibility of our need to repent of some sin and then serve those who are hurting with the love of Christ.

Ugandan Pastor to Speak at Harvey BC

A dear brother in the Lord named Ezekiel Gingo will be sharing the word of God with Harvey Baptist Church on June 19, 2011.  He will be preaching in the evening service at 6PM.  Gingo is visiting us from Uganda and will be a great blessing to our congregation.  He serves as a pastor in Uganda as well as a Director in the Baptist Union of Uganda.

Faces Harder Than Rock

No prophet has ever spoken more boldly than Jeremiah, and suffered more for it.  He pronounced God's judgment to the nation of Israel in a time where their rebellion was vast.  He delivered thundering words of divine wrath to a people who had prostituted themselves to other gods.  But Jeremiah also declared to them the way to rescue.  He declared many times an authoritative, "Thus saith the LORD" not only in regard to judgment but also regarding God's mercy.  Repeatedly God said to the people that if they would repent and return to Him then He would heal and restore them.  Unfortunately Jeremiah 5:3 records their response, "they have refused to receive correction.  They have made their faces harder than rock."  The guidelines were simple.  Turn away from your sin and trust God.
Many people today have faces harder than rock.  The seed of God's Word is broadcast across their lives and they will not receive it.  I have seen people get up and walk out while I am preaching.  I have heard numerous things about myself that were untrue.  I have seen people roll their eyes or keep their head down and refuse to look at me while God's Word is presented.  I have seen faces harder than rock.  But in all of this I have experienced nothing like what Jeremiah endured, who was fiercely persecuted for presenting an unpopular message.  I am reminded of what God told Jeremiah at the beginning of His ministry in Jeremiah 1:8, "do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you."  Any preacher worth his salt knows exactly what God meant in this promise to the prophet.  Let all of God's messengers remember that God's rich grace is always sufficient for us, even if some faces to whom we speak are harder than rock.  And to those who have rocky faces (which only reflect a rocky heart), please realize that God's grace and mercy and infinite love are available for you.  Turn away from your sin and trust Christ.  He will exchange your heart of stone with a heart of flesh, and your face will reflect it.

Why Go To Church With Hypocrites?

I am often confronted with this statement when visiting with unchurched people I know or meet.  It is a statement infused with much sentiment and I’m certain it seems to make sense to those people who draw upon it.  It normally goes something like this, “Why should I go to church when they are a bunch of hypocrites?”  I usually catch my friends by surprise when I agree with them.  My church is full of hypocrites and they are led by a hypocritical pastor!  Please allow me to explain.  My experience has proven to me that we are all hypocrites to some degree.  I do not always do what I should nor have I always fulfilled everything I have said I would.  It grieves me and I am terribly sorry for my lack of consistency.  And to this condition I must agree, I am somewhat of a hypocrite.  This is what I call honest hypocrisy.  I have realized enough about myself to know that I do not always practice what I preach.  I want to do so and I am striving to do so and by the help of God’s Spirit I do so much of the time, but sometimes I fail.  I am sorry.  But this is not the type of hypocrisy that most people object to, for every honest person will recognize their membership in this group.

It is outright and blatant hypocrisy to which people so stringently object.  It is a dishonest hypocrisy that does things in the darkness and lies about them in the light.  This is a problem that must be dealt with indeed.  So my response to those who object to hypocrisy in the church is to ask who these people are that are sinning so badly so we may pray for them and go confront them in love.  Surely we owe these people more than standing at a distance and throwing stones at them while their backs are turned.  And if we are not willing to go and lovingly confront someone who calls himself a brother in Christ but lives in outright disdain for the truth than we are not any better than they.  For Jesus says, “Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”  (Matthew 7:5)  We are all hypocrites to some degree.  The difference between the honest, God-loving, God-fearing people in our churches who struggle with their hypocrisy and those who avoid church because they are supposedly avoiding other people’s hypocrisy is this:  honest struggle.  There may be some bad people who attend churches but they are certainly a minute minority in the churches I have pastored.  The vast majority of the people I know in the body of Christ are seeking to live their lives to honor Christ and help other people.  They live sacrificially to give of their resources for the sake of others.  They struggle and agonize over any sin in their lives and seek to be holy as God is holy.  One mark of a true Christian is that he realizes his need of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in his struggle with hypocrisy.  He knows that we need accountability and that comes through other brothers and sisters among the family of God.  To separate from this family would be disastrous.  We need each other.

We must also remember that although the church is plagued by many imperfections she is still the church Jesus loves.  The Bible says in Ephesians 5:25 that “Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her.”  In spite of all our imperfections Jesus loved His church so much that He died for her.  There is no greater love than this, that He would lay down His own life for a bunch of hypocrites.  And it is not enough for us to simply admire the faithful love of Jesus in His ultimate sacrifice from a distance. Jesus calls us to follow Him.  He says in Mark 8:34, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”  If Jesus loved the church enough to die for her, and we are called to follow Him, then we must be willing to at least be a part of a church.  Otherwise we are not following Him.  Every church is imperfect because it is made up of imperfect people.  I once thought I had found “the perfect church” and once I joined as a member I ruined it!  Every true church is a group of imperfect people saved from their sin by the perfect Savior.  The only perfection among us is that which has been delivered to us through the death of Christ.    

There is always some dishonest hypocrisy among some members.  We should love them, pray for them, and lovingly confront them with the truth of God’s Word.  If they will not repent then we must deal with them appropriately according to Matthew 18:15-17.  Jesus says that if your brother sins against you then you should lovingly go to him and discuss the issue individually.  If he will not hear you then you must go to him with two or three witnesses and seek reconciliation.  If he still will not hear (if he insists upon living in blatant hypocrisy) then you must take it before the church.  The church must then act authoritatively and if he still refuses to hear even the church then there is only one last biblical option, to exclude him from the church.  I know this seems harsh in our culture but we must remember the damage that non-repentant hypocrisy causes.  Jesus says we must treat this non-repentant person like a heathen and a tax collector.  We do not hate heathens and tax collectors.  We love them and hope they will come to true repentance, but they are people who reject God and His grace.  They refuse to turn away from their sin and if they are allowed to continue as “members” of the church they serve to ruin the testimony of the church in the world.  These non-repentant, blatantly hypocritical and dishonest church members are exactly the type of people who cause legitimacy to the claim of some that the church is filled with hypocrites.  

My advice is twofold.  To the churches I must say, please deal with the sin among you.  Your inconsistencies may just be the millstone around your neck.  Be honest with God and one another and the world, it will point us all to our need for grace which is found only in Christ.  To those outside of a church I must say, please do not allow the faults of others prevent you from knowing God’s grace.  God does not have any orphans.  The churches are the body of Christ made up of His children.  “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God.”  (John 1:12)  You cannot walk with God if you separate yourself from His family.  Those who object to being a part of a church because of hypocrisy in others may see a real problem, or they may just be using this as an excuse.  Either way let us deal with hypocrisy honestly and make sure that we ourselves do not allow our own hypocrisy to prevent us from being a part of the kingdom of God.