...Upon this Rock.
I have just finished reading an article by E.L Bynum. He publishes
an excellent paper called the Plains Baptist Challenger.His article
highlighted several areas where he has had to take his stand for Christ.
I agree with the Article.
One of those points had to do with building a Church. I have never
heard or read of a clearer definition of the autonomy of a local Baptist
Church.
One does not know exactly how to describe his own convictions until
he scrapes off the varnish. I have always had a problem with Preachers
and Churches that will do anything to get a crowd. I will never forget
the illustration that Evangelist Art Wilson gave about the preacher
who announced that he would crawl into a Coke bottle publically. A
large crowd gathered to witness the event. Suddenly the back doors
of the auditorium opened and the preacher was crawling in. He crawled
all the way down the aisle to the communion table, upon which a Coke
bottle stood. The preacher got to the table, stood up, took the Coke
bottle, held it up and announced that he had crawled into a Coke bottle.
Cheap trick!
One of the maladies of Churches today is the amount of worldliness
that has crept into and become a part of churchianity. In the quest
for souls Churches did anything to get a crowd. Gradually they had
to resort to using anything to keep a crowd. Today just about anything
can be found as part of Church function. Men like Hybels and Warren
are coming out with plans to paint on spirituality, but they are superficial
and temporary. They do not foster Christian separation and conviction,
but rather encourage eccumenicalism.
I honestly believe that the average Baptist Church has as many lost
people as members as saved ones. Former Fundamental Baptist Churches
are falling like mosquitoes in a DDT fog. They are disconnecting themselves
from the name Baptist, because the world doesn't like the name Baptist.
Hooray!
People in these Churches are uncomfortable with conviction
and truth. Pastors are promising the moon to people who are looking
for a Church in which they don't have to worry about sin. These same
preachers act like they are apologizing to people who have been hammered
by hard nosed and hard headed Fundamentallists. They will accept these
battered people into their congregation and try to make them feel
comfortable about God again. This to me is pretty close to Blasphemy!
God builds His Church out of Bible believing, Born Again, Blood
bought, separated, sin hating believers; not out of tares.
sm