As I have promised to those who have asked, I will be posting on topics that will no doubt generate some measure of controversy as I will press some of the hot button topics that many of our members have had to confront.
The local church versus parachurch controversy has long been an issue, not just in San Diego with LBC but throughout the Christian community nationwide, if not worldwide. Contrary to some reports by various individuals and parachurch ministries, I have never once stated that I hate parachurch ministries, believe that parachurch ministries are evil, or have pushed for people to leave parachurch ministries. I do have many concerns though, and I will stress several of them here.
Concern #1 - A Disregard for the Importance of the Local Church Ministry
There are many who have experienced many blessings through parachurch ministries (myself included) and there is no doubt that God can and will use various parachurch ministries to help people grow. But what is disconcerting is how many will show a passive attitude or even worse, a disdain for the importance of the local church. Granted, there are many local churches that have not conducted themselves well and are often unable to provide the breadth of ministries that are needed, especially for collegians. So many collegians, finding the convenience of a parachurch ministry to be quite the draw, will immerse themselves into the campus ministry, joining small groups, service teams, retreats, seminars, leadership roles and meetings, and a host of activities that will often keep them quite busy throughout the week and even the weekend, to the point where any discretionary time will be quickly taken up. With the demand for academic studies, other extra-curricular activities, the first candidate for getting axed out of the regular schedule will often be involvement in the local church. This is justified by many claiming that since they are involved in the "universal church" through the parachurch, there should be no problems with their lack of involvement.
This in itself is problematic in that the understanding of the "universal church" was never meant to be a justification to avoid being committed to the local church ministry. 1 Timothy 3:15 states the words of the apostle Paul:
But in case I am delayed, I write so that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.
This follows the section on church leaders as well as conduct within the church relating to men's and women's roles and so there seems to be a clear indication that there is to be a certain structure and guidelines that a church must follow in order to constitute a legitimate local church body. There is supposed to be a clear accountability to God's Word as well as to the leaders that God calls for a church to submit to that needs to be in place (Hebrews 13:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13).
My concern is with those who would advocate that involvement in a parachurch ministry can be a legitimate replacement for the local church. I would say that involvement in a parachurch ministry is fine but must be subordinate to a commitment to the local church being primary.
I was an advisor to a campus ministry a number of years ago and one of the servant leaders communicated that she was going to step down from her responsibilities at the parachurch ministry due to the fact that her load was quite heavy and that she couldn't do both the parachurch and her local church ministry. The response of the core leaders was quite surprising to me as they made an issue of her integrity to maintaining her commitment, while at the same time disregarding the policy that had been communicated to everyone that if one had to choose between local church and parachurch ministry, it would be no question that one should stick with the local church. When I brought this up, the leaders simply dismissed it and insisted that the greater issue was the integrity of the individual for not carrying out her commitment at the parachurch ministry. This to me showed an utter disregard for the importance of the local church ministry.
I recently had a discussion with a leader from another parachurch ministry who was surprised to hear me state the "priority" of the local church. He asked me to define that distinction and what ensued was a very enlightening response which simply portrayed a position that saw no distinction between the local church and the parachurch ministry. This again showed me a disregard for what seems to be a clear presentation of the New Testament about the importance of being involved in the local church.
It might be that because many have had negative experiences in a local church and a positive experience in a parachurch ministry that this kind of attitude might arise. Admittedly, there are many churches who unfortunately have not done a good job in fulfilling what the Scriptures call a church to be. But just because there is an abuse does not mean that the principle is wrong (as I have been told so many times regarding other issues). What really needs to be addressed is the lack of accountability that so many parachurch ministries have, no matter how well-intentioned they might be.
It is no surprise that many parachurch ministries fluctuate tremendously from year to year depending on the level of spirituality shown by the members. Doctrinal distinctives often change with the tide and whatever happens to be the flavor of the month will often dictate what will set the tone. Since there are no clear parameters set (other than to be as minimal as possible so as to provide the widest range of availability), decisions are made that often contradict the original intentions of those who founded the ministry. This is exactly what I found in the parachurch ministry that I was involved with, which had very purposely worked toward putting ourselves out of existence as a parachurch ministry as the goal was to equip people to strengthen the churches. But this purpose was later cast aside because, as I was told, "things had changed" and what might have been true before was no longer valid.
My challenge to parachurches would be this - how is it that the standards of a ministry can be so vague, especially when it comes to the qualifications of leaders when the Scriptures call very clearly for character and proven-ness, especially that no new convert should be a leader because of the danger of pride? How is it that individuals who would never qualify as an elder, deacon, or deaconess at a local church could so easily be given a role where there is teaching, shepherding, and training involved without proper equipping? How is it that someone can lead a discipleship small group when he or she has not been properly discipled? I have seen this happen time and time again, with the consequences being that of many who receive superficial help, often times outright dangerous counsel that is devoid of Biblical principles and authority. It is no surprise then to see many upon graduating from college go backwards, even to go as far as to deny the faith, which I have unfortunately seen take place even with those from my college years.
Lighthouse has had the opportunity to provide the kind of shepherding ministry that fulfills the Titus 2 mandate (older men/women training the younger men/women) as well as to provide the kind of accountability that individuals need through the membership process and accountability. The elders of the church take very seriously the role of shepherding the flock because we know that many are exposed to all sorts of dangerous influences that undermine the Lordship of Christ and the authority, sufficiency, and clarity of Scripture. With all the latest fads (i.e. seeker-sensitive churches, emergent churches, egalitarianism, open theism, etc.), there is a desperate need for believers to have the kind of shepherding that will protect them from the savage wolves that will come from WITHIN the church!!
Acts 20:27-30
For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.
This was Paul speaking to the elders of the Ephesian church and as he met them in Miletus, he gave them his final words as he anticipated his arrest in Jerusalem. Notice that Paul addresses them as "overseers" and that they are called to "shepherd the church of God." This is exactly what takes place in the "evangelical" world today - herds of wolves who infiltrate the church with all sorts of error, all in the name of "doing good."
It is on many occasions (though not exclusively) that doctrinal deviance takes place in parachurch ministries and there is absolutely no accountability or safeguards that are in place to protect people from bad doctrine. The local church with a godly eldership was God's design to protect the church. Again, it is unfortunate that many churches have not provided this but this does not mean that God's design has failed. It means that man has been disobedient and instead of changing God's design, we should actually FOLLOW IT!!!
I know that this has ended up being only the first concern - I will follow this up with more concerns shortly.
But suffice it to say - I truly do love the local church ministry that we have at Lighthouse and pray that we will humbly honor God through our obedience to fulfill the calling of what a church is meant to be according to His Word. We also need to pray for our sister local churches to really fulfill God's calling as well. We do need to pray for parachurch ministries as well so that they would honor God and respect His Word concerning the ministry of the local church.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Be Bold, Not Proud!
One issue that I have been intending to address on this blog is something that has caused some unfortunate confusion and misunderstanding in the church. Being a graduate of The Master’s Seminary, I understand that there is a perception (and sadly sometimes warranted) that “Master’s guys” have a knack for preaching cold, rigid theology in a domineering, blunt, and even arrogant way. John alluded to this in his previous entry that there is a certain unavoidable stigma that comes with being a TMS alumnus. I am, therefore, thankful that John elaborated on Lighthouse’s commitment to preach the truth of God in love. Paul refers to speaking truth in love in 1 Timothy 1:5 where he writes, “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” The relationship of love and truth is also the theme of much of the epistles of John. John writes, “Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love” (2 John 3).
Truth taught without the temperance of love is cold, impersonal, and oftentimes unnecessarily offensive. Love without the standard and foundation of truth is misguided, shallow, and oftentimes misleading. In order to love in a godly way, one must know and be committed to the truth about love as it is revealed in the Word of God. In order to preach the truth in a godly way, one must also understand and sincerely work to apply God’s heart of love.
I suppose the issue that arises from this discussion is where conviction plays a role in our communication of beliefs. Unfortunately, when one speaks out of conviction it is frequently misunderstood as bold arrogance. However, in 1 Thessalonians 2:2, Paul states, “…we had the boldness in our God to speak to you….” While Paul characterizes his instruction as boldness, his life was at the same time indisputably characterized by humility (cf. 2 Cor 12:11). If we take a closer look at what is intended in 1 Thessalonians 2, it helps to provide a greater understanding of how one can be bold in proclamation and yet remain humble. While it is unfortunate that conviction and boldness are misinterpreted as arrogance, it is equally or even more unfortunate that some with good reason to have conviction cannot communicate their convictions with “humble boldness.”
How can Paul say that he and his partners in ministry had boldness to speak? First, he understood that the authority behind what he communicated was not found in himself but in God. I have often thought that one of the keys to true humility is giving credit to the right people and not undeservedly taking credit for oneself. Notice that Paul qualifies his boldness by saying that it is “in our God.” Outside of the revealed truth of God, Paul had no grounds for speaking with boldness. Isn’t it true that when we speak with boldness without first being quick to hear the Word and fully contemplating what the Bible says about a matter we discover that our bold assertions are actually foolishness? Paul’s only claim to boldness came in God (cf. 2 Cor 10:17). Only by thinking God’s thoughts after Him and speaking God’s words could he speak with boldness. This actually says less about the character of Paul than it does the character of Paul’s God. He understood that without God he was reduced to nothing.
Second, and this is certainly related, Paul understood that the source of the message itself was from God. The instruction that Paul bore was “the gospel of God” (2:2). It is God’s gospel. This is the reason Paul states, “For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor 4:5). To be committed to anything else than preaching the true gospel of Christ is futility and focusing on peripherals at best. This is the same instruction that Paul gave to Timothy, “Preach the Word!” (2 Tim 4:2). Don’t preach useless words (2:14)! Don’t preach worldly and empty chatter (2:16)! Don’t preach useless speculation (2:23)! Don’t preach deceptive messages (3:13)! Don’t preach ear tickling stories (4:3)! Don’t preach according to the desires of men (4:3)! Don’t preach myths (4:4)! Preach the unadulterated gospel of God!
It is possible to speak conviction with boldness and yet to maintain a spirit of humility. Of course much of this is dependent upon whether the one who speaks backs his words with a lifestyle of humility. In any case, one must not be too quick to judge someone as arrogant because he speaks with confidence or boldness. Of course even when something is spoken properly from proper motives and with proper means, one’s message still may not be received the way it was truly intended. This places even more responsibility upon the one who speaks with conviction to make sure that truth is indeed spoken and colored with godly love.
Truth taught without the temperance of love is cold, impersonal, and oftentimes unnecessarily offensive. Love without the standard and foundation of truth is misguided, shallow, and oftentimes misleading. In order to love in a godly way, one must know and be committed to the truth about love as it is revealed in the Word of God. In order to preach the truth in a godly way, one must also understand and sincerely work to apply God’s heart of love.
I suppose the issue that arises from this discussion is where conviction plays a role in our communication of beliefs. Unfortunately, when one speaks out of conviction it is frequently misunderstood as bold arrogance. However, in 1 Thessalonians 2:2, Paul states, “…we had the boldness in our God to speak to you….” While Paul characterizes his instruction as boldness, his life was at the same time indisputably characterized by humility (cf. 2 Cor 12:11). If we take a closer look at what is intended in 1 Thessalonians 2, it helps to provide a greater understanding of how one can be bold in proclamation and yet remain humble. While it is unfortunate that conviction and boldness are misinterpreted as arrogance, it is equally or even more unfortunate that some with good reason to have conviction cannot communicate their convictions with “humble boldness.”
How can Paul say that he and his partners in ministry had boldness to speak? First, he understood that the authority behind what he communicated was not found in himself but in God. I have often thought that one of the keys to true humility is giving credit to the right people and not undeservedly taking credit for oneself. Notice that Paul qualifies his boldness by saying that it is “in our God.” Outside of the revealed truth of God, Paul had no grounds for speaking with boldness. Isn’t it true that when we speak with boldness without first being quick to hear the Word and fully contemplating what the Bible says about a matter we discover that our bold assertions are actually foolishness? Paul’s only claim to boldness came in God (cf. 2 Cor 10:17). Only by thinking God’s thoughts after Him and speaking God’s words could he speak with boldness. This actually says less about the character of Paul than it does the character of Paul’s God. He understood that without God he was reduced to nothing.
Second, and this is certainly related, Paul understood that the source of the message itself was from God. The instruction that Paul bore was “the gospel of God” (2:2). It is God’s gospel. This is the reason Paul states, “For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor 4:5). To be committed to anything else than preaching the true gospel of Christ is futility and focusing on peripherals at best. This is the same instruction that Paul gave to Timothy, “Preach the Word!” (2 Tim 4:2). Don’t preach useless words (2:14)! Don’t preach worldly and empty chatter (2:16)! Don’t preach useless speculation (2:23)! Don’t preach deceptive messages (3:13)! Don’t preach ear tickling stories (4:3)! Don’t preach according to the desires of men (4:3)! Don’t preach myths (4:4)! Preach the unadulterated gospel of God!
It is possible to speak conviction with boldness and yet to maintain a spirit of humility. Of course much of this is dependent upon whether the one who speaks backs his words with a lifestyle of humility. In any case, one must not be too quick to judge someone as arrogant because he speaks with confidence or boldness. Of course even when something is spoken properly from proper motives and with proper means, one’s message still may not be received the way it was truly intended. This places even more responsibility upon the one who speaks with conviction to make sure that truth is indeed spoken and colored with godly love.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Holy #*$*!!*$#??
The delicacy of communicating the truth in love is one that is not easy to find and too often imbalanced both in the presentation as well as in the reception due to the bias of the speaker as well as the hearer. For example, by virtue (which is disputed by some) of being a graduate of The Master's Seminary and having attended Grace Community Church for many years, much of what people hear is filtered through a preconceived grid that I presume to know more than others about the Scripture and that I, and only I, have the correct view and everyone else is dead wrong. Not only that, there is an assumption that I am totally lacking in love and simply want to win the theological debate at any cost. It is a foregone conclusion for many to simply assume that I will parrot whatever John MacArthur says out of blind loyalty and that I do not have a mind to think on my own. To add the whipped cream and cherry on top of all that, it is also assumed that I am anti-everything that is opposed to the hyper-fundamentalist viewpoint, which typically equates to being anti-Holy Spirit, anti-women, anti-love, anti-fun, and anti-reality.
To all this I would simply respond in this way - I am an earthen vessel, not fit for anything of my own merit but because of the imputed righteousness of Christ, I have been called to the heavenly grace of salvation granted by the atoning death of Christ on the cross on my behalf, and through His resurrection am secured to the hope of eternal life. Not only that, I have been granted a stewardship of the mysteries of the gospel as a preacher of God's Word, not because I deserve it, but because I have been called to proclaim His excellencies as opposed to the caving in to the agenda of the world.
I have to admit that I am not quite perfect, in fact, far from it. Yet I am compelled by a high view of God and a high view of His Word not to accommodate the tickling ears of the majority, but to simply please my commander by accurately and boldly conveying His message. To that end, I hope to be a humble vessel, not seeking to draw attention to myself but to point people toward the one way, the one truth, and the one life - Jesus Christ.
So for those of you who have a difficult time understanding why I preach what I do, it's because I'm not ultimately called to preach for your sake, but for the sake of honoring God. And the preaching of God's inspired Word does include the purposes of teaching, reproving, correcting, and training in righteousness. We must defend the honor of Christ most of all. As He is our Lord and Savior, anything that demeans Him and defames Him must be addressed without hesitation and without shame. I am all the more convinced that those who would advocate the idea of our Lord "cussing" and dropping F-bombs on people with His speech (alluding to my response of a certain speaker commenting on the cleansing of the temple in Luke 19:45-46) are at best showing an insensitivity to the holiness of Christ for the sake of being sensitive to man, and at worst, blaspheming the holy name of our Lord Jesus by attributing sinful speech to the perfect Son of God.
There is no room for "holy cussing" (as alluded to in the title) in the life of our Savior. Neither should it be in our own lives. In a vain effort to try and make Christ relatable to sinful man, we are never to denigrate and defame our Lord with such insidious claims. This is to cross a line that is not to be crossed. We treat God as holy because His holiness demands it. Not that we are perfect in doing so - we all do fail each day in our own lives to our sinfulness, which will never be fully dealt with in regard to its presence in our lives until we reach heaven in our glorified state. But I am not talking about us in this instance. I am talking about the person of Christ and how we are to present Him and to portray Him not only to this world through our evangelism, but also in edification to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Consider Colossians 1:13-29 - we are called to proclaim a high view of Christ and are called to ADMONISH and TEACH every man with all wisdom to present every man complete in Christ.
Jesus is the Word (John 1:1). Let's not put words in His mouth that He would never speak forth. Instead, let us humbly submit to the words that have come from the mouth of the Son of God and humbly obey them.
Sola Christus - Christ alone
Sola Scriptura - Scripture alone
Sola Gratia - grace alone
Sola Fide - faith alone
Soli Deo Gloria - to the glory of God alone
Amen.
To all this I would simply respond in this way - I am an earthen vessel, not fit for anything of my own merit but because of the imputed righteousness of Christ, I have been called to the heavenly grace of salvation granted by the atoning death of Christ on the cross on my behalf, and through His resurrection am secured to the hope of eternal life. Not only that, I have been granted a stewardship of the mysteries of the gospel as a preacher of God's Word, not because I deserve it, but because I have been called to proclaim His excellencies as opposed to the caving in to the agenda of the world.
I have to admit that I am not quite perfect, in fact, far from it. Yet I am compelled by a high view of God and a high view of His Word not to accommodate the tickling ears of the majority, but to simply please my commander by accurately and boldly conveying His message. To that end, I hope to be a humble vessel, not seeking to draw attention to myself but to point people toward the one way, the one truth, and the one life - Jesus Christ.
So for those of you who have a difficult time understanding why I preach what I do, it's because I'm not ultimately called to preach for your sake, but for the sake of honoring God. And the preaching of God's inspired Word does include the purposes of teaching, reproving, correcting, and training in righteousness. We must defend the honor of Christ most of all. As He is our Lord and Savior, anything that demeans Him and defames Him must be addressed without hesitation and without shame. I am all the more convinced that those who would advocate the idea of our Lord "cussing" and dropping F-bombs on people with His speech (alluding to my response of a certain speaker commenting on the cleansing of the temple in Luke 19:45-46) are at best showing an insensitivity to the holiness of Christ for the sake of being sensitive to man, and at worst, blaspheming the holy name of our Lord Jesus by attributing sinful speech to the perfect Son of God.
There is no room for "holy cussing" (as alluded to in the title) in the life of our Savior. Neither should it be in our own lives. In a vain effort to try and make Christ relatable to sinful man, we are never to denigrate and defame our Lord with such insidious claims. This is to cross a line that is not to be crossed. We treat God as holy because His holiness demands it. Not that we are perfect in doing so - we all do fail each day in our own lives to our sinfulness, which will never be fully dealt with in regard to its presence in our lives until we reach heaven in our glorified state. But I am not talking about us in this instance. I am talking about the person of Christ and how we are to present Him and to portray Him not only to this world through our evangelism, but also in edification to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Consider Colossians 1:13-29 - we are called to proclaim a high view of Christ and are called to ADMONISH and TEACH every man with all wisdom to present every man complete in Christ.
Jesus is the Word (John 1:1). Let's not put words in His mouth that He would never speak forth. Instead, let us humbly submit to the words that have come from the mouth of the Son of God and humbly obey them.
Sola Christus - Christ alone
Sola Scriptura - Scripture alone
Sola Gratia - grace alone
Sola Fide - faith alone
Soli Deo Gloria - to the glory of God alone
Amen.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
It is time...
After much deliberation and consideration, I have finally decided to enter the blog world. While I have wanted to make entries and comments for some time, I would refrain from starting an account, not wanting to get drawn into endless debate with individuals who would only be looking to argue.
Now that I am enlightened to the power of blogging, I have decided to make my foray into this electronic world of communication so that I might offer my thoughts on various issues as it relates to the church. I hope to provide some challenging entries and would welcome your comments (though they most likely will not get posted).
As a prelude, I would like to say that my study in Romans has been most challenging in light of the mercies of God that have been presented through the first 11 chapters. As we have just introduced Romans 12, it looks like we will be studying the first two verses for some time, especially addressing the issue of what it means to offer up our lives as living sacrifices to God in worship. It has been very convicting as well as exhilarating to consider the truth that because of God's mercies, I have been granted the high calling of offering up my life daily as a living sacrifice to God, a sacrifice that is to be holy and acceptable to God which should exhibit itself in every aspect of life being an act of worship to God.
What amazes me is how much the church has sold out to the world and in fact has become more and more conformed to the spirit of the postmodern age. While we are not called to be ignorant of the culture around us, we are not meant to conform to the world (Romans 12:2). We are called to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, which should take place by the regular intake of God's Word through the illumining work of the Holy Spirit, which should be sufficient to teach us, reprove us, correct us, and train us in righteousness that we might be adequate and equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Lighthouse Bible Church is committed to shining the light of God's truth AND love - never are the two to be separated. We are challenged to communicate the truth IN love (Ephesians 4:15) so that we are not simply stating cold orthodoxy but with the intention of winning people to seek first God's kingdom and righteousness in every area of life (Matthew 6:33). So let us take a firm stand on both speaking the truth in love and loving people in the truth.
Tomorrow - we get it on!!
Now that I am enlightened to the power of blogging, I have decided to make my foray into this electronic world of communication so that I might offer my thoughts on various issues as it relates to the church. I hope to provide some challenging entries and would welcome your comments (though they most likely will not get posted).
As a prelude, I would like to say that my study in Romans has been most challenging in light of the mercies of God that have been presented through the first 11 chapters. As we have just introduced Romans 12, it looks like we will be studying the first two verses for some time, especially addressing the issue of what it means to offer up our lives as living sacrifices to God in worship. It has been very convicting as well as exhilarating to consider the truth that because of God's mercies, I have been granted the high calling of offering up my life daily as a living sacrifice to God, a sacrifice that is to be holy and acceptable to God which should exhibit itself in every aspect of life being an act of worship to God.
What amazes me is how much the church has sold out to the world and in fact has become more and more conformed to the spirit of the postmodern age. While we are not called to be ignorant of the culture around us, we are not meant to conform to the world (Romans 12:2). We are called to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, which should take place by the regular intake of God's Word through the illumining work of the Holy Spirit, which should be sufficient to teach us, reprove us, correct us, and train us in righteousness that we might be adequate and equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Lighthouse Bible Church is committed to shining the light of God's truth AND love - never are the two to be separated. We are challenged to communicate the truth IN love (Ephesians 4:15) so that we are not simply stating cold orthodoxy but with the intention of winning people to seek first God's kingdom and righteousness in every area of life (Matthew 6:33). So let us take a firm stand on both speaking the truth in love and loving people in the truth.
Tomorrow - we get it on!!
Shine the Light!
The pastors of Lighthouse Bible Church have decided to call this blogspot "Shine the Light!" because it seems to have become a sort of unofficial church motto at LBC. However, it also comes as a reminder of the believer's responsibility and privilege to be a bright-shining representative and ambassador for Christ in a darkened, unbelieving world. In Matthew 5:16, Christ preaches, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." As believers, we are to Shine the Light!
There has been so much emphasis upon "inreach" in churches and Christian organizations nowadays that outreach has taken a sort of backseat in many ministries. For many churchgoers, outreach is just one of several functional programs in the life of the body (i.e. hospital visitation, door-to-door evangelism, summer missions, etc.). There is a tendency to forget that Christians are a constant presentation of the gospel in their daily lives. 1 Timothy 3 lists the qualifications of a biblical elder and what is interesting is that very little is written about what the elder must do and much is written about what an elder must be. The more daunting fact that comes across is the comprehensive scope of the elder's example. Whether in the home with wife or children, whether in the community with neighbors and unbelievers, whether in finances or pleasures, the elder is called to be an example of godly living. At any given moment of the day, anyone should be able to examine his life and say, "That is what being a Christian (let alone a Christian leader) is all about."
Any believer is given the same responsibility of bearing consistent Christian character in everyday life. 1 Peter 2:12 exhorts us, "Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation." In this clear statement regarding lifestyle evangelism, Peter instructs believers not to be conformed to the sinful practices of the world but to live holy lives so that it would lead to the salvation of those who observe their behavior. Certainly faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ (Rom 10:17), but the effectiveness of the proclamation of the gospel is weakened if it is done through a mouthpiece of unholy living.
Is your life an outreach ministry? Shine the light!
There has been so much emphasis upon "inreach" in churches and Christian organizations nowadays that outreach has taken a sort of backseat in many ministries. For many churchgoers, outreach is just one of several functional programs in the life of the body (i.e. hospital visitation, door-to-door evangelism, summer missions, etc.). There is a tendency to forget that Christians are a constant presentation of the gospel in their daily lives. 1 Timothy 3 lists the qualifications of a biblical elder and what is interesting is that very little is written about what the elder must do and much is written about what an elder must be. The more daunting fact that comes across is the comprehensive scope of the elder's example. Whether in the home with wife or children, whether in the community with neighbors and unbelievers, whether in finances or pleasures, the elder is called to be an example of godly living. At any given moment of the day, anyone should be able to examine his life and say, "That is what being a Christian (let alone a Christian leader) is all about."
Any believer is given the same responsibility of bearing consistent Christian character in everyday life. 1 Peter 2:12 exhorts us, "Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation." In this clear statement regarding lifestyle evangelism, Peter instructs believers not to be conformed to the sinful practices of the world but to live holy lives so that it would lead to the salvation of those who observe their behavior. Certainly faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ (Rom 10:17), but the effectiveness of the proclamation of the gospel is weakened if it is done through a mouthpiece of unholy living.
Is your life an outreach ministry? Shine the light!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
