Moratorium on Church Membership?

Who have ever heard of a pastor of a church wanting to call for a moratorium on adding any new church members? None that I’m aware of. But this is exactly what this pastor desires to do in his heart. Why you ask? Simply because it has been affirmed and reaffirmed over and over again that the typical, modern-day professing Christian doesn’t have a clue what it means to member of a church. Church Membership has all but lost all of its significance today in our culture. Far from being a community of deeply devoted Christ-followers who covenant together to share all of life together for the glory of God and to carry out the great commission, we change churches like we change our shoes. We’ll try this one for a while, and if it doesn’t fit, we’ll kick it off and get another, without one ounce of regret or second-thought. But what can we expect from the ultimate consumer-driven culture in which coveting is a value and where our personal happiness reigns supreme? In many ways, it takes more effort and devotion to be a member of the local “animal” lodge than it does the church of the Jesus Christ. If this small, insignificant, saved-by-grace pastor is broken-hearted over the current condition of Christ’s bride today, I can’t even imagine how broken-hearted He is.

Church - Having It Your Way

Tonight, I attended our local associational meeting of Baptist churches to hear about what God is doing in Eastern N.C. in the way of church planting. I'm excited to see how God is working, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that we have 6 different church plants or missions going on right now in our association. That is awesome because I didn't think there were that many.

One of the defining characteristics of most new churches being planted that I see (and older churches for that matter) is that each is targeting a specific group of people. If you like hard rock sounding music with a worship experience that feels like a concert, then we have a church for you. If you like high-church, liturgical worship that is very reverential, then we have a church for you as well. Maybe you like Harley's and tattoos... we have a church for you. If you like cowboy hats and spurs... we have a church for you. And in a way it is really good that we have so many different types of churches, because there are so many different types of people.

However, at the same time, I mourn a little that Christians have become so consumer-minded when it comes to church than really doing what is, I believe, more Biblical. Because in my humble opinion, I believe that the church that we should really belong to, worship with, and serve with, is the church where we live. Rather than our own preferences being the primary motivation, what about the community we're already a part of by living there? In other words, it's about being in a community and loving & serving that community of people no matter what type of people live there. I mean, I know people who will drive more than 30 miles away 2-3 times a week to attend a church that has more to offer them. What about the community in which they live? What about their brothers and sisters in Christ living 2 doors down the street? Maybe they need encouragement... maybe they need help. When did it become all about "me" and "what I want" rather than being about Christ and what He would desire?

Please understand this post, I'm not knocking new church plants or the pastors and people who are starting them. There are entire people groups out there in our own culture, that churches like mine just aren't reaching and probably won't reach b/c we're just too different. But for those of us who are established disciples, I believe we would do well to re-examine our motivations when it comes to selecting a church. Isn't the New Testament attitude more like "what can I offer," rather than "what can I get?" It reminds me of the situation in which a woman told her pastor that she was moving her membership to a bigger church because their current church just didn't have a good youth group to offer her children. To this the wise old pastor said, "Well, mam... until someone stays and builds a youth group, they'll never be one."

Church Discipline - Tough Subject

Tonight at our Wednesday night Bible study, we ended up discussing church discipline, or as some might call it - excommunication. We very quickly looked at 3 major passages that dealt with this topic: 1 Tim.1:18-20; 1 Corin.5; and Matt.18:15-17. This is a really tough subject for the modern church for many reasons. One reason is, for years now pastors just haven't had the backbone to preach the whole counsel of God, and therefore many sincere believers are completely ignorant of what God's word says. Another reason is, we live in a very tolerant, relativistic culture... which boils down to everyone is afraid to tell anyone their wrong about anything. People have forgotten that we are not the standard, God's word is, we aren't the Judge; He is. And finally, church discipline is for maintaining the purity of the collective body of Christ, as well as helping individuals believers be as close to God as possible... and its sad to say, but I just don't think the vast majority of believers in churches across this nation today are really all that concerned with their own personal holiness before God. So, if we're not concerned with our own, then we're certainly not going to hold anyone else accountable, and rightly so.

Now, one very important aspect about this is, people MUST understand... this is not about punishment or retribution... it's about RESTORATION. Because a professing believer living in a lifestyle of unrepentant sin is NOT in fellowship with God, and gives more evidence of being still dead in their sin and separated from God, as opposed to being alive in Christ and reconciled to God. And it truly breaks my heart for the millions of people out there with their name on a church roll, who believe when they die they're going to heaven, when in all probability... they're not. And it absolutely infuriates me with all the pseudo-churches out there, who claim to be Christian, but who have long since abandoned the Scriptures, who do nothing but deceive and lull people into spiritual apathy. I fear for the pastors of those so-called churches when they stand before God and answer for all the souls who were under their care. Church Discipline is indeed a tough subject... but one desperately needed in the modern church in America.

Having Revival

This week we are having revival at our church. Well, actually we're having revival services. Only God knows right now if we are truly experiencing a revival. We may know later, but not now.

As I type this, I am aware that there may be some reading this blog who may be unsure what "revival" is. For our church and many other churches, "revival" is 1 or 2 special times of the year that we set apart to have anywhere from 3-5 extra services besides the normal Sunday morning and Sunday night. Most of the time, we invite a guest preacher to come in and preach for the whole week or however long the revival is scheduled for. The purpose of the revival services is for the church to be "revived" spiritually... recharged or renewed in spiritual fervor. It is a time of making renewed and fresh commitments to Christ. A time to really seek His face in extra-ordinary ways.

So far, we have heard two powerful, Spirit-anointed messages from our guest preacher, Cory Wilson. It doesn't take long at all to know exactly where Cory's heart is as a man of God, and to know that God is definitely speaking through Him. Sometimes I wish, we could return to the days like when Billy Graham was a young evangelist. There were times when he would go and preach in a city and they just kept right on having worship services and hearing the Word of God powerfully preached for weeks... just as long as they felt the presence and power of God. If I remember correctly, one time they had a revival in New York City that last 10 weeks!! Wow!!

Oh, how we need so desperately to be fed continually from the Word of God. I simply can't imagine, the change in people's lives and in the life of our church... if say for example, we had 1 hour of worship every night for a month. What in the world might God could do, if we as His people decided for one month... to turn off our TV's and to purpose in our hearts to gather together to worship Him through prayer, song, and the hearing of the Word of God! As I said, I absolutely can't imagine what God might do. We might just have another Great Spiritual Awakening as our country had in it's early years.

"Oh dear Lord God... give us more of You!! Our hearts simply ache to know You better!!
Thank you, Lord Jesus, who by means of your sacrificial death and resurrection, for giving us the privilege and capacity to approach Your holy presence. May your fame and glory be known around the world!"

Reminded of the Enemy

Recently, I was reminded that the church of the Lord Jesus Christ still has a real enemy that is watching very closely and is still very much opposed to any good thing that may happen.

Sometimes, I must admit, even as a pastor, I can get so caught up in doing all the things that the ministry requires (studying, preparing, visiting, counseling, discipling, administration, overseeing, getting a vision, guiding the ship, etc, etc....) that I can easily forget this is no ordinary work that I am involved in... this is spiritual work! A spiritual work that has real life & death consequences... a spiritual work that can't be accomplished without the power of the Living God working in and through me... a spiritual work with a REAL SPIRITUAL ENEMY who desires nothing but to see me fail and to see this church go belly up!

A Doctor doesn't have to think about a real, personal enemy out there who is watching and striving to undo any good that he may do.
A Business man doesn' thave to worry about a real, personal enemy who has work in his own company who is bent on seeing him fail miserably.
Bankers and Lawyers don't even consider in all that they do, that there may just be someone out there who is trying to block, stop, undo, and mess up the work that they are trying to do.
But as a Pastor... as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ... I must remember that all of this work is first of all HIS work, without Whom, everything is in vain anyway. But also, I must remember that I do have a real, personal enemy out there who wants me to fail and who wants to keep the church from doing what God has called us to do at all costs!

2008 Pastors' Conference in Jacksonville, FL

I am currently in Jacksonville, FL attending the 22nd Annual Pastors' Conference. This is actually my first year being here. I've wanted to come for a long time, but never had the opportunity until now. And I must say that I have had a great time so far. For anyone wanting to grow in their faith and to do ministry, this is like Disney World. There are so many good seminars to go to... covering every subject from Preschool to Music to Administration. It is just an awesome learning experience. I have been blessed so much from being here. I appreciate our church so much making it possible for me and Andrea to come and learn. I already have several ideas that are brewing in my mind that I believe will greatly bless our church when I return. If we come back next year, I would love for more of our leaders to join us so that they too can be richly blessed!!

Joint Thanksgiving Service

Tomorrow night, our church (West End Baptist Church) is going to have a Joint-Thanksgiving service with Everettes Baptist Church. I'm really excited about this and am very glad that Jason (their pastor) and the church body decided to do this with us. I think it's going to be a great time of worship and fellowship as two different local bodies come together to worship and give thanks to our great and loving God for being so good to us.

I think it's really great when churches can come together for worship, service, and fellowship. Sometimes, people (even pastors) can become competitive with other churches. If another church down the road is growing faster, or has a better building, or more programs than their own church, people at times can get envious and bitter. Sometimes they will even become resentful that God seems to be blessing one church more than another. Even at the conventions and things, pastors will at times compare numbers and/or ministies with others, like we're in competition.

But we have to remember, that when the Word of God is our center & authority and the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being accurately presented, then we're not in competition with one another... we're on the same team! And in this day and time, especially in our culture, it takes all kinds of different churches to reach all the different kinds of people. Some people like formal services, others like casual worship. Some people like Southern Gospel, while others like Contemporary Christian. Some people like to dress up in coat and tie, while others like wearing their shorts and sandals. And truly, the Word of God gives freedom in these non-essential areas.

So, I'm very excited about tomorrow night and I hope we have a good turn out of fellow believers who desire to take special time out of their busy lives to praise and thank God for all His wonderful blessings that He has given. And most especially for the precious gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. And I pray that He will indeed be glorified and pleased with our small demonstration of unity tomorrow night.