What about this
Bannerless Brand of Believing?
By Pastor Steve Mays
Recently, a visitor to our church raised the question about the differences between Independent Baptist Churches and other Baptist and Bible Churches he'd visited. I didn't give the old, "it's the way we support missions" cop-out. If that's all that's different about your church, stop reading! This article isn't for you! I explained that the number one difference is our desire to preach the Word of God without compromise or apology, and that it is our desire to allow the Word of God to govern every area of our church. In short, I said, "Independent Baptist Churches are old fashioned in faith and in practice." Did I describe our group right? Probably some of our group; and perhaps most of it 25 years ago. But now it seems that there is a conscious effort to remove our banner--to change it.
Some of you are familiar with the "Community Church" movement. Perhaps its most popular spokesmen is the pastor of the "Saddleback Community Church", Rick Warren. Rick Warren's book The Purpose Driven Church has influenced tens of thousands. Many of the readers of the Trumpet would say, "Bro. Mays, that group has no bearing or influence on us." However, after reading what they are teaching, it would seem to me that they are having a lot bigger influence than we are admitting.
Here are the key teachings of this movement; Italicized statements are direct quotes from the previously mentioned book and from other publications.
· "The church service must be non-threatening, familiar and comfortable to the unsaved visitor." Hold it a minute. Christ warned that the world would hate the church, not admire it (Jn. 15:18). The Word, not the world, is to determine the strategy of the church.
· "The dress must be casual." Casual, non-abrasive Christianity is a plague invading our churches--not by accident, either.
· "The music must be contemporary. The first thing a church should do is replace the organ with a band. If a band was not feasible, then at least the church could purchase a keyboard that will incorporate midi disks in order to give the sound of a band." What about old fashioned worship?
· "The message must be positive. The saved and unsaved alike should feel better about themselves after a message that often mixes psychology and an uplifting Scripture text." What is God's command to the faithful undershepherd of the flock? " PREACH THE WORD! . . . REPROVE, REBUKE AND EXHORT. . ."
· "The ministries of the church must be geared to meeting the needs and special interests." Warren scoffed at the idea of passing out tracts or going door-to-door since such old-fashioned, out-moded forms of evangelism offend people. START A "SINGLE-AGAIN" CLASS INSTEAD!
· "Doctrinal instruction is not given to the church as a whole on the Lord's Day."
· "A spirit of compromise must prevail in the church that is to experience dynamic growth." This is completely secular! Where is God in all of this? What about prayer meetings? What about the power of God? What about, "Except the Lord build the house they labor in vain that build it"?
· Recently at one of these seminars, Warren closed in prayer saying, "Thank You that there is a movement, a stealth movement, that's flying beneath the radar, that's changing literally hundreds, even thousands of churches around the world." Is this movement affecting your church or ministry? How high is your banner raised?
Friend, I want my colors flying high. I'm not ashamed of the cross, Biblical separation, old fashioned worship, and old fashioned, door-to-door soul winning. Christianity isn't to be a part of my schedule; it's to be my life. Raise the banner high! Dr. Dennis Carter told me recently, "People have come to Independent Baptist Churches over the years because they knew they would get HARD STRAIGHT PREACHING. . . When we leave that, we will be no different than the host of other mainline groups". I say "anathema" to this bannerless brand of believing!
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