The greater issue lost in all the chatter and blog-counterblog of the past few weeks is the importance of regenerate membership in our churches. We simply must find ways to deal with the enormous problem that has arisen as a result of the pragmatism of the past 20 years.
While many of us have pontificated and beat our chest over a decision of one church to accept members who are not baptized, we have perhaps turned a blind eye to the high percentage of people who join our churches each week who do not know or serve Christ. Many argue that membership itself is becoming a sham.
Thabiti Anyabwile, an associate pastor at Capital Hill Baptist Church in Washington D.C. has recently posted some thoughts on the benefits of a regenerate membership:
1. A regenerate church membership promotes unity in the church. When a significant proportion of a church's membership is made up of carnal or unregenerate persons, factions, cliques, disputes and strife are bound to result (1 Cor. 3:1-4). Moreover, a threat to church unity grounded in gospel truth is nothing less than a threat to the integrity of the gospel message itself (John 17:17, 19-21). Preventing unregenerate members from entering the number will strengthen the unity of the church and strengthen the church's evangelism.
2. A regenerate church membership protects the reputation of the local church. The members of a local church should desire a testimony of "simplicity and godly sincerity" (2 Cor. 1:12). Our conduct should put to shame those opponents with evil intent toward the church (Tit. 2:7,8). However, the conduct of non-regenerate persons puts the testimony of the local church in jeopardy with the unbelieving, unchurched world.
3. A regenerate church membership advances the work of the local church. When the people of God are pure from vessels of "wood and clay" made for dishonor, then the remaining vessels are "for honor, sancitified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work" (2 Tim. 2:21). "Those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works" (Titus :8). The people of God are saved for good works (Eph. 2:10) and the local church is to equip them for the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:12). But the unregenerate will either be hindrances to the work of the church, poor imitators of that work, or workers who do good things but obscure the truth and power of the gospel with non-gospel-centered motives. How many of us have had first-hand experience of this at some carnal, conflict-filled member's meeting?
4. A regenerate membership spreads love in the congregation. The love with which the Father loved the Son is to be in the followers of Jesus (John 17:26). This love is the new commandment and a sign of genuine discipleship (John 13:34, 35). Members of the church are to love one another as Christ has loved us, laying down our lives for each other (John 15:12, 13; Eph. 5:2). This love is supernatural. If we would have churches that are not just friendly after services but truly marked by a God-like love, then we must have churches with members born from above, regenerated by God's Spirit.
5. A regenerate membership causes the church to grow in the proper way. The main purpose of the public church gathering is the edification of the church (1 Cor. 14:26). The main purpose of spiritual gifting is the edification of the church (1 Cor. 12:7; 14:12). The church is to be built up into spiritual maturity and strength. Edifying the body is made more difficult when a church takes into membership persons who may not be regenerate. Significant amounts of time will be given over to problems and concerns stemming from that portion of the membership whose self-interest trumps the collective interest of a mature and growing church.
6. A regenerate membership submits to the word of God. The life of the local church is immeasurably improved when its members submit themselves to word of God. Such submission provides the basis for unity, mission, conduct, and doctrine. The spiritually-minded are to acknowledge and receive the Scriptures as commandments from the Lord (1 Cor. 14:37; 1 Thes. 2:13). But discerning spiritual things in this way is not possible for the "natural" or unregenerate person (1 Cor. 2:14). And those who do not obey the Scriptures are to be marked and avoided (2 Thes. 3:14). When we prayerfully identify and avoid those who rebel against the word of God--those who are likely not to be regenerate--the local church is aided in her submission to her Head, Christ Jesus the Lord.
Should these points be obvious to us? The fact that they are exceptional to us speaks volumes of where we have come.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
the blessing of controversy
I am sitting at the Richmond Airport awaiting my flight home from our IMB meeting reflecting on the blessing of controversy.
I know that this is a strange thing for a pastor to say- we shepherd types tend to like the green pastures and still waters. But my life this far has taught me that really good things often emerge out of troubled waters.
On his last birthday, we showed our son Taylor the video of his birth. He got up and left the room when we got to the part where his mom starts screaming.
I had forgotten that part.
I thought about how much a pain my children have been, starting with their births. But everytime I look at them my heart wells up with such joy and love and pride. They bring me such happiness. Such turmoil. They are struggling through adolescence, often clumsy and naive, but I see wonderful young adults emerging from that struggle.
My daughter was born on one of my worst days of ministry. I fired an immoral and deceitful staff member in the morning and held my newborn daughter in the afternoon. The pain of both those events have taught me more than most painless experiences I have ever had.
So, here's to the trials of many kinds. Here's to the joy perseverance brings!
I and many others have struggled of late with issues of baptism, private prayer language and membership. I certainly have not sought out these controversies, but I am grateful for what I am learning.
I had a chance to visit with Dennis Newkirk and some of the other elders at Henderson Hills the other day. I told them I believe something really good will come out of their struggle. I for one am grateful for the thoughtful discussion that has come from the issues they have raised (courageous on their part, by the way). It has caused many of us to think with more clarity about the issue of baptism. I know that this has been very difficult on Dennis, the elders and the entire Henderson Hills body. I am praying every day that God would lead this great church to find the mind of Christ in this situation. They are a part of our SBC family and we have a responsibility to hold them up in prayer, support them, and seek earnestly to understand their struggle.
Their position makes a very good point about the meaning of membership. They are attempting to address the issue of candidates for membership who get baptized for no other reason than an initiatory rite. That is not scriptural baptism they rightly point out.
They have correctly put their finger on the fallacy of empty tradition, void of scriptural substance. Although I disagree with their proposed solution, I have no argument with their point. People who commit their life to Christ should be correctly baptized the way scripture describes. They should do it only once and it should be their public profession of faith. It should not be simply a physical act to satisfy a man made rule (for church membership or IMB candidacy for that matter).
But should we give people who are not ready to take this step full membership? I would say certainly not, that indeed there is enough scriptural evidence that their immersion is an imperative to membership.
But what do we do with those people who have been sprinkled in another church as a sign of their profession of faith in a Bible believing pedobaptist body? The truth is there are many pastors who will say to this candidate, "just do it as a requirement for this church, even if it is not really baptism to you, what does it hurt? After all, it is only a symbol."
That baptism is a sham. It is non biblical and it should not happen. The elders at Henderson Hills are absolutely correct in making this point.
So do we turn them away and not make them full members? Could something else be worked out for them short of full membership while they are working through the true meaning of baptism? I know the argument some will make here- "This is easy, just turn them away, the answer is no, sorry, find another church."
But is that the VERY BEST answer?
I don't know, but I am glad that we are struggling for it. It is a very real issue that should be given a lot of thought. Could there be another way to help people identify with the church without being a full fledged member? Many Baptist churches have this in place anyway in the form of "watchcare membership."
I really believe that some very strong ideas will be born out of this labor.
This issue is not just a Henderson Hills one by the way. As denominational lines are frayed, more and more people with varying theological backgrounds will seek membership in our churches. Baptists must figure this out. We need a reformation in our definition of membership, it seems to me.
Some strong minds and passionate hearts need to struggle through this and give us prayerful solutions. I believe Dennis is attempting to do this. There are many of us who are saying, "it's hard to embrace your ideas so far, but keep struggling."
There will be blessings from this controversy.
Maybe you wonder why I write so much of controversial issues. Why not stick to the quiet water stuff? Remember that the name of the blog is "The Road We Travel" and it's objective is to "prepare the road and remove the obstacles". Obstacle clearing is messy. The road is not always smooth.
One only needs to follow the life of Jesus to see the truth in this.
Last Sunday I taught on John 2:1-12 where Jesus changed the water into wine. This Sunday we will learn about John 2:13-24 where Jesus cleared the temple.
That's the way it goes, it seems, when you follow Jesus. Sometimes He is the Lord of the wine, sometimes He is Lord of the whips. Sometimes He calms the waters. Sometimes He stirs them up.
I know that this is a strange thing for a pastor to say- we shepherd types tend to like the green pastures and still waters. But my life this far has taught me that really good things often emerge out of troubled waters.
On his last birthday, we showed our son Taylor the video of his birth. He got up and left the room when we got to the part where his mom starts screaming.
I had forgotten that part.
I thought about how much a pain my children have been, starting with their births. But everytime I look at them my heart wells up with such joy and love and pride. They bring me such happiness. Such turmoil. They are struggling through adolescence, often clumsy and naive, but I see wonderful young adults emerging from that struggle.
My daughter was born on one of my worst days of ministry. I fired an immoral and deceitful staff member in the morning and held my newborn daughter in the afternoon. The pain of both those events have taught me more than most painless experiences I have ever had.
So, here's to the trials of many kinds. Here's to the joy perseverance brings!
I and many others have struggled of late with issues of baptism, private prayer language and membership. I certainly have not sought out these controversies, but I am grateful for what I am learning.
I had a chance to visit with Dennis Newkirk and some of the other elders at Henderson Hills the other day. I told them I believe something really good will come out of their struggle. I for one am grateful for the thoughtful discussion that has come from the issues they have raised (courageous on their part, by the way). It has caused many of us to think with more clarity about the issue of baptism. I know that this has been very difficult on Dennis, the elders and the entire Henderson Hills body. I am praying every day that God would lead this great church to find the mind of Christ in this situation. They are a part of our SBC family and we have a responsibility to hold them up in prayer, support them, and seek earnestly to understand their struggle.
Their position makes a very good point about the meaning of membership. They are attempting to address the issue of candidates for membership who get baptized for no other reason than an initiatory rite. That is not scriptural baptism they rightly point out.
They have correctly put their finger on the fallacy of empty tradition, void of scriptural substance. Although I disagree with their proposed solution, I have no argument with their point. People who commit their life to Christ should be correctly baptized the way scripture describes. They should do it only once and it should be their public profession of faith. It should not be simply a physical act to satisfy a man made rule (for church membership or IMB candidacy for that matter).
But should we give people who are not ready to take this step full membership? I would say certainly not, that indeed there is enough scriptural evidence that their immersion is an imperative to membership.
But what do we do with those people who have been sprinkled in another church as a sign of their profession of faith in a Bible believing pedobaptist body? The truth is there are many pastors who will say to this candidate, "just do it as a requirement for this church, even if it is not really baptism to you, what does it hurt? After all, it is only a symbol."
That baptism is a sham. It is non biblical and it should not happen. The elders at Henderson Hills are absolutely correct in making this point.
So do we turn them away and not make them full members? Could something else be worked out for them short of full membership while they are working through the true meaning of baptism? I know the argument some will make here- "This is easy, just turn them away, the answer is no, sorry, find another church."
But is that the VERY BEST answer?
I don't know, but I am glad that we are struggling for it. It is a very real issue that should be given a lot of thought. Could there be another way to help people identify with the church without being a full fledged member? Many Baptist churches have this in place anyway in the form of "watchcare membership."
I really believe that some very strong ideas will be born out of this labor.
This issue is not just a Henderson Hills one by the way. As denominational lines are frayed, more and more people with varying theological backgrounds will seek membership in our churches. Baptists must figure this out. We need a reformation in our definition of membership, it seems to me.
Some strong minds and passionate hearts need to struggle through this and give us prayerful solutions. I believe Dennis is attempting to do this. There are many of us who are saying, "it's hard to embrace your ideas so far, but keep struggling."
There will be blessings from this controversy.
Maybe you wonder why I write so much of controversial issues. Why not stick to the quiet water stuff? Remember that the name of the blog is "The Road We Travel" and it's objective is to "prepare the road and remove the obstacles". Obstacle clearing is messy. The road is not always smooth.
One only needs to follow the life of Jesus to see the truth in this.
Last Sunday I taught on John 2:1-12 where Jesus changed the water into wine. This Sunday we will learn about John 2:13-24 where Jesus cleared the temple.
That's the way it goes, it seems, when you follow Jesus. Sometimes He is the Lord of the wine, sometimes He is Lord of the whips. Sometimes He calms the waters. Sometimes He stirs them up.
Tuesday, July 4, 2006
charles spurgeon on the necessity of baptism to the existence of the church
THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE,
NEWINGTON ON LORD’S-DAY EVENING,
OCT. 13TH, 1889.
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." — Mark 16:16.
Why do you suppose that baptism is put into this prominent position? I think that it is for this reason, Baptism is the outward expression of the inward faith. He who believes in Christ with his heart confesses his faith before God and before the Church of God by being baptized. Now, the faith that speaks thus is not a dumb faith; it is not a cowardly faith; it is not a sneaking faith. Paul puts the matter thus, "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
But why is confession so necessary to prove true faith? I answer that it is necessary to the very existence of the Church of God; for, if I may be a believer, and never confess my faith, you may be a believer, and never confess your faith, and all round we should thus have a company of men believing, and none of them confessing; and where would be the outward ordinances of the Church of Christ at all? Where would be any minister? Where would be the setting up and growing of the kingdom of Christ? For a hundred reasons, it is absolutely needful for Christ’s kingdom that the believer should openly confess his faith. Do you not see that? And hence baptism, being God’s way of our openly confessing our faith, he requires it to be added to faith, that the faith may be a confessing faith, not a cowardly faith; that the faith may be an open faith, not a private faith; that so the faith may be a working faith, influencing our life, and the life of others, and not a mere secret attempt for self-salvation by a silent faith which dares not own Christ.
Remember those words of the Lord Jesus, "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me" (and in that place it means, "he who does not confess me") "before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."
There is, therefore, no regenerating efficacy about water, or about immersion, or about baptism in any shape or form; but it is needful as the outward visible expression of the inward spiritual faith by which the soul is saved.
And, dear friends, once more, baptism is often the test of obedience. He who believes in Christ takes him to be his Master as well as his Savior; and Christ, therefore, says to him, "Go and do so-and-so." If the man refuses to do it, he thereby proves that he does not intend to be the disciple of the Master. "Oh!" says one, "you know that baptism is a nonessential." Have I not begged you to cease such idle and wicked talk as that? Have you a servant? Do you go to business early in the morning? Do you like a cup of tea at six o’clock, before you start for the city? The maid does not bring it to you, and you ask, Why have I not had my tea brought to me?" "Oh!" she answers, it is non-essential; you can do your business very well without that cup of tea."
Let such a reply as that be repeated, or let it be given only once, and I will tell you what will be non-essential, it will be non-essential for you to keep that girl any longer in your house; you will want another servant, for you will say, "Clearly she is no servant of mine, she sets herself up as the mistress of the house, for she begins to judge my commands, and to say that this one is essential, and that one is not essential." What do you mean by "nonessential"? "I mean that I can be saved without being baptized." Will you dare to say that wicked sentence over again? "I mean that I can be saved without being baptized." You mean creature! So you will do nothing that Christ commands, if you can be saved without doing it? You are hardly worth saving at all! A man who always wants to be paid for what he does, whose one idea of religion is that he will do what is essential to his own salvation, only cares to save his own skin, and Christ may go where he likes.
Clearly, you are no servant of his; you need to be saved from such a disreputable, miserable state of mind; and may the Lord save you! Oftentimes, I do believe that this little matter of believers’ baptism is the test of the sincerity of our profession of love to him. It would have been all the same, it may be, if the Lord Jesus Christ had said, "Pick Lip six stones off the ground, and carry them in your pocket, and you shall be saved." Somebody would have said, "That stone-picking is a non-essential." It becomes essential as soon as Christ commands it. It is in this way that baptism, if not essential to your salvation, is essential to your obedience to Christ. If you have become his disciple, you are bound henceforth to obey all your Master’s commands:
"Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it."
Click here for the entire sermon.
Monday, July 3, 2006
interesting reads
There is an intersting discussion going on at Wes Kinney's blog regarding the baptism issue. Also, check out Kiki Cherry's post regarding "plastic Christianity".
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