Black Eyes Needed

By Monte Shanks, Ph.D.

Dr. Monte Shanks is an Asst. Professor of NT at Liberty Seminary

Good Reasons for a Black Eye

I love cowboy movies, they are just plain fun to watch.  Westerns always have a few necessary components.  Obviously there is the climatic gunfight.  There usually is a break-neck horse chase.  There should always be a heroine or women worth fighting for.  And generally there needs to be a barroom brawl in which the hero gets beat up.  One of the best lines I ever heard in a movie occurred when a kid asked the hero “Hey, who gave you that black eye?”  The hero stared at the boy with an unflinching gaze and forcefully said, “No one gave it to me, I earned it!”  I guess one of the reasons to like western movies is that the line between right and wrong is clearly drawn in the sand, and when it’s crossed then the time has come to take a stand and let the chips fall where they may.  Regrettably churches today are losing their capacity to not only draw a line in the sand on moral issues in society, but to even take stands for doctrinal issues within the church.  Many seem to believe that “tolerance” and “peace” are the most important things for a church to hold to, and under no circumstances should anyone endanger them.  Well, there are times when we should take public stands in our churches—even at the expense of unity and peace, and below is a list of some of these non-negotiables.

*    The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  Paul said that if Jesus has not risen from the dead then Christianity is a vain faith and we are still in our sins (1 Cor. 15.12-19).  The doors of every church should be locked if Jesus has not bodily risen from the dead.  But he has risen, and he now sits at the Father’s right hand mediating on our behalf.  The bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead is a non-negotiable for anyone who would call themselves a Christian.

*    The divinity and incarnation of Jesus Christ.  The apostle John stated that anyone who denied that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh was of the spirit of anti-Christ (1 Jn 4.1-3).  The scriptures are clear; Jesus is literally the incarnation of God in the created realm (Jn 1.1-18; Col 1.15, 19; 2.9; Phil 2.5-11; Heb 1.1-3).  The confession that Jesus is fully man and fully God is a non-negotiable for any claiming to be a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.

*    The Trinity.  If you review the doctrines of any major historical denomination of Christianity you will notice that they all have a Trinitarian declaration.  Christianity confesses and proclaims that there is one God who has revealed himself in 3 persons who are united essence, nature, and being.  This unity and diversity within the Godhead is a mystery that is hard to fathom, but there are other complex truths that are also hard to fathom but nonetheless they exist.  For example, take “love” and “justice”; we know that they exist, but can you explain how they exist?  You cannot, and so it is with the Trinity.  Christians do not profess that God is one person who reveals himself in 3 different ways at different times, but that God is one who co-exists in 3 different persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—all are equally divine and perfectly one while sharing the same essence and purpose (Matt 28.19).  Although each member in the Godhead simultaneously functions differently in the created order, they all are nonetheless equally divine.  True believers can accept no less; consequently, neither should they tolerate any fellowship that would promote anything contrary to this essential truth.

*    That Salvation is through faith alone in Christ alone by God’s grace alone.  Salvation is not received or earned by humanly participating in the ordinance of a church (i.e., baptism or communion); neither is it the reward of human effort or endurance. It is only received after one repents of his or her sin and personally entrusts themselves and their sin debt to the Lord Jesus Christ through his substitutionary death on the cross. This redemption is a gift that God freely offers to all who would receive it, and his offer is completely a gift of his grace.  In other words, it is a gift that is completely undeserved, and its reception by the desperate sinner can in no way be perceived as a meritorious act (Eph 2.8-10).

The above 4 are non-negotiable for anyone who would call themselves a Christian.  There are others, such as that God exists, that there is an afterlife, a final judgment, etc., etc.  But these confessions are so fundamental that to mention them would be elementary.  Indeed, even these listed above are elementary, but the fact is that some churches and denominations today are losing sight of the fundamentals of the faith.  Below are 3 more items that I would argue are doctrines worth fighting for; regrettably there are some churches that are not sure that these also are worth defending publically.

    

 *   The exclusivity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Jesus claimed to be the only person through which anyone could be reconciled to God (John 14.6).  Paul wrote that if there was another way to God then Jesus died needlessly (Gal 2.21).  And John said that if anyone does not confess personal trust in the Lord Jesus Christ then they do not know the Father (1 Jn 4.1-6).  If someone professes that there are ways to be saved other than placing one’s personal faith in Christ then he or she is misguided and needs to be discipled into the truth, or they are false believers that should be avoided. 

*    The inspiration and authority of the Gods word, which is the Bible.  The division of the Christian church between Protestantism and Catholicism largely rests on this one issue.  It is ironic that the Roman Catholic Sir Thomas Moore once said “I never intend, God being my good Lord, to pin my soul to another man’s back, not even the best man that I know this day living: for I know not where he may happen to carry it.”  Believers must not abdicate their consciences to the decisions of others no matter what positions they may hold in a church.  Our sole authority for the rightful belief and practice of the Christian faith is the Bible and not submission to the offices of man-made religious institutions, whether they are local churches or worldwide denominations. The freedom of conscience to follow God’s word is a doctrine referred to as “the priesthood of the believer.”  It simply means that each believer has the capacity through the indwelling Holy Spirit to rightly discern God’s will for himself or herself, so long as their decisions do not contravene God’s written word.  Consequently, if someone demands that you submit to any doctrine, profession, or behavior contrary to God’s word then it is your duty to respectfully rebuke them irrespective of what office they may hold.

*    The security of the believer.  I hold this doctrine as something worth fighting and possibly “loosing” for because to proclaim otherwise is to rob the gospel of its glory and to suggest that human will is greater than the power of God.  Jesus himself said that anyone who has received eternal life through faith in him will never again suffer the threat of eternal damnation (John 5.24).  Paul clearly promised that there is no longer any condemnation for those who have been justified through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom 8.1).  And Peter wrote that we have received by God’s power an imperishable promise of eternal life through Christ (1 Pet 1.3-5).  If salvation can be lost by an act of human volition then it cannot under any pretense be described as “imperishable,” “eternal,” or under the control of the “power of God.”  Consequently, this is a doctrine worth taking a public stand for against those who would declare otherwise.

This is my list and I’m sure there are others that I have failed to consider.  Nevertheless, it is time to take a public stand for these fundamental truths when confronted in churches by others advocating contrary doctrines.  Some may ask is this really necessary?  Yes it is!  One of the least known scriptures is 1 Corinthians 11.19, where Paul wrote, “For their must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you.”  Paul said that conflicts within congregations are a necessary part of protecting the flock and identifying those who are truly in the faith.  Did Paul want the body to experience harmony and unity, or course he did—but never at the expense of the truths concerning Christ and his promises.  Just a word of warning, don’t be surprised when after taking a public stand for the true faith that at time you “lose.”  It will happen and it will bother you, but don’t let it do so for long.  Jesus took your lashes and your nails in order to hang on your cross; consequently, the very least you can do for him is to earn a black eye.

Copyright @ by Monte Shanks, 2015

Love Enough to Confront

By: Adam McClendon

Adam is the Lead Pastor at Springhill Church and the Director of New Line Ministries.

Matthew 18:15-20 presents a beautiful, but highly misunderstood, aspect of Christian community.  This text will not likely be preached in a church growth seminar.  It is not considered culturally practical or acceptable, but if the Bible is to be the guide for the church, then it is a passage that we must submit our lives to despite how difficult it is.

At first reading, we may be tempted to feel that Matthew 18 is too harsh.  After all, if this approached is followed, we run the risk of looking judgmental and losing relationships. 

It is much easier for us to talk about someone’s sin than to talk to someone about their sin.

Nevertheless, the approach Jesus gives his children here is designed not to be harsh, but kind.  What Jesus says here goes against the practice of the normal religious community.  The Pharisees would drag someone out into the public and show everyone how worthless this person was while acting pious and indignant (John 7:53-8:5). 

Yet, in Matthew 18:15-20, Jesus encourages his followers to confront sin with dignity when they can first and foremost.  He presents a plan to deal with sin privately, until it must be made public.  He presents a framework for dealing with unrepentant sin among believers combining honesty and grace.  His approach doesn’t dismiss sin, but shows compassion on the sinner.

Notice in the text, the offender is to be approached privately and graciously at first.  If the problem doesn’t get resolved, two or three witnesses are to be taken.  These witness are to help resolve the conflict while trying to involve as “few” people as possible.  That approach is so different than our gossip, slanderous, lawsuit-happy culture.  Additionally, these witness can provide objectivity and veracity to the issues at hand.

Only then, if all else measures fail and the offense is legitimate is it to be taken to the church. 

What if the church took Jesus’ words seriously here?  What if we decided to go against the grain of culture and saw the sensibility and compassion in Jesus’ approach?  What if we trusted that his methods for dealing with sin were better than the world’s?

If so, then we would do two things.

   * First, we would love one another enough to confront unrepentant sin patterns graciously and privately.

   * Second, we would love one another enough to accept godly encouragement from others.

A community that lives with love enough to both provide and receive gentle rebukes from one another makes an incredible family; a family that seeks to combine honesty and grace while not tolerating blatant hypocrisy.

We are to live with such a perspective, not looking for those we could confront, but examining our lives that we might live consistently with the gospel we profess.

When we are loving enough to address sin in the camp and humble enough to allow others to graciously hold mirrors to our blind spots, we will find a unified community that stands strong in the face of great adversity.

www.newlineministries.com 

Humpty Dumpty Church Leadership

Dr. Monte Shanks is a NT Professor at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary

10 Signs Your Church Is Ready for a Fall

Remember the rhyme about Humpty Dumpty and his tragic fall?  It’s really a sad little story; even now I get depressed thinking about it.  Humpty’s real problem, however, was not that he had a great fall, but rather that he was foolish enough to sit on a wall in the first place!  In other words, he was content to hang out in a precarious situation in spite of his fragile condition.  I bring up ole Humpty because many churches have experienced significant crises that were the results poor leadership decisions.  There are obviously many reasons for church splits, but bad leadership always seems to be one of the more frequent causes.  As refugees begin to leave their churches they inevitably ask one question, which is, “How did we get here?”  I’ve been thinking a lot about this question lately.  These musings have led me to evaluate several churches that have recently experienced catastrophic “falls,” and as a result I’ve identified several indicators that those churches were on the verge of a significant crisis.  These are not signs that a church is already in a crisis—no one needs a list for that.  Rather, this is a list of signs indicating that a church is precariously “sitting on a wall” if you will—so here we go.

1.      An emphasis on a comprehensive biblical theology is not appreciated.  This sign may seem obvious, but quite often it’s not.  Sometimes a church’s theology is not unbiblical per se, but instead it’s just precariously out of balance.  Here is a simple test, ask yourself this question: is your church always emphasizing a specific area of theology?  For example, is your church always focusing upon a concern for meeting the social or physical needs of the poor; or on miracles; or on God’s predetermined plan for salvation; or on retaining seekers; etc., etc.  If the answer is yes, then your church is potentially heading for a crisis.

2.      The Sunday morning “experience” is the priority.  In other words, what happens on Sunday mornings and how people feel about it is pretty much all that really matters.

3.      Biblical practices are altered with no scriptural explanation.  If your church changes how the gospel is communicated, how baptisms and/or communions are performed, or who is accepted as leaders or members within your church without any biblical inspection, then your church is napping on the edge of a wall.

4.      Leadership positions are filled because of relationships rather than qualifications.  This point is easily testable.  Just look at the staff and lay leaders of your church.  If you brought them all in one room would it look like a family reunion?  This is a real problem in many churches today.  Too many churches are basically family franchises rather than ministry centers.  A major problem with filling a church’s leadership spots with friends and family is that it inevitably leads to “group think,” which is not a problem if the group is thinking correctly—but let’s be honest, that hardly ever happens.  Another sign that this may be occurring in your church is that leadership positions are being filled by domineering women in spite of the biblical mandate for churches to be led by qualified men.

5.      Diversity is valued without any insistence of biblical conformity.  As people become refugees from other liberal or unhealthy churches and join yours, does your church accommodate them rather than disciple them in biblical spirituality and theology.  In other words, is your church just glad to have them and only concerned with making them feel comfortable?  If the answer is yes, then your church is making a big mistake!  Look at it this way: initially they were content with attending unhealthy churches to begin with, so why should anyone assume they aren’t also bringing some unbiblical baggage with them?

6.      Mature believers and innovators begin to disappear.  When the most biblically grounded people begin to leave, or those that are most passionate about reaching others for Christ start visiting other churches, then your church is not sitting on a wall—its tightrope walking!  

7.      Methodology and/or environment are viewed as “the solution.”  When leaders suggest that “if we would just start doing ministry in the right way,” or that “if we just create the right environment then God will bless us,” then your church is in real trouble.  God is not obligated to bless any church’s efforts at anything simply because it uses specific methods or creates the “perfect” environment.  Of course doing ministry the wrong way is a non-starter, but the important point is that ministry atmosphere and specific types of ministry methods are no guarantee that “times of blessings” are just around the corner. 

8.      Results are emphasized without respect for any process.  If a church’s leaders have a history of making major decisions on their own without any interaction from the congregation, then your church is in a very precarious situation—even if in their short-term decisions are perceived as successful.  Short-term growth that is sown with seeds of failure inevitably leads to crisis—even weeds look like vegetables when they sprout.  This type of attitude is evident when leaders claim that they can’t fail because they have “prayed about it.”  In other words, prayer is a license for them to do whatever they wish regardless of how many red flags are raised.

9.       Leaders aren’t held accountable for their responsibilities or the impact of their decisions.  The great thing about church is that they are tolerant.  A weakness of many churches is that often they are too tolerant.  If leaders aren’t held accountable in small matters, then why should we be surprised when catastrophes occur?  Many poor leaders justify their rash or bad decisions because they are concerned for the health of the ministry or because they sense that their “church is dying.”  When leaders justify their bad decisions with these excuses they don’t realize that they have just indicted themselves. The reality is that they’re the ones responsible for their church’s failing condition in the first place, how on earth then can they be a part of any solution?

10.   Stagnant policies are protected while attempts at outreach are squelched.   I’ve been involved in countless churches that when ministry opportunities are presented they require insurmountable paperwork, accountability to impenetrable policies, and restrictive supervision that makes no sense to volunteers, all of which generally causes lay people to simply give up.  You find this hard to believe?  Then try this, suggest starting an outreach ministry at your church on a different night of the week.  If immediately you are required to interact with several committees and fill out countless forms then your church has issues.  We aren’t talking about hiring a new cleaning service; we are talking about rescuing people from Hell!  If anything is true for a church then evangelism, discipleship, and worship should be the easiest ministries for us to do—regardless of a church’s size.  Incidentally, Jesus didn’t leave behind a single form for anyone to fill out before attempting to reach the lost with the gospel.

Well that’s my list.  I’m sure there are many other signs, but this is a blog and not a book.  Noticing one or two of these signs does not mean that you church is about to experience a significant fall.  However, if this list describes how your church operates, then it may well be that your church is on the verge of becoming a burnt omelet.  It may not be this year or the next; nevertheless, if you can’t talk your church off the wall now, then there will be no repairing the scrambled mess it will become in the future.