I came across this quote as I was preparing for my Sunday School class on the Marks of a Healthy Church, and how a Biblical theology contributes to the health of the church.
David Wells, "Unless the evangelical church can recover the knowledge of what it means to live before a holy God, unless in its worship it can relearn humility, wonder, love, and praise, unless it can find again a moral purpose in the world that resonates with the holiness of God and that is accordingly deep and unyielding--unless the evangelical church can do all of these things, theology will have no place in its life...Those who are most relevant to the modern world are those most irrelevant to the moral purpose of God, but those who are irrelevant in the world by virture of their relevance to God actually have the most to say to the world. They are, in fact, the only ones who have anything to say to it. That is what Jesus declared, what the Church in its best moments has known, and what we, by the grace of God, can yet discover."
Pastor Jerry
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
RELEVANT OR IRRELEVANT?
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The David Wells quote in, “Relevant or Irrelevant” deals with a concern that our men’s bible study group visits almost weekly. This concern routinely enters into Christian thoughts and conversations, and earlier this week, was even the subject of Greg’s Blog spot at http://pondertheword.blogspot.com which dealt with the changes in the musical programs at a great number of churches. The concern: a cancerous epidemic which is responsible for the rapid erosion and “falling away” of today’s church, wherein David Wells warns, “…theology will have no place in its life...”
I ask, “Why would any church pastor, or its elders ignore the fundamental teachings of the Bible or play down the importance of certain issues regarding man’s accountability to God simply because they are “secularly unpopular”, especially in light of James 3:1 which cautions prospective teachers of the role’s seriousness with this admonition: “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.” That is a very scary warning! And again, in light of James 3:1, why would these same church leaders knowingly mislead and lull a flock into blindness, complacency and a false sense of security regarding their eternal salvation?
The deterioration of the church is the result of the transformation of its Sanctuary into something in-between a “forum for political correctness” where public opinion sets the moral tone rather than God’s Law, and some type of “emotional health spa” that nurtures an individual’s false sense of well-being rather than spiritual feeding and growth in God’s Word. This relaxed atmosphere often retards or worse, forbids, the conviction of a straying soul by the Holy Spirit. This represents the vilest of Satan’s efforts because it is insidious and creeps in disguised as innocence, open-mindedness, non-judgmental and non-prejudicial when, in reality, it is the snake in the garden.
But wait, there’s a huge difference between being open-minded and being empty-headed. What about discernment, not only discernment on the part of leaders, but the flock as well, and why does Jesus Christ allow these destructive forces to fester within His beloved bride? For answers to these questions, I find in Luke 13:24, where Jesus tells us, “…strive to enter the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able…” Jesus did not come down to earth to die on a cross because He sinned; He came because man is a depraved sinner who, on his own, can do nothing to save himself.
Is it sorrowful that so many will seek to enter the narrow gate and be denied – yes! Can man’s effort to save himself prevent this outcome – no! Is it God’s design that man should fail – no! Man’s failure seems unavoidable because of an arrogant and foolish nature which prevents him from heeding God’s Word or humbling himself before the Holy of Holies. Man is doomed despite all of his attempts to become more than he is, because in the end, man is still just helpless man and will die as such …unless he can come to know Jesus Christ in a saving way. You see, there is a message of Good News, and it is God’s message to man – if he will listen.
Lord, thank you so much for Your Good News message, for blessing my family, my marriage, my home and my life, and for including us in Your Church. Thank you for providing so many like-minded, believing brothers and sisters to care and pray for, and to care and pray for us, as well. Thank you for the leadership and blessings of so many Godly, faithful men here at Lewis and Clark Bible Church, and for our own Pastor Jerry who has a sincere heart and a strong desire to cling to Your Word that Your Will would be done all for Your Glory and good pleasure.
Bob
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