Why Every City Needs Healthy Churches Like This... (part 2)

In my previous article I highlighted some of the most important New Testament passages that shape and define spiritually healthy churches (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:42; Eph. 4:11-16; Col. 1:28-29; 1 Tim. 3:15, 6:20; and Jude 3-4).  I summarized these jugular texts into four headings: 1) The church’s great commission, 2) the church’s chief priorities, 3) the church’s overarching mission, and 4) the church’s sacred trust.

As we enter 2016 and assess afresh where we’ve been, where we’re at, and where we’re headed it is essential that we evaluate our ministries against the clear backdrop of Holy Scripture (I would encourage each of you to do the same).  Just this month I asked a number of people to answer a survey with questions like: “What evidences of grace did you observe last year that suggests that even after 170 years God is still at work here?  Where do we need to grow the most as a church? What are our most glaring weaknesses? Are we keeping the main thing(s) the main thing(s)?  How can I come alongside you to encourage you and to help expand your ministry efforts?”

By the grace of God, and through many dangers, toils, and snares, the depth and direction of First Baptist, Freeport is back on track.  Having said that, we still have a long way to go!  As we begin this new year may we say with Paul, “Not that we have already arrived at our goal, but we press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me….One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead!  Let us press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-14).”

Having mentioned these things, as I look out on the evangelical horizon I sometimes wonder if I’m reading a different New Testament.  From my vantage point, many juvenile churches in America (especially those that are materially prosperous) seem to glory in their shame.  

In other words, they sadly wear Hebrews 5:12-14 as a badge of honor.  “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” 

The author of Hebrews admonishes these professing Christians for being 'childish' (spiritual toddlers).  They still need baby food (ga, ga, goo-goo) because they could not stomach the "meat" of God’s Word.  Many churches today seem to take the opposite approach of Arby’s (who boldly declare, "come to Arby's because we have the meats”). In far too many churches shallow, surfacey preaching is offered to keep the adult children happy (see Col. 1:28-29; Eph. 4:11-16; 2 Tim. 4:1-5).  

Despite enjoying sweet fellowship with a small network of like-minded regional pastors (faithful men like Chris Brauns, Steve Brandon, Justin Coverstone, and Josh Peagram) I sometimes feel like I am a prophet in exile.

I often ask myself is there anybody else in my community who feels this deep seated, internal angst for the Lord’s church?  You’ll recall on two occasions during the life of Christ godly zeal compels the Son of God to clean house!! (note John 2:12-25; Luke 19:45-48)

Over the past decade one of my greatest sources of encouragement has come from literary friends.  Recent books like 1) What is a Healthy Church?; 2) Homespun Gospel: The Triumph of Sentimentality in Contemporary American Evangelicalism; David Wells’ 3), the Courage to Be Protestant: Truth Lovers, Marketers, and Emergents in the Postmodern World; and 4) and The Pastor Theologian: Resurrecting an Ancient Vision; Resources like this have been my spiritual Galadriel’s reminding me along the way that  “You are Not Alone!”   “Be encouraged and press forward.  Don’t lose heart or grow weary.  You have not lost your biblical barrings.  Fight the good fight of faith!”

The following preface written by the late James Montgomery Boice affirms that my musings on the contemporary church are not jaded or "out of touch" with reality.  In a preface to a book written by Alistair Begg, Dr. Jim Boice astutely writes, “These are not good days for the evangelical church, and ANYONE who steps back from what is going on for a moment to try and evaluate our life and times will understand that.  In the last few years a number of important books have been published all trying to understand what is happening, and they are saying much the same thing even though the authors come from fairly different backgrounds and are doing different work.

One is David F. Wells, a theology professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Mass.: It is called No Place For Truth. A second is by Michael Horton. His book is called Power Religion. The third is by the well-known pastor John MacArthur and is called Ashamed of the Gospel. 

Each of these authors is writing about the evangelical church, not the liberal church, and a person can get an idea of what each is saying from the titles alone. Yet the subtitles are even more revealing. The subtitle of Well’s book reads Or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology? The subtitle of Horton’s book is The Selling Out of the Evangelical Church. The subtitle of MacArthur’s work proclaims, When the Church Becomes Like the World.

When you put these together, you realize that these careful observers of the current church scene perceive (rightly) that today evangelicalism is seriously off base because it has abandoned its evangelical truth-heritage. 

The thesis of David Well’s book is that the evangelical church is either dead or dying as a significant religious force because it has forgotten what it stands for.  Instead of trying to do God’s work in God’s way, it is trying to build a prosperous earthly kingdom with secular tools. Thus in spite of our apparent success we have been ‘living in a fool’s paradise.’

John Armstrong, has edited a volume titled, “the Coming Evangelical Crisis.” When he was asked not long afterwards whether he thought the crisis was still coming or is actually here, he admitted that in his judgment the CRISIS is already upon us.” (unquote)

Unless the contemporary evangelical church humbly admits that we’ve been largely “living in a fool’s paradise” things will only proceed from bad to worse.  American Shepherd-leaders better wake up and smell the Biblical coffee!

Is it any wonder why international congregations have begun to send church planters and missionaries to the West?

As we enter 2016 would you join me in heartfelt prayer?  I) Pray for biblical reformation and genuine revival in Stephenson County and throughout our nation.  

"Lord Jesus Christ, revive Your Church in this, her crucial hour! Lord Jesus Christ, awake Your Church with Spirit given power."  

My friends the Lord’s church desperately need all hands on deck right now (look at the state of the church in America today)!  Some of you need to lace up your shoes and get back on the playing field!  For "such a time as this" God has called us to be faithful.  The harvest is ripe- the laborers few!

If your soul resonates with this articles I believe that it's time to begin challenging the status quo "Churchianity" that's all around us.

II) In this vein, I am specifically asking God to send First some new members who are equally burdened by the state of the church today, and who believe (as we do), that the answer to all of these problems is found in Christ and in the Word of Christ!

III) I'm asking that the Holy Spirit might encourage other like-minded pastors and churches this year with tremendous spiritual growth and with powerful kingdom impact!

Brothers and sisters in Christ this is what I mean when I say, “This town doesn’t need me; It does however need a local church like this!”   What is true here in Freeport is equally true of every city and town in America as well.  

May God answer these prayer requests, for Jesus' name sake, and all God's people said, "AMEN!"



THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN EDITED FROM A SERMON THAT WAS PREACHED AT FBC ON 1/24/16.   www.fbcfreeport.com