Is Your Church Christian or Christianish?

Each month I try and post some of the best articles and/or thought-provoking articles that I come across.  The following article by Christian blogger Tim Challies helps one consider whether or not your local church is Christian or Christianish?  The following piece helps one discern whether or not they are serving, worshiping, and attending the right kind of local church ministry (Eph. 4:11-16; Col. 1:28-29).

"Three little letters make a world of difference. Together i, s, and h distinguish Christian from Christianish and mark the difference between right and wrong, life and death, heaven and hell. There is nothing better for your spiritual wellbeing than to be in a Christian church. There is nothing worse for your spiritual wellbeing than to be in a Christianish church. Here are a few marks of each.

A Christian church teaches the Bible. It is committed to the inerrancy, sufficiency, clarity, and authority of the Word of God and therefore preaches it week by week with confidence and consistency. A Christianish church teaches about the Bible. It is committed to imparting life lessons and uses the scriptures as a starting point to teach people how to live lives of success and fulfillment.

A Christian church admits the deep depravity of human beings. It acknowledges that we are all deeply disordered so that not one of us has even the least righteousness to plead before God. A Christianish church proclaims the inherent goodness of humanity. It acknowledges that we aren’t what we could and should be, but encourages us to believe that with enough effort we can get there.

A Christian church makes its core declaration the finished work of Christ. The good news of grace frees us from the impossible task of earning our own salvation and instead simply receives what Christ has already accomplished. A Christianish church has its core declaration the unfinished work of humanity. The bad news of works becomes the brutal and impossible path to impressing God with deeds that will catch his eye and win his favor.

True Joy (a Healthy Church)! Amen!

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.  

Why Freeport Needs a Church Like This...

After 7 1/2 years I’ve come to see that the community in which I reside doesn’t really need me; Having said that, I’m equally convinced that the city of Freeport desperately needs a local church like this (notwithstanding our own warts and blemishes).

As I read and reread the New Testament I appreciate with greater clarity what a healthy church looks like (her priorities, her philosophy of ministry, her overarching passions, her chief goals, her doctrinal standards, etc).

Is it too elementary for me to remind you of what some of those defining marks are?  A healthy church is a Word-driven, Christ-centered, teaching and preaching community of believers wherein sound doctrine is highly prized, Spirit-filled obedience is actively pursued, and where evangelism and discipleship is both modeled and practiced.

We don’t have time to read every biblical proof text but I do want to highlight a few passages:  Every local church that is on point is shaped by the following New Testament passages.  These verses are the spiritual life blood of healthy congregations.

The Danger of Avoiding Difficult Texts and Doctrines

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When is the last time you heard a really thorough sermon on hell/eternal perdition (Luke 16:19-31, Rev. 20:11-15); marriage, divorce and remarriage (Matthew 19); biblical church discipline (1 Corinthians 5/Mt. 18:15-17); Divine reprobation (Romans 9-10); the Titus 2 mandate (esp. Titus 2:5); the wonder of God's sovereign/unconditional election (Ephesians 1); or the high cost of genuine discipleship (Luke 9:23-27; 14:25-35)?  For some of you its been a long time.




Even among American evangelical churches controversial passages/doctrines (like the sample list above) seem to be neglected with increasing frequency.  To make matters worse quite a few ministries that teach the Scriptures faithfully do not apply the Scriptures consistently (application is often where the rubber really meets the road in the local church).  Am I willing to apply the Scriptures even when it is going to cost me/us something? (Be it your reputation is slandered in the community; disgruntled members church hop to another ministry that will "do church" the way they want it done; your church budget decreases; etc, etc). In reading the pastoral epistles carefully it is crystal clear that Biblical ministry is not for the weak of faith (see Acts 16:13; 2 Timothy 2-3; Joshua 1:8-9)!

How does this slide happen?  It often takes place when verse-by-verse preaching is abandoned as the main diet of the church.  One of the chief dangers about thematic and topical preaching (or "surfacey exposition") is that preachers are able to skip around and avoid passages of Scripture that are deemed too controversial or just not 'applicable' to modern man (contra 2 Timothy 3:15-4:5; Acts 20:20-28).   More and more preachers cater their messages/worship services to the desires of the masses (note 2 Timothy 3:15-4:1-5).  In too many instances size and money is apparently more important than biblical depth and Christian maturity (contra Col. 1:28-29; Eph 4:11-16; Heb. 5:12-14).  

Mark Dever highlights one of the reasons why this approach to ministry (though subtle) is so dangerous.  Avoiding the doctrine of hell (or any other biblical doctrine) is just one step away from denying it altogether.