We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum. A.W. Tozer
Therefore let God-inspired Scripture decide between us; and on whichever side be found doctrines in harmony with the word of God, in favor of that side will be cast the vote of truth. --Basil of Caesarea
Once you learn to discern, there's no going back. You will begin to spot the lie everywhere it appears.

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service. 1 Timothy 1:12

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Are You Being Fed?


“When the majority of church-going Christians are not taught biblical truth month after month and year after year, they become prey to false teachings.  It is only by feeding on God’s Word on a continual basis that we are protected from deception.  Interestingly, most of the mail I receive comes from the laity.  Much of the time, it is not pastors who are concerned and looking for answers - it is church members.  Disturbed by the direction of their churches, these concerned members are challenging leadership, though they are often discouraged by their pastors from saying anything.  They are told that they are overreacting.  If they persist they are made to feel like agitators or troublemakers, made to feel unwelcome and eventually asked to leave.  Many of these people write me, asking the same question: ‘Where do I go now?  Where is there a church that will teach the Word of God every week?’  With tens of thousands of churches adopting the new church mentality, that is becoming a hard question to answer.”

Brian Flynn, Running Against the Wind, p.211

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Glenn,

Boy did that post hit a (personal) nerve. That's exactly it - a huge problem right now is pastors who are adopting every new fad, church growth paradigm, entertainment, etc, and the sheep aren't being fed. So then the congregants go to the pastors, who treat them poorly, make them feel unwelcome, and eventually ask them (or force them) to leave. And these phenomena is sweeping across many churches, leaving the sheep stranded with no shepherds.

Though an OT passage, here's the Lord's view on this:

Jer 23
1 "Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture !" declares the LORD. 2 Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning the shepherds who are tending My people : "You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds," declares the LORD.

Also Ezek 34:1-10

Then
Ezek 34:11 For thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. 12 "As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day.

-Carolyn

Glenn E. Chatfield said...

Oh, yes - I'm very familiar with those passages.

The book I'm citing is by a guy who was really into the New Age stuff, and occult things like Tarot cards and such, and how he came to be saved. He examines a lot of what is going on in the church today, which is causing such harm. I recommend it.

Anonymous said...

Hi Glenn,
How true is this post. I started attending a small church 2 yrs ago with a temporary pastor. He left after a yr or so and we have been without a pastor since. We are a very tiny congregation with only 5 members left, with attendance running around 12-16each Sunday. Sounds dismal doesn't it? With God's grace, we have been blessed with a different pastor/speaker each week. Our only male member who is 80+ yrs old arranges this and chooses those who preach according to Scripture, are not Calvinists, and do no push KJV only. It is extremely hard to fill the pulpit each week but he has managed. We are seeking a permanent pastor but so far it hasn't worked out. God has truly blessed us. We are hanging on by the grace of God. Laura

Glenn E. Chatfield said...

Hi Anonymous,

Praise God - it sounds like you have someone there with some discernment!

Richard said...

We found a doctrinally solid church in May of this year. They are elder-led, and the pastor teaches line by line out of Scripture. We've been in the book of Romans since mid-May (we are in chapter 9 right now). If you are within driving distance of Siloam Springs Arkansas, I strongly recommend Sager Creek Community Church. God bless!!

Ron Livesay said...

I heard about a teenage girl who asked her youth pastor why the youth meetings were all about pizza and volleyball but rarely about the study of the Scriptures. He told her that she didn't understand how things are and what it takes to build a youth group these days. He also suggested that if she didn’t like it, maybe she should look for another church. Shortly thereafter, she and her family did just that.

Glenn E. Chatfield said...

Good for her and her family!

Ron Livesay said...

Glenn: I came across an article entitled "Youth Groups Driving Christian Teens to Abandon Faith." It says, in part, "Fifty-five percent of American Christians are concerned with modern youth ministry because it's too shallow and too entertainment-focused, resulting in an inability to train mature believers...American Christians are finally waking up to the disconnect between the clear teaching in Scripture in favor of family-integration and the modern-day church's obsession with dividing the family at every turn." The article is found at http://www.charismanews.com/us/41465-youth-groups-driving-christian-teens-to-abandon-faith

Glenn E. Chatfield said...

Hi Ron,

I read that article a while back, and I was thinking I might have included a link to it in one of my "Random" posts.

I can say from first-hand witnessing of two different church's approach to youth ministry, that they were nothing more than a place for teens to hang out.

Tanya said...

To the comment by Richard: we're in Rogers, AR and can't find a church. I looked at the Sager Creek church website. However, they're tied in with the SBC. Does the leadership agree with the "antics" of the SBC? Especially if Ronnie Floyd ends up heading it. Ugh. Don't even get me started.

Glenn E. Chatfield said...

Tanya,
Can you explain what you mean about the "antics" of the SBC?