I suppose that everyone
recognizes that there are liberal churches and there are conservative
churches. Most liberal churches have arisen out of more conservative
churches. i.e. Most churches have begun as conservative churches then
over time became more and more liberal.
Today I look around at the shallow, noisy conglomerations that many call churches and wonder how in the world people are deceived into believing that these are what Jesus founded. They generally operate using Jesus' name, but are not anywhere close to anything described in the New Testament. How do people go from one day believing the Bible to be the Word of God and the next day just jump into a Rock concert while calling this “noisy gong and clanging cymbals” mentality worship? (See I Corinthians 13:1)
Answer… generally they don't! Based on Jesus' parable of the Sower we learn that it is a more gradual “choking out” of respect for the Word of God. Most of all, Satan fears your comprehension. He would prefer that you just not understand (Matthew 13:19) so he can snatch it away. When that fails, the devil tries to offend you away from respect for scripture before you can become long term and stable (Matthew 13:20-21).
But what explains the departure from the truth, of those who have been long term and stable? How does Satan deal with them? Again, Jesus answers that the Devil uses this world to choke off submission to God (and the necessary respect for God's word) in a long term stranglehold. It seems that like the term "liberal" is a moving target, so also is the demonic stranglehold. Satan takes you individually (or any particular congregation) wherever he finds you are in terms of growth and respect for scripture and tries to move you further down the road into his kingdom of darkness.I have been around for two liberal vs. conservative splits over some 30 years...
I have witnessed several from a distance… but two have been up close and personal. One was a very liberal church becoming more liberal. The other was what had been a generally conservative church being taken over by liberalism.
The first was in the Christian church of my youth, the second was in October at the congregation (a church of Christ) where I had served for many years. Both of these splits had a lot in common….so I would like to share from experience how all this comes about and why.
The first time I witnessed Satan dragging a church down this road through the influence of liberalism was in 1975. I was 19 years old and a newlywed. I had been raised in the very liberal arm of the Christian church. They were ordaining women elders for the first time. The Bible clearly forbids such (I Timothy 2:11-3:7). At the time I didn't even own a concordance. I stayed up half the night looking through my Bible till I found the appropriate passages. The next morning with my knees “a-knockin”… I rose to face a church with an open Bible for the first time.
Today I look around at the shallow, noisy conglomerations that many call churches and wonder how in the world people are deceived into believing that these are what Jesus founded. They generally operate using Jesus' name, but are not anywhere close to anything described in the New Testament. How do people go from one day believing the Bible to be the Word of God and the next day just jump into a Rock concert while calling this “noisy gong and clanging cymbals” mentality worship? (See I Corinthians 13:1)
Answer… generally they don't! Based on Jesus' parable of the Sower we learn that it is a more gradual “choking out” of respect for the Word of God. Most of all, Satan fears your comprehension. He would prefer that you just not understand (Matthew 13:19) so he can snatch it away. When that fails, the devil tries to offend you away from respect for scripture before you can become long term and stable (Matthew 13:20-21).
But what explains the departure from the truth, of those who have been long term and stable? How does Satan deal with them? Again, Jesus answers that the Devil uses this world to choke off submission to God (and the necessary respect for God's word) in a long term stranglehold. It seems that like the term "liberal" is a moving target, so also is the demonic stranglehold. Satan takes you individually (or any particular congregation) wherever he finds you are in terms of growth and respect for scripture and tries to move you further down the road into his kingdom of darkness.I have been around for two liberal vs. conservative splits over some 30 years...
I have witnessed several from a distance… but two have been up close and personal. One was a very liberal church becoming more liberal. The other was what had been a generally conservative church being taken over by liberalism.
The first was in the Christian church of my youth, the second was in October at the congregation (a church of Christ) where I had served for many years. Both of these splits had a lot in common….so I would like to share from experience how all this comes about and why.
The first time I witnessed Satan dragging a church down this road through the influence of liberalism was in 1975. I was 19 years old and a newlywed. I had been raised in the very liberal arm of the Christian church. They were ordaining women elders for the first time. The Bible clearly forbids such (I Timothy 2:11-3:7). At the time I didn't even own a concordance. I stayed up half the night looking through my Bible till I found the appropriate passages. The next morning with my knees “a-knockin”… I rose to face a church with an open Bible for the first time.
The “chairperson” promptly told me that if I had wanted to object to the proceedings then I should have gone to the early service… All I could do now was vote for it. Out of that huge church the only one to speak up in my defense was another lady (her name was Mrs. Baker). I still remember and appreciate her comment, "If this young man wants to raise an issue of scripture, i.e. that this is scripturally wrong, then if this is a church . . . that should count for something. We should hear him out." She was promptly overruled.
I later went in to have a private meeting with the preacher. His advice was, "Don't worry about what you believe until you graduate from college. Then go through the various churches till you find one that fits you." Did you ever wonder why so many young people get turned off by churches? Said churches, after losing faith in scripture, must resort to other non-scriptural means to lure them back.
My original reaction was… why do I wait until I finish college? This Bible is supposed to be an absolute standard from God. If we aren't to follow it now, why should we follow it then? The Bible appears to written to those of average intelligence and caters to those of no or limited education. (compare Acts 4:13-14 and I Corinthians 1:18-31)
So, I followed his advice, only I followed it immediately with a twist. I didn't go looking for a church that "fits me", I went out looking for one that actually listened to and followed the Bible rather than ignoring it. Eventually we ran into a man named John Witt who sat down and taught us how to determine the truth using an open Bible… for ourselves.
Now, some thirty years later I find a similar set of circumstances opening up. No, the church we recently left over liberalism was not as liberal as the church of my youth… but the principles are the same. Been there, done that…. Refusing to obey scripture (even if it is clearly being violated) is refusing to follow scripture, regardless of which passage it is.
In this latest split, it was a classic conservative vs. liberal split. These were the issues that, over the space of a couple of years, led to this division:
1) Institutionalism and our congregation's interaction with institutional groups
2) The social gospel
3) The structure of the eldership
4) Marriage, divorce, and remarriage
We had four elders. Over time, two of the elders moved away and one more liberal man replaced them. Then, one of the remaining elders (of the original two) became more liberal as the influence grew. Should we go with the normal flow of the world or stay behind with only the scripture as our guide?
The tension had been growing for a couple of years. The various votes were coming up 2-1 when the first 3 issues listed above would come up. It reached a breach when one of the elder's reported that his son appeared to have left his wife to run off with another woman… That pretty much brought some of this into the open and to a boil. The classic position that had been taught here on marriage and divorce was lost.
The conservative element, with virtually one voice, objected and then we all left.
Here is "how" it happens… and "why" it keeps on happening…
Over time the majority pressure prevails over the minority. Sometimes “new” Christians struggle to understand the issues coming forth as the “mature” Christians dispute over deeper but necessary parts of scripture. Like most Americans they go with the flow… i.e. the majority. There is an irony here. If you don’t really know what is happening (or you are struggling to follow it), what should you do?
Jesus gives you some sound advice:
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-15)
According to Jesus, the rule of thumb is: wherever the majority is going… run the other way! The majority is almost always wrong in spiritual matters. Count on it! I am sure that somewhere, somehow a majority has stood for the truth, but I have never seen it. Every time I have ever seen the liberal/conservative mentalities collide… Only a few will return to the faith. That shouldn’t be a surprise; it is how Jesus said it would be. When I was young and watched this in the Christian church on a few in that huge church left… actually about the same number that left this time from a radically smaller group of 80. Why? We were a more conservative group. The more liberal a group of people become, the fewer and fewer people there are that really care about Jesus’ mandate to worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Emotion takes over and becomes the ultimate standard of truth.
This is not new. It is as it has always been...
"You shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD, "Do {men} fall and not get up again? Does one turn away and not repent? Why then has this people, Jerusalem, Turned away in continual apostasy? They hold fast to deceit, They refuse to return.” (Jeremiah 8:4-5)
Let’s see… eight people escaped from the flood, when the entire world was destroyed, and only two believing spies when an entire generation perished. History and Jesus are in perfect sync with their message.
Over time two different "kinds" of people emerge and find themselves pulling against each other. Ironically, for us, it wasn't the people who had previously left the more liberal churches that became the source of the liberal strife. The ones that left the liberal churches had left all that behind, having seen the effects of liberalism on their congregation and their children. Rather, our source of strife mostly came from the second generation Christians who had never known what it was to deal with having no foundation of scripture under them. These second generation Christians had no fear of being on their own with no scriptural answer. Put another way: what emerges from a single, splitting group is one group to whom "what is right" matters, and another group to whom "right" matters less than_______. (You fill in the blank).
Over time the “looser kind” of folks, work themselves into positions of leadership, even though they hold a different "kind" of faith, with different values, than the conservative base that founded the congregations. Their values begin to affect the direction of the congregations subtly through the decisions made.
One example of this playing out in practical terms was at a recent deacons meeting when one of the deacons rejected a series of Winter Bible studies we had proposed. "We don't need more Bible studies… we need more social things. We have too many Bible studies now; the people in my age group want more social things." Another example would be a comment made in one of our elders meetings, “I know what the Bible teaches…. But I just can’t buy it. I just can’t make myself say that!”
The reality is that Jesus seems to think that He has the right to lead His own church. Whether we would have made the same decision or not, Christians claim Him as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords…
I think He is right about that don’t you?
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-15)
According to Jesus, the rule of thumb is: wherever the majority is going… run the other way! The majority is almost always wrong in spiritual matters. Count on it! I am sure that somewhere, somehow a majority has stood for the truth, but I have never seen it. Every time I have ever seen the liberal/conservative mentalities collide… Only a few will return to the faith. That shouldn’t be a surprise; it is how Jesus said it would be. When I was young and watched this in the Christian church on a few in that huge church left… actually about the same number that left this time from a radically smaller group of 80. Why? We were a more conservative group. The more liberal a group of people become, the fewer and fewer people there are that really care about Jesus’ mandate to worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Emotion takes over and becomes the ultimate standard of truth.
This is not new. It is as it has always been...
"You shall say to them, 'Thus says the LORD, "Do {men} fall and not get up again? Does one turn away and not repent? Why then has this people, Jerusalem, Turned away in continual apostasy? They hold fast to deceit, They refuse to return.” (Jeremiah 8:4-5)
Let’s see… eight people escaped from the flood, when the entire world was destroyed, and only two believing spies when an entire generation perished. History and Jesus are in perfect sync with their message.
Over time two different "kinds" of people emerge and find themselves pulling against each other. Ironically, for us, it wasn't the people who had previously left the more liberal churches that became the source of the liberal strife. The ones that left the liberal churches had left all that behind, having seen the effects of liberalism on their congregation and their children. Rather, our source of strife mostly came from the second generation Christians who had never known what it was to deal with having no foundation of scripture under them. These second generation Christians had no fear of being on their own with no scriptural answer. Put another way: what emerges from a single, splitting group is one group to whom "what is right" matters, and another group to whom "right" matters less than_______. (You fill in the blank).
Over time the “looser kind” of folks, work themselves into positions of leadership, even though they hold a different "kind" of faith, with different values, than the conservative base that founded the congregations. Their values begin to affect the direction of the congregations subtly through the decisions made.
One example of this playing out in practical terms was at a recent deacons meeting when one of the deacons rejected a series of Winter Bible studies we had proposed. "We don't need more Bible studies… we need more social things. We have too many Bible studies now; the people in my age group want more social things." Another example would be a comment made in one of our elders meetings, “I know what the Bible teaches…. But I just can’t buy it. I just can’t make myself say that!”
The reality is that Jesus seems to think that He has the right to lead His own church. Whether we would have made the same decision or not, Christians claim Him as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords…
I think He is right about that don’t you?
Another practical example of the effect of this gradual infiltration can be seen through the standards of fellowship set by God for His church. It becomes normal for a congregation to begin allowing folks to be accepted into fellowship with the congregation while living in various worldly, immoral situations. Numbers and relationships take precedence over what is “right.” The worldly congregation of Corinthian once boasted of the “broad nature” of its fellowship. Often times become more about “who” and their contribution than about the truth.
Corinth tried to make peace with and be desirable to the world… God considered their decision unacceptable then, and presumably He considers it unacceptable now. Note that the Apostle Paul’s reaction when he heard of this decision was very clear:
"{I have decided} to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump {of dough?}" (I Corinthians 5:5-6)
Over time folks holding a different "kind" of faith change the priorities of a congregation. The example above of placing social things over Bible study would also be an obvious illustration here. However, a more telling example from our recent history would be an eldership placing the value of relationships higher than that of truth. Two of our deacons were in a serious disagreement over the conduct of our Sunday Bible classes. The eldership informed one of said deacons that the “relationship” was more important than the “scriptural nature” of their faith. Jesus would appear to disagree… Who do you think is right?
"He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me." (Matthew 10:37-38)
I recall my meeting with the Christian church preacher of my youth some 30 years ago. He proceeded to tell me that he was well aware that the Bible taught directly on the roles of men and women, but that times had changed. To continue to adhere to these ancient prohibitions would hold the church back and we needed the church to look forward not backward. It is one of those cliché statements that is high sounding but deeply poisonous to your faith if ingested.
Numbers or truth? It is a crucial decision that every church as well as every individual must make in every generation…
Over time folks try to "suppress" part of the gospel. Normally they cannot answer the truth of scripture. So… the teaching of it must be suppressed “for a time” so that folks become desensitized to it. After awhile they don't even know it is an issue. This particular process infuriates the God of heaven and earth, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness." (Romans 1:18)
Sometime folks overlook one very practical aspect of the new birth. "Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its {evil} practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him" (Colossians 3:9-10)
Ok, we catch the lying business… but what about the constant renewing to true knowledge? Suppress any part of the gospel and an essential part of the new direction mandated by Jesus is compromised. "True knowledge" is decisive part of the "new self." At Corinth first they suppressed a moral issue, then a doctrinal one. The doctrinal part of the gospel they chose to “suppress” was the resurrection. How important did that turn out to be? (Take your time and read I Corinthians 15) What part of the New Testament doesn't matter and can be suppressed?
Over time folks begin to speak two different languages. This is perhaps the most telling of all the attributes of liberal infiltration. Those that stayed behind in Wichita’s decidedly more liberal group describe their decision thusly, "I certainly can't defend"_____ but I just feel...., or "I know _____ is wrong but I 'feel' that it is best to stay here." “I want to be a positive influence on them…” Every single person that I discussed this matter with who stayed behind described their decision in one of these manners. That is the same way people described their decisions 30 years ago in the Christian church. In fact, 30 years ago, those that remained wished to be an influence after their church destroyed the Bible’s standard for the roles of men and women. Today they have a rock band.
As the various basic Biblical principles of right and wrong fell, those that eventually left to form a new group used terminology like, "This is unscriptural," "The Bible says," "The truth," etc. Jesus referred to this principle of words revealing the truth hidden in the depths of the human heart when He said "For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart." (Matthew 12:34) In this case the inner standard that drives folks is revealed in their language.
Do we follow God or our own feelings?
Many of the people that remained behind both 30 years ago and in October, would die before admitting to being liberal, but they will describe how they “feel” the right thing to do is… thus inadvertently telling you just that.
Jesus also said, "You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:22-24)
Note the absolutely necessary truth from the mind of God that all worship be based on truth. This inner conflict of feelings vs. truth is the same inner conflict of right and wrong that the human race has always fought. In one of those internal discussions with a failing eldership… while we were discussing the Bible's teaching on marriage one of the comments made was to the effect of, "Well, I understand that the Bible teaches that, but I just don't buy it. I can't make myself say that!"
He is not alone in that struggle. This is exactly what the Christian church preacher told me 30 years ago in order to destroy the Bible's teaching on the varied roles of men and women. This is also the most basic of all the differences between the liberal and the conservative standards. Decisions that are based on scripture and the authority of God, versus decisions based on the heart of man.
Two Bible principles come to mind:
"What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man {be found} a liar, as it is written, "THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED." (Romans 3:3-4)
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD." Isaiah 55:8
Over time people lose sight of what is truly at stake in these discussions. What is at stake is whether Jesus is at the head of "your" church or not. Once people start deciding which parts of the gospel they will ignore… it isn't long before they make every decision based on what they want rather than what is right and what is wrong. Do you recognize this difference? It is at the core of "who" will lead a church: Jesus or man.
Now consider the practical application of one of Paul's most profound insights into Jesus' church:
"{I pray that} the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. {These are} in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly {places,} far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:18-23)
Over time this is a repeating cycle.
When a church advertises itself as a conservative group, it continues to attract conservative people. Those people then will find themselves at odds with the leadership. The remaining two elders are far more liberal than the public positions that have been held by that congregation for many years. Does it matter? Well, an elder's job according to scripture is to, "Hold fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict." (Titus 1:9)
It's kind of hard to do that if you "just don't buy" parts of the very Word you are supposed to defend.
When I sit down with an outsider I promise them they can look around at everything we do and ask whatever question they wish… and we will give them a Bible basis for our behavior. In a liberal church you cannot make that promise… and keep it! People who have known the darkness of wandering in search of the truth are not hard to convince of the value of this promise. Anyone familiar with the Sermon on the Mount will also see the necessity of said promise. (Matthew 7:21-23)
Those "raised in the church" at some level, have “always known" the truth…Because of they have never known the worldly darkness many of them seem to have the same naiveté that Adam and Eve once had. As Adam and Eve learned, each generation seems to have an insane desire to experience again and again what it means to leave the safety of God’s Word.
Each generation just seems to ask: "Does God really mean what He says?"
Hi I am glad you stopped by our blog. These articles are from an emailing that we did several years ago. Today most of our work is on facebook
You can follow my personal page on Facebook by clicking on this link ...
Jerry Blount
You can follow the postings on the congregation's page by clicking on this link....
Las Vegas church of Christ
If you wish to worship with us....
Las Vegas church of Christ
709 Dora Celeste
Las Vegas, NM 87701
Our meeting times are
10am Sunday morning for Bible study.
11am Sunday morning for the worship service.
6pm Wednesday evening for Midweek Bible study.
If you wish to contact me...
yakipreacher@gmail.com
Be well
Jerry Blount
