Church Membership: Expect What The Bible Expects

Rev. L. B. Williams, in his book on "Holiness Illustrations," relates the following: "A young man who was desperately in love with a young lady, wrote her that he would be willing to endure the cold of the frigid zone, or cross the burning sands of the desert, or climb the highest mountains, or swim the ocean, just to be in her charming presence." Then he closed his letter by saying, "And I will see you Wednesday night if it does not rain!"

This young man did a good job at talking about commitment and a poor job at demonstrating it.

Not too long ago I had the opportunity to meet for lunch with a friend who is a pastor. And as pastors do—we talked about the state of the church.

One of the topics we discussed was the lack of commitment in the local church. We were discussing questions like:

Why are there so many churches appearing that are experiencing exponential growth while lacking doctrinal purity? How is it that their churches grow when they do not rightly divide the Word of God?

“Why do churches have so many people on their membership rolls who give little or no evidence of Christian commitment or even conversion?

The answer to the first question was simple. In the Bible, the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, a church planter, the following words:

(2 Tim 4:2 NKJV) Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

(2 Tim 4:3 NKJV) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;

(2 Tim 4:4 NKJV) and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

Why are there so many churches appearing that are experiencing exponential growth while lacking doctrinal purity? How is it that their churches grow when they do not rightly divide the Word of God?

In many of these churches the membership isn't being challenged from the Word of God.

* They are being taught the prosperity doctrine--It is God's will that all Christian's be wealthy, healthy and wise.

* They are being taught a “social gospel” – “We must empower ourselves.” “Just Believe”

* They are being taught a “political gospel” – “The political parties have the answer.” “Vote change”

* They are being taught a “psychological gospel” – “Have faith in yourself.” “The power lies in you…”

There is a church that recently relocated not too far from our church. It's pastor is a woman who advertises her church as "…under the covering of (and then she names a famous bishop)." I hear the church is packed each Sunday.

They are using a famous bishop as a drawing card but research shows this man has a problem with his doctrine (what he teaches from the Bible).

* He doesn't believe in the historical doctrine of the Trinity. He believes in “THREE DIMENSIONS OF ONE GOD…” —He believes that God manifests Himself in three "modes"--He is one God but sometimes, at certain times He is Father (ex. during creation), sometimes He is Son (for redemption) and at other times He is the Holy Spirit. (in regeneration).

Yes he seems to have an understanding of the emotional suffering of women and preaches to loose them from their pain.

Yes, he has a mission to restore the vitality of our men as they are taught to be responsible.

But this person has major problems with what he teaches and I need to tell you this because people are flocking to ministries like his because they appeal to the senses but are lacking in sound doctrine.

Paul writes about men and women like this that would pop up in the last days:

(2 Tim 3:5 NKJV) having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

(2 Tim 3:6 NKJV) For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,

(2 Tim 3:7 NKJV) always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

“But Pastor Chuck I just ate the meat and spit out the bones.”

Yes, and people have been known to choke on bones and I wouldn’t recommend giving your infant and toddlers meats and fish with the bones still in—they are not skilled in the art of deboning meat and filleting fish.

The Bible speaks about spiritual …”children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting…”

Why are there so many churches appearing that are experiencing exponential growth while lacking doctrinal purity? How is it that their churches grow when they do not rightly divide the Word of God?