David Wells is absolutely right- the church today is beyond parody.
One News Now reports that a Southern Baptist Church in Florida is growing through an internet membership. Full article is here.
Despite concerns that those who are members via internet will not be able to connect with the church, Flamingo Road Church is determined to make it work. They insist that they do indeed have "faithful members" who interact with the church by watching videos and through online giving.
What is the demographic that Flamingo Road is targeting to make up their "faithful" membership? "They just don't want to deal with church, [they] don't want to go to church, Grandma went to church, that was her little thing. [But] 94 percent of South Florida does not attend church and could care less."
Maybe they could call up Saddleback and have them make a "Flamingo Flunkey"or "Flamingo Forgettaboutit" visual that they can show during their membership classes to represent their target group.
Unbelievable.
Addressing the attitude held by these type of "members"in his own day, Charles Spurgeon, said:
"I know there are some who say, 'Well, I have given myself to the Lord, but I do not intend to give myself to the church.'
Now why not?
'Because I can be a Christian without it.'
Are you quite sure about that? You can be as good a Christian by disobedience to your Lord's commands as by being obedient? What is a brick made for? To help build a house. It is of no use for that brick to tell you that it is just as good a brick while it is kicking about on the ground as it would be in the house. It is a good-for-nothing brick. So you rolling-stone Christians, I do not believe that you are answering your purpose. You are living contrary to the life which Christ would have you live, and you are much to blame for the injury you do."
Josh Harris, in his book "Stop Dating the Church," quotes Mark Dever who said that he often begins talks at college campuses with the line: "If you are not a member of the church you regularly attend, you may well be giong to hell. I don't mean for a second that you literally have to have your name on a membership card in a church somewhere to go to heaven. I believe in justification by faith alone in Christ alone by God's grace alone. At the same time, in the New Testament it seems that the local church is there to verify or falsify our claims to be Christians. The man in 1 Corinthians 5 who was sleeping with his father's wife thought of himself as a Christian." pg. 55
Of course, neither Spurgeon nor Dever are our authorities, the Scripture is. All we need to do is listen to it when it says and our response to this absurdity would be clear:
"Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." Hebrews 10:24-25
Perhaps the real shame belongs not to those who want to do church via internet but to the church which indulges them in their wayward desires. If I were one of the pastors at this church, Hebrews 13:17 would make me tremble.
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2 comments:
I see the repercussions of this line of thinking where I live. The following doesn't directly apply but is highly related. People in full time ministry not part of a body of believers or in some cases not even attending church regularly! The neg. results = "I guess if Mr. full time ministry guy doesn't go to church all the time it must not be a big deal to God so I am not going either." Or it is viewed as 'more mature'. In one instance I arrived at the beach one day as several proclaiming Christians were leaving. "where have you been?" they asked. "Church" I replied. "ha ha, I am the church!" the man answered me. I was stunned and furious but mostly felt saddened as this person didn't even understand the huge contridiction in what he said. My prediction: If this internet thing lasts, which I doubt... due to human laziness 'the congregation' will vanish... but in 10 years we will be reading an article about how people wanna go to a church because they are fed up with internet church. ha ha. Simple; It is biblical to be committed to a body of believers. Saying I am the church just doesn't cut it.
Wow. I am stunned by his reaction as well. Listen to this from John Owen in his book "Communion with God"- "When we say, 'when will the Sabbath be past, that we may exact all our labours?'- when our delight and refreshment lies in earthly things- we are unsuitable to Christ. May not His Spirit say, "Why do I abide with these poor souls?"
Is there any hope of conviction in them do you think? How about Harris' book?
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