God's Word Not the Culture Defines the Church
Tom Shrader responds to an Arizona Republic article on megachurches by contending that the culture, marketplace, and consumer mentality have no authority to redefine the church or the pastoral calling. Drawing on Acts 2:42, Ephesians 3–5, and a range of New Testament texts, he outlines six biblical purposes of the local church: glorifying God, growing in faith, teaching the Word, fellowship, keeping the ordinances, and sharing the gospel. He warns that churches built on marketing strategies, entertainment, and seeker-sensitivity rather than Scripture will produce spiritually malnourished congregations, and calls East Valley Bible Church to remain anchored in expository teaching, the doctrines of grace, and genuine biblical community.
“The culture doesn't define the church. The marketplace doesn't define the church. The consumer doesn't define the church. The calendar doesn't define the church. God's Word defines the meaning of the church and the meaning of what it means to be a pastor.”
— Tom Shrader
Series: DNA of EVBC
Recorded: 2003 at East Valley Bible Church
Duration: 1 hr 19 min
Themes: church, culture, scripture, worship, fellowship, gospel, teaching, consumerism, church member questioning direction, pastor, new believer, searching for a church, elder, feeling spiritually malnourished, young adult, skeptical of megachurches
Scripture: Matthew 16:18, Matthew 5-7, Acts 2:41, Acts 2:42, Acts 2:44, Acts 2:47, Romans 12:10, Romans 12:16, Romans 13:8, Romans 14:19, Romans 15:7, Romans 15:14, Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 12, 1 Corinthians 1:2, 2 Corinthians 13:11, Galatians 1:2, Galatians 5:13, Ephesians 1:1, Ephesians 3:20-21, Ephesians 4:2, Ephesians 4:4-6, Ephesians 4:7, Ephesians 4:32, Ephesians 5:21, Ephesians 5:25, Philippians 1:1, Philippians 2:3, Colossians 3:9, Colossians 3:13, Colossians 3:16, 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 1 Thessalonians 4:9, 1 Thessalonians 4:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, 1 Thessalonians 5:13, 2 Timothy 2:2, 2 Timothy 2:15, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 3:13, Hebrews 13:20-21, 1 Peter 1:22, 1 Peter 4:9, 1 Peter 4:10, 1 Peter 5:5, 1 John 1:1-3, Acts 1:8, Romans 6:23
Theological Themes: ecclesiology, church purpose, biblical authority, expository preaching, doctrines of grace, ordinances, seeker sensitivity, sanctification
Full Transcript
Introduction: Why This Matters
This is the third time in three months that I have deviated from the teaching schedule. I probably haven't done this three times in five years. But this really piggybacks on what we looked at last time when we talked about the non-negotiables of the church, and we have been talking about us as ambassadors and ministers of reconciliation in the world.
There was an article in the Arizona Republic on Thursday in Section B, the local section. The headline reads, "Rise of the Mega Church," and on page 8, "Churches, Mega Congregations Grow." A subtext notes that the valley has 11 non-traditional congregations of 2,000 or more, identified as mega churches. That is language that may be new to some of you, but is fairly familiar to many.
I want to talk about this article for five reasons. Number one, so many of you have read it. Susan and I do not get the paper — we are boycotting it, though I do not remember why. I just know we are still against something; it is a residual from something. But I knew when I got to the study Thursday morning, and already had two copies of this article waiting for me, that it was important. The second reason is that East Valley Bible Church is mentioned as one of those 11 congregations, and I want to address that. The third reason is that the description of these churches does not represent East Valley.
Let me say that I am smart enough to know the author probably did not get everything right. I know there are likely many things that were said that were never printed, and I understand that limitation. So I am simply responding to what is on the page. This is not a challenge against any person — it is a challenge against an idea.
I was making copies yesterday in the Children's Resource Center, and a woman came in to get her copies done, knowing it would be crowded in there. She was preparing the lesson for today — a great example of the commitment of the people serving here. She asked whether we were back in 2 Corinthians, and when I told her I was going to address this article, she said she had seen it and found it interesting precisely because it seemed to treat all 11 churches as essentially the same — and that certainly did not represent us. I found several observations in this article to be very disturbing, and I simply want to help us view the church biblically. Hopefully, 40 or 45 minutes from now, you will understand why this matters so much.
What the Article Says
Let me read from the body of the article. "Megachurches are places where thousands of people come together each weekend to worship. As the valley grows, so too does the popularity of these churches, even as many smaller congregations see their membership declining." Then there is this quotation: "This is unprecedented in church history. It is redefining the meaning of church and the meaning of being a pastor."
I am not a church historian, but I do know that in Spurgeon's life they built a building, outgrew it, built another, and outgrew that too, with thousands coming to hear him preach. I know that in Acts chapter 2, verse 41, — and if you want to talk about church growth — they had 3,000 not attendees but converts in a single day. So whether this is truly unprecedented in church history, I am not certain — perhaps on this particular scale. And I do not know that the next sentence is being offered as a positive or negative value judgment or as a criticism. It simply states that it is redefining the meaning of church and the meaning of being a pastor. I find that an alarming sentence, and we will come back to it in a moment.
This same observer also notes, "There's always going to be a place for Costco; there'll always be a place for the large church." I do not have the foggiest idea what that means. In fairness, I should probably call and ask. But I asked several staff members, and they suggested it implies a consumer mentality — that there will always be people who want to shop big, buy in bulk, at a discount price. That description accurately captures what I understand the church growth movement to be: buy in bulk, discount price.
Marketing, Entertainment, and the Altar
The article goes on to say: "Their outreach is aggressive and often relies on modern marketing and research. For example, Community Church of Joy in Glendale presented an animated illusionist on Super Bowl Sunday to help illustrate a touch of grace, and then followed it with a chef to demonstrate a taste of grace." And further: "It is not just the throngs in the pews that distinguish these churches from other houses of worship. The altars of these mega churches in recent months have featured magic shows, cooking lessons, and even a match between professional wrestlers who swore their allegiance to Jesus after body slams and eye gouging."
That makes my thoughts on choreography look pretty mild, does it not?
The Small Group Statement
There are two comments in this article I want to draw to your attention. Here is an extraordinarily true and valuable statement, followed by exactly the wrong motive. The article states: "The key to holding these large churches together is the small group." We would say amen to that. Churches often assign a staff member to organize these groups. Jim Harper and Larry Ross serve that function here, and there are hundreds of people involved in the leadership of small groups and thousands who attend them. If you attend East Valley Bible Church and you are not in a small group — and that may be a matter of how staffing works — I want to address that as we continue.
God's Word, Not the Culture, Defines the Church
For most of you, meaningful community will come through one of the formal small groups we have on campus. If you are not involved in a small group, you are deficient by design — and by that I mean our design is that every person here is in a small group. If you are not in one, there is a need or something that is missing.
Going back to the article I referenced, churches often assign a staff member to organize groups of neighbors or like-minded individuals where they simply get to know each other. That is not the purpose of the small group. That is the Elks — some fraternal organization. It is not just to get to know one another. That may be part of it, but the idea is to teach God's Word and to live God's Word.
The Megachurch as Trendsetter
Scott Thuma of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research writes this: "Like it or not, very large congregations are viewed as the trendsetters of the contemporary Christian world. Even if a small congregation doesn't want a 3,500-person worship service, they still look to the megachurch for clues about what their congregation should be doing." I am afraid that statement is probably true.
We went to the phone book and omitted all the Catholic churches and all the Mormon churches, then counted the remaining churches. We found 469 churches listed, and it is my genuine fear that 458 of them are looking to that article and those churches to determine the trend.
I had breakfast about a month ago with a gentleman who pastors a church. When he took it over, it had 18 people; it now has 47 people after about two years of his ministry. When he looks at material like this — or even honestly looks at East Valley Bible Church — I sense there is an ache there, a questioning of what he is doing.
I tried to be as encouraging as I could to him. I tried to tell him: you do not need a magician, you do not need a juggler, you do not need a galloping gourmet. You may be in a small church with very limited resources, but everybody has a Bible — open it up and teach it. God may not bless it numerically, and if He does, terrific; if He does not, that is okay. He will bless the people who sit under the proclamation of the Word. That is so important.
Throwing Out Tradition — and Truth
Another comment from the article was that there is far too much at stake to hold on to tradition. I do not think of myself as a traditional kind of person, but my fear is that when we say we are throwing out ritualistic tradition, we are also throwing out the mighty tradition of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, by Scripture alone. Those magnificent traditions are being cast out along with everything else.
To the best of my educated guess, if you took those eleven churches mentioned in that article, I am solidly convinced we would be the only one that would cling to the doctrines of grace — salvation by Jesus Christ, His death on the cross, and that alone, not an act of man's will, but Christ deliberately dying for all who would believe. I would guess we are probably the only one of the eleven who would hold to that. That is a very sad day.
It may well be unprecedented that the church and the pastoral office are being redefined. But they should not be. Let me be very clear: the marketplace does not define the church. The culture does not define the church. The consumer does not define the church. The church itself does not define the church. The calendar does not define the church.
Do not come rushing in here telling me it is 2003. I have a calendar — I understand that. All through the history of the church, since its establishment, I am confident that some well-meaning soul came running in to one of the church leaders saying, "It's 117!" or "It's 528!" I do not care. A timeless God does not produce dated material, and certainly the instructions on the church, the operation of the church, the establishment of the church, and the purpose of the church have not changed in 2,000 years.
God's Word Alone Defines the Church
The culture does not define the church. The marketplace does not define the church. The consumer does not define the church. The calendar does not define the church. The church does not define the church. God's Word defines the meaning of the church, and the meaning of what it means to be a pastor.
The church is not built on some marketing technique — on magicians and chefs and illusionists, on direct mail. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, "I will build my church." Ephesians 5:25 tells us that "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." What is the secret to church growth? It is right there in Acts 2:47: the Lord was adding to their number.
The Error Beneath the Church Growth Movement
I am convinced that the church growth movement and the seeker-sensitive movement, however well-intended they may be — and we certainly must acknowledge that — flow from false doctrine. Those who drive these movements believe it is their responsibility to save souls, that it is their responsibility to get people into church.
We do not even evangelize for conversions. Only the Holy Spirit can convert a soul. We evangelize and glorify God through the proclamation of the truth. That is where God is glorified — and whether a person responds or not has nothing to do with us and everything to do with the Holy Spirit.
The Purpose and Nature of the Church
Not one moment of evangelism is a waste, because the purpose of evangelism is not to convert anyone. It is to declare the gospel. The only way evangelism is a waste is if you do not proclaim the one hundred percent true, accurate, faithful gospel according to Scripture. That is the only way it is a waste. Jesus says He will build the church.
When we talk about church, we should acknowledge that there are two ways we see this idea in Scripture. We see the universal church, and we see the local church. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul talks about the body — many members, but with a oneness to it. There is one body, one Spirit. The same idea appears in Ephesians 4:4–6: "Just as there is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called into one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all."
Dr. Grudem in his systematic theology defines the church beautifully, simply, and accurately: the church is the community of all true believers for all time. That is the universal church. Every person on the planet who knows Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior is part of the church.
The Local Church
The Bible also teaches that local churches were established. We see that throughout Paul's letters — 1 Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:2, Ephesians 1:1, Philippians 1:1, and 1 Thessalonians 1:1. Writing to one church, Paul adds these words: "Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, and also greet the church that is in their house." So we see that there are also local churches.
East Valley Bible Church is a local church — a subset of the universal body of Christ. This is the definition we have used to describe who we are and what we are about: the church is believers using their gifts and talents to glorify God and to continue His work on earth by serving one another in the unbelieving world. A very important word in that definition is *believers*. The church is believers.
We acknowledged just a short while ago, when we celebrated Communion as we do every week, that there are people here who are not Christians. Some of you would acknowledge that yourself — you are not a follower of Christ, you have not been converted, Jesus is not your Lord, Jesus is not your Savior. We are genuinely glad that you are here, and that is not lip service. But we do not plan in any way to capitulate or accommodate you, and we do not design one thing in this service for you.
I say this not to be confrontational, but so you truly understand the issue. In a sense, you are coming in to observe family business. We are glad you are here, and we pray God saves you somehow through His Word and uses the people here to touch you — that is our real hope. What you see in the three-ring circuses that are passing for church services today are attempts to attract unbelievers into a church. At the moment you do that, you have redefined what church is. By definition, the church is the body of believers exercising gifts and serving one another.
The Purposes of the Local Church
Let us look at the purposes of the local church. The first purpose is to glorify God. What is true of us individually is true of us as a body. "Whether you eat or drink, whatever you do, do it to the glory of God." Our mission as individuals is to please God. Paul writes in Ephesians 3 that "to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to him be the glory in the church." As Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount, we act as salt and light. The world observes God doing good deeds in our lives and glorifies Him.
It is our desire that when unbelievers come into contact with you individually, or with us corporately, or when they walk on this campus, they see something different, something unique. They see something they do not see in the rest of the world, and in some ways something they do not see even in other churches. God is glorified through that.
Growing in Faith Through Spiritual Gifts
The second purpose is to grow in our faith. Ephesians 4:7 says, "But each one of us, grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gifts." Peter writes in 1 Peter 4:10, "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." When you were converted, at the moment the Holy Spirit invaded your life, you were given a spiritual gift — a special enablement to perform efficiently and effectively in the body of Christ. You have a spiritual gift. Every person who has been converted has one.
Equipping the Saints Through God's Word
Everyone here who is a Christian has a spiritual gift, and we plead with you to use it in the body of Christ for our own good. If you don't exercise your spiritual gift, we lose. That's what the body is designed to do — to come together. Why? To equip the saints for service. The word *equip* means to restore to its original condition, to be made fit, or to be complete. 2 Corinthians 13:11 says, "Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted." Hebrews 13:20–21 says, "Now the peace of God equip you for every good work."
How are we equipped? We are equipped through the Word of God. I received a newsletter this morning from a gentleman, and I never respond and I never criticize, but there was something in the middle that concerned me. He was pleading with people — pretty much in an outreach context, certainly with Christian business people — to find God, to hear God speak, to follow Him, to wait for God's timing, to pray, and to consider that maybe God is going to say no. To wait. To seek the Lord. To wait for His direction. To wait for His instruction.
I wrote him and said, "This is deadly, deadly advice." How do I know when God is speaking to me? How do I know what job He wants me to take? How do I know where He wants me to go? Am I supposed to wait for that still, small voice? Am I supposed to look for peace? I have sat with men who have said they are leaving their wives — divorcing their wives — with no biblical reason for it, and they say, as part of their justification, "I have great peace about this. I have prayed about this." That is subjective and dangerous thinking.
That is why we continually come back and provide resources, and we have talked about this before. How do you make decisions? There is one way you are going to find what God wants for your life definitively, and that is through this Word. 2 Timothy 3:16–17 says, "All Scripture is inspired by God, profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, training in righteousness, that the man of God may be adequate and equipped for every good work." We equip one another by understanding this Word.
I want to make sure you understand what I am saying. I believe you can discover God's will for your life, and you can know it definitively. God's will for your life is that you are pure and holy. If you are married, that you are faithful to your spouse. If you are single, that you are not involved in sex outside of marriage. That you tell the truth, that you do not lie, that you do not steal, that you feed the hungry and clothe the naked. That is God's will.
Freedom Within the Boundaries of God's Word
Haley and Tyler made an offer that was received and accepted on a house yesterday. Is that God's house for them? Some of you are walking around trying to figure all these things out — does God want this, and this, and that — as though there is something you can know for certain and then proclaim, "I prayed about it. Circumstances opened. I am convinced." Every decision becomes an agonizing decision because you are looking for that single confirming sign. Before long we are going to find you sitting in a corner going nuts looking for this.
I am not saying do not pray. I am not saying do not seek godly counsel. I am not saying do not look at circumstances. But all of a sudden you want to do something and the door closes. Is it a test to see if you have perseverance? Or is it a shut door? Or the door is wide open — does that mean come in, or is it a test of whether you have the discipline to hold back? Who knows? You study God's Word. You learn God's Word. You know what it says. You look at the moral ramifications. You never do what God says not to do, and you always do what He says to do, and in the middle of that, you do what you want. You have great freedom in the midst of that.
Teaching the Word at Every Level
That is what it means to equip people and build them up in the body of Christ. This leads naturally to the third point: teaching the Word of God. Everything at East Valley Bible Church is designed toward that end — from the pulpit, through the small groups, through women's ministry, men's ministry, students, and into the Institute. Those classes are strategic in their nature. We know you need them.
Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2, "These things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach them to others." That is the training center. We are just finishing up the first year with the men going through the training center, and another class begins in the fall. These men will start their second year. They are men we see as faithful — they have demonstrated character and, to some degree, giftedness in their lives — and we want to train them according to 2 Timothy 2:15 to be diligent and to handle accurately the Word of God.
That idea of handling accurately — or rightly dividing — means to cut it straight, and there is a real skill to that. When we moved, we redid the flooring. These workers came in with eighteen-inch tiles and were navigating all kinds of angles. Another man came in to cut the baseboards at angles, and I watched them take those pieces and bring them together perfectly in the corners. I have zero ability to do that, but I watched it happen and thought, there is no way — and then, boom, it was perfect. That is the way we are supposed to handle God's Word. Cut it. Slice it. Understand it. Handle it like a craftsman. That is what we are about at every level at East Valley Bible Church.
The Purpose of the Church Is Not Entertainment
When families come to us with students, one of the very first things they want to know is what activities we have for their kids. We tell them we have a time where students meet corporately and study God's Word, a discipleship group time, an expectation that they be in church, and an outreach time with worship where the Bible is taught. But then they ask: when is the pizza party? When is the lock-in?
We don't do that. We are not here to raise your kids — they are your kids, not ours. We are not here to keep them busy or occupied. We are here to do with them what we do with the adults.
As soon as students can understand, and certainly as soon as children can understand, we have teachers instructing even first and second graders in heavy doctrinal content. That is the purpose of the church: to teach the Word, and to find people who are serious about studying the Word so that God might use them to teach others.
Fellowship: A Commitment to One Another
The very first time we met, on November 3rd, 1991, the verse we taught was Acts 2:42. "They were continually devoting themselves to the Apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, to prayer." The word fellowship — koinonia — carries the idea of partnership or sharing together. It is the idea of Christians coming together to stimulate and challenge one another.
Here is just a partial list of the "one another" commands from Scripture. Romans 12:10: "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love." Romans 12:16: "Have the same mind toward one another." Romans 13:8: "Love one another." Romans 14:19: "Build up one another." Romans 15:7: "Accept one another." Romans 15:14: "Admonish one another." Romans 16:16: "Greet one another with a holy kiss" — I don't know about that one.
Galatians 5:13: "Through love serve one another." Ephesians 4:2: "Show forbearance, patience, gentleness, and humility toward one another in love." Ephesians 4:32: "Be kindhearted toward one another." Ephesians 5:21: "Be subject to one another in the fear of Christ." Philippians 2:3: "Regard one another as more important than yourself." Colossians 3:9: "Do not lie to one another." Colossians 3:13: "Bearing one another and forgiving one another." Colossians 3:16: "Admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs."
First Thessalonians 4:9: "You yourselves are taught by God to love one another." First Thessalonians 4:18: "Comfort one another." First Thessalonians 5:11: "Encourage one another." First Thessalonians 5:13: "Live at peace with one another." Hebrews 3:13: "Encourage one another day after day." First Peter 1:22: "Love one another." First Peter 4:9: "Be hospitable to one another." First Peter 5:5: "Clothe yourself with humility toward one another."
We are designed to be part of a body. That is what it means to be a body — we are linked together and we are to fellowship together. That means some level of involvement in one another's lives. Obviously the staff cannot be involved in everyone's life, and you cannot be involved in everyone's life, but within this body, as these pockets begin to minister to one another, there is true, genuine, biblical fellowship taking place.
The Ordinances: Baptism and the Lord's Supper
The church is also called to keep the ordinances. Acts 2:41-42 tells us: "So then those who received the word were baptized, and there were added that day about 3,000 souls." And again in Acts 2:44, they continually devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer — that is, baptism and the Lord's Supper.
As closely as I can tell from reading the doctrinal statements of some of the churches that were listed — at least two of the eleven — they appear to believe in baptismal regeneration. In other words, they believe you must be baptized to be saved. That is not just bad teaching. That is a false gospel, and that is dangerous. Thousands of people are walking through those doors and hearing that.
Baptism is important and is certainly an act of obedience, but we are saved by grace through faith. We are to be baptized — it is important as a public declaration of what has happened to us inwardly — but we are not saved through it.
The Lord's Supper is also critically important. John MacArthur writes this: "The fellowship of this early church was symbolized by obedience to the spiritual duty of breaking bread, a reference to the celebration of the Lord's Supper or communion. This duty is not optional, since the Lord commanded it of every believer. In communion, all believers meet on common ground at the foot of the cross. Since all are sinners saved by grace in Christ, communion acknowledges the wondrous work of the Lord Jesus on the cross. Communion further exemplifies the unity of believers, since in it all partake together, symbolically, of the same Lord."
I came across a church website where a pastor was asked why they don't take communion once a month. His answer, while not the answer we would give, is a good one. He writes — and I am paraphrasing — that while the Scripture teaches the Lord's Supper is important, it does not specify the frequency. "It's true that after the resurrection, the early church practiced the Lord's Supper frequently. Nevertheless, there is no command from Christ or in the New Testament that we are to practice it daily or weekly or monthly. Therefore, as long as the Lord's Supper is being celebrated with some regularity and frequency, it is not an ethical issue. Since it is a very special time and one that should not be taken" — and the transcript continues from there.
The Lord's Supper and the Danger of Ritual
When our church first began, we had this very discussion about the Lord's Supper. We looked at the early church meeting, perhaps daily but obviously every Lord's Day, celebrating communion, and asked why we would not do the same. The concern raised was that it might become redundant, repetitive, or ritualistic. What we decided, however, is that you are grown people capable of guarding your own hearts.
Consider what it would mean if I came to you and said that prayer can become very redundant and ritualistic, so we are going to pray once a month. That would be unthinkable. It is up to you to keep communion from becoming meaningless. There may be Sundays when you come in and your heart is simply not prepared to participate — that is acceptable. You address that, but you are big people, and the table is here for you.
The Purpose of the Church: Prayer
The purpose of the local church includes prayer. The early believers continually devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. If we had but one verse from the pen of the apostle Paul — "pray without ceasing" — we would begin to understand the magnitude of prayer. There is to be a constant attitude in our hearts of dependence upon Him, and beyond that, there are to be times when we come together corporately to pray.
That is why we start every service on our knees before Him. That is why there is a time of prayer before communion, before the message, and after the message. That is also why we encourage you to use tools like the church website to come together, to understand the legitimate needs being voiced from the body here at East Valley Bible Church and from the staff, and to bring those needs before the Lord.
The Purpose of the Church: Sharing the Gospel
The last purpose to address is this: you need to share the gospel. Jesus declared, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." What does a witness do? A witness tells what they saw, what they heard, what they felt, what they know.
John writes in 1 John chapter one, verse one: "What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life — and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us — what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also." That is what you do.
Are you a witness? The answer, by the way, is yes — because witnessing is not optional and witnessing is not mandatory. Witnessing is inevitable. You will be a witness tomorrow. You may be a poor witness or you may be a magnificent witness, but you will be a witness tomorrow.
Your Jerusalem and Beyond
Where do you go to witness? Jesus begins with Jerusalem. Your Jerusalem is your immediate sphere of influence — your home, your workplace, your school, the neighborhood where you live. Are you witnessing there? Some of you may be doing so effectively, and God may be calling you individually to a greater sphere beyond that.
Certainly as a body we understand that we are witnesses locally, and that there are cultures around us — that is what the M25 project is about, that is what the Spanish-speaking churches meeting now are about. It extends perhaps into Mexico, and to the students and others going to Thailand this summer. There is a shared understanding that we are here to share the gospel, to proclaim it, to declare that all men are separated from God by their sin, that the wage of that sin is death, and that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. It is through Him and Him alone that we have salvation.
The Bible, Not the Culture, Defines the Church
Those are the purposes of the church. Let me state it again clearly: the culture, the marketplace, the calendar, the consumer, and the church itself do not define the church. The Bible defines the church. Do you see how important this is?
The article under discussion is virtually a full page, and there is not one reference to the Word of God. Not one. Jesus Christ is not mentioned. The Holy Spirit is not mentioned. The Father is not mentioned. And then we sit back and ask why churches are ineffective. The answer is straightforward: they do not have the gospel in them. People can sit under that kind of teaching for years, never once hear the gospel, and walk out thinking they are perfectly fine — fed a steady diet of messages like "How to Be Positive in a Negative World" and similar material.
Here is how you live a life that is effective, relevant, and meaningful: it is this Word. It is what that magnificent song declared — ancient words, changing me, changing you. Do we need to make this relevant? This is as relevant as today's headlines. This is as fresh as if it were written yesterday. A timeless God does not produce dated material.
We do not need to look to the culture, the marketplace, the consumer, the calendar, or even the church to define what it means to be a pastor or what it means to be a church. This is serious business — deadly serious. You are going to see churches wither up and die, which is precisely what you observe in denominations walking away from the Word. You are going to see the seeker-sensitive movement continue to prove itself irrelevant. And after a while, you are going to see people stumble out of those places suffering from malnutrition, because they have never been fed the meat of the Word.
I am the first to say that while we pursue this — and I may not always do it well — I know that proclaiming the Word is the purpose of the local church. If you are new here, take this message and go back three or four weeks and take those messages as well.