One would need to be nearly blind to have not noticed a
peculiar and disturbing trend over the last few years. This trend appears to be
fostered and promulgated by the social media world. Those who are taking part
in it appear to be so enamored with it that they will not rest until they have
brought everyone into the fold, ironically. The trend I am speaking of is
rebellion against Scripture in submitting oneself to elders/pastors in a local
body.
Quite
honestly I have seen so much of it that were I not so convinced of the
Sovereignty of God I would be trembling at what this could mean for the role of
the visible Church in the United States today. Case in point; I observed a
conversation taking place on FaceBook several days ago in which a young man was
castigating numerous people for going to Sunday morning worship services in a
building referred to as a church and for referring to the men leading worship
as pastors. Why? Because every individual is the church in this young man’s
eyes and that the word pastor never appears in Scripture. This entire
conversation was sparked by this same young man posting a statement like this:
“What does one do
after they have spiritually outgrown their pastor?”
Not sure if the word hypocrite is appropriate here or if
maybe ironic would be better used.
I also
observed a statement from another individual within the same time frame in
which this person stated rather vehemently and with pride that they are not part
of any denomination, follow no prescribed doctrinal position and do not spend
their time gathering with others on Sunday mornings because they haven’t found
a place where the bible is taught purely. Now on the surface this statement
almost sounds laudable, it rings of something to be admired. Yet upon deeper
consideration it sounds just as prideful as the other statement I mentioned
above.
These
two individuals, and the countless others like them in the social media realm,
have set themselves up as the judges, juries and executioners of the Church in
“Murica”. They have determined that any local body would, first, be fortunate
to have them if that local body were only good enough for them, second, aren’t
good enough because they aren’t living up to the standards of these
self-promoted-watchdogs-of-orthodoxy. What is happening is that these folks
have lost sight of the standard of Scripture. Lest we fail to understand what it means to be
part of the local body and why it is of such great import I point us now to
Hebrews 10:19-25:
19 Therefore, brothers,
since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,
20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain,
that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the
house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of
faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies
washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope
without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider
how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 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.
This
alone should compel us to be part of a local body. Why? Because the closer we
get to the Day, the End, the more we need to be compelled to love and good
works by one another as we gather together to be reminded of what it is that
Christ has wrought in us through the great sacrifice of Himself. I am not
saying just show up at any old place and worship. I am not saying to unite
yourselves to apostate denominations who have compromised on the Word of God
simply for the sake of being in a local body. What I am saying is that no
matter how well you think you have doctrine nailed down you don’t have it
nailed down perfectly. Not by a long shot. No matter how well you think you are
living out the faith once for all delivered to the saints, someone else is
walking before you and doing it with far more maturity.
The
key to understanding this is to understand that God has ordained the structure
of the Church Universal and in that ordination He established local
congregations. Within those local congregations He has ordained that elders be
set in place and put there to shepherd the flock as Christ’s undershepherds. Due to this God ordained structure He has also put in place standards and
requirements for elders. These aren’t merely guidelines but stringent
requirements that must be adhered to or those men will be disqualified from the
office of elder. This doesn’t call for perfection. It doesn’t call for these
men to be 100% on it all day every day. It means that they are daily pursuing
God and working to be the men that Scripture says they are to be as elders.
They will recognize when the fail and when they sin and they will confess this. But unless we think we are better than they are; which of us loves God as
completely as He requires without fail?
This
structure of local congregations is contained in Scripture so clearly that to
fail to adhere to it is to place yourself in a very terrifying position. So if
you think I am being foolish please look at the passage below:
This is why I left you in Crete,
so that you might put what remained in order, and appoint elders in every town
as I directed you. If anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and
his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or
insubordination. For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He
must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for
gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and
disciplined. He must hold firm to the
trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound
doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer
and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
1st Timothy 3:1-7:
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer,
he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above
reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled,
respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not
violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He
must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children
submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his
own household, how will he care for God's church? 6 He must not
be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the
condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought
of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the
devil.
Hebrews 13:7:
Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider
the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
Hebrews 13:17
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over
your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with
joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
When you fail to
seek out a local congregation to be part of and where you can submit yourselves
to the teaching and admonishing of the Word you are failing to adhere to the
very standards you are holding others to. This is beyond mere ignorance; it is
outright rebellion against God and His ordained order. It is sinful hypocrisy
and you look more like a Pharisee than you do a believer. You are holding others
to a standard that you yourself are not willing to adhere to.
Who holds you
accountable? Who checks your doctrine and ensures that what you are espousing
is correct and not conjecture and self-willed opinion? Who is it that is
watching over your soul and feeding you? And don’t tell me it’s Christ; because
it is Christ that is the living Word and He has established elders to be His
representatives to rule over His Body in local congregations. You are disobeying
the very one that you say you are trying to follow when you fail to be led by
elders and to gather together with other sheep. And just as no man is an island
so is no single believer the Body of Christ on their own. A believer who fails
to join with a local body and submit to the elders leading that Body is in
reality a disembodied foot or hand or eye. It is useless and purposeless in
such a state.
I know there are
hundreds upon hundreds of apostate and heretical congregations out there. I
understand how hard it can be. I have been there. I even understand what it is
like to feel alone because you are having a hard time finding likeminded
believers in your area. When I got saved and came to be where I am now
doctrinally I was in a congregation led by men that I was in stark disagreement
with. Yet these men loved the Lord and we simply disagreed. I had to lead my
family away; but we didn’t flounder around without leadership. We searched it
out and were willing to make sacrifices to find leadership we could submit to;
at one point driving 2 ½ hours one way just to worship. This wasn’t perfect and
I sinned in a horrible way during this time but it didn’t last very long; but we
made sacrifices and we eventually landed where we are now. And guess what? Things still aren’t perfect. But neither am I.
AND NEITHER ARE YOU!
Wandering stars as described in Jude are worse yet. They are cold and vapid things without the warmth of the Son and they do damage to everyone they encounter. Eventually drifting off out of reach of the Son’s light and destroyed in the pitch back reaches of space. Wolves are the worst of the lot. And what concerns me is that many of the individuals I am encountering on such a regular basis these days are maybe more than just immature sheep without shepherds. I am concerned that despite all of their professions of faith they are in reality wolves sent by Satan to harass and cause division. This should terrify the ones out there thinking that they are ok on their own with no need of a local body and elders to lead them because they have it all figured out.
What I see is a
constant refrain from these folks to leave what they call pagan Christianity to
return to the pure church; as they define it. This is dangerous and these
people should be marked and the true shepherds should be warning their flocks
away from people like this.
These people need
the Gospel, no matter how much they protest that they are saved. No matter how
much they scream at the top of their lungs that they are part of the true
Church they are in sinful and wicked rebellion against God and they need to
hear about the finished work of Christ. They need to repent and believe the
Gospel because anyone who spends their time hating the Bride of Christ as
Christ has described her is not part of that Bride. This has to be our response
to them when we encounter them from this point on. They must be treated as
unbelievers and given no quarter, for their own spiritual good. This is vitally
important and it is what Gospel informed love is compelled to do…
Soli Deo Gloria!
-Todd
-Todd
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