Chasing Our Tails

Fame. Money. Popularity. Comfort. Peace. Tranquility. Recognition. Awards. All of these have something in common. They are some of the many different things being chased by different people. We live in a world where we're told to chase our dreams. From our mothers telling us we can be anything we want to modern prosperity teachers touting the "name it, claim it" gospel, we're constantly being indoctrinated into a world where we are chasing after something. Unfortunately, unless we have the right focus, all we wind up doing is chasing our tails.

Ecclesiastes 1:14
I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.

Solomon was intimately familiar with the concept of striving after futile things. He had everything he could ever want. He was the richest man in the world. Yet, amidst every worldly pleasure one could ever ask for, he was saddened. There was no joy to be found. It was all in vain. He was striving after the fleeting things of the world. He was chasing his own tail and going nowhere fast.

Scripture clearly guides us on what we are to pursue. We are to pursue peace and sanctification (Hebrews 12:14). We're to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness (1 Timothy 6:11). Indeed, the Christian has a calling to pursue a great many things but they can really all be wrapped up into two words: pursue Christ! While being extremely simply, it is anything but easy. Even Paul recognized the fact that he continued doing the things he hated (Romans 7:15). His nature had been changed but the spiritual warfare was very real. Though he knew he was not yet made perfect, he had a duty to press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-13).

Will we struggle in this life? Of course! However, we can take great hope in the fact that the Spirit of God dwells within us (1 Corinthians 3:16). He has not left us alone! God has a plan for our lives and he will see it through. The responsibility of each and every one of us is to know what that will is and it can be found in the pages of Scripture and through prayer. Meditate upon the truth of God which has been set before you. Study the Word so that you can be made adequate, equipped for every good work (1 Timothy 3:17). Diligently work to be obedient children in the presence of the Father. Flee from what the world calls earnest desire and begin earnestly contending for the truth! Stop chasing your tails and start pursuing Christ!

~ Travis W. Rogers

Indelible Ink

The Christian life is not easy. We are expected to walk in such a way so as to be noticed. I am not talking about an arrogant strut; or a cocky demeanor. I am talking about walking in a way worthy of Christ; of God. In a manner such as Paul speaks of in First Thessalonians 2:12 “we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.” The way we walk is to point others to Christ. I am not talking about this false notion of living the Gospel. The perspective that we can live the Gospel is fallacious; and it is impossible for us to live out what only Christ could do. What I am referring to is living out the reality of Christ in us; our hope of glory.

                That was what Paul was indicating in the First Thessalonians reference I gave above. If we really understand what it means to have been called by God into His kingdom, and the even more staggering thought, that we are called into His glory, it will forever change the way we live; how we conduct ourselves. We are called out of something far worse than being “somewhat badish”. We are not called out of being basically good people into the kingdom of God and His glory. We are called out of spiritual death and utter wickedness. We are called out of a natural state where everything we do is done through the lens of sin. Not one thing that we do prior to being regenerated by God is good, right or decent. Even those things we do, that by the world’s standards are good, right and decent, are utterly wicked and unpleasing to God. Yet, despite of this, He calls us from that state of being, into His glorious light; into His kingdom and glory.

This is the catalyst for how we are changed; how we are conformed into the image of Christ. Look at this passage from Romans 8:

For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.  And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified.

When we consider what is being taught to us in Romans 8:29-30 we can understand that the reality that He called us; that He chose us, is supposed to weigh on us with a joyous weight. We respond in gratitude to Him for what it is He has done. We respond in joy and even in repentance and humility for the divine work of justification; and the divine work of shaping us into the image of Son. And we are to actively pursue godliness and Christ-likeness because it is the good and proper and honorable thing to do in light of what it is He has wrought in us.

                So what does this reality have to do with indelible ink? Where am I taking us? Go back to my opening lines. “The Christian life is not easy. We are expected to walk in such a way so as to be noticed.” We are, to coin a phrase, tattooed with indelible ink. This idea hit me as I was chatting with Tony, another contributor to “Earnestly Contending”, a month or so ago. It was a typo that started my mind wandering down this path, and I haven’t been able to shake it since.

People, many of them genuine believers in Christ, are enamored with tattoos today. They are constantly looking at designs. They are often looking forward to the next piece of art they will have engraved into their body. Some of these designs are intricate. Some are deeply personal and have profound meaning. Some are only relevant to the particular societal background of the individual. Some are large and encompass the entire body, while others are tiny and hidden away. Yet one thing remains, by all accounts, tattoos are painful and permanent, at least in the way anything that mankind does can be permanent.  

                That should be the reality for us. Our lives should be marked with the indelible ink of Christ. This isn’t some simple act of having permanent marker drawn all over us. This isn’t the act of writing a note on the back of your hand with a ballpoint pen. We are putting on the Lord Jesus Christ and not making any provisions for the flesh as we are instructed to do in Romans 13. Yet make no mistake, this is not the simple act of slipping on a shirt and a pair of pants only to remove them at a later time. The Lord Jesus Christ does not come off once He is put on. He isn’t cast aside or discarded when we are through with Him. He is an indelible part of who we are. The definition of the word indelible is this; something that cannot be removed, washed away or erased. So, unlike  tattoos that can be removed through laser surgery, or through the very painful cutting away of flesh, Christ is driven down deep into us and with an ink that never fades or can be cut away.

                Look around you sometime as you are in public. Look at the people who have tattoos. Notice that in many cases they proudly display the artwork that covers their bodies, this trend is becoming all the more common as tattoos are becoming more socially acceptable. They have gone to great lengths and great financial cost to have this work done. Some of this work is truly beautiful, and if it had been done on a canvas it could easily hang in an art gallery. Some of it is truly dark and terrifying with the images that are depicted. I have seen beautiful works of art with scripture quoted in great detail. I have seen evil and demonic depictions that would terrify children. I have seen sexually explicit pictures and I have often seen tattoos dedicated to advancing the message of hate by those who believe in dividing the varying ethnicities of our world.

                What I want us to think about is the great cost of being counted among those who called are into His kingdom and glory. Not only the great personal cost to God the Father and God the Son, but what it costs each of us as individuals. We are commanded to pick up our crosses daily and to crucify ourselves daily. This is painful imagery and it implies; no it requires great sacrifice. It leaves no room for equivocation. When we pick up our crosses and die as we crucify ourselves we are actively putting on Christ. We are being tattooed with His image and the needle driving that ink into our flesh is a nail; the same kind of nails that pierced the hands and feet of our Savior. The ink is the blood of Christ and it never washes off; it never comes out. As that needle goes in it delivers the life changing and sin removing ink of Christ’s blood deep into who we are; deep into our hearts. We are covered by Christ and as time goes on we become unrecognizable for what has been done to us.

                Like those who so proudly and in vain walk around displaying their flesh with their investment of ink we should also proudly display what it is that we have become; only this is not in vain.

     This is us, boasting in Christ and showing off His glory.


This is us, walking around with a desire for others to see His light radiating off of us and giving Him glory.

This is us, walking around with a desire for others to see Christ and what it is He has done in saving us from death and damnation.

This is us, the ones who had formerly exchanged what was imperishable for what was perishable now putting on what is imperishable.

                We are marked, tattooed with the indelible, imperishable ink of Jesus Christ. We should be gladly showing this to others. We should be gladly receiving in ourselves daily the continuing transformative work of God. We should be constantly looking to Him, to be changed into His image, so much so that we become unrecognizable to those who knew us before. 

Yes this will come at great costs.

Yes it will be painful and agonizing at times.

Yes it will be worth it.

But make no mistake, if there is no change in us, if there is no transforming of our image into the image of Christ, we can have no assurance that we are His. We can have no assurance that we have been called into His kingdom and glory. The ink that fades away or washes off is not indelible…

Soli Deo Gloria
-Todd

Spanish Rice Theology

I'm at work and lunch has come. I'm reheating my Spanish rice in the microwave and can practically taste it already. It smelled like it had been prepared from scratch. Little did anybody know, I made it from a package that required nothing more than a little water and a heated pot. This thought had me reflecting on how it must've been before food came prepackaged. Nowadays, it seems everything comes in a box, can, or bag. The frozen foods section is

stacked with everything you could imagine. How did people live before this innovation? What happened to the days when cooking was an art? What happened to the days when your every day household cook knew exactly what oregano or paprika tasted like and how much should be added? Sadly, they are gone forever. In our day and age, we have truly lost the art of cooking. We've lost the art of compiling all of the individual ingredients, slaving over the stove, and producing a delicious meal as the fruits of your labor.


Isn't theology much like this? I've never seen more self-proclaimed theologians than I do today. Facebook and the rest of the internet are filled with them. Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily. In fact, I find it exciting that more and more people are gaining a hunger for biblical truth. However, just as we've lost the art of cooking, it seems as if we have also lost the art of theology. Just as grocery stores have made products readily available, the internet is a repository of a nearly infinite number of theological resources. After 5 minutes of searching, you can have a library filled with more sermons that you could listen to in a lifetime. There are entire websites dedicated to

 commentaries, frequently asked questions, sermons, e-books, and more. In fact, there are even sites dedicated to providing ready-made sermons for pastors who haven't had time to prepare their own. It's almost scary how readily available theological content has become. It's all prepackaged nowadays. Gone are the days of pouring through the Scriptures and matching up the cross references. Gone are the hours, days, and weeks of meditating upon the Word of God and allowing the Spirit to move and change you as an individual throughout the course of your studies. The days of the Christian allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture, piecing together the entire truth of Scripture, slaving over the pages of Scripture, and topping it off with the wisdom of those who have gone before all with the purpose of producing a convicting and exciting sermon are seemingly vanishing rapidly. Gone is the art of theology.

Just as prepackaged food isn't necessarily a bad thing, I do not believe prepackaged theology is inherently evil. In fact, it can often be quite convenient and efficient. That being said, both can lead to weakness if not kept under control. Just as continuous use of prepackaged food will eventually lead to an individual lacking cooking skills, continuous use of prepackaged theological resources will lead to a weak theologian. Theology is more than having the right URL. It's more than having the right answer. theology is having a proper reverence for God while being changed in the course of your studies. If you find yourself rushing straight to your favorite commentary upon being asked a question you don't immediately have an answer for, I urge you to take a step back, breathe, and crack open your bible first. Let the Spirit speak to you as you meditate on the Word. After you've gathered all your ingredients, by all means, top it off with a dash of commentary and serve the Gospel to all who will hear.

Bon appetite!

~ Travis W. Rogers

I Love My Wife

Ok I know this is maybe the strangest title for a blog post that one could give; especially on a blog all about earnestly contending for the faith. I only ask you to bear with me. I promise I will get us there.

                I love my wife. I really do. She is the greatest earthly treasure that I have. Nothing I possess on earth means as much to me as my wife does; and don’t worry I know she isn’t my possession, but you know what I mean. If I had the time to tell you about all of the ways I love my wife I would. I spend massive amounts of time telling other people about her. In fact, every chance I get I try and express my love for her to others. I praise her to others for her gentle spirit and her wisdom and her wise counsel. I praise her to others for the time she spends ministering to my needs;  feeding me, clothing me, making sure that our home is clean and comfortable so that when I come home after a long hard shift on duty I can sleep well and rest with a full and satiated stomach. When I hear others in the world complain about nagging wives and their inability to understand their wives and the conflicts they have I truly do have a hard time relating; and I tell them that. God gifted me with the perfect helpmeet.

                Oh we have our spats and our moments of sheer frustration with one another; more-often-than-not brought about by my own sinful selfishness. But I just do not have it in me to complain about her in public or in private. Sometime I even feel horribly guilty when I pick on her good-naturedly. She takes it well, but I know that it can cut her anyway, and I really shouldn’t do it at all. All of this to say that I just can’t say enough good things about my wife to anyone that will listen.  And sometimes even to people who won’t.

                Here is the issue, I don’t know if my wife knows all of this. Between work and other commitments and telling everyone else about how much I love my wife and why I love her, I just don’t have enough time to tell her these things or really even to demonstrate it to her. Sure she sees me go off to work; she sees me when I come home. But normally I am too preoccupied with other things to see what she is really in need of. I have to see to the kids, make calls, plan how I am going to tell others about how much I love her; and even to tell others to love their spouses as best as they can. I just don’t have time to tell her or demonstrate my love to for her to her. But I am sure she knows. Why? Well because she’s my wife and I come home when I am supposed to.

                Sure there are things that need to be done at home. There are projects around the house that need to be done; things that need to be fixed; updated or replaced. Groceries need to be purchased and bills need to be paid; but I am just too busy telling everyone how much I love my wife to stop and take care of those things. Besides, she knows I love her; I married her and I come home when I am supposed to.

                What’s that? You look confused. What do you mean it doesn’t sound like I love my wife? You have to be some kind of idiot to think I don’t love her after I just got done telling you how much I do. In fact I will prove it to you now. I want you to come home with me when you are done reading this and I will introduce you to her and then you will know I love her. Ignore the messy yard, the dilapidated house, the empty pantry and the children in need of discipline. The fact that I have told you I love her and am now willing to bring you home with me should be all you need to see.

                This sounds absolutely ludicrous doesn’t it? You wouldn’t believe me for a minute if all of this was true. So what is my point in all of this?

                Well here it is. In my first entry for Earnestly Contending I took to task those who are running around disparaging the Bride of Christ and the structure of local church membership. Yet there is an equally dangerous trend in the Visible Church today; that trend is the neglect of the local body and her meeting place. There are so many out there today telling everyone they can get to listen to them about how much they love their congregation. They rant and rave about how great the people are, how wonderful the teaching is and how glad they are to finally have place to call home. A place they can trust to invite others to safely. And they show up on Sundays just like they are supposed to.

                Why would this be a problem you ask; because so many out there are neglecting to demonstrate their love for their local congregation in substantial and quantitative ways. No financial support. No meeting of the physical needs of the meeting house. No genuine meeting of the physical needs of the members. Simply put; there is much lip service but little actual service.

                I am no fan of the mega-church movement (but keep in mind that to me a mega-church can be just about anything 300 and over, tongue planted firmly in cheek). These organisms are dangerous and fraught with disease. They have a mentality of come and serve us, instead of come to be fed. I hate this model with a passion. But at least the physical and substantive needs are being met, sadly it is often times by coercion, but they can never be accused of giving lip service to their love for their local churches.

                In the book of Acts we are shown how even then this need was felt in a powerful way as the Gentile factions began to accuse the believing Jews of failing to love God and their local congregations well because they were neglecting the needs of the widows. This was so serious that the elders were inspired by God to establish deacons who became responsible for the day-to-day ministry and operations of the local church. They over saw the feeding of the poor and the up keep of the widows. And while this was not an office that carried with it the esteem of being a renowned theologian or a powerful evangelists; it was vitally important for the sake of the reputation of the Church. In short it was ministry and it was every bit as spiritual as being and elder or an apostle.

                Brethren I am beseeching all of us to think about this. I do not care where you are or how big your congregation is. I do not care if everything seems to be under control and working well. Are you seeking out your deacons and seeking to learn what it is that you can do to demonstrate to the world how much you truly love your local body? Are you so busy telling others how much you love your church family that you are neglecting to meet her needs? Are you failing to support her financially; even if all you can afford to give seems like a drop in the ocean to you? Are you ministering to the needs of the shut-ins and the widows? Do you even know who they are? Do you even care to help?

                There is more to living this life together than small groups and bible studies and accountability. There are genuine acts of compassion and works of love that say more about where you are with God and how much the Gospel has impacted you than all of the prayers and encouraging will ever do. Christ tells us that there is no greater love than when a man lays down his life for his friends. And while this was His way of pointing to His coming death on the behalf of the elect it has application for us in our local bodies today. Are we setting aside our own desires and even those things we are passionate about to display a passionate love for our church families? Are we living our lives in light of the command in Ephesians 5 where we are told to submit ourselves to one another? Are we genuinely considering others as more important than ourselves?

                See I used to be this guy; the one who talked about loving the local church, but never had time for her. I could make plans to study with others, do prayer groups, witness in public, but I was rarely ever available for the day to day grind of what it meant to be part of the church family. I still fail at it in embarrassing quantities to this day. And what I am saying to all of us is that I don’t want this to be the case for any of us anymore. Stop telling others how much your local church means to you and start to display that love by actively loving that local body. Meet her needs. Visit her shut-ins and her widows. Get involved in the nitty gritty dirty aspects of church life.

                If you actively pursue this I can make you a promise that I have witnessed a multitude of times in my own life. Your passion for the deeper things of God will be fulfilled. You will find that as you work and minister the Gospel will pour out of you. As you are digging into the dirty projects of lawn care and cleaning you will find yourself engaged in prayer and supplication for those who need it the most. As you visit the shut-ins and the widows to help them they will share with you the most amazing biblical truths because they have years of experience and maturity to pour out on you. As you visit the young couple who has financial needs and just can’t seem to make ends meet and you come bearing food; you may find that they have never truly repented and believed the Gospel and this one small act of kindness is what finally penetrates their dead hearts as God uses you to be His voice.

                Brethren it is time we stopped talking about how much we love the Bride of Christ and started showing it instead. Consider me duly convicted.

Soli Deo Gloria!

-Todd

Green Pastures? Part 1

With the advent of the internet, there is really no excuse for one who claims to be a child of God. You can stream audio or video, read blogs, and read articles pertaining to the faith. You can use the Bible tools and commentaries that have been made available to you to better enhance your study of the Scriptures. There is simply no reason not to grow.

However, with the wealth of information that is available to us to better our faith, there is the equal and most dangerous issue of poisoning ourselves with falsehood and lies. While there are sound preachers and teachers available online, there are also false prophets and teachers spewing forth false doctrine to deceive those not strong in their faith. So I have to ask you this question reader: Who are you listening to?

Not everyone who proclaims to preach the Word is actually preaching it correctly. Anyone can get behind the sacred desk and say a few words about Scripture. That does not mean that they are rightly dividing it (2 Tim 2:15). Anecdotes, jokes, life stories and illustrations do not a sermon make. Neither do philosophies, opinions, and social issues. No, it is when the Word of God is brought to bear on the ears, mind, and heart of a listener that true transformation takes place.

2 Timothy 4:1-5 makes it clear to us what we should be looking for in those who proclaim God’s Word.

1. They take their calling seriously.

Paul charged Timothy to preach the Word. He gave that charge with apostolic authority because it was of the utmost importance. The feeding of God’s flock is an absolute necessity, and it is the task of the herald to lead the sheep to proper green pastures. Not all pastures are safe to graze in, and the flock must be educated on what is truth and what is falsehood.

Paul charged Timothy to preach the Word. He gave that charge with apostolic authority because of the implications. Paul did not just charge Timothy, no, he charged Timothy in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead. Ultimately, those who proclaim God’s Word will be judged more strictly. This is why James admonished that not many who think they are called should become teachers (James 3:1), for they will be judged for the words that fall from their lips. Those men who understand this have counted the cost before they accepted the call, so when they stand behind the pulpit, it is serious business. When they speak of God, it is done with trembling and humility.

They are not there to look hip.

They are not there to be cool.

They are not there to move the crowd.

They are not there to entertain.

They are not there to amuse.

They are not there to dazzle.

They are not there to make people feel good.

They are not there to be praised by men.

They are not there to flaunt their eloquence.

They are not there to be popular.

They are not there to line their pockets.

They are not there to manipulate.

They are not there to be on billboards and TV.

No! They are there doing what they were commanded to do: to preach the Word!

It does not matter what time of day it is.

It does not matter who is there.

It does not matter how they feel about the passage.

It does not matter how they have physically felt.

It does not matter what people will think.

It does not matter how people respond.

It does not matter if anyone listens.

No! All that matters is that the rightly divided Word that they have pored over, wrestled with, prayed over, wept over, and were transformed themselves by, is preached with reckless abandon, zeal, and passion – that Christ is exalted and the gospel is made known to all who are present. These men rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and not their own abilities, to drive home what God has declared in whatever text they may be preaching from. They do not shirk away from difficult passages. They do not cower at controversial passages. They do not preach only their favorite passages. They DO NOT SKIP passages! No! They preach the whole counsel of the Word of God! All of it! Every jot! Every tittle! Not one stone is left unturned as they mine the precious truths contained within the Holy Writ. They preach with confidence, not because of something intrinsic to themselves, but because of their faith in the sufficiency of Scripture and the power of God resting in them.

Many of these so-called preachers today are not qualified to stand before God’s people. Some have compromised the truth. Some have rubbed elbows with the enemy. Some purposely twisted Scripture to their own benefit. And these are the men (and women?!?!) at the forefront! My brothers and sisters, this should not be! But this is the drivel that many of us who profess Christ listen to!

Oh, I plead with you my brother. I plead with you my sister. Be watchful; be mindful of what you take in. Get rid of Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, T. D, Jakes, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn, Steven Furtick, Perry Noble, Ed Young, Jr., Kenneth Copeland, Joseph Prince, Fred Price Jr., Fred Price, Sr., Brian Houston, Bill Johnson, Mike Bickle, and anyone else who does not proclaim the unadulterated and pure truth. You are drinking poisonous well water.

Replace them with R. C. Sproul, John MacArthur, Steven Lawson, Alistair Begg, Thabiti Anyabwile, Voddie Baucham, Conrad Mbewe, Phil Johnson, Mike Riccardi, Dan Phillips, Sinclair Ferguson, Ligon Duncan, and others who soundly proclaim God’s truth, who are well studied and properly know how to exegete and deliver the Word of God.

Your spiritual well-being should be so important to you that you refuse to take in anything that will be detrimental to your spiritual growth. Be Berean. Your life depends on it.

Sheep Without Shepherds, Wandering Stars and Lone Wolves

          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:

Titus 1:5-9 :

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.

Acts 14:23:

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.

1^st 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!

 

Ultimately what is happening with these people is that they are really left with being one of three things: sheep without shepherds, wandering stars or wolves. Sheep without someone to watch over them are easily mislead, hassled and stressed out.  They are always in danger because they are easy to take out on their own.  More people get led into cults this way than I think we could ever imagine.

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

The Barren Tree

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. ~ 2 Peter 1:8–9

(read the previous verses for traits Christians ought to possess)

As I was reading over a passage today my mind was brought to these two trees in my backyard, specifically the nasty, dead, scraggly looking one.  They both started from, amazingly enough, filler that came with a dozen roses I gave my wife for Valentines Day 7 years ago.  She nursed them in water in the windowsill for months before they were stable enough to go in the ground and to our amazement they both grew from a throwaway vase size to these great bushy trees that provide screen and shade in our yard.

That is until last Fall when I started to notice the scraggly tree begin to show signs of stress.  Branches began growing dark and black yet green leaves were beyond the darkness.  Well, up until last week I allowed this eyesore of a living tree to live in my yard with all its dead branches that once housed healthy green leaves and vibrant branches. I instructed my children to cut all dead branches off and leave what little life there was on it, in one last act of hope that it would survive and become great again.  We still have a bit of cutting to go.  It may be painful but it's necessary.

    “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any.  “And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’

          “And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’ ” ~ Luke 13:6–9

The clear picture of the professing Christian man is found in these two trees.  The one that is on life support has been shown grace in that it was not entirely uprooted and burned.  It has been granted grace and more time to bear fruit.  Has the Sovereign King, Jesus Christ, granted grace towards you in that He did not cut you down previous to this day?  Do you realize your sins of yesterday were great enough for Him to take your breathe away in your sleep? Do you grasp the infinite, abounding grace that has been richly supplied to you by His hand withholding death from your very door?

Will you at this moment bow your knee and confess your sin, turn away from your sin, and humbly follow Him?  

He is willing to extend grace greater than all your sin, if you would but confess and forsake.

I am quite embarrassed that such a hideous object that claims to be a tree is on my property.  It is indeed an eyesore.  How much more so the man or woman who professes faith in Christ and yet is barren and unfruitful, having forgotten the former sins he/she was purified from?  How much more so the professing man/woman who bears no fruit because they are not a part of the Vine but are mere impostors just idly waiting to be revealed as fakes?

I will water this wretched "tree" and expend time and effort on it in hopes that it will come back to full life, thereby granting it grace.  Yet given enough time and a continual lack of green leaves and more deadness it will be eventually cut down and warm my house this winter or be left at the trash heap we call our city dump.

So the burning question is,

What kind of tree are you?  

And if you are like this barren tree, how long will a gracious God bear with you?

Soli Deo Gloria