Do Seeker Oriented Services Hurt Church Growth?

Lisa Spencer5 Comments

seekersI’ve been reflecting a lot lately on issues related to ecclesiology and have been asking this question specifically related to seeker oriented services. Now I know that seeker oriented services are kind of a sacred cow and some won’t agree with my thoughts here. But I am really begin to question whether this is best for our local assembly.

But first a qualifying note: when I say church growth I don’t mean physical expansion, i.e. more members, bigger facilities or church plants. What I mean is the local assembly growing up in Christ and demonstrating corporately what that means. That is not necessarily a function of numerical growth but of member maturity because it’s in that maturity that the body of Christ as represented in the local church grows and functions as it should. This is marked by devotion towards God, love towards each other, mutual exchange of gifts and dedication to the proclamation of the gospel.

Ironically, as I was reflecting on this issue, I saw this article posted by Scot McKnight today providing tips on who to preach to mixed audiences effectively. Well, I think these are worthy tips if one is preaching outside of the regular assembly. However, I maintain a firm commitment to the belief that our corporate gatherings are for the purpose of feeding the faith of believers and equipping them for service. The book of Ephesians and the pastoral epistles convict of me such. Otherwise, why gather if not support that which is needed to mature our faith? So that leads me to ask if something gets lost by blurring this focus. Continue reading →

Are You Quick to Bully Competing Theological Viewpoints?

Lisa Spencer3 Comments

For Christians, it typically does not take long to formulate an opinion about viewpoints we disagree with. I find too often though that people are quick to beat up on viewpoints they don’t agree with and cast them in the worst light possible. What’s worst is when that happens without having all the information.

For this reason, it is always a good idea to learn about competing viewpoints from people who actually advocate for that position. If we learn of that position from those already opposed to it, it’s pretty much like joining forces with the school bully who beats up on those they feel deserved to be beat up without any logical reason why that kid deserves bullying (not that anyone deserves bullying).

I wrote about this (here) a while ago after studying Origen in a theology elective, History of Exegesis. I had a certain concept of Origen’s exegesis that was completely blown out of the water having actually studied him. But that led me to three conclusions that I expound on in the article:

1) Always examine original sources

2) Temper your disagreement through fair analysis

3) Submit to learning

Often this means resisting the reactionary response. But also it means looking for ways to reconcile competing positions where possible in the interest of Christian harmony. Now some ideas are dangerous and threaten to uproot the tenets of the Christian faith. But we need to be careful even in this charge, especially when citing something as heresy since we will necessarily throw adherents under that bus. Asking the “so what?” question and following that out to it’s logical conclusion is always helpful.

Greatest Doctrinal Threat Facing the Church?

Lisa Spencer5 Comments

Michael Horton writes this from the Ligonier blog

I really do believe we are facing the same doctrinal crises that the Reformers faced, only in some respects it’s worse because Rome never questioned the authority of Scripture or the inerrancy of Scripture. Both are widely disputed in Protestantism generally, and increasingly in evangelicalism particularly. If we lose the authority of Scripture and the sufficiency of Scripture, then what’s the point? There would be no point in trying to understand what we believe and why we believe it—no point in even talking about a Gospel because there would be no authority for this Gospel. Then justification is as much up for grabs today as it has ever been. According to all the studies I’ve seen, most American evangelicals believe that they save themselves with God’s help. That’s the prevailing view in all the studies that have been conducted. Do your best. That’s why Jesus is no longer seen as the only way, truth, and life. And that wasn’t up for grabs in the Reformation—that Jesus is the only way of salvation—that wasn’t up for grabs. The issue in the Reformation was how salvation is applied to us, but everyone believed Jesus was the only way of salvation. Today, that’s no longer taken for granted. We have to fight for it.

Religious pluralism has not only made us more aware of other beliefs, which is good, so that we’re explicit about what we believe and why, it has made us more vulnerable to the belief that religion is really about morality. It’s about being nice. It’s about being good. It’s about loving each other. It’s not really about the intervention of God in human history, assuming our flesh, dying on the cross, and being raised the third day for our justification, His return in judgment, and a real Heaven and a real Hell. To the extent that we’ve already turned religion into morality—something we do rather than something that God has done for us—to that extent, religious pluralism will mean, not only that there are lots of people of different religions we must respect and to whom we have to witness, but rather that there are all of these wonderful people who have their sources of morality just as we do, and we need to realize that there are different paths to God. Increasingly that’s where we’re going with a lot of pastors, telling believers that Jesus is the best way of pursuing community and self-sacrifice, but not the One who was sacrificed for our sins and raised for our justification. Continue reading →

Christians and Halloween: Let Each Be Convicted in Their Own Mind

Lisa SpencerLeave a comment

Should Christians avoid Halloween, turn the lights out and shun it as evil? Isn’t it afterall a celebration of darkness given its roots? Don’t its historic roots matter? This is something I was taught for years. I avoided it but admittedly went through some angst when my son was little. The more I wrestled with the issue, the more I realized that what was celebrated today was removed from whatever it once may have been. Nor did this have any meaning to little kids knocking on my door looking for candy. And so many cute costumes, too.

By the time I heard this lecture below by Dr. Mark Young, an overseas missionary for many years, former DTS professor in cross-cultural studies and current president of Denver Seminary, it pretty much confirmed why I have no problem with Halloween.

He makes a good case I think. But I’ve also come to learn that some Christians cannot disassociate the holiday from evil and so choose not to participate. I’ve come to learn that I should not encourage them in any way to do that for to do so, might cause them to stumble. Continue reading →

Yes, God DOES Give Us More Than We Can Bear

Lisa Spencer2 Comments

God has not given us more than we can handle. Have you heard that or even said it? It’s commonly taken from this verse

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

My friend Miguel Labrador had some intriguing things to say in a FB post about the use of this verse to mean we won’t be given more than we can handle.

‘God will give you more than YOU can handle.’ Stop telling people that He won’t. First, it’s NOT biblical. Second your erroneous use of the verses that idea comes from (1 Corinthians 10:13) is not even talking about that. Your scripture application FAIL actually hurts people. Check out what Paul says; “For we do not want you to be unaware, brethern, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life, indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so many great a peril of death, and will deliver us. He on whom we have set our hope. And He will deliver us (2 Corinthians 1:8-10). He will give you more that YOU can handle. Because he stands ready to listen to your heartfelt cries of desperation and weakness.

I think he is right. Now Miguel and his wife Claudia serve as missionaries in Ecuador and no doubt have encountered times of tremendous hardship.  They know what I’m sure many Christians have encountered, that God does give us more than we can handle at times. But it’s in those times of weakness that we turn to God for strength. Hear what Paul says also further in 2 Corinthians;

Most gladly therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am content with weakness, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

It’s the strength of the Lord that carries us through times when it it too much too handle. And we will encounter those times.

Thank you Miguel for reminding me of this today.