Monday, July 25, 2011

Who is the Church for?



I love this video below. Get's me excited! But it makes me think...who is the Church for? Really. Can we draw this line in the sand? Is Church for the Christian or for the non-Christian? Do we spin our wheels making it so about programs, the latest fads, or transfer church growth and then wrap it up with words like "God is doing amazing things in our church?" Are we to be 100% about seeking and saving the lost or is that just supposed to be part of our programing or purpose statement strategy? 500 giving their lives for the first time in the last five months at Elevation Church...what do you do with that? I love the word Kingdom Multiplication...sounds a lot better than Kingdom Maintenance. Im interested in hearing your thoughts....if the church is not to be about seeking and saving that which is lost...what the heck are we to be about? Chime in Church.

Way of the Pastor,
Joe Drew (Click on Video below)

Sunday, July 10, 2011

"Love Wins" Publisher Responds to Book Reaction

"Love Wins" Publisher Responds to Book Reaction: "The publisher of Rob Bell's highly controversial book Love Wins has written a letter questioning the strong reactions against the book by conservative Christians." So I am interested in your thoughts on this publisher's response to the criticism that Rob Bell's book has received. I have a few issues with this publisher's reaction towards those who oppose Bell's theological views, but I will wait to see what others have to say first!

Way of the Pastor,
Joe Drew

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

What Should the Church Teach About Alcohol?

First of all, I would have to say "What should the church teach about a good many other things..." Gossip, Lust, Lying, Adultery, Overeating...the list goes on. I am not saying we make this a soap box issue, however, I do see the lines blured when it comes to the teaching of what we do with alcohol as Christians! What do you see the Bible saying about this issue? What scripture do you use to justify or abstain from alcohol? Watch this video below with some heavy hitters giving their take on this topic...then leave a comment and let's discuss this!!!

Teaching Your Children about Alcohol from Harvest Bible Chapel on Vimeo.


Way of the Pastor,
Joe Drew

Monday, July 04, 2011

Are Altar Calls Even Biblical?



Once again I am posting on an article I recently came across and it made me think. It made me think because as a Pastor, I give "altar calls" on occassion. Also becuase I just finsihed up with Vacation Bible School and we opended up the altar for the kids each night and many kids made "first time" decisions for Christ...my daughter being one of them. So as I post this article, I am leaning more towards the side of still using "Altar Calls" but appreciate seeing how this practice can be percieved by many! What a great challenge for Pastors to continue to communicate clearly why we do what we do!! I would love to here what your thoughts and what your experience's have been with the "Altar Call!" Enjoy...

I’m sometimes asked by people why we don’t do “altar calls” at our services. Like the people who ask the question, the churches in my personal background pretty much all practiced “altar calls” at the conclusion of a sermon or service. I’ve seen them done in very poor fashion, and I’ve seen some pastors be really clear about the gospel, repentance, faith, and the fact that “coming forward” does not save. I date my own conversion to the preaching of Exodus 32, which concluded with an altar call.

So, why don’t we practice “altar calls”? I don’t think the pastor who practices an “invitation” at the end of a sermon is in sin, but he may not be acting wisely either. This list of reasons, compiled by Pastor Ryan Kelly of Desert Springs Church, is a pretty good summation of some of my thinking (HT: Z).

1. The altar call is simply and completely absent from the pages of the N.T.

2. The altar call is historically absent until the 19th century, and its use at that time (via Charles Finney) was directly based upon bad theology and a man-centered, manipulative methodology.

3. The altar call very easily confuses the physical act of “coming forward” with the spiritual act of “coming to Christ.” These two can happen simultaneously, but too often people believe that coming to Christ is going forward (and vice-versa).

4. The altar call can easily deceive people about the reality of their spiritual state and the biblical basis for assurance. The Bible never offers us assurance on the ground that we “went forward.”

5. The altar call partially replaces baptism as the means of public profession of faith.

6. The altar call can mislead us to think that salvation (or any official response to God’s Word) happens primarily on Sundays, only at the end of the service, and only “up front.”

7. The altar call can confuse people regarding “sacred” things and “sacred” places, as the name “altar call” suggests.

8. The altar call is not sensitive to our cautious and relational age where most people come to faith over a period of time and often with the interaction of a good friend.

9. The altar call is often seen as “the most important part of the service”, and this de-emphasizes the truly more important parts of corporate worship which God has prescribed (preaching, prayer, fellowship, singing).

10. God is glorified to powerfully bless the things He has prescribed (preaching, prayer, fellowship, singing), not the things we have invented. We should always be leery of adding to God’s prescriptions for His corporate worship.

Numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10 of Ryan’s list are the most compelling reasons in my opinion. These would seem very serious objections for anyone who takes seriously the idea that our Christian lives and gatherings should conform to what the NT commands, models, and prohibits. Perhaps I would add an 11th: The “altar call” teaches the congregation to evaluate the “success” or “effectiveness” of the ministry on outward, visible actions and results.

Further, the need to be pastorally careful and sensitive with the souls of men needing to repent and believe couldn’t be more urgent. So, anything that obscures the reality of God the Holy Spirit’s work in conversion and the necessity of repentance and faith must be regarded–at best–a practice with potential to undermine the very work we’re giving our lives to.

Do people “respond” to the word of God at our services? They do. And we give them a number of ways they may follow up on what they’ve heard, from talking to an elder or Christian friend after the service, to scheduling an appointment during the week, to letting us know they would like us to visit with them, and so on. One thing I appreciate about our approach is that it allows us to meet, listen, question, encourage, teach and pray in a much more thorough way. By God’s grace we’re seeing people converted and profess their faith in baptism as the Spirit opens their hearts. We’re not perfect by any means. But I do hope we’re being faithful to the scripture’s commands, examples, and restrictions.

What do you think about Kelly’s list? Are you “for” or “against” and why? Would you add anything to or challenge anything on the list?
.......
Way of the Pastor,
Joe Drew