Saturday, June 4, 2016

Healthy Churches


Our local Christian newspaper has kindly agreed to publish this:

Contemporary churches often specialize in either expository preaching, heartfelt worship or community service.  This tends to attract specific people to churches that pique their interests. Churches are treated much like college universities where people can select their major field of study to the neglect of other fields. The results are stark. The churches operate under an imbalanced ministry. Only the mind, heart or hand is developed. Hence an emphasis is placed on knowledge, experience or morality. Polarization ensues toward intellectualism, emotionalism or moralism. 

The potential bitter fruits of such imbalances are rationalism, irrationalism or legalism. The beauty of the gospel is overlooked. Imbalances diminish the gospel but with God's sovereign grace in the gospel, stability can be attained. Jesus came to rescues us from our sins of pride, fear, and insecurity. He died on the cross, resurrected on third day, to pay the penalty for sins. So in him is our knowledge, motivation and efforts. In him we find all that we need to balance our affections, goals and works. The priority to love God first reverses the adverse effects of such imbalances. Exegetical preaching, worship and service are understood as interdependent. Each reinforces the other. The proper order should be biblical theology births doxology and evidences good works. 

Please take the time to pray for the local pastors and churches in our area to thrive with balanced ministries to reach the world with the gospel. 


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