Providence Reformed Baptist Church

Reformed Baptist Church in Remlap, Alabama

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Theological Illiteracy

In his groundbreaking book, No place for Truth or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology?, Dr. David Wells lamented in his introduction:

I watched with growing disbelief as the evangelical Church has cheerfully plunged into astounding theological illiteracy. Many taking the plunge seem to imagine that they are simply following a path to success, but the effects of this great change in the evangelical soul are evident in every incoming class in the seminaries, in most publications, in the great majority of churches, and in most of their pastors. It is a change so large and so encompassing that those who dissent from what is happening are easily dismissed as individuals who cannot get along, who want to scruple over what is inconsequential, who are not loyal, and who are, in any case, quite irrelevant [David F. Wells, No Place for Truth or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology? (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing, 1993), p. 4].

When Dr. Wells first wrote those words it was 1993. Twenty-six years later not much has changed in the evangelical Church. “Theological illiteracy” is a problem which is still as pervasive as it was in the early 1990s. Despite the resurgence of Reformed Theology among American Evangelicals, with the mushrooming and popularity of national conferences like TG4 and The Gospel Coalition – yet, by and large, evangelical Churches have seemed to settle for ministries that are big on activity while small on theology.

As it was in the early 1990s, the focus of many churches is still fixed on numerical growth at the expense of having the most minimal understanding regarding the theology of God’s Word. In fact, what appears to be advocated in our day, is that the church will be more relevant if we are socially engaged in the culture wars – while being less engaged in an actual ministry of biblical discipleship and evangelism. Moreover, if we want people to stay in our churches, then the “experts” tell us to spend more time in offering “practical talks” – which call attention to one’s daily temporal needs in the world, as opposed to their walk with God.

The sad result in all of this are professing Christians who wear their “theological illiteracy” as if it is a badge of honor and a virtue to be admired. “The less you know what the Bible teaches the better off you are!” This is the unwitting attitude and spirit of so many who populate churches across this country. Yet, what these poor and pitiful believers do not realize (if, indeed, they are true believers), is that their intentional ignorance of biblical truth is only robbing them of a greater spiritual growth and health which is theirs to receive and enjoy in Jesus Christ.

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Choosing a Church

Perhaps one of the most difficult seasons in the life of a Christian is when they are in search of a local church where they can settle in as a covenant member. This is especially trying when you live in a culture where there’s a church on every proverbial corner, as is the case in the “Bible-belt” of the southern United States. How then should a Christian proceed in this process? What should be their guide in making such a critical and important decision?

To begin with, let me start with a negative: in choosing a church to join, a Christian should not let their own personal preferences play as the deciding factor. For many Christians, this is a standard default in their judgment as to what church they should join. They look for certain things they personally like or dislike. For example, what is the location of where the church meets? How many people are in attendance? Is the meeting place in a store front or a church building? If it is in a church building, then what is the look or age of the church building? How many differing age groups are there? And of course, what kind of programs does it have for certain people? When it comes to choosing a church, these examples tend to be the only kind of categories which determine the judgment believers will make for the right church. The problem with these categories is that they have nothing to do with what makes a church a church – in the biblical sense. They have to do with what a person prefers by their own personal standard as opposed to what the Word of God actually reveals as to the nature of a true church.

So, what then should be the guide for a Christian choosing a church to join? Our only guide should be the Word of God. First of all, since we’re talking about the church, then we’re not talking about anything which is of this world. Lest we forget, as Christians, we are not of this world though we live in this world (John 17:14; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18). Therefore, when Christians gather together as the church in sacred assembly there is something remarkably other-worldly about who we are and what we’re doing. And it is for this reason that we need God’s Word directing us as to what we should be looking for in a local church.

What then does God’s Word reveal about the church and thereby what we should find in a local church? In the first place, the church is the “pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). A local church of Jesus Christ supremely functions as the foundation and support to the truth of God’s holy infallible Word. As John MacArthur explained it so well: “It is the solemn responsibility of every church to solidly, immovably, unshakably uphold the truth of God’s Word. The church does not invent the truth, and alters it only at the cost of judgment. It is to support and safeguard it…The church has the stewardship of Scripture, the duty to guard it as the most precious possession on earth. Churches that tamper with, misrepresent, depreciate, relegate to secondary place, or abandon biblical truth destroy their only reason for existing and experience impotence and judgment.”

In the second place, since the church is the pillar and buttress of the truth, then God’s Word will regulate all that is done as it pertains to the functioning ministry of the church. This means that when the church gathers for worship there will be the reading, preaching, and hearing of God’s Word (1 Timothy 4:13; 2 Timothy 4:2). There will be the congregational singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). There will be corporate prayer (Colossians 4:2; 1 Timothy 2:1-2, 8).  Furthermore, there will be the practice of the church ordinances: such as taking the Lord’s Supper and the baptism of newly converted sinners to Christ (1 Corinthians 11:17-32; Matthew 28:19). Moreover, the very spirit in which God is worshiped will be “with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 12:28), as opposed to the glib, flippant, and carnal atmosphere of a late night show or a pop concert. What’s so crucial to understand under this point, is that in choosing a church to join, you must discern by Scripture whether this church takes its cues for ministry by what the world wants or what God commands. A church ceases to be the pillar and buttress of the truth when it functions more as a Walmart – pandering to every whim and fancy of the general public just to fill a pew. In addition to this, where God’s Word is regulating the ministry of the church, there should be the presence of qualified church officers – namely, Christian men who serve as elders and deacons (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:6-9). The one exception to this, is that in certain circumstances there may be providentially only one elder (a pastor-teacher, Ephesians 4:11), since the Lord has not yet raised up other men to serve in either of these offices (Acts 20:28).

In the third place, since the church is the pillar and buttress of the truth, then there will be a clear, unashamed, unadulterated proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The person and work of Christ in the glory of His redeeming work by His life, death, and resurrection will never be truncated in any way, but preached fervently and unmistakably, calling sinners to close with Christ through faith and repentance (Acts 16:31; 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:2; 15:1-3). Furthermore, by proclaiming the gospel, a local church following Scripture will show compassion to the lost by striving to reach them for Christ via evangelism and the intercession and support of global missions (Matthew 28:18-20).

In the fourth place, since the church is the pillar and buttress of the truth, there will be an evident doctrinal unity in a local church. Surprisingly and sadly, this is not a point which many Christians take into consideration. 1 Corinthians 1:10 speaks to this kind of unity when it says that we should be all agreed, with no divisions among us, united in the same mind and the same judgment. The context in which Paul wrote these words bear out the fact that it is doctrinal unity he is appealing to. This same unity is what Jude aims at when he exhorts his readers to contend earnestly for the faith once for all given to the saints (Jude 3). The “faith” is not our personal faith in Christ but the content of Christian doctrine as revealed in Holy Scripture. A local church, if it’s abiding by Scripture, will strive for a collective doctrinal unity – where all the members are confessing the same thing as to the truth. Historically, churches have sought to fulfill this scriptural mandate by writing confessions of faith. Thankfully, there are more churches in our day having returned to holding a confessional standard. Having such a document is especially helpful for a Christian whose searching for a church to join. They can question if this church has a confession of faith and secure a copy if the church answers in the affirmative. By such a document a person can see plainly what this church believes the Bible teaches and where that church takes its stand as to the truth of Scripture.

In the fifth place, since the church is the pillar and buttress of the truth, then there will be the evident pursuit of a relational unity built on the spiritual unity all believers share in due to their union with Christ. This means that the mandate of Ephesians 4:1-3 will not be taken lightly, where, the church is to walk worthy of the calling by which they have been called by God in Christ – by relating to one another in all humility, meekness, patience, and forbearing love, as they spare no effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. If there is no evidence of these graces in a local church there will only be division, strife, resentment, envy, and arrogance. In short, if a local church is not practicing relational unity as mandated by Scripture, then flee that church with haste.

In the sixth place, since the church is the pillar and buttress of the truth, then by the teaching and fellowship of the church members you should be stirred to grow in greater likeness to Christ. The supreme end of our sanctification is perfect conformity to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). No church therefore should do anything to impede such conformity. Rather, a congregation of fellow Christians should make all strides to help each other to stay the course and cross the finish line of their Christian race faithfully (Hebrews 3:12-14; 10:24-25; 12:1-2). A local church where this is sought after is worthy to join!

In the last place, since the church is the pillar and buttress of the truth, then the pursuit and practice of corrective church discipline will be carried out to preserve the church’s purity and rescue erring church members. One of the greatest tragedies in multiple local churches is the total absence of church discipline. Passages of Scripture like Matthew 18:15-20, 1 Corinthians 5:1-13, or 2 Thessalonians 3:6-16 are completely foreign to the general population of professing evangelical Christians. It is thus no wonder that so many churches are racked with corruption, discord, scandal, heresy and the like. A church however that practices church discipline after the clear pattern laid out in Scripture, will be a church far healthier due to the premium it sets on the holiness God mandates His people to keep.

In conclusion, I hope it is clear to see what one should be looking for in a local church when they’re on the search. Obviously, they’re not looking for the “perfect church.” Nor are they looking for a church made in their image – catering exclusively to their tastes, standards, preferences, etc. No, what they should be looking for is God’s Church which can only be identified by what God has revealed and commanded by His Word. But understand this: to look for a local church with all the above qualities and traits as laid out in Scripture, cannot be assessed by one or two visits. You have to settle on a church where you will camp out long enough to see these things clearly or not, and thereby be able to make a qualified and fair judgment directed by the light of God’s Word. There’s nothing therefore hasty in this kind of search and decision for any Christian.

 

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Worship with Limits

In Chapter 22 of the 1689 Baptist Confession we have the exposition of what has been historically called, “The Regulative Principle of Worship.” This doctrine and its practice is what separates Calvinistic Baptists from Reformed Baptists by showing that it’s not only what we believe about salvation which is regulated by Scripture – but Scripture also determines how we worship God.

In the latter half of the opening paragraph in Chapter 22, the Regulative Principle is spelled out in the following terms: “But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so limited by His own revealed will, that he may not be worshipping according to the imaginations and devices of men, nor the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representations, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scriptures.” There are two principle things to be observed by this statement. First, there is an “acceptable way of worshipping God” which clearly implies an unacceptable way God can be worshiped. We see this clearly in Scripture. For example, in the second commandment of the Decalogue, God declares, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them” (Exod. 20:4-5a). This divine prohibition has everything to do with how we worship God. And the principle point of the command is that there is a wrong way to worship the Lord. Essentially, God’s people are not to worship God via man-made images. In fact, even if we identify the man-made images as the Lord we’re still offering worship to God which He does not accept. This tells us that the worship God does accept is not strictly about our intentions or motives in the act of worship, but the form of worship matters as well. God has therefore specified a certain way in the second commandment He is not to be approached for worship, despite how sincere we may be.

Another example under this point is in Deuteronomy 12:29-32. In this passage God orders Israel not to worship Him in the same way they see the pagan nations worship their gods. But rather, the Lord says, “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it” (12:32). This single declaration is the clinching point of the Regulative Principle. It’s all about doing what God has said to do in how we approach Him in worship. It’s God who sets the standard for the way His people serve Him in worship. The world has no say in this matter. When God’s people see how the world worships their gods, we’re not to mimic the world’s ways.

In fact, it is this point in particular which sets apart the worship service in a local church from any other gathering in the world. The whole service is centered on God with His glory as the end for which everything is done from the singing to the praying to the preaching. No other institution or society in the world has this end in view, since no other institution has this kind of distinctive relationship to God but the church. As Sam Waldron put it: “The church is holy in a way that the rest of life is not.” It is only the church of Jesus Christ which is described as “the household of God” (1 Tim. 3:15). Neither the government nor one’s own family gets this kind of status. Hence, the church as God’s household has God’s unique presence which thereby demands a special regulation as to what the church does in the name of worship. Like Israel under the Old Covenant, the church under the New Covenant is not to be of the world. But how the gathered church honors God in this way is by being careful to do what God has commanded and thereby accepts for His worship.

Second, since God has instituted how He’s to be worshipped, then such worship the church offers the Lord is “limited by His own revealed will.” Limited…worship. This is the worship we bring to God. Limited by His own revealed will which is the revelation of His written Word. Thus we cannot worship God in any way we choose. It cannot be, as the 1689 Confession puts it, “according to the imaginations and devices of men, nor the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representations, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scriptures.” To apply this to our own times – this means that skits and dramas and fog machines are out. It means that interpretative dance is gone. It means that women leading and teaching in a pastoral role or as “worship leaders” is forbidden (see 1 Cor. 14:34; 1 Tim. 2:11-15). It further means that when pastors stand to preach they actually deliver a clear, faithful exposition of God’s Word and not a clever home-spun homily which tickles the ears (see 2 Tim. 4:1-4). Moreover, the entire spirit and atmosphere of a worship service should not look like nor sound like a pop concert or a Saturday morning at the Waffle House. We are talking about God’s household. And in God’s household – the gathered church of Jesus Christ –  there’s to be nothing profane or common in our whole service to God. Our worship is holy worship because it is limited by the directives of God’s Word.  This sets the church apart from what we do at a football game to shopping at the local Walmart to celebrating one’s birthday. The worship of God is a sacred service. It therefore is not to be like what we see and hear and do in all other activities in life. When a local church then is engaged in worship, the point is not whether it’s contemporary or traditional but whether what was offered is “prescribed in the Holy Scriptures” and thus acceptable to God. Hence, we worship God by the limits He sets down.

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The Regulative Principle & The Sufficiency of Scripture

One of the great marks of Reformed Baptist churches is their practice of the regulative principle of worship (see Chapter 22 in the Second London Baptist Confession for a full exposition of this principle). By simple definition this principle teaches that when it comes to how the gathered church worships God – whatever is commanded by God is right and what is not commanded is wrong. At the heart of this principle is the fact that God alone determines how He is to be worshiped. It is not man who decides what elements are most appropriate or fitting to serve as part of a worship service. It is God who says what is right and what is wrong in the matters of His worship. Thus, it is God who regulates His worship.

But how do we know what God has regulated or commanded for His worship? The answer to this question is straightforward: it is by God’s Word alone. What God has revealed in His Word by divine command, as it pertains to those portions of what His gathered church carries out in worship of Him – this and this only is what a worship service should consist of. Hence, there should be the reading of Scripture (1 Tim. 4:13), the preaching and hearing of Scripture (2 Tim. 4:2), the teaching and admonishing of one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16), corporate prayer and intercession (1 Tim. 2:1-8), and lastly, the administration of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. These are the sacred and divinely prescribed elements of biblical worship. They are to be effected by the church with spiritual understanding, faith, reverence, and godly fear in submissive obedience to the Lord (Heb. 12:28-29).

What should strike us on the surface is the simplicity of God’s regulated worship. To the average onlooker it is a plain, unadorned affair that might be scorned as boring. But such a charge betrays two things: first, this mocker of such biblical worship has only an appetite for the flesh. If there is nothing in this service to appeal to his flesh then he’s ready to leave and discard it as not worthy of his affection nor attendance. But here he only reveals how worldly he is when he thinks about God’s worship. His thinking about the worship of the church is something which terminates only on what his natural senses find attractive. It is therefore not God’s worship he’s really after but a time spent for his own liking and entertainment.

Second, the mocker who decries biblical worship as boring is further revealing his own distrust in the sufficiency of God’s Word. God has said all that He’s going to say about how and what He expects His church to do when it comes to offering Him acceptable worship. He has not nor will He ever reveal anything further. Hence, those scriptural elements commanded by God for His worship are enough for the church of Jesus Christ to carry out every Lord’s day. Nothing is to be added nor taken away. However, when well-meaning, sincere Christians believe it best to add or subtract from what God has commanded for His worship – they expose their lack of faith in the sufficiency of God’s own Word. They really don’t believe that such simplicity in worship as regulated by God is enough. They surmise that the reading, singing, preaching and hearing of God’s Word is too bare and restrained. They worry that people won’t like it and they won’t come back if a worship service doesn’t have other elements which excite and thrill the congregation. But what they don’t understand is that God is only going to bless and anoint what He has authorized by His Word (see Lev. 10:1-3). The Lord therefore is not looking for His church to be novel and creative in worship but obedient to what He has commanded. And what He has commanded the church to do in His worship is sufficient to be called true worship. 

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Self-Feeders?

We’re living in a day and age where the New Testament doctrine of the church is fast becoming an antiquated idea for many professing Christians. In fact, the most popular trend among American evangelicals, is being what is called, “a self-feeder.” One of the biggest cheerleaders for this idea is the leading evangelical marketing consultant, George Barna – who, in 2005, wrote a book entitled, Revolution: Finding Vibrant Faith beyond the Walls of the Sanctuary.

In this book, Barna’s main objective is to make the case that the “revolutionaries” have found that in order to pursue an authentic faith they had to abandon the church. Who needs the church when you have an iPod? Thus, for Barna and his revolutionaries, Christians cannot survive in the 21st century if they retain any commitment to the local organized church. Christians must find their intimacy with God and growth in Christ in their own ways and by their own methods, without depending on the church to aid them and hold them accountable to such growth. Hence, the Christian of the 21st century, according to Barna, is a self-feeder.

Sadly and tragically, in our American culture of rugged individualism, the Christian as a self-feeder appeals strongly to the flesh. It caters to that gravitational pull of wanting freedom and independence without having to answer to anyone for what we think, feel, say, or do. It recoils against submission to authority and resists the very notion of personal accountability. And for many professing Christians in this American culture, they see the local church – as designed by God – with its leadership, order, and discipline as the greatest threat to their liberty.

The New Testament doctrine of the church therefore is under siege – by self-serving, self-centered, self-feeders who have been deceived into thinking that their maturity as Christians has grown beyond their need for the church. But what they believe is the answer to a greater walk with God, will only prove in the end to leave them in spiritual infancy with all the hang-ups and hindrances that come with those who never truly mature (see 1 Corinthians 3:1-3; Hebrews 5:11-14).