Extremists In the Church of Jesus Christ
“If we preach the whole counsel of God, we shall be accused of extremism, not only by the world but also by a professing Church that cannot endure sound doctrine.” Vance Havner
Christian doctrine, the propositional teaching of Scripture, is under attack.
Many in the Church today are teaching that doctrine is less rather than more important. “Yes,” they say, “Doctrine has its place, but it’s getting in the way of the work of the Church.” These assert that focusing on doctrine has weakened the Church and its witness.
Interesting. So, what then is this black leather book, and why is it cluttering up my desk? More to the point, why has the Church so allowed it to clutter its history?
EVOLVE OR DIE?
Leaders and “experts” in the Church are telling us that we need to evolve in our thinking regarding the doctrines the Church has treasured, taught, and died for – for over 21 centuries. Even some of America’s “must hear” mega-pastors are advocating for a lesser-rather-than-greater emphasis on doctrine during this time of post-Christian relativism in America. As if Paul didn’t have to deal with relativism, multi-culturalism, and pluralism in his time. What was he thinking, writing strong doctrinal books when first-century Rome had gone so Starbucks in its theological and philosophical menu? And just how did the Church “turn the world upside down” (Acts 17.6) even as it insisted on the aggressive teaching of pure doctrine?
A survey of sermons today makes one wonder if most Churches would be able to listen to an expository preaching series on Romans, Paul’s introduction to theology? How many pastors could or would take on the task of preaching through Romans and its foundational themes verse-by-verse? How many pastors decline to teach Paul’s doctrinal primer because, they argue, it is simply too doctrinally deep for their Churches?
That calls for the deduction and dismissal of doctrine would come from America culture is not surprising – the world is often offended by the idea of absolute truth.
But the Church itself seems to be nodding off in agreement. That these calls for the reduction and rejection of doctrine would come from within the Church is stunning.
In fact, for the Church to diminish the vital importance of doctrine is nothing short of suicidal.
IT IS WRITTEN
We owe our very existence to doctrine – without it, we are not the Church:
“If I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.” I Timothy 3.15 (NASB)
Without doctrine, we cannot worship God – (in spirit or in truth):
“Exultation that does not flow from education, affections that do not flow from knowing, savoring that does not flow from seeing, feeling that does not flow from thinking – are hollow and rootless – noisy gongs and clanging cymbals. And God is not glorified by artificial and empty passions. True delight is rooted in true doctrine. God-centered Exultation is rooted in God-centered Education.” John Piper
Without doctrine, we have no Gospel to proclaim and no assurance of eternal life:
“No one can say “Jesus is Lord” (1 Cor. 12:3; Rom. 10:9) without speaking in a deeply doctrinal way, because this simple statement rests on profound biblical truths. It assumes that Christ is the eternal second member of the Trinity, who became uniquely God incarnate, was set forth as our substitutionary atonement, was raised from the dead having conquered all evil, and is now reigning sovereignly over all reality” (Eph. 1:20–22). Tim Challies
Without doctrine, we are absolutely without hope.
Church history is filled with the carcasses of dead Churches, denominations, and movements that, in time past, contended for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3). Current events reveal many others now queuing up with apparent death wishes – the modern Church of Sardis with glittering satellite campuses.
“Errors of faith always lead to errors of life . . . unbelief in the doctrines of the Bible will sooner or later lead to a rejection of Christianity.” The Christian Recorder
Recent polls by Pew Research and Ligonier Ministries reveal that these frontal and subtle attacks on doctrine have been frighteningly successful: huge numbers of Americans reject cardinal Christian doctrines. Apparently, many in America are taking bite after bite of the apple of Eden, amening each other, “Has God really said?” (Genesis 3.1)
Not only do massive numbers of Americans now reject Christian doctrine, but studies of the Evangelical Church are not encouraging: increasing numbers of Evangelicals say they reject cardinal Christian doctrine as well. If these studies are accurate, our Churches are filled with people who do not know Jesus Christ. Seated in the very presence of God, they are far from Him. Why? For lack of knowledge – a rejection of doctrine – the “people of God” are perishing (Hosea 4.6).
DOCTRINE IS THE DRAMA
Dorothy Sayers was a 20th Century English writer and philosopher. She was a close friend of J.R.R Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, and an informal member of The Inklings, that renowned circle of thinkers and writers.
Writing seventy years ago in an England that wandered away from God decades ahead of us, Sayers had this prophetic word for England in her time and America in ours:
“Christianity, of late years, has been having what is known as a bad press. We are constantly assured that the Churches are empty because preachers insist too much upon doctrine—dull dogma as people call it. The fact is the precise opposite. It is the neglect of dogma that makes for dullness. The Christian faith is the most exciting drama that ever staggered the imagination of man—and the dogma is the drama.” Dorothy L. Sayers, Letters to a Diminished Church: Passionate Arguments for the Relevance of Christian Doctrine
“The dogma IS the drama.” If you prefer, “The doctrine is the drama.”
FUTURE SHOCK
What will happen to the Church if we continue to avoid the thorough teaching of sound doctrine? Dr. David F. Wells looks to Church history in predicting our future:
“(Unless the Church embraces theology and teaches doctrine) Christianity will remain simply a cultural convenience that will be discarded every time its teaching threatens our way of life. It will be powerless to yield the meaning that we need, powerless to preserve us in the way of God that we seek.” David F. Wells, No Place For Truth
As a former missionary to Europe, I can testify to the accuracy of this report in what was once called the Cradle of Christianity. The lands of Luther, Wesley, Calvin, Zwingli, Hus, Tyndale, Cranmer, Knox, and others have long ago left The Faith. The Gospel is almost universally rejected, except by a faithful few who continue to believe that the hope of Europe is not biblical accommodation but the preaching of the unchanging Word of God. Doctrine.
As a minister of the Gospel in America today, I can testify that what has already happened in Europe is rapidly consuming American culture and much of the American Church. If we neglect to ardently teach sound doctrine, how do we think we can escape what has happened in Europe? How do we believe that we will at best be tolerated as a cultural convenience or even inconvenience?
The only hope for the world and the Church is Jesus Christ. And that means doctrine.
In his book, Death in the City, theologian and philosopher Francis Schaeffer wrote:
“The Church in our generation needs reformation, revival, and constructive revolution. At times men think of the two words reformation and revival as standing in contrast one to the other, but this is a mistake. Both words are related to the word restore. Reformation refers to a restoration to pure doctrine; revival refers to a restoration in the Christian’s life. Reformation speaks of a return to the teachings of Scripture; revival speaks of a life brought into its proper relationship to the Holy Spirit. The great moments of Church history have come when these two restorations have simultaneously come into action so that the Church has returned to pure doctrine and the lives of the Christians in the Church have known the power of the Holy Spirit. There cannot be true revival unless there has been reformation; and reformation is not complete without revival. Such a combination of reformation and revival would be revolutionary in our day — revolutionary in our individual lives as Christians, revolutionary not only in reference to the liberal Church but constructively revolutionary in the evangelical, Orthodox Church as well. May we be those who know the reality of both reformation and revival, so that this poor dark world may have an exhibition of a portion of the Church returned to both pure doctrine and Spirit-filled life.”
Pastor, preach the Word. Do not yield to the pressures of the culture around your Church or even to the call for compromise within your Church. Our call is not to accommodate the world or make Jesus more attractive or “relevant” to the world. Our task is not to make His cross inoffensive. He is God. And what He has deemed necessary for men and women to know about Him and ourselves, we are duty-bound to tell. Duty-bound to tell by the One before whom each of us shall one day stand and give an account of our stewardship of our teaching ministry (James 3.1).
Our call is to preach the Word of God – accurately and fully:
“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” II Timothy 4.1-5
Pastor, as a soldier of Jesus Christ, preach the Word. As a faithful undershepherd of Jesus Christ, teach the Word. As one who speaks for God, preach the Word to a lost and dying world, preach the Word.
NOTE: This article is dedicated to the pastors, teachers, missionaries, and evangelists – many friends and colleagues – who have faithfully echoed Paul’s call to Timothy to “Preach the Word.” In the face of opposition in America and around the world, you have held true to your call and to the One who has called you. In particular, I dedicate this blog to the missionaries and national pastors in places of persecution around the world who continue to faithfully discharge your ministries. Your example is an inspiration. We pray for you and your Churches as you hold forth the Word of Truth.
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