My Journey of Faith Part 11
A Better Way to Worship
When we decided to leave a Church that became Seeker Sensitive in its method of "worship," my son got married to his wife of twenty-three years this year.
There was much confusion among people we knew then about our decision to leave. For me, it was never about feelings. Our conduct as believers should never be dictated by feelings but by God's word. Christ's sufferings demand that His Church be built His way. This emphasis on worshiping according to God's word is not a restriction but a source of grounding and connection to our faith.
There were those who chose to follow us, but that was never my plan. At that time, I was driven to action by the conviction that participating with those who grieve Christ caused me guilt by association. I attended the Shepherds Conference in California for several years, where God blessed me with much-needed resources, back to the Word of God through a new perspective through the Reformers, Puritans, and the preachers of The Great Awakening.
A Better Way to Learn
The search for truth cannot come from within ourselves. As people living in a fallen world, we must first be regenerated and then be Spirit-filled, as only the Holy Spirit takes the truth of Christ and makes it known to those who believe. The world teaches us to look within ourselves, but Jesus taught us something different in John 16:13. "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth." A prayerless Church, like the individual, cannot walk in truth because truth comes from the source of Truth, God alone.
Over time, those who followed us strayed because their focus was not on Jesus Christ, but on the fleeting comfort of empty religion. My heart aches for them and all those who are bewildered by the confusion sown by the devil, who often misguides leaders. We all need to grow in God's grace, a journey that can sometimes be hindered by our associations. 'He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm' (Proverbs 13:20).
This call to grow, which can lead to separation from others, can hurt them and make us seem unloving and even cruel. On the other hand, I once heard a very good and humble shepherd, Martin Lloyd-Jones, say, "If love is determined by being amiable, then the most Godly men in the Bible, including our Lord Jesus Christ, were not very loving." God never sacrifices the truth to save a person from hurt feelings.
A Better Way to Believe
I understand that following Bible teachings can sometimes cause hurt feelings, separation from good brethren, and the loss of our reputation in their eyes. Still, sometimes, that's the cost of following Jesus.
I had to come to the understanding that God allows the devil to increase power as we approach the end of this present age. That power includes deceiving even the elect. "for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order, if possible, to lead the elect astray" Mark 13:22. The term, if possible, refers to the fact that a person chosen to salvation by God cannot entirely fall away from faith to the loss of their eternal soul. Still, we can be deceived for a season.
A Better Way to Live Our Lives
The devil's plan is always to separate believers from God because He alone is the source of our holiness and obedience. Sound doctrine is not to feel good about ourselves and what we believe or even loyalty to those who teach us. Truth is the soil by which we grow in holiness, but the truth is very narrow. The idea that we can all believe what we want and are entitled to our opinion works well in a democracy but not in the kingdom of God. We are not the ultimate authority over what we believe, but God who owns us because of creation and redemption.
The better way to live is to turn all authority over to Jesus Christ, especially when it goes against believing the truth. The stumbling block that must be overcome is the tendency to think that we intuitively feel the truth because we are Christians. Not all believers believe the same, and the Church has much division. The Bible is clear; division is disobedience to the New Testament commands. It is harsh, but the reason for divisions is competition for the highest seat in the kingdom, just like the disciples before Pentecost.
"But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing" James 3:14-16. The word disorder in English can be translated as anarchy or confusion. In the Church, these things ought not to be this way.
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