Monthly Archives: June 2008

The Importance of Sound Doctrine

Posted by Marcus Orr on June 14, 2008 1 comment

I don’t watch a lot of television. Not that there isn’t anything on that I’d like to see, I just don’t have the opportunity to watch a lot. I spend more time in front of the computer screen than the television. I take in a lot of news, mostly online so that I can pick and choose what’s relevant to me. Occasionally, I’ll watch the local news if there’s a story on that I want to see. So, unless something is making big headlines, I may miss out on it.

Something has caught my eye recently, not on the television, but in public, and I’ve been wondering how I missed it. I’ve seen several folks reading the same book, Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth. After seeing a third or fourth person walking around with this book tucked in a pocket book or under an arm, it makes you take notice and raises your curiosity a little. I knew nothing about Tolle or his books and I wondered what could be drawing people to him. It wasn’t until encountering some online media concerning the connection between Tolle and Oprah Winfrey that I began to dig for a little more information about why I keep seeing and hearing his name.

I don’t watch Oprah. I never have and probably never will. Even if you don’t personally tune into her show, there’s no question about her influence on American culture. She has a very powerful platform from which to speak and a large segment of our population listens. In January, 2008, Winfrey announced Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth as her book club selection, which undoubtedly helped catapult the book to the top of the NY Times’ bestseller list. This book, subtitled “awakening the purpose in your life” is a modern repackaging of buddhist teaching peppered with christian language to make it more palatable to an audience with a judeo-christian background. Winfrey and Tolle also developed ten online classes, complete with workbooks, newsletters, transcripts, webcasts and podcasts. Winfrey describes Tolle’s book as “one of the most important subjects… presented by one of the most important books of our time.”With Winfrey’s media powerhouse behind him, Tolle has an audience of millions at which to pitch his views. Tolle’s isn’t the first new age media to be catapulted into the limelight by Winfrey. In 2007, it was hard to escape her promotion of “The Secret” another new thought, self-realization vehicle. This is one of the reasons I don’t watch Oprah, but what about the millions who do? Who are they? Who is buying into this new age spirituality? They are regular folk. They are teaching our children. They are sitting in your church pews every Sunday.

For the American church, this means a great deal. We have a serious problem if Oprah Winfrey can equate God, life, conciousness, and universal energy as one and the same and people who call themselves Christians swallow this garbage. I have neither the space nor inclination to identify and address all of the aspects of New Age thought that are being pitched to us on a daily basis, nor do I believe that other ministries need to spend much time dissecting and attacking popular culture and thought. The problem for the church isn’t a lack of people attacking errant teaching. The problem is that there is a lack of clear and concise teaching of Christian doctrine. Those who call themselves Christians do not know what they believe or why because they have been taught a watered-down version of Christianity that looks no different from the latest self-help books. Tolle and others of his strain hold such power over our people because they are, as Scripture describes:

…children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive
(Eph 4:14 KJV)

and

they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
(2Ti 4:3-4 KJV)

They know nothing of the righteousness of God or the depravity of man. They are not taught the consequences of sin or the reality of Hell. They are taught “love thy neighbor” divorced from an understanding of love defined by the sacrificial death and hope found in Jesus Christ. We suffer from weak leadership that has lost faith in the sufficiency of Scripture. Our churches are in desperate need for a return to the advice that Paul gave to Timothy as he prepared to lead the church. Paul says:

Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
(1Ti 4:13-16 KJV)

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
(2Ti 4:2 KJV)

No fancy programs. No gimmicks. No new plans or formulas for growth. Paul emphasizes the importance of faithfulness in teaching and applying sound doctrine. He urges us to belief in the sufficiency of Scripture and conformation of our churches and lives to the teaching of God’s Word.

Here are some resources worth considering:

526705t The Importance of Sound Doctrine Here We Stand!: A Call from Confessing Evangelicals for a Modern ReformationBy P & R Publishing

The church in sixteenth-century Europe needed a reformation. Martin Luther precipitated what we call the Reformation with his famous declaration, “Here I stand!” Is the evangelical church of today equally in need of a reformation? Yes, proclaim eight evangelical leaders: David Wells, James Montgomery Boice, Michael Horton, Sinclair Ferguson, R. Albert Mohler, Gene Edward Veith, W. Robert Godfrey, and Ervin Duggan.

“Because of our love of Christ, his gospel, and his church,” they affirm in a document called the Cambridge Declaration, “we endeavor to assert anew our commitment to the central truths of the Reformation and of historic evangelicalism.”

Evangelicals “have abandoned the truths of the Bible and the historic theology of the church, which expresses those truths,” writes coeditor Boice. “We are trying to do the work of God by means of the world’s “theology,” wisdom, methods, and agenda instead.” Here We Stand! calls churches to return to the authority of the Bible and to apply it faithfully in their worship, ministry, policies, life, and evangelism.
47389t The Importance of Sound Doctrine The Deliberate Church: Building Your Ministry on the GospelBy Mark Dever & Paul Alexander / Crossway Books & Bibles

Pastors Mark Dever and Paul Alexander provide a model of a biblical church in this resource for pastors, elders, and others interested in the vitality of their church. This highly practical book proposes an attitude of complete reliance on and submission to the Gospel in building a healthy church.
46317t The Importance of Sound Doctrine Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, Expanded EditionBy Mark Dever / Crossway Books & Bibles

Some churches are thriving, while others are barely surviving. What distinguishes a healthy community from one that’s ailing? In this expanded edition of his classic study, Dever identifies nine marks that set a vigorous, biblical congregation apart, including expository preaching, biblical theology, concern for discipleship and growth, biblical church leadership, and more. 287 pages, softcover from Crossway.

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Promotional Creativity

Posted by Marcus Orr on June 11, 2008 No comments

I stumbled across this very creative advertisement promoting tourism for Ocean City, MD.

How Clever. This ad stands out from the rest and you would certainly remember it. This reminds me that sometimes a little creativity is needed to effectively deliver a message. I hope this inspires you to get creative with whatever project you find yourself working on.

Here are some other resources for creative ministry planning:

091659t Promotional Creativity Rethinking the Church, Revised & Expanded: A Challenge to Creative Redesign in an Age of TransitionBy James Emery White / Baker

Your church has a unique mission. Have you taken time to understand exactly what it is? White helps pastors and lay leaders break “old molds,” check assumptions, and answer vital questions about how their ministry can best foster evangelism, discipleship, worship, and more. This revised edition emphasizes how to move from rethinking to transition. 160 pages, softcover from Baker.
423061t Promotional Creativity An Unstoppable Force: Daring to Become the Church God Had in MindBy Erwin Raphael McManus / Group Publishing

An Unstoppable Force will excite and inspire readers about being part of the Church that God had in mind! A “force” created to change the world. A Church that is engaged with its community, daring to cut itself free from atrophied practices and programs to flourish in creative and compelling worship. A Church that risks reaching out to our jaded culture with “outside the box” expressions of faith and love.
447231t Promotional Creativity Fresh Ideas for Women’s Ministry: Creative Plans and Programs that Really Work!By Diana Davis / B & H Publishing Group

Is your church’s women’s program vibrant? In need of a makeover? Just getting started? Davis’s flexible resource offers a proven plan to enhance, revitalize, and inspire any size ministry! Filled with ideas for discipleship, missions, fellowship, and special events, it includes sample forms, surveys, notes for small churches, evaluation tools, leadership tips, and more. 208 pages, softcover from B&H.

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Fulfilling The Mission

Posted by Marcus Orr on June 10, 2008 1 comment

As I write this article, the 2008 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting is in progress. This year’s Annual Meeting theme is “Fulfilling the Mission.” A reminder that we, as churches and individuals, are called to be on mission with God. But, what does that mean for us in a practical sense? How does this work in our personal lives? At work? As a church body? If you’ve been attuned to Southern Baptist news, you may have heard a grim forecast for the denomination concerning membership and baptism numbers. Many of our churches certainly don’t reflect the testimony of Acts 2:47 “and every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved.” (HCSB) We can’t share in this testimony because we have neglected the Great Commission. Instead of sharing our faith personally, we have delegated the task to the “professionals.” We expect our pastors, evangelists and missionaries to carry the message to the world. I’m afraid that the forecast for our Baptist churches will prove to be true if we don’t have a shift in mindset at the individual level and begin to take ownership of a personal call to fulfill the great commission. The same holds true for our churches. I hope that, as the Convention’s Annual Meeting winds to a close, the emphasis on fulfilling the Great Commission will encourage our churches and people to enthusiastically share Christ both in their communities and around the world.

Here are some recommended books on fulfilling the Great Commission through missions and evangelism:

02613xt Fulfilling The Mission Let the Nations Be Glad! 2d ed.: The Supremacy of God in Missions

By John Piper / Baker

Why do we do missions? We are told, by Jesus, to preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations. So missions is duty, right? Wrong. If you do missions purely from a sense of duty you will not honor those you are reaching out to, nor will you truly honor God. Duty is the wrong place to look, so where do we find the answer to why we do missions? We turn, according to John Piper, to worship.

In our worship of God we encounter God’s glory. The overflow from our worship is a desire to share God’s glory with others (the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever), and we naturally become missional. When Jesus was asked what the kingdom of God was like, he compared it to a pearl so valuable that one would sell all they owned simply to possess it. Does that seem like duty to you? Instead, Jesus calls us to a new mindset, which flows from the mindset that worship creates in us. Thus, according to Piper, does worship become the goal of missions and the fuel which makes missions possible.

Worship as the fuel for missions makes sense to a lot of people, but worship as the goal of missions? Piper reminds us that the true reason we share God with others is to make them worshippers (and sharers) as well. He feels that the true goal of missions is “the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God.” If it is true, (as Piper states) that “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him,” then increasing the number of people who are satisfied in God will bring God more glory. And missions is the way we can do that.

Missions must be seen as more than simply saving people from sin, though that is a very important aspect. And missions is not just about getting people into heaven, although that is important as well. Instead, through missions we should always seek to make as many people as possible into true worshippers, into those fully satisfied with the greatness of God.

With that mindset, missions becomes a joyous experience, as we joyfully share the life-changing presence of God in our lives with those who don’t know God. When we have made worship both the fuel and goal of all our missionary endeavors, we realize that “missions is not a recruitment project for God’s labor force. It is a liberation project from the heavy burdens and hard yokes of other gods.” Missions is never a burden, because it comes out of our overwhelming joy in God’s grace and mercy, and we just want to share that joy. So make God the center of your missions work, and joyfully share what He has graciously given to you.

21008t Fulfilling The Mission Becoming a Contagious Christian

By Bill Hybels / Zondervan

People matter to God. That foundational truth is why Bill Hybels planted a church where people can hear a clear, contemporary presentation of the gospel, relate to others who have decided to follow Jesus and respond to the life-changing good news of the gospel. In Becoming a Contagious Christian you will discover why we are called to be Contagious Christians, how authenticity, compassion and sacrifice help us relate to seekers and how to clearly share the gospel with those you love. This resource is designed for Sunday school, small group and individual study. Let Becoming a Contagious Christian revitalize your passion for evangelism and enable you to fulfill Christ’s Great Commission!

8081t Fulfilling The Mission The Soul Winner

By Charles Spurgeon / Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Winning souls is ”the chief business of the Christian minister” and of every believer in Jesus, wrote Spurgeon. The most compelling preacher of the 1800s, Spurgeon continues to challenge today’s believers. In this classic work, he gives you effective, encouraging instruction on how to share ”the exciting, disturbing, even sensational news” of the Great Commission. 319 pages, softcover from Eerdmans.

4007xt Fulfilling The Mission Ashamed of the Gospel

By John MacArthur / Crossway Books & Bibles

Ashamed of the Gospel bears a message the church just can’t ignore: that we dare not be ashamed of communicating the convicting message of the Gospel. That we dare not candy coat it. Or make the church so user-friendly that the preaching of God’s Word is compromised. MacArthur reminds today’s church of the inevitable spiritual consequences if Christians continue to compromise biblical doctrine and the preaching of the Gospel. This masterful work challenges the church to return to the roots of the Great Commission and encourages a steadfast preaching of the Word of God.

436338t Fulfilling The Mission Radically Unchurched: Who They Are & How To Reach Them

By Alvin L. Reid / Kregel Publications

In America today, the ranks of the radically unchurched are growing. How can we effectively communicate the gospel to an indifferent culture who regards the church as irrelevant? Examining the causes behind the loss of America’s Christian identity, Reid provides proven strategies for touching people who desperately need to be confronted with Christ’s life-changing truth. 219 pages, softcover from Kregel.

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Preaching from the Heart

Posted by Marcus Orr on June 8, 2008 1 comment

This week, as I studied the passage I preached on this morning, Matthew 6:25-34, the Scripture spoke directly to the sin in my life. If you’re not familiar with this passage, it is a portion of Jesus’ famous “Sermon on the Mount” in which he says,

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. – Words of Jesus
(Mat 6:25-34 KJV)

Oh, how I needed to hear these words and apply them in my own life. How often I worry about things over which I have no control. No wonder crowds gathered to hear Jesus preach. His words cut straight to the heart.

I’ve learned that preaching is more than speaking God’s Word, it is an intimate experience in which God first deals with the heart of the messenger. In his book, Biblical Preaching, Haddon Robinson provides a definition of expository preaching which says that:

the truth must be applied to the personality and experience of the preacher. This places God’s dealing with the preacher at the center of the process.

This is exactly where I found myself when confronted with this passage. The words of Christ deliver a clear message about the sinfulness of worrying. When we worry, we either deny the sovereignty of God or we deny the goodness of God. Worry says, either “God, you are not in control” or “God, I don’t believe that you have my best interests at heart.” Worry says “no” to God. Worry says that I believe that I can manage things better than Him. It is an arrogant, prideful slap in the face of an almighty God. It is a sin that drives a wedge between us and God standing in the way of a relationship with Him. The only remedy for this is a repentant heart that acknowledges the sin and relinquishes control to Christ. This is where God led me, through the study of His word, to come face to face with my own sin. That is what God’s Word does when we study it. It is like a magnifying glass that points out the sin in our lives and shows us the need for a Savior who can pardon and cleanse us from our sin.

I encourage you to study this passage. Take some time this week to read Jesus’ entire sermon. It’s only a few pages long. Start in Matthew, chapter 5 and read through chapter 7. Consider what Jesus has to say and what a difference it would make if you applied those principles to your own life.

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Small Church Ministry

Posted by Marcus Orr on June 7, 2008 No comments

There’s an allure to ministering in a large church that I’ve never quite understood. I visited First Baptist Jacksonville for a Pastor’s Conference a few years ago. I believe that there were over 14,000 people there. I went to the conference as part of a seminary course on Church Administration, so we got to view some of the behind-the-scenes administration of the church and it’s facilities. It was very impressive to say the least. There were programs and opportunities for every group that you can think of in which to get involved. The administration and leadership of that church was wonderful and they provide an awesome ministry to the folks in Jacksonville. I don’t believe that I’d be comfortable ministering in a church of that size.

For the last several years, my wife and I have been at First Baptist Church of Alamance, a small, rural church just outside of Burlington, NC. At the time we started attending, the church was in a growing stage and experiencing the pains and stresses that come along with growth. We went to help out our friend, Daniel Gregory, who pastors the church. I’ve learned some important things about ministry from our experiences in a small church. There are ample opportunities for one-on-one ministry. You really get to know the people in a small church environment. They aren’t just faces that you recognize, they are friends. There are a lot of opportunities to be creative in your ministry. Each Sunday isn’t a Hollywood-style production that demands everything to be just so. The worship time can be more flexible since there aren’t the demands of consulting the lighting crew, sound crew, media team, etc. One of the neatest things about small churches is the chance to see individuals grow in their faith and apply the principles you’ve taught. It’s a blessing to watch people making godly decisions that they may not have the month or year before.
As I search for a local church pastorate, I’ve intentionally sought small churches to send my resume to. A post entitled “Advantages of Starting Out in a Small Church” on Les Puryear’s blog caught my attention the other day. Here’s a quote that was particularly encouraging:

In one year at a small church you’ll get to do 25 times the things you’ll get to do on a large church staff. Weddings, baptisms, funerals, hospital visitation, budgeting, preaching, prayer meetings, leading board meetings, and a hundred other things are normal for a year’s work in a small church. On a large church staff you may serve ten years before you get to do 90% of a minister’s ordinary work. Plus, in a small church your ministry impact is directly measurable—you can see the effect quicker driving a small craft instead of working on a huge aircraft carrier. – Les Puryear, Joining God in His Work

This reminded me and reinforced what God is leading me to seek in pastoral ministry. Being in a small church has been a tremendous blessing and has taught me more about ministry than I may have learned in a large church. If you’re reading this and you’re seeking a pastoral ministry, don’t discount the small church. If you’re reading this and you’re a member of a small church, encourage your pastor by letting him know that you appreciate all he does.


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