“But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20).
What do you do if you have been attending a church fellowship and you begin to notice certain things that were previously not done, things that don’t quite sit well with your spirit?
What if your pastor begins saying things like, “You are saved by believing that Jesus died on the cross, was buried and rose again. Period!”[i]
What if your pastor begins saying things like, “[N]ever criticize what God is blessing.…”[ii]
Or perhaps you hear something like, “No. Here’s my thing, Larry, is I can’t judge somebody’s heart. You know? Only god (sic) can look at somebody’s heart, and so -- I don’t know. To me, it’s not my business to say, you know, this one is or this one isn’t. I just say, here’s what the bible teaches and I'm going to put my faith in Christ. And I just I think it’s wrong when you go around saying, you’re saying you’re not going, you're not going, you're not going, because it's not exactly my way. I’m just...”[iii]
As the apostasy grows and darkness intrudes, how does one handle the situation among all the circumstances? That’s a legitimate question, and having a pastor’s heart, it is a question I definitely want to address.
We have certainly heard of people leaving a local congregation because their concerns were dismissed with attitudes from the clergy that range from casual indifference to heated indignation.
We have also heard of congregations standing up against unscriptural methods. You will probably recall the recent resignation of David Cox, the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Daytona Beach, Florida. If you’re not familiar with the episode, this all began just about six months ago when Bobby Welch, the senior pastor of FBC for 32 years, retired and one of the associate pastors was installed to replace him. This new associate pastor, David Cox, began implementing Purpose Driven methods and practices, to which the congregation stood firmly against. The Biblical Recorder states:
Cox reportedly ran into trouble because of changes he instituted in the church’s worship style, his spending habits and the resignations of many longtime staff members after he took the helm.
David Cox resigned five months after assuming the position. You can read
the entire article here.
What one is supposed to do depends primarily upon the leading of the Holy Spirit, and secondarily upon the circumstances that surround the situation. This is something that we wouldn’t have thought needed to be addressed several years ago. Selecting a church, the right church, to attend usually fell within the realm of Evangelism ministries, whereas once a soul was saved that one was pointed to a solid Bible-teaching, Spirit-led, Cross-centered, Christ-exalting, God-glorifying congregation of believers.
Today, however, with pastors moving from pulpit to pulpit faster than pieces on a 30-minute chess match, false doctrine can creep in anywhere at any time:
“For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:4).
The requirement for discernment is more needed today than ever it was in history. This article is basically a lesson borne out of the desire to ensure that the Lord’s sheep are within a sheepfold where Scripture is the authority and not the men expounding upon it; thereby, Christians can be nurtured and edified.
Recognize Compromise
Mike Ratliff, a contributing writer for Christian Research Net, makes the following poignant observation in an introductory article to a series titled, “The Compromised Church”:
The discerning believer knows that something is “just not right” with the Church in America these days. He or she may not be able to pin down exactly what is bothering them, but red flags of warning are ever before them as they observe the American Church change radically at an ever-increasing rate. Even though some “Church leaders” claim that more are being brought into the kingdom than ever before, something is not right.
As believers we need to recognize whether the local church or its pastor has compromised God’s inerrant, infallible, and authoritative truth. As born-again believers that have been saved by grace through faith, the Bible says that even if we can’t absolutely identify a falsehood, the Holy Spirit makes us aware that something is either right or something is wrong:
“But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things” (1 John 2:20).
This unction, this anointing from the Holy Spirit, helps us to perceive truth or falsehood when we are confronted with it. This is consistent with our Lord’s words when He taught us,
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26).
“Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come” (John 16:13).
Identify Compromise
Awareness that something isn’t right is not going to help us. We cannot sit week after week in the church pews being fed poison and expect to live. Remember, it only takes a little poison mixed in with the good food to make it dangerous. Rat poison is 99.99% edible food and only .01% of the lethal chemical. It is written,
“A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” (Galatians 5:9).
We need to make proper, loving decisions according to knowledge and discernment. It is written,
“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment” (Philippians 1:9, NKJV).
Mike Ratliff provides us with the kind of information we need to identify whether a church or pastor has compromised the truth in his series, “
The Compromised Church.”
Confronting CompromiseNow, if the church has been identified as having compromised, this question will be the next one to follow: “Do I, as a member of the congregation, have the Biblical authority to confront a pastor or Bible teacher if something he says does not line up with Scriptural truth?” YES.
The Bible says that those who weigh what men say against the Scriptures are noble.
“And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:10-11).
Furthermore, we are commanded to test the spirit to ensure that the one expounding truth is not a false prophet:
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
Finally, we are told that in our confrontation of one erring, that one has an opportunity to be converted and saved from death:
“Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins” (James 5:20).
Challenging CompromiseOnce compromise in the church has been recognized, identified, and a decision has been made to confront that compromise or those compromises, how does one contest or challenge those compromises?
The matter must be approached in the spirit of meekness:
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1).
Additionally, our meekness should go forth peaceably, with gentleness, and without villainous speech:
“To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men” (Titus 3:2).
Finally, it must be done appropriately:
“Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican” (Matthew 18:15-17).
Confronting the Clergy
If the pastor does not agree to see you on the matter in which you are confronting him, even in your attempts to bring in two or three witnesses, or telling it to the local congregation, then apparently this man is not concerned for the Lord’s sheep. Jesus cares for each of His sheep:
“Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish” (Matthew 18:14).
And as believers who have been reconciled unto God by grace in the Cross of Christ, all of us have been given a ministry of reconciliation:
“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18).
If the pastor does set up an appointment, what are you going to say to him? Attending this meeting with merely one or two points concerning those specific doctrinal errors may be difficult. If he is truly in error and does not realize it, he may chalk up everything to a misunderstanding and write you off as having taken his words out of context.
If the purpose for your visit is reconciliation (and it should be), and if the pastor is also open to reconciliation in the exposition of truth, then you’ll want to find out his entire stance concerning important doctrinal truths. What questions can you ask? Rather than reinvent the wheel, Todd Friel, of Way of the Master Radio, has written an article titled, “
Almost 25 questions that will save you a lot of Sundays.”
The questions from Todd’s article are geared for someone who is looking for a church to attend; nevertheless, many of the questions would be very appropriate for your pastor along with specific questions concerning the suspect doctrines. Specifically, questions that you may want to include are:
1. What is man's biggest problem?
Seeker sensitive and felt-needs churches focus on man’s hurts and problems. The Bible says that man’s biggest problem is sin.
2. What must a man do to inherit eternal life?
Repent and trust is the Biblical answer. If the word “repent” is never used, say, “Thank you.”
3. How do you deliver the salvation message?
Ask the pastor to describe specifically what he says. Does he encourage people to simply say a prayer? Does he tell people to ask Jesus into their hearts? The salvation message should include: God’s holiness, man’s sinfulness, God’s response (hell), God’s kindness (Jesus on the cross), man’s response (repentance and faith).
7. Who do you do church for, seekers or members?
“Both” is not acceptable. Church should be done for members and the unsaved are welcome to attend.
15. Do you believe the Bible contains no errors or contradictions?
No equivocation allowed here.
16. Do you believe in a literal 6 day creation?
Jesus did (Matt.19:4).
17. Do you believe in a literal hell and eternal punishment?
Jesus did (Matt.25).
23.What are the essentials of the faith?
Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Salvation through faith alone, the inerrancy of Scripture.
You do not have to limit yourself to those questions. Print up Todd’s entire list and ask them all if you need to. You may want to have a printed copy of all your questions and provide a copy to the pastor.
If the pastor won’t hear you and you can’t get the church to come along side you in truth, that local congregation has obviously procured a teacher that will scratch their itching ears and entertain their ungodly fancies:
“For the time will come when 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” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
Closing the Door to Compromise
If a church is a place for believers to grow so that they may go and be witnesses of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, then you may have no other alternative than to close the door one last time on this congregation of compromise and find a new church home.
Sadly, that may not be easy, as Todd Friel expresses it from the same article mentioned above:
Looking for a good church? Join the club. Church-shopping can be a long and painful process. To shorten your search, call the pastor of the church before you visit and ask the following questions. This might save you a lot of Sundays.
Click here to go to Todd’s article, “Almost 25 questions that will save you a lot of Sundays.”
It’s sad that one would have to go through an ordeal like this; yet, it seems that these days that frustration over doctrinal error has becoming so widespread that true born-again believers are up in arms about what they need to do if, in fact, their pastor is teaching false doctrines or embracing harmful, unscriptural methods and practices.
I’ve written this article because I’ve got the feeling that this is a message that you may not hear on a Sunday morning from too many pulpits…
…and if you listen to one of my messages or read one of my articles, make sure you’re checking everything out by the Word of God.
In ConclusionA pastor is a member of the body of Christ and no more important than any other member. But because we need to be reminded, encouraged, and built up more than most,
[iv] God, in His awesome grace has allowed us to minister before Him and unto you through prayer and exposition of His Word. It is a privilege with an incredible responsibility, as it is written,
“My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment” (James 3:1, NKJV).
[i] I’ve already begun a series, “Repent Ye,” that addresses the “easy beliefism” that has intruded upon the pulpits today.
[ii] Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995; p.62
[iii] Joel Osteen answering Larry King on whether a “Jew is not going to heaven”; http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0506/20/lkl.01.html
[iv] 1 Corinthians 12:23
David Forster @ www.davidfoster.tv lists 10 signs it's time to confront: