Evangelical Idolatry Part 2

As I mentioned in my last post, we as individuals can fall into idolatry by replacing God’s Word as our first “go to” source, but what about our churches?  Is it possible for churches to be drawn into idolatry the same way?

 

I’ve described idolatry as redirecting one’s faith, focus, and affection away from God and toward something (or someone) else.  That is what happened to Israel—the nation shifted the primary object of its faith and confidence, focus of its authority, and object of its affection away from God and toward man-made objects.  Now, here are the hard questions: when it comes to determining ministry direction and models, have our churches redirected the primary focus of our faith (trust and confidence) away from what God has revealed in Word?  What about His Word as the ultimate authority?  And how much affection is directed to what God has revealed in His Word?

 

Over the years evangelical churches have proudly waved the banner of the “authority and sufficiency” of God’s Word.  Again, here is a simple test to determine how much we really rely upon the authority and sufficiency of His Word: review your church’s pattern in recent days, months, and years.  Now ask yourself, “Where did we come up with our church’s ministry emphasis and model?  Does it come from a denominational tradition, current trend, popular book, or popular pastor; or did it result from the church and its leaders sitting down and prayerfully, specifically, and thoroughly examining God’s Word—particularly His direct commands and the example presented in Acts and the Epistles—and then attempting to faithfully/accurately apply them in our context

 

 Another simple test:  how much excitement and emphasis has been displayed around your church concerning a popular new book or seminar? In contrast, how much excitement has there been over studying God’s Word together—actually digging in together to discover the priceless and timeless truths found there?

Again, Psalm 119: 105 says: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. (NIV)

2 Timothy 3:16, 17 says: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (NIV) 

According to these verses, God’s Word is designed to show us the way, and that it is the means by which we grow in Him and are equipped to serve Him.  If that is true for us as individuals, isn’t it also true for our churches?  If we truly believe in the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word, we will be relying first upon His Word for a church’s direction and ministry models.  We will be spending more time searching the Scriptures for direction and inspiration than studying the best-selling book on church life.  We will be resisting the lure of idolatry by directing our primary faith (trust and confidence), focus (on authority), and affection on His Word; denominational tradition, contemporary trends, popular books, and the messages of popular pastors are then viewed (correctly) as potential supplements and complements at best.

 

(For those who question the appropriateness of directing our affection toward God’s Word, consider Psalm 119: 16, 20, 24, 47, 48 … in fact, just read the whole chapter.)

 

May the Lord protect us all from the lure of idolatry, and may He strengthen us, as individuals and churches, so that we always keep our faith, focus, and affection solely and securely directed toward Him and His Word.

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Evangelical Idolatry?

In my November 29 blog I ended with the following statement:

The Reality is That Trusting These (or any other models) Rather Than God and His Word Is Idolatry: There is a Need to Repent of Evangelical Idolatry. 

Is that an extreme assertion? Could it be that we truly are guilty of idolatry when it comes to the object of our primary faith, focus, and affection?  Has God’s Word been replaced as our first “go to” source in cultivating our knowledge of and relationship with God?  Even more telling—are we even making an effort to cultivate these?

Here’s a quick quiz to help determine the answer.  How much time do I spend each day in studying God’s Word?  Now, I’m talking about going beyond the 5-10 minutes in devotions—multiple passages, particularly in the Psalms, indicate that we are to meditate on His Word throughout the day.  Deuteronomy 6: 6-9 indicates that we are to have His Word impressed upon our hearts, talking about it throughout each and every day, incorporating it into every aspect of our lives.  Jesus said that His Word was to “abide” in us (Jn. 15:7).  These suggest an all day, every day, preoccupation with God’s Word.

 

So, again, how much time do I devote to actually studying God’s Word and meditating on it (and for pastors and teachers, this is beyond sermon and lesson preparation)?

Now, in contrast, how much time do I spend reading books about spiritual topics—by that I mean books that don’t specifically explain and/or apply Scripture?  Such books aren’t necessarily bad—the problem comes when they become the primary source, rather than secondary supplements. 

Perhaps even more alarming: how much time do I spend reading books or watching programs that have nothing to do with specifically cultivating my walk with God? If God’s Word is getting mere token attention—if we are directing our faith, focus, and affection away knowing God and His will directly through His Word—I think it’s safe to say we’ve fallen into idolatry.

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Where did we go wrong?

The recent reports regarding Willow Creek have rocked a lot of people’s world (http://blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur/archives/2007/10/willow_creek_re.html).  It raises the question in my title.  Over two years ago I started working on a new book that addresses the Lord’s mandate to make disciples.  Back then, I wrote the observations below. The reference to “targets” in the text refers back to the book’s introduction in which I suggest that many, perhaps even most, evangelicals churches have been aiming at and hitting the wrong target.

 Recognizing Wrong Targets and Redirecting our Focus  

In the middle of the last century, liberal theology threatened to destroy evangelical churches.  A “Battle for the Bible” ensued, in which the historical accuracy and validity of the Bible was challenged. Several denominations and many churches fell, yet many made it through the battle, still clinging to the inerrancy of the Bible.

 

However, even in the ranks of evangelicals there were serious casualties.  One of those was a diminished view of the Bible’s authority and sufficiency in all areas related to the church.  There are churches (and pastors) who hold tenaciously to the inerrancy of the Bible, but fail to recognize how it directs and applies to the very life and function of the church.

 

In the midst of the battle, the mindset arose that since the Bible was not up to date, and there was no basis for confidence in its message, we must devise ways to grow the church.  Even the most sincere, the most devoted to defending the Bible, were satisfied to look outside the Bible to discover ways to “get people saved.”

 

This gave rise in the 1950s and 60s to the “Program Driven” target—the assumption that if a church implemented five (or so) key programs, the church would grow, people would be saved, and the church would somehow become what God wanted it to become.  Part of the myth was the misconception that the primary means of evangelism was the Sunday morning service.  The assumption was that if you got the lost into the church sanctuary on Sunday morning, they could hear the gospel and be saved.  The invitation at the end of the Sunday morning service became the primary evangelistic tool among many, if not most, evangelical churches.

 

This mindset evolved in the late 1970s to the “Church Growth” target.  The assumption was that the priority of the church was to “grow,” and this meant getting people into the building on Sunday mornings so they could hear the gospel.  The implied result?  More people would be saved.  The movement went a step forward by examining churches that were growing and lifting them up as examples.  One result was that churches across the nation prioritized “growth,” rather than obedience to God’s command.  (Jesus never commanded growth, and He never commanded us to get people to “come” so they could be saved—He commanded us to “go” so they could be saved). This led to many churches abandoning “traditional” services for the notion that more “relevant” and “contemporary” styles of “worship” would get more people into our buildings on Sunday.

 

Some within the movement held and promoted a faulty perspective on Acts 2:42-47, a perspective that has been magnified by other recent movements.  Some have falsely concluded that there was a cause and effect relationship between the activities listed in the first part of the passage and the growth mentioned at the end of 47.  For years, many church leaders have lifted these points as a recipe for church growth.  Others have lifted these verses up as the sum of what the church is to be doing or as formulas to be followed.  The only problem:  God doesn’t identify these as such.  These verses describe what took place following the Day of Pentecost; they were indeed appropriate functions and priorities for the new body of believers; but they were not presented as God’s prescription for health or success.  Indeed, a healthy church will be doing these things, but focusing exclusively on, or elevating and prioritizing these activities, does not necessarily produce a healthy church.

 

Obeying the Lord’s specific command to make disciples leads to church health.

 

In recent years several additional Popular Models and Movements have been elevated as targets that have in many cases misdirected our focus from the true target—the direct command of Christ to make disciples according to His specifications and methodology.  While these models may have been implemented and offered from sincere hearts that truly longed to bring glory to God, and while the hope was that disciples would be the result, these have not been the result. In many cases, pastors across the country have looked to man-made models for direction, rather than examining God’s Word.  So many pastors are quick to ask what well-known and “successful” pastors have done (or are doing), without asking what God’s Word says about the functions and strategies of the church.  Again, this flows back to a theology that taught that the Bible was lacking and needed our help.

 

And while promoters of these various models may not have believed this about the Bible in their hearts, they themselves were taught to look outside the Bible for direction, rather than to look within the Bible for a workable plan. The Bible is sufficient.  Psalm 119: 105 applies as much to the local church as to every individual.

 

Fact:  The Bible is the ultimate textbook for the ministry and life of the church, yet it seems to be the most neglected when it comes to determining the ministry and education plans for churches. In fact, it may be the most neglected resource among all evangelicals.  It is seen by many as merely the center point and standard for all sermons and teaching, but not for church ministry and function.

 

I believe the most unasked question among evangelicals is:  “What does the Bible say?” (Instead of: “What does this popular pastor, or professor, or textbook, or author, or denominational entity, or strategist, or movement say?”)

 

We have no need of “new” and exciting extra-biblical designs, strategies, models, movements, methods, emphases, and mindsets.  What we need for our churches is not anything new, but rather is as old as the New Testament.  And ALL we need for church health, growth, and true success is found, not in the newest book on the Wal-Mart shelf, but in the Bible.

 

The Reality is That Trusting These (or any other models) Rather Than God and His Word Is Idolatry: There is a Need to Repent of Evangelical Idolatry

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