Bible-Centered in Everything
Where God is at work, so is Satan. And let me tell you, God is REALLY at work at First Baptist Portland. So, I’m sure you can understand how Satan wants to thwart the work that God is doing. He’s been doing it from the beginning (Jn 8:44).
We are both amidst and on the brink of incredible times. Every week I am overwhelmed with the life change that is happening in individuals’ lives as they are responding to the gospel and as God’s people are concerned with others rather than their own interests. We have seen several come to faith recently (with several baptisms on the horizon!), and we have truly been living out Acts 2, where the body is caring for the needs of the body.
That’s what’s happening already. Here’s what’s soon on the horizon and is certain to bring about a new level of growth, both inwardly and outwardly. We have over 50 people signed up for G.R.O.W., which is an outreach that we will be starting in March. Each week groups of people will be visiting prospects, writing cards, making phone calls, and praying. Each Week!
Also, our Spiritual Leadership Team (who function as elders) are about to practice a whole new level of care for the body, as we will be dividing out the church membership each quarter to contact and care for the body. That means each church member will be contacted at a minimum four times a year to see how they are doing spiritually and be shepherded to Christlikeness. God is truly at work!!
Here is how Satan is seeking to thwart God’s work. And I am going to be more blunt and open than usual here. There is gossip[1] about the direction of our church that some people are uncomfortable with. It’s gossip because I haven’t had a single conversation with someone about it who is concerned. We’ve only heard, “We’ve heard this is the direction the church is going.” And the “we’ve heard” that people have heard it from isn’t from the pastoral staff or elders.
To make it abundantly clear, here is where the church is heading: Bible-centered in everything.
That means not tradition-centered. Not me-centered. Not my-own-opinions-centered. Not we’ve-always-done-it-that-way-centered. We are seeking to be Bible-centered in absolutely everything. To be blunt, I don’t know why any Christian would have a problem with that.
Three aspects we are seeing this played out in that have some people concerned (so we hear), are in soteriology (doctrine of salvation), worship, and elders.
Here’s the direction we want the church to go in terms of soteriology. People should get the conviction of their beliefs from the Bible, not from a historical figure, acronym, or “I don’t think God would do that.” Where people land regarding the inner workings of soteriology is a tertiary matter as long as they believe we are saved by grace, through faith in Jesus (Eph 2:8). We are Southern Baptist, and Southern Baptists have always had a mixture of soteriological beliefs. That’s how we are leading, and anybody who would talk to us about it would hear that answer. As long as we major on the majors, Calvinism and Arminianism is a tertiary matter, and we can discuss ideas without demonizing people. That is how Southern Baptists have traditionally been. And that’s who we are. Seek to get your soteriology from the Bible, and know that the best pastors and theologians from history have debated this topic with open Bibles. So don’t demonize your brothers or sisters. Discuss with open Bibles and humble hearts. (Read that sentence again.) This is something Satan wants you to divide over. Don’t give in.
That leads into our worship being Bible-centered. I say that because we sang a song (to be blunt and open again) a few weeks ago that had the word “predestined” in it. I am speculating because I haven’t heard it said, but maybe that’s where some of the above concern may have come from. We are seeking to sing only biblical songs. That is the trajectory we are going in worship. The song with the word “predestined” was literally quoting Ephesians 1:4-5. It was a VERY biblical song. We did, although, sing a song later that had an unbiblical line. “You didn’t want heaven without us; So Jesus you brought heaven down.” The rest of the song is wonderful and biblical (especially the bridge!), but that one line simply is not true. That isn’t even close to the reason Jesus came for us. He wasn’t lonely up in heaven and so came to redeem us. That’s a me-centered gospel.
Bluntness alert again…I do have a HUGE problem if someone is upset about literally singing a Bible verse with a word that makes them feel uncomfortable yet doesn’t bat an eye at untrue theology in another song. This is part of the reason we are seeking to be Bible-centered in everything. What we sing disciples us as much as it glorifies God. So, we do need to be careful and selective about what we sing. Theology matters. Especially when we’re singing about God and to God.
Thirdly, both Pastor David and I stepped into our roles as pastors at FBC while the SLT (Spiritual Leadership Team) was already in place. It’s nothing we’ve instituted. It’s not a leaning in a certain direction. All we are doing is seeking to be more intentional with our shepherding and slowly start to use the terminology (elders)[2] the Bible does with the Spiritual Leadership Team that was already in place and in the by-laws. Again, Bible-centered in everything.
This is the trajectory the church is heading, by the grace of God. And you know what? Lives are changing and being transformed by the gospel. It really is invigorating to see people dive deep into discussion of Scripture, ask hard questions, seek hard answers, pursue unity amidst diversity with one another, provide for the needs of one another, and seek the building up of the body to the glory of God.
That’s what I’m seeing. That’s what excites me. And that’s the direction we’re heading. Bible-centered in everything.
I pray you’re on board with that.
