Comments on: Church as It Was Meant to Be http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/30/church-as-it-was-meant-to-be/ A Ministry of Shepherds' Fellowship Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:56:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Rick D. http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/30/church-as-it-was-meant-to-be/#comment-87263 Thu, 20 Dec 2007 15:01:46 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/30/church-as-it-was-meant-to-be/#comment-87263 I have observed some things in our own fellowship that is mentioned in this aricle, and it saddens me. I am seeing that believers are becoming intolerant of sound doctrine and good solid preaching of God's Word. A local pastor holds to the doctrines of Grace, but will not teach or preach them to his congregation because some members do not hold to such truths and fears if he does those members will leave. I have also observed that pulpit ministries are becoming shallow, having little depth. As someone once said, "sermonettes produce Christianettes." If members have a steady diet of this spiritual "fluffanuter" they will not be able digest solid Bible truth. One local pastor dislikes confrontation of anykind, which can cripple a pulpit ministry because preaching in its essence is 'confrontational', it targets the concience to produce change in the believer. "Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." Thank you Bro. MacArthur for your ministry through the years. Your books fill my library and offer a wealth of knowledge and biblical wisdom of which I am very thankful to the Lord! I have observed some things in our own fellowship that is mentioned in this aricle, and it saddens me. I am seeing that believers are becoming intolerant of sound doctrine and good solid preaching of God’s Word. A local pastor holds to the doctrines of Grace, but will not teach or preach them to his congregation because some members do not hold to such truths and fears if he does those members will leave. I have also observed that pulpit ministries are becoming shallow, having little depth. As someone once said, “sermonettes produce Christianettes.” If members have a steady diet of this spiritual “fluffanuter” they will not be able digest solid Bible truth. One local pastor dislikes confrontation of anykind, which can cripple a pulpit ministry because preaching in its essence is ‘confrontational’, it targets the concience to produce change in the believer. “Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”

Thank you Bro. MacArthur for your ministry through the years. Your books fill my library and offer a wealth of knowledge and biblical wisdom of which I am very thankful to the Lord!

]]> by: bradley olivier http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/30/church-as-it-was-meant-to-be/#comment-46687 Mon, 13 Aug 2007 11:17:38 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/30/church-as-it-was-meant-to-be/#comment-46687 hi, im from south africa and i totaly agree with u guys. i had the privelege to recieve the truth, biblicaly, and i too want to go back to how church should be. my sad reality is that no one else of my friends and those who who r Christians wants to admitt that they are in error and not funcitioning a Church but as a instatution. i long for true fellowship and to share life with believers, but im having a hard time and feels so alone sometimes, but Jesus wont leave me and i believe it. please keep me in ur prayers and also the church in south africa. God bless hi, im from south africa and i totaly agree with u guys. i had the privelege to recieve the truth, biblicaly, and i too want to go back to how church should be. my sad reality is that no one else of my friends and those who who r Christians wants to admitt that they are in error and not funcitioning a Church but as a instatution. i long for true fellowship and to share life with believers, but im having a hard time and feels so alone sometimes, but Jesus wont leave me and i believe it. please keep me in ur prayers and also the church in south africa. God bless

]]> by: Paul C http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/30/church-as-it-was-meant-to-be/#comment-42319 Tue, 31 Jul 2007 20:00:05 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/30/church-as-it-was-meant-to-be/#comment-42319 With the focus on marketing, creating a culture and so on, it seems reliance on God to bring about repentance is more of a side issue. Not that that would be admitted outright, but when you are investing millions in high-tech because we live "in a visual culture" to assist the word of God (which is most often the word of error anyways) we're in bad shape. With the focus on marketing, creating a culture and so on, it seems reliance on God to bring about repentance is more of a side issue. Not that that would be admitted outright, but when you are investing millions in high-tech because we live “in a visual culture” to assist the word of God (which is most often the word of error anyways) we’re in bad shape.

]]> by: PC http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/30/church-as-it-was-meant-to-be/#comment-42315 Tue, 31 Jul 2007 19:02:00 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/30/church-as-it-was-meant-to-be/#comment-42315 For the puer church, whatelse can we think over except pastor John shares with us For the puer church, whatelse can we think over except pastor John shares with us

]]> by: David http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/30/church-as-it-was-meant-to-be/#comment-42007 Mon, 30 Jul 2007 15:49:31 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/30/church-as-it-was-meant-to-be/#comment-42007 And, as in the case of any business, the bottom line is constantly in view. So pastors beat the "Malachi 3" drum and frighten congregants with the consequences of "robbing God". The giving described in the New Testament doesn't look like that at all. In fact, nowehere is the "order of Service" we practice today spoken of. And, as in the case of any business, the bottom line is constantly in view. So pastors beat the “Malachi 3″ drum and frighten congregants with the consequences of “robbing God”. The giving described in the New Testament doesn’t look like that at all. In fact, nowehere is the “order of Service” we practice today spoken of.

]]> by: donsands http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/30/church-as-it-was-meant-to-be/#comment-41987 Mon, 30 Jul 2007 15:08:52 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/30/church-as-it-was-meant-to-be/#comment-41987 Good teaching. So true. The Church needs to get lost, so it can be found. We need to sit at the feet of Jesus more and more, so that we will be able to walk in the light, and be salt in the earth. The Father will set us apart by the truth, and His Word is truth indeed. This is the liberty we need. The freedom to be a slave for Christ. Good teaching. So true.

The Church needs to get lost, so it can be found.

We need to sit at the feet of Jesus more and more, so that we will be able to walk in the light, and be salt in the earth.

The Father will set us apart by the truth, and His Word is truth indeed. This is the liberty we need. The freedom to be a slave for Christ.

]]> by: Reg http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/30/church-as-it-was-meant-to-be/#comment-41845 Mon, 30 Jul 2007 10:10:34 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/30/church-as-it-was-meant-to-be/#comment-41845 Speaking with a South African bias we seem to be focused on the "fellowship" [second] aspect. However our fellowship is somewhat shallow as we sometimes lack the understnding of the "Bible" [first] and lke our NOrth American brethern "prayer" and especially corporate prayer seems to be lost because we actually believe "we can manage on our own". I have been challenged recently by Genesis 1 where God's design for us as believers is to be together like God the Trinity. In John 17 Jesus says He is passing onto believers the Glory that God the Father gace HIm. And we are to be "one as We are one". We have obviously "fallen short of the glory of God". The challenge is to get back to basics, Bible Study to understand what God is like, fellowship and Prayer Thanks for this reminder Pastor Speaking with a South African bias we seem to be focused on the “fellowship” [second] aspect. However our fellowship is somewhat shallow as we sometimes lack the understnding of the “Bible” [first] and lke our NOrth American brethern “prayer” and especially corporate prayer seems to be lost because we actually believe “we can manage on our own”.
I have been challenged recently by Genesis 1 where God’s design for us as believers is to be together like God the Trinity. In John 17 Jesus says He is passing onto believers the Glory that God the Father gace HIm. And we are to be “one as We are one”. We have obviously “fallen short of the glory of God”. The challenge is to get back to basics, Bible Study to understand what God is like, fellowship and Prayer
Thanks for this reminder Pastor

]]> by: Steve Scott http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/30/church-as-it-was-meant-to-be/#comment-41783 Mon, 30 Jul 2007 08:08:53 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/30/church-as-it-was-meant-to-be/#comment-41783 "In many respects, the contemporary church in America looks more like a large corporation than like anything described in the New Testament." Well, according to statistics I've read, about 95% of churches in America incorporate as non-profit corporations. So, yes, they are corporations. Why would anybody expect corporations to act like churches? I think you hit the nail on the head with your ovservation. “In many respects, the contemporary church in America looks more like a large corporation than like anything described in the New Testament.”

Well, according to statistics I’ve read, about 95% of churches in America incorporate as non-profit corporations. So, yes, they are corporations. Why would anybody expect corporations to act like churches? I think you hit the nail on the head with your ovservation.

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