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I am thankful for those very conservative independent Baptist churches that are not yet caught up in “the collapse.” (See Fundamental Baptists: History, Collapse, and Revival at the Books section of www.wayoflife.org.)
They hold to the King James Bible and have not capitulated to contemporary music; they have biblical “standards”; they have some godly Christian families and some of the young people are serving the Lord from the heart; they are evangelistic and are seeing some real conversions. They are not “big man” followers. Typically they have Bible institutes. They give and receive biblical warnings.
But when measured by Scripture itself, instead of by fundamental Baptist tradition, it is often true that some things are lacking that are necessary for those congregations to be able to stand in these evil times.
Following are some of these:
“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
Regenerate membership (Ac. 2:41-42; Ga. 6:15-16; 1 Pe. 2:5)
- Dealing with repentance in a practical manner
- Requiring clear evidence of salvation of every prospective member
- Being wise and cautious about child evangelism
- Refusing to be hasty in this matter
Preaching and teaching with reproof and rebuke and doctrine (2 Ti. 4:2; 1 Pe. 4:11; 5:2; 1 Ti. 5:17)
- Preaching that feeds the flock, builds up the flock, protects the flock, educates the flock, challenges the flock
- Right preaching is a necessary part of the spiritual atmosphere in which the Spirit of God operates to purify the church in an ongoing basis.
The church immersed in God’s Word (Ac. 20:32; 2 Ti. 3:15-17)
- Every member being built up to be a serious Bible student
- Effectual church-wide Bible memory program; not just memorizing Scripture but understanding it and applying it to the daily lives
- Every member progressing toward a Bible-institute level education which is the bare minimum for God’s plan that every believer be an effectual priest, ambassador, soldier, minister of spiritual gifts, teacher, etc.
Effectual separation from the world
- This must be a campaign, not just a paragraph in the church covenant and a mention in the preaching from time to time.
- The emphasis is on pilgrim Christian living (Php. 2:15; 3:20; Col. 3:1-4; Heb. 11:13; 1 Pe. 2:11).
- Ongoing effectual training and warning on this theme for all ages
- Effectual separation will deal in particular with special dangers in this present age such as the world’s music, unholy social media, unwholesome TV and movies, pornography, video games (especially violence, fantasy, alternative worlds, occult, multiplayer online games), immodesty
- The separation must be real in the lives of the people and in the homes.
- The reality and effectualness of the church’s separation will be evident in the daily lives of the young people.
Ongoing purging from sin (1 Co. 5:6-8)
- This is a picture of a true New Testament church. It is engaged in purging out the leaven of the old man. Church discipline is not merely something that pertains to an impenitent sinning member, it is an ongoing process of purging. It is done by right preaching, by discipling, by one-on-one exhortations, and by discipline.
Every member built up to be an effectual minister (Eph. 4:11-16)
- The church described in Ephesians 4 operates as an ever-growing spiritual body, being built up by the pastors and ministry-gifted men, each member progressing, each member engaged and participating, each member exercising spiritual gifts
Effectual warnings of, and education about, the dangers facing Bible-believing churches today (Ac. 20:31; Col. 1:28)
- e.g., ecumenism, evangelicalism, charismaticism, contemporary Christian music, modern textual criticism, modern Bible versions, cultural liberalism (liberty to participate in the pop culture, Chuck Swindoll “grace”), self-esteem pop psychology
Building up the homes to be godly lights in a dark world (Eph. 5:22 - 6:4; Col. 3:18-21; Tit. 2:3-5; 1 Pe. 3:1-7)
- Fathers effectually trained to be the spiritual heads of the homes
- Mothers effectually trained to be the keepers of the homes
- Fathers and mothers educated in effectual child training and discipline
- The families raising up a godly seed for the glory of the the Lord, the God of Israel, the owner of the children (Mal. 2:15)
Serious youth discipleship
- Rejecting the typical program which is a party emphasis with a veneer of Bible
- Training every young person to be a real Bible student
- Educating every young person in all doctrines and practices necessary for God’s will
- Training every young person in the pursuit of God’s perfect will (Ro. 12)
- Training every young person in pilgrim Christian living and separation from the world
Separation from compromising Ind. Baptist churches (2 Th. 3:6)
- Educating the flock about the major areas of compromise (e.g., music, modesty, separation from the world, lukewarmness as the status quo, a mixed multitude congregation instead of a regenerate membership, poor discipline, messing around with modern versions)
- Avoiding churches that are involved in compromise (not participating with them in camps, rallies, sports programs, etc.; not inviting their pastors to preach to the congregation)
Aggressive, well-planned evangelism with all members participating
- All are ambassadors for Christ (2 Co. 5:20).
- The goal is to reach every soul with the gospel in that church’s Jerusalem, Samaria, Judea, and to the ends of the earth.
Congregational singing in accordance with the standard of Ephesians 5:18-19 and Colossians 3:16
- These passages describe a true New Testament church; it is not a church that still “uses the hymnbook” and “holds to the old hymns.” A lukewarm church can do that, but a lukewarm church is not acceptable to the Lord.
- The verbs in these verses are plural, referring to the entire congregation (“yourselves,” “your,” “you”). The emphasis is on congregational singing, not specials.
- The congregation is filled with the Spirit.
- The word of Christ dwells in the congregation richly in all wisdom.
- Singing the Psalms. This divine command was given up by the vast majority of Baptist churches more than a century ago, but it is being recovered by some churches.
- Teaching and admonishing one another in song.
- Singing with grace in the hearts.
- Singing to the Lord.
For more on these things, we recommend
• Evangelicalism and the Great Apostasy
• Fundamental Baptists: History, Collapse, and Revival
• Transforming Congregational Singing in the 21st Century
available at the Books section of www.wayoflife.org.
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