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NASB | Hebrews 11:8 ¶ By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Hebrews 11:8 ¶ By faith Abraham, when he was called [by God], obeyed by going to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went, not knowing where he was going. |
Bible Question:
Other than moving to a new community and simply curiousity, how many local community churches have you participated with and left, because they were not right for you? And, on the average, how long did you stay at these local churches before moving on? If possible, please expand on the major reasons as to why you did not feel comfortable at these churches. |
Bible Answer: I have changed my church of attendance in the last six months, for two reasons. First of all, the theology to which I now have come to embrace is very much at odds with that of the pastor and elders of the church which my wife and I used to attend. They were not issues of utmost importance (i.e. in such a way that it could be said that the members there are not Christians), so it was not a situation which my wife and I were compelled to leave at first. It was only when the direction of the church changed to take on some practices which I consider very contrary to what Scripture reveals that my wife and I decided to move on. Specifically, it was the abandonment of the concept of the church as a place for believers in favor of a "seeker-sensitive" model which dumbed down the sermons and treated the services of the church as a place where the unregenerate could feel right at home. Appeal to the sinful human's felt needs had assumed the place where sound theology and teaching should be. Drama and contemporary music and "how-to" sermons (with the merest smattering of a Scripture passage) were seen as techniques and methods to win people for Christ, rather than the unadulterated proclamation of God's Word. I addressed the situation verbally and in writing to the elders of the church, citing Scripture and including quotes from many authors who had already addressed the theological errors of this movement. I welcomed both dialogue and correction from them from the Bible if I was doctrinally wrong inanything I said. Well, when I met with the elders, they completely missed the point of my 15-page epistle to them. They saw my problems with the church's direction as a matter of personal taste rather than of theological significance. They failed to address even one of the Scripture passages I cited in support of my position. I knew it was time to go when the pastor said in no uncertain terms that he had been a minister for X number of years, and that he has come to the conclusion that simply getting up and preaching the Word of God by itself simply was not going to work with the world today. There are good reasons for finding a new church, and my previous church had just about all of them. I am happy to say that my present congregation has all of the marks of a vibrant, God-honoring, biblically-centered church, and my wife and I are more than elated to be serving God and our fellow saints, learning and growing within this fellowship. As long as we remain where we are and God in his grace grants that the church maintains its high doctrinal standards and practices, this is where we will stay. So there's my story! --Joe! |