Christian Joe

Posts Tagged ‘Fundamentalism’

Last year, our church was privileged to be able to host a pastor’s conference regarding the roots of historical fundamentalism.  The word fundamentalism is thrown about today with a variety of meaning.  Our conference was not about polygamy as in fundamental mormons, nor was it about fundamental muslims who commit murder. Neither was our conference about fundamental Christians who rant and rave and slobber about different preferences with application of Scripture.  I identify with none of that.  Instead, we identify with the measured yet passionate defense of Biblical Truth and dogmatic propositional statements concerning Truth found only in the Word of God, the Bible.  In Europe and America in the early parts of the 20th century, there arose a fight among those who seek to deny the authenticity, inspiration, and authority of the Bible (called modernists or liberals) and those who wanted to defend the Scriptures and the God of the Scriptures (called fundamentalists).  They were called fundamentalists because they held to certain fundamental non-negotiable doctrines where the battle lines were drawn, and they were willing to do battle royal (not in a physical sense, but a spiritual, intellectual, and social sense) for those doctrines.  Historically, these men came from different denominational lines, different perspectives, and different societies.  The united together to do battle against modernism’s attack on God’s word and work.  Our conference goal last year was to set a foundation that would show the strengths and weakness of this historical movement as a whole and learn what we can from it.  Dr. David Doran of DBTS did a masterful job weaving Biblical truth and history together in a series of lectures.  Those lectures both challenged minds and impassioned hearts because it was an emphasis on God’s Holy Word, not man’s exuberance.

We are planning our second annual Foundations Conference at Grace Baptist Church, April 26-27, 2010.  This year, Dr. Kevin Bauder from Central Seminary will be our keynote speaker.  Building upon the foundation of last year’s conference, we are now looking to “Contemporary Issues Facing the NT Church.”  Topics such as church government, views concerning inspiration, fellowship with conservative evangelicals, and politics in the church will be addressed. I am looking forward to another great conference, one that I pray will sharpen my mind, soften my tongue, encourage my soul, and energize my spirit in the work of the Lord.

If you would like a brochure mailed to you just send me a message, or you can go to the Foundations Conference website to get more information and to register.

In the previous post, I said that this one would be practical concerning the presentation of exposition. I am going to deviate a little bit here because I think that I missed an important point concerning why we should be committed to exposition as undershepherds, and why the people of God’s pasture should desire and demand expositional preaching.

Need for Exposition
The definition of expositional preaching is explaining a specific Biblical text (without our personal, cultural, or traditional opinions and biases) within its own context and providing implications concerning our lives. Since this is the definition, we must recognize that Biblical exposition may not always have immediate application in our lives. (Although I have learned that the Holy Spirit has a way of meeting a specific need that I had no idea existed when I have preached the Word). But that is okay! If we are living from sermon to sermon in order to “survive” as a Christian we are exhibiting immaturity and frailty in the Christian life. The Psalmist says, “Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.” (Psalm 119:11) Often we use this verse to promote Bible memory, and that is good, but hiding God’s Word in our heart is better understood as storing up sustenance that will keep us in the moment of trial and temptation. That is why we must be active in receiving Biblical exposition even if the preacher’s sermon is not what we “need” today. Preventative treatment for illness is far better than prescriptive rescue when we are failing in spiritual health. No one would argue that counseling with a married couple on the verge of divorce is better than premarital counseling or consistent teaching on Biblical roles in marriage long before there is conflict. However, the church has long ago left this concept behind and has moved along with the culture in seeking instant gratification in all areas, even the spiritual. “I’m sick, fix me!” is the cry of the anemic Christian, or rather “My job is in danger, my kids are struggling, my marriage is suffering, etc. . . Fix it. . . Now!” Perhaps the cry should be, “I may become ill, build me up in the most holy faith in a consistent, thorough fashion!” (Personal note* As a pastor, that would thrill my heart more than a million statements like, “good sermon pastor, it was just what I needed today.”) One view seeks a solution from Christ, the other seeks after a relationship with Christ. Crisis preaching (topical preaching patterned to focus on man’s current need) views God and the Word as means to an end. Expositional preaching (systematic explanation of Biblical texts) views a relationship with God through the Word as the end itself. One is man-centered, the other is God-focused. I will let you guess which is which.

If we are committed to thorough, Biblical exposition, we will take great joy in preaching through texts that seem to have nothing to do with the “big issues” of today. The opposite is dangerous in my opinion because the preacher becomes tied to the issues at hand and may begin drifting toward a man-driven ministry rather than a Word-driven philosophy of ministry. On the flip side, it is a misnomer that some texts are alive while others are dry and boring. The entirety of the Word of God (even Leviticus) cries out concerning the beauty and glory of our great and mighty God. He is in every phrase and paragraph of Holy Scripture. We can delight in God through any passage of Scripture because the Bible is the revelation of God Himself, not a book of virtues or morals. Perhaps the style and type of preaching will reveal the preacher’s view of the Book itself and even the God of the Book?

Shepherds, be committed to expositional preaching. Flock be demanding expositional preaching from your shepherds. The health of the local church, present and future, depends upon it.