There is the need for prayer for the recovery in the church of ...

The Summer time affords the chance, for me at least, to step back and reflect. In my assessment there is the need for urgent prayer for the the professing evangelical church on a number of fronts. I will make a list of these points for further consideration and I intend to blog on them. My small contribution, is intended to stir and stimulate a biblical interest in truth. I continue to be discouraged as a Christian at the lack of lively interest and attention given by many professing Christians in the Bible and the truths contained therein.

Here is a list of points which need further elucidation from Holy Scripture and prayer for their recovery in the church.

1. The Lord's Supper.
Perhaps top of the list is the right administration in the church of the Lord's Supper. The elders are supposed to guard the Lord's Table to ensure that only those who are worthy partakers, do indeed partake. The amount of confusion in the way the Lord's Supper is administered in many places, leaves a question open. Can a church be a true church, and not administer the Lord's Supper in a biblical and reverent manner?

1 Cor 11:27-29 "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself".

2. Reverence in public Christian Worship.
Hebrews 12: 28-29 "Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire".

The order of the day in most professing circles is to consider, how can we be contemporary in worship? The Bible asks a very different question, which is: How does the Covenant Lord require to be worshipped? The high point of public worship should be the reading and the preaching of sound doctrine out of Scripture, so that the hearers can draw near to the Living God with "reverence and awe" (Hebrews 12:28) and in "Spirit and truth" (John 4:24).

3. The recovering of a love for preaching.
Preaching is the "backbone of the church" and the church cannot survive and thrive without. No amount of Christianity Explored courses, evangelism or music driven worship can replace it. Professing Christians may not desire preaching and when this happens it is a symptom of spiritual illness; something that the people themselves may not realise. Paul the apostle corrected the Corinthians and he taught them: "For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles" ( 1 Cor 1:22-23). "We preach", Paul said, but it was the non-Christian Jews who sought signs instead, and not the true church.

4. The rejection of the obsession with extra-biblical revelations.
The so-called Charismatic movement with its many tentacles has been one of the most damaging movements in the late 20th and early 21st Century's. Why? Despite the Scripture's warnings that nothing is to be added or taken away from Scripture (Deuteronomy 4:2, 12:32, Proverbs 30:5-6) and Revelation 22:18-19), this movement has displaced the pre-eminence of the Bible in the church with its quest for extra-biblical experiences and revelations outside of the Bible. "There is nothing new under the sun" with this quest, because the Quaker movement did the same thing, yet today the Quakers are a barren, fruitless and unbiblical monument to warn us. The warning "Remember Lot's wife" could be said of the Quakers to warn Charismatics and stop their wrong pursuits: Remember the Quakers.
To bring someone back out, of Charismatic chaos and confusion is often very difficult, because it is now a new and deeply ingrained tradition. When its claims are challenged by the Bible, Charismatic adherents defend their position using unbiblical arguments and opinions, and they often do not realise they are doing it. John MacArthur has done the church a service with his books called "Strange Fire" and "Charismatic Chaos".

Charismatic heresies need addressing with clarity, boldness and persistence to rescue people from this mass of false teaching.

5. Love for the laws and commandments of Scripture; Too often there is a rejection of the commandments of God in favour of a rule-less religion
Have you ever heard a professing Christian say "I am under grace not law. Holding to the Ten Commandments is legalism!". This statement has a ring of plausibility for many, despite the fact that it reveals a completely false message and a false gospel. The Lord Jesus stated clearly: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" John 14:15. A gospel presentation that talks about revelling the grace of God, and yet holds to a message that never mentions the Covenant Lord's commandments, imperatives and rules, is a false one.

6. For fresh clarity on eschatology: the common notion around is a two-stage rapture theory or a theology which replaces the church with the State of Israel (Christian Zionism).
This dispensational approach to the Bible, instead of a Reformed covenantal approach to Scripture, must be challenged. What often begins with a seemingly innocent desire to study the "end times" often ends up in a quagmire of flawed propositions, one's which are not supported by Scripture. We need to hold all truths in balance with Scripture. An obsession with so-called end times events replaces the whole panorama of biblical truths for a fascination with a handful of ideas. I have never met a Christian who holds to dispensational teaching and yet remains balanced.

7. A clear understanding of biblical church government: Feminism is now gripping the church
The rise of women teaching in the church and their holding office to lead men and women in the church is revealing and fast-paced. The Holy Spirit has spoken that women are not permitted to teach or to exercise authority over men. Women are not permitted to hold the office of elder, minister and deacon. There are ample opportunities for service for men and women, but only qualified men may hold public office.
What does this yielding to feminism reveal? It shows a desire in part of the church, to be like the world and that they will substitute a desire to be like the world with Scripture. It is a trade-off and one that grieves the Holy Spirit. 1 Timothy 2-3. Titus 1 and the whole of Scripture teach that qualified and godly men only are to rule, lead and teach the church.

8. Covenantal baptism
Any approach to baptism which negates the teaching of the Old Testament as well as the New Testament, needs to be brought under scrutiny. Such approaches to baptism, opens the door to relegating the 39 books of the Old Testament to a lowered position. This is dangerous. Paul instructed Timothy that "All Scripture is inspired of God and is profitable ..." (2 Timothy 3:16).

9. A love of and the pursuit of personal and corporate holiness.
It seems as if the talk of holiness is "out of fashion", but it is in fashion in the eyes of heaven. Without holiness no one can see the LORD. Holiness is not an optional extra for Christians it is the very essence of Christianity. Do you agree and have you thought about your personal holiness in recent times?

Each of these points needs unpacking in order to help Christians to navigate their way of out these spurious teachings and if need be, out of churches that promote such teachings. It is the duty of Christians to be loving, but they must also seek out churches that hold to historic and biblical truth.