Am I Wrong? A Church Bible Study For Your Consideration

These are the words of my former pastor, John MacArthur.

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No, You are not wrong, and I would seriously question if I wanted to continue in this Church at all were I you. In fact, were it me, color me gone.

"(I ask again, "Am I Wrong?"). That didn't go over well, and I have been labled a troublemaker ever since."

I am a stickler for details. The problem that you have is that there are to many details. you cannot fit all of them into every sermon, time doesn't allow it. So the answer to you question, "Am I Wrong?" is yes. I think you lose this one an a technicality. For the average person, a lifetime of effective criticism, will fit in a thimble. For this reason, rather than bash you, I will tell you a bit of my story, and let you make the connections.

I became a christian at a very young age. It was many years later, that I heard about the idea of baptism of the Holy Spirit, and as for repentence, I really did not understand it like I do now. By observation, we know that you cannot understand birth until after you are born. Scripture affirms that the second birth is the same.

My parents were the ones that got mad and changed churches. They did it three times. Oddly, one of the things that they complained about was that every Sunday was the same thing, you know, repent, get saved, followed by an alter call. Took up the last half hour of every service, at least it seemed that long to me. The first time we changed churches I was 13. I never felt accepted, and by the time I got out of high school, I had stopped going to church and spent the next several years screwing up my life.

One day God yanked the chain, and said its time to come back. It was a tough time, but God is gracious. Any way by now my parents were at a new church, so I decided to go there, they have since moved on. Even then I was quite knowledgeable on the bible, so on several ocassions, I decided to set the pastor right. You can predict his reaction.

You have planted a seed, perhaps even overwatered it, now give God a chance to make it grow. Had to tweak that verse a little bit.

I am still very good friends with that pastor. We have a new one now, an a-millennalist, it just never ends. I am still a troublemaker, so against the advice on this thread, I think you consider staying.

Thanks for your last post, I felt that I was having a conversation with my former self, I could not have said it better.

Be well
Seven

I am a stickler for details. The problem that you have is that there are to many details. you cannot fit all of them into every sermon, time doesn't allow it. So the answer to you question, "Am I Wrong?" is yes. I think you lose this one an a technicality.

You don't think that the concepts of sin and repentance are foundational principles for a Gospel talk? I appreciate that every doctrine can never be fully expounded upon in any sermon, however, sin and repentance don't seem like insignificant details that can be passed over lightly.

Many thanks for your story. And thanks for the advise. I think that we won't be going anywhere in the immediate future, but either way I've given it up to God at this point. I feel strongly that I need to write a letter (more of a position paper actually) outlining with more detail my concerns about the teaching, as well as my issue with how the incident was handled.

I will be nice, I promise, lol. But, we will see what happens after that.

pony

You don't think that the concepts of sin and repentance are foundational principles for a Gospel talk? I appreciate that every doctrine can never be fully expounded upon in any sermon, however, sin and repentance don't seem like insignificant details that can be passed over lightly.

Well said. There is time to teach these things and it takes time. No two people will teach them the same, and no two people will learn them the same.

I don't know all the details of your struggle with the ledership in your church, but if you can convince them a church needs one troublemaker, that would be a good start. Maybe you could use different word.

Just know this; if they have been to seminary, then they have probably heard many of your arguments before. Their answers, that you have listed in your posts, tell me that they have at least given the question some thought.

There are no insignificant details in God's word or in his work, most are passed over lightly.

Seven

There are no insignificant details in God's word or in his work, most are passed over lightly

Brilliant. I'm going to steal that, ok? :-)

pony