The Danger of Being Independent, Non...

Sure that's not an Emerging Church?

 

Sad indeed, but I am not sure people falling into error, has anything to do with a congregation being independent or not. There are many denominations that go astray also. In fact one could argue that having a few at the top deciding things for all would make it easier for abuse and leading them down the road to error, rather than a local pastor being held accountable to his immediate congregation.

 

I do see your point, but I have always believed that the more bureaucracy and politics you have the more likely you will have corruption, and error. However regardless where the Lord has seen fit to place us, it is important that we all have to remember that we are all personally accountable for ourselves. Your post should be a reminder for us all.

 

I guess I'm just not spiritual enough, but God has never told me anything outside his written word. Maybe hearing all those Word/Faith preachers quoting the word they've received from God has made me skeptical. But when I hear someone say "God told me..." my first reaction is "yeah right."

Don't get me wrong. God has made his will known to me, but he never told me anything. He has ways.

So when I read TCGreek's initial post, particularly regarding the woman's preaching, guess what my initial reaction was. Yep. Yeah, right.

That said, there are a couple of spirit-filled, gentle saints I know who, if they said God told them something, I'd believe it.

 

This episode made me sad at the same time it cracked me up.

I saw a WoF preacher, on TBN probably. He was right in the middle of a prosperity sermon when he stopped.

He said, "What? Just a minute, God's telling me something. Uh huh. Uh uh. Okay, God, got it." Then he told his audience what God had just told him.

(Sigh)

 

What's sad is how many people probably believed him. :tear: I love the Lord, but He has never audibly spoken to me. I don't know...maybe I'm just not special enough... raying:

 

... *redundant post*

 

I agree, and surely all baptist churches are "independent" in the sense that there is no "hierarchy" comparable, to (say) the Church of England's parish/minister - deanery/dean - diocese/bishop - province/archbishop scenario. It is up to each local baptist church whether they join an association of churches, and if so, which one.

 

Since I'm not familiar with the governmental structure of independent non-denoms, I could use some enlightenment.

Is authority vested in the pastor, elders, or the congregation? Or a blend?

Congregational government can be bulky, sometimes messy. But it does seem to offer the greatest degree of accountability.

 

Exactly.


I remember one time at a revival when I was a teen, that the preacher would pause frequently and say... "uh, huh" to the ceiling, and then go on....

I quietly went to the bathroom, and stayed out until service was over...

This Guy was a quack!

 

There are a lot of quacks out there. I would never argue with someone and tell them that God did not speak to them, but I know this, if God did speak to someone He would never contradict what he has already said in his word.

 

Maybe He doesn't wish to speak to you in that way, but does so in others. So what? Maybe He wants to communicate something to somebody else in an audible voice. God is sovereign and can choose to do as He wishes. Why do we seek to throw the baby out with the bathwater however? Anybody would think that this board is full of cessationists, who don't even know their own Baptist history or principles

 

I have observed that many of those who claim that God speaks audibly to them persist in error. Seems to me that it should be easy for God to clear up their error very easily if he's speaking to them all the time.

 

So, God came down and told him this or he did it in an audible voice?

He didn't read the part in the Bible where it says it's a shame for a women to speak in the church.

1 Corinthians 14:34-38 (KJV)
34: Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
35: And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
36: What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?
37: If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
38: But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.

 

God repented of that. See the other thread.

 

I read the other thread. God doesn't need to repent.