CHURCHFM316
IS ABOUT BIBLICAL LEADERSHIP
There are far too many maverick pastors and elders in today’s church. These men are consumed by their own ideas in running a church, rather than looking to God’s Word for direction. Preaching has become secondary to their image and agenda. These men depend on their devoted followers to overlook Scriptural mandates to keep their ministry going. They fall short of the Scriptural standards of leadership.
If you should question their unbiblical practices, they will take it as an attack on their character. You will be given the cold shoulder by the leadership and their closest confidantes. They will make sure that your reputation suffers first. These men have graduated from seminary to pastor their own church. They made themselves leaders, not the Lord. These unbiblical pastors have left a wake of destruction behind them with many Christian men and women becoming isolated and disheartened about the state of today’s Christian church.
As Jesus Christ’s imminent return tarries, there is a greater chance of you becoming a casualty and having to question your purpose in the modern church. As an individual, you will need the will to survive. The contemporary church experience can be lonely, frustrating and disappointing. Today, you may have found that your faith in Christ is tested more in the church than by the unsaved world! The ability to persevere until you see the Lord Jesus Christ will take endurance, longsuffering and patience.
This blog is here to let you know that you are not alone. churchfm316 wants to help and equip you to be prepared for those survival times. If you know what to expect, such as the snares along the path, you will have greater assurance of being able to remain strong in your faith. Articles in this blog will help you acquire the survival skills you’ll need, and give you understanding of what is currently happening in the Lord’s church.
fm – is an acronym for field manual. FM manuals were designed to teach military soldier’s technical skills in an easy format. As a young teen in the early 1970’s, my friends and I would visit an army surplus store in Long Beach, California. I loved thumbing through the old Army field manuals. A few of the titles were: FM 20-3 Camouflage, FM 21-25 Combat Skills for the Solider, FM 21-76 Survival, and numerous others.
What made these manuals so appealing to young city boys were the detailed line drawings that showed us how to snare animals, make simple booby traps, how to survive if we should end up alone in the jungle, and other fascinating survival skills.
316 is for John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
And, 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
FM 3:16 “Survival Skills for the Christian” is my adaptation of the FM 21-76 Survival.
FIELD SKILLS
Having a knowledge of Christian field skills will be vital to your church survival. Such as, what is a biblical pastor? How does seminary fit into today’s church? Is full-time ministry the ultimate Christian work? Can a car mechanic, waiter, or a high school drop-out be qualified to be in church leadership?
SIZE UP THE SITUATION – Know what to expect. It is every layman’s responsibility to know the biblical qualifications for leadership and to keep the leaders accountable.
UNDUE HASTE MAKES WASTE – If you’re thinking about leaving your church, you need to realize that you may be taking the risk of trading one problem for something worse!
REMEMBER WHERE YOU ARE – You’re treading on some else’s claimed territory. Walk with caution and respect.
VANQUISH DREAD AND PANIC – Confronting church leadership about sin can be very scary and intimidating.
IMPROVISE – Learn to put up, adapt and accept unpleasant situations in church.
VALUE LIVING – You must not only value your Christian walk, but you must also value and accept the spiritual maturity levels of your fellow believers in the church.
ACT LIKE THE NATIVES – DON’T!!! You set the example by going past the initial welcome. You get to know the people in your church. Don’t wait for their attempt to get to know you, because it most likely won’t happen.
LEARN BASIC SKILLS – That will equip and encourage you in your church relationships by visiting churchfm316.com
THE WILL TO SURVIVE
Since my family and I had to move many times throughout the years, due to my career, we have had a diversity of church experiences. Many Christians are simply not aware of what is happening in the current church arena. Unfortunately, many of our encounters have proven that the state of today’s church is not a healthy one.
Although one may truly state that “no church is perfect” (whatever that means), a church can still be biblically modeled and governed so that its members display the qualities of Christ, commanded of them in Scripture.
There are three things that has made the church unhealthy. First, the professional pastor. He is more concerned about his image and well-being. Second, seminary. Young men enter these institutions of Bible learning, pass the proper testing, receive ordination, and then are hired by a church that neither knows them or their character. These ordained men are no more biblically qualified after seminary than they were before. And third, the laymen, who expect the pastor to be highly educated with a master’s degree or higher. Wrongly, they assume that the new pastor must be qualified because of a degree and ordination from a Bible college.
Even though many churches in the U.S. are being led by biblically unqualified men, The Bible teaches us that God is in total control of this world’s governing authorities, and that includes the local church. You may even find that your church is being led by men who were never called to the pastorate ministry! Whatever the case may be, churchfm316, is here to educate you about what God says regarding the responsibilities of today’s church leaders.
