Church Part II/Sound Doctrine

Our church recently began Saturday night services, and I love it! I’m usually a traditionalist, and the first time I didn’t have to go to church Sunday morning felt strange. But let me tell you what else is feeling strange. The number of people who turn away from church and turn toward what makes them feel good. I wrote something yesterday that I prayed about and realized I couldn’t share it…at least not yet. Some of you may have heard of a once powerful Pentacostal preacher who has turned away from his faith and is teaching what some are calling heretical teachings. This makes me sad. It’s one thing to question and have doubts, but what happened to that strong faith that will still stand even when it has been shaken? One thing that my own storms have taught me is that the lyrics of this song I sang years ago rings even truer now. “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ, my righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ, the solid Rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.” Yesterday as I watched this man who had denounced his faith speak, my spirit was both saddened and confused. How can someone who knew the word, studied the word, and supposedly love the word turn from it? Then I thought about what I read in 2 Timothy 4:3-4. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” Next year I will celebrate my 20th year at my local church, and truly it will be a celebration because my church and the word taught there has so richly blessed my life. Saturday night service feels like a new blessing because of the intimacy of the teaching and preaching, and it seems as if it is a Bible study rather than a traditional church service. And the word, the unadulterated word of God is taught. I can go home and study that word further and grow in it, and this is what is missing in many today. Many want to hear what they want to hear because it makes them feel good and turning away seems like a quick fix when they don’t get the answers they want immediately. That isn’t real faith. I posted a few days ago if the word worked, and I wrote it after grieving over my best friend’s health problems. Has my faith been shaken as I watch her go through these new challenges? Of course it has. In fact, it can be easy to walk away from God’s word when things get hard or when things seem hopeless. But that is when to reach inside for the word that has already been planted in you. Turning away isn’t the answer. Denouncing your faith isn’t the answer. Return to sound doctrine, and hold onto what you believe. Study the scriptures in context and don’t pick out what just sounds good. The second half of Matthew 5:45 says, “…for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Psalm 34:19 says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” Rain is coming, if it isn’t already here; but hold on, and trust God to bring you through. It is the truth of God’s word I (all of it) that will sustain you. I choose to continue to stand on the only solid Rock I know, and that is the One who is the Word.