Q2: DID YOU CHANGE WHAT YOU BELIEVE AFTER YOU STARTED PEOPLE’S CHURCH? (5 BIG QUESTIONS IVE BEEN ASKED ABOUT PEOPLES CHURCH, by church leaders) Short Answer: No. Medium-Play Answer: On the Saturday night before our church’s Grand Opening, around 10:20pm, I received a call from a pastor whose church I had spoken in a couple times. He said, “Hey Brother, I knew you were starting a new church, and I just heard that it’s called ‘People’s Church.’ I wanted to ask you if that’s true?” I said, “Yes.” He said, “Well we’ve been taking up offerings for you, but I can’t send them now. How could you name the church People’s Church?” I said, “What does the Bible say about naming churches?” After an awkward pause, he replied, “Well I never thought about that before, but I guess nothing.” I said, “If Jesus didn’t say anything about it, and Paul didn’t mention it, and there aren’t any verses on the subject in the New Testament, why are you making a big deal out of it then?” He said: “A denominational name tells the community that you believe the biblical fundamentals and Christian distinctives.” (I’m paraphrasing this line only slightly.) I asked, “What are those distinctives?” After a longer awkward pause, he replied, “I’d have to look them up.” Not totally surprised, I responded: “Well, I’ll tell you what they are: They are the authority of scripture, priesthood of the believer, church of the regenerate, believer’s baptism by immersion, rejection of pedobaptism, two church ordinances (Lord’s Supper and baptism), salvation by grace through faith in Christ,” and I listed the big ones. I also added, “And a denominational name on the sign doesn’t tell the community we believe any of these things, because most people don’t know what any of these things are!” I still believe the same core doctrines and Christian distinctives that I listed for that pastor about eight years ago. (I teach them all, though I dont always use the formal, age-old terminology.) I haven’t changed my mind about any of the fundamentals. But I’d rather believe them and communicate them, than hope a church name will do it for me. Because it wont.
Posted on: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 00:00:00 +0000
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