Saturday, March 25, 2017

Tim Keller And His View On Churches

Of course ex-pastor (or soon to be) Keller is wrong, but then quotes himself from the article. How entirely arrogant can a man be?

"His aim isn’t to take people away from the churches where they already belong but “to welcome and serve those who do not currently profess faith.” New churches, he says (and research backs him up), have a much better chance of attracting unbelievers than older ones do." - The New York Post
As I've said for years, Keller is the Reformed version of Rick Warren, as they both started churches for the unregenerate, seeking out their counsel of what would get them to come to church. This is indeed, regardless of their denial, the notion of a church being a building. Why? Because the church is a group of called out believers assemblying together to worship God, be feed the Word of God, use one's spiritual gifts, enact church discipline, baptize new believers, and partake of the Lord's Table--these ONLY Christians can do. These are what the unregenerate cannot love from a pure heart and a good conscience. But to Tim & Rick, just getting God-haters into church is the goal. However, God says that church discipline is the avenue through which the worldlings are ejected. And Keller's view that "newer churches" are more effective in bringing in the Christ-haters should be a red flag to a true Christian. What are these new churches selling that the Christ-haters would desire?  Besides, there's no such thing as "chance" with God. The elect will hear the biblical Gospel of the biblical Jesus Christ and God will regenerate them--it's all His work. But if one is relying on man to entice the unregenerate (by appealing to felt needs) and hope to get big numbers of them, then "chance" is all they have. That is to say, it's solely of the flesh and not of Christ. It will fail. And souls will be tricked into thinking they're saved when they're lost. 

Act 20:28  "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 

Act 14:23  When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. 

Eph 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 
Eph 5:26  so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 
Eph 5:27  that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 

Col 1:18  He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 

Mat 16:18  "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

Mat 18:17  "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.  

1Co 5:11  But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one. 
1Co 5:12  For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 
1Co 5:13  But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES. 

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