Sovereign Grace Baptist Church Meets weekly at 907 Hillsboro Boulevard, Manchester, TN, 37355. Currently, our church is without a pastor/elder and the members meet weekly for praise and worship in hymn, prayer, reading of Scripture, study of the word, and fellowship.
The mindlessness of contemporary "christian" faith is accentuated by the prominence of folks like Joel Osteen and others of his ilk. Why has Christianity been transformed into a feel good religion that is more concerned about fulfillment of self than about exalting God? I am afraid to say it but I must. There is a widespread confusion about the role of Christ in our lives that is uniquely American. The many good things about this country notwithstanding, there are dangers when the pursuit of happiness is translated into the sphere of faith. Christianity thus becomes another avenue for the coveted status of "satisfied customer." Hence the consumerism and pragmatic values attached to so many ministry efforts today. Christianity has recently played the role of counselor, financial adviser, family therapist, and a host of other titles usurped from the realm of the secular. So many are attracted to these types of expressions of faith for the obvious felt needs that are being addressed and in many instances actually met.
The result is a shallow spirituality and a superficial belief structure. A robust theology must undergird all practical aspects of the faith. Indeed, it is the backbone of sound doctrine that is needed to secure a return to a wholesome Christian witness that will actually meet the deeper true needs of men and women held captive to sin. Only a return to the tried and trusted theology of Calvinism will allow our faith to pass the test of Scriptural fidelity. Once people sense a real rebellion in their hearts against God, and once the truth of Jesus' atonement gleams forth as mankind's only hope will we see Christians once again ready to take a stand that has in past times resulted in their being led to the gallows, or burned at the stake. Such people, that one can read about in books like Foxe's Book of Martyrs, were not concerned about self-esteem or personal fulfillment; neither were they driven by comforts and a pursuit of happiness. Their deepest joy and exuberance came from simple fidelity to theological truth: Scripture is the only Word of God, Transubstantiation is blasphemy, predestination is true, and only Christ's atonement saves a soul. These are but samples of the things many churches and ministers are leaving behind today. Better for us to return to the good old paths. It is high time the church takes her mandate seriously to be and do the things that only the church can do. If your church is geared to making you feel good about yourself, the best thing you can do for your soul's eternal well-being is get the hell out of there, before you end up in hell.
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