Blog on the Lillypad
Wednesday, February 11, 2004
 | Reform but not repentance
Over on the FFF Conitor offered a post that quotes Matthew Henry extensively: [From Conitor:] With regards to the constant public mutual-admiration society that is so indicative of Longview and Orange Park, Matthew Henry (commenting on Pr.27:14) hits the nail on the head. The incessant public praise of *men* is one of the "curses" of LBT, BBC, PPBT, and all its clones: |
"He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him." Proverbs 27:14
"It is a great folly to be extravagant in praising even the best of our friends and benefactors. It is our duty to give every one his due praise, to applaud those who excel in knowledge, virtue, and usefulness, and to acknowledge the kindnesses we have received with thankfulness; but to do this with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, to be always harping on this string, in all companies, even to our friend's face, or so as that he may be sure to hear it, to do it studiously, as we do that which we rise early to, to magnify the merits of our friend above measure and with hyperboles, is fulsome, and nauseous, and savours of hypocrisy and design. [Etc.]
Jonathan Farris, son of the pastor of Pinellas Park Baptist Church (PPBT), wrote to object to having his church lumped in with the sycophants of the IFB movement, including the following, somewhat loaded line: "because PPBT brother is seeing it's greatest days......if that is the results of being under a curse....I say we should get under as many curses as possible."
Don't hasten it Jonathan, you are under as great a curse as any church has suffered. You unleashed a devil on your people because of the disobedience of the church's leadership. That curse has already been made evident. Everything else is fallout.
The IFB rebuttal to any observation of their lack of spiritual prosperity is to answer with the reasoning of the world: greater numbers and newer or bigger buildings shows spiritual blessing. This is always the stock response. I will again state here what I told Jonathan Farris back in September, because no matter how they try to change the name of the church; no matter how many new visitors they rack up; no matter what new buildings they build, God looks for a change in heart:
If you try to insist that your church leadership did nothing wrong, and if you keep denying the responsibility your church leadership had in empowering Dave and enabling him to harm people in your own church, then this problem will never go away. You will spend the rest of your lives justifying yourselves, and trying to prove that you did nothing wrong. It will be the end of any effective work you do for God. You will never get free of this.Regrettably, the leadership at Pinellas Park Baptist Church is willing to change everything but their hearts and ways. Hence, their defensiveness: a struggle that will never end.
But if you seriously and with heartfelt concern go to the Lord and are sorry for the level of self sufficiency that caused you not to follow Biblical guidelines in examining and discipling a fallen brother, and if you express remorse for having allowed a wolf into your flock, and if you try to make amends to those who were harmed and work to make the victims understand that they have a standing in Christ and are precious to God because Christ has purchased them, this situation will go away, and the Lord will be your vindication.
