Two of the churches "biggest problems?"

Well,

I don't worship Rutz, so I don't really care that he thinks deacons are pagan.

I worship Christ, and in our church, certain men have been ordained to serve God by assisting their church in ways spelled out in Timothy, and those men are called deacons.

As Shakespeare said, a rose by any other name is still a rose. You could call your deacons "Toadstools," and if they were serving God they wouldn't be pagan.

 

Texas,

You are still missing the point.

No one ever said you worship Rutz. But the impetus for this thread was to make people aware of a heretic spreading heresy, and to urge the Body of Christ to do something. To refute heresy is a command, not a request.

So, what are you, and the others, going to do?

In Christ,

Dustin...

 

Actually, Dustin,

I feel that I am refuting heresay when I tell you that I don't worship Rutz.

To put it bluntly. I think that Rutz is teaching heresy.

Christ lead by example. Matthew 5 is the Sermon He taught.

Anyone who says that teaching the word of God is wrong is teaching heresy.

 

Rutz is a heretic. On top of that he is arrogant. I read the same article you posted a couple of weeks ago when I was reseaching dominionism theology. That article was one that came up.
Jude has alot to say about his kind.

According to Rutz and what he says I don't know how we made it without him. Pleeeaassee!

 

I can think of two bigger problems: Congregations who refuse to financially support a pastor, and congregations who don't listen to the sermons.

 

Whatever the 2 greatest problems are within the church, are they really new problems? People within the church have always struggled and will continue to struggle until Christ returns, we are human and saddled with sin so we struggle.

If I had to choose a couple I would choose viewing Christianity from a strictly American point of view and unwilling to agree to disagree, making moutains out of mole hills.

But those aren't new problems unless you consider 1776 as new.

 

Amen, Pronto! Thou dost speake my mynde.

 

Only two?? I don't know and I don't care!

 

Come on people, this isn't that hard to figure out. He is trying to make money, and is honest enough to say so in the article. It isn't any different than other people out turning God's word to try and make a fortune. Luckily, his "free" message isn't all that bad. A home church is what it is, they have always been around. They don't have the success that Rutz claims and they never will. Funny thing, when you don't have a pastor, deacons, etc. there doesn't seem to be much direction, meaning people keep going to Church and learning about our Lord.

 

James,

You say:

Can you elaborate on what you mean by that?

Thanks,

Dustin...

 

Wait a minute -

I just went back to this after a few days.

If anyone took Rutz at his word that "Deacon" isn't in the bible, they aren't reading their own bibles.

They are mentioned several times in the bible, and the standards they are required to follow are given.

As to, "What are we doing about it?" When it comes up, I go to the bible.

 

What I mean by that is that the stuff posted on worlnetdaily isn't preaching that we don't need Christ, that you are saved by works, or that going to church will result in the loss of God's grace. His message may keep people from seeing the whole picture, but it doesn't (at least that I have seen) stand in the way of the Gospel.

 

James,

Would you agree that supporting a message that contradicts the teachings of Christ is an unbiblical position to support?

Dustin...

 

*BUMP*

 

And I'm proud to say I couldn't care less!!!!

Just kidding. SBC1303 said it in a nutshell.

 

Hi TexasSky, We've tried to get a non christian neighbor to go to church. She always had a reason not to go.
She told us that the went to a church other than ours. She said they didn't like it because the people were too friendly. Thats a first, I've heard of churches which were unfriendly. I think she was looking for an excuse not to go.

 

An excuse not to go is what it sound like to me, too.

Personally, I think the two biggest problems with the church are these:

1 - Preaching the Gospel to the converted. It's probably safe to say that most of the folk in the pews are either saved or have a reasonable compehension of salvation. Yet it seems many pastors ramble on about the need to get saved, but fall short when it comes to the countless other aspects of Christianity.

2 - Driving away the unconverted. I've likewise heard those same pastors talk about salvation in a way that the unsaved are made to feel threatened, pushing them further away from church, further away from Christ, and further away from a relationship withother Christians. This has the effect of being contrary to the spirit of the great commission, and it results in the local church becoming a social club instead of an extention of the Lord's hands.