Comments on: Polity Shift?

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:01:57 +0000

Found this on a Piper teaching from years ago. 1 Timothy 5:17 says, "Let the elders who rule well [or govern or oversee or manage well] be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching." So it is clear that there is a diversity of function among the elders. All must be able to handle the Word of God and be able to recognize false doctrine and correct error; but some "labor especially in preaching and teaching." Si if "some labor especially in teaching and preaching" where are the "OTHER ELDERS" in SGM churches?

By: Greg

Greg — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 23:34:31 +0000

I listened to Mark Devers talk and was really disturbed. He talked about the “depravity or redeemed folks” admitting that the church is a “pit of vipers” that is no better than the world except that we know we are vipers and we have no other motive for being in the church than to glorify God. This, he claims affects church membership in that it should be attractive to the world. I agree with the need for humility but I have some questions:
1) did I understand what he actually said correctly?
2) my understanding the christian witness is that were were depraved, we have been regenerated, we are being transformed into the image of Christ, and we will be glorified when He appears.
3) If we cannot show the world how we have changed by God’s grace and the hope that we have to be like Christ, then Mark’s message is only half the gospel. It lowers the standard for Christian conduct, and does not demonstrate the power of Christ’s resurrection. It offers little hope, and as such it is no gospel at all.

This was not the gospel that was preached to me by early members of Gathering of Believers. If it was, I may never have become a believer. Comments?

By: Gratefully Disillusioned from SGM

Gratefully Disillusioned from SGM — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:56:50 +0000

Irony? Yes FSGP, indeed.

Square Peg, great point and “observation.”

By: FSGP

FSGP — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:43:13 +0000

Is there irony somewhere in the GratefullyD post: RC Sproul introduced by CJ photographed by GE who posted it all to twitpic. Everybody sing with me: One of these things is not like the other, one of these things is not the same ... Boldly, Former SG Pastor

By: Square Peg

Square Peg — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:30:12 +0000

Gratefully Disillusioned — I received the same photo on my email. And laughed out loud to think that the relatively unknown CJ introduced somebody who, in reformed circles, needs no introduction. I guess the pastoral equivalent to a lesser musician opening for a big-name band….

I hope and pray that the Holy Spirit gets a hold of T4G in a mighty way!

By: Gratefully Disillusioned from SGM

Gratefully Disillusioned from SGM — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:20:01 +0000

And the beat goes on: CJ introduces the BIG DOG (RC Sproul's) to T4G. Click here.

By: Hope

Hope — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:04:55 +0000

T4G summaries /sessions, from Thinking Matters.

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:41:10 +0000

Changes/adjustments.

By: Defended

Defended — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:11:10 +0000

Like Jim, I’m very interested in the content. 18 pages is a long list!
Talking points? Changes/adjustments? or a review?

By: FSGP

FSGP — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:32:12 +0000

Defended -
SGM has 2 mandatory meetings for all SG pastors at T4G, one the evening before the first day and one the morning of the first day. In the past these have been for SG pastors and HQ staff only. Sidebar – my former pastor and boss set the tone for me at the last T4G when he announced “I’m only here because I have to be; it’s my job”. We were traveling and rooming together. It was pretty much downhill after that.

Jim -
Supposedly JP spoke for 3 hours and went over an 18 page outline. Purswell can really pack it in. Still, glad I am not there.

Former SG Pastor

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 11:31:56 +0000

FSGP,

I haven't heard details, but I'm very interested.

By: Defended

Defended — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 05:56:59 +0000

FP – you betcha! Anytime, our place – or yours!

Re:Twitter – was that in the pre-meeting? surely not in front of others of the Baptist persuasion!

Ya know, Dr. Whitney has come to our humble congregation and spoken from his Romans 8 sermon. Great message. It struck me then that he can love his T4G brothers like CJM, but he will NEVER EVER know what it’s like to be under the oppressive thumb of CJM.

By: FSGP

FSGP — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 05:45:40 +0000

Just heard rumblings (via Twitter) that the SG pre-T4G meeting had Jeff Purswell spending 3 hours on church polity. Anybody else here about this?

Defended – Yeah, chips, salsa, cold beverages, laughing, crying. Someday?

By: Defended

Defended — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 23:26:58 +0000

Pastor Former, I’m SURE that Defender and I would have a grand time and lots of laughs with you and your Mrs. sharing some chips, and a (hard) Lemonade…talking over theology, and God’s real and true goodness and faithful deliverance!

God bless you, and please don’t stop writing!

By: FSGP

FSGP — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 23:12:35 +0000

Defended – “lost in the mail” – ROFL! Thanks, I needed that!

PK – “Polity” is still viewable online via scribd. One of my favorite lines comes on page 49 under the heading “Apostolic Job Descriptions”. There the apostle is described as “Commissioned by the Ascended Christ …” Makes me want to ask “Who does the decommissioning?”, among other things.

It was at T4G08 we learned that Brent was apparently decommissioned. What news will T4G10 bring?

Not really all that curious,
Former SG Pastor

By: DB

DB — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 14:54:07 +0000

Chad,

They made it clear over at Survivors that it wasn’t you (different IP addy and everything.) I can only imagine the pain and embarassment of being misrepresented online.

Believe it or not, I like to think the best of people and I believe that it wasn’t you and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone.

Thanks for taking the time and effort to make sure everyone knows that it wasn’t you flinging the feces around, however, I appreciate that.

PK, it’s a pleasure to read your posts again, I really enjoy your contributations even though we often view the world through different lenses.

And happy Easter a day late to everyone.

By: renee

renee — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 05:16:02 +0000

Chad –

I’m truly sorry someone did that to you. (Oh, if you only knew just how well I understand what it feels like to have someone mess with your identity online!) I know now my responses were to “fake” Chad, so it grieves me to think that I and others were led to believe that was you, even briefly. A cruel trick on you, Chad. I hope the person will come forward, but my experience of late has left me somewhat hopeless about people’s ability to apologize or reconcile. I hope you will receive better in that department than your fellow Christians on these sites have received from SGM. I really do.

Thank you for clarifying the situation. I am sorry for your pain, for the wrong someone did you.

By: Defended

Defended — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 04:04:23 +0000

Pastor Former…did your T4G invite get lost in the mail? ;o)

PK – If ONLY once in a while something that WAS so biblical and somehow isn’t anymore would EVER get explained our announced as such!

Change is understandable in a big dynamic corporation.
But when every policy is considered so biblical how can change shift so easily and with so little accountability?
sigh. if only. I feel your pain.

By: FSGP

FSGP — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 02:53:35 +0000

PK -

I noticed the booklets disappeared a while back, too. I have a copy of “Polity” which I refer to from time to time just to ensure that I haven’t been dreaming things. Many controversial MP3s get taken down from SG sites as well. Seems like any media that gets mulled over on the blogs can vanish.

Jim/All -

I’m wondering what changes will be announced at the SG meetings that occur the evening and morning prior to the first T4G sessions …

Cheers,
Former SG Pastor

By: Jim

Jim — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 00:58:42 +0000

PK,

Change is here to stay.

I just hope that this time we hear something like, "we were wrong."