As an independent Baptist pastor, I’m encouraged with the potential our churches have to reach an eroding society with the truth of the Gospel. As we are careful to maintain doctrinal integrity and biblical separation, the truth of God’s Word is given freedom to change lives for the glory of God. But sometimes we limit our influence by pettiness and strife.

This podcast lesson is my heart’s plea to independent Baptist pastors and leaders to see our potential reached by obeying the admonition of Philippians 1:27: “…that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.”

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We’ve added a special feature to this lesson (originally preached at the Spiritual Leadership Conference this past summer): in-studio Q&A at the beginning and end of the lesson in which I answer the following questions:

• What excites you about what God is doing in our local churches today?
• What burdens you about the movement in independent Baptist churches today?
• What is most needed from the younger leaders in local churches today?
• What is most needed from the older leaders in our local churches?
• Most of our listeners know that you’ve been dealing with a trial as your son Larry has been battling cancer these last couple of months. What has God’s been doing in his life during this time?

We are ministering in the last days. Now is the time to strive together—young and old, east and west—for repentance and revival in our land. This is not the time to marginalize, but to march together holding high the banner of truth.

The Spiritual Leadership podcast is a free resource from Striving Together Publications (a ministry of Lancaster Baptist Church and West Coast Baptist College).

You can subscribe to this podcast through iTunes and listen on your computer or iPod. You can also receive the complimentary outline with each lesson. Click here for more information about subscribing to the outline.

By now, most every American Christian has heard of the Seeker Sensitive church movement. This movement, which began approximately twenty-five years ago, was a stated attempt to develop church programs and adapt church philosophy through the “felt needs” of those within our society.

I remember in 1987 receiving an invitation to a seminar where I would be taught how to poll a community and find out what kind of a church the community was looking for. The seminar said that if our community did not want conservative music, they would teach us how to replace conservative music with more of a rock ‘n roll style. The seminar advertisement also mentioned altering the style of preaching to more of a conversational teaching and perhaps having offering baskets at the back rather than passing an offering plate.

Since then, the types of changes that have taken place in the church have been significant. After twenty-five years of this humanistic approach, and after hundreds of seminars teaching this approach, we are now seeing the results in our society. I believe American culture is reflecting, in part, the compromise of American churches and pastors. Many pastors who have been so obsessed with pleasing people have simply forgotten some of the basic commandments of the Word of God.

God’s Word is very clear that the Christian is to be conformed to Christ and not to this world. Even on very important subjects related to the current election, many pastors have been silent because, once again, their goal is not to be faithful to the Word, but to keep people happy!

I think it is critical that Christians remember some very important principles in the Word of God as we approach this election. Let us not be seeker-sensitive voters. Let us be sensitive to the Word of God and to the Saviour.

It is critical that we, as a nation, retain our support for Israel. Genesis 12:2-3 says, “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” God has promised that He will bless those who bless Israel and that He will curse those who turn their backs on Israel.

It is critical that we, as a nation, remember that God recognizes the life of the pre-born child. (Jeremiah 1:5)

It is critical that we, here in California, vote according to the Word of God on Proposition 8. God’s Word declares that He established the first marriage between a man and a woman.

The list goes on, but certainly these are three vital areas that must be emphasized in these final days. Please pray for America during this time, and pray for pastors everywhere, that they will teach and preach the Word of God faithfully. Honestly, pastors do not need to endorse candidates if they have rightly divided the Word of God for four years prior to an election. If proper preaching and teaching has occurred, God’s people will know how to cast votes on the various issues and candidates. Let’s pray that there is enough salt and light to help us stand in this society once again.

by R. Kent Hughes
published by Crossway Publishing

The existence and influence of the seeker-sensitive movement upon the American church is now no secret. For some twenty years, church growth experts have called upon pastors to amend and change the traditional worship styles and preaching dynamic, in order to “relate better to people.”

In my book The Saviour Sensitive Church I outline many of the weaknesses of the seeker-sensitive movement. One evidence of the failure of this movement is the fact that a lower percentage of people attend church in America today than ever. Those who do attend church are often unable to distinguish biblical principles, much less apply them to their lives.

It is always interesting to me when an author writes a book speaking to the issue of the lack of separation in the contemporary church. But I am specifically interested when the author primarily fellowships with those who are involved in the contemporary church movement.

The book written by Oz Guinness entitled Prophetic Untimeliness was unique in that it was a call from within, challenging the “evangelicals” to return to the fire and seperatistic stand of the reformation.

The book Set Apart by R. Kent Hughes is similar in its philosophy. In fact, Hughes says in the introduction of the book, “The contemporary evangelical church is not lacking for moral and spiritual instruction. It is lacking in his ability to remain uncontaminated by the unchristian thinking and morality of contemporary culture.” Hughes, then, begins to show how the contemporary church has been influenced by the philosophies of today’s society. Those philosophies include materialism, hedonism, viewing sensuality, pluralism, and even modesty!

In a sense, it was refreshing for me, as an independent fundamental Baptist, to hear someone from without our circle speaking against the influence of companies such as Victoria’s Secret or Abercrombie and Fitch on our nation and upon Christians today.

I highly recommend Set Apart as a book that will help pastors, parents, and educators identify some of the leading challenges against the church. In addition, the author gives good scriptural reference for combating the onslaught of wickedness in the day in which we live.

On my way to preach at a pastors conference, I climbed on a shuttle bus at LAX this past Monday morning around 5:15. I’m not always super alert early mornings on Monday, so I sat on the bus, and followed my routine of reading USA today. Of course the election was only one day away, and the news was filled with election news and the conviction of Sadaam Hussein’s guilty verdict.

The other top story was the disgraceful resignation of a pastor in Colorado. I had mentioned his fall in my message the day before and said we as Christians should pray for his family and the cause of Christ which is always tarnished at the occurrences of such Tragedies. The USA today paper called the Pastor an “Evangelist.” The media has a way of conjuring up images from the past with their choice of words.

It was while I pondered these issues that a stewardess and steward for American Airlines sitting next to me began their loud morning discussion. Among their other assessments included the statement that all pastors do the same sins and that all Republicans are like Representative Foley from Florida. They went on to say how they were proud of their union for standing against the hypocritical Republicans.

Well, we all know there are plenty of problems in this world, and more than a few hypocrites, but it never feels good to be lumped in with the whole lot! On the other hand, where would any of us be apart from the inner working of God’s Holy Spirit to save us and Set us Apart for his purposes.

Today I will thank God for saving me, and ask God to help me to take heed unto myself.

1 Tim 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

I want to live my life in such a way that my children will grieve my dying , but not my living. I want my heavenly father to be glorified through me.