Welcome to the first blog page of
Grace Reformed Church, Bentonville, Arkansas
Serving our Lord here in Northwest Arkansas.
The Importance of a Faithful Church
The 1996 Cambridge Declaration of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals begins with these words:
“Evangelical churches today are increasingly dominated by the spirit of this age rather than by the Spirit of Christ.”
And this “domination of the spirit of this age” over the church can be clearly seen in the worship practices that are most common in so many of the churches today. This is illustrated by the fact that so much of what is called “worship music” is more often man-centered rather than God-centered. How I feel about God, how I love God, rather than speaking of God’s greatness and what He has done for us. Biblically and historically the church was a place where the saints of God came to lift up God in praise and worshipful adoration and to receive from the Word of God wisdom and instruction in the character of God, the person and work of Christ, with great emphasis upon the authority of Holy Scripture.
Paul writing to Timothy instructed the younger minister to “preach the Word”. This was to be done “in season and out of season”. That is, when it is convenient or inconvenient, when it is popular and when it is not so popular.
At the time of the Reformation, even when in a very real sense, it was most unseasonable to proclaim the Word of God. When men were imprisoned and put to death for faithfully preaching the Word. It should be carefully noted that in spite of the fierce opposition it remained one of the chief purposes of the Reformers to return the Church to that God-centered aspect of worship and the proclamation of the Word of God.
Sadly today that depth and strength of the Reformation has been significantly weakened. I believe that this is due to a minimizing of the absolute authority of the Word of God in the life and practice of the church itself.
Once again quoting from Cambridge Declaration of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals they stated:
“Scripture alone is the inerrant rule of the church’s life, but the evangelical church today has separated Scripture from its authoritative function. In practice, the church is guided, far too often, by the culture. Therapeutic technique, marketing strategies, and the beat of the entertainment world often have far more to say about what the church wants, how it functions and what it offers, than does the Word of God. Pastors have neglected their rightful oversight of worship, including the doctrinal content of the music. As biblical authority has been abandoned in practice, as its truths have faded from Christian consciousness, and as its doctrines have lost their saliency, the church has been increasingly emptied of its integrity, moral authority and direction.”
I would to God that the above statement was an overstatement of the facts. But I fear that their statement is right on and most accurate. This is why we here at Grace Reformed Church have purposely refused to adapt our faith and practice to the felt needs of the consumer. Our worship is purposely God-centered. Instead of providing entertainment we are determined by God’s grace lift our God up in faithful praise, to proclaim the law of God as the only measure of true righteousness and the gospel as the only proclamation of saving truth. We take seriously the instruction of the Apostle Paul when he said, “Preach the Word”. We are determined to do this because we take for certain that . . . “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” Rom. 10:17
We take this firm stand, because it is the proclamation of God’s law that makes men aware of their sinfulness, and it is the preaching of Christ crucified that is the only means of salvation from the wrath of God upon the law breaker. Because we care we purpose by God’s grace to speak truth.
I can truly say, “What a joy it is to pastor a church where the fellowship of believers desire to lift God up in worship and proclaim the greatness, goodness and mercies of the Most High God and, to a person, faithfully hold to the absolute authority of the Word of God in faith and practice.”
Pastor Wes Brice