Pastors Who Proselyte
As I was reading Matthew 23, I came across the all to familiar verse which describes the actions of the pharisees who were willing to travel the world to make one person twice the child of hell than they were. This got me thinking about "Proselyting Preachers." This is not limited to Pastors though. This problem in our churches reaches to the "average joe" who proselytes.
First of all, let me point out that the Pharisees were sincere in their actions. They were doing exactly what they knew to do. They Were determined to keep the law and to bring as many people under their doctrine as possible. They were blind in their own belief. They honestly thought they were doing right.
Face it, if a man showed up today, and started doing miracles, raising the dead, and calming the seas all while developing a gathering of followers we would mark them off as a false prophet. We jump down the pharisee's throat for their blindness, however, we also are under the same condemnation. David Koresh came professing himself to be the messiah. he gathered a group of followers, and we saw the end of his life unfold when the government was forced to attack his compound in Waco Texas.
We all shook our head in shock and anger when we learned that the Mormon Compound a few years ago was a place where children were being molested. We all said 'good' when the government took out the women and children and put the kids into foster care.
The pharisees were MORAL people! The Pharisees were religious! They were sincere! They were also guilty.
As an Independent Fundamental Baptist, I have not only witnessed, but also took part in proselyting others. What do I mean by Proselyting? Let's look at what the word means.
Main Entry: pros·e·ly·tize
Pronunciation: \ˈprä-s(ə-)lə-ˌtīz\
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): pros·e·ly·tized; pros·e·ly·tiz·ing
Date: 1679
intransitive verb
1 : to induce someone to convert to one's faith
2 : to recruit someone to join one's party, institution, or cause
transitive verb
: to recruit or convert especially to a new faith, institution, or cause
Now, I realize that there might be an uneducated reader who perceives what I am about to say as complete heresy. I am well aware of that. However, I will take that into consideration as I continue. Far too many preachers, churches, colleges, "cliques" and organizations are proselyting people by the dozens on a weekly basis.
Atheists have said that Christianity/religion is for the weak minded, women and children. No doubt they say that because that is what we as Independent Fundamental Baptists have focused on. I attended a church where we focused our "soul winning" on the "ghetto" and the "other side of the tracks." We adjust our "plan" of "salvation" to appease to the typical welfare mentality of today's society. We purposely avoided the educated and 'socially affluent' because "it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle" than it was for a rich person to be saved. I recall listening to Mr. Bob Gray from Longview,Tx preach that we should go first to the highways and hedges rather than waste our time on those who won't come to Christ.
I have seen what happens when one "builds a church" on the down and out, as a rescue mission, rather than a church. Don't get me wrong, we SHOULD help the down and out. We SHOULD minister to those in need (indeed). However, when all we strive for is to help those whom we can "win to ourselves" and meet their needs thus becoming their "savior".
We proselyte. Whether we acknowledge it or not, we are likely to reach out to those who "like us". It is unavoidable. However, if we focus our whole ministry towards those who establish us as HEROES, we have failed them miserably. Proselyting people to follow our values, our slant in theology, in "standards" and "convictions" and not to the Lord Jesus Christ is an unmistakable trait of a shameful shepherd.
I remember hearing my youth pastor and Pastor parroting the statement made by Jack Hyles "if you don't have standards of your own, borrow mine until you can get some of your own". Then, when you DO establish standards that are "lower" than theirs, you are shamed and even disrespected for having lower standards than what "you once had".
Paul told the Corinthian Church "Follow me as I follow Christ" (paraphrased). Hebrews 12 tells us in a round-a-bout way "Look past the cloud of witnesses". Look PAST Moses. Look PAST Noah. Look PAST David. Look PAST Samuel. Look PAST Sarah. Look PAST those countless souls who were persecuted and killed for Christ's sake. Look PAST the angels. Look PAST the ordinances of the law. Look PAST the gifts of God through grace. Look PAST your Christian Liberty and LOOK UNTO JESUS.
Pastors who purposefully counsel, visit, "buddy up" to members who are from other churches for the sole reason to "win them" to their church is equally wrong as one who clones others to themselves. I recall a situation in which an area pastor visited people in the church I was a member of, during the pastor's absence, without the pastor's permission. Cooperation in churches is a must, but must be maintained with ministerial ethics.
"If you come to "my" church, I will give you an office, Sunday school class,a position". Really? Member swapping is just wrong on so many levels. "If you come to my church, boy, we could really use you more than you are at X-church"
I recall hearing stories, and even experiencing where a church would go and invite "bus riders" to their church moments after the church where they are faithfully attending visited them. They persuade the riders that they would have MORE FUN at THEIR church than at the church they HAVE been going to. All under the guise of "the Great Commission."
I have been guilty of these tactics. I am sure there are more that I am unaware of, and when they DO come to light, I will also repent of them.
Shame on the shepherds who proselyte.
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