Regenerate - the four syllable word...

These days, some pastors look out at their congregations and wonder to themselves: “Where are they?” “Where are all the members of this church?” I say some pastors, because evidently this is not much of a concern for our Southern Baptist denomination as a whole. We are currently in a drive to baptize a million people in 2005. “Great!” I say, “But what about the 10-12 million we’ve already baptized who aren’t coming to church now?”

You see, the Southern Baptist Convention’s dirty little secret is that we are not the 16 million strong that we boast about to the nation and to the world. Only 37% of the members of convention churches attend the primary worship service for their church (usually Sunday morning) on any given week.

I’d hardly call this percentage success, would you? If you ran a business that depended on the attendance of your employees and only 37% showed up for the workday, you might have a problem. And it has not always been that way, either (see Elliff's article).

This is where the four-syllable word comes in to play. Like four-letter words (that are usually off-limits, but are becoming more acceptable – even in “Christian” circles), this word is off-limits in most places, too. Regenerate is the term that us evil-minded, God-limiting, reformed-types use to describe a person who has been “saved”, “born-again”, etc.

In most Southern Baptist circles, it is commonly accepted that those who are on the role, along with anyone who has parted the baptismal waters, along with all those who raised a hand or “came forward” during a service – must be born again.

Thankfully, there are some folks that are discerning this disparity between what people say and what they do, and these brave souls are daring to question the status of another person’s salvation. What! How dare them!!! Who do they think they are? Who are we to judge? Blah, blah, blah….

In reality, our lack of structure in receiving and retaining members in our churches has led to a great watering down of Biblical truth. Regenerate people are supposed to be participating members of the local church or assembly. But who wants to verify a life change – when 1^st Baptist Up the Street is growing by leaps and bounds – we have to keep up!

I usually give a three-fold test for people to consider if they or others are regenerate. First, a regenerate person should display a love for God (as revealed in the person of Jesus Christ - not the idolatrous gods of the day). Their lives are to be lived as though they answer to a higher authority and they are glad to do so. Second, they ought to display a love for His Word. The Bible is God’s truth, and saved people spend time studying it, learning it, meditating on it, and putting it into practice in their lives. Third, regenerate people display a love for His Church – the Body of Christ. If you sit at home all the time because you are better than so-and-so at that church, or if you always have time to fish, golf, or pick your nose – but you never have time to gather with the Body (worship services, ministry projects, etc.) you do not have or display a love for the Body.

Churches are supposed to work together to accomplish great things (Jesus said that we would). However, most SBC churches spend their efforts just trying to get their members to attend. And what a great feat that is! But I don’t think that’s what Jesus had in mind when He created and commissioned the church, do you?

I’ve included a couple of links to get you thinking about this issue – because I think it’s very important. Why do we need to throw another million souls into a machine that just spits most of them back out? Let’s start caring more about seeing God working in the lives of people, than we do about the number on our roles.

MB

Jim Elliff's Article - Southern Baptists: An Unregenerate Denomination

Tom Ascol's Blog at www.founders.org