I was recently put in an uncomfortable position, which called for a biblically necessary response. The rules of our house were violated and a confrontation was necessary. Not my house—not 2 Rooiivoor Street—but rather our house that gathers at 76 Roy Campbell Street.
A funeral was taking place at the house of Brackenhurst Baptist Church. It was a lovely occasion as several family members and friends celebrated the life of a dear sister in Christ. Honourable eulogies were given and many hymns were sung by a full hall of voices. All was going well. Until, that is, one last individual spoke before the preaching.
I was informed just before this individual (a “bishop”) spoke that “this was a really important part of the funeral service.” I became somewhat nervous, wondering whether this fellow minister and I were going to be on the same page. It didn’t take long to realise that we were not even in the same Book! Literally.
As he began, he quoted Socrates, a pagan philosopher who taught that death is a good thing and is nothing to fear, because as long as a person is “good” and “moral” (whatever that meant to an ancient Greek!), they will live on in immortality. The “bishop” then proceeded to inform us that King David would have agreed with Socrates and then he quoted and (mis)applied a few biblical texts. I was no longer merely uncomfortable; I was deeply disturbed. Sitting in view of the congregation, I managed to exercise self-control hiding my emotions and guarding my facial expressions.
As I sat there I kept thinking, “This is our house and you have just disrespected it. Worse, in a real sense, this is God’s house and you have just preached a false gospel. This needs to be addressed.” When finally (mercifully) he finished, it was time for me to deliver the sermon.
As I stood behind the pulpit I addressed the congregation, “The time has gotten away from us and so I will minimise my prepared sermon. But what I have to say is of eternal importance.” I paused and then said, “Socrates was wrong. The apostle Paul was right.” And then I read from 2 Corinthians 4:16–5:1 and did my best to preach the gospel. I pointed out that we are all sinners, including Socrates and King David, and that our only hope is not in living a “good” and “moral” life, but rather our only hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ, who lived a sinless life, died a sinner’s death on our behalf, and rose victoriously from death and the grave never to die again.
I pointed out that our beloved sister died in Christ because, by God’s grace, she trusted the Lord Jesus as her Saviour and, for this reason, we can celebrate that she is in the presence of the Lord.
I have preached many, many funerals, but rarely have I sensed a congregation paying attention as in this one. The Lord seemed to wonderfully present himself among us and, though I preached after a long service, people were listening closely. The Lord was graciously present in our house as we honoured his gospel rule.
I gleaned a lot from this experience. I was reminded that the local church—that is, its members and its ministers (elders)—are responsible to honour God’s revealed word. His house, his rules. We dare not mess with either.
Last Friday, I published an article encouraging our “house” (BBC) to make 2025 a year of faithfulness to God’s “rules.” Such faithfulness is lauded in Psalm 119:30: “I have chosen the way of faithfulness: I set your rules before me.” Gospel faithfulness is both a choice and an obligation. Listening to the “bishop’s” nonsense wafting over the congregation, I was angered that a purported “man of God” had chosen unfaithfulness, thereby transgressing God’s rules. I didn’t need to debate my responsibility in that moment. Simply, as a Christian, as a church member, as a pastor of our church, the gospel needed to be defended by being declared. In this house—the household of Brackenhurst Baptist Church—God’s rules rule. And it is important that every member of our church be committed to this.
A lot can be said about this matter but, for brevity’s sake, I simply want to remind us that the duty to guard the gospel is the responsibility of every church member. When Paul wrote to the Galatian church, he made this responsibility clear:
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
Paul could not have been clearer: “Congregation, be alert to counterfeit gospels. Household of faith, God’s revealed rule of faith is not up for debate. Choose faithfulness to God’s word. This is God’s house, and he has revealed his rule(s). Defend it.” And the best way to defend it? By knowing it, believing it, and by declaring it.
Doug