by: Allen Domelle
Since when have the old paths become out-of-date? Since when have the old paths been disdained by those who supposedly are supposed to be trumpeting them? In recent years we have seen the old paths of fundamentalism fall under attack by the emerging church growth gurus. For some reason they think that you must leave the old paths if you are going to build a growing church.
In recent days a leading educator of a leading Bible college said, “When we choose a path for growth, progress and accomplishment, we must often abandon old and comfortable paths. Let’s choose growth paths.”
This certainly sounds spiritual and carries the idea that the old paths hinder you from growth, progress and accomplishment; however, as spiritual as it may sound, it is one of the most unspiritual statements I have read in a long time coming from someone who should know better. It is not only unspiritual, but unscriptural when you read Jeremiah 6:16, “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.”
The independent, fundamental Baptist movement has been infiltrated by people who want to spirituality judge success and God’s blessings by numbers. They often look at the size of a church to determine its pastor’s success. With disdain they criticize preachers who stand for the old paths as out of touch and as those who cannot build a church.
We may be out of touch, but we are as out of touch as Noah who for one hundred and twenty years only had eight converts. We are as out of touch as a John the Baptist who was “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” (Mark 1:3) No, John the Baptist didn’t build a growing church, but Jesus said of him, “Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist:” (Matthew 11:11)
We may be out of touch, but we are probably as out of touch as Ezekiel who was warned when he went into the ministry that Israel would not listen to his messages. God told him in Ezekiel 2:3-5, “And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day. For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God. And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.”
Yes, we may be out of touch with these emerging church gurus who are for growth, progress and accomplishment, but we are probably as out of touch as Jesus when He said, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.” (Matthew 23:23-30)
Let’s look at the Saviour and see if “growth, progress and accomplishment” were his focus of the ministry when He says, “For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.” (Matthew 10:35) I wonder if Christ is for “growth, progress, and accomplishment” when He says, “Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.” (Hebrews 13:13) It looks to me that Jesus was more interested in the truth being heard than he was on a church focusing on “growth, progress and accomplishment.”
Church growth is not our area, but God’s. Matthew 16:18 says, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Notice, Jesus says that He would build his own church. In fact, it was the church that focused on “growth, progress and accomplishment” that was one of the most fleshly churches in the Scriptures. Jesus reminded this church, “So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.” (1 Corinthians 3:7) Notice again, God is the one responsible for increase. We are not against growth, but we are focused on walking the old paths and leaving growth up to God.
Friend, our job is to go reach the lost. Our job is to “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” (Luke 14:23) God is in charge of filling His house, but our job is to go into the “highways and hedges and compel them to come.”
These emerging church apologists who clothe themselves as independent Baptists need to stop criticizing us for filling our busses and bringing in children of all race. I know, they wouldn’t want their church to be filled with little black children because it is below them. Go ahead and wear your Ku Klux Klan hood and criticize those of us who bring in children of all race, but I didn’t know that a soul had a color. God is as much for the little black child to ride our busses as he is for the white child to come. They are all welcome at the foot of the cross.
Go ahead and hide behind your PhD’s and look down on those men who pastor small churches around the country, but I would rather stand with the men who preach the old-time religion with rough edges than with the emerging church crowd who won’t be clear on where they stand. You see, Bible colleges are filled with students who come from small churches that have not abandoned the old paths. Mr. Intellectual, why don’t you stop getting your students from the churches that walk the old paths? It is the small churches who seem to be producing more preachers. It is the small churches from where most missionaries come. Go ahead and push me into a corner, and I will take the pastors from the small church any day over empire building “independent Baptists.” It is these small town pastors who are truly making the greatest influence in our nation.
Friend, you better mark the crowd that encourages you to forsake what God commanded for us to ask. God commanded “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” (Jeremiah 6:16) He didn’t command to ask for the growth paths, but for the old paths. You see, I have found that those who throw the stones at those in the old paths probably are not in the old paths themselves. Before there was anyone promoting the growth paths, God was trumpeting the old paths. I believe I will stand with God.
By the way, the old paths truly don’t keep God from building growing churches. J. Frank Norris strongly stood for the old paths, and God built two thriving churches through him. Jack Hyles was a warrior for the old paths, and God built the largest Sunday school in the world through him. God is building larger churches who practice the old paths in Longview, Texas, Santa Clara, California, Wildomar, California, Lexington, Kentucky, Louisville, Kentucky, Dundalk, Maryland, Bowie, Maryland, Rio Rancho, Gaylord, Michigan, New Mexico, Anchorage, Alaska, Greenwood, Indiana and many other places to name a few. In fact, there are thousands of independent Baptist churches today that are strongly standing for the old paths, and it’s amazing the old paths didn’t hinder God from changing lives through them.
Let me encourage you to not be ashamed of the old paths. Those who are for growing paths may think that the old paths need to be abandoned, but it is the old paths that changes lives. It is the old paths of soul winning that warns the sinner that there is a Hell. It is the old paths of running busses that helps those who would never make it to church on their own to have a way so they can come. It is the old paths that gives the poor in society hope that there is a way out of their situation. It is the old paths of standards and separation that raises a holy generation. The old paths are the paths that give the greatest hope to every person no matter what their financial situation may be or their skin color. The old paths are the paths that Jesus Christ walked. It was the old paths that got Jesus crucified. As long as God is for the old paths, I say we stand strongly for them, even if they don’t build large churches.
Let me remind you of Jude 1:3, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” Instead of contending for the growth paths, lets contend for the old paths.
Allen Domelle is the editor of the Old Paths Journal which is more than just a Christian’s publication. It is an excellent place to learn how today’s headlines will forge tomorrow’s laws and statutes. Keep yourself in tune with what is happening around the world, as well as in your own backyard with our daily updates and devotionals.