Pastor's Update

The professing church today will do anything to draw a bigger crowd. Tragically, this pursuit to increase at all cost has caused many churches across America and around the world to go as far as to set aside the Bible even. I attended one of the largest, most famous churches in our country only to find a congregation of thousands, of which I was the only person I noted in the crowd even carrying a Bible. Everything said by the man speaking (I dare not say that he was preaching!) could have been said on a nationally televised talk show and no one watching would have been offended in the least. And, they certainly would not have been confronted with the truth of God.

Sadly, the church has lost her voice today because she has failed to keep in mind that she has been commissioned by God to be the pillar and support of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). Instead, she has opted to be the pillar and support of social connectedness, psychological need-meeting, emotional experience, pop culture relevance, and many other man-centered agendas. All these things the world can offer and often in a more exciting, desirable and effective manner. Subsequently, the church busies herself studying, evaluating, researching, strategizing, financing, and laboring to stay on the cutting edge of that which is not her calling to begin with.

It seems that she seeks to emphasize every "ology" but theology. We, at Cornerstone Baptist Church, have purposed and determined to present to people that which can truly change their lives--the Bible. We will be a "pillar and support of the truth" and those who attend our services will have the blessing of hearing the Word of God.

Recently I came across some pointed and pertinent words written in 1943 by Dr. Vance Havner. He wrote with prophetic accuracy about the current church trend.

The text from the Scriptures was Isaiah 54:2 which reads,
"Lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes."

The following are his remarks from this passage:

If we are going to lengthen our cords we had better strengthen our stakes. The church today is intent on expanding borders and taking more territory. That is good if along with it we strengthen what we have. Otherwise, we gain width at the expense of depth and become shallow.

The Christian and the church need an intensive as well as an extensive ministry. Vast gatherings of believers bring peril if we do not teach, indoctrinate, build up in the faith.

Pastor Leland