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I was prompted to republish this message because of a series of comments I read relating to an article linked on the Religious Affections Ministries site. I didn’t even listen to the songs mentioned, I just saw the names, remembered their significance, thought of a story, and decided to tell it. This is a related sermon I gave numerous times around the country, and it’s one I listen to again on occasion to refresh my memory about how God has led our family. It is subtitled; My Christian Broadcasting Story. Please play or download What is Best? below.

Download the What is Best? MP3

(This sermon was originally published in the Spring of 2006.)

A good friend recently sent along an e-mail commenting on our Settle for This? post from March 18. By way of response, I sent this additional information that might help others who have read the article. Here is a slightly modified version:

I correspond/keep up with many people in the ministry. Recently I have been nothing short of alarmed by the authors and teachers they are recommending. It is not a matter of these men having nothing profitable to say at all, but more a case of their materials being vastly inferior to others written/provided by fundamentalists.

These pundits usually have one thing in common; they are popular. Some have sold hundreds of thousands of books and operate very large ministries. These guys are usually highly intellectual and pragmatic. They are higher class neo-evangelical types that operate on “sophisticated” outreach plans, usually relying on observation of the culture - then development of a ministry philosophy - then systematic execution. They discount our - preach God’s word faithfully and pray the Holy Spirit works in hearts - method as old-fashioned, unsophisticated and (worst of all) unsuccessful.

What’s the common denominator? Problematic, poorly formulated and many times unquestionably wrong doctrine.

There are some fantastic fundamentalist ministers around today. They are found at small Bible colleges, medium sized churches, and remote mission fields all over the world. Their teachings are more difficult to find, I understand, but the power of God shines through their every word. They give testimony of simple faith, consistent Bible teaching, and love for people. Their ministry is not accomplished by pragmatic methodology and study of cultural relevance, but rather by the power of God’s word in the heart’s of Holy-Spirit-prepared people.

Therefore, when I am asked to endure the heady research and intellectual formulation of another doctrinally questionable evangelical heavyweight, I ask myself, do I have to settle for this?

All that to say I generally agree with your statements on the subject. There is sometimes no harm at all in recommending a book by an author that violently disagrees with us. In fact, some of them are likely more Godly people than we are! To me, that’s not the main point. I am instead weary of being told that the “best and brightest” Biblical thinkers of today reside far outside fundamental circles. I find that notion unquestionably wrong and bordering on laughable.

We have made an attempt to clarify our position in the past few days by presenting the preaching of Dr. Rick Flanders. He makes the connection between belief and philosophy as well as anyone we have ever heard on the topic.

By way of follow-up to our most recent post on foundational ministry principles, I wanted to link you to a related article. Dr. Rick Flanders offers some very interesting perspectives of fundamentalism in an entry published by Sharper Iron on May 3, 2006. Its editor’s note gives us a clue as to how widely endorsed his philosophies may (or may not) be within fundamental Christianity.

While many of today’s generally conservative ministers bristle at Dr. Flanders’ assertions about (what he calls) young fundamentalists, I would rather tend to agree. Many critics of “how things used to be done” grew up in the fundamentalist movement, and have personal stories of dismay with individuals in their past. These emotional ties too often cloud the real issues and set people on a crusade to right perceived wrongs. This is a principle reason otherwise strong men of God look outside fundamentalism for input on ministry methodology.

I am not a product of the movement to which Dr. Flanders refers. Preachers I grew up admiring were generally old-fashioned, hellfire and brimstone types that sang hymns, knocked doors, and read from the King James Bible. All were Southern Baptist, though they didn’t particularly associate themselves with the convention at large, but rather held to Biblical conviction and called out compromisers no matter what label they wore. Did they get some things wrong? Definitely. Is it my job to correct their mistakes? Definitely not.

The fact of the matter is, most of the convictions they helped form in me came directly from scripture. Certainly I have chosen to do many things differently over the years, but I have never asserted the need for reforming their general methodology based upon changing cultural dynamics or my own inflated sense of sophistication. We are not smarter than those that came before us, and we do not live in a world that is so radically different that it should cause us to jettison proven philosophy and technique. Those insisting otherwise should take a very serious look at their motivation for doing so. They should also set out to prove their ways are measurably better, based on Biblical standards.

Today I am an independent, Baptist, fundamentalist with a traditional and conservative ministry philosophy. While I am frustrated I even have to list these qualifications, I fear it is all too often necessary in framing discussion. Unfortunately it is not enough to simply call yourself a fundamentalist today, as the range of thought among us is sometimes too “broad” to unite us.

I have recently expressed concern that many Baptist pastors and missionaries are enthusiastically promoting speakers, authors and teachers that are sub-par in doctrinal and (consequently) philosophical understanding. This week I was grieved again by three further examples, as those calling themselves fundamentalists justified the blunders and missteps of their favorite evangelical pundit.

This morning I clicked play on a message that helped focus my concerns. As I compared it with those I’ve heard from the “leading Christian thinkers” of our day, I discovered a monumental difference. These words resonate with conviction and assurance that only consistent and deliberate study in God’s word can bring. Talk of cultural dynamics and the psychological processes of the post-modern mind were conspicuously absent; praise God.

Dr. Rick Flanders was featured at the Conference on Baptist Fundamentalism last month at Maranatha Baptist Bible College. He spoke on an historic mistake by fundamentalists, and in doing so defined a chief problem today. It is one of the best sermons you will ever hear on foundational principles for ministry philosophy. I thank God for men that stand firm against the tide! Please make time to listen.

Download A Mistake by Fundamentalists