Why start a church in the “Bible Belt”?
For many years of my life, I have heard the phrase “Bible
Belt.” For those of you who do not know this reference let me take a moment to
define. Historically the southeastern portion of the United States has been referred to
as the Bible belt. There are a number of reasons historically this would be an
accurate statement. However, for this brief explanation I will not deal with
all the details. For nearly 100 years in the South, you can find multiple
churches not only in the same town but also on every other street corner. If
you stop most people on the street and ask them where they attend church, they
will point down the road to a building with a steeple and name the church. If
you ask them where their neighbor goes to church, they may say the same church
or point to another church down the road to a building with a different style
of steeple. For the most part, the people, although attending different church
buildings, got along in their daily routine of life and business. Those who did
not attend any of the numerous churches in that town or in that community were
the outcasts. Everywhere you turn people were good church-going people. Their “people,”
family members going out to multiple numbered 1st, 2nd,
and 3rd cousins, were all good church-going people. The denomination
you were a part of did not affect your daily work or relationships with one
another.
As the years went along, from time to time the people in one
church building would have a disagreement over just about anything. This
disagreement resulted in another church building with a different style steeple
being built just down the street. The services conducted in the new church
building looked, sounded, and duplicated exactly the services in the church building
they had just left. Soon the “Bible Belt” was defined as towns with churches on
every street corner. Why are there so many churches in the same town? What is
the difference between them? Is there a need for one more? Let’s look inside
these churches for a moment and see what is going on, so we can best answer
these questions.
In church number 1, we see a group of people who preach and
teach the importance of not conforming to the world. They teach that each
member is to abstain from the lust of the world and seek purity in their
living. The emphasis of the membership is to show a distinction to those who are
worldly that they are different. Any one who saw these church members on a
daily basis knew that by their dress, speech, and actions that they were
different. This church also emphasizes loving one another and doing everything
in their ability to do good to all. This church makes sure that all that were a
part of it would have their basic needs met and that everyone works together
for the good of all. The preaching and teaching leads each person to think of
others before they think of themselves.
In church number 2, we find another group of people who
preach and teach the importance of following all the teachings of the
Scriptures. They preach that even ignoring the least of what the Scriptures
teach leads to a path away from where they should be in their walk. The
preaching and teaching emphasizes that there must be a clear separation from
worldly thinking and living. Being around evil on a daily basis will corrupt
the heart and mind of the member and will lead them away from the church. The idea
of associating with worldly people is a compromise that leads to destruction. The
life that is to be lived by the members of this church is to lead others to
come to where they were and turn from their worldly lifestyle. This church
expresses great interest in not coming close to worldly thinking. In some cases,
this church advises people to take a standard that is far above what is needed
so as to not come close to looking or acting like the world. This church
preaches without compromise that the Lord God is over all and in control of all
and we cannot ever get away from God’s power over all.
In church number 3, we find preaching that stands firm on
the Word of God only. There is no compromise in oral traditions or philosophies
that are not clearly written in the Book. The preaching emphasizes the study
and learning of the absolute truths found in the Scriptures. The teaching of
this church leads the people to not emphasize on ideas and thinking that are
just in the imagination of man’s mind. The people are taught not to dwell on
the what if’s of life or those things that do not appear in Scriptures as
knowable facts. They acknowledge that there may be things that we do not know
that are beyond us, but they should not dwell on those things. This group
teaches that knowing God through His Word is the utmost important thing in
life. This church does not have time to fellowship with other churches that
spend their time in the pursuit of emotionalisms of life. They teach that the
flesh needs to be denied and changed without compromise based upon the teaching
of God’s Word.
In church number 4, we find a group that realizes that reaching
the community with the Truth requires them to be out in the community and
functioning within the law of the land. The preaching in this church reminds
their members that we are still in the world even though we are not of the
world. The emphasis is to not attack the government of the area but to live
under its rules to the best of their ability without compromising who they are
as a people. The church finds ways to reach out and be a help to the government
system around them, to have opportunity to continue serving God as they know
they need to. The church teaches that living for God does not require them to
rebel against the laws they are subject to.
In church number 5, we find a group of people who simply
want to understand life here on earth and live it the best way they know how. This
church is not interested in attacking other churches who do not believe as they
do but simply want their members to live life to the fullest and learn all that
they can about how great life can be. This church does not worry about what
others think of them or if they do not meet the same standard of living as the
others do. This church just wants to do what they can while serving here in
this community.
These churches are on every corner here in the “Bible Belt.”
Why would we want to start another one?
The churches mentioned above were groups present at the time
of Christ here on earth. His ministry
focus was on winning the lost to Himself.
His preaching lead Him to reveal the heart of the matter of these
groups. Below are the groups that would
have met the description of the churches above.
Church 1: Stoics
Church 2: Pharisees
Church 3: Sadducees
Church 4: Herodians
Church 5: Epicureans
Christ came on the scene and preached against each of these
because in the midst of their religious walk they did not even recognize who He
was, God Himself, the One they all said they were worshiping.
Why start another church? Because just maybe we need a
church that will center on Him so that people will recognize Him. Just maybe then
we can truly affect our world, and turn the world upside down.
Another church is present today as it was in Christ’s day. This
group was those who were truly looking for the coming of the Messiah. These
people are those who were seeking the truth about life and death and eternity. These
were the people, when Jesus reached out to them, left all and followed Him. These
people Jesus sent out into the highways and hedges, to the maimed, halt, and
blind, and compelled them to come into the fold. This church saw the need of
the multitudes and went to Jesus for the answers to meet the multitudes’
hunger. This is the church. Because they knew Him, they preached the truth of
God’s Word uncompromisingly and lived the life that may have looked something
like the other churches, but with a great difference. This church was different
from the others because they turned the world upside down for Christ.
Act 17:2-6 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them,
and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
Opening and alleging, that Christ
must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus,
whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
And some of them believed, and
consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and
of the chief women not a few.
But the Jews which believed not,
moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and
gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house
of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
And when they found them not, they
drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside
down are come hither also;
We want a church to turn the world. Is there a church in your Bible Belt that is
turning the community you live in upside down?
If so, get in it, get with it, and don’t ever stop. If not, then get with it, get it going, and
never stop until it is all upside down.
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