“All the believers
devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing
in meals, including the Lord’s Supper, and
to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed
many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one
place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions
and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple
each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great
joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all
the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were
being saved.” – Acts 2:42-47 NLT
There is much about eternity that excites me. Just one among
many things though would be perfect unity in the body of Christ - one family,
one body of believers, one church, all united under one Lord. I remember the
first time I read about the early church in Acts 2. The thought of all
believers being together, holding everything in common, devoting themselves to
one another, and sharing with all who had need is appealing. While we do see
glimpses of this in the world today, the truth is that the church is riddled
with division, strife, and conflict – sometimes so much so that it is hard to
distinguish believers from unbelievers. And I count myself as chief of sinners
in this area.
One way I see this play out in my own life is through my
judgment toward other churches and believers. I love to learn about doctrine,
about the gospel, and about the church. My love for these things is good, but because
my flesh is weak, I corrupt that which would otherwise be good through sins
like arrogance, snobbery, religious pride, and the like. I allow those things that
unite me with others in the body of Christ to separate me from them instead.
Before I watched the first Elephant Room discussions, I had
many preconceived ideas about a few of the pastors participating. In my
ignorance and arrogance, I judged them and their ministries and the people that
attended their churches. And yet, I had never stepped foot in one of their
services, or read one of their books. I had based my opinion solely on the
opinions of others that I read, or watched, or looked up to. While I watched
the different discussions during the first Elephant Room, I was convicted about
this sin within me. Most of what I had previously judged them on was
structural, not doctrinal. And by the last round, as two of the pastors
compared their stances on primary versus secondary issues, I found that we are
much more alike than we are different.
I
was driven to search for truth based on the Scriptures, rather than falling
into a non-thinking, religious groupthink.
This does not mean that I agree with everything that was
said, nor do I agree with the way some discussions were handled. I did,
however, begin to learn how to engage in critical thinking and use of
discernment about what is foundational and what is not. I was driven to search
for truth based on the Scriptures, rather than falling into a non-thinking,
religious groupthink. I was reminded that conflict, when done in love, is
healthy. These pastors were willing to engage one another, to talk about truth,
to confront one another with concerns, and to do so face to face in an earnest
attempt to call one another to biblical shepherding of the church. They did not
secretly or even publicly condemn one another, but moved toward one another
instead.
As a result of watching the first Elephant Room, I was
incredibly humbled and found myself repentant of the sin within my own heart
and am now passionate about having an opportunity to bridge the gap on a local
church level. This is not about entering into fellowship with other churches
that are teaching a false gospel, but about entering fellowship with other
churches who may look, talk, and worship differently than we do - but who all
believe in the same gospel, the same Lord, the same Holy Spirit. We are one
church under Christ. And my passion is to see us act as one church, one body -
loving, encouraging, exhorting, and rebuking one another within the context of
relationship through our commonality with Christ.
It is because of my experience with the first Elephant Room
that I am so excited about the upcoming Elephant Room 2 simulcast at Grace
Church’s Pelham Road Campus on January 25. The pastors will tackle issues such as
race, missions, fundamentals of Christianity, shepherding those different from
us, and what is necessary for salvation, just to name a few. While I know that
I may or may not agree with all of the pastors’ stances on issues, I believe
this will be another opportunity to learn and to grow even through
disagreement.
If you would like more information on The Elephant Room, or if
you would like to attend, please click here to register.
-Chrystie Cole, Research & Curriculum Development
-Chrystie Cole, Research & Curriculum Development