Mark Dever serves as senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. Dever is the chairman of Southern Seminary’s board of trustees. Dever presented three points at the outset of a panel discussion at a 9Marks at 9 event Monday evening after the Pastor’s conference.
1. We have to decide if we will go with the spirit of the age — an entertainment-driven age — or if we put it all on the exposition of God’s Word.
We need to decide that we will not go away from the exposition of God’s Word. God’s Word has always created God’s people. God is a God who speaks. We must present the promises in God’s Word to our congregations and show them that one day they will be fulfilled and we will see God (Rev 22:4).
2. Many churches have bought into a privatized vision of our faith. We must recover the corporate nature of the church.
God displays His glory in the interaction of His people with each other.
3. We have to decide if we will try to grow our churches with the perspective “consumer is king” or if we will teach our people about obedience and accountability.
There are three accountabilities in Scripture that many churches have chosen to forsake:
1. Accountability to each other — the practice of church discipline (Matt 18, 1 Cor 5).
2. Accountability between members and pastors — members of a congregation have authority over their pastor and pastors will give an account for their members.
3. A pastor’s accountability to God.