A Twisted Crown of Thorns ®

It is probably a step in the right direction when you hear that Perry Noble has used the word “sorry” in a sentence. Many times I have had to send my kids out of the room when he has appeared on television. What? Not only because he played “High way to Hell” as a worship song and declared his sermons are PG-13 rated. No, my concerns are much deeper as he holds the office of pastor yet displays such a lethargy to wards godliness that he is more than a distraction to the preaching of the gospel. It’s good to see that my  concerns over  his course language, aberrant theology and conduct have been shared by many. And you see….

After South Carolina Pastor Perry Noble apologized to his congregation for criticizing those seeking more discipleship, a Christian apologist and radio host said a simple apology isn’t enough. He suggested that Noble go on a “Repentance Tour.”

Chris Rosebrough, host of Fighting for the Faith, noted on his program that the public apology was a step in the right direction, but he also doesn’t think Noble should stop there.

“I personally think that at this point the magnitude of the error disqualifies Perry Noble from being a mentor to pastors,” he said. Because Noble made those statements at a leadership conference for pastors, Rosebrough said he has to do more to undo the damage of those statements than just apologize to his congregation.

The controversial comments were made at a 2009 conference called Unleash, an annual leadership event conducted by Noble’s church, NewSpring.

During his session, Noble told pastors that “the person that always screams I want to go deeper” is “the jackass in the church.”

The character and effectiveness of any church is directly related to the quality of its leadership. That’s why the Bible stresses the importance of qualified church leadership and delineates specific standards for evaluating those who would serve in that sacred position. Failure to adhere to those standards has caused many of the problems that churches throughout the world currently face. This may sound far fetched but I would really be happy to see most of these quasi emergent types repent of their carnal means and methods and become more engaged in teaching solid biblical precepts.

Who wouldn’t be happy to see Steven Furtick teaching on “The Doctrine of Substitutionary Atonement” and Perry Noble teaching on “Justification by faith” and T.D Jakes exhorting his church on “The Doctrines of Grace”?

Yup, I am a dreamer.  If you ever get a “repentance tour” from Perry Noble then that will be the time I send in  my first two pence to his ministry … to the glory of God (of course). 🙂

Hugh Latimer, a popular preacher of the sixteenth century English Reformation who was martyred for his faith, couldn’t restrain himself from preaching. The lostness of men and women and the emptiness of the clergy of his day compelled him to speak out.

His “Sermon of the Plow” was directed at preachers who lacked passion and used their pastoral office for self promotion rather than proclaiming God’s truth. In it he said, “I would ask a strange question: who is the most [diligent] bishop and prelate in all England, that passeth all the rest in doing his office? I can tell, for I . . . know him well. But now I think I see you listening and hearkening that I should name him. . . . I will tell you: it is the devil.

“He is the most diligent preacher of all other; he is never out of his [diocese]; he is never from his [curate]; ye shall never find him unoccupied. . . . The diligentest preacher in all the realm; he is ever at his plough: no lording nor loitering can hinder him; he is ever applying his business, ye shall never find him idle, I warrant you. . . .”Where the devil is resident, and hath his plough going, there away with books, and up with candles; away with bibles, and up with beads; away with the light of the gospel, and up with the light of candles, yea, at noon days. . . . Up with man’s traditions and his laws, down with God’s traditions and his most holy word. . . .

There was never such a preacher in England as Latimer who beckoned, “Oh that our prelates would be as diligent to sow the corn of good doctrine, as Satan is to sow cockle and darnel!

Related articles

• Maverick pastor gets crowds streaming into church after erecting a stripper pole behind pulpit (atwistedcrownofthorns.com)
• Chandler and Noble in Elephant Room: Internet Bloggers Can’t Call Out False Doctrine, Only Pastors and Elders Can (Via FBC Jax Watchdog) (thereformedtraveler.wordpress.com)
• “Brother” T.D Jakes lets Orthodoxy go by releasing new book denying original sin. (atwistedcrownofthorns.com)