You’ve never heard of the Four S Club? I’ll bet you have. They are the Secret Society of Superior Saints – the folks who have a hidden or secret knowledge that none of the rest of us poor schlubs know that makes them better than we are. Oh, they know that all who have faith in Christ are saints, redeemed, heaven-bound – they are not gospel-denying heretics after all. They just know something that makes them a little more saintly, a little more redeemed. They have a wisdom that the rest of us just don’t have.
- Maybe it is some insight into the inner workings of the spiritual realm – they know where the territorial and generational demons lurk.
- Maybe it is a rubric for interpreting the Bible – some sort of Bible Code embedded in the text, insight into OT law and Jewish matters, or wisdom gleaned from some other ancient source.
- Maybe they have discovered some ancient linguistic secret that brings all truth to light, answers all questions and solves all of life’s mysteries.
- Maybe it is a deuterocanonical or apocryphal book that has given them the upper edge.
- Maybe it is their intellect and personal insight, or perhaps a doctrinal “discovery” that they wish to share with the rest of us.
- Maybe it is a “gift” for interpreting prophetic scriptures that helps them understand all current affairs in the light of biblical prophecy.
- Maybe it is a commitment to the “proper” translation of the Bible – the English Version authorized by Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail.
- Maybe it is a dream or a vision that they assert as authoritative revelation.
- Maybe they have learned a key, a secret to the Christian life that would change all of our lives if only we would listen.
It can be any number of things. But they all have this in common. They have something we don’t have that makes them more than we are, and they want to share it with us. Members of the Four S Club can be annoying, even divisive in a church.
- They are arrogant – they know what no one else knows and appoint themselves as resident experts in the church. They know more than you and they don’t mind telling you so.
- They are divisive – as resident experts, they often undermine the leadership in the church. They will not submit to the fellowship of the church, but in their self-appointed superiority they often gather a small group of followers around them and sow discord.
- They are usually unstable – in my experience, one thing the members of the Four S Club have in common is emotional instability. Spiritually healthy people do not develop unhealthy obsessions with these kinds of “truths.” I’m not saying they are mentally ill (though sometimes, I have wondered), but I think there
- They have an intense desire to be unique – they are not content to be part of the church, part of the kingdom. They must have a unique place in it, a superior place. They have to have the secret, be part of the spiritual elite. I remember one young lady in a previous church who went from one spiritual secret to another, until she finally left the church. It was sad, but she could never be content with just being one of God’s sheep, part of God’s flock. She had to be munching in the best pastures and telling others how much better that feed was than theirs!
So, how do we handle these folks? What do we do when members of the Four S Club invade our churches?
Suggestions for Responding to Four S Clubbers
The good news (bad news?) is that this is nothing new. The Four S Club was alive and well in the early church. Paul spoke about them fairly frequently and Peter joined in the discussion as well. Look at Paul’s instructions to Timothy and Titus in the Pastoral Epistles.
As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. 1 Timothy 1:3–4
Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness. 1 Timothy 4:7
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:3–5
It seems Paul might have been addressing the same situation a few verses earlier when he said this:
For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 2 Timothy 3:6–7
Peter also addressed the problem.
For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 2 Peter 1:16
There is wisdom in these passages that we can glean.
1) Minister to them!
My experience is that people who seek the unique, the superior, the spiritually elite, are generally hurting people. They have some emotional or spiritual needs that lead them into joining the Four S Club. They often need acceptance and love, though they tend to turn off those who would give it to them. But we are called to lay down our lives for others. Try to help them. Brothers, it is our job to feed the sheep and lead the sheep – even the obnoxious and annoying ones.
Paul seems to distinguish between the perpetrators of error and those deceived by it. When one is deceived, we must be gentle. However…
2) When they start hurting the Body, take a stand.
There was a lady in my last church who was into “spiritual warfare.” What they meant was that she believed she had insight into which members of the church “had demons” and which did not. This knowledge gave her superiority and control. I talked with her and prayed with her, and sometimes I thought we were making progress. But then she started causing problems. She started spiritually assaulting women in the church, demanding that they let her get rid of the demons they were hauling around day by day. One day, she invited another single lady to lunch after church, at her house about 12 miles from the church. After lunch, she began to assert that the other lady had demons that needed to be confronted. This poor lady was 12 miles from her car, which was at church, and could not get away.
We had a talk soon after that. I told her that she was welcome in our church, but her false teaching and this habit of imposing her “spiritual insights” on others was no longer welcome. She promptly left the church.
In fact, Paul made it clear in his instruction to Titus that we would not let such folks damage the church.
Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. Titus 1:13–14
He is talking about those who set themselves up in the church to lead others astray. Someone who struggles with the issue is one thing. But someone who leads others astray must be opposed.
3) Members of the Four S Club do not make good leaders.
They are terrible followers, but make even worse leaders. One of the qualifications for leadership in the church is being sober minded. One who is enraptured by arcane and useless knowledge, who gets out of balance on spiritual things, such a person is not qualified to be a leader. The church that allows someone like that to lead, to teach, to take the reigns in ministries, will generally regret it later. Do not let these people lead!
4) Four S-proof your church by sound, solid Bible teaching.
In every passage in which Paul addresses these unhealthy myths, he also gives an instruction toward godly living and sound doctrine. When the pulpit is weak, the people are more easily led astray. When the truth is proclaimed week after week from the pulpit, that solid truth seems to immunize many of the folks from following these silly myths.
I believe the most important discipleship program in the body of Christ is sound, biblical preaching on a weekly basis. “The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to do the work of God in the people of God.” (That is my ministry motto.)
5) Most of all, DON’T JOIN the Four S Club yourself.
There are pastors who become part of this unfortunate group. People need the whole counsel of God, not just lectures on biblical prophecy or your latest spiritual discovery or your hobby horse of the month. They need to be led by sober-minded, godly men who will stay away from the silly myths and just proclaim the solid truth. Balance is not a bad thing in ministry.
Maybe you have some experience or wisdom in dealing with the Four S Club. Now, it’s your turn.
I once said, “God sure saves a lot of strange and messed up folks.” Of course, others have pointed out that I am one of them.
But in this messed up day and age, dealing with people who are spiritually unbalanced and attracted to these kinds of groups becomes disproportionately a priority in ministry.
Being strange and messed up is one of the reasons we need saving.
I’ve toyed with putting this song up a couple of times over the past month. Dave’s comment and Ben’s follow up should be used as a filter to listen to the song. Keep in mind that one of the things they’re getting at is that it took man to fall for God to create such a great plan of salvation. And it also is helpful to note that even with salvation we end up better but not entirely without brokenness of both kinds.
I think the phrase “the way we fall apart” is provocative in recognizing that both kinds of brokenness are used by God to draw us closer to him. The brokenness of sin can only be solved via imputed righteousness–we can’t create our own–and the brokenness of spirit creates in us the “protasis” of each of the Beatitudinal blessings: the necessary precondition. (Other interpretations of what the song means stray from orthodoxy which is why I’m emphasizing the ones I’m emphasizing…I’m not trying to provoke a discussion of the theology of the song.)
We As Human “We Fall Apart”
Dave,
Good post. This group can really demand time and energy from a staff while contributing little to the ministry efforts of a church. I have noted over the years that this group will manifest itself just before God does something really big – almost like a test. No matter how much attention they get, they are never satisfied. And as you noted, horrible leaders of anything other than destruction.
The biggest challenge for me? The Pastors heart wants to help them while only desperation has proven over the years to get their attention.
I try referring them down the road if I get an early detection :-)!
“This group can really demand time and energy from a staff while contributing little to the ministry efforts of a church.”
Yep. Absolutely right.
I don’t know about the Four-S Club, but I had a friend a long time ago who used to call the meet-and-greet time in worship service the Four-H Club: The Happy, Holy, Hypocritical Handshake Club.
Here in Iowa, nobody messes with the 4H Club!
Hmmm, you actually show evidence of real life pastoral experiences by what you write, as opposed to ex-cathedra boilerplate alliterative lists of things the rest of us ought to do.
Good job.
I think we have all run up against these sorts of folks, William. Our experiences are not that unique, are they?
Beware of ex-cathedra boilerplate — especially if someone puts in a book they are peddling.
“We had a talk soon after that. I told her that she was welcome in our church, but her false teaching and this habit of imposing her “spiritual insights” on others was no longer welcome. She promptly left the church.”
Was she an Arminian charismatic by any chance?
😉
Um…how’d you get our handbook?
It’s on the web.
I knew a pastor who overemphasized “discernment”. He seemed to bring it up in many of his sermons. Most of his stories were about him discerning things about people. I do not recall him discerning anything good, just the bad. He was an ex-cop. He made me feel that I was being scrutinized or evaluated when I talked to him. I’m sure others did, too. He was one of the bad examples of the Bill Gothard Seminar because everything he did and preached was what he learned there. The Four S Club members are also very narrow in their thinking.
I have found no one who writes better and more to the actual needs of pastors in the SBC than Joe McKeever.
When I grow up, I want to be Joe Mckeever.
except I can’t draw.
Without the influence of mental cases of the likes of Joan of Arc, William Tyndale, Martin Luther, John Knox, John Calvin, Jan Hus, etc…the world would still be Catholic or hemmed in by a State run religious system. Some of these in their early years may have been less mature in their walk of faith. But pushing the envelope was their calling by God.
If given the proper guidance toward a mature approach to sharing what God has placed on their hearts the next great move of God might occur. That guidance was given to me by a leader who chose not to fear people who had different ideas from him. Those who did not want to be limited by his guidelines or be associated with some of his extremes in his immature time left, my husband and I felt called to stay and walk out the rough times. It has been well worth it.
Most Christians find a nice safe bubble of people who agree with them to fellowship with. My call is to work with a number of fellowships and churches find a place of agreement to walk with them an build unity. I have been given leadership and teaching positions careful to submit fully to the head pastor and not cause division.
I realize this post was partially about me 11 years ago when you last knew me…other than Facebook and funerals. I am a Linguist by University training so translating scripture utilizing Paleo Hebrew is my bent, like it or not. Since then, I have also broadened and balanced myself by receiving extensive training in Spiritual Warfare and Healing from this same nationally respected leader who is the most honorable and…now…mature and well balanced charismatic leader I have found anywhere. I do not follow after the barkers and laughers, gentlemen…this man promotes unity and balance in the body of Christ. And still I am not known to be charismatic myself…though I must admit to Hebraic dancing and blowing a shofar on occasion which by the way is in your Bibles and a valid form of worship.
My question is…do you just want unquestioning followers of the pastor? Or unquenchable Berean Brides who desire to know their Bridegroom in every way possible excited to share how amazing He is at leaving you love notes that appeal to your personal bents right there in His Word?!
Pastor, you knew me only when I first began investigating these ideas.
To your credit…
you only saw I was a talkative analytical woman in a difficult marriage which I undertook only after giving up on my calling. I guess I married the friend who was least suited for ministry that I could find and made the best of it. He graciously and amicably left me for his other pursuits, his choice. I submitted in every way I knew how. But there was no hiding the disappointment in myself even though I buried it so deep inside I forgot it was there. But you cannot love others well if you do not love yourself appropriately.
I didn’t realize this till recently. I gave up on my calling because it did not fit the Southern Baptist norms for a woman and so of course I thought I was called to missions…what else could I do as a single girl who loved translating the Bible and studying linguistics and reading Elisabeth Elliot? So I was a failure in my eyes making more bad decisions.
The best decision I ever made was to pursue my calling and little by little it has come together miraculously my life is not a failure but a lovely tapestry. It takes a leader to recognize you inside this box you build to hide in and guide you out. I had to find the place I could grow and heal and bloom.
To the best of my recollection I only spoke with you about my ideas and not to your congregation. I always enjoyed your teaching and had no concerns about your doctrine. In my eyes we only disagree on the fine points of the content of our obedience to God…grace and mercy leading and stepping in to trump our inadequacies by the blood of Christ…and defining terms such as works of law, under law and law of Christ. I figure this is a forum mostly of church leaders who respectfully disagree on certain issues and might be open for interesting discussions within limits. If not, I understand.
But every pastor…rethink the purpose of your church. Is it a place people can both hear sound doctrine and also be nurtured toward growth in their callings? Some may have to be redirected to another assembly because yours is not equipped for their needs. But do not fear them. They are an opportunity for ministry as Dave has said.
Your assumption that this post is all about you is simply not accurate. In fact, you are not referenced in the post at all.
I think you have certainly adopted false ideas, contrary to scripture, and I believe that you are certainly in the club. But the trigger for this post was a book I got in the mail yesterday.
I didn’t say all about me I said partially. I knew for sure I fit the linguist Jewish ones but not the Spiritual warfare kidnapper. Now that one sounds dangerous. Though now I do have a thorough understanding and experience dealing with those things. But believe in honoring the individual in the process.
Dee,
You actually blow a shofar during the worship service? I mean, you just let it ring out for all to hear, every now and then? Is this done during the singing? Or, in the middle of a sermon? Before the service starts? Or, ?
David
The church I belonged to back in WV had a shofar that got played once or twice. I also remember one of the musicians got in trouble for picking up the shofar after service one evening and playing “Sentimental Journey” on it.
Ben,
lol
We dont use shofars…it scares the snakes.
A+
How far can I throw a ram’s horn? Shofar that you can’t see it, but not shofar that you can’t hear it??
Greg,
Groan.
🙂
Close the comments. Greg wins the thread.
Blog commenting is a competition? How come I didn’t get the memo?
Memos are for winners.
And I didn’t get one either.
You guys are all nuts.
Being nuts sounds better than being losers.
And, having said that, I wonder if I’ve gotten back to something relevant to the post.
nah they just climb inand sometimes when I put it down it turns into a snake * is she serious? *
My husband is a musician…he won’t play the real calls he always tries to play songs…so I have to do it.
In a messianic service it is done to start the service. In a charismatic service it is done during the singing mostly, which is often less structured than you are used to. However, many pastors would take a compliment at a shofar blown like you would receive an amen.
I disagree with one of your points. I think I’m pretty stable. People are always saying “Oh you’re ALWAYS ….. “
That would make them stable, too (since they’re always saying it).
Dave, 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 these are for you. This post is one of your best, as a minister I appreciate this post in it’s fullest. Keep up the good work.
Just be careful that all those who disagree on a minor point, those who understand something within the scope of revelation that others don’t, or those who struggle with mood disorders are not summarily accounted as members of the Four S Club. Effective teachers know something their students don’t, but the goal is not to lord it over their students. The goal is to benefit others with the understanding given. The unwise student disregards a good teacher out if his own arrogance. As such, there certainly are people who arrogantly desire to appear better than others and they should be ministered to according to their sin. So the balance is in not becoming a member of the club in the act of identifying members of the club for doing so requires a special understanding that members of the club don’t have.