I’m hearing alot of noise these days regarding the church and its relationship with the lost. There’s no question that the church is called to reach the lost with the gospel. This is the primary foundation of the great commission and the book of Acts. To deny evangelism is to deny the premise of who we are. However, is the physical church and its services meant to be places of refuge for the world? Contemporary philosophies seem to think so. The modern seeker sensitive church preaches the merits of designing the church with the lost in mind. Services look and feel like comparable carnal events. The music is fresh and exciting, and the preaching is toned down. Sermons become commentaries on self-help, positive themes, and friendly dialogs. The gospel is encouraged to be presented over time through relationships. This eases the responsibility of the presenter. The receiver is supposedly lulled by the gentle non-judgmental spirit of the church.There’s only one problem… This is not the Biblical plan for the church. Remember when Jesus was on the shore with Peter? He asked Peter who the people thought he was, and then he asked Peter his opinion. Peter didn’t hesitate. He answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus, obviously pleased with Peter’s faith, eventually told him, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” I know that orthodox Catholic teachings suggest that this is a papal directive. Personally, I just think that Jesus was just recognizing the true saving faith that was in Peter’s heart. Jesus recognizes the beginning of the church with the saving faith that begins the process of regeneration. The result? A saint of God. It is clear to the Biblical scholar, the church is built and comprised of saved people. In the New Testament the word “church” is mentioned around 80 times. Never do you find it as an example of a place of refuge for the lost. It is the home of the redeemed on Earth. To be clear, let me comment on evangelism. Evangelism is an action of the church. We are to “go” preach the Word. Does that happen in the church? I hope so. However, the hearer can never dictate the message or environment. If we preach the gospel of separation while holding a connection to the world, the lost will either be deceived or confused. Either way, the result is very unlikely to be saving faith. I remember my college physics class very well. I remember it because I spent the entire semester lost in the material. I slipped by with a very low D! Could you imagine me going to the professor during the middle of the class and asking to teach? Me neither. It is ludicrous to even think of it. Why do we then lay down our authority and practices for the unknowing lost. Just as I needed to hear the lectures of a professional teacher, the lost need the preaching of a submitted church! The church has endured persecutions, even to death, to remain Holy. It is sad that in America we freely give it away.Psalm 11:3 states, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” If your church is geared toward the lost, where are you getting your meat? We cannot provide the refuge of the gospel if we have no refuge for the saints! Its no wonder that abortion and divorce is as high in the church as in the world. We have given away the strong foundation of righteous living. The church should weep and hunger for its lost divine heritage.Jesus prayed, “John 17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
Joh 17:10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
Joh 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
Joh 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
Joh 17:13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
Joh 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Joh 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
Joh 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Joh 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
Joh 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. “
Joh 17:10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
Joh 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
Joh 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
Joh 17:13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
Joh 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Joh 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
Joh 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Joh 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
Joh 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. “
What will we do with this Word, the right thing or the accepted thing?
1 Comment
March 25, 2008 at 8:31 am
Larry,
The sad thing is, though the stated intention of these churches is to reach the lost, they overwhelmingly do not. They forfeit the power of God’s Word, thus they unwittingly reject the Holy Spirit and quench the Spirit’s vital convicting work. Even their own stats show that they are phenomenally ineffective. Those who actually get someone to bow their head and pray a prayer with them have caused the new “convert” to become more a “son of Hell” than they are. I say this because most “salvation” messages do not include any form of repentance at all. There is no salvation without repentance.
Now the people who “asked Jesus into their hearts” with no understanding of the crimes they have committed against our Lord, and no concept of the Lordship of God, are inoculated against the true salvation message. For, every time someone begins to share the truth about our desperate need for salvation, these inoculated false converts will think, “Oh yeah, I have already done that…” and dismiss the message, not listening to anymore, because they are not interested in the things of God, (not being in right relationship with Him, their passions are as carnal as ever)
I am not sure if you noticed the sarcasm when I wrote “their stated intention”. I propose that though they state this is their motivation, it is not. Apple trees bear apples. I have never seen an orange growing on the same branch as an apple. In the same way, false converts produce false converts. The reason many of these churches reject anything that gets close to acknowledging sin, and repenting of it, anything that resembles the words of Jesus, “let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”; is because their lord is not Christ.