Couch-potato Christians: These Christians adapt to the culture by staying silent on the tough culture-and-faith discussions. Typically, this group will downplay God's absolute truths by promoting the illusion that neutrality was Jesus' preferred method of evangelism.
Cafeteria-style Christians: This group picks and chooses which Scripture passages to live by, opting for the ones that best seem to jive with culture. Typically, they focus solely on the "nice" parts of the gospel while simultaneously and intentionally minimizing sin, hell, repentance and transformation.
Convictional Christians: In the face of the culture's harsh admonitions, these evangelicals refuse to be silent. Mimicking Jesus, they compassionately talk about love and grace while also sharing with their neighbors the need to recognize and turn from sin." -- Chelsen Vicari
We start to see the development of the NAR logic here. The notion that "keeping Christ in the chapel" will kill His witness is ridiculous. The bible says we must always be ready to give reason for our hope. We always represent Christ in how we behave towards others and when the world sees the peace and love we live under they will want it to. What Vicari is actually advocating for here is the seven mountains heresy of taking over the government for Christ and forcing unbelievers to adopt Christian values. Notice the hero Vicari presents is the NAR Christian. The one who confronts culture although the way she is representing it is dishonest. We are not dealing with a group of people just trying to compassionately talk about love and grace. We are talking about people who want to legislate the morality of Christianity upon a world that still thinks the things of God are foolishness. They do not wish to preach the Gospel as much as they want to make it law, which is unbelievably ironic if you really think about it. Furthering the irony is that the cafeteria Christians mentioned here are created by the very NAR churches Vicari supports. You will not hear a peep about sin, hell, or repentance at most NAR churches. I would be curious what Vicari views as "absolute truths" when he references the couch potato Christians, who ironically sound like the only group presented actually doing the right thing biblically. There are no "faith and culture" discussions beloved. There is faith and there is culture. They do not mix. The Gospel draws people out from the culture that is sending them to hell. The NAR worship this country because they like living in Sodom and want to see it revived. They worship their carnal citizenship even though the bible says they are now citizens of heaven. I hate to break it to Vicari but neutrality WAS how Jesus dealt with the culture of His time. You want my tax? Go catch a fish. Beloved we must understand that while the disciples wanted deliverance from the culture of their day and the oppression of Rome, Jesus came for a much loftier deliverance. Look at the key verse! When facing the cross and Pilate who was just looking for a reason to release Him, Jesus calmly tells Pilate what the NAR keeps forgetting -- our kingdom is not of this world! Stop trying to save it! Preach the Gospel and let it save some out from among the culture while there is still time.
"Being countercultural for Christ isn't easy. What does the Great Commission say? Jesus commanded us to go, "teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you" (Matt. 28:20a)." -- Chelsen Vicari
Wow. That is perhaps the worst use for the Great Commission that I have ever seen. There is a vast difference between teaching and forcing. There is a vast difference between discipling and indoctrinating. The Great Commission is about representing Christ through the Gospel, not trying to change carnal laws that we have deemed a Christian cause.
"Our churches have rarely--if ever--faced the exodus we are seeing today. This will have a direct effect on the spiritual and moral values that will shape the nation in the coming years. That is why it is urgent that concerned Christians start acting now before the situation gets worse." -- Chelsen Vicari
No longer hiding in plain sight, Vicari goes full NAR. Look at what she is most concerned about. Is it the church? The cause of Christ? No. It is the shape of the nation. Once again though she refuses to look in the mirror. The church has spent the last 20 years running away from the Gospel and embracing the culture. THAT is why people are leaving the church. It has nothing different to offer them. I do not need some 50 year old man in skinny jeans and a faux hawk lecturing me about improving my marriage when I can by a DVD on the same subject and not have to pay 10% of my income. I do not need well trained voices and smoke machines when I can get the same thing at the club the night before and sleep in on Sunday. The church is no longer salt and light. It has become pepper and glitter. That is why people are leaving. It is not a cultural dilemma but a spiritual one.
