This type of human reasoning we see today in the modern church as well. I am not talking about the simple to spot heresies such as the aforementioned Rob Bell. I am talking about the more subtle yeast that is infecting and spreading throughout the body of Christ. This subtle yeast is the one we organize leadership summits around and celebrate as being innovative and creative! At the end of the day, no matter how much it compromises the Gospel of Jesus Christ it is all excused away with the same failed human reasoning -- "we are just trying to reach as many as we can for Christ." Let me be as plain as possible -- no you are not. If you compromise the Gospel in order to reach people than by default you are not reaching them for Christ -- you are reaching them for your church. The Gospel was already "seeker friendly" as it has to power to save anyone who truly seeks it. The problem however is when we change the reason people seek it. People do not need to be tricked up to the altar. We do not need to be guilted up to the altar. We do not need a motivational speaker and a self-help seminar. We do not need God to be our friend. We do not need God to be our lover. We need a SAVIOR because the weight of our SIN has become unbearable. Unless we were seeking a Savior because of our sin, I would wonder about the genuineness of anyone who says they are saved. Without a regeneration of the heart we would still be on the broad path to destruction. Paul warns us:
Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. -- Colossians 2: 8 (NLT)
We need to stop listening to and following the empty philosophies of this world that have taken over too many pulpits in this country already. Seeker friendly theology is nothing more than high sounding nonsense! How in the world is being delivered from all of your sins, having victory over the devil, enjoying eternal life now and being written in the Lamb's Book of Life not seeker friendly enough? Only through logical but empty philosophies can we look at the true benefits of salvation and think that it is not enough to reach this new generation. Only through high sounding nonsense can we accede influence to the spiritual powers of this world and think that it is because we want to "reach as many as possible for Christ." If you want to reach as many as possible - all you need is the Gospel.
And the Gospel is all we need as well as believers. There is a worship song that laments -- "I'm sorry Lord for the things I have made it, when it's all about You, it's all about You Jesus." That is what we need to get back to beloved. When it is all about Jesus we will remove the devoted things we are hiding under our tents. When it is all about Jesus we will never have the pride necessary to build a monument of ourselves -- whether out of stone or even in our own mind. When it is all about Jesus our greatest desires will be all about Him as well and the will of the Lord for our lives knowing that He is working all things out for our good. Let's look at ourselves today; I mean really look. Let's look under our tents where we think no one is looking and turn over to God whatever we know He doesn't want. Because forget though we may"we will give account.
Reverend Anthony Wade - June 8, 2012
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