CONCERN FOR THE CHURCH
There are some things in the American church that I have concerns about. I will begin with some quotes that shed light on the fact that these are not new but rather repackaged ideas. Unfortunately to many, the packaging is very inviting
"These proposals that we should preach less, and do various other things more, are of course not new at all. People seem to think that all this is quite new, and that is is the hallmark of modernity to decry or depreciate preaching,and to put your emphasis on these other things. The simple answer to that is that there is nothing new about it. The actual form may be new,but the principle is certainly not a new one at all; indeed it has been the particular emphasis of this present century." Martin Lloyd-Jones (written in the 1970's)
In 1935 John Murry wrote;
"The modernist very often prides himself on the presupposition that he is concerned with life, with the principles of conduct and the making operative of the principles of Jesus in all departments of life, individual, social, ecclesiastical, industrial, and political. His slogan has been that Christianity is life, not doctrine, and he thinks that the orthodox Christian or fundamentalist, as he likes to name him, is concerned simply with the conversation and perpetuation of outworn dogmas of doctrinal belief, a concern which makes orthodoxy in his esteem a cold lifeless petrification of Christianity." (remember this was written in 1935)
In our present "emerging church culture" the order of the day seems to be post-modern pragmatism. Of course most leaders of the movement would deny this to be true. John MacArthur, who has recently written The Truth War (exposing flawed thinking in the "emerging church" movement) describes pragmatism in his book, Ashamed of the Gospel. Written in 1993, the book is both contemporary and prophetic. He states, "Pragmatism is the notion that meaning or worth is determined by practical consequences. It is closely akin to utilitarianism, the belief that usefulness is the standard of what is good. To a pragmatist/utilitarian, if a technique or course of action has the desired effect, it is good. " Although everyone exhibits pragmatism at times, "when pragmatism is used to make judgements about right and wrong, or when it becomes a guiding philosophy of life, theology, and ministry, inevitably it clashes with scripture."
MacArthur also reminds us that "most evangelicals today tend to equate the word 'modernism' with full-scale denial of faith. It is often forgotten that the aim of the early modernists was simply to make the church more 'modern,' more unified, more relevant, and more acceptable to a skeptical modern age." Does that sound familiar? The result however was "an open door to theological liberalism moral relativism, and rank unbelief."
"Emerging" church leaders today rail against the consumerism of the Church Growth Movement. The fact of the matter is we are all consumers. A consumer is a person or organization that uses a product or service. Consumerism involves an attachment to materialistic values or possessions. The questions now becomes, what is the "new church thing" being presented for consumption. This all seems to be disguised in the spirit of cultural relevance.
Below are some statements that I recently discovered from what have been identified as "emerging" blogs or websites. Naturally, everyone who identifies with the "emerging church" does not think this way. This ideology however, is not being refuted within the "emerging church" community.
The quotes are in italic and I have made some comments in bold.
Statement One
When the new neighbors move in you go knock on the door and welcome them to the neighborhood, you talk about football and fishing over the fence, you invite him to the Lucky Lab for a beer and get acquainted. (Hey, great idea --maybe this guy is an alcoholic and is hoping this means he has a new drinking buddy. Perhaps as the result of a drinking habit, he is abusive to his wife and children.) You live a modest low consumption lifestyle before them. (Really, this is kind of like John Edwards writing a book on Poverty in America while being the recipient of $400.00 haircuts)
Statement Two
You are always at work on time and don’t abuse the rules. (Many lost people show up to work on time and do not abuse the rules). You go to coffee with your fellow workers, share about life and family, and get acquainted with them. You invite them over to your place for barbecue and a beer (Again, what's up with the beer? The Bible states that we should both eat and drink to the glory of God -1 Corinthians 10:31 --Is it really possible to drink beer or any other type of alcohol to the glory of God?") with no other agenda than to get better acquainted.
Statement Three
It recognizes that 'God is already at work in peoples lives before we arrived on the scene, and that our role is to help people see how God is present and active in their lives, calling them home. (Is God really calling everyone home? --If so, why doesn't everyone get there? At what point in history did God quit giving people over to their reprobate minds? Romans 1) It is not I have Jesus and you don't, or; How can I get you here so that I can give you my Jesus? But rather you already know Jesus. How can I help you see and know what you already know so I can meet and know your Jesus? (Wow! It's too bad Paul wasn't part of the emerging church movement. He could have just gone around informing people what they already knew. And to think he could have avoided the 5 beatings with 39 lashes, the three beatings with rods, the stoning, and the three shipwrecks ...not to mention constant danger and always having to be on the move. --2 Corinthians 11:24)
I never question a person’s salvation until they get to the point where they question it. (That means most people will never hear about Jesus. I'm glad Jesus did'nt take this approach --I don't remember Peter, Andrew, James, John, Matthew, Paul, etc. asking questions about their salvation before Jesus said, "come follow me")
Emerging church proponents declare "Church has become a place of consumerism. People come to get their needs met. The church has been about giving people what they want – making them comfortable. Maybe we’ve reached more people, but I’m skeptical if we’ve participated in transforming lives." (I almost don't know where to begin. Consumerism is pervasive in the American church -it is just packaged differently. Check with the folks at Fuller Seminary to see if they set out to create a "consumer" rather than a "church growth movement." While you're at it, give Bill Hybels or Rick Warren a call to see if they have consumerism anywhere in the mission statements of their "seeker-sensitive" or "purpose-driven churches." The point is, everyone seems to be denying consumerism while at the same time promoting it. The next generation of church leaders will make similar observations when discussing the "emerging church" movement.
This has been a bit long so I will let these statements speak for themselves. I will certainly have more to say in future blogs.
It's All About Him ...craig
