First Church of Warm Felicitations a.k.a. The Cathedral of Man

For some time now, as perhaps evidenced by my previous posting, I have been extremely concerned by the very inept approach that the professing evangelical church of our present day is making in going about in their words, “doing church”. Today’s ecclesiology has been more accurately described as a palace of entertainment designed to cause adherents to be comfortable and satisfied. Its erstwhile priorities of edifying the saints so that they might be more able to present Christ before a watching and a dying world has somehow lost the impact that was once thought to be so vital. When I came across the video in the last post of a man dying of cancer, yet seeking to know how he might know the forgiveness of God for his life he received only the pitiful words of a bedside counselor, “...well it’s up to each one of us to determine what God desires of us” or words to that effect. Wisely the man in the hospital bed shot back that no it was not; he was not seeking postmodern nonsense with respect to an airy-fairy religion that presented more new age idiocy than straightforward truth. He was desperately seeking an answer based on authority. And it was not there for him so he screamed at his inadequate counselor, “Get out”!

Surely one has to wonder why this is happening. Why is it that men are not able to present answers to the dying. Why is it that when situations like this arise the response from those who are supposed have the best interests of others at heart amount to nothing ... absolutely nothing that holds any comfort whatsoever?

The church as it is rather lightly referred to is not sure today in an age that has virtually every answer at its finger tips through more media than our fathers and grandfathers ever thought possible, what it should be proclaiming. I have personally been in touch with literally thousands of Christian churches world wide over the past few years and a very large percentage of them are seeking leaders that will in their words “take them to the next level”; or provide them with the necessary direction to reach their communities for Christ. And they almost all without hesitation describe such leadership in terms of good and solid and faithful expositors of the Word. Yet deep down that is not really what they are seeking at all. What they really want are men who will enable them to fill the churches ostensibly of the unsaved and then, bottom line, entertain them. Perhaps, just perhaps, the Bible will be alluded to, but as long as their clothing is casual enough, and the praise band is loud enough and the lights are attractive enough to “set the stage”, well, that’s really all that’s important.

Now, are we intimating that the message is not important? Of course not. Just don’t let it be too serious, or overwhelming with respect to doctrinal truth. And whatever else happens, make sure – if sin is mentioned at all – that the gravity of it is lessened so men don’t get too discouraged with life. Most of all, make sure that men are told that God wants them to be victorious; and that God wants them to have all the best things in life; and that God does not want them sick or without all the good things that He has and is making available for them.

Now, am I kidding about all of this? Not at all. And one of the most “successful” churches in North America provides ample evidence that this is very much the case. If, and I say IF with as much impact as I can muster, the gauge for success in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is numbers, and peppy personnel, and bigness by the shovelful, then this church in Texas is without doubt the most successful on the face of the earth. But, if the sound preaching of the Truth holds absolute priority seeing men saved and changed by the power of the Holy Spirit into the likeness of the Lord Jesus, then ... well, perhaps you should decide. Here’s a brief video of this church and its youthful pastor. Listen carefully to what he says and then ask – is this what the Word of God really says?

What do you say?

I recently found this brief clip from a well known TV series on a friends blog. It's very poignant as it asks the ultimate question, "How can I know forgiveness?" In a situation like this, Christians must have an answer. The postmodern church, right now, is not even trying to meet men at the point of their most fundamental need, a right relationship with their Creator through the person and work of Jesus Christ. So, when men ask this question of us, how shall we answer?