The evangelical church in this country is under assault.
The sad reality is that the greatest damage being done to true biblical doctrine in our day is not originating with secular sources, but by those involved in the Evangelical Christian ministry itself.
Recently here at the Hard Truth we received in our mailbox two outreach ads from a new church just starting up in our area. Both ads, typical examples of modern advertising technique, resemble a postcard you might expect to receive from a business or car dealership hoping to get your attention and attract your business. One of the two certainly did that. On the front was the close-up photograph of the face of a cow standing in a pasture. Mouth wide open, hairy and gooey nose nearly filling the picture, the photograph had been doctored to show a nose ring and (yuck) tongue ring, superimposed onto the cow.
The message attached to the card relays the idea that if you feel like you won't or don't belong in church, think again, because everyone belongs at this particular church. As you proceed through the bullet points that are presented to you on the other side of the card you notice no hint of a gospel message, no identification with Christ or the Bible, and no call to come to visit the church for anything other than "fun" or "good coffee." Another point says that this church offers visitors "A message that makes you say..."I get it," but fails to offer an explanation of what kind of message will be given or why. Through a series of vague but inviting points, the reader is encouraged to visit the church and experience a different kind of place where kids will be taken care of and there will be much coffee there to keep anyone drowsy on a Sunday morning awake. The point that knocked us out of our seat here at the Hard Truth however was the promise that this church provided a "relaxed, kick-back atmosphere."
The entrepreneurial, mass marketing, "get them in the door any way you can" approach to evangelism is tragic error and false teaching that is plaguing the church today. It is the path of least resistance. This is the approach to ministry that says that people need to be brought into a church that bends over backwards to accommodate the average unbeliever's worldly comfort zones before any communication of the gospel can occur. This mentality among church leadership is a result of a short-sighted, man-centered theology and that too often causes pastors and elders to relying on themselves and their own ingenuity instead of God. So many in the church today have fallen into the bigger is better, "best life now!" doctrine of self-fulfillment in the hope that by appealing to peoples' felt needs, they can keep seats filled and their church continually growing. Sadly however, such an man-centered approach ignores the teachings of scripture, abandons the doctrines of salvation, and steals glory away from God in the redemption of the lost.
To seek to make the experience of entering a church seem like a day at the park or the atmosphere of a Starbucks does nothing to inspire a sinner to repentance. Nor does it bring anyone closer to salvation to push people into making a false profession of faith or by preaching less than the real gospel in order to keep out the "offensive parts," for fear they might scare away the sinner before conversion can take place. Offering salvation to people simply by calling them to walk an isle, pray a prayer or sign a card in hopes of growing a church, even if inspired by a true desire to see sinners saved, offers the truly saved no assurance of their salvation. Nor does it share with the unbeliever the true depth of Christ's sacrifice on the Cross and the need for true repentance. Such an approach to ministry plays upon the sinners emotional attachment to the secure, the temporal, the material, and the sinful, and does nothing to communicate the nature of saving faith with God's truth. "Easy-believe-ism" as it's called, is a symptom of weak, un-biblical teaching and human arrogance. No more evidence does one need than to hear the words of the Purpose Driven Life writer and pastor himself, Rick Warren, who said that he could lead anyone to Christ if he only knew the path to that person's heart. Sorry Rick, only God knows that. And He's in control of salvation.
The body of Christ is made up of believers in Him who live their lives as bond servants, literal slaves, to His lordship and will. In the church, we confront sin, defend the truth of scripture, and stand in opposition of what the sinning, hostile to God, unbelieving world stands for. God's way, the true way to salvation, does not require ad campaigns or slick rhetoric designed more to appeal to fallen human emotion or entertain than present the real truth of the gospel. The truth of the word of God preached requires no skits, no PowerPoint display, no secular music, no finding relevant examples of today's fallen culture to appeal to the unbelieving sinner.
It requires only the consistent, powerful proclamation of the Word of God to communicate the truth of the gospel and Jesus Christ as the only source of salvation.
The Hard Truth is that the gospel of Jesus Christ itself, laid out in the words of scripture, faithfully taught and preached, saves the lost by God's sovereign grace. God saves the lost by using His church, His Holy Spirit, and the faithful communication of the saving truth of the gospel. If you are a pastor, please teach and preach the bible faithfully. Please do not rely on yourself or your own will or be tempted to follow the world's way to communicate God's truth. Throw away the slick ad campaigns and let instead the word spread of about your ministry, "That man knows his bible. He powerfully speaks the truth of scripture! I learned something profound about the nature of God today."
The message attached to the card relays the idea that if you feel like you won't or don't belong in church, think again, because everyone belongs at this particular church. As you proceed through the bullet points that are presented to you on the other side of the card you notice no hint of a gospel message, no identification with Christ or the Bible, and no call to come to visit the church for anything other than "fun" or "good coffee." Another point says that this church offers visitors "A message that makes you say..."I get it," but fails to offer an explanation of what kind of message will be given or why. Through a series of vague but inviting points, the reader is encouraged to visit the church and experience a different kind of place where kids will be taken care of and there will be much coffee there to keep anyone drowsy on a Sunday morning awake. The point that knocked us out of our seat here at the Hard Truth however was the promise that this church provided a "relaxed, kick-back atmosphere."
The entrepreneurial, mass marketing, "get them in the door any way you can" approach to evangelism is tragic error and false teaching that is plaguing the church today. It is the path of least resistance. This is the approach to ministry that says that people need to be brought into a church that bends over backwards to accommodate the average unbeliever's worldly comfort zones before any communication of the gospel can occur. This mentality among church leadership is a result of a short-sighted, man-centered theology and that too often causes pastors and elders to relying on themselves and their own ingenuity instead of God. So many in the church today have fallen into the bigger is better, "best life now!" doctrine of self-fulfillment in the hope that by appealing to peoples' felt needs, they can keep seats filled and their church continually growing. Sadly however, such an man-centered approach ignores the teachings of scripture, abandons the doctrines of salvation, and steals glory away from God in the redemption of the lost.
To seek to make the experience of entering a church seem like a day at the park or the atmosphere of a Starbucks does nothing to inspire a sinner to repentance. Nor does it bring anyone closer to salvation to push people into making a false profession of faith or by preaching less than the real gospel in order to keep out the "offensive parts," for fear they might scare away the sinner before conversion can take place. Offering salvation to people simply by calling them to walk an isle, pray a prayer or sign a card in hopes of growing a church, even if inspired by a true desire to see sinners saved, offers the truly saved no assurance of their salvation. Nor does it share with the unbeliever the true depth of Christ's sacrifice on the Cross and the need for true repentance. Such an approach to ministry plays upon the sinners emotional attachment to the secure, the temporal, the material, and the sinful, and does nothing to communicate the nature of saving faith with God's truth. "Easy-believe-ism" as it's called, is a symptom of weak, un-biblical teaching and human arrogance. No more evidence does one need than to hear the words of the Purpose Driven Life writer and pastor himself, Rick Warren, who said that he could lead anyone to Christ if he only knew the path to that person's heart. Sorry Rick, only God knows that. And He's in control of salvation.
The body of Christ is made up of believers in Him who live their lives as bond servants, literal slaves, to His lordship and will. In the church, we confront sin, defend the truth of scripture, and stand in opposition of what the sinning, hostile to God, unbelieving world stands for. God's way, the true way to salvation, does not require ad campaigns or slick rhetoric designed more to appeal to fallen human emotion or entertain than present the real truth of the gospel. The truth of the word of God preached requires no skits, no PowerPoint display, no secular music, no finding relevant examples of today's fallen culture to appeal to the unbelieving sinner.
It requires only the consistent, powerful proclamation of the Word of God to communicate the truth of the gospel and Jesus Christ as the only source of salvation.
The Hard Truth is that the gospel of Jesus Christ itself, laid out in the words of scripture, faithfully taught and preached, saves the lost by God's sovereign grace. God saves the lost by using His church, His Holy Spirit, and the faithful communication of the saving truth of the gospel. If you are a pastor, please teach and preach the bible faithfully. Please do not rely on yourself or your own will or be tempted to follow the world's way to communicate God's truth. Throw away the slick ad campaigns and let instead the word spread of about your ministry, "That man knows his bible. He powerfully speaks the truth of scripture! I learned something profound about the nature of God today."
As Pastor John Piper has so eloquently communicated in speaking to fellow pastors about the pursuit of their ministries for Christ, "Brothers, we are not professionals."
And men, let us remember we are not trying to find the path of least resistance. We must in love confront this error when we see it by educating ourselves and understanding the danger we as Christians face when our fundamental doctrines are at stake. Let us remember our duty as Christians to always be discerning about the truth of scripture.
We are fighting a war for the truth. The good fight, to communicate the truth of Christ and for the salvation of lost sinners.
For a discussion of the state of the church and this topic, please spend some time listening to these messages from Grace to You:
12 Marks of Excellent Pastoral Ministry
Your Best Life Now - Or Later?
Discussion of the Seeker-Driven Church with John MacArthur and Phil Johnson
Another resource mentioned is a compilation book by Desiring God Ministries written for pastors. It is an enriching resource every Christian should read. Here is the link:
Brothers, We are Not Professionals by Desiring God Ministry
And men, let us remember we are not trying to find the path of least resistance. We must in love confront this error when we see it by educating ourselves and understanding the danger we as Christians face when our fundamental doctrines are at stake. Let us remember our duty as Christians to always be discerning about the truth of scripture.
We are fighting a war for the truth. The good fight, to communicate the truth of Christ and for the salvation of lost sinners.
For a discussion of the state of the church and this topic, please spend some time listening to these messages from Grace to You:
12 Marks of Excellent Pastoral Ministry
Your Best Life Now - Or Later?
Discussion of the Seeker-Driven Church with John MacArthur and Phil Johnson
Another resource mentioned is a compilation book by Desiring God Ministries written for pastors. It is an enriching resource every Christian should read. Here is the link:
Brothers, We are Not Professionals by Desiring God Ministry
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