Thoughts on the Emergent Church
There is a great rebellion against the institutional church today. I understand the frustration with many, but my fear is that they are throwing out the baby with the bath water. In a desire for reform, they are compromising essentials. There are at least four areas of concern for me in the “families, fellowships, etc” being formed in protest to the traditional church:
1) They have gone from authority to relativism. There is no fixed standard of right and wrong. A man simply becomes his own sense of right and wrong, choosing what Scripture he will accept, and what he will dismiss. There must be a fixed standard, and that standard must be the Word of God. But, we have gone from authority to relativism and every man does that which is right in his own eyes. We just pick and choose our standards (including morals) like a cafeteria line. Many of those involved in the exodus from traditional churches are rebelling against authority. The Bible, however, is very clear on teaching authority form the basic family unit, to the church, to the government. It teaches subjection to authority, but many refuse to submit to any authority, including the Word of God. The Bible should be the final authority in all things—not a vision or a dream or the thoughts of some leader.
2) They have moved from truth to pragmatism. They do not ask, “is it true?” They simply ask, “does it work?” Because people are looking for religion to serve them, there is an effort to market the church rather than challenge with a counter-culture lifestyle. Christianity has become man centered rather than God centered. They are looking for a Christianity that makes them feel good, not a Christianity which challenges them in every area life including commitment and accountability. God does not desire to make us happy or healthy; He desires to make us holy.
3) They have moved from reason to feeling. Psychology has replaced theology. Sin is no longer the enemy, sadness is. The enemy is not sin, but guilt. We want a no fault society. The goal is for congregants to feel good about themselves. I had a young deacon tell me one time that folks did not need to leave church feeling guilty, but to feel good about themselves. The Scripture teaches that the Bible is a two-edged sword. It cuts both ways: It comforts the afflicted, but it also afflicts the comforted.
4) They have gone from convictions to opinions. Today you hear more and more, “I feel this….” Or “What is truth for you may not be truth for me.” What has happened to “The Bible says. . . “ While there is rebellion against dogma, there is much dogma in Scripture. There is absolute truth which cannot be altered. For instance, “it is appointed unto man once to die.” While there is room for interpretation on certain passages, some things are crystal clear and need to be convictions. Such is the statement of Jesus who said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, NO MAN comes to the Father but by me.” To say that sincerity of faith is sufficient for salvation is a bald face lie in light of what Jesus says. You can be sincere but wrong. A person who stands for nothing will fall for anything. You better know what you believe and why you believe it.
I too, believe there needs to be reform in the church. I think there needs to be greater commitment to obedience. I think there needs to be a greater loyalty to Christ and His church. We must remember that Christ died for the church. And an honest scholar knows that most references to the church in the N.T. are to a local body. The Pauline letters were written to local churches. Those who tear down the church without having made sincere effort to pray, rebuild, etc. will be accountable. You talk about my wife and you have a fight on your hands. You attack the church and you are attacking the bride of Christ. Quite frankly, most have become sidetracked with minor issues so that there is no emphasis on brining people to Jesus.
Quite honestly, the Great Commission Resurgence is not that difficult a thing. It is simply a matter of obedience. We as a convention, church, individual will not violate God’s law of the harvest. We will reap what we sow, more than we sow, and later than we sow. If we want a larger crop, we need to sow more seed. The difficulty is the motivation of the believer to share his faith. That requires that we Pray that the Lord of the harvest will seen laborers …
Heavenly Father
May I be an obedient child living in obedience to the authority of your word, accountable to those whom you have placed over me. May my life be one of truth, not expediency and pragmatism. My we never do anything just because “it works,” but because you have directed in your word. May I never base my life on how I feel or what I think, but upon your Word. May the convictions of your word be seen by the way I live, and the way I lead.
In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
