Yesterday I visited a church which featured a public speaker "Reggie McNeal"
who wrote a book called "The Present Future." The speaker did not exactly
preach expositaraily through John 4, but did tell a lot of stories and made
plenty of jokes. Then he made the following statement "It is not our job to
beat people over their heads with our bibles, and it is not our job to
convict them of their sins."
Can anyone who has some discernment skills find the falseness in such a
absurd and unbiblical remark?
What does the bible say and what did Jesus do? If you turn your bible over
to John 4 and you will see that Jesus exposed the sin of the Samaritan
woman. Jesus was not afraid, nor did he preach carnally to her. He flat out
TOLD THE TRUTH. She had more than one husband, and exposed her current
situation. Most pastors saying such things to a member in a church today
would get them fired. However sins must be exposed, and it must be convicted
if the church is to remain Holy. The Church is a Holy environment that was
designed for the equiping of the Saints for Works of Service so that the
body may be built up (Eph).
Jesus set the tone to follow, and I am thankful for all the churches out
there that are boldly preaching the bible, and are convicting people of
their sins, and people are authentically being saved. In these churches the
bar is raised up for Christ, its not lowered down to the sinner!
Sadly the Emerging Church (the movement with whom this speaker was
affiliated) does not boldly preach the gospel, and does not convict people
of their sins.
I wrote an article on this movement in a newspaper.
http://www.cerm.info/images/emerging.jpg
But for more info check out this website
http://members.tripod.com/carla_b/emergentmovement/
Emerging vs. Bible
Entertain the world into the Kingdom of God. Focus on the things that
make church more "real" to the sinner.
Convict the world unto salvation: "No man can say that Jesus is the
Lord, but by the Holy Ghost" 1 Corinthians 12:3.
Caters to the flesh. Engage all the senses in worship through scents
(candles, incense), sounds (modern worship music, culturally relevant
music), sight (interpretive dance, visually stimulating artwork, icons)
Crucifies the flesh: "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but
if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live"
Romans 8:13.
Pleasers of men.
Pleasers of God: "We were allowed of God to be put in trust with the
gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our
hearts" 1 Thessalonians 2:4.
The answer to low self-esteem is high self-esteem.
Concept of self-esteem is nonexistent in Scripture. "The sacrifices of
God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not
despise" Psalm 51:17.
Christians need to be pleasing savor to the world.
"For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved,
and in them that perish: To the one (we are) the savor of death unto death;
and to the other the savor of life unto life" 2 Corinthians 2:15-16.
Be loved by the world.
"Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate
you (from their company), and shall reproach (you), and cast out your name
as evil, for the Son of man's sake" Luke 6:22. "Marvel not, my brethren, if
the world hate you" I John 3:13.
Reach out and relate to the lost and generate friendships and
conversations - and the Kingdom shall be added unto you.
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all
these things shall be added unto you" Matthew 6:33.
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the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
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