Lately, I have been increasingly concerned about some of the ideas of the "emerging church". I think this may be part of the message that God was trying to give me in my dream the other night (see previous post). In other words, I think this post applies to all false teaching. First I should try to define this movement as simply as I can. It finds its roots in the Evangelical movement. There is an emphasis on lay leadership, peer-to-peer evangelism, missional living, and wide variation in worship styles. These things I do not have a problem with (they are well-defined Biblically). I have been increasingly concerned with its preoccupation with social justice, political positioning, and acceptance of cultural and worldly ideas. I recently attended a meeting where some missionaries were talking about the work that they were doing in South America. They went on at length about trying to change trade practices and political systems. However, when they were asked by someone if they were sharing the Gospel with the people there, there was dead silence. After a bit there was an answer about not being directly involved with the people there, and they were, "just there to teach church leaders". We can't forget the driving force behind our desire to do good works. That is the grace of our God, shown to us in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ! I am also concerned that this push for social justice has shifted the focus of the local church from community to an emphasis on world missions. How many of your neighbors and co-workers are believers?
I also see a potential conflict of interest, so to speak. We cannot let the negative influences of the world enter the church, no matter how well meaning they may sound. One of those influences is consumerism and branding. I am interested in discipleship, not attendance numbers. I'm not saying that community outreach events should be stopped by any means, but a well-organized, doctrinally sound, and Bible-rooted church will prosper simply by its commitment to those core values. An emphasis on holiness and holy living will attract people to the church simply by example. God desires us to work on a person-to-person basis. The human soul and spirit has been created with a desire to seek God, and only one truth fulfills that desire. Nothing of this world can do that.
In short, I think there is an attempt to reform what is in no need of reform. Jesus did that work for us already. I think we try to push the church into a glossy box that we like to look at and feels good to the flesh. This is something that the Bible strongly admonishes. It's okay to have diversity of humanity in a church, but it's not okay to have diversity of spirit and truth. We should cater to Jesus! We are to be molded into His image, and not to the world's. I find it interesting that the emergent church movement was really spawned out of the same era that started to embrace Eastern Mysticism, pluralism, and the "if it feels good, do it" doctrine. I also worry that this will lead to the rise in "Christian" cults. I could even argue that entities like the Westboro Baptist Church are a product of this type of thinking, they use whatever scripture they like to fit and justify their own thinking. (I think they forgot the second of the two great commandments that Jesus gave). I guess, as usual, my message to everyone is, "READ YOUR BIBLE!". May God bless you and your church, and may it feed you the right food at the proper time.
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