I have great concerns about the direction the church in America is going. When I say the church, I mean the part that calls itself Evangelical. You know, all of the good Baptists, and such. It seems that the vast majority of them are involved in a headlong rush to embrace the new fad that all of the postmodern types of our day seem to think that the church needs to be relevant, known as the emergent church. This latest fad, (and it is a fad), largely embraces the notion that truth in it's absolute form is unknowable. That the Bible is not infallible. And that truth is found in all religions. That all of the different religions are just different paths to the same god. I heard a youth pastor in a church in my hometown give a sermon and told the congregation that John 14:6 didn't really mean that Jesus was preaching an exclusive gospel. It meant that he was showing us a better way to live. In other words, just live the way Jesus lives. Be really nice to people. Hang out with prostitutes and other sinners. Make the world a better place. Then we can all hold hands and go off into the sunset together. Is this what passes as Christian doctrine nowadays?
I guess all of the Christians in Indonesia and places like that don't need to proclaim Christ after all, since Christianity is just a good way to God, but not the only way. I mean after all. Those silly people down through the ages that were burned at the stake, eaten alive by wild animals for sport, sawed in half, separated from their families by imprisonment, beaten, and murdered, were just a bunch of sadly mistaken religious zealots that could have had a good life if only they had heard a sermon like this one before they died such a horrible death. I mean, just think of all of the suffering that could have been avoided if they would just embrace this new postmodern doctrine that believes in no absolutes. Believes that all opinions have value, even the ones that are based in pagan doctrine. Believes that Jesus is here to be our "homeboy". Believes that homosexuality is just a lifestyle choice and not sin. In fact, the postmodern/emergent mindset avoids the word "sin" at just about any cost.
The church here that I referred to earlier never talks about repentance, or salvation. They talk about life change. Life change? What in the world is that supposed to mean? If life change is supposed to mean that you give your life to God. Then why not say so? Maybe it's because they are afraid that people don't like to hear that they are sinners. Talk like that doesn't address what people feel like they need from a church. After all they feel badly enough already. Why should we tell them that they are sinners? Because church should always be a place where people can go to feel good about themselves. Right? I'm sure the persecuted church in the world today will be happy to hear that.
I have heard that the persecuted church in some parts of the world is praying for us to undergo persecution here in America ourselves. They are praying this because they have heard about all of the frivolous things that are plaguing the church in America today. They know that persecution is a refining fire, and the silliness that is going on today will disappear when people must make a choice between following Christ and living. If that is what it takes to purify His church, then God will do it. I have no doubt.
