After reading this story about "The Relevant Church" it is no wonder why the church has no integrity or respect in the community.
Is this what church is all about? I would encourage Christians that may happen to belong to this church to stop going, to look for another church, and to go to the pastor, elders or leaders of this church and share your concern about this foolishness.
Lastly, when I noticed this last part of the original article along with the name of the church, it all makes sense now.
"Wirth is a former Baptist. He founded his non-denominational ministry three years ago. And he markets his church by tackling unusual or controversial topics."
Why not try something new like preaching the gospel?
UPDATE
I want to make myself clear. I understand that sex needs to be addressed. I understand that it will come from the pulpit. This does not condone churches that use the pulpit to issue worldly challenges. This is another ploy of the Emergent Church to avoid preaching the gospel. I suppose the phrase "Sex Sells" can be used within the church also.
21 comments:
Preach the Gospel!? Surely you jest. ;-)
They wouldn't want to spoil their version of what they have decided that they wish Jesus would have been like.
This is the logical conclusion of the boxed sermon series from Granger....
Why not preach the Gospel? because it might offend and empty the pockets of the pastor.
If you are in that church- RUN! as fast as you can and find a Bible based church.
pastorboy,
Thanks for the comment.
You said "If you are in that church- RUN! as fast as you can and find a Bible based church."
I think the problem is they think they ARE in a Bible based church. Entertain me, don't offend me, and DON'T tell me about a God who demand holiness.
DT
"Single men and women can't have sex for 30 days..."
Okay, this sounds like they normally okay singles having sex. Hmmm. Anyone have a problem with that?
Amanda
Amanda,
Very insightful. That does appear to be what is being inferred.
DT
Oh, they are just being realistic. All singles are having sex, even those that are believers.
They don't have their head in the sand like you "fundiestriches"
They are addressing the problems of the real world, with real worldly solutions. :-)
This is another ploy of the Emergent Church to avoid preaching the gospel.
And you came to this conclusion, how exactly ... ?
I received a mailer a few days ago from a local church in Macon. The pastor was formerly at a Baptist Church. He was asked to leave and has now started a non-denominational church. The flier was promoting their newest series (which I am quite sure he purchased somewhere), and it was all about having a better marriage and more meaningful relationships. I looked for Jesus somewhere on the flier, but He was nowhere to be found. The Bible was absent too. I did find out that I could dress any way I wanted, and that Starbucks coffee would be served free of charge.
After consulting with my husband and being given the "go ahead," I emailed the pastor and explained my frustration over the flier. His response was interesting. Of course, it contained the charge that "I was judging" the church. Also, he said that they were simply employing the approach Paul used on Mars Hill. Well...... I had to do a little research on that (my husband has an arsenal of books in his library), and I came up with a different conclusion thanks to the Bible, Matthew Henry, John Calvin, and others.
For some reason, I never received a rebuttal to my second email. My parting question was:
Do you honestly think Paul would ever leave Christ and Him crucified out in order to gain a larger audience?
I guess that was what ended our email dialogue.
Is this what seminaries are "cranking" out today? Men (and women) who think it is acceptable to purchase their box full of sermons from a website complete with power point presentations and catchy advertising gimmicks.... In an attempt to make the church "relevant" these men are actually rendering her irrelevant. Yet, they are too blind to see it.
Brendt,
You said "And you came to this conclusion, how exactly ... ?"
1. Notice who in the blogosphere is defending that church
2. Notice the habits of Emergent Churches. It lines up exactly.
3. Notice the church's website and the staff's favorite books...Emergent friendly books
4. Look at the pastor's blog and check out his links...Not Emergent friendly...Emergent loving
5. Look at their "Core Beliefs"
If a bird looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it's probably a duck.
DT
Deborah,
Great comment. It emphasizes my point exactly.
DT
You miss/avoid my point. I'm not asking how you came to the conclusion that this church is emergent. If I want labels, I'll go to OfficeMax.
I'm asking how you divine the inner intents and motivations of this church's pastor that he is using this as a "ploy to avoid preaching the gospel".
Duck theology doesn't explain away Jeremiah 17:9-10
(which I am quite sure he purchased somewhere)
Wow. There's omniscience all over this blog. I ought to come here more often -- maybe some of it will rub off.
Do you honestly think Paul would ever leave Christ and Him crucified out in order to gain a larger audience?
I guess that was what ended our email dialogue.
Ah, assuming that addressing one topic means that one is totally disregarding another topic. And crediting that to particular motivations.
Can't begin to imagine why that would end a "dialogue".
Hello Brendt,
I stated "which I am quite sure he purchased somewhere" because when I showed my friend the flier, she had just seen another church using the same thing. Not to mention in the past, I have been able to find many of the sermons advertised at his church (same graphics and sermon series titles). They were available online and for sale in a packaged set.
No omniscience here, just plain common sense.
Put 2 and 2 together and you get 4 every time. (That is my version of the walks like a duck....)
While I don't have time right now to visit your blog site, I will later so I can see "where you are coming from."
In parting, just remember, Brendt, what you win people with, you win them to. That means you will have to keep up all the "dog and pony" shows if you want people to keep coming. The church will continue down the slippery slope she is on, where pragmatism, relativism and humanism reign, and where God's Law has been cast aside and replace with our own vain imaginings.
Christ's way is the always the best. Allow Him to build His Church by preaching the gospel in and out of season. Preach Christ, Him crucified, and His Law which shows us how our Holy God commands us to live before Him. Preach repentance and God's sovereignty. Preach His mercy and love for a people who are unworthy. It is not always popular, as He is seen by many as a rock of offense. It is not always the easiest, because fallen man does not always comply. However, it is the most rewarding because in so doing one is obedient to the Lord.
Deborah
Brendt,
By the simple process of deduction one notices the absence of something. My question to you is this...What does a sex challenge have to do with preaching 1Cor. 2.2?
I came across this comment and thought it deserved a "copy and paste."
From Mark Roth:
So Mr. Wirth said, “I don’t think sex was created in the back alleys of the porn industry. I really think God is the one who designed it and it’s a beautiful thing and God wants us to enjoy it.”
Sir, I suggest to you that neither was sex created on the church platform.
And while God wants us to enjoy it, I doubt He wants you to enjoy it with us. That is to say, it’s for a husband and his wife to enjoy…and not for third parties to enjoy with them via blog posts and such.
DT
Deborah
Thank you for the clarification. My apologies for projecting onto you the omniscience claims of the blog author.
By the simple process of deduction one notices the absence of something.
Interesting. So deduction tells you definitively not only that someone is not doing something, but also his motives for (not) doing so.
What does a sex challenge have to do with preaching 1Cor. 2.2?
Either you're taking this verse out of context, or Paul was advocating the discarding every portion of Scripture that didn't speak of (or allude to) Christ and/or the crucifixion. I opt for the former.
The update in your original post seems to condone the addressing of sex from the pulpit. Mr Roth's comment, which you felt deserved repeating, clearly does not. Have you changed your mind?
One other thought, since your responses seem to indicate a misapprehension. You seem to be under the misunderstanding that I am supporting this church and/or program, when neither is the case. One need not been in agreement with something to note the sophistry of some contrary statements.
Brendt,
May the Lord bless you and give you wisdom.
DT
Pastor Paul Ireland
This is just more of the Monkey See Monkey do approach with Pastors falling over themsleves to follow the latest cool idea. One can only hope that the little ears of the congregation where away at Kids church while the church indulged the flesh. Get your flock focussed on Christ's life changing power and all these issues fall into proper divine order.
Pastor Paul,
Thanks for the great comment. I agree with you. The latest ideas are endless but our job as pastors stays the same.
DT
Monkey See... Monkey Do
That made me smile. Sadly, the monkey that many churches are imitating is the world.
To Brendt I say...what are you so afraid of that you must sit and nit pick certain individual's comments. If you don't like what you are reading, perhaps you can read someone else's blog with whom you may share a more liberal view.
LeAnne
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