— Critical issues concerning the Church —

Dear believer,

Aside from one’s regeneration, there’s no higher priority of New Testament subjects than the Church.  God the Father planned it in eternity past; God the Son paid for it in time — now God the Holy Spirit protects it until it’s perfected in the future.  It is of the highest import to God and therefore must be to every believer as well.

A delight of our now stationary lifestyle is more quiet time to search the scriptures and seek God.  During recent studies, the Spirit shed more light on a dogged Church concern: present day, near-wholesale blindness to false teaching sweeping the body of Christ.  From the very pinnacles of leadership, down through pulpits and into pews, there appears to be a lack of spiritual discernment.  The disorder dujour.

A Little Leaven?

To what extent can Truth be safely compromised?

"Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees ... and of Herod." — Mt 16:6, Mk 8:15c

Reputedly, a husband was asked, “Are you faithful to your wife?” — to which he answered — “Most of the time.”  Obviously, that person was not clear of the concept and some of us chuckle at such naivete`.  But we also do so with a measure of uneasiness because of an innate knowing that we too are guilty — to a much lesser degree, of course.  After all, we would never commit adultery!  Or, would we?

We’re particularly concerned about today’s widely broadcast leaven of troubling teaching that’s seducing many into doctrinal adultery.  Blind trust in popular teachers and our complacency can lead to unbiblical thinking — but neither will provide any defense when we singularly "... appear before the judgement seat of Christ" (2Cor 5:10).  We suggest that a major cause is promiscuity; yes ... promiscuous Christians.

Me?  Promiscuous?!

It does seem an unfair assertion regarding any of our family in Christ, but bear with me.  Webster defines promiscuous as: “consisting of different elements mixed together without sorting or discrimination ... lacking discrimination ... .”  Theologically, it’s called syncretism: the attempt to reconcile other philosophies, beliefs or ideas with biblical Christianity; the mixing of truth and error.  Some try to marry psychology or metaphysics with the Word of God.  Others attempt to merge humanism, spiritism, business, etc.  The Lord’s warnings against imbibing “yeast” of the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herods covers the gamut.  All such  anti-Christ thinking is abhorrent to God.  Like a disease, it’s infectious and designed to distort or destroy Truth.

The Bible calls it leaven — “any influence spreading through something and working on it to bring about a gradual change ...” — that’s how yeast affects dough and the leaven of error infects church thought.  It spreads throughout the whole, gradually producing a different way of thinking; a new paradigm, or model.  In some arenas of life that can be a good thing — but NOT within the Church.  If a new model conflicts with the biblical standard, that’s a very serious breach.  So it is today with an ever-increasing and alarming number of local churches.  The leaven of business thinking, New Age, extreme liberal or fundamentalism, but especially that of psychology and the Church Growth Movement (CGM) — is seducing tens of thousands of bible-trained pastors to swap God’s model of the local church for a man-made one.  The concepts of these movements, the latter also including the Purpose Driven Church (PDC), are a wicked blend of business, New Age, atheism and various other “isms.”  And the Church is buying into it, wholesale!  In this way, we ARE promiscuous.

The Standard

The Bible’s Acts Of The Apostles, plus the Epistles, set forth and clearly detail the mission, motives and methods of a local church.  All of which are from God via the Holy Spirit and recorded by uniquely chosen servants ... for our guidance and everlasting benefit.  To even consider exchanging a single one is nothing short of deadly heresy and we dare do so at the risk of judgement and ruin.  Listen to Jesus Himself by reviewing His expectations of the church in chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation.  Note also His terse concluding remark: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" — 3:22.  God simply does not permit or take lightly, man’s tampering with His holy plans and methods — no matter how good they sound or how big the campuses, congregations or collections.  His ways are non-negotiable and we dare not add-to or take-away from them.

Following is a brief A-B comparison of basic tenets/doctrines of psychology and the CGM/PDC compared to those of the biblical standard.

Leaven of Psychology

With due regard to its proponents, some of whom are personable, truly brilliant and no doubt earnest and sincere — this system of thought has no place in the life of a Christian.  It exalts itself against the Word of God and here are but a few examples:  (1) Psychology counsels no fear of the Lord at anytime in any of its therapies — let alone at the beginning.  Scripture says, "The fear of the Lord--that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding" — Job 28:28.  (2) Most of P’s founding fathers were atheists or humanists, including Freud, Jung, Rodgers, Maslow, James and of course, Charles Darwin.  Scripture tells us, The fool says in his heart, "There is no God” — Ps 53:1.  (3) Psychology offers no hope for eternity, whereas the Bible clearly teaches extensively about eternal destiny. (4) It offers no concept of heaven, but scripture teaches to therein lay up our treasures (Mt 6:20).  (5) Psychology teaches that being lovers of self is the solution whereas the Bible refutes this by naming self love as the problem.  (6) Psychology’s message is, “Come unto your psychotherapist and I will give you rest.”  Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" — Mt 11:28.  (7) They blame ancestors for our problems whereas scripture tells us to NOT keep track of endless genealogies (1Tim 1:4).  Etcetera, ad-infinitum.

Leaven of the Church Growth & Purpose Driven movements.

Dear fellow believer, please hear my heart.  I am not speaking against our brethren — but TEACHING that violates the Truth, corrupting the Church.  Here are but a few examples of a near inexhaustible number.  (1) The GCM/PDC promotes the idea that man adds to the church daily as should be saved through contemporary marketing methods.  They survey the unsaved and/or unchurched to determine what they like and do not like about the church — then apply the results to determine how it should be run.  However, the Bible says: "... the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" — Acts 2:47.  "if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another" — 1Jn 1:7a.  "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labour in vain.  Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain" — Ps 127:1. "... I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" — Mt 16:18b.  (2) CGM/PDC say the Church needs a new purpose, but scripture makes it very clear that the Church’s purpose was soundly established 2000 years ago.  (3) Most of such fellowships have removed the cross from their premises; the very heart of the Gospel.  The Bible teaches us to keep it central in our lives — "Looking unto Jesus ... who ... endured the cross" — Heb 12:2.  (4) CGM/PDC “wisely” claims we need to discover the key to “Saddleback Sam’s” heart in order to reach him for Christ.  But, the condition of man’s heart is already known!  The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time — Gen 6:5.  (5) They propose to entertain the world into the Kingdom of God.  No!  It’s the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation — Rom 1:16.  (6) They cater to the flesh.  But biblical Christianity strives to crucify 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 — Rom 8:13.  (7) They say low self-esteem is one of man’s main problems.  Scripture is devoid of this idea.  Instead, it says: The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise (Ps 51:17).  (8) Christians need to please the world(?!)  The Bible retorts: For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.  To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life — 2Cor 15,16a.  (9) They preach, “Seek ye first the felt needs of the world and the Kingdom shall be added unto you.  But Jesus says: seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you — Mt 6:33.  (10) They ask, “What can we require of God?” whereas scripture tells us to obey what He requires of us.  (11) They make the highway to heaven as wide as possible, "But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" — Mt 7:14.

Dear earnest saint, we’ve but touched upon two of today’s many onslaughts against the Word of God and the Church ... against you.  Undeniably, an attractive aspect of their “leaven” are media-boosted, high-profile, charismatic spokepersons — itself reason for any “Berean” to be wary.  Moreover, they are extremely “successful” ... at least in the eyes of the world and those believers not solidly grounded in Bible Truth.  Their congregation size often numbers in the thousands and their listeners in the millions.  Their books sell by the millions and their seminars attract the unwary, worldwide.  BUT — none of these constitute evidence they are recipients of God’s blessings because of their scriptural accuracy.  No way!

The time of rampant false teachers, itching ears and “Katrinas” that Jesus foretold, is upon us and saints not disciplined by the Word of truth will be swept up and blown away.  We urge you; no — BEG you: fix your eyes on the Word; on Jesus.  Rivet on Him and learn how to live by faith; by the Word.  Let’s see how fully we can grasp and obey the Truth.

In God’s sight, how much can it be compromised?  Zero!  Zip!  NADA!

1) Who’s Driving The Purpose Driven Church?, J. Sundquist - ISBN 0-9744764-5-5
2) A Time Of Departing by Ray Yungen - ISBN 0-9721512-0-6

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