In his famous "Letter from the Birmingham Jail,"
Martin Luther King, Jr. lamented the fact that Southern White pastors had
failed to join the Civil Rights Movement:
·
“In the midst of blatant injustices inflicted
upon the Negro, I have watched white churches stand on the sideline and merely
mouth pious irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities. In the midst of a
mighty struggle to rid our nation of racial and economic injustice, I have
heard so many ministers say, ‘Those are social issues with which the gospel has
no real concern.’”
Evidently, these Southern White churches were
Seeker-Sensitive Churches (SSC). They refused to preach an unpopular message,
one which would turn away the seeker and even the attender.
These SSCs had forgotten the first great commandment to love
the Lord with all our hearts, souls, and minds (Matthew 22:37) by abiding in
His Word (John 15:7-14; 14:21-24).
Despite the many scriptural warnings, SSCs continue to proliferate.
Their message might be different, but the principle of political correctness
remains the same—“Do not offend the prevailing culture, even if it means
ignoring the Gospel.”
However, we cannot ignore any of the Gospel, lest we incur
the wrath of God. Paul had been concerned about this very thing. Therefore, he
testified of his faithfulness in this regard:
·
“Therefore I testify to you this day that I am
innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the
whole counsel of God.” (Acts 20:26-27)
This is the very error of the SSCs. Please understand. I am
not suggesting that we shouldn't be sensitive to seekers. In fact, we must be
(1 Corinthians 9). However, we must not be "sensitive" to the extent
that we refuse to preach the doctrines of the faith. The is not sensitivity but
deadening silence regarding truths that should be screamed out from rooftops.
What doctrines are being left out? Many! Here is a partial
list:
·
Creationism: SSCs avoid this subject
because they are afraid of seeming to be science-rejectors.
·
The sharp distinction between children of the
light and the children of darkness (2 Cor. 6:14-16): In the eyes of many,
this distinction seems overly harsh, culturally insensitive, and divisive.
Professional Christians want to be able to embrace the cultural. Preaching such
a radical distinction between saved and unsaved makes this difficult.
·
The role of women in the church: In SSCs,
you will not find any discussion about women in the pastorate.
·
Sexual sins: As social sexual standards
have changed, SSCs have gradually ceased mentioning any form of sexual sin.
This omission tends to communicate that sexual sins really don't matter.
·
Eternal Punishment, the Depravity of Man, and
Salvation only through Faith in Jesus: These teachings are so integral to
the Gospel that they are only silenced as the SSCs approach an advanced stage
of apostasy.
·
The plight of the Christian refugees: The
silence of the SSCs in this area is perhaps the most disturbing silence,
especially since the world is supposed to know us by the love we have for our
brethren (John 13:35; 17:20-23; Galatians 6:10). Yet I have experienced
hostility from SSCs when I have pointed out their disregard for the fate of
their brethren. SSCs claim that we shouldn't be showing favoritism.
The Gospel was never intended to win friends. Its message
will always offend.
What would Martin Luther King have said about today’s SSCs?
I suspect that he would have regarded them as he had the Southern White
churches during segregation.
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