Monday, November 14, 2022

BETRAYAL OF THE GOSPEL AND THE SEEKER-SENSITIVE CHURCHES



 

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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