On Mar 20, 2008, Steve Holestine said:
I have been asked why we cannot keep people from going out the back door after professing Christ. The problem is we have sold salvation as coming to Jesus to be happy, fixing your marriage and the ever famous you will be healthy wealthy and wisw gospel. When we sale salvation to people and the next salvation product is more attractive they move on down to the road that gets them what they want. Paul said "I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God unto Salvation, to the Jew first and then the Gentile." Paul implies that someone is ashamed of the Gospel that says come to Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. Paul told the Galatians "who bewitched you to another Gospel which is not another Gospel?" That tells us that the Church has dealt with this consumerism gospel before. Paul said "this Gospel will be a stumbling block to the Jew ans an offence to the Gentile." The Jew thinks it is too easy just to repent of sin and have Faith in Christ to salvation. The Gentile is offended because you are telling these progressive people who have security in comparativeism that they have sinned and must come to only one perfect one to be saved from sin. Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel because when it is preached for the forgiveness of sin and a person genuinely responds to that message they have been born again by the power of God unto salvation. It may not be a pragmatic way to build a Church but I would rather Gos add to the Church converts who are saved than cosumers that are just fair weather members that are here today and gone tomorrow. Thanks for the article. Right on target.
[ Does this comment contain something inappropriate? Let us know - flag for moderation ]
On Mar 26, 2008, Mike Mitchell said:
Seltzer nailed it. McDonalds insists on making a burger their way. Starbucks shut down for a day to retrain its staff how to make a better cup of coffee. Are we not better that these worldly retailers? Should we not enforce among ourselves an insistence that our people know our corporate mission statement and strategy? As Baptists, our motto used to be Matt 28:18-20 - go and make disciples. Now, all we've been asking of them is to sing the 7-11 choruses (7 words, 11 times) and "dig deep" when the offering plate comes by. If we cease to train our people to take up their cross daily, why should we wonder when they leave for a more "extreme challenge" - or choose to sit at home and watch the action instead of dressing up to come and sit and watch the action on a stage?
[ This comment has been flagged for moderation because of inappropriate content. ]
