Away With a Twisted Gospel!
The number of churches that thought their closure would be temporary, discovered that closing permanently was their only option. Early research by the Barna Group reveals that “1 in 5 churches closed permanently due to Covid-19.”
“After months of shutdowns,” Kinnaman, Barna pres., said “although churches were handling things ‘pretty swimmingly’ at first, circumstances have changed for some. “ Covid-19 proved to be their culminating crisis. When the shutdown orders loosened, services had a lot less people in attendance.
If Covid stopped you,why not start again?
Months and months of indefinite uncertainty permanently affected worship! The byline of the Pew study expresses the hope that a “stable share of Americans have been participating in some way – either virtually or in person – during the pandemic, but in-person attendance is slightly lower than it was before COVID-19.”
The most disturbing pandemic outcome is that “about six-in-ten Americans no longer take part in religious services in any way.” They joined the “Dones.” These are those who may identify as Christians (sometimes deeply so) but have given up on church attendance and denominational affiliation (or faith entirely, but then they usually are “Nones”). One can only hope that an unintended consequence is not that the Great Commission is losing its steam. Barna research is on it. In a brand new report called “The Great Disconnect: Reclaiming the Heart of the Great Commission in Your Church.” A second consequence of the twisted Gospel is the phenomenon of….
To find the answer we must look behind the savvy technology, the smoke machines, and blaring rock bands. Worship has become entertainment. Smoke machines have been substituted for the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
Standards are being abandoned. Christ-professing bedfellows trumpet the message to “coexist,” “tolerate” and “keep out of it” if you truly want to be more marketable to the rising generation of evangelicals.
Progressive impliesevolving or drastically changing theology!
When the Gospel becomes fluid it is in danger of becoming invalid. “When it implies an overly earthly focus at the expense of faithfulness to God’s revealed truth, it’s likewise incompatible with biblical faith.”
“Progressive theology broadly rejects historic views of the Bible. That usually means discarding concepts such as biblical inspiration, inerrancy, and preservation. Progressive-minded readers may attempt to insert their ideas into passages where such ideas were never meant to be found. When eisegesis becomes inconvenient or impossible, the progressive may dismiss certain texts or ideas as outdated and thus safe to ignore.”
One progressive church and proud to be so, advertises its “full inclusiveness,” not based on “specific loopholes or interpretations of ancient text, but rather through a fresh, humble, and intellectually honest recognition of both our flawed history and our capacity to grow in our understanding of our world, of ourselves, and of God.” Hence, my characterization of Gospel fluidity. Another stated, “The Bible isn’t the Word of God; self-interpreting; inerrant and infallible.”
Do you still believe that the Bible is fundamentally right?
The slant of the progressive church is away from traditional understanding about the Bible and an observable leftist, liberal leaning. I am of the opinion that instead of the Apostles’ Creed, adherents profess loyalty to the DEI Creed–Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.”
Traditional Christians who resist the progressive understand of social justice will be accused of “practicing hate?” In the cult of social justice, certain people will be singled out “the oppressors.” And Christians make the list. Like Alisa Childers I affirm, “If you don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by His sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you’re really not in any meaningful sense a Christian.” Likewise, “If you’re going to redefine Christianity and you’re going to disagree with Jesus, you should not call it Christianity.
In August 2021, article appeared in the Christian Post, with this headline: “60% of adults under 40 say Jesus isn’t only way to salvation; equal to Buddha, Muhammad.” God’s Word is not a bag of trail mix. You can’t just pick out the pieces you like and ignore the rest. Cafeteria-style Christians opt for the ones that best seem to jive with culture.
We have a decision to make!
Will you regard the Bible as ancient and archaic or living and active? If the latter, we don’t have to imagine what it might be like, it has already gone public.
Frank Turek and Lucas Miles, expose what is happening: “Progressive Ideology and the Hijacking of the Christian Faith.”
Got Questions cautions readers, “What’s celebrated as ‘progressive Christianity’ today is mostly an earthly, secular, humanist political framework covered by a thin religious veneer.
John Wesley once declared, “Here I am, I and my Bible. I will not, I dare not, vary from this book, either in great things or small. I have no power to dispense with one jot or tittle what is contained therein. I am determined to be a Bible Christian, not almost, but altogether.”
Finally, these unheard of days demand a third alternative:
Jesus came to give us graceand peace.
