I have not found this to be true of most of the churches I have attended in recent years. Then again none of them were "mega-churches".
The more conservative Lutheran churches stress Law and Gospel. Jesus was no sissy. He told it as it is, and called out people on their games. He threw the money changers out of the Temple, He even rebuked His disciple Peter and told Him "Get thee behind me, satan!" He bore the shame, the scourging, the judgement of those not worthy to judge Him, and ultimately suffered the cross for we who could not on our own merit stand before God's throne.
He grants us His Grace, that we may have Faith, and through that Faith life everlasting. That Grace is freely given, but it is not "Cheap Grace". He tells us that if we would follow Him we must forsake all else, pick up our cross and follow Him.
If you are interested in this idea of "costly Grace" vs "cheap Grace" read Dietrich Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship. He bore his cross and was executed in a Nazi death camp about two weeks before it was liberated.
To practice evangelism is to first make clear the Law and our inability to keep it, and its ultimate end. Then tell the Gospel, that there is a path to salvation, which is Christ Jesus, and Him crucified. Then make it known that the sinner must die with Christ to sin, take up one's cross and follow wherever He leads. _________________ "... I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." Thomas Jefferson
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Arthur C Clarke
Once there was a man named Philippe. He was a spiritual guide in an emerging community. One day he decided to go on a journey. So, he did. As he was walking along the road, focusing on the journey and not the destination, he found himself alongside the chariot of an African official. The man in the chariot was reading from a parchment scroll. He was reading aloud, so Philippe was able to overhear what the man read.
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before the shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”
Philippe caught up to the chariot and said, “You read that text beautifully. It made me feel significant and connected to ancient traditions to hear you read it.”
“I just wish I could understand it,” the man replied.
“Understand it? You don’t need to understand it. Just to experience it. Read it again, more slowly this time. I want to hear the poetic forms and imagine myself in the context of the ancient tradition,” said Philippe.
“Who is he talking about?” the man persisted. “Is the prophet writing about himself or about someone else?”
“I think he is writing about all of us,” said Philippe. “I think we are all a part of the larger story.”
“But what story?” asked the official. “It seems to me that the writer is talking about something in particular, and I sense that it is important. I just wish I knew what it was. What exactly does this mean?”
“What do YOU think it means?” asked Philippe.
“I don’t know. That is why I am asking YOU.”
“Well, it is true that I am a Christ-follower, and my tradition does impose certain meanings on this text. But I would not want to force my truth claims on you. Your truth claims would be equally valid. As you see, we are both on a journey; and we both find ourselves on the same road. So, it follows that our destination is also the same. So, let’s just enjoy this time of community and not divide ourselves by discussing meanings and dogma,” said Philippe.
After awhile, they came to a pool of water by the side of the road. There was also a fork in the road at this point, and the official chose the road to the right. Philippe planned to take the road to the left, but first he sat down by the edge of the pool to journal his experiences of the day. He was delighted that he had had an unique opportunity to engage in a dialogue with a person of a culture so diverse from his own.
Meanwhile, the African official went on his way, still searching for the meaning of the text that could have brought him eternal life. _________________ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life...nor any other created thing (including ourselves), shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Phillipe must be the spiritual grand-daddy of the the "Willow Creek" and "Saddleback" flim-flam hucksters.
Easy believism and stand for nothing. Incessant talk about ree laa shun ships , but avoid words such as: Hell / Death / Sin / Judgement / Punishment / Commandments / and don't mention John 14:6 .
Per the Thread title/subject ... Modern vs. Biblical . --- That reminded me of a book that all of you on this site might like to read. Title is: "Today's Gospel: Synthetic or Authentic ?" by Walter Chantry. Published by Banner of Truth Trust. _________________ " The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God stands for ever! " Is. 40:8
Matt Slick often talks about preaching the Gospel in terms of Law, then Gospel, then Cost... Everyone I assume knows the law, and the Gospel, but in terms of cost it is making the new believer aware of the possible hardship that is ahead of him in this life because of the World and the realm of Satan...
Any thoughts on the appropriateness of this and does it serve the Gospel well to do so being that it would definitely put one more distinction between the Biblical and Modern Gospels... _________________ Your Brother and Servant in Christ,
JD
Law needs to be clearly expounded so that there can be no question how far we have fallen and are removed from God. There should be no doubt in the sinner's mind that he is convicted by that law, and that this conviction carries a death sentence.
Next, Gospel needs to be clearly shown so that the sinner knows that there is a path to salvation in Christ, and that this is the only path.
Finally, the cost of this discipleship must be made known, that it means the repentant sinner must forsake all else, take up his cross, and follow his Lord and Saviour. It won't be easy, and it isn't for the lazy. The sinner by his nature, even though repentant, will continue to sin and need to repent.
Living in Christ means following Him in all of our actions, even when we know we won't always succeed. And when we do succeed it is His success, not ours. _________________ "... I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." Thomas Jefferson
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Arthur C Clarke
Amen!! One of the great burdens on my heart is for the many souls who have been DECEIVED into believing a FALSE Gospel, a FALSE assurance. To promote and participate in such deception to me is more evil than those who are openly in the world.
Here is Paul Washer preaching the truth about what we are called to preach: "True Evangelism of the Scandalous Gospel"
_________________ Eric Paulsen
Preaching Deacon at Grizzly Flats Community Church
He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. - Titus 1:9
So then what do we think of those who preach this false or watered down gospel?
Is it so off they are false prophets?
Is it so off that one can't be saved listening to it?
Would people think it is not salvation by grace but that they have to do something to be saved?
I think it is very dangerous and many who think they are saved because they made a decision are not saved and it is a false gospel of a false god and a false Christ who did not actually save anyone only made it possible for all people and then God punishes the people again even though Christ already paid the penalty for them. so we have an unrighteous God and a non-atoning savior and man must do something himself while he is separated from God and a sinner who a Holy God could not listen to id doing a good thing and seeking God and repenting on his own and has the innate ability in his sin nature which is not really fallen that far, to exercise saving faith toward God and believing that which is spiritual even though the natural man cannot receive the things of God because they are Spiritually known.
Is this Christianity or the exact 180degre opposite religion of antiChrist?
Ever major doctrine is backwards except that we sin, and this is not defined by the breaking of laws we must obey, and we need a savior who doesn't really save and did not finish the work on the cross.
They do not believe in and many hate God if He really is sovereign and wouldn't give them free will in this matter, and therefor can't really live a life trusting that God is in control of everything and therefore obey by not being anxious or knowing his will without divinations of some sort, and think results in this life are up to them and their works. And that the gospel they will not spread is to seek to convert a man who is capable of believing if they can just get him to give intellectual assent to some of the facts of Scripture, namely the 4 laws making a decision to accept Christ into his heart, whatever that means to someone.
Why are we tolerating this and calling it Christianity?
It is satan's most perfect deception and mirror image of the truth and makes God impotent.
And causes one to call into question the character of God, like how can God be just and turn the heart of a king or harden Pharaoh so he would not let the people go and not have free will in that matter or Judas or the whole of all the Jews. A god who can predestine some things but not all. Or none at all but merely look into the future to see what we choose by our free will then says he predestines that. Which if it were possible would be no predestination and if He had seen it would still leave man in time not free anyway because it was already seen what will happen and no other could happen but what was seen.
How then can we pray and ask God to do anything if God cannot change people's minds and wills anyway.
It is a ridiculous confusing mess and even their smartest ministers and theologians are confused.
as a college student having just learned of grace, I went to a seminary prof who was teaching the order of decrees and read the lies of Augustus Strong in his systematic theology where he says Calvin recanted definite atonement by the time he wrote his commentary on 1 John. I showed him that Calvin said in 2:2 that if you think that whole world means Christ died for every person on earth or the fallen angels too then you are nuts.
He died only for those who were given to Him by the Father from the foundation of the world and this is the plan of redemption. No one comes to Him unless the father draws them. And He only prays for His own, those the Father gave Him whose names were written in the book of Life from before the foundations of the earth. Amen.
The mormons and JWs are not much further off and live more moral lives than these people.
Please let's love these worldlings bound in false religion and self deception, many rejecting more sound churches to go to places where there flesh is appeased and satisfied, but lets not give them a false assurance by judging them to be saved. Let us leave this in the realm of the unknown and just seek to get the true gospel to them.
_________________ Sinner saved by grace still being sanctified. Peace often comes as a result of conflict~ Don P, Peace if possible, truth at all costs~ Martin Luther, I couldn’t live in peace if I put the shadow of a willful sin between myself and God~ George Eliot
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Interesting RTI Poll
Who is "the seed" of the woman mentioned in Genesis 3:15
You nailed-it-on-the=head !
