"I Have Grown a Church of Baptized Pagans"   Mark Dever

"In [this city], churches are wealthy enough to market themselves a crowd (I am also guilty). And how do we market? By asking and supplying what people say they prefer for their church experience. Given that my community finds 'relevance' the most important value to hold, I have been feeding them human enrichment rather than eternal and powerful truth" ... [Read More!]

True Christianity Resistant To Fads, Fascinations   Ichabod Spencer

During the progress of a revival of religion, I noted the absence of the young people of one family from our meetings, which they had been accustomed to attending, and through which their attention had been turned towards [true] religion. They had become serious inquirers about the way of salvation. I conversed with them. Their solemnity appeared to be deepening, and I was surprised at their absence. I soon found out that they had been very urgently requested to attend similar gatherings of another church, and had agreed to go. They preferred to attend there. The young pastor of that church was particularly attentive to them, visiting them almost daily, and sometimes more often, and taking special pains to induce them to attend all of his church gatherings. He would invite them, and urge them, and sometimes send for them. One of their parents told me, "how very much interested" they were in that pastor, and expressed the opinion that they "ought to go to the church where they feel most interest". ... [Read More!]

Explicit Ads Draw Crowds To Morality Messages Minus The Gospel

I won't let my own kids read this post, you shouldn't allow yours to read it either. I'd prefer not to even go down this path, except that it's a significant part of what's popular in church "evangelism" these days. I'm talking about the explicit bait and switch advertising campaigns that churches and ministries are using to draw crowds, and when they have those crowds baited and present, they use those opportunities to preach the Gospel. Don't they? ... [Read More!]

Pragmatism Potty In The Press

Recently John MacArthur's online Shepherd's Magazine linked to the photos of the seeker sensitive men's room that a reader sent us. Now that restroom is being featured in the secular news. You'll find the article entitled "Come for the Bathroom, Stay for the Service" in the Hastings Star Gazette on Feb. 22nd. ... [Read More!]

Sermons of Self-Esteem, Self-Help, & 'Stories'   Douglas Webster

In the past . . . biblical preaching was God-centered, sin-exposing, self-convicting and life-challenging; the direct opposite of today's light, informal sermons that Christianize self-help and entertain better than they convict. There are so many illustrations in today's market-sensitive sermons that the hearer forgets the biblical truth that is being illustrated; so many personal anecdotes that the hearer knows the pastor better than she knows Christ; so many human-interest stories that listening to the sermon is easier than reading the Sunday paper; so practical that there is hardly anything to practice. ... [Read More!]

Mailbag: Deviant Disney Church - Part 2

Updated With Photos! - [Our minister] believes that too many people have come from churches that were stodgy and boring, and that church "should be fun". As a result, we have more often than not, a carnival atmosphere. His administrative assistant (who happens to be his son-in-law) and he - will banter back and forth at the beginning of the service. This will be during the "announcement" portion of the service. It's all part of the notion that church shouldn't be boring, but fun. But, the irony of this whole approach, is that when this becomes the routine, the new approach quickly loses its shine, and what is deemed to be "fun" now becomes boring. So, more clever methods have to be dreamnt up to keep the interest high. ... [Read More!]

Mailbag: Yet Another Deviant Disney Church

Hi Jim, I've been reading your blog for quite some time. I found it from Ingrid's (original) Slice. This may be a bit long winded, but I wanted to share it. It goes right down the same road as your post on the Jumbotron. I attend a church that has slowly, progressively succumbed to the church growth methods promoted by Warren, Hybels, etc. Our "pastor" (I use this term loosely, since he has established the hierarchy of a typical "top-down" business approach to things) has been using business/marketing methods to "grow" the church. Since he's seen people come into the building, he deems this a "healthy" church environment, which further puts the stamp of approval on the methods. ... [Read More!]

Churching an Entertainment Culture - Part 4

Gary Lamb is a pastor-friend of Perry Noble's who likewise relies upon entertainment-based church services. On his blog last week he wrote "God has called us to do whatever it takes to reach this community and we will stop at nothing to see that accomplished". He shares this testimony of one of his churchgoers: "Gary cracked me up, my kids loved it and the band was OFF THE HOOK" and "Anyone who likes and plays 80's [metal music] in a service is number one in my book!". With things like humor and rock music being cited, it leaves us wondering about the reasons why some churches are rejected in favor of other more entertaining churches. What value, if any, is being placed on correct biblical teaching, sound doctrine, and a pursuit of God based on who He really is? In this post, our look at entertainment driven church growth continues. ... [Read More!]

Churching an Entertainment Culture - Part 3

In the previous installments we analyzed the scriptural and historical basis for Perry Noble's claims of the prerogative to use entertainment in a church service and we found them wanting. In this installment we will examine the statistical numbers he cites, some of his succeeding questions and the answers he provides in the light of Scripture and the minds God has endowed us with. We will pay particular attention to his own analysis of the numerical trends within American Christianity. Perry operates from a worldview or viewpoint that entertainment is necessary to maintain church attendance and we can see this is the filter that he uses to evaluate the numerical data. ... [Read More!]

Churching an Entertainment Culture - Part 2

Are we living in a unique time in church history, in which the culture is so immersed in entertainment that we are all but forced to adapt our church services to include entertainment in order to reach the masses? Is it true that Jesus was committed to creating memorable experiences for His followers such as walking on water, turning water to wine, the Transfiguration, and Pentecost? If so, should the church today likewise strive to create "wow" experiences that generate buzz and keep people from getting bored? Here's a look back at church history and scripture, to see if those claims hold true. ... [Read More!]

Churching an Entertainment Culture - Part 1

There are few seeker centered pastors that keep posting their own writings that illustrate the folly of the Church Growth Movement (CGM) than Perry Noble. He is a pastor of a church in South Carolina and one of the recent Athenian Spirit Award winners here at Old Truth. Perry has an infectious speaking and writing style that can catch up a reader and listener with his obvious sincere enthusiasm. But we have seen time and again throughout church and biblical history that enthusiasm without solid doctrinal and theological underpinnings can lead many astray and even to their deaths. ... [Read More!]

Real Relevance: Only By The Whole Counsel of God   John Murray

A great deal is being said nowadays about the necessity of relevance, and in certain circles it is being asserted that the scripture as it was understood by Christians in the first century is not relevant to modern man; that, conditioned as he is to the scientific worldview, it is impossible to accept the framework in which the New Testament is cast. It is not to be denied that the gospel proclaimed must be relevant, that it must be presented to men where they are, and meet their needs in the situations in which they find themselves. But one thing must be said. It is only by the proclamation of the whole counsel of God, particularly regarding sin, misery, and the judgment of God, that men will discover where they are and begin to assess their need. ... [Read More!]

Lead Them To The "Dude God" & Ignore The Critics

I have to admit, nothing sets me off quite like this kind of thing. I'm talking about the way growth-driven churches irreverently misrepresent God as being just another one of the guys (Psalm 50:21). It doesn't stop there either; the biblically defined office of pastor usually gets a downgrade as well. Any dignity that pastors should have (1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 2:7-8) becomes expendable for the sake of hip and trendy relevance. A classic example made it's way on to national TV this week. ... [Read More!]

'Seekers' Are Poor Judges of Their Own Needs   Ichabod Spencer

During a time of a revival, a pastor that I had not known very well called upon me, and by invitation preached for me at my regular weekly evening service. I had mentioned to him the existing seriousness among the people. His sermon did not suit me. He made careless statements; seemed to me to rely on impressions more than on truth; seemed to value his own powers, and to desire other people to rely on theirs. I perceived that he highly esteemed himself, as "a revival preacher", and I thought he preached "revival" and prayed "revival", rather than Christianity. After we arrived home, and my pastor friend had retired for the night, a good friend came in to see me, and inquired how I liked his sermon. I criticized it strongly. My friend then told me, that as she left the church she crossed paths with one of our young ladies, who had been serious for some weeks, and who said to her, "oh that sermon will do me good. It was just what I wanted. I wish our pastor would preach like that". I felt humbled and sad. ... [Read More!]