Thus says the Lord: "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.
But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'" --Jeremiah 6:16

 

18 November, 2005   comments: (0) Postmodernism   Forcing War Upon Allies: Truth Versus Actions Are deeds and doctrines intended to be inseparable allies, or can they be pitted against each other as enemies? There are modern movements underway which force these two guy-wires of Christianity to pull against each other in an unbiblical contest of tug of war. A leader in one such movement is Erwin McManus, who has begun a siege against Christianity from within it's own walls. Perhaps you don't know him; I had not heard of Erwin McManus until recently, when I saw his church ranked #5 on someone's top-ten list of the most "innovative" (yes, that term is usually a red flag now days) churches in America. How innovative is this Los Angeles church of 2,000 attendees? One article describes it like this: The people of Mosaic [church] gather for a worship experience that includes drama, music and dance. While Pastor Erwin McManus preaches, artists work on sculptures and paintings in the audience. McManus doesn't refer to the artists during his sermon; they aren't props or visual illustrations. In a way, their activity is incongruent with the sermon. They aren't there to illustrate or inform - their function is simply to inspire. According to McManus, witnessing the creative process helps put the audience in the frame of mind to hear the message. A Clip From a 'Worship Experience' at Mosaic McManus calls himself the "Lead Pastor and Cultural Architect" of his church; he's also the author of several books, including one called "An Unstoppable Force: Daring to Become the Church God Had in Mind". In his book The Barbarian Way, we see his subtle attempt at discrediting beliefs and doctrine, redirecting the focus to behavior and practice instead: While the church has played it safe and majored on belief systems and doctrines, it has failed to be vitally related to God and people in vibrant love, intimacy, passion and sacrifice. While the civilized church has institutionalized security and safety, the barbarian embraces the dangerous call of God for adventure and the reclamation of humanity that has drifted away from the reconciliation and peace with God and with each other. Civilized religion is impotent and dead, rejected by Jesus as shown in his rejection of Pharisaic religion while the barbarian way is demonstrated by the faith and life of John the Baptist, Jesus and his band of radical followers. McManus, who says it's "significant that the history of the first-century church is called the book of Acts and not the book of truths", also resists giving his definition of truth on his church website. On their FAQ page, it answers the question "What is your doctrine?" with this doctrinal-downplay: The absolute best way to understand and learn about any community is to experience it on the relational level. Statements of faith can tell you what a community of faith's beliefs are, but they can't tell you who they are. If you'd like to discover who we are at Mosaic, please come to one of our Gatherings on Sundays. His answer goes on to recommend one of his books, and then at the very end - it reluctantly sends you to an off-site belief statement, saying in a nut-shell "here it is - if that's what you are still interested in". Interestingly, another FAQ on this same page, defines the core values of the church with a New Age set of metaphors including Wind, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth. Elsewhere Erwin McManus says "I know this may sound like heresy, but it is more important to change what people care about than to change what they believe". Is any of this starting to sound familiar? If it reminds you of Rick Warren's doctrinal downplay, you are not alone. Here are some quotes from his Purpose Driven Life: "God won't ask you about your religious background or doctrinal views." (p.34) "Jesus said our love for each other-not our doctrinal beliefs-is our greatest witness to the world." (p. 124) In fact, you may remember Rick Warren appearing in the news recently, proclaiming a new Reformation that consists of "deeds rather than creeds". The truth is however, that deeds and beliefs are intertwined. Rick Warren and Erwin McManus are wrong to set up a competition between deeds and doctrine, suggesting that we should choose one or the other, or that we should downplay one in order to be devoted to the other. As Charles Spurgeon said over 100 years ago, error in doctrine leads to error in practice: 'Hold fast the form of sound words', (that is what the apostle Paul commanded Timothy) because error in doctrine almost inevitably leads to error in practice. When a man believes wrongly, he will soon act wrongly. Faith has a great influence on our conduct. As a man's faith, so is he. If you begin to [hold to] erroneous doctrines, they soon have an effect on your practice. Keep fast to the bulwarks of your fathers' faith. If you do not, the enemy will make sad havoc with you. 'Hold fast the form of sound words' which was delivered unto you. [read more] Learn more about Erwin McManus' new brand of Christianity: Worldview: Erwin McManus Plays Dominoes with God's Sovereignty Read Ron Foster's critique articles of Mosaic (his former church) Visit Erwin McManus' website and bio and church site. Posted by: Jim B.   Link: http://www.oldtruth.com/blog.cfm/id.2.pid.108   Be the first to post a comment about this article        Home  |   About  |  Videos   |  Calvinism