Purpose:

May 2006:
I am torn by two concerns: 

 1. To be part of a church that:

1. Has a focus on the family as a central part of its community
2. Sees that the world is opposed to it and takes the bible's warnings seriously
3. Supports home schooling, raising a godly seed and a call to holiness

 2. Leaving a church home where:

1. There are many that love God and are truly seeking Him and reaching out to others around them
2. I have friends whom I have served with and have grown with and love dearly
3. I will to have explain why I am leaving

 I am at a cross-road and feel I have made the decision to leave at a subconscious level for many reasons yet have not been able to articulate them fully.  I am in much prayer as to God’s leading for me and my family.  This has not come about suddenly but has been in the works for a long time.  Perhaps it is a continuation of my concerns with my previous church (A Willow Creek styled church).  The decision to leave that church was quickly made of necessity for other reasons.  Coming to a more traditional church in 1999, as it was then, was a step in the direction of number 1 above. 

 In recent years I feel that my church is taking steps in the direction towards the church I left.

 It is not an easy decision with many complex issues.  These issues include the responsibility I have as the spiritual head of my family, philosophy of ministry in the church, responsibility of leadership, discernment.  Underlying all this is doctrine upon which these issues are based.

 To understand why this is a concern to me it is important to understand who I am and where I have come from. (See My Church History)

 The following is my attempt to organize my thoughts into some kind of cohesive assessment.  It was born out of a 4 day retreat for prayer and study.  It is primarily intended for me and my family, but I know there are others who might want to know why we are leaving and this can explain it better than a few quick statements. 

 My recent journey began late in 2003.  May God bless you as you read this.
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Evangelicalism (now) or Aroused from my sleep:

The whole “Purpose Driven Life” (PDL) excitement began to awaken in me an awareness that Evangelicalism was changing, being influenced by men such and Rick Warren and Bill Hybels (Willow Creek) who were in turn influenced by Robert Schuller who thinks the word sin should be abolished from Christianity because it makes people “feel bad”.   False teaching was slowly creeping into mainstream evangelicalism, but in recent years has been accelerating.

I discovered another movement within evangelicalism called “The Emergent Church”. This is a loose philosophy of teaching that has many aspects among which is that the belief “doctrine divides” so there is a de-emphasis on doctrine and that we should just love Jesus.  Without doctrine and careful adherence to the Word of God, how shall we know when “another Christ” (anti-Christ) is being taught purposely by deceivers or ignorantly by the deceived? 

“But evil men and seducers will go forward to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

2Tim 3:13 

This anti-doctrine is coming out of post-modern thinking and the rejection of absolute truth.  Adherents are saying that this is the way to reach the post-modern world.  Along with this new thinking is the fruit of the ideas planted by Richard Foster 25 years ago, the whole contemplative prayer movement.  Contemplative prayer is in reality eastern transcendental meditation with the result being some spiritual experience.  Of coarse these teachers say this is God, but how would they know?  They are practicing the very things forbidden by scripture and bringing apostasy into the church.

“But the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and teachings of demons,” 1 Tim 4:1

Willow Creek has gotten caught up in this lately, inviting modern mystic teachers both so-called Christian mystic and new age. 

(See http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/exposes/hybels/insider.htm)

This also ties in with a new ecumenical movement.  Spiritual leaders in this movement are finding common ground in there practices with Islamic Sufis, Hindu and Buddhist practitioners. Rather than being alarm that they are aligned with religions that are definitely NOT Christian but clearly pagan and questioning whether what they are doing is wrong, they so believe what they are doing is right that they conclude there are many paths to God and all religions are really one. This is absurd.  The Bible however clearly warns of a one world religion and this fits the bill for a vehicle to get Christians to come around. 

Careful study or God’s Word and of doctrine clearly warns of the dangers of this movement.  I am however astonished at the list of “evangelical leaders” whose names are being associated with this movement and it is being hyped by “Christianity Today”. 

Rick Warren’s P.E.A.C.E. plan sounds good at first glance, but it is an ecumenical movement paralleling the U.N.’s “Millennial Goals”.

Evangelicalism is being led astray by undiscerning leaders.  Only a few well known leaders are taking a stance against it and speaking up, among these are John McArthur and Dave Hunt.

Not only is sin de-emphasized but the Atonement is coming under attack now described in Alan Jones’ book “Redefining Christianity” as “this vile doctrine”.  (see article: “Evangelicals Attacking the Atonement”

When I was a new believer in College and read about a time that Jesus said:

“For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders; so much so that, if it were possible, they would deceive even the elect.” Mat 24:24. 

Paul spoke of the “falling away” in 2 Thes 2:3, I couldn’t imagine how Satin could deceive so many.  But now I see how a watered down Evangelical church that does not know its doctrine and rejects discernment could be easily be duped.
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Philosophy of modern churches:

As I stated in my background (see Appendix A) that I come from a position of being sympathetic (many years ago) to the Willow-Creek style teaching to make a church for the unchurched.  This is what the “Church Growth Movement” is all about.  The goal was to get people in the door by eliminating the barriers that kept them away.  Bill Hybles used a marketing survey to start his church and applied what he learned.  From the world’s perspective he was very successful.  Willow-Creek is one of the largest churches in America and it formed the Willow Creek association of 1000’s of churches literally around the world following after its model, including my former church Stonebridge.

 “If we can just get them in the door, then we can…” is the mantra repeated over and over.  I even heard Pastor Jim say this about the time I raised concern over the Purpose Driven Life book.

 In this vain these churches have looked to the world and used Hollywood, sports, music and even circuses to attract people to get people in the door with the good intentions of preaching the gospel to them that they might be saved.

 If we look at scripture, this is an unbiblical approach to reaching the lost.  Beyond that, I see a few  logical problems with this approach:

1. What it takes to bring them in is what it takes to keep them.  If people come because the music is hot or the media is cool or the sermons make them feel good or meet a felt need, then that is why they will come back.  When you try to move beyond this to real Christian teaching and try to convict them of sin and there need for a savior, they are turned off.  So we sugar coat it so as to keep them.  We try to sneak it in.  Eventually people will get bored with the same-old, same-old.  Then we have up the entertainment a notch to keep it interesting.  Ever notice what happened to television from the 60’s to the present?  Each year things get a little more pushing the edge, a little more dicey etc until today’s television bears no resemblance to the shows I grew up with like "Andy Griffith" and "Leave it to Beaver" etc.  If we are appealing to peoples flesh to get them we will continue to need to do that to keep them.
2. Bait and switch.   If we intend to just get them in the door then preach the real gospel to them, they will resent being lured in under false pretenses and become even more  hardened to the church.  Watch this video clip: