The Emerging/Emergent Church Movement
As we will see by some quotes of Emergent Church leaders, their beliefs are entrenched with corruption from Roman Catholicism, Hinduism, and New Age. Other religions are considered fellow seekers with whom they must come into conversation, yet there is no conviction to lead them to Christ Who is the way, the truth and the life. Remember last month’s article on Hinduism? One of the Hindu activities or purusharthas is called kama. Their goal is to achieve kama for gratification of senses, pleasure, sensual, sexual and mental enjoyment. Seekers in the Emergent Church movement are looking for a holistic experience where all their senses can be touched. The real danger here is that the spiritual experience becomes self gratifying as in Hindu practices. Emergent Church practitioners say they want to see the kingdom of God in the earth, but in reality they express a social gospel, not a gospel of power. As far as we have studied this movement we have not seen in the vocabulary of their conversation the words repentance, conversion or sin. Acts 3:19 states, “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” While Emergent Church leaders and writers talk about necessary changes needed in the organized church, they lack knowledge of the Word of God. What they do use of the Bible is either out of context or misinterpreted. We are greatly concerned and warn that if this current trend continues, we will end up with a faithless, powerless group of people, full of compromise, who will not be able to overcome in the days ahead. Here are some quotes from Emergent Church leaders. “I was relaxing in my parents’ swimming pool with my brother…I asked him how the engineering business was going, and he reciprocated: ‘How’s the ministry world going?’ ‘Okay,’ I said, ‘except that a couple of weeks ago I realized that I don’t know why Jesus had to die.’ Then Peter, without skipping a beat, without even a moment’s hesitation, said, ‘Well, neither did Jesus.’” Brian McLaren Our scripture note: Hebrews 9:22, “And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.”NKJV
“For too many
people the name Jesus
has become a symbol of exclusion, as if Jesus statement ‘I am the way, and
the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me’
actually means, ‘I am in the way of people seeking truth and life. I won’t
let anyone get to God unless he comes through me.’”
Brian McLaren Our scripture note: Yes! Jesus is the way to the Father, and He tells us to come to Him. John 6:37, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”NKJV
“What I think I can say is, and this is where I get into trouble, I’m not so sure that when this life is over that all possibilities for salvation are over.” Tony Campolo Our scripture note: Hebrews 9: 27, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” NKJV
“The church must
present the Christian faith not as one religious army at war with all other
religious armies, but as one of many religious armies fighting against evil,
falsehood, destruction, darkness, and injustice.”
Brian McLaren Our scripture note: The Bible does not teach that our war is with any humans, but with evil spiritual beings. Eph. 6:12-13 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”NKJV
The Christian army does not unite with religions, but with Christ Jesus. 1 John 5:1a, 4 “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God… For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.” NKJV
“New Lights offer
up themselves as
the cosmions of a mind-of-Christ consciousness. As a cosmion incarnating the
cells of a new body, New Lights will function as transitional vessels
through which transforming energy can renew the divine image in the world,
moving postmoderns from one state of embodiment to another.”
Leonard Sweet Our scripture note: Putting a new name on an old Hindu idea and dressing it up with some New Age words, does not make it true. Eph. 4:20-24 “But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” NKJV
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/303-emerging-church-versus-doctrine http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/emergingchurchquotes.htm
One of the best commentaries on the Emerging Church is written by Roger Oakland named “The Emerging Church, Revival Or Return To Darkness.” We encourage you to read the entire article which you can go to by clicking this link: http://www.understandthetimes.org/commentary/c29.shtml
This scripture sums it up, 2 John 9-11, “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.” NKJV
And also, in John 8:30-32, “As He spoke these words, many believed in Him. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." NKJV Prayer Focus Relativism. Pray that we in the Church would not walk as those of this world, as written in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” NKJV Knowledge of the Word. Pray that we would be mature in the Word of God. Pray 2Tim. 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved unto God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” NKJV Knowledge of God. Pray that those who are seeking God will find Him through relationship with Jesus. Eph. 1:17 “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.” NKJV Expose Deception. Ask Holy Spirit to expose any deception that is operating in the Emergent Church and that the captives would be set free! Matt 24:24-25, “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” NKJV
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