The Progressive Church

[Pastor Matt]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MDnjN3CP4E

[JerryNumbers]

There be several of them around, so sad.

[John81]

That's excellent!!!

Unfortunately, it's all too accurate. I can think of at least three churches in this area that fits this. Actually, just in writing the last sentence I've thought of a couple more.

This is how many professing Christians want it. They want to be able to think they have just enough Christianity to get to heaven, but they don't want none of the Jesus as Lord stuff! They can't have their independence, their personal preferences, their pet sins, interferred with. Their anthem, "Just give me salvation and let me do as I please!"

Sad to say, there are many professing Christians who really believe they can have it this way.

[Miss Linda]

That does not seem to be the worship of God to me, but rather worship of their own selves. It is a fearful thing to ignore the will of our Creator. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to OBey, his servants ye are to whom ye OBey; whether of sin unto death, or of OBedience unto righteousness?" (Romans 6:16).

In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. (Judges 21:25)

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (Proverbs 14:12)

Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it, Why hast Thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make sone vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew His wrath, and to make His power known, tendured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had afore prepared unto glory." (Romans 9:20–23).

[asysin2leads]

While I was in college, I had heard many good things about a church that was suppose to be IFB. When I went there, the "pastor" sat on a stool and "preached." His idea of preaching was not preaching from the Bible, but from some notes he had jotted down. It was more of his opinion than Scripture. I had to get up and leave in the middle of the service. It wasn't 6 months later that they had changed their name from a Baptist church to a Community church. Go figure.

[JerryNumbers]

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

2 Corinthians 4:3,4
3 But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, least the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

1 Timothy 4:1 now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrine of devils.

Perhaps some, maybe many, are convinced that they have the truth, the old devil and his gang has many blinded to God's truths, and we do not wrestle against wrestle not against flesh and blood.

[John81]

While I was in college, I had heard many good things about a church that was suppose to be IFB. When I went there, the "pastor" sat on a stool and "preached." His idea of preaching was not preaching from the Bible, but from some notes he had jotted down. It was more of his opinion than Scripture. I had to get up and leave in the middle of the service. It wasn't 6 months later that they had changed their name from a Baptist church to a Community church. Go figure.

Unfortunately I've encountered some churches like this. One church we visited, which so many parents had claimed was a great place because of their wonderful children/youth programs, we were the only ones I saw with a Bible. Once they finally finished singing the pastor appeared from behind a curtain (reminded me of the old Johnny Carson show) and proceeded to the podium with a few notecards. No Bible in hand and as I looked at the podium, no Bible there either. He preached from the cards and from a few papers that had apparently already been on the podium. When he mentioned Scripture two big screens would show the verse(s) and he would turn and read from one of the screens. He used 5 or 6 different translations in the course of his short sermon. No wonder nOBody had a Bible, they would have to carry a half dozen Bibles each Sunday never knowing what one the pastor might use.

One visit was more than enough for us. Oh, and their children/youth program was "wonderful" to so many parents because it was so much fun. No doubt because it was entertainment based rather than Scripture based.

[asysin2leads]

I was called about interviewing for a youth director position while I was in Bible college. I was told this was an IFB church with a strong KJV history. I went there on a Saturday night to meet w/ the pastor and associate pastor. We were suppose to meet for about 2 hours, but they had been on a hospital call so we only got to talk for about 15-20 minutes. I had a list of questions to ask, but never got to them. Anyway, I went to the Sunday morning services and was ok with what they taught and preached. I saw some NIV bibles in the congregation, but the pastor was KJV and also said that the NIV was wrong from the pulpit. Sometimes you just can't convince some people. Anyway, after church the pastor wanted to take me to lunch so we could finish up our discussion. Hey, I'm a Baptist and it was food. It's a win-win situation. Anyway, I was going down my list of questions about the church and their doctrines. One of my questions was how many missionaries they supported. His answer was none. I had to pick up my jaw from the floor. He said that he believed that the money brought into the church was for the local church only. I guess he forgot about the little thing called the Great Commission. I politely said that I couldn't be part of a church who didn't support missions. I got my portion of the check, paid and left. He called the next day and was upset that I wouldn't be taking the position and didn't see anything wrong with "home missions" only. They did have a pretty decent missions budget, but it all stayed with that particular church or a handful of home missions. His logic was that he was a mission work from another local church and felt that the money belonged to his church.

[John81]

I saw some NIV bibles in the congregation, but the pastor was KJV and also said that the NIV was wrong from the pulpit. Sometimes you just can't convince some people.

That's a fact! We have a guy in our church who always carries some watered down paraphrase version, it might be the NLT or something like that.