Today, Gut's Church gets two exhibits in the Museum of Idolatry. The first is for this terrible and heretical sermon series entitled You University.
This sermon is sooooo bad that it was reviewed in detail on the Fighting for the Faith radio program. Click Here to Listen. Wait to you hear the heresies that spewed from Pastor Bill Scheer's 'pulpit'.
We think that Pastor Frank from Faith Church in Millford, CT is quickly becoming the poster boy for 'Man Centered Sermons' here in the Museum of Idolatry.
The marketing slug for his latest anthropocentric 'sermon' series has us scratching our heads asking, where in the scriptures can you find a single sermon preached by the Apostles that tells you how to find your God-given destiny? (See 2 Timothy 4:3-4).
Our working theory is that Pastor Frank is jealous of Joel Osteen's success and is trying desperately to build his church into Lakewood North East.
The Oprah-fication of the American Christian Church continues. Trinity Church in Omaha, NE is now offering the "marriage you've always wanted" to the people of their church.
Here's what their website says:
Think Having a Great Marriage Is Impossible?!Statistics can make us skepticle, but it really IS possible to have a great marriage!
And while we're not pretending to have it all figured out, we do believe there are some basics that - when given a chance - can go a long way in helping to build the marriage you've always wanted!
Join us for this life-giving series, with messages designed to help you learn about:
• How to prepare yourself for marriage
• Solid foundations for a satisfying marriage
• How to handle conflict with your spouse
• How to really love your spouse, in word & deed
Rather than preaching the foolishness of Christ crucified for our sins and risking the destruction of marriages by calling people to repentance and the forgiveness of sins, Trinity Church is off topic and offering something that Biblical Christianity does not necessarily offer.
Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
Luke 18:29 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
1Cor. 2:1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Further Resources...
1. Christless Christianity & The American Captivity of the Church - Part 1
2. Christless Christianity & The American Captivity of the Church - Part 2
3. Christless Christianity, by Michael Horton
4. Preaching Christ from All the Scriptures, by Dennis Johnson
Excellence "Christian" Church has discovered a way to spiritualize the American Dream. (and we bet the pastor of this church is living it too.)
This is another example of what happens to the 'church' when the center and focus is changed from Christ Crucified for Our Sins to ME and MY Changed Life.
The Oaks Fellowship in Red Oak, Texas recently did a sermon series entitled 'Real Life' and based it on the reality T.V. shows, Fear Factor, Dancing With the Stars, The Amazing Race and the Biggest Loser. We've put the promo video for the Fear Factor sermon here in our museum because it is another excellent example of the man-centered Christless Christianity that is sweeping through the American church in the name of being Purpose Driven, seeker sensitive and culturally relevant.
The line to listen for in this video is when Pastor Scott Wilson says:
"You were born with purpose everybody. I want you to know that. You we’re born with a God-sized dream for your life. The Bible says in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10, “that you are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works which he prepared you in advance to do.” You need to know that because some of you today may think “Man, I don’t have a dream. I don’t have a vision. There’s nothing big that God has for me.” I just want you to know there is. And probably the reason that your feeling that there isn’t is because you’re living in real life. And real life problems or real life issues or real life circumstances seem to weigh down the God-sized dreams and purposes he meant for us to have. We’re going to talk about that in this series. And I want you to know that you are awesome and God made you for greatness and we want to help you overcome your fear and the stumbling blocks and the things of life that keep holding you back."
Sorry but this is not Biblical Christianity and this is not the Biblical doctrine of sanctification. Instead, this is a man-centered pop-psychology self-help infomercial gospel that pastor Wilson is peddling and he learned this 'other gospel' from men like Rick Warren and Robert Schuller (Warren's Mentor).
We are praying for pastor Scott Wilson and The Oaks Fellowship. We pray that God would open their eyes and bring them to repentance and that they would turn from these man-centered pop-psychology messages and instead rightly handle and preach the Word of God. After all, we cannot say that we are truly loving our neighbors if we're not telling them the truth about what God's Word actually teaches.
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1Cor. 2:1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Further Resources...
1. Christless Christianity & The American Captivity of the Church - Part 1
2. Christless Christianity & The American Captivity of the Church - Part 2
3. Christless Christianity, by Michael Horton
4. Preaching Christ from All the Scriptures, by Dennis Johnson
Below, we've put together a montage of sermon series artwork from Element Church in Chesterfield, Missouri. From what we've seen and heard from this "church" we need to warn people that what is being preached there is NOT Christianity. Their gathering is not a "church service" but it is actually a group therapy session. The offense of the cross has been replaced with the American "infomercial gospel" of self-help, and therapeutic life improvement.
This is exactly the type of preaching you will get from Purpose-Driven churches that buy into the false doctrine that the Bible is a "Guidebook for Living".
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1Cor. 2:1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Further Resources...
1. Christless Christianity & The American Captivity of the Church - Part 1
2. Christless Christianity, by Michael Horton
3. Preaching Christ from All the Scriptures, by Dennis Johnson
Non-Christians (oops we meant the 'un-churched') are just not going to come to church to hear someone preaching expository Bible sermons (or so the story goes). So why not preach about popular TV shows instead and try to loosly tie them to the Bible? Pastors are already exegeting blockbuster movies and comic books, so adding popular TV shows to their repertoire just makes sense.
Below we've posted the graphic for the upcoming sermon series at South Hills Church in Corona, CA. (This is the same church whose pastor rather than preaching about Christ's resurrection on Easter Sunday thought it would be better to preach about dysfunctional relationships. We can't wait to see what he preaches about on Christmas Day. We bet it will be about weight loss or new year's resolutions). Now pastor Chris Sonksen is going to tie the popular TV show, Heroes to the Bible. He plans to let everyone at his church know that they are 'heroes' and that "THEY have what it takes". Sermon Topics Include...
• How courage can help YOU conquer a storm (Noah)
• How faithfulness can keep YOU from quitting (Abraham)
• How generosity can multiply YOUR impact (Rebekkah)
• How commitment can take YOU beyond YOUR limitations (David)
In Sonksen's religion you already 'have what it takes' to be a hero. You just need to learn how to put it into practice. But a careful reading of the scriptures will show you that Noah's story isn't about Noah's courage at all. It is about God's justice, God's mercy and God's salvation. Noah was FAR from virtuous. Noah shamed himself and scandalized his sons through the sin of naked-drunkeness. The story of Abraham is NOT about Abraham's faithfulness. It is about God's faithfulness! Abraham lied about his marriage to his wife (twice) in order to save his own skin. Abraham also fathered Ishmael because he'd lost faith in God's promise. Rebekah was far from generous. She conspired with her son Jacob to trick Isaac into blessing Jacob and steal Esua's birthright. (stealing is the opposite of generous) As for David, we all know how well he kept his commitments. He was a murderer and an adulterer.
Reducing these Biblical stories down to morals or virtues (like Aesops fables) that we can somehow apply to our lives so that we can be heroic completely misses the point. The thing that we all have in common with Noah, Abraham, Rebekah, and David is that we are all wicked sinners. We are not virtuous, courageous and faithful. Instead we are faithless, heartless and ruthless. We are not heroes we are all villains. The Bible tells us that all of us are sinners in need of a savior. In other words, NONE of us 'has what it takes'. We, like Noah, Abraham, Rebekah and David NEED a hero and a savior to redeem us and save us. That's why those Biblical stories are NOT about Noah, Abraham, Rebekah or David, they are ultimately about Jesus Christ.
But, Pastor Chris is a proponent of the infomercial gospel and has bought into the lie that drawing large numbers of people to church is what determines success. He preaches these types of man-centered feel good messages in order to be seeker-sensitive and attract a big crowd.
We wonder if Pastor/Life Coach Sonksen has heard the news that this approach to church has been proven to be completely impotent at making disciples of Jesus Christ?
We wonder if he has the moral character to admit that he's been doing the wrong thing and repent? We wonder if he will stop preaching pop-psych and self-help. We wonder if he will stop pointing people to themselves and will instead point the people in his church to our one true hero, Jesus Christ?
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1Cor. 2:1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Revolution Church in Canton & Jasper, GA is doing an entire sermon series with a poker / gambling theme entitled "All In". (This is NOT a series that warns of the dangers of sin or gambling. This is a series that EMBRACES poker and gambling metaphors. )
This is wrong on so many levels. But, let's look at three reasons why this is wrong.
1) Taking a look at the "SURFACE" of the series we see an obvious mixing of the sacred and the secular at Revolution CHURCH. If there were ever a "pagan capital of worldlines, Las Vegas would be it. It's called "Sin City" for a reason. Therefore, bringing Las Vegas, poker and gambling into a CHURCH is a clear violation of God's Word.
James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, and the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.James 4:4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
2) Last time we checked there are still a lot of Christians who believe that gambling is a sin. Gambling is also an addiction that many Christians struggle with. So bringing Las Vegas, poker and gambling into CHURCH is a clear violation of Romans 14:21 which says, "It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble."
3) If you listen to the sermon you'll find that Pastor Lamb delivered a non-Biblical message that taught the value of being a risk taker. Pastor Lamb was also very crass and used foul language during his sermon. Jesus was barely mentioned (but Pastor Lamb sure did talk about himself...A LOT) and the thrust of his message made it sound like it is a sin to NOT BE a reckless risk taker. There was no mention of sin, Christ Crucified for sinners, repentance or the gospel. Fact is, that sermon could have been presented at a business conference, in a group therapy session or a Tony Robbins Infomercial and it would not have sounded out of place. There was nothing Christian about that sermon. It was about as ChristLESS, CrossLESS and man-centered as you could get. Click Here to Listen.
Pastor Gary Lamb and his staff need to stop playing games with church.
HT: Old Truth
Second Baptist Church in Houston, Texas has ten books they are going to be preaching about during the next ten weeks and NOT ONE of them is a book of the Bible.
The sermon series is called "Business by the Book" and they promise that it will change the way you do business.
Apparently, this sermon series is primarily for business executives. If you're a stay at home mom, a teenager, college student, retiree, missionary, or a member of the working poor then you should probably just avoid Second Baptist for the next ten weeks cause they ain't got nothing for you. (even though they are claiming that the principles they will be teaching are useful for everyone).
Christian pastors have a Biblical duty to preach THE BOOK not business books. That's the thing about God's Word, when you preach from it the message applies to everyone. But, when you preach from Business Books then you limit who the message is for.
But, we would like to know if those who attend these sermons can get credit towards their MBAs?
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1Cor. 2:1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
We'd like to thank Jesus for dying on the cross in order to show us how to deal with difficult people.
We are also thankful to the Holy Spirit for inspiring the "Epistle of Dr. Phil" and the "Epistle of Oprah" so that God's People can learn 'Proven Methods' for dealing with difficult people.
And we'd like to thank South Hills church in Corona, California for preaching another sermon series that is practical and relevant and does away the offense of Christ Crucified for sinners.
Those old-school pastors who believe that it is their Biblical duty to make disciples through in-depth, Christ-Centered, preaching and teaching of God's word need to wake up and get with the NEW program.
Today's Unchurched people don't want God's Word and doctrine. They don't think there is anything relevant about a bloody jewish guy hanging dead on a Roman Cross. The unchurched want practical information that they can put into practice today that will make their lives easier and more satisfying. We should give them what they want. Shouldn't we?
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Okay so here's the deal. All these 'relevant' pastors love to blog about how innovative they are, how authentic they are and how important it is to 'think outside of the church box' yada yada yada. But then these VERY same pastors turn around and TOTALLY copy each other. They preach the exact same biblically watered down sermons because they've downloaded them from the exact same websites. They all use the EXACT same sermon series artwork because they BOUGHT IT on-line. They use the EXACT same sermon titles and they even put up the exact same websites.
What is sooooo relevant, authentic and innovative about this? How much innovation, thought and creativity does it take to preach a sermon written by Granger, Saddleback or Willowcreek? Rather than calling this innovation we think it should be called UNnovation.
Here is a PRIME example of UNnovation. Crosspoint church, run by Pastor Dave Anderson, who we've featured in our museum here and here. Is doing a sermon series called "Pure Sex". We've reproduced the artwork for his sermons series below.
Notice anything familiar about this photograph. Hmmmmm....wait a minute that is the EXACT same graphic that Granger used, that Cornerstone Church in Chandler, AZ and countless other 'seeker-sensitive' 'informercial gospel' type churches have used. Crosspoint has even put up the EXACT same website these other churches have used. You can find it at MyBestSexLife.com.
Why is Pastor Anderson's sermon artwork EXACTLY the same as these other church's?? Because Pastor Anderson PURCHASED the entire sermon series from THIS website.
Ironically, we've heard Pastor Dave Anderson brag that Crosspoint ISN'T like other churches. Ummm.... based on this information, it sounds like he is stretching the facts a bit because his sermons are identical to hundreds if not thousands of churches across the country.
These 'relevant' pastors arean't about innovation, authenticity and creativity. They claim that they are brave, edgy risk-takers that are willing to talk about the 'taboo' subjects that 'no other pastors' are willing to discuss. That's a bunch of squirrel dung!
Look at this news story about the brave, provocative and edgy Pastor Anderson.
There is nothing innovative, authentic, brave or edgy about purchasing 'Sermons in a Box'.
Cole Philips, the Rick Warren wanna-be who 'pastors' The Connection Church' in Kyle, Texas just finished his sermon series on this summer's hit movies and is launching into yet another self-help, zero doctrine sermon series. This time his series will give his church members tips on how to make the most of life at work. The sermon series even has an edgy subtitle, "Work doesn't have to suck."
We weren't aware that Jesus was a Career Guidance Counselor. But, rumor has it that Cole will be preaching from that little known book of the Bible, "The Gospel According to Dwight".
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We thought we'd put together a pop-quiz. Hopefully it won't be too hard because each question is multiple choice. To make the quiz a little easier we've also provided links for all of the answers so that you can get more information before you make your decision. Are you ready? Here we go.
Question 1
This is a painting depicting the crucifixion of the the Apostle Peter (click on the image to enlarge it). Church history tells us that he was martyred by the Emperor Nero in Rome. However, Peter didn't feel worthy enough to experience the same death as our Lord and savior Jesus Christ so he was crucified upside down. It took several days for him to die.
Why was the Apostle Peter martyred?
A. Because he was caught preaching a sermon series on How to Have the Greatest Sex Ever?
B. Because he was teaching people how to love themselves?
C. Because he proclaimed forgiveness of sins and salvation alone through Jesus Christ?
(The correct answer is C. If you thought it was A or B, then you need to read your Bible more)
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Question 2
The statue to the right depicts the beheading of the Apostle Paul (click on the image to enlarge it). He was also murdered by the Emperor Nero. Because he was a Roman citizen, Paul's death was 'easier' than Peter's. Paul was beheaded.
Why was the Apostle Paul martyred?
A. He stubbornly preached 'Christ Crucified for Sinners'. A message that is a stumbling block for Jews and foolishness for Greeks.
B. He was caught teaching people "How to Become a Better You" and was overheard sharing the 7 keys for improving your life everyday.
(The Answer is A. If you chose B then you are probably attending a heretical church)
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Question 3
Watch the video posted below. It is one of the deleted scenes from the movie Gladiator. It depicts Christians being fed to the lions in the coliseum. After viewing the video answer the question below.
Why were these Christians put to death in the Coliseum?
A. Because they were teaching that God wants people to be rich and prosperous.
B. Because they were teaching the 10 Commandments of Health and Wellness.
C. Because they trusted in Christ for their salvation and the forgiveness of their sins.
(The correct answer is C. If you got this one wrong please send us an email and we will pray for you.)
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Question 4 - (This is the toughest one. Be sure to read all the options before you answer.)
This picture depicts a poverty stricken African child infected with the AIDS virus. He will be dead within the year.
Which message do you think he needs to hear the most?
A. Learn How to Have a Dream Family
B. The Gospel According to the Beatles.
C. How to discover his life's purpose.
D. How to Live Your Best Life Now
E. Overcoming Dysfunctional Relationships
G. That Jesus Christ died on the cross to atone for his sins and that he needs to repent and believe the gospel.
(The correct answer is G. If you got this one wrong then we REALLY need to talk. Have your Christian friends contact us and we'll schedule an intervention for you.)
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Have you noticed that none of the popular American sermon themes seem appropriate in these contexts. There is a reason for that. The reason is because too many pastors are not preaching sound doctrine. Instead, they are preaching messages that tickle the ears of the unsaved in order to attract a crowd.
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If you've found this quiz to be eye-opening or convicting would you please email the link to the quiz to your Christian friends and family?
The link is http://www.alittleleaven.com/2007/08/time-for-a-pop-.html
Another church has sadly sold out to the demon god of relevance.
This time it is Oak Hills Church in Eagan Minnesota. Their upcoming sermon series is entitled The Gospel According to the Police.
Please note: The Police are not a Christian Band. Their lyrics are not on par with the scriptures and their 'gospel' (if it could even be called that) is a different gospel than the gospel of Jesus Christ. But who's going to let these pesky little details get in the way of a 'culturally engaging' sermon series designed to help grow a church?
Obviously, not Oak Hills. Here is what their site says about the series:
Each week we'll explore the music of the band "The Police" and the questions they raise about life. Sermon/song titles include:"Hole in My Life": Everyone has to make the decision to follow Christ and stay on the path to full devotion
"Spirits in a Material World": We have to plug-in to God and others at our weekend services.
"So Lonely": We have to charge-up to become like Christ in small group gatherings.
"Driven to Tears": We have to live-out our faith by serving at Oak Hills or in our community.
"Message in a Bottle": Live a missional life.
Well this would be just fine and dandy IF the church was called to explore the questions of life raised by secular rock bands. But its NOT. Instead, the church is called to preach the word of God, preach Christ and Him crucified for sinners and teach that which is in accord with sound doctrine.
The astute and discerning Christian will also notice that the first sermon title also demonstrates that Oak Hills appears to adhere to semi-pelagianisn. That's exactly the type of bad doctrine that will land people in hell.
The people of Eagan, Minnesota may want to steer clear of this church no matter how 'culturally engaging' this church may appear to be.
Pastor David Foster of The Gathering in Nashville, TN has compiled what we think to be the most me-centered and superficial test for evaluating a church that we've ever seen. Notice that in this list of 16 things Pastor Foster would look for in a church he never once mentions sound doctrine, Christ-Centered preaching or anything of Biblical substance. Here is Pastor Foster's list with our commentary in parentheses:
If I were looking for a church to attend in the morning, here is what I’d look for:1. When I enter do I hear laughter?
(What about reverence? Why should we prefer laughter over reverence?)2. Are people greeting me as a job or a joy?
(Come on'. When was the last time a church greeter gave you the same type of service you get at a post-office? If this is sooooo important to you, maybe you should fill out a Zagat survey after church and rate their customer service.)3. Does the place look like they were expecting me?
(What does this look like? Should the church set up VIP box seats for me and my entourage?)4. Are people buzzing as they greet each other?
(We call this the bee hive test and we have no clue what it means.)5. Is there spirited music playing as people gather?
(What does this mean? Should we be listening for Lynard Skynard music?6. Does the music move me?
(How me-centered and vain can you get?? So I'm supposed to show up at a church unannounced, expect to be given the VIP treatment and demand that the music move ME. What if I am only "moved" by opera music? Should I let the church know that I won't be back until they change the music to suit my 'moving' needs?" Here's a better question, "Does the music exalt Christ and what He accomplished for us on the cross or does it exalt me?"7. Do the people on stage look real and engaged?
(We'll I guess this test rules out every church that doesn't have a stage. Furthermore, we are now supposed to think and act like Simon Cowell from American Idol. Maybe we can provide the church with post-performance feedback like, "Sorry this performance didn't do it for me. Your wardrobe was attrocious, your vocals we're pitchy and you seemed a bit nervous. I didn't feel like you we're being real and engaged. I'll be finding a different church to attend next week."8. Are the announcements short, strategic, and to the point?
(We wouldn't want to have a single precious minute wasted having to hear about the church picnic now would we?)9. Is there a printed outline with Scripture already printed on it?
(Ah yes. Expecting people to bring their own Bibles, flip pages, follow along and take their own notes is now a sure and certain sign that a church doesn't care about people.)10. Does the pastor smile?
(Joel Osteen smiles a lot and he teaches false doctrine.)11. Does the message title promise a relevant topic I am interested in?
(God has His own agenda and things He wants me to know and learn from Scripture. These are messages I need to hear whether I want to hear them or not. Going to church with the expectation that I'm going to hear a message that is relevant "to me" brushes God's truth aside and turns me into my own god.)12. Does the pastor speak with humility and authority?
(Who cares? There are FAR more important questions that need to be answered. Questions like...Does he speak the truth? Does he rightly handle the word of God? Does he teach what is in accord with sound doctrine? Are his sermons Christ-Centered and Cross-Focused?)13. Do I feel the presence of God?
(What does this feel like? Is it goose bumps or a liver shiver? This is pure subjectivity! How on earth does this question tell us anything?! "Sorry I can't stay at this church because I didn't get goose bumps during the sermon.")14. Are people listening and engaged?
(The members of Jim Jone's church listened and were engaged and look what happened to them. This question tells us nothing.)15. Is the service no more than 71 minutes?
(Me. Me. Me. It's all about ME. "I don't want to have to spend more than 71 minutes in church cause I get bored. Plus I've got precious me time scheduled for Sunday afternoon. So hurry it up Pastor!")16. Does it pass by fast?
(See our commentary for question 15.)
This list clearly demonstrates the extent to which the me-centered, narcissistic, entertainment hungry American church has fallen. How ironic is it that a PASTOR is the one who compiled this list of questions? Aren't pastors supposed to feed us the word of God and condemn our sinful vanities and deeds and preach the transforming message of the Gospel; the message that transforms us from self-centered sinners into 'Christ-Like' children of God?
Anyone who is evaluating a church based on these criteria needs to repent of their me-centered sinful thoughts and deeds an come humbly before God and beg for his forgiveness for ever buying into such wickedness!
Victory Family Church in Decatur, Texas has a new billboard campaign that features the Prince of Darkness saying, "I hate Victory Family Church".
After recovering from the obvious repugnance of using Lucifer to promote your church, even if it is 'reverse psychology', we decided to peruse their website to see if the offense of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified for Sinners was the front and center message that this church is proclaiming. Why? Because we know from scripture that the message of the cross is the the one that REALLY burns the Devil.
Let's see how offensive Victory Family Church would be to demonic forces.
The Good
• Their building has a cross on it. That is a good start. But, remember the devil is always in the details. We need to ask some very important questions.
What are they teaching about the cross?What do they say that Christ accomplished on it?
Are they even preaching about the cross at all? After all it is one thing to have a cross on your building it is another to actually preach about it.
• They have an orthodox statement of faith. This is also good. But, are they preaching the doctrine they've posted or is that document collecting dust because of dis-use? It is one thing to have a sound doctrinal statement it is another to preach and teach those doctrines.
The Bad
• Red Flag - The church's slogan is 'Putting Victory in Your Family'. Hmmmm...this is not a Biblical theme.
• Major Red Flag - The church has a NEW vision statement prominently featured on their home page. It says some very disturbing things:
1. God designed a plan of victorious living for each Christian. It is our mission to help you find God's perfect plan.2. At Victory, we believe in helping you achieve a dream family.
3. God intended for believers to have a place where they could fellowship and learn to overcome life's challenges. Christians aren't supposed to live a defeated, miserable life! God has so much more in store for you.
Woah! Victory's vision statement contradicts the Biblical 'vision statement' laid out by the founder of the Church, Jesus Christ.
Jesus told the church to go and make disciples. Victory Church is making 'dream families'.
Scripture tells Pastors to Preach the Word. Victory's Pastor teaches people how to 'overcome life's challenges'.
Scripture says that Christians will be persecuted. Victory says that 'Christians aren't supposed to live a defeated, miserable life.'
The UGLY
Scripture says to preach Christ and Him Crucified. Victory preaches man-centered sermons. Here is the list of the last few published sermons from Victory Family Church.
"Living On Purpose"
"The Power to Get Wealth Part 4"
"The Power to Get Wealth Part 3"
"The Power to Get Wealth Part 2"
"The Power to Get Wealth Part 1"
"The Authority of the Believer"
Conclusion
Victory Family Church has wandered off into Seeker-Sensitive La-La Land. They don't preach and teach sound doctrine, or Jesus Christ Crucified for Sinners. They exist to make 'dream families' instead of disciples grounded in the words of scripture and sound doctrine. They preach about man instead of Christ.
Victory Family Church should be sued for false advertising!
Satan doesn't hate their church. He loves it!
Did Jesus die on the cross to 'save' us from global warming? According to Emergent leader and neo-liberal Brian McClaren apparently he did.
Last week McLaren spoke at a homiletics festival in Tennessee (homiletics is the art of preaching) and McLaren had much to say about what topics pastors should and shouldn't be preaching about. In McLaren's view, sermons about doctrine, sin, and salvation through Jesus alone create factions and should be replaced with messages about global issues.
Here is how one paper covered the story.
Brian McLaren, an author and Christian activist who spoke Thursday, said many television and radio evangelists had delivered to their listeners the kind of fear-mongering and finger-pointing messages that promote factionalism.In his lecture at First Baptist Church, McLaren proposed that preaching should remedy, rather than incite, controversial issues.
These include poverty and climate change, and he encouraged his audience not to shy away from such global issues.
"We can't really afford to waste too many Sundays with so much at stake," he said.
"If instead we play it safe, in a true sense we have switched sides from being part of the solution to being part of the problem."(Online Source)
Did you catch the part about wasting Sundays? Since when is preaching on a Biblical passage or Christian doctrine, or proclaiming the death and resurrection of Jesus for sinners a 'wasted Sunday'?
What problem does McLaren think that Jesus was solving while suffering on the cross? Since there weren't any epistles written by Ralph Nader or Al Gore we can say with confidence that Jesus' death wasn't about climate change. Therefore, that is not what our sermons should be about . Instead, the Bible tells us that the Church of Jesus Christ is supposed to preach a message of repentance from sins and belief in the gospel.
Luke 24:46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.
According to the Bible, what is at stake is salvation from the eternal judgment and wrath of God.
The message that Jesus gave us to preach is more urgent, more pressing and more important than the highly dubious issue of man-made global climate change. And there is the rub. Mclaren doesn't believe the Bible is God's word nor does he believe its exclusive claims and message.
The news report was right in describing McLaren as an activist. But, his denial of the substitionary attonement, the innerancy of scripture, and his denial of hell all disqualify him from being called a 'Christian' Activist.
Pop Quiz
It is Easter Sunday and you are at church. What do you think your pastor is going to preach about?
A. Jesus Death on the Cross for our sins.
B. Jesus’ victorious resurrection from the grave.
C. Both A and B
D. Dysfunctional Relationships
Yep! Easter Sunday at South Hills Church was the day that Pastor Chris Sonksen decided to begin a new sermon series on ‘Dysfunctional Relationships’.
Apparently, Jesus’ resurrection wasn’t an important enough topic to bump Pastor Chris’ new sermon series back a week. Nope ‘Dysfunctional Relationships’ are much more important than our Lord’s resurrection from the grave. (The sermon graphic from their website is posted below)
We wonder what his Christmas sermon will be about. Maybe Pastor Chris could preach about balancing your check book, or how to pay off your credit cards, or how to lose weight after the holidays. Based on his Easter Sermon the last thing we would expect him to preach about is the birth of our Lord.
Apparently preaching from the Bible and faithfully delivering God's message and doctrines is sooooo boring and passe that we need to supplement it with 'other' more 'relevant' things like the latest themes coming out of Hollywood.
Apparently, that is the case at Southhills Church of Corona, California. Their proudly Purpose-Driven Pastor made the decision to preach an entire series on “The Pursuit of Happyness”. He even plagiarized the movie’s artwork for this sermon series.
Since when are Christian Churches called to preach about the “Pursuit of Happyness”. Did Jesus die on the cross so that we could be successful and happy? Were the Apostles and early Christians martyred because they were telling people how to get what they want out of life?
I guess this is the type of message you should expect from a "church" whose slogan is “Elevate Your Life”.
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