Monday, October 5, 2009

Emerging Church

I had an interesting experience the past few days. I made contact with an evangelistic/church planting denomination. They ran an ad for a church planter in my area. Well, I was interested as I am planting a church (Calvary Chapel) and was curious as to their method, perspective etc. I wasn't necessarily looking to jump on their bandwagon, but I thought that dialog might be beneficial and fellowship may be available.

We exchanged e mail and initially liked what I saw. They seemed to have a real sense of direction in the way they go about doing what they do. I, being the curious one, tracked down each and every link that was available and found out that they embrace the 'emerging church' method and perspective. Here is a good explanation of what the 'emerging/emergent church' is:

'The emerging, or emergent, church movement takes its name from the idea that as culture changes, a new church should emerge in response. In this case, it is a response by various church leaders to the current era of post-modernism. Although post-modernism began in the 1950s, the church didn't really seek to conform to its tenets until the 1990s. Post-modernism can be thought of as a dissolution of "cold, hard fact" in favor of "warm, fuzzy subjectivity." The emerging / emergent church movement can be thought of the same way.

The emerging / emergent church movement falls into line with basic post-modernist thinking—it is about experience over reason, subjectivity over objectivity, spirituality over religion, images over words, outward over inward, feelings over truth. These are reactions to modernism and are thought to be necessary in order to actively engage contemporary culture. This movement is still fairly new, though, so there is not yet a standard method of "doing" church amongst the groups choosing to take a post-modern mindset. In fact, the emerging church rejects any standard methodology for doing anything. Therefore, there is a huge range of how far groups take a post-modernist approach to Christianity. Some groups go only a little way in order to impact their community for Christ, and remain biblically sound. Most groups, however, embrace post-modernist thinking, which eventually leads to a very liberal, loose translation of the Bible. This, in turn, lends to liberal doctrine and theology.

For example, because experience is valued more highly than reason, truth becomes relative. Relativism opens up all kinds of problems, as it destroys the standard that the Bible contains absolute truth, negating the belief that biblical truth can be absolute. If the Bible is not our source for absolute truth, and personal experience is allowed to define and interpret what truth actually is, a saving faith in Jesus Christ is rendered meaningless.

Another area where the emerging / emergent church movement has become anti-biblical is its focus on ecumenism. Unity among people coming from different religious and ethnic backgrounds and diversity in the expression of corporate worship are a strong focus of the emergent church movement. Being ecumenical means that compromise is taking place, and this results in a watering down of Scripture in favor of not offending an apostate. This is in direct opposition to passages such as Revelation 2:14-17, Jesus' letter to the church of Pergamum, in which the Church is warned against tolerating those who teach false doctrine.

False doctrine seems to abound within the emerging / emergent church movement, though, as stated previously, not within every group espousing emerging / emergent church beliefs. Because of this, care must be taken when deciding whether or not to become involved with an emergent church group. We all need to take heed of Matthew 7:15-20, "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."

While seeking new ways to witness to a changing culture is admirable, utilizing ways which compromise the Truth of the Gospel in any way is nothing more than promoting false doctrine and leading others away from Christ instead of to Him.' www.gotquestions.org

As I shared my concerns about the emerging church and its means not justifying the ends, the response was that what really mattered was transformed lives, not doctrine. However, there will not be transformation without the Truth. It is the Truth that sets us free.

To learn more about the emerging church go to http://www.apologeticsindex.org/290-emerging-church I recommend reading and checking to see if even your church may be embracing the emerging church. Truth matters, folks.

Recommended reading: The Truth War: Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception
by John MacArthur

2 comments:

  1. I appreciate your definition of the emergent or emerging church...and I do believe that one has to be careful and be sure that what is being taught lines up with the gospel ..I do not know why man has to come with ways to reinvent the church...as we are the church..and if we would just follow the commandment to love the Lord our God with all our heart ,soul , and mind and love our neighbor as ourself ..to me we would would have a "church" that would BE.. A LIVING WAY.

    Man seems to mess things up in the name of God and reinvents God to fit his agenda and fails ..thinking if God "spoke or illumed " him that what he has been shown is biblically correct...or gospelly right and sets out to lead others as he has became "god" in his own image --of course he would deny...but the fruits of his labor has shown countless wounded warriors in the name of God ...and for that I feel our God weeps...as Mans ways are never God's and God's mans...
    Jesus has not emerged ...He has never changed nor will He ...He is the gospel ..the truth ..and love.. I just don't understand why people who call themselves "christian" think they have to change things...the only change we need to have is within our hearts and relationship with
    Father God or allow Him to change us by humbling ourselves in His presence ....I honestly think God is capable of making the church what He wants ...He is preparing His Bride without spot or wrinkle for the marriage with His Son...it is NOT our doing...our only doing is obedience to Him in retrospeck to our lives..Instead of the emergent church maybe it should be the transformation of God's people becoming obedient to the Word of God walking in love..laying down ones life for others..walking and displaying the fruits of the Spirit...being what we were or have already been called to be ..Followers of Jesus...and that is not a new religion or belief....

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  2. I think it is fair to describe the emerging church as a movement for it transcends across denominations. The UK has for some time had Fresh Expressions of Church. This can be described as emerging but the theological discourses do meet the criteria of good apologetic theology. Like every other movement within the Church as a whole are people who can be described as wooly as well as those who are sound Christian theologians. Wider western society has certainly moved in to a post modern period and with it has come a greater desire for something more than the simple words of rationalism from the impact of the Enlightenment upon how Christians did church and a desire to communicate in a wider range of ways. The question is how do we as Christians respond to share our love of Christ and the good news of His gospel with a hurting, lost and dying world.

    Cold reason does not communicate with those on the margins. It has never allowed them to be heard because so often it is they who have lacked words. Churches have become places where many feel they have to wear a mask because they follow Christ they have no worries concerns or fears and this can truly harm their walk with Christ. Rationalism removed from people the ability to be as David and pour out their hearts to a God who could would and did hear. Reason and rationalism have been valued over experience for so many years it is not too surprising that the balance has once again slipped the other way. A good balance between the two is incredibly difficult for any human to achieve even with Christ's grace.Ecumenical is not the same as interfaith in the UK. Here ecumenical means the bringing together of the different denominations of Christs body in worship.

    IF I can communicate the good news of Christ using a method of communication that makes sense to another person then I shall do so for the good news of Christ matters so much I have to be prepared to move from my own preferences to try and see another's and communicate with them for the sake of that same gospel. For His sake I will be a fool.
    False teaching and doctrine is insidious, there is not a single church in the whole of this world that has not some of this somewhere within its corpus.
    Each emergent group as with each church fellowship needs to remain aware of this and be willing to ask questions of what it is teaching and why.

    Caitlin.

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