Seeker Friendly Religion?
The “seeker sensitive” movement is one that is very controversial in our present time. It is the idea that the church should appeal to seeking unbelievers, and meet their felt needs. The question is whether or not this “seeker friendly” idea is biblical, and should church pastors lead in this way. According to the Bible, which should be the ultimate authority for all church leaders, it is completely unbiblical. It could be said that it is unethical, from a biblical perspective, for a pastor to lead in “seeker friendly” manor. They absolutely must get real with their audience, and reveal the critical truths of the Bible. The fact is that this movement is one that must be crushed by the truth that can only be found in the Word of God. There are two main reasons that this seemingly good idea is only a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
The first reason that it would be unethical for preachers to be “seeker sensitive” in their leader ship and preaching is that it goes against what the Bible says about unbelievers. This whole idea rests on the assumption that faithless unbelievers are actually seeking God. The Bible makes it very clear that “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one” (Romans 3:10-12). Without going into the even more controversial subject of predestination you must agree that in man’s natural sinful state he cannot seek after God. God must first reveal Himself to man. What lost people are seeking is not God. It is peace of mind, relief from guilt, and a deeper meaning to their lives. They seek the benefits of God, while at the same time they flee from Him by seeking for their own selfish gain. Therefore, if preachers only speak messages that attract large crowds, and meet the felt needs of the lost, then they are delivering a false sense of security. They are not bringing people to a true knowledge of the gospel. They are ultimately leading them away from salvation in Christ by blinding them with dazzling music displays and emotion filled messages.
The church does not need to be taught doctrines that have been modified to meet their own personal needs.
N.T. Wright: During my first semester at Northwestern College, I was assigned the book, “The Challenge of Jesus” by N.T. Wright for one of my Biblical Studies courses. This book and every other book Tom Wright has written has dramatically impacted my Christian faith. Dr. Wright has not only defended the basic tenants of the Christian faith, but also has shown how an academically-minded pastor ought to love and care for his or her congregants. N.T. Wright was previously the Bishop of Durham and pastored some of the poorest in the United Kingdom. His pastoral ministry has helped shape his understanding of God’s kingdom-vision which he is diagramming within his magnum opus “Christian Origins and the Question of God”. This series has instructed myself and countless other pastors to be for God’s kingdom as we eagerly await Christ’s return. Additionally, I have had the privilege of meeting with N.T. Wright one-on-one on numerous occasions to discuss faith, the Church, and his research. I firmly believe Tom Wright is the greatest New Testament scholar of our generation and he is the primary reason why I feel called into ministry.
The thesis of the book Deep and Wide by Adam Stanley is simply put as making a church that the unchurched can’t resist to attend. This book may cause controversy in some Christian circles by leaving a traditional church view of the church’s purpose being for the churched, however, in this paradigm shift Stanley presents that the church’s purpose should be to reach the unchurched in order for people to receive the Gospel that would never step foot into a traditional church. Stanley has shown results with this mission and method by North Point Churches growth from its start with him as a church planter and senior pastor. Deep and Wide challenges the pastor to refocus and seriously convict them
Many Christians exemplify a false picture about spiritual leaders. Preachers are human. They have feelings and hurt as others. They struggle with fleshy issues too. Many have confrontations that cause the church members to split, and families as well as leaders hold grudges and become angry among one another. However, Ephesians 4:26 tells us as believers, "In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." Settle your dispute before the day ends because tomorrow not promised to no man.
“Reaching Out without Dumbing Down” seems to be constructed for the church leader, elder, or pastor who is considering altering their current, historic worship style for a more modern one that may attract greater numbers of unsaved people. She provides excellent standards to help Pastors and Worship Leaders plan, execute, and evaluate worship services. These same standards provide a great opportunity to educate the church family on the reasons behind the use of certain worship elements. Although written for church leadership, the everyday church member would also benefit from understanding the very concepts that Dawn is directing at God-empowered leaders.
United Methodists are not supposed to contradict the church's doctrinal standards, but can "go beyond and expand
The world consists of so many different types of religions, and every religion has its own objectives, their own path, and their own different beliefs. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are the three most prominent religions in the western civilization. From their origins to life rituals, they have a great amount of similarities and differences between these three prominent religions.
There are five major religions in the world and in one way or another, they are similar to each other. I turned ALL five religions into a Mural to show unity and peace. All religions are different, but they are similar in one way or another. For instance, all religions have a Holy Book. For Buddhism it’s Tripitaka, and for Hinduism, it’s the Holy Vedas. For Christianity, it’s the Holy Bible and for Judaism it Torah. Last but not least, for Islam it’s Ouran. The religions of Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all have Holy Books and God name in Common.
Religion is big part of human life. Every area of the world has some kind of religion or belief system. Religion is defined as “a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices” (“Religion” Def.2). With such a large amount of religions today, religion is widely variegated, usually with divisions in each one. Despite the large amount of religions, I will only be covering only three religions: Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism.
It blows my mind when some ministers fail to teach the word of God; I think we need a revival
A preacher lives with his work 24 hours-a-day, 365 days a year. When your boss is omnipresent and your clientele includes everyone on earth, there just isn't a time when a pastor is not "on call." Pastors, at least the Biblically-based ones, live by faith. When the Lord leads, they follow and it may not always make sense. You may be giving things away, taking people in, going places you didn't think you'd be going, etc.
Since the beginning of recorded history, there were individuals who lead people in many different types of ways. Some lead people in the aspects of dictatorship, while others did it in other fashions. In many forms and ways it had been done, people had guidance in their live that would teach, enlighten, inspire and aid. A Pastor/Bishop can do all these things and more for the people who he/she guides. Through the year’s preacher and sermon givers have talked to people with no payment in return.
Spiritualism is the system of religious beliefs centered on the presumption that communication with the dead, or spirits, is possible (Grolier '97). Spiritualism challenged dominant cultural beliefs of the 19th century (Paul) and is still in practice today.
The biblical audience aspired to be Pharisees and prominent members within the government and the church. They wanted to be noticed for their accomplishments and thus build their self-esteem through earthly acknowledgements. Contemporary Christians are seen repeating the same errors as our early brothers in Christ. The race for promotions, recognition and advancements whether private, public, career-oriented or church related consume us. The same tendencies manifest themselves, regardless of time and place, we are all still human and we like people to pat us on the back. Furthermore, the ability to give these stresses of life to Christ and allow him to lead us through his plan for us is an everyday
The shepherd and sheep relationship is the best illustration for the relationship between pastor and parishioners. When Jesus asked Simon Peter does he love him three times and said to him “Feed my sheep”, the shepherd and flock relationship has been set. Since Jesus is our good shepherd (Jn. 10:11a), he laid out a good example for us to follow - to lay down his life for the sheep. (Jn. 10:11b) Thus, the wellness of both in and out of the parishioners should always be the concern in the pastors’ hearts. Soul care for the people is essential. Christian friendship is the foundation of Christian soul care. Pastoral ministry including preaching, teaching, and worship forms the broad context of pastoral counseling. Pastoral care is within pastoral ministry but broader than pastoral counseling. God’s love is the source and motivation. Within the pastoral care, there are spiritual direction and pastoral