The Church vs The Great Commission

[SpiritLedEd]

In our local newspaper this morning I read an Associated Press dispatch that has me upset. It seems that the producers of The Jerry Springer Show (quite possibly American TV's bawdyest talk show) are in negotiations to move the show from Chicago, Illinois to a theater in Stamford, Connecticut - a suburb of New York City. The new venue would be next door to one of New England's oldest and largest churches.Is that church excited about the outreach opportunty that God may be planting right next to them? NO! To the contrary, that pastor is planning to consult with the church's attorneys about ways to stop the move instead of planning ways to reach out to the Jerry Springer fans who will flock to the doors of that theater.

How can institutional congregations claim to be preaching the gospel while trying to put their heads in the sand when God puts opportunities like this right under their noses? Leaders of these congregations bemoan their membership decline, yet refuse to look at the reasons for it.Young Christians (Baby Boomers and younger) are looking for meaning and purpose in their spiritual lives and they are leaving the institutional church in search of it. Eleven o'clock sharp to twelve o'clock dull is not acceptable to them. They know there is more out there and they're hungry for it.

I dislike being a prophet of doom, but, I firmly believe that God's wrath will fall upon these congregations if they don't wake up and start effective, Holy Spirit led outreaches to draw people to Jesus.

Spirit Led Ed (SLE)

P.S. I posted this here because Chad has a great thread started in the Churches & Sermons forum that people need to pay attention to.

Ed

 

[Boanerges]

Just my opinion my friend but I wouldn't cast my pearls before the swine either. That show is famous for one thing and one thing only and that is the humiliation and degradation of everyone possible.

 

[SpiritLedEd]

Just my opinion my friend but I wouldn't cast my pearls before the swine either. That show is famous for one thing and one thing only and that is the humiliation and degradation of everyone possible.

How do you know those people are all hopelessly lost? How do you know they're beyond redemption? How do you know they're all closed off to the gospel, that they all will refuse to receive it?

I don't think Jesus meant the verse you referenced (Mt 7:6) to be applied that broadly. I believe He intended it to be applied individually or to small groups of people you might encounter in outreach and are able to discern at that time that they won't heed the message.

SLE