Here in this AM Mailbag we give a voice to readers in order to open up a chance for others to see some of the things the Lord is doing through Apprising Ministries. It is a blessing to be here to serve the Body of Christ and this letter comes from someone I have actually known for a while. We did go over strategy we prayed over that might have helped the pastor and leaders at his former local church to see through the seekr sensitive smokescreen. Sadly, it didn’t go well and he was left with no other choice than to leave.

Because let me share with you something I have learned over this past year from speaking with people all over the country. What we find with these seeker sensitive Purpose Driven churches is just the same as what we find in the tolerant Emergent churches, when one has a difference of opinion with them over the Bible, well, it turns out they really aren’t so tolerant and not so seeker sensitive after all:

Man oh man where do I start? It’s been so long it seems. God has truly drawn me towards Himself – even at the cost of relationships and “peace” amongst fellow believers. I’ve found that when I take a stand for Christ, for the true gospel (repentance, regeneration, sin, depravity, knowledge of Hell, etc) I am opposed.

Ironic, eh? I know you’re not surprised ;) When I decide to stand up and say that Christ is not glorified or exemplified in the church I am opposed. When I read through the Bible about Hell or God’s wrath – and say that these things are not taught at the church, I am opposed. When I make the notion that the relegation of deep Biblical teaching to small groups is not Biblical at all, I am opposed. Yes, ironic…

My friend and brother in Christ, I am tired. I pray for you and I covet your prayers as well. My wife and I have left our church – not out of joy to do so but out of the fact that our pastor is such as very wise man theologically speaking, but feels compelled by personal reasons and conviction to hold back and not preach the full truth that I know he knows (I have met one on one with him a few times).

I think above this all is the deceptive foundations laid by Purpose-Driven and seeker-friendly methodologies that are still there even though the church denies being associated with either group. At one point we hear from members of that church that are still there that he has apologized for the church being so modeled after the Willows and the Saddlebacks of the world, but on the other hand church leadership is reluctant to go so far as to say that those methods are unbiblical – thus leaving people confused and wondering where the church’s allegiance is to.

Truly, I pray for that man as he seems very swayed by the wind – by the whims and desire of the people rather than firmly grounded in the Word of God. I’ve met with him one on one and realize I can’t change that – I must rely upon God to do so. However, my wife and I can’t continue to be part of a church that is infected with so much deception and confusion. It’s truly tough though to leave and I’d be lying if I didn’t say that there is a level of guilt on my part for leaving.

Most of that probably comes from members of the church whom I’ve met with that have made me feel like I’m in the wrong for leaving. I don’t know what else to do. Your post on Slice this morning using Matthew 5:11-12 is very encouraging. I praise God that in the wake of our leaving and with the influence that I know I’ve had upon the pastor that things are appearing to change. What I pray for is for the entire foundation to be taken out from under them so that all they have to stand on is the Word of God.

When I think back to our former church – and my wife and I were talking about this yesterday – I think of how many real believers have entered that church only to have their faith shipwrecked, dumbed down and dulled – all for the sake of unity amongst a watered-down system of pseudo-theology that everyone agrees upon.

I believe I share with you a strong desire to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. Most believers in churches like these (and worse ones) don’t even know that there is anything to contend for. All I see are two roads – one which is unbiblical, worldly and full of compromise and falseness. The other one – is Biblical and hard to follow. And all I know to do is run as hard as I can down the Biblical one. That’s all I know to do. I know Jesus commanded me to do so in Matthew chapter 7.

Paul Washer’s youth sermon (and many of his other messages on the true Gospel) have drawn me back to God and His Word, and contending for the faith. Oh how I praise God for preachers such as yourself and Washer who care more for God and His Truth than the world. Washer’s exhortation of Matthew 7 and Christ’s command for us to actually test and analyze the fruits of teachers and preachers – I am left with nothing less than what my family and I have been under is false teaching.

All I know to do is run the other way as fast as I can. Sadly, no one in the church except for one brother in Christ (not the pastor) has even confronted me about leaving. I believe that church staff would rather have me not there because I have ruffled the feathers one to many times – evidence in their desire to have us gone revealed in the fact that there was absolutely no pushback to us leaving. Absolutely no effort was made by the pastor to keep us there or to analyze our reasons for leaving.

Stay true to God and make His truth known. To Him be the glory!

Faithful Follower of Jesus