Here at Apprising Ministries you’ve often heard me talk about the spiritually bankrupt Church Growth Movement (CGM). ((You’ll find this from Bob DeWaay helpful in understanding the flaws of the CGM: http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue89.htm, accessed 4/30/14.)) Even more specifically about the Purpose Driven/Seeker Drivenism of e.g. Rick Warren and the neo-liberal cult of the Emergent Church aka the Emerging Church a la spiritual guru Rob Bell.

This is because these two major camps of enemy forces comprise two of the tentacles of the CGM. Frankly, they both share the same major flaw that doomed their forebears in the original cult of liberalism; they try to “contextualize” the Gospel in order to try and make it “relevant” to the capricious culture around them.

Original liberalism tried to do so with the modernism of early last century while the others I mentioned have attempted this with postmodernism. However, no matter how such as these try and water the message down, the world won’t believe unless God opens a person’s eyes to what Martin Luther told us is impossible to believe.

For example, while he was expounding upon John 3:13 — No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, Luther said:

Only Christ would be able to testify to a truth this remarkable. How can human reason make sense of this strange teaching,… How can Jesus come down from heaven and at the same time live above?… That is why Christians are considered foolish. ((Martin Luther, Faith Alone [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005], April 30.))

The Gospel doesn’t need to be made anything to anyone; the Cross needs to be faithfully preached, as God has already informed us that — For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, (1 Corinthians 1:18). As Luther then went on to bring out:

[We who are Christians] must hold rightly to the testimony that was brought down from heaven by Jesus, God’s Son. You must believe it, for all Christians dare to believe what Jesus says. ((Ibid.))

For you see the Gospel (means, “good news”) of Jesus Christ is that, no matter what someone has done, there is repentance and forgiveness of sins in Jesus Name. So, if you’re now hearing His Voice here, then you’ll believe when I tell you that Jesus took your place and died for your sins on the Cross.

He was then buried; but Jesus didn’t stay in the grave, for on the third day Christ Jesus rose again from the dead. Can you feel Him drawing you? Remember, Jesus tells us — “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out (John 6:37).”  Won’t you come home?

If you find that now you’re beginning to understand some of these things that are impossible to grasp by human reason, then you are hearing God calling to you. Believe, come to Jesus; repent, and confess your sins and you’ll know come to know the truth of what you’re about to read from Charles Spurgeon.

The following comes from his sermon, There Is Forgiveness. I want you to know the greatness of my Savior, of Whom it is written — But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared (Psalm 130:4). Yes, the Great News today is that there is forgiveness waiting for you:

Turn to the Old Testament , and you will see that it reveals sacrifice—lambs and bullocks and goats. They meant that there was a way of pardon through the shedding of blood—they taught men this, that God would accept certain sacrifices on their behalf.

Then turn to the New Testament and there you will see it revealed more clearly that God has accepted a Sacrifice, the Sacrifice which He, Himself, gave, for, “He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all.”

In this Book you read how He can be “just, and the Justifier of him that believes.” How He can be a just God and yet a Savior. How He can forgive and yet be just as righteous as if He punished and showed no mercy.

This, in fact, is the Revelation of the Gospel! This is what this Book was written to teach, to tell you that, “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.”

Therefore we come to you, not merely with a hopeful whisper, but with a full, distinct, emphatic, unquestionable assurance — “There is forgiveness.” “There is forgiveness.” (source)

Further reading

• RECOVERING THE GOSPEL: EVANGELISM IN SARDIS
• READY FOR “THE ROB BELL SHOW” ON OPRAH’S NETWORK?
• DAN HASELTINE OF CCM BAND JARS OF CLAY IN SUPPORT OF HOMOSEXUAL MARRIAGE