John MacArthur article on the Error Alert that is happening in our churches

[billiefan2000]

I can vouch this is true.

a lot of the seeker pastors, including a few in my town do B and C on twitter a lot.

the seeker pastors need to grow up and start acting like pastors and less like comedians or Dr. Phil

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John MacArthur Raises the Error Alert- The Crosstalk Blog


Posted by Ingrid Schlueter in Featured Articles, Helpful Articles, Religion on January 5th, 2010 | Comments


In this article, John MacArthur asks why so few in the pulpit act as though false teachers are a reality today.

It takes just about five minutes following some of the celebrity pastors on Twitter to understand that they, and not Christ, are at the center of their ministries. MacArthur points out that jokes and personal anecdotes in sermons are the norm instead of Scriptural teaching.

Doctrine is out. Real preaching is out. Instead, you will find narcissistic little me-talks designed to reflect well on the pastor’s:

a.) sex life
b.) wit
c.) knowledge of popular culture


Jesus, when mentioned at all, is presented as a sort of cosmic Josh Groban.

He’s sweet, emotive, and gentle. He’s someone who lifts you up when you are weary and down.

He helps you walk on stormy seas. And it’s all because the incomparable you deserves that kind of spiritual support. Repentance, forgiveness of sins, a bloody cross, hell? Not likely.


The error alert level for churches should be a blazing red. Christ’s true church, the remnant, is coming out of the evangelical apostasy.


The Savior of Revelation 1 is a living reality to that true church–the Lord Jesus Christ who stands with blazing eyes, a sword coming out of His mouth and declares:

“I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”

–Revelation 1:18


John MacArthur Raises the Error Alert- The Crosstalk Blog



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(open letter video to the leaders and members of seeker-driven "churches"







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Narrow Road song by Jovan Mackenzy (a song that all seeker church leaders and members ought to watch and listen to

[billiefan2000]

Raising the Error-Alert :: Grace to You


Raising the Error-Alert
Selected Scriptures

Code: A234



John MacArthur



Why do so many evangelicals act as if false teachers in the church could never be a serious problem in this generation?

Vast numbers seem convinced that they are "rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing--and do not know that [they] are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked" (Revelation 3:17).

In reality, the church today is quite possibly more susceptible to false teachers, doctrinal saboteurs, and spiritual terrorism than any other generation in church history.

Biblical ignorance within the church may well be deeper and more widespread than at any other time since the Protestant Reformation.

If you doubt that, compare the typical sermon of today with a randomly chosen published sermon from any leading evangelical preacher prior to 1850.

Also compare today's Christian literature with almost anything published by evangelical publishing houses a hundred years or more ago.



Bible teaching, even in the best of venues today, has been deliberately dumbed-down, made as broad and as shallow as possible, oversimplified, adapted to the lowest common denominator-- and then tailored to appeal to people with short attention spans.



Sermons are almost always brief, simplistic, overlaid with as many references to pop culture as possible, and laden with anecdotes and illustrations.

(Jokes and funny stories drawn from personal experience are favored over cross-references and analogies borrowed from Scripture itself.)

Typical sermon topics are heavily weighted in favor of man-centered issues

(such as personal relationships, successful living, self-esteem, how-to lists, and so on)--

to the exclusion of the many Christ-exalting doctrinal themes of Scripture.


In other words, what most contemporary preachers do is virtually the opposite of what Paul was describing when he said he sought "to declare . . . the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27).

Not only that, but here's how Paul explained his own approach to gospel ministry, even among unchurched pagans in the most debauched Roman culture:

I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)



Notice that Paul deliberately refused to customize his message or adjust his delivery to suit the Corinthians' philosophical bent or their cultural tastes. When he says later in the epistle, "To the Jews I became as a Jew . . . to those who are without law, as without law . . . to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some" (1 Corinthians 9:20-22),

he was describing how he made himself a servant to all (v. 19) and the fellow of those whom he was trying to reach. In other words, he avoided making himself a stumbling block. He was not saying he adapted the gospel message (which he plainly said is a stumbling block--1:23). He did not adopt methods to suit the tastes of a worldly culture.



Paul had no thought of catering to a particular generation's preferences, and he used no gimmicks as attention-getters. Whatever antonym you can think of for the word showmanship would probably be a good description of Paul's style of public ministry. He wanted to make it clear to everyone (including the Corinthian converts themselves) that lives and hearts are renewed by means of the Word of God and nothing else. That way they would begin to understand and appreciate the power of the gospel message


Raising the Error-Alert :: Grace to You

[myinnuendo999]

I can't help but have the faint nudging for the past month or so of the verse in Revelation 2:5 that talks about Jesus coming and removing "your lampstand from its place."

[bghtnpd4]

Excellent stuff and, sady, all true. I love Dr. MacArthur. He always stands for God's truth!

[billiefan2000]

bgh, you are so right



for pastors in Nebraska we could add a 4th topic they love to talk about (same in other states also)



their love to talk about the Nebraska Conrhuskers or some football team they idolize




we have churches in Nebraska (particularly in Omaha and Lincoln) who cant go a sunday without talking about the Nebraska Cornhuskers during church service when the Huskers are playing


or tweeting about the recent Huskers game.


we have had churches here in Omaha who have done sermons on whoever the Nebraska Conrhusker coach is at the time



I dont go to church to hear about Bo Pelini and the Nebraska Cornhuskers.


I go to hear about JESUS and to spirtually grow.

[bghtnpd4]

Yep, I agree, brother. The same can be said, I'm sure, of some of the churches here regarding the football references. You know the old saying about Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas...Football is considered another religious denomination.

[Robert]

Never was a big one on football.