Mike Ratliff article on The Emerging Church — Warning I’m Not Listening

[billiefan2000]

The Emerging Church — Warning I’m Not Listening
April 5, 2010 — Mike Ratliff
by Mike Ratliff

4 And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. (Luke 9:4-6 ESV)

My friend Ken Silva sent me a link today to this article. I thought the graphic was especially fitting to what we are dealing with as we attempt to speak the truth to those in the spiritual darkness of the Emerging Church. As I contemplated that, I looked back on my own “discussions” with not only the emergents, but those in the Purpose Driven paradigm, those in the New Evangelism, and those in the various cults that have attempted to either hijack this ministry or silence us. There is one commonality in all of them. They do not listen. The rules for commenting that I have in place on this blog are there to force those with this mindset to have to deal with the text I have posted and those who are commenting there by something other than drive-by snarkiness and profanity from the depths of a dark heart.

In our Christian witness, we are told to tell the truth, but to those who do not listen, we are to “shake off the dust from our feet as testimony against them.” What does that mean?

1 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. 15 Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. (Matthew 10:1-15 ESV)

Verse 14 parallels with Luke 9:5 (at the top of this post) and Mark 6:11. All three passages tell us the same thing commanded to us by our Lord. I have some close to me who are continually berating me for getting into debates with those who do not listen. After reading Ken’s post this morning and then these three passages, I believe we are dealing with some whose hearts are closed to the truth. They are so because they have rejected the truth. Jesus’ point in Luke 9:5, Mark 6:11, and Matthew 10:14 is that those who do that have incurred judgment against themselves. The shaking off of the dust from the feet and garments as these disciples left those regions was a sign of contempt, a sign of judgment for rejecting Jesus and His message. They became spiritually “pagan” and as subject to judgment as Sodom and Gomorrah (Acts 13:51).

Debate with someone who is not listening is not true debate. It is simply an exercise in futility. Our enemy is behind those who oppose us and he has blinded their hearts. Our part is to pray for success, then share the truth with them. If they reject it then we have done our part and it is time to move on. It is not only the Emergents who are guilty of this. I have had similar one-sided “debates” with missional advocates, those trying to convince us that John MacArthur is not really a Christian, Purpose Driven advocates, seeker-sensitive advocates, every flavor of cult you can imagine, and all those who are blinded into their own form of the Gospel that is not biblical, et cetera. When an idol has taken over the focus of a heart, spiritual blindness always ensues.

Therefore, what does this tell us about the Emergent Church and its advocates? They have erected their own idol complex that they use as a substitute for true worship and serving of our Lord Jesus Christ. They are convinced they are right, but they are spiritually blind so they do not know that.

Our part is to tell them the truth, but not argue with them. We withstand their attacks on the truth, but we do not get bogged down in endless arguing. We shake the dust off of our feet and move on. When the next round of lies and attacks come, we address them, but we should not ever expect these people and their followers to actually listen.

Soli Deo Gloria!

http://mikeratliff.wordpress.com/201...not-listening/

[mattfivefour]

Excellent article. However, may I suggest one thing? Where he writes:

"Our part is to pray for success, then share the truth with them. If they reject it then we have done our part and it is time to move on"

I would like to add:

"but we must be willing to continue to pray for those from whom we have moved on if the Holy Spirit continues to lay them on our heart."

I don't think Mike would argue with that.

[ArmyofHeaven777]

FYI, tried emailing some former church members warning about Warren w/ lots of links - one of them emailed me back and responded, "You just hurt the body of Christ. Warren is an honest and godly Christian man who does critical thinking unlike all the other denominations will even think about doing"(para)

Honest? Telling everyone how critical it was to vote for Prop 8 because the sanctity of biblical marriage was at stake, and then months later DENIES he did anything to get into the political arena because he supports gay rights? Denying Jesus is the only way to the Father hence CALLING GOD a liar? Critical thinking? We're supposed to be lead by the Holy Spirit? Aren't we not? Did Paul and Jesus use "critical thinking"? Godly? Inviting Jimmy Hendrix, KISS, and the Jonas Brothers to play at his services? Judging him? Since when did anyone receive "golden boy" status in the church? Even Jesus and Paul said only God is good.

I've been deceived many, many times myself, so I'm not going to judge them, but warning them at the least will hopefully plant the seeds in their heart, and maybe they'll come to the truth later.

[billiefan2000]

FYI, tried emailing some former church members warning about Warren w/ lots of links - one of them emailed me back and responded, "You just hurt the body of Christ. Warren is an honest and godly Christian man who does critical thinking unlike all the other denominations will even think about doing"(para)

Honest? Telling everyone how critical it was to vote for Prop 8 because the sanctity of biblical marriage was at stake, and then months later DENIES he did anything to get into the political arena because he supports gay rights? Denying Jesus is the only way to the Father hence CALLING GOD a liar? Critical thinking? We're supposed to be lead by the Holy Spirit? Aren't we not? Did Paul and Jesus use "critical thinking"? Godly? Inviting Jimmy Hendrix, KISS, and the Jonas Brothers to play at his services? Judging him? Since when did anyone receive "golden boy" status in the church? Even Jesus and Paul said only God is good.

I've been deceived many, many times myself, so I'm not going to judge them, but warning them at the least will hopefully plant the seeds in their heart, and maybe they'll come to the truth later.

a lot of seeker driven church christians dont want to see what is going on. we need to :pray for them to have the blinders and scales taken off their eyes

and see what folks like Warren are really doing to the church