Why Are Churches Celebrating Sin?

[DWB]

Look at the SBC ever since they started to compromise on God's Word.
They will never be the same.
Compromise always starts somewhere , and in almost every case it is The Word of God that gets compromised.

I have a friend who works at the SBC in Tennessee; what compromises are you referring? I will ask them what is going on.

 

[DWB]

Willful ignorance
Apathy
Rejection of God's truth
Substitution

Root cause? De-throning of Christ. He is Savior, and everyone has the wounded lamb picture.

But flip the icon and you have King of Kings with an Iron Scepter.

He speaks The Truth because He IS the Truth.

But men would rather argue and trade the Truth for lies.


Such is the greater portion of what we call the church in these days.

De-Throning of Christ, a perfect example of their plan.

 

[Carl]

Back in the sixties SBC colleges hired people that had woven their desires in with the Bible teaching. Since then they realized their mistake, but I don't think they ever totally cleaned up the mess. Also each SBC church is able to pursue its own course. What seems to be the results is that the church bends to the members desires rather than God's Desires.
We never should have gotten rid of the wailing benches. We should have never gotten away from God's will for our lives.

 

[alisani]

Such is the greater portion of what we call the church in these days.

And He said it would be so. We are surrounded by daily tragedy. Yet these are the things that must come to pass and they are the sure signs of our nearing the Rapture. And beyond that blessing for ourselves, I'm excited to know that the time is also soon coming for His reign!

 

[MyhopeisinHim]

Why Are Churches Celebrating Sin?
Affirming sin is not the same as forgiving it.
By Scott Hogenson

There’s a lot to celebrate in Christian worship services. Singing hymns, prayers, and the learning of God’s Word are all part of corporate worship, and I happily participate in that. I also participate in confession.

The Protestant tradition involves both a public and silent confession of sins. It’s an acknowledgement that we are sinful by nature, and have sinned by thought, word and deed. Through this confession and our earnest repentance, we seek and receive forgiveness through God’s grace.

I sin every single day. I don’t like that I sin but as a member of the human race, it is an inescapable truth with which we’re stuck. As the apostle Paul wrote to Christians in Rome, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That includes me.

Rational people can agree that sin is bad, and I do not embrace my sin; I confess it and seek forgiveness. Jesus Christ said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him,” so I reject any celebration of my sin.

But not all sins are treated equally. Increasingly, Protestant churches are celebrating sin through the installation of ministers whose behavior promotes LGBTQ ideology.

Consider this February 15th report whose headline heralds the “First openly transgender pastor called to guide Lutheran church in North Dakota.”

The pastor’s installation was unanimously approved by the congregation of the church, which has reportedly hosted town hall meetings to discuss, among other things, whether people should be forced to deny reality by calling women men, and vice versa; and whether children should be protected from genital mutilation. One can only speculate as to how those discussions will be steered.

The article goes on to quote the new pastor saying “Historically the church hasn’t been kind to transgender people. A lot of churches still aren’t kind to transgender people.” I do not know how the pastor defines what is kind or unkind but I do know that historically, the church has believed in the word of God as written in the Bible. A lot of churches still believe what is written in the Bible.

The behavior that defines LGBTQ ideology is sinful. That’s not my assessment, that’s what Christ said. He laid it out in the Gospel of Mark when He said, “Out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Affirming and celebrating the behavior of LGBTQ adherents raises a question for Christians: If we’re going to celebrate this sin, what other sins are we prepared to celebrate? That’s a scary proposition and it’s already happening.

The sin of murder is celebrated through the increase of euthanasia. The sin of theft is celebrated through prosecutors who have decriminalized it through their failure to prosecute. The sins of coveting, envy and deceit are celebrated through Critical Race Theory. The sin of slander is celebrated hourly on cable news channels.

Components of Critical Race Theory are even creeping into conservative parishes today. Whether this portends churches celebrating the sins of CRT’s advocacy for race hatred or its alignment with Marxist ideology remains to be seen.

We all sin, and through confession, repentance and grace, God forgives us. We are also called to forgive those who sin against us. Whether these are sins of sexual immorality, envy, theft or anything else, our duty is to forgive others as God forgives us.

But forgiving sin is not the same as affirming it.

The Bible instructs us to love one another but it also tells us to abhor that which is evil. None of my sins should be celebrated; they should be abhorred. If any pastor in the pulpit affirmed or celebrated my sins, I would walk out in the middle of that sermon and find a better church. But more churches are celebrating more sins, and it’s a colossal moral and civic hazard.

If the North Dakota pastor has been harassed, threatened, assaulted or otherwise treated unkindly, that is flat out wrong. Likewise, the pastor is entitled to the full enjoyment of and participation in American civic life, and I would demand that any effort to prevent the free exercise of these rights be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

But it is not unkind to believe what the Bible says. It is not unkind to call a sin a sin. It is not unkind to notice reality and natural law. These are normal behaviors. Just as I reject any affirmation of my sin, I reject any attempt to deny that which is normal and in accordance with Scripture.

In many cultures across time and space, the church has provided the moral bedrock of society. When churches celebrate sin, that bedrock crumbles and over time, so do the societies built upon it.

https://www.raptureforums.com/defending-the-faith/why-are-churches-celebrating-sin/

It seems so many go by the name Christian who have never in truth opened their heart to the Holy Spirit! They have never truly experienced a true personal relationship with Jesus Christ! I Pray they do and then they will know discernment by the Spirit of truth in His Holy Word.
Unfortunately some say that are Christians for material and earthly pleasures of the flesh.

 

[Carl]

After trying to answer the question , I decided that I do not have any real answer that explains it.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

The simple answer to the title of this thread, Why are Churches Celebrating Sin? is apostasy

No denomination or church on earth is perfect because made up of and led by sinful human beings, but this isn't a matter of honest, God-fearing differences of interpretation. It's blatantly against the plain words and meaning of the Biblical warnings that homosexuality is a sin and an abomination

This is what happens when churches allow themselves to be influenced by society instead of standing firm on Biblical truth and influencing society.

And everyone in the church voted for it. I wonder if the vote was conducted after the nays had decided to move elsewhere? I would have to ask the pastor some questions, referring to specific verses, but I would probably just be called a troublemaker and asked to leave. What does God think when He sees and hears these things? I know He knew from the beginning what was going to happen.

That church is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American (ELCA) denomination. Previously, at the exact time the 2009 ELCA convention in Minneapolis was in the process of voting for gay "marriage" and ordination, a "freak" tornado came out of nowhere and hit the convention center and Central Lutheran Church downtown and knocked the steeple over and turned the cross up-side-down. FWIW, the resolution passed with 66.6 percent of the vote.

No doubt in my mind that God was voicing His displeasure, but also showing mercy and forbearance, as no one was struck down dead or hurt.

The Tornado, the Lutherans, and Homosexuality​

Article by John Piper
August 18, 2009

"I saw the fast-moving, misshapen, unusually-wide funnel over downtown Minneapolis from Seven Corners. I said to Kevin Dau, “That looks serious.”
It was. Serious in more ways than one. A friend who drove down to see the damage wrote,
'On a day when no severe weather was predicted or expected...a tornado forms, baffling the weather experts—most saying they’ve never seen anything like it. It happens right in the city. The city: Minneapolis.The tornado happens on a Wednesday...during the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America's national convention in the Minneapolis Convention Center. The convention is using Central Lutheran across the street as its church. The church has set up tents around it’s building for this purpose.'"

"'This curious tornado touches down just south of downtown and follows 35W straight towards the city center. It crosses I94. It is now downtown.
The time: 2PM.
The first buildings on the downtown side of I94 are the Minneapolis Convention Center and Central Lutheran. The tornado severely damages the convention center roof, shreds the tents, breaks off the steeple of Central Lutheran, splits what’s left of the steeple in two...and then lifts.'"

More
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-tornado-the-lutherans-and-homosexuality

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

We never should have gotten rid of the wailing benches. We should have never gotten away from God's will for our lives.

What is a wailing bench?

 

[Carl]

What is a wailing bench?

1 : to express sorrow audibly : lament
Churches from the 1800's used to have a bench off to the side of where the preacher preached. Back then preaching used to cover sin in a much more definitive manner, or people were closer to sin then today. Any way the preachers message used to penitrate the congregations hearts much more deeply then preaching does today. So the people that sat at the bench would wail and sob about their sin and the preacher would come to them and comfort them that they could be forgiven.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

1 : to express sorrow audibly : lament
Churches from the 1800's used to have a bench off to the side of where the preacher preached. Back then preaching used to cover sin in a much more definitive manner, or people were closer to sin then today. Any way the preachers message used to penitrate the congregations hearts much more deeply then preaching does today. So the people that sat at the bench would wail and sob about their sin and the preacher would come to them and comfort them that they could be forgiven.

The alarm bells are ringing in my cynical head about that one.

Hopefully, the clergy were more pure-in-heart and conduct than some are these days.

Also hope this wasn't a set-up to stir congregations to an emotional response.
Wonder if offering was before or after the sermon


Sorry if I offended anyone whose tradition/background/church uses one.

 

[Matthew6:33]

You know its bad when you have JP calling you out!

Speaking of bad teaching - what if they were just seeking joy to glorify God?

 

[benmcd]

I remember Chuck Missler once taught on the wheat and tares. One of the things we missed out on because we are no longer an agrarian society, is that at the harvest time, the wheat turns gold in color and bends over from the weight of the seeds, while the tares turn a grayish black and stand stiff upright.

 

[bigmoose]

Bad doctrine >> weak church. My good friend's wife was killed in an auto accident 25 years ago. By the grace of God the kids were not with her, but they were 10 and 8. Their local church rallied around Jim and supported him and the raising of his two children for years. You could not have asked for a better rural, country church. About a year ago after a long drift, the church hired a woman pastor who was pro the "modern" agenda. It appears God intervened. That long standing country gathering will close in 4 weeks for lack of attendees... and so satan infiltrates another gathering of the saints and impairs their walk.

 

[soundingthealarm]

I think the term CHURCH has been confiscated in the west and made it to be equal if not greater than being individually reconciled to God through faith in His Son.

So many trust in "their Church" to be mediator and/or TRUST in its goodness instead of being as the Bereans and examining and testing all things it just became the chief end....hence "do they even go to church?" Professional church going replaced being a true disciple (Studying and growing in grace and knowledge).

Most of what is called "church" is way more modern day golden calf than a Biblical group of "called out" ones from UNBELIEF.

I would go to a haybarn to meet with grace filled believers to worship and lift up our Lord and Savior but I won't go to a palace to be entertained and fleeced "in Jesus Name."

So imho its "modern day golden calf" that is celebrating sin, NOT Biblically called out believers

 

[ItIsFinished!]

I think the term CHURCH has been confiscated in the west and made it to be equal if not greater than being individually reconciled to God through faith in His Son.

So many trust in "their Church" to be mediator and/or TRUST in its goodness instead of being as the Bereans and examining and testing all things it just became the chief end....hence "do they even go to church?" Professional church going replaced being a true disciple (Studying and growing in grace and knowledge).

Most of what is called "church" is way more modern day golden calf than a Biblical group of "called out" ones from UNBELIEF.

I would go to a haybarn to meet with grace filled believers to worship and lift up our Lord and Savior but I won't go to a palace to be entertained and fleeced "in Jesus Name."

So imho its "modern day golden calf" that is celebrating sin, NOT Biblically called out believers

Yup.
To many getting loose with the Scriptures.
To many behind the pulpit that God did not
call to be there.

Most "churches" are not Scripturally grounded.
Many so called churches are becoming feminized with so called female "pastors" which none Biblically exist.

Many so called "churches" are just social gatherings with "light" rock N roll guised as
contemporary worship music with fancy lights.

Alot of hip and trendy preachers with tattoos
and stylish clothes with fancy jewelry.
Sitting on a stool telling you a story as they sip their Starbucks .
Enlightening the masses with their "deep" knowledge of the Bible and delivery system.

Spending more time in the gym than in prayer or the Scriptures.
Gotta look good bro......

Home churches are on the rise and for good reason (s).

Sad state of affairs these gloomy days...

Thank God the Son shines everyday !

 

[soundingthealarm]

Yup.
To many getting loose with the Scriptures.
To many behind the pulpit that God did not
call to be there.

Most "churches" are not Scripturally grounded.
Many so called churches are becoming feminized with so called female "pastors" which none Biblically exist.

Many so called "churches" are just social gatherings with "light" rock N roll guised as
contemporary worship music with fancy lights.

Alot of hip and trendy preachers with tattoos
and stylish clothes with fancy jewelry.
Sitting on a stool telling you a story as they sip their Starbucks .
Enlightening the masses with their "deep" knowledge of the Bible and delivery system.

Spending more time in the gym than in prayer or the Scriptures.
Gotta look good bro......

Home churches are on the rise and for good reason (s).

Sad state of affairs these gloomy days...

Thank God the Son shines everyday !

I think they'd be so more genuine IF they'd stop calling themselves churches and start calling them Self Help Centers and with Life Coaches speaking!

 

[Purchased With Blood]

I think they'd be so more genuine IF they'd stop calling themselves churches and start calling them Self Help Centers and with Life Coaches speaking!

I grew up in an amillennial, Lordship Salvation "church" and looking back this is how I see the pastor, basically as a self-help guru who quotes the scriptures out of context to fit the message of his speaking engagement. Many churches don't teach eschatology and it is impossible to rightly divide the Word of God without taking into account what is about a third of the Bible. Removing the prophecies given via the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21) makes room for incorrect, man-centered doctrines. One of Jesus' harshest rebukes for His followers is in Luke 24:25: "Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken."

 

[lismore]

Ear tickling will just get you a weak flock that doesn't know the Bible.

Yes. And after a while it will empty the church. A church that becomes too much like the world will just be absorbed by the world. God Bless

 

[lightofmylife]

Yes. And after a while it will empty the church. A church that becomes too much like the world will just be absorbed by the world. God Bless

Ear tickling is the feel good sermons so as they don't want to speak out about sin. They are afraid people will leave the church if they offend them over actually talking about sin.

 

[lismore]

Ear tickling is the feel good sermons so as they don't want to speak out about sin. They are afraid people will leave the church if they offend them over actually talking about sin.

Yes. Ironically it's the opposite that sometimes happens. Liberal churches in Scotland tend to be declining and dying off. But telling people about sin and repentance and their need for the Saviour will generate gratitude. The grateful heart stays close to the Lord and his people. God Bless