Seeking to Save?

In February of 2004, the movie, "The Passion of the Christ" came out and was a mega-hit at the box office. I remember so much about the rhetoric that heated up before, during and after the movie's release. I remember our own church's campaign to invite non-believers to view the movie with us. Our church even bought up and reserved seating at a small theatre in the next town! I still remember the sobering impact the movie had on me and the joy of those few moments depicting the resurrection of Christ. I remember our pastor speaking both before and after the showing that I had attended. Many hands were raised to receive Christ as Savior.

In addition to this, our church started up another home Bible study series based on the book, "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. I excitedly signed up to be a leader and actually ended up having both a Friday morning and Monday evening group! It was an awesome study! We learned so much and developed lasting friendships amongst our group.

But I have to admit that I was disheartened to hear some of the statistics that came out of the Barna Research Group regarding the impact with the unsaved through both of these incredible recent events. What went wrong? What is happening within the contemporary Church that is making it less effective? Why was this so? I wondered.

I think I know now. It came as a revelation to me after reading the book called, "The Way of the Master." Before I get into that book, I first want to share something that happened at our leaders training class when preparing for "The Purpose Driven Life" Bible study.

All the leaders gathered to view a video done by Pastor Rick Warren as an introduction to the study course. When the video came to the portion where accepting Christ was involved, an alarm went off in my heart and mind as I noticed something missing from Pastor Warren's prayer. There was no mention of the need to confess personal sins and repent of them. I had arrived late to the meeting so I thought that perhaps I missed that part in the beginning. During the question and answer time, I raised my hand and brought this up to the assistant pastor leading the class. He said he would "look into it" and quickly called on someone else with the next question. His lack of reaction and abrupt answer was close to an outright dismissal about my concerns!! I was shocked! Two other women sitting nearby said they felt the exact same way about that prayer! I was hoping that this would be brought out to the general congregation (because my pastor ALWAYS SPECIFICALLY EMPHASIZES THE NEED TO CONFESS SIN AND REPENT BEFORE RECEIVING CHRIST AS SAVIOR) but I don't think it was ever brought up.

As a leader of two study groups, I felt that it was my obligation to be sure that the sinners prayer was included in this study so I led such a prayer myself to give people the opportunity to receive Christ at any time during the 8 week study. If I had to criticize the "Purpose" book for one reason, it would be its lack of this important point within its pages.

This is why the book, "The Way of the Master" SHOULD ALSO BE READ BY EVERY BORN-AGAIN BIBLE-BELIEVING CHRISTIAN. It picks up where the "Purpose" book is lacking (IMO). This post will begin to tell you why.

An excerpt from Chapter 2 of "The Way of the Master":

"In 1994, the Barna Research Group found further evidence that all is not well in the contemporary Church. A survey revealed that one in four
American adults who said they were born again also believed that Jesus sinned while he was on the earth. Think for a moment of the implications of such a theology. Here we have millions of "believers" who supposedly confess that Jesus is Lord, and yet they think He sinned. They either don't know what the Bible teaches about Jesus or they believe it is inaccurate when it says that Jesus "knew no sin" (2 Corinthians 5:21), that He was "in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15), and that He "committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth" (1 Peter 2:22).

Furthermore, if Jesus sinned, it would mean that He wasn't the spotless Lamb of God the Scriptures say He was (1 Peter 1:19); that His sacrifice wasn't perfect; and that when God accepted Jesus' death as an atonement for our sins, He sanctioned a "contaminated payment" and therefore corrupt by nature. Sadly, the multitudes who profess faith in Jesus yet deny His sinless perfection appear to be strangers to true regeneration. "

The book goes on to say that the Barna Research Group found that 62 percent of Americans claim to have "a relationship with Jesus Christ that is meaningful to them" yet only 10 percent in a Gallup poll stated that they were, "a breed apart." There are millions of people in America who insinuate that they belong to Jesus Christ, but their lives don't match their claims! A staggering 92 percent own a Bible, but only 11 percent read it daily. Other sad statistics show that 87 percent do not believe in all of the Ten Commandments! 61 percent don't think premarital sex is morally wrong. Some believe in reincarnation. Half believe a person can earn salvation based on good deeds even without accepting Christ as the way to eternal life!

There is something very wrong with this picture!

Today there are many who name the name of Christ but who never "depart from iniquity" (2 Timothy 2:19). They are false converts who "ask Jesus into their heart" but are actually unconverted because they have never truly repented!! The truth is that if someone's heart is still in the world - if he is a "Judas" at heart - he will find any excuse to stay there. It is important that we examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). Those who allow sin in their lives are actually opening themselves up to demonic influence, just as Judas did.

Here may be some likely justifications that Judas would have had for his betrayal of the Savior:

1. He was publicly humiliated by Jesus when he suggested giving funds to the poor.

2. He felt a deep sense of rejection because he was not part of the "inner circle."

3. He needed the money.

4. The chief priests made him do it.

5. The devil made him do it.

6. The responsibility of looking after the finances became too much for him.

7. He was abused as a child.

8. He had a betrayal syndrome.

9. He lacked a father figure.

10. He didn't think his actions would have the grisly repercussions they had.

There are some who believe that Judas had never even been a believer. There is good reason for this, because Jesus said of him, "One of you is a devil" (John 6:70). That's not something Jesus would likely say about one of His true followers.

Please read Mark 4:3-8 which is the parable of the sower. Pay particular attention to this verse:

And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.

If there is one message that comes from the parable about the stony ground, the thorny ground, and the good ground, it is this:

When the gospel is preached, there will be true and false conversions!

Judas, for example, was a false convert. He was a hypocrite - a pretender - whose desire (it seems) for riches and power choked out his affection for Christ. He was actually a thief who so lacked a healthy fear of God that he was stealing money from the collection bag (John 12:6).

If one grasps the principle that true and false converts will be alongside each other in the Church, then the other parabolic teachings also make sense: the wheat and tares (Matthew 13:24-30), the wise virgins and the foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), and the sheep and goats (Matthew 25:31-46).

Look at the parable of the dragnet:

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels. but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth." Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." (Matthew 13:47-51)

Notice that the good fish and the bad fish were in the net together. Notice also that unbelievers are not caught in the dragnet of the kingdom of heaven; they remain in the world. The "fish" that are caught are those who hear and respond to the gospel - the evangelistic "catch." They remain together, the true and the false, until the Day of Judgment.

False converts do have a measure of spirituality. Judas certainly did. He had apparently convinced the other disciples that he truly cared for the poor. He seemed trustworthy so he was the one who looked after the finances.

Notice that the "God has a wonderful plan for you life" message often doesn't include the "whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:26-27). Do you notice what's missing? Do they faithfully preach against sin? Do they preach righteousness and judgment (as Jesus did)? Do they speak about true repentance (not simply a "change of mind") , and warn about the reality of hell (as Jesus did)?

Quote from Kirk Cameron in book:

"If you have an ear to hear, you will find that many of today's preachers fill their churches by teaching legitimate life-changing principles. However, although these principles are helpful for daily living, they fail to unmask the villians of sin and self-righteousness that keep vast numbers of false converts sitting in a fool's paradise, comfortable in the pews, thinking they are friends with God when they are still His enemies.

Psalm 53:2-3 tells us that "God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. Every one of them has turned aside; they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one." If the Bible tells us that no man naturally seeks after God, what then is the typical "seeker" seeking? No doubt most are seeking after peace, joy, happiness, and fulfillment (a wonderful plan for their lives). Not surprisingly, that is precisely what the modern gospel message offers them. This method of evangelism is also known as "felt needs" evangelism.* Find out where a sinner hurts, and tell him Jesus will make it better. Remember the old advertising principal: "Scratch 'em where they itch"? Well, the modern gospel does it.

The problem is that sinners aren't itching to crucify their flesh. They aren't hungering and thirsting for righteousness. They're itching for a more enjoyable life and thirsting for sin. The Bible says they drink it in like water (Job 15:16). What unregenerate sinners really seek is a life change that brings positive results, won't cramp their style, and won't cost too much.

Does that not sum up the promise of much of contemporary American Christianity? No wonder some churches are so full they're bursting at the seams."

*Footnote: Should we not address the legitimate "felt needs" of the lost? To answer that important question, let's look at an analogy: A child who was running through a wooded area fell onto a sharp stick and cut his jugular vein. His father immediately swooped him us and pressed his thumb to the boy's neck in an effort to stop the gushing blood while he rushed him to the hospital.

In the emergency room, when the surgeon arrived, the child showed him a small splinter he had received in his thumb when he fell. He wanted the surgeon to remove it. Of course, the surgeon ignored the child's plea, and began work to stop the life-threatening injury to the boy's neck.

Modern evangelism preaches a message that calls sinners to come to God for their "splinters" rather than for that which is life-threatening. It tells the world that God will heal marriages, drug problems, alcohol problems, etc. when the real reason they should come to the Savior is that their life's blood is gushing from their throat. They are in debt to eternal justice.

It's like a devious criminal saying to a judge, "I know I'm guilty of rape and murder, but I have an important personal problem that I think the courts should deal with first."

God's priority is to deal first with the fatal wound of sin before He even looks at the splinters of our personal problems. We are to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Biblical evangelism deals with the eternal issues first; all else is temporal.

***to be continued***