More Thoughts On The Seeker Friendly Church by Steve Shipley

There is a church in southern California that advertises it's services as "God's Country Goodtime Hour", complete with a "boots and Levis" wearing pastor and line dancing for the congregation. They also had a professional wrestler train the pastoral staff so they could put on a wrestling match during a Sunday morning service.

Another church, elsewhere, has an ad that reads, "This ain't your mama's church! Sunday services limited to 45 minutes. Our goal is to make you happy. Come casual. Football updates!" And closer to my home, a Perrysburg, Ohio church bills itself this way, "Six huge video screens, a rock and roll band, and sermons relevant to today's needs."

The above is becoming the norm in so called "evangelical circles" as church leadership is willing to do almost anything to fill their pews AND their pockets. They call themselves "seeker friendly" when in reality they are simply "sinner friendly". They preach watered down sermons from watered down versions of the Bible and the emphasis of their meetings is on comfort and entertainment. Their goal is to make the Gospel as inoffensive and as fun as possible. No preaching on the cross of Christ, His precious atoning blood, or sin, or repentance, or hell.

This new "purpose driven rather than Spirit led" church makes every effort NOT to offend anyone. Sorry folks, but the Gospel IS offensive It makes a sinner feel uncomfortable. That is how a lost soul will see his need for a Savior. Only then will he truly repent and find genuine salvation. The seeker sensitive pastor pedals a "touchy-feely" religion that costs the sinner nothing, when Jesus clearly taught that following Him would cost you everything.

For years I have been praying for revival in the Church, but as of late, I've started to pray for reformation instead. Dear Lord, give us a Martin Luther or a John Wesley who will expose the false teachings that have infiltrated our church. Send your Holy Spirit in a heavenly wave of fire that will bring us once again to our knees. Lord Jesus, reform your church!

A. W. Tozer wrote, "If revival is ,more of what we are already doing, the Evangelicalism most definitely does not need revival."