The "new" churches, who are following the "purpose driven" or the "seeker sensitive" models are quite popular. In fact many of these churches boast congregations in the thousands, but some of the worst ideas in human history have been numerically successful. As an old preacher used to say, "A hundred pound man is big, but he isn't healthy." More important, the Bible says, "Wide is the gate that leads to destruction."
The very church that the worlds likes best is sure to be the one that God abhors.
C. S. Spurgeon
Unfortunately the church largely accepts every fad that comes along. In Galations, Paul called these so-called "new" teachings, "another Gospel". This new gospel is said to be for a new age, an enlightened age. It is made harmless be removing sin, repentance, holiness, the cross, the blood, and hell. It places man's felt needs at the center instead of Jesus. It appeals to the desires of the flesh for that is the only thing that mankind truly seeks after.
With it's watered down Gospel, it lulls men into a false sense of salvation simply because they repeated an inoffensive prayer to receive Christ into their life ( kind of like they're doing Him a favor ). Then they are free to do as they wish as long as they continue to tithe. Sounds very much like the devil is re-inventing Catholicism.
Rick Warren"s "Purpose Driven" books are another gospel. The "Willow Creek" movement sponsored by the Southern Baptist Church is another gospel. John Wimber cleverly disguised another gospel in the popular "Vineyard" churches. Thousands of others have bought into the deception and thrown out God's ways in favor of man's ways. The lead singer of U2, Bono said, "Religion, to me, is almost like when God leaves and people devise a set of rules to fill the space."
The new philosophy of this kind may be sincere but it's sincerity does not save it from being false. It is false because it is blind. It misses completely the whole meaning of the cross. God offers life, but not an improved old life. The life He offers is life out of death. It stands always on the far side of the cross. A. W. Tozer
If you are involved in this new church movement, I will be hard pressed to convince you of the error you have stumbled upon. The difficulty herein lies:
The problem with the deceived is they are deceived. They don't know that they don't know. They have been delivered a piece of pie that is quite tasty so they never notice the poison that lies inside each bite. Remember, error rides in on the back of truth. That is why the Bible has instructed us to search the Scriptures to see if these things be so.
There are many devices in a man's heart; nonetheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. Proverbs 19:21
For further reading on this subject:http://www.gracebible.org/seekersensitive/seeker.htm
http://www.eternallifeministries.org/jm_ssm.htm
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