It’s not unusual to read history of churches using a bar as a gathering place for a worship service, especially in the west, but not as a time to get a drink or two. An article that was posted over the weekend at npr.org has some churches thinking that it would be a good idea to bring the two together to attract a younger crowd at a church event called “Beer and Hymns”.
I know that some would defend this as a good idea. I have friends who will think ‘at least they will hear the gospel’ or ‘if just one person finds God this way it can’t be all wrong’ or the favorite ‘Paul became all things to all people so he might save one.’ Of course believers want to see all people everywhere find God. But there is a hellish lie that causes evangelism to abandon the one method sanctioned by God so that man might be saved.
Where in all of the universe does God need to be dressed up and made attractive so that people will come to Him? Nowhere does this happen, except when some thieves in the church read a statistic of church attendance declining and they begin to think God needs help. Once we leave the sufficiency of Scripture we open the door for all kinds of poison.
A statement like this, “I’m not interested, frankly, in making more church members. I’m interested in having people have significant relationships around Jesus. And if it turns out to be craft beer, fine” will become a battle cry against the Lord Jesus Himself and the blind guides leading the way have a crowd of deaf minions waving their banner.
Full NPR article HERE (It will shock most of you. If you have the time, listen to the report too.)
Last week, Scott Brown posted this excerpt from Spurgeon on his blog (www.scottbrownonline.com).
“Mark you, in proportion as the modern theology is preached the vice of this generation increases. To a great degree I attribute the looseness of the age to the laxity of the doctrine preached by its teachers. From the pulpit they have taught the people that sin is a trifle. From the pulpit these traitors to God and to his Christ have taught the people that there is no hell to be feared. A little, little hell, perhaps, there may be; but just punishment for sin is made nothing of. The precious atoning sacrifice of Christ has been derided and misrepresented by those who were pledged to preach it. They have given the people the name of the gospel, but the gospel itself has evaporated in their hands.
From hundreds of pulpits the gospel is as clean gone as the dodo from its old haunts; and still the preachers take the position and name of Christ’s ministers. Well, and what comes of it? Why, their congregations grow thinner and thinner; and so it must be. Jesus says, “Follow me, I will make you fishers of men;” but if you go in your own way, with your own net, you will make nothing of it, and the Lord promises you no help in it.
The Lord’s directions make himself our leader and example. It is, “Follow me, follow me. Preach my gospel. Preach what I preached. Teach what I taught, and keep to that.” With that blessed servility which becomes one whose ambition it is to be a copyist, and never to be an original, copy Christ even in jots and tittles. Do this, and he will make you fishers of men; but if you do not do this, you shall fish in vain.“
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, The Soul Winner, (New York: Cosimo Publications, 2007) p. 227.
This is a powerful reminder from the Prince of Preachers to “preach Christ or nothing.”
I would rather use one way to reach a thousand than a thousand ways to reach one.
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