EMERGING NONSENSE

I’ve been reading and seeing stuff about a new movement that bears the Christian name, but is really out of step with truth as it’s taught in the Bible, and I wanted to give y’all a “heads up”. It has a couple of different names, but the most popular is the Emerging Church. It’s a movement that is led by a couple of guys who were, at one time, very legitimate and somewhat popular pastors and teachers of the Word. But in an apparent effort to be more “in tune” with today’s culture, these guys and their followers have embraced things that are contrary to God’s Word. I don’t know a whole lot of specifics about what they believe, but I know they are openly questioning the existence of Hell, whether or not homosexuality is really a sin, and the legitimacy of the virgin birth.

Let me say this, I believe it’s OK to modify the way the gospel of Jesus Christ is presented to people in the name of being current, or hip, or in touch with today’s culture. For instance, using video to help present the Word, having coffee houses to reach the youth, or playing contemporary music in church rather than hymns and organ music. But what we cannot do, is modify the truth itself --- and this is, by all accounts, what these folks have done. Something that I believe is real important for us to understand as those who stand for God’s truth is that we really don’t need to know all the specific beliefs of groups like the Emerging Church, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witness, and other groups such as these. It isn’t wise for us to expose ourselves to false, and sometimes confusing doctrines that could possibly play with our heads. Paul says to the church in Rome in Romans 16:19, “…but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.” All we need to know is Jesus and the truth as God teaches it to us in His Word. If we are walking close to Him and hiding His Word in our hearts, we’ll recognize the lies, half truths, and deceitfulness when they come along. We don’t need to study the bad stuff, only the good stuff!!

I just want to caution you all. If you hear the terms Emergent Church, Emerging Church, or Emergent Village, be aware that this is a movement that is preaching falsehood, that is questioning the absolute truth of the Bible, and yet calls itself Christian. And more importantly, to remind us all to keep drawing closer to Jesus and His Word so that we can’t be fooled by lies. Or as Ephesians 4:14 says, “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.”

By Dave Thompson