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Your Thoughts: Is it Cultural Adaptation or Compromise?

Friendly Face Posts: 434 **3/11/17 9:24 am**

Do you see/hear much evidence of II Timothy 3:16-4:4: in sermons today? Please understand my heart as i am not trying to slam anybody but looking for objective feedback. Previously I listened to some of the messages from fast growing churches to see if there was something I could learn about public speaking presentations, adapting the message to this culture etc. from people who have quick growth in his/her Sunday morning attendance. If he/she is grew more in their first 2 years than we did in 9 I wanted to see what I could learn.

II Timothy 3:16-4:4 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; [b]reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.[/b] 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

My understanding and study of 4:2 "Be ready instant in season and out of season" is not so much the popular usage of preaching on short notice without preparation but rather delivering a reproving, rebuking message whether the hearers like it or not. I try to pattern my messages with reprove, rebuke and exhort with all patience and understanding. My belief is that the Word can go forth, cut like a knife, convict sin but then with patience and understanding we shouldn't leave people helpless but let them know that the blood of Christ, His love, grace and mercy are more than enough when one chooses to repent from sin.

Does anybody have recommendations of the growing churches that employ the 3 fold pattern of reprove, rebuke and exhort with all patience and understanding? I do know some pastors pastors in the mode who have healthy churches but many are dying or dead (meaning the natural physical body of the pastor, not the church).

I am asking about reproof and correction (NASB here, rebuke in KJV) as concerning one's holiness, lifestyle, taking up one's cross daily etc. and not a conviction towards a social Gospel. The present younger generation we want to reach (and also older people) are much more likely to accept conviction then justification over reaching out to the poor and a social Gospel that can become a conscience searing experience. People tend to be more open to conviction over "what I can do versus who I am." My question concerns a reprove, rebuke sin message that deals with relevant issues such as holiness, pornography (not just websites but some TV shows, men who have 20 hours a week or more between golfing, hunting, fishing and watching sports but never went to a prayer meeting in his life let alone a regular commitment to showing up at church. At least I'm not coming across as some old time holiness preacher attacking the women while giving the carnal men a free pass!

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **3/11/17 10:52 am**

I don't know of any, Preacher777, definitely not 'mega' churches. I feel much the same as you. Such 'strong meat' preaching as you refer to, generally speaking, is apparently not likely to result in a very large congregation in contemporary US culture.

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **3/11/17 10:42 pm**

Pentecostals were very strict years ago. The REPROOF and hard line was too many times on 'minor' physical demands many became Pharisaical. then the period of trying to relax some of the stringent man-made rules was tough on preachers and congregations. Yes, we did and have slid past the medium it seems.

This is much above my paygrade I have to make my mind see things in a different light ALL the time, or I will be picking every church and pastor apart. At times we attend 'mega churches', I do hear (what I can) good Bible based sermons. I attend many in all categories and sometimes go away empty and others full.

At my age, I seem to be stuck a limbo situation. I am past my time. Nothing I can do or say will change a path that is set. Are the mega churches grooming Christians? I certainly hope so. Strong leaders that can hold the line? That is yet to be seen, but I will be gone.

The pastor will be rewarded for his work in the Kingdom as the Lord see it. Cool

_________________
Some facts but mostly just my opinion!
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http://shipslog-jack.blogspot.com/

Wisdom From Cojack

Friendly Face Posts: 434 **3/13/17 8:22 am**

[quote="Cojak"]Pentecostals were very strict years ago. The REPROOF and hard line was too many times on 'minor' physical demands many became Pharisaical. then the period of trying to relax some of the stringent man-made rules was tough on preachers and congregations. Yes, we did and have slid past the medium it seems.
[/quote]

You make great points Cojak. We all must pray, seek Godly wisdom from God and trusted Christians for feedback and accountability to stay in the middle of the road. How easy it is to to from the ditch of legalism to compromising liberalism. Elderly Christians once told me they had to take a note to grade school showing he/she can't participate in the square dances because it is against their religion. How easy it is for Christians to get into a ditch on the other side, put on some tight sexy clothes and strut their stuff on the dance floor to secular music filled with ungodly lyrics on the guise of , "Don't judge me" or "The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts"

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **3/13/17 9:13 am**

I am not that old (49), but when I was in eighth grade I had to sit out of PE for several weeks while all the other kids learned square dancing. I never really liked square dancing anyway, but it definitely made me feel out of place, being the only kid in the whole school whose parents were against square dancing. (Dad was the local CoG pastor). Kind of makes me laugh now. How I wish all we had to worry about with kids today was the terrible, evil influence of square dancing!

Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3147 **3/13/17 12:38 pm**