Evangelicals act like everyone has heard the gospel and just does not want to accept it. And lately, with the seeker-sensitive and emergent strains showing up, many evangelicals are simply assuming that they are preaching the gospel too. But are they? I never seem to hear concrete testimonies from people who grew up in liberal Protestant churches and then accepted Christ when they either met an evangelical Christian or began to attend an evangelical church. IF there are any testimonies they seem to be blurred and vague. Well, here is a very clear testimony about what its like to grow up in a liberal Protestant church. The testimony is mine.
I would submit to you that the emergents are already there, and the seeker-sensitives (i.e. Purpose Driven churches) are traveling the road that leads there. Case in point--as I read two of Brian McLaren's books, I sensed a vaguely familiar theology. It was the one I constantly heard in the liberal church I attended as a child and teen. Jesus was always presented as more a man who taught neat things. He went to the cross for some reason, but it was vague as to why. Something to do with setting an example. However, I never understood why someone had to die on a cross to set an example.
Let me tell you how these liberal churches ruin people's present and future lives. Perhaps we need more testimonies like mine to wake the evangelical church out of her slumber. So here goes:
I never--and I stress the word NEVER--heard the gospel until I was 19 years old and in college. Why? When you attend a liberal church and all the churches in your community are of the same ilk, you don't know anyone who is a Christian. This is especially true in upper and upper-middle class areas where evangelicals have feared to tread. Satan tries his darndest to keep the gospel out of everyone's reach of course, but especially the wealthy and powerful since he knows they run business, education and governments. I know that sounds class-ist, but if you were satan, wouldn't you try really, rally hard to keep the gospel from those in charge? The poor have heard the gospel all day long, but check your nearest upper middle class person and see if they know it. Of course in some sections of the country this may not be as true (i.e. the South). But in Southern California where I grew up and live it is very true. There was no prayer or Bible reading in the schools (yet we had far more superior schools than in many of the Southern Bible Belt states where these things did occur). In fact, until recently, I had never heard of such a thing. No one I've talked to in any generation (up to 100 years old) who grew up here had ever run into it either. But that is for another post. There was no Christian TV when I grew up, and even if there was, the upper-middle class wouldn't watch it, nor do they today. They are too busy watching PBS and the History channel. This isn't a stereotype--this is the truth. There wasn't one gospel preaching church in my community - only a Catholic church, Mormon, Christian Scientist and the three very liberal Protestant churches - Presbyterian, Lutheran and Congregational. I know that not every church in these denominations are liberal. In fact today, I attend a rather evangelical Presbyterian church (PCUSA).
I was a good kid; very moral but not legalistic. My parents were like that too. I just myself modeled after them. Listening to TBN you'd think every non-Christian was on drugs and an alcohol and engaging in all sorts of illicit sex. That just is not true. There are many "god" non-believers. In my sophomore year of college I sat next to a Baptist girl. I had never met a Baptist. They aren't as big here (S. Cal) as in the South and Midwest. In those days Baptists were fundamentalists and middle classes on up didn't hobnob around with them or with Pentecostals either--if you could even find a Pentecostal. She and I became friends and she explained the gospel to me. I want you to pay attention to my next sentence.
I had never heard it before. Romans 10:9 and 10 tells us that people cannot believe if someone doesn't tell them.
I remember thinking, "I've never heard anything like this before." I thought at first that perhaps it was some type of Baptist doctrine. But she reassured me that it was in the Bible and showed me some passages, especially in the book of John. I thought long and hard about this because it was so unusual. I had studied the major religions and finally decided upon being an atheist. So this gospel was strange indeed. "You mean I don't have to do anything? Christ did it for me?" How very strange indeed, and actually kind of refreshing. I've never heard this before. For two weeks I wrestled with this strange new doctrine and finally accepted Christ. There was little outward change in me since I was a very moral person to begin with. But there was a big inner change. That was 43 and 1/2 years ago and in all that time I've never doubted my salvation. Not once. I have met many who have doubted, mainly because they had the misfortune to have grown up in that horrid false legalistic "holiness" movement that plagued evangelicalism in that day, and is trying to once again reassert itself. Thank goodness most of the church is out of that, but now we are sadly swinging way too far over to the other side where anything goes. And, we are too worldly.
VeliMatti Karkainen, professor of systematic theology at Fuller Seminary says this,
...it [any theological direction taking us away from the cross such as the emergent and seeker churches--my observation]
all springs from the same source, which is the denial of anything that is absolute or that has some authority. I don't think you can be an evangelical without recognizing the authority of Scripture and the uniqueness of Christ.
I finish by making this bold statement because I feel passionately that it needs to be said. Any church that is dragging people away from Jesus Christ (notice I attached Christ to His name); any church that just teaches things a man named Jesus taught WITHOUT explaining the Christ part - the cross and resurrection part adequately, and the sin part -- IMO is abusive. That's right I said A-B-U-S-I-V-E!! Keeping people from salvation through the blood of Christ and sending them to hell is abusive IMO.
I know that if I had heard the gospel in my church as I was growing up, by the time I was in high school at the latest, I would have become a Christian. There is no doubt in my mind about that. I know that will drive the Calvinists nuts. Sorry. The gospel should not have been withheld from me or my classmates. It was wrong. Liberal Protestants are wrong and if the emergents and seekers keep going in that direction, they are wrong and IMO being abusive.
And that is my story. Thanks for listening
