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How about the Community
Church Movement?
Introduction:
A. January 15,
2001 U.S.
News and World Report; "In a Time of Division, an Urge to
Merge."
1. Article takes look at how the ecumenical movement in America is
progressing.
2. Especially focuses on "full communion agreement" b/w
the 5. 2 million member Evangelical
Lutheran Church
and the 2. 5 million member Episcopal Church that occurred in Jan. of 2001.
a. 2 religions have agreed to "share clergy and pool other
resources."
b. This "merger" was the result of "decades of
dialogue, prayer, and politicking".
B. According to
many historians, the Ecumenical Movement has been a fiasco.
a. Evangelical Lutheran Church & Episcopal Church, each will
retain own creeds / structures
b. Hence, the unity is unity in diversity.
C. Perhaps the greatest
success story unfolding in America
today relative to unity in diversity and religious merger is the Community
Church Movement.
a. Community Church concept claims to be answer for numerous & divergent
denominations.
b. Indeed, divergent religion in direct conflict with prayer
Jesus prayed regarding his followers all being one (Jn.
17: 20, 21).
D. According to the World
Christian Encyclopedia, the number of denominations throughout the
world have surpassed 35, 800, with an average of 10 new ones organized each
week.
E. In Ashamed
of the Gospel, John MacArthur writes against the
"market-driven" approach to religion.
a. "Provide non-Christians with an agreeable, inoffensive
environment. Give them freedom, tolerance, and anonymity. Always be
positive and benevolent. If you must have a sermon, keep it brief and
amusing. Don’t be preachy or authoritative. Above all, keep everyone
entertained. Churches following this pattern will see numerical growth,
we’re assured; those that ignore it are doomed to decline" (pp.
45-46).
b. "Preaching—particularly preaching about sin,
righteousness, and judgment—is too confrontive
to be truly satisfying. The church must learn to couch the truth in ways
that amuse and entertain" (p. 23).
F. In contrast
to such a philosophy of preaching that entertains, the Bible commands
preaching that convicts the heart and moves the sinner to repentance
G. Matt 4:17; Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30; Acts 26:20; 20:21; 2 Corinthians 5:9-10; Acts 24:25
I. The numerical
success of the Community
Church Movement.
A. There is no
question as to the numerical success of the Community Church
concept.
a. some are calling the movement a phenomenon.
b. Newsweek featured Community Church of Joy in Glendale, Arizona
i.
"Success story" = 6k members in age of
declining membership (August 9, 1993).
B. Many
historians consider the Willow Creek Community
Church in Chicago to be the inception and very
impetus of the Community Church Movement.
a. Has so phenomenally increased in numbers that Harvard Business School
has prepared case study on it.
b. Peter Drucker cited them in the Harvard
Business Review as example of "what business can learn from
non-profits."
c. I am told that over 1, 000 church leaders from all across America travel thereek
each year to learn how to duplicate the Willow Creek
Community Church
in their cities.
II. The Willow Creek Community
Church (an
examination).
A. Willow Creek
Community Church began in 1975 as an "independent Christian
church."
1. They began to meet in a rented theater in the western suburbs
of Chicago, Illinois.
2. In 1995, they had mushroomed into a congregation of 21, 000
members.
3. Since Willow
Creek is viewed by many as the progenitor of the Community Church Movement,
what were the circumstances of their beginning success and what methods did
they use?
B. The plea and
methods of Willow Creek, the example church today for many.
1. The members of Willow Creek went into the surrounding
neighborhoods and asked people, "Why do you not attend church?"
2. The response they received was fivefold:
a. Churches are always asking for money,
b. Church services were boring and lifeless,
c. Church services were predictable,
d. Sermons were irrelevant to daily life in the real world,
e. Preacher made people feel guilty or ignorant, so leave church
feeling worse than when they entered."
C. Based on the
results of their surveys, Willow Creek redesigned the typical American
church service.
1. Result was innovative approach to worship that involved:
a. Pop singer has replaced the choir, & 10-piece rock band
has replaced the organ.
b. Eliminating denominational names.
i.
Most still hold to Baptist or Methodist creeds / teachings,
but the name has been changed.
ii. As this
movement has infiltrated churches of Christ, the name church of Christ
has been diminished or eliminated.
a) Various liberal
congregations have dropped the designation "church of Christ",
arguing that people are turned off by such terms.
i.
But such a name is Biblical (Romans 16:16).
ii. Dropping the
name virtually equals dropping what the name represents
b) The church
that’s following Christ, New Testament Christianity, & church
that Jesus founded
c) Secondly,
such is a deceptive practice.
i.
Better to be honest/upfront with people, than lure under
false pretense- 1 Pet 2:1
c. Casual emphasis in worship, both in style and dress.
d. Different kind of leadership model rather than elders who have
authority.
e. Praise teams and entertainment orientation in worship.
f. A greater emphasis on "self", including one’s
own feelings and emotions.
g. De-emphasis on doctrine, and among churches of Christ, a
de-emphasis of restoration plea.
h. A market-driven program, that is, striving to provide what
people want or what they are seeking, rather than what God says they need
2. Also began to play down any obligation on part of people
attending to financially contribute.
3. They boast about introducing a "new church" to America.
D. Willow Creek also
felt a need to depart from the usual church building architecture.
1. Many Community Church buildings now resemble college campus,
with food court inside.
2. They typically stress the formation of groups within the
church.
3. In these various groups, social matters such as financial
counseling, plumbing, and car repair are offered. Hence, the concept of
"community church."
E. We can
preach truth, urge people to repent, expose error & still greet people
in warm, friendly way.
1. Jesus ate with sinners and continued to preach the truth.
2. We can make people feel welcome, but making mistake if we want
them to avoid all discomfort
3. Word of God will naturally cause any sinner to feel
uncomfortable at times - Hebrews 4:12; John 16:8; Acts 2:37
4. Life is not about avoiding discomfort
F. People who
wanted sinners to feel no discomfort were labeled as false prophets in
times past,
1. Isaiah 30:10; Jeremiah 8:11
2. Spiritual growth many times requires being convicted and being
uncomfortable - Matt 5:3-4
III. The strong appeal, other than social or community, of
Community church Movement is emphasizing of inter-denomination or
multi-denomination structure.
A. They believe
that in them is fulfillment of Jesus' prayer, "that they all may be one in us"
John 17: 21
B. Each member
allowed to retain own particular religious beliefs, as long as they
don’t bind on others.
Conclusion:
A. Community Church Movement is not the fulfillment of Jesus' prayer for unity.
a. It is tailored made for people instead of expecting people to
change to please God.
B. Community
Church Movement cheapens religion by bringing it down to level / condition
of worldly
a. Of no real benefit to mankind, other than to socially placate
and satisfy man's carnal desires.
C. Community
Church Movement has politics and doctrinal compromise as its chief and
primary premise and cohesive (Ephesians 4: 3-6).
D. When people submit
to the authority of God's word, they can and will be truly united
a. Jn. 17: 8-21; Gal. 1: 6-10; Rev. 22: 18, 19
Until man
denies self & submits to God, religions such as Community Church will
continue to flourish
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