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 Just what is the emergent church?

I would like some information from those who are in the know on this subject. Just what is the Emergent Church?

I hear it spoken on the Internet but I really don't know what the gist of it is. I am not looking to debate, I truly would like some input on this movement as I deliberately keep myself in the dark concerning "religions", but I would like to know more about this.

I thank you in advance for any information that you share.

God Bless

 2009/10/10 23:03









 Re: Just what is the emergent church?

The Emergent Church is an army of professional clergymen trying to figure out how to save their bacon in the face of declining church attendance.

Their literature is whimsical autobiography about how they find God in the prosaic as they go about their prosaic professional clergymen lives.

Their slogan is "No creed but Christ; no law but love."

They are universally recognized as heretics by traditional evangelicals because they deny the doctrine of Sola Dogma.

 2009/10/10 23:33
ChrisMo
Member



Joined: 2007/12/31
Posts: 33


 Re: Emergent Church

Brian McLaren is part of the emergent church, he denies the substitutionary work of the cross.
Lighthouse Trials speaks alot about the emergent church, just google them & you will find out about them.


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Christine

 2009/10/11 1:35Profile
Compton
Member



Joined: 2005/2/24
Posts: 2732


 Re:

The emergent church is an attempt to create a synthesis between evangelical Christianity and post-modern deconstructionism. It appeals to more liberal evangelicals in the US with the critique that conservative culture and politics have distorted historic Christianity in America.

The emergent viewpoint is controversial with conservative Christians not because it critques conservative religous culture, but because of it's central premise that there can be no ultimate understanding of scriptural text, and therefore all theology is essentially contextual theology. For instance, they assert that conservative and fundamentalist Christianty is only a social construct based on european enlightenment thinking, and needs to replaced with a new social construct; a contextual theology that reflects 21st century global culture.

The main unifying belief that all emergent adherents share is a sharp descontructionist critque of so-called western Christianity, and all of it's percieved injustices and biases. Beyond this shared thesis, the different churches within the emergent stream vary widely in organizational form and practice, from ecclesiastical, to mystical, and so defy being easily catalogued by their particular and individual expressions. However, because of their underlying premise that all truth is constructed, and all theology is contextual, these varied and differing expressions tend to be shaped through aesthetic choices based on the shared aspirations of the community.

Mike


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Mike Compton

 2009/10/11 1:42Profile
Miccah
Member



Joined: 2007/9/13
Posts: 1752
Wisconsin

 Re:


Compton wrote:

Quote:


The emergent church is an attempt to create a synthesis between evangelical Christianity and post-modern deconstructionism. It appeals to more liberal evangelicals in the US with the critique that conservative culture and politics have distorted historic Christianity in America.

The emergent belief viewpoint is controversial with conservative Christians not because of it's critque of conservative religous culture, but because of it's central premise that there can be no ultimate understanding of scriptural text, and therefore all theology is essentially contextual theology. For instance, they assert that conservative and fundamentalist Christianty is only a social construct based on european enlightenment thinking, and needs to replaced with a new social construct; a contextual theology that reflects 21st century global culture.

The main unifying belief that all emergent adherents share is a sharp descontructionist critque of so-called western Christianity, and all of it's percieved injustices and biases. However, churches within the emergent stream vary widely in organizational form and practice, from ecclesiastical, to mystical and so defy being easily defined by their particular and individual expressions. Because of their general position that all truth is constructed, and all theology is contextual, these varied and differing expressions tend to be shaped through aesthetic choices based on the shared aspirations of the community.

Mike




Thank you for the breakdown. Well explained. :-)


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Christiaan

 2009/10/11 1:51Profile









 Re:

Thank you Mike.

The reason why I am interested in this one movement is because David Wilkerson mentions something of this nature in his book "The Vision". He said that the true Church would become invisible, that is to say that it's influence would lesson (for the time being). But then he speaks of this "Super World Church" that, if I may use this phrase, "looks like a lamb but speaks like a dragon". It accepts anyone and everyone; sinner and so called saint. The underground true Church will be composed of all types of denominations (catholic and protestant) all unified under one head Jesus Christ. From time to time this true Church will emerge and radically evangelize, but it will face stiff opposition from this Super World Church, which is probably this Emergent Church.

 2009/10/11 12:52
twayneb
Member



Joined: 2009/4/5
Posts: 2256
Joplin, Missouri

 Re:

Quote:
The reason why I am interested in this one movement is because David Wilkerson mentions something of this nature in his book "The Vision". He said that the true Church would become invisible, that is to say that it's influence would lesson (for the time being). But then he speaks of this "Super World Church" that, if I may use this phrase, "looks like a lamb but speaks like a dragon". It accepts anyone and everyone; sinner and so called saint. The underground true Church will be composed of all types of denominations (catholic and protestant) all unified under one head Jesus Christ. From time to time this true Church will emerge and radically evangelize, but it will face stiff opposition from this Super World Church, which is probably this Emergent Church.



I am certain that that emergent church will be part of the false church in the end, but I am not sure it is the origin of the false church. I would agree with Wilkerson about the false and true church in the end. God really opened up the first three chapters of 1 Corinthians to me on this issue some time back. There is a false church comprised of all different denominations who have learned to look to man, to follow man's creed, man's doctrines who will ultimately (depending on your eschatology) follow one false man. There is also one true church who, althought they may carry many different names, follow the Lamb. The name tags are, for all practical purpose, meaningless. Their hearts are totally given to their Lord and Master, and they follow Christ wherever He goes. They are the true church, the bride of Christ.

We have a group in our community who I would describe as part of the emergent church movement who are leading people I know astray. There is a definite adversarial attitude toward anything that smacks of organized religion or orthodoxy. They seem very critical of real moves of God, and their doctrine is definitely a product of their culture more than a product of submission to the written Word of God. Their primary focus seems to be a perversion of freedom. Through Christ we are free from the law, and free from sin. They pervert this to a freedom to blend licentiousness with Christianity. There is a self-help and personal empowerment undercurrent that flows throughout this whole "church". Sounds a lot like the definition that our brother stated so well earlier in this thread.

Travis.


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Travis

 2009/10/11 23:29Profile









 Re:

I highly recommend John MacArthur's new book "The Truth War"... it will answer a lot of your questions and show you why the so-called "Emerging Church" is to be marked and avoided.

Krispy

 2009/10/12 9:19









 Re:

Thank you Travis for that word. Very well written. In regards to Eschatology, I only suggest that the 1 Corinthians that the LORD showed you (which I have absolutely no doubt that He did), nothing being new under the sun, what happened once before will happen again under totally different circumstances, and not related to bible prophecy as referring to an "End". I needed to insert that, but that is not the topic at hand.

I wanted to comment on your post. I agree with you on every point. There seems to be that mindset where people do want to be "saved" but don't want to pay the price of the Holy Spirit by our cooperation in mortifying the deeds of the flesh. Every man is certainly dead in Christ (in theory), but not every man knows that (they need to "hear" the gospel), not even some of us believers know that (not being taught). I too had never known what those things meant until I was taught the deep things of God. Now the practicality of those things taught doesn't mean that they are instantly understood, I wish it was that way, but slowly but surely it sinks in.

There is something about the Crucified Christ and taking man with Him to that cross to which people simply do not want to be associated with. They that live godly in this life shall suffer persecution. Being Godly is one who is first of all dead to the deeds of the flesh because God cannot sin and does not have that nature. Secondly, God is a Spirit and His worshipers are those that worship Him in Spirit and Truth. They must be in the Spirit and filled with Him and walking in the truth, there can't be any error.

With the information given thus far by other posters and yourself suggests to me that the Emergent Church doesn't want to offend anyone, yet they are willing to offend God. So their motive is not to serve God but self, though they have "God" on their lips and profess to know Jesus Christ.

I remember years ago watching a documentary about gays in the church. There was one that was etched into my mind where this gay led church all were singing the song, "Are you washed in the blood of the lamb". I remember years further back where they were saying that Churches were removing songs about the blood because they were offensive. But here they are singing it anyway. It's an awful thing when a person is deceived by their own sin. They make allowances for it so they may preserve it.

 2009/10/12 10:02









 Re:

According to John MacArthur the real danger of the Emergent Church is that they don't believe in absolute truth. Brian McClaren's writings about basic Biblical doctrine is scarey stuff. It's a postmodern philosophy of "we can't really know what is true".

Well, I got news for everyone... God ain't post-modern!

God is Truth... and so is His Word. And we can know the Truth. But when you say that then people like McClaren will tell you that you are arrogant, you can't possibly know the truth!

Yes you can.

Thats the real danger of the Emergent Church Movement.

The Emergent Church is nothing more than a bunch of rebels who think they are elites. The Bible has another word for them: FOOLS.

Krispy

 2009/10/13 8:28





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