Pastorinthewoods's Weblog: Can You Handle The Truth?

The president of Southern Baptist Seminary says Christians should not observe Muslim “holy days,” no matter how well-intentioned they may be.

Brian McLaren is known as the godfather of the “emergent church,” which seeks to recover ancient Christian worship practices. The emergent church movement has, at times, questioned the theology of traditional evangelicalism. McLaren made headlines recently when he announced he would be fasting during Ramadan to better understand Muslims.

Muslims find new Ramadan fast partners: Christians

On a recent radio broadcast, Dr. Albert Mohler, Jr. tackled the issue, saying it is dangerous and confusing when Christians adopt the practices of other religious beliefs which do not acknowledge Jesus as Savior and Lord. Instead, Mohler said Christians must focus on Christ and sharing the gospel with Muslims.
 
“It is the love of Christ that leads us to love our neighbor enough to share the gospel with them, which takes on the very tangible expression of seeking to have them, by means of the gospel, come to know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. That is love, in that God loved us so also we love our neighbor – and love of neighbor is not just in terms of living peaceably among our neighbors,” he contends.

“From a Christian perspective, from a New Testament perspective, loving our neighbor is not just not putting our grass clippings on his lawn; it’s loving our neighbor enough to share the gospel with him, to be motivated to share the gospel.”
 
Mohler said many Muslims do not understand the true nature of Islam.

From the pastorinthewoods blog spot I want to say that I thank God for men like Mohler who understand the age that we live in and can speak prophetically to it.

Nothing surprises me anymore about the emergent church. They have traded sound theology for pragmatic relevance. Everything is about understanding the journey of others. Instead of focusing on the Creator and Savior of the universe, they have decided to focus on created human beings needs and desires. They have done this to their own peril. In the end it is a shadow church where people demand to be served and stirred by feel good messages about a God who thinks they are the “coolest and most awesomest ever.” These preachers put far more time into their stage props than in their sermon preparation. Worship leaders stand up to lead music and say during the praise time, “ now we worship”, disregarding the read and preached Word when they take time to actually read it and preach it. While I have no issue with a fresh approach to missions and church planting. I do have issues with the direction of church planting when it values pragmatic relevance over the preaching and teaching of God’s Word and the sound fundamentals of the faith. The Gospel has the power to save the Jew and the Gentile not “understanding.” Therefore,we should not be ashamed of it as some seem to be. (Romans 1:16)