Seeker Sensitive: Is It Biblical?

But see, SS got you involved, and thats the function partly. Maybe you already happened to be a Christian. Anyway, I dont mean to get off the track of worship.

 

Chruches should be sensitive to seekers in their midst and address their concerns. They should also be sensitive to non-seekers in their mides and address their concerns. A church that only addresses the needs of seekers has problems. A church that doesn't address the needs of seekers has problems.

 

please give some examples of what you think makes a church worldly.

 

You could read the Humanist Manifestos I and II and see if you can't see many of the principles and ideas within the church.

Then there is the divorce rate that is comparable to, if not worse than the world's.

 

I cant give you any scriptures describing that the Sunday morning service should be aimed at seekers. They just are not there.

Can you give me any scripture that supports what we do do on Sunday mornings? We go to church. We sing. We sit. We listen. We leave. Its not exactly the active participative church I see described in the bible. In fact, I have heard that what we do today, and what we did 2000 years ago is very different.

I took my friend tonight to the seeker sensitive church tonight.

The music was a little heavier than I was used to, but as I looked around, I saw people worshipping God... REALLY worshipping God, with their arms lifted and singing with their whole heart to music that they could relate to. The sermon was AWESOME. The theme was Thanksgiving and being thankful for God's past mercies and at the end, he gave the entire gospel and welcomed folks up to pray with him if they wished.

My friend thanked me very much for taking him there. He was on the edge of his seat as he listened to the sermon. I could tell that he had a lot of questions, but unfortunately, the night did not take us into that direction, so hopefully with some prayer, he will be coming over to talk to my husband and I this week.

I honestly for the life of me cannot understand what is so wrong with churches like this. They are out to win souls for Christ. They are a much needed ministry. They become relevant to the culture, and there is nothing wrong with that. I believe that scripturally, we are told to be that.

I have many friends who are members of this church. Once you become a member, you go to core meetings on another night, which talk about the needs and the focus of this ministry. They get doctrine. They get actual training. (which is a huge lack in my baptist church I must say) They must join a ministry. The Christians that I know that are a part of this particular seeker church are some of the most real christians I have ever met in my life. They are some of the most on fire for God Christians I have met in my life. I think out of any church that I have ever been a part of (and I was never a core member of this church) this one lived out their christianity in the most noticeable way.

I do know, that this also exists in baptist churches. Im not saying at all that this is necessary for all churches in order to catch the world. What I am saying, is that there is nothing wrong with it at all. There is nothing wrong with a church whose focus is winning souls and centers their Sunday mornings around this.

I know that some seeker churches are better than others. Some water down the gospel. Some let a little too much of the world in, but that happens in baptist churches too!!

I liked the seeker service tonight. It gave me a little pep.

I think that perhaps those adamantly opposed to this type of church may just be missing the point. It is all about the Lord and winning souls for Him.

 

Tatertot

I can see that.

 

Luke 19.10

 

Emily? Any Scriptures for this?

 

The proof is in the results. If they were making disciples we would see many coming out making more disciples. That simply is not happening.

Thye may call it discipleship but it is not the real thing. It is not Luke 9:23-24; Mt. 4:19 and 28:19,20.

 

Seems to come down to what the church is supposed to be doing. If the Bible says build a building and bring lost people in so the preacher can lead them to Christ then do that.

If, on the other hand the Bible tells us to ALL be witnessing and leading to the Lord and bringing those new believers into the church to be taught then do that.

 

That is called architectural evangelism.

 

For what?

Im confused about what you are asking me.

I stated in my most recent post that I agree with you. There are no scriptures at all supporting any type of seeker sensitive church service.

What I asked of you in return, is to give me any that tell us to worship the way that we do.

We come. We sing. We sit. We listen to one man preach. We leave.

I love going to church, but it doesnt seem to be the way that the church went about business when it was very young. There, it seemed that they shared everything. Anyone (man) was allowed to share. Pastors came about from the congregation, not selected from seminary. People were taken care of.

It seems very far away from even the way my beloved sbc home church handles things.

I want scripture from you telling me where 200 people listening to 1 person is scriptural.

If you cant, then I rest my case. I cant show you any scripture at all either.

The only thing that I can say, is that I have seen first hand people come to know Christ through ministries and churches such as this. I cant see how it can be a bad thing.

As far as worship and non-believers go, I also agreed with you there. Non-believers CANT worship God, but I dont think that the seeker sensitive church necessarily calls their Sunday mornings, or their main service a "worship service". Maybe they do. I havent been to too many, but I can assure you that there are true believers among them who are worshipping.

I guess perhaps maybe I am a little confused on what you are asking of me here as well.

 

exscentric said

"If, on the other hand the Bible tells us to ALL be witnessing and leading to the Lord and bringing those new believers into the church to be taught then do that. "


I believe, with my whole heart that this is what the bible is telling us to do.

However, there are seekers out there. There is a "market" for this so to speak. There are people who will go visit churches to learn. I definately do not see any prohibitions in the bible for this sort of thing.

 

Nehemiah 8:4-6

4 Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.

5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6 Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.


Luke 4:14-21

14Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
16He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."[a]

20Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

Acts 2:14

14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd...


Acts 2:42

42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching

Acts 14:1

1At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed.

Acts 16:13-14

13On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message.

Shall I go on?

 

Pastor

I like those scriptures. I still dont think that this describes what happens at a typical baptist church.

 

Sure wouldn't want to tell them they are not welcome checking their credentials at the door.

James 2;2-4, "For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool ," have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?

 

---quote--
exscentric said

"If, on the other hand the Bible tells us to ALL be witnessing and leading to the Lord and bringing those new believers into the church to be taught then do that. "


I believe, with my whole heart that this is what the bible is telling us to do.

However, there are seekers out there. There is a "market" for this so to speak. There are people who will go visit churches to learn. I definately do not see any prohibitions in the bible for this sort of thing.
--quote---
Humm.

If you believe it with your whole heart then case closed. The "however" might seem to be an "I don't agree with God." if your first comment is true.

If there are seekers out there then witness to them. If you don't feel you can witness to them, and you feel you have to take them to church to hear the gospel then you are not doing what you believe you ought to be doing OR your church hasn't prepared you to do the work of the Lord - witnessing. (Eph. 4.11ff)

In large churches there are millions of dollars being spent building buildings for outreach, and activities and programs to DRAW people into the church to hear the gospel - not needed if the Bible teaches what we say it teaches those millions could go to planting churches in new areas, to missionaries etc. for the spreading of the Gospel

As to what are we doing in church today -- uuuhh you are correct in your observations - we aren't doing what the Bible times folks did, they were having teaching, fasting, praying and fellowship, not ..... whatever many churches do.

 

Ok. It is rather clear you have your mind made up. I find it sad you have become convinced of something that you have no Scripture to support. And when Scripture is presented for the other side you say "yes, but..."

 

I know of no churches that do this ... we are often labeled seeker sensitive and this argument is silly.

This discussion is really absurd when you think of the other option ... churches that are INSENSITIVE to unbelievers?