Are some Churches getting out of hand?

[Ps104_33]

Last week, church leaders mailed 25,000 colorful fliers to Melbourne households, asking residents "Is Your Sex Life A Bore?" and inviting them to go to the school to "learn how to have the Great Sex that God created you to enjoy!"

Is it really necessary for a so-called Christian church to advertise something like this? Is this pastor using sex to sell his church to the public? Luring folks to his church the same way Calvin Klein sells it products.




http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20090425/NEWS01/904250314/1006/news01

 

[Revmitchell]

Yes it is getting out of hand. How ridiculous.

 

[sag38]

I agree. It's stepping over the line.

 

[matt wade]

This pastor and the entire church should be utterly ashamed.

 

[Dale-c]

Yes this is out of hand. I would also have a problem with even calling this a church.
Yes, they may call themselves a church but if something that calls itself a church does not do what a church is supposed to do then it is no more a church than Dr Phil.

 

[Tom Butler]

When you top priority is filling your auditorium, it appears that nothing is off limits to attract people. Clown commiunion. High-wire trapeze acts. Pragmatism prevails.

Never mind what you feed them.

I've often wondered what qualifies a pastor to instruct someone on great sex.

 

[annsni]

I do think it's a bit risque but we also need to know what the pastor will be preaching on.

Will he be preaching on God's design for sex? Will he be teaching that the best sex is sex inside of a Godly marriage and then teaching the Gospel, what a Godly marriage is like and so forth?

I think it's tough to tell from just the headlines - you need to know the truth to fully judge what is happening.

 

[rbell]

Too salacious, IMO.

Should churches talk about intimacy? Yup. (keeping in mind the subject matter, and the need for discretion) Should they sensationalize it, to appeal to baser curiosities? Nope.

 

[Shortandy]

This is not a new development. In the past few years this whole "improve your sex life" junk has been springing up in areas all over the place. I personally know of cases in Florida and here in my state of Georgia as well.

It is part of the whole "seeker" and "emerging" movements. Some churches using this model use secular songs that reference sex to kick off their meetings.

Oh how I feel sorry for some on judgement day!

 

[annsni]

This is not a new development. In the past few years this whole "improve your sex life" junk has been springing up in areas all over the place. I personally know of cases in Florida and here in my state of Georgia as well.

It is part of the whole "seeker" and "emerging" movements. Some churches using this model use secular songs that reference sex to kick off their meetings.

Oh how I feel sorry for some on judgement day!

Again, I don't think we can paint such a broad stroke and bring this church under what other churches have done. I'd also have to see how the secular songs that reference sex are used. To play it as an illustration to how the world views sex? I think that's OK. To play it as a time to sing or something like that? No way, Jose.

 

[Shortandy]

Again, I don't think we can paint such a broad stroke and bring this church under what other churches have done. I'd also have to see how the secular songs that reference sex are used. To play it as an illustration to how the world views sex? I think that's OK. To play it as a time to sing or something like that? No way, Jose.

The thread is about churches (plural) and what one church is doing can most certainly be examined in light of what others are doing, especially when they seem to be a carbon copy of each other.

I don't think secular songs have a place in the church. For example a popular song by Justin Timberlake was being used at the church I know of in Florida. The title of the song is "sexy-back". It was used to just kick off the times of teaching; like intro music. It has no place in the church.

 

[annsni]

The thread is about churches (plural) and what one church is doing can most certainly be examined in light of what others are doing, especially when they seem to be a carbon copy of each other.

I don't think secular songs have a place in the church. For example a popular song by Justin Timberlake was being used at the church I know of in Florida. The title of the song is "sexy-back". It was used to just kick off the times of teaching; like intro music. It has no place in the church.

I know we wouldn't use music like that but was it used in a church of young people to bring to their attention what is wrong? I know we've used songs in youth group that the kids listen to and have explained what they're listening to and just how listening to something ("But mom! It's only a song!") can sway our thinking towards something wrong.

I certainly wouldn't use it in a grey-haired church but in a church of early adulthood? It would depend on how the pastor used it.

 

[JohnDeereFan]

Just remember, "what you win them with is what you keep them with". If you win them with programs, then you must keep them with programs because once the program is over, they're gone.

Remember the great revival that came as a result of "Weigh Down Workshop"? No? How about the Prayer of Jabez? No again, huh? Well, there's always Promise Keepers. Oh, no, wait, that's been defunct for ten years.

Folks, fads will come and go and if all you're doing is selling a fad, then all you're doing is making false converts.

Just preach the Gospel and those the Lord wills to come will come and those He wills not to come will go to Joel Osteen's church.

In our church, we're blissfully un-hip and "irrelevant". No rock music, no clown communion, no rock band, no tricks.

We just preach the Gospel and worship the Lord with the great hymns of the faith.

As a result, we've grown greatly since we were founded three years ago and, except for one or two families who have moved since then, we have an extremely high retention rate, but more than that, we've found that our members are more committed to the life and minstry of the church, more committed to the study of God's word and walking with Christ, and more committed to evangelism.

Yeah, we could have done some things that would have caused us to grow in numbers, but by following God's word, we're seing growth in people and to us, that is infinitely more valuable.

 

[annsni]

See - we did the Prayer of Jabez and we have added new ministries because of needs that the congregation saw but didn't know what to do with it. We didn't do it as a personal "get rich" kind of thing but asking God that He would bless us, would enlarge our sphere of influence and protect us while we did His work. There was nothing wrong with that, IMO.

I agree that we need to be careful with what we grab people with but so many feel that God hates sex - but when they find out the truth, they're like "HUH??" I had someone on a board really try to attack me for my faith and wanted the zinger - so she asked me a question about sex and my answer floored her - and she apologized. I gave a Biblical answer which was not what the world thought the Bible said and many were stunned.

If a church uses this sort of thing (which I'm not sure is the wisest thing but I also don't know the culture they're in) and they teach Biblical sexuality, what is wrong with that? Solid preaching, Biblical guidelines and truth. Many may walk out thinking that they were going to hear something juicy but they didn't but some may stay saying "Wow! I didn't realize God was like this!" and stay on to come to know Him. That's not a bad thing!

 

[Shortandy]

I know we wouldn't use music like that but was it used in a church of young people to bring to their attention what is wrong? I know we've used songs in youth group that the kids listen to and have explained what they're listening to and just how listening to something ("But mom! It's only a song!") can sway our thinking towards something wrong.

I certainly wouldn't use it in a grey-haired church but in a church of early adulthood? It would depend on how the pastor used it.

If you wouldn't use it in a "grey-haired" service then why would you use it at all? Truth is not a relative thing. It is right or wrong but it can't be both. You don't have to play a song to discuss it. Playing it only empowers it...it indirectly communicates to the audience that you listen to it as well.

And I must ask....is the Gospel of Christ not enough? Why do we have to spice up the service to reach people? Some say we do these things to reach others but put yourself in their shoes for just a moment. How does this approach come across to the "seeker"???

It is one of two things. #1--it is liberal watered down teaching anyway with a generic Jesus who doesn't really care about sin or #2---its nothing but bait and switch. You draw them in using an spicy topic like sex (the bait) then you begin to preach sound biblical doctrine (the switch). In case one the person is not really challenged because its a false gospel. In case two the person is bound to feel betrayed and angry. You did nothing but deceive them.

I say be honest. I say preach the Gospel and call for repentance that leads to salvation. You don't have to "doctor" it up with all the worldliness. Just preach the Gospel.

 

[MB]

It certainly seems to be a sign of the times we live in. The real question is, if Christ doesn't hurry will there be any faith left in the world. It seems to me the great apostacy is already here. People are turning to themselves instead of Christ.
MB

 

[donnA]

definatley too much, when numbers are all that counts, this is the kind of garbage people will try.

 

[donnA]

It certainly seems to be a sign of the times we live in. The real question is, if Christ doesn't hurry will there be any faith left in the world. It seems to me the great apostacy is already here. People are turning to themselves instead of Christ.
MB

True believers in Christ will still be standing, in faith, when He returns.

 

[JohnDeereFan]

If a church uses this sort of thing (which I'm not sure is the wisest thing but I also don't know the culture they're in) and they teach Biblical sexuality, what is wrong with that?

What's wrong is that the Bible never says that the purpose of church is to draw goats in by titilating conversation.

Solid preaching, Biblical guidelines and truth.

I agree. Let's stick to solid preaching, Biblical guidelines and truth and lose the Unbiblical fads.

Many may walk out thinking that they were going to hear something juicy but they didn't but some may stay saying "Wow! I didn't realize God was like this!" and stay on to come to know Him. That's not a bad thing!

Yes, it's a very bad thing.

 

[SeekingTruth]

In my view, any church (so called) that uses such tactics is apostate and will face the righteous judgement of Christ.