Seeker-sensitive?

This thread is a continuation of a point raised in the Warren thread regarding seeker-services. For background info, read the Warren thread.

Agreed.

Agreed. Discipleship/Equipping is definitely a primary purpose of the church (though not the EXCLUSIVE purposes as you affirm below).

Agreed. These are also valid reasons why the church exists.

Agreed.

I might add that evangelism is also a process. It involves investing your life in others with the intended purpose to show and share Christ. Part of this process may involve inviting them to your local church where they will hear the gospel (as you also point out below). Many believers are uncomfortable or unable to share their faith(which one might attribute to an equipping breakdown but which is a real problem nonetheless) but they can invite their lost friend, neighbor, relative, or co-worker to church, where they will hear the gospel. So evangelism is not just to be done outside the church walls (as you admit below).

This is where you miss the point. Seeker-sensitive does not mean seekers become the sole focus. It means that the service is SENSITIVE to those who are unbelievers. It is not about trying to convince the lost to "come aboard." It is about creating a worship environment that is sensitive to all attendees (w/o compromising the gospel). Most of those who attend these services still do so with the intent to worship God. But they can also know that their unbelieving friend will hear the gospel plainly.

So the intent of this gathering was for believers to bring unbelievers into an environment where Christ could be shared in a clear fashion. In essence, it was a service aimed at evangelism.

So I ask my question again: is your problem with the frequency (weekly) and time (Sat PM/Sun AM) of the seeker services?

Saddleback has services every week designed exclusively for believers (where Warren just did verse-by-verse exposition through Romans).

It appears your church is doing the same thing. They just opt to do it once in a while instead of weekly.

So again it must be the frequency and time of Warren's seeker-sensitive services with which you have a problem. Otherwise it would be inconsistent for you to criticize them for something your church is doing (just less frequently).

Editted to reflect more current information.

[ December 06, 2002, 01:02 PM: Message edited by: PreachtheWord ]

 

The focus of Saddleback is on all 5 purposes and not just seeker-sensitive services. Again, the services fit within a particular overall paradigm.

Their goal is to create an environment where a seeker can hear the gospel in a relevant fashion (without the message itself being compromised). This has to do primarily with the practical things they do (not theological).

Evidently your church practices similar methods (just less frequently).

Did you read and do you agree with my previous post regarding process evangelism?

[ December 06, 2002, 12:01 PM: Message edited by: SBCbyGRACE ]

 

"Church service" is a term we have prescribed to what takes place on Sundays. I would argue that ONE of the purposes of the church is to evangelize the lost. As a result, whatever we do should reflect the message of Christ crucified.

My primary purpose in these threads has not been to promote seeker-sensitive services. We do not have a specific seeker-sensitive service per se. My preaching is expositional-application with the goal of life change. Therefore my messages are very biblical and relevant. My aim is not to "evangelize the lost" in preaching but it is to present the truth of God in such a fashion that unbelievers can understand God's Word is relevant and needed. I want our people to know if they bring an unbeliever with them, that person will hear the gospel in some fashion. My messages are aimed at creating life change in our believers AND communicating the gospel clearly.

I would think the Acts church demonstrated clearly a local church where the gospel was proclaimed. Remember once the first followers were in place, the church was in place. Therefore what Peter was preaching was proclaimed to the church as well.

Mark 16.15: Preach the good news to all creation.

Acts 9.20: At once he began to preach in the synagogue that Jesus is the Son of God.

1 Cor 1.17: For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel (local church).

1 Cor 1.23: we preach Christ crucified (local church).

1 Cor 9.16: Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel (local church ministry)

1 Cor 15.1: I remind you of the gospel I preached to you ... Christ crucified and raised ...

1 Tim 4.9-11: This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance ... that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things.

Preaching the Word involves preaching Christ crucified.

Are you suggesting a pastor should NOT preach the gospel in a "church service"?

Don't lost sight that the point of this thread concerns the consistency of those who admonish Warren for having seeker-sensitive services and yet have evangelistic services themselves on occasion.