I recently saw an article about a pastor of a very large, quite famous church (no, not Joel Osteen). The pastor's name is Carl Lentz. The church is Hillsong in N.Y.C. The article states that he appeared as a guest on a really ungodly and perverse TV show, The View. This show consistently mocks anyone at all who is godly or righteous in any way.
So, the pastor is being interviewed and he is asked directly "is abortion a sin?" Now, it's one thing to speak to your congregation, quite another to have the opportunity to impact millions of unbelievers through this tv show. His answer? "God is the judge" - he refused, absolutely refused to call it a sin.
Would you rather shock someone now with the truth or let them wait to be shocked later when they face the living embodiment of Truth - Jesus himself, as He sentences them to hell? Churches like Hillsong like to say "we love you as you are", "God loves you", "you are accepted in the beloved" but we are only "accepted in the beloved" if the beloved is accepted in us. Only if sin is overcome in us by righteousness. Jesus said he came into the world (the first time) that "the world through him might be saved" but he also said the dead shall arise "and shall come forth, they that have done good, unto the ressurection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the ressurection of damnation". He alao declared "he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation".
When the Gospel excludes hell and damnation, when it does not call sin - "sin", it becomes a false gospel. Some (Rob Bell) even teach there is no literal hell. How they twist so many scriptures to teach this false doctrine i don't even want to know. "THERE IS THEREFORE NOW NO CONDEMNATION TO THEM WHICH ARE IN CHRIST JESUS, WHO WALK NOT AFTER THE FLESH, BUT AFTER THE SPIRIT", "ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THEM THAT LOVE GOD" more than their own flesh. If we love Him, we will keep His commandments. Chief among them is "Go and sin no more". There is no condemnation for those who love God so much they stop walking after the flesh, with it's many diverse lusts therein. They love God. They love holiness. They love Truth (in the inward parts, in their hearts, not just their ears). They love righteousness. They hate sin. They hate abortuon. They hate homosexuality. They do not say "live according to your own convictions" - they say "live according to the will of God". They hate what sin does to people. They preach God's love in the proper context - a love that took our sin and its fruit upon himself so we may be free from it, not continue in it, as we come to church week after week, year after year, ever learning but never letting the Truth into our hearts, because our pastor says we're loved and accepted just as we are.
The Cross is messy. It's offensive to our flesh. It's offensive to abortionists and homosexuals and adulterers, murderers, liars and thieves. The Hillsong pastor knows this. So he avoids offending the hosts and viewers of the View. The Cross declares us to be horrible, naked, wounded, filthy and bloody - it is the truest picture of ourselves, apart from God, we will ever see. It says, loud and clear, we are all worthy of a horrifying, unending death, for if we refuse Christ, if we refuse to turn from our personal sin and wickedness, if we choose to acknowledge the Cross intellectually but not let our sin filled man be nailed to it with Christ - then the bloody, wounded, filthy mess Christ became will be our state of being for eternity. No wonder there is eternal weeping and gnashing of teeth!
Imagine the pain of the Cross but without death as an escape. Ah, but in church after church, the decision becomes, let's avoid it, let's not talk about it, especially on a secular TV show like the View, or Oprah Winfrey, witn an audience of millions (if you're ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous generation, of you also shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father; with the holy angels). The Hillsong pastor did not quote a single scripture - instead he told them, basically, who am i to judge what is or isn't a sin? God is the judge, not me. True. And he has listed in great detail in His Word what He considers sin to be. Abortion and homosexuality are on that list (this same pastor, a few years back, when homosexual marriages became legal across the "Christian" USA, refused to condemn it). This pastor chose to find common ground between himself and the demon-infested hosts of "The View". He chose to mix the holy and the profane. "And what concord (agreement) has Christ with Belial? Or what part he that believes with an i fidel? Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, saith The Lord, AND TOUCH NOT THE UNCLEAN THING; and I will receive you".
These pastors teach he will receive us while touching the unclean thing, without coming out and becoming seperate. Millions of homosexuals will dieand go to hell as a result of this gospel. In defense of this pastor - some said it is the Love of God that leads men to repentance but the scriptures also say "godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation" and "others save with fear; pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh."
The love of God they speak of holds no meaning without the knowledge of the horrible fate His love has rescued us ftom. They talk of His love as if it's blind to the Cross - to the suffering and eternal torment sin causes. They ignore the Cross, with it's blood and gore and shame and mortal wounds - it's too uncomfortable and God is a God of comfort, isn't He?
The enemy wants to whitewash the Cross, he wants to take all the blood and gore off it, and overlay it with gold or silver and hang it around our necks. He wants to make it a thing of beauty, to be admired, not despised - yes, i said despised. I hate what Jesus had to go through to save me. I hate the shame and pain I caused him - i despise my own sinful condition, exposed on the Cross in my naked, bleeding Savior. I despise, i abhor, myself. Satan wants the world to see the Cross as nothing more than a religious symbol, on a t-shirt or church steeple. He wants to minimize it, get people to become familiar with it without the Blood - our blood, upon it. He wants the lost to see a powerl6Christ - by having them hear and meet powerless Christians, especially pastors, who claim to be God's representatives on earth. If Satan can convince pastors to avoid letting the Holy Spirit bring the conviction of our sinful condition, then he's won. He has no problem with preaching and teaching about the love of God, if it does not lead to real repentance.
Come just as you are, but do not remain just as you are. Come just as you are, yes, but not to Church, nay, come to The Cross of Calvary upon which our sweetest of saviors suffered and died, that we might live. Come to Jesus, first on the Cross, then at the right hand of the Father, risen forevermore in eternal glory and power. Come to Him yes, come - but do not avoid Him on the Cross, that your new man may come to Him daily on the throne. The new man has no access to the ressurected Christ if the old man is not crucified daily in the crucified Christ. "NOW UNTO HIM THAT IS ABLE TO KEEP YOU FROM FALLING, AND TO PRESENT YOU FAULTLESS BEFORE THE PRESENCE OF HIS GLORY WITH EXCEEDING JOY, TO THE ONLY WISE GOD OUR SAVIOR, BE GLORY AND MAJESTY, DOMINION AND POWER, BOTH NOW AND FOREVER. AMEN".
