Christ is the Center
The charge is bandied about that the new breed of Evangelical Seeker-Sensitive pastors are preaching a Me-Centered Gospel, a watered down gospel or are preaching a Christless form of Christianity. But in my conversations with Church Planters and in taking the time to listen to thousands of hours of their sermons I can definitively state that their theology isn't technically 'Christless' and that they believe with ALL of their hearts that they are fulfilling the calling to which they feel Christ has called them.
The problem lies in their popularized form of Baptist theology and its Material and Formal Principles. The center of their religion is off and as a result they are focusing on the wrong things and are trying to produce the results they are seeking with the wrong tools. I know this sounds like an outrageous and conceited charge on my part. But, please bear with me…
By the way, I have made many of the same criticisms myself, so I hope the post author doesn’t lump all Baptists in the same boat. If the heart of the matter is my changed life, then anyone who follows me around for any length of time will find Christian theology heartless. I don’t do to well.
Christ crucified is the only hope many of us have, and His cross is the heart of our spiritual lives.
Comments