Christian2 wrote:Why is it the word evangelical a bad name in some circles?
I have seen this on the faces of some in my congregation, including the Pastor.
What do evangelicals do that would cause this reaction?
Thanks.
For several reasons, but the main one is for marketing purposes in order to justify making
seeker sensitive ie market
driven churches more and more Laodicean in like, tone, and kind.
This is used to increase the numbers in a church to increase the giving/tithing base by blaming past evangelism as too guilt driven, etc and etc as pointed out in post on this forum.
You have people using worldly marketing strategies to promote church growth and thus through polling data, terms like Evangelical, Christian are used to gauge responses primarily of the non-Christians. So right there you will have a spurious result because what non-Christian does not have a bias?
They use this bias to market Church growth/planting strategies to appeal and be more like the world so church does not offend anyone.
So they capitalize on bad doctrine performed by naive people that does not produce any life altering change in a person based upon a need to feel holier than thou. This bad teaching is touted as the norm for all Christendom in order to justify a marketing approach to increase numbers in a church to increase tithing - giving base as well as promote more bad doctrine upon people.
People all say, "
I do not want to be condemn or feel condemned so Christians make me feel condemned and that is a great sin against me and wrong. We must be tolerant, non-threatening, politically correct and non-offensive to the ways of sin for the goodness of God leads to repentance,." Therefore, no one wants to be called a bad name like an - Evangelical, Christian etc... they are the bad guys. We are the good guys, so come to our church!
The goodness of God leads to repentance is touted as an excuse not to have your mind transformed, ways of thinking changed, and taking steps to stop bad and do good in this life. Think about it, God's goodness leads to repentance and as such comes by being cut to the heart, feeling shame, and condemned. Doubt this then read Acts 2:37...
In fact, this is one of the hallmarks of the Holy Spirit Jesus mentioned in John 16:8-11
"
And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged." NASB
Look up the Greek word translated convict for example. It means to feel shame, to disgrace, to convict, to prove one in the wrong and thus to shame him.
It is like a child who has a wood splinter in his hand. If left alone and not removed it festers infection, blood poisoning, possibly gangrene can set in, if left unremoved, etc. The deeply embedded splinter becomes more painful as the infection spreads so it is best to dig it out before it causes more harm. That digging out is painful and it hurts.
However once removed - no pain, healing sets in, restoration achieved. That is how the goodness of God works leading one to repentance. The Holy Spirit digs out the sprinters and it is painful to go through at the time, but afterwards healing!
In the market driven churches, the convicting work of the Holy Spirit is frowned upon, often ridiculed... never speak of judgment either. So you will have large numbers of attendees every week but very little pain relief if any as all such draining the puss out of people’s lives is not allowed because it is too condemning, evangelical, Christian...
So now people can enjoy the Market Driven Church Laodicean church and have a great day as they know better than God!
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