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And this is supposed to bring people to Church, how?

You’ve seen the shameful commercial on my previous post from City Church. Now check out this video and tell me what the point of this commercial is:

11 thoughts on “And this is supposed to bring people to Church, how?”

  1. I’m sorry, Pilgrim, but that one made me laugh. Something about seeing a large African-American man crying over Britney Spears just cracked me up.

    Which, I would guess, is the point of it. To get people’s attention, and make them interested in a church that would try to use a large African-American man crying over Britney Spears to get their attention.

    Heads and shoulders above the other commercial.

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  2. Drumming up “interest in church” is not our commission. What’s the difference between us and Burger King trying to get people into their restaurant to try their new meal deal?

    That is the issue, Nathan. God’s Bride is not to be pimped and marketed as so many are doing now. No man comes to Jesus except those whom the Father draws. Madison Avenue Marketing, Gimmicks, and bait-and-switch bmx stunt shows will draw the masses, but the million dollar question is do they effectively communicate the Gospel (the whole Gospel not the God has a wonderful plan for your life gospel).

    Too many times people “make a decision” based on the emotion of the moment, and churches have become very good at creating an emotional atmosphere that is ripe for false converts. That’s why we were already warned that, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

    I wish someone would do follow-up on all these “decisions for Christ” that these churches claim. I bet checking in with these people a year later would be very telling.

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  3. …and make them interested in a church that would try to use a large African-American man crying over Britney Spears to get their attention.

    Sorry, but I’m more interested in a church that uses the Only Begotten Son of God crying over a lost and fallen world–including Britney Spears–and taking the wrath of God on His shoulders to get people’s attention.

    While these clowns are busy building up their church, they are doing anything but building up Christ’s church.

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  4. Okay, my friends. One question here. Have any of you visited this church and heard what they are preaching and teaching? If so, then I’ll respect your judgment. Otherwise, all I see here is folks being critical of a church trying to reach out to the post-modern world. I’ve scoured their website, and found nothing that threw up red flags. They are doing all the “buzz-word” things, which you might not like, but they seem to be pretty orthodox at the root of it.

    I think it’s great for a church (ANY church) to be called to the carpet about what they are doing, for the sake of correction in the face of error, but I think it’s pretty goofy for you guys to sit at your computer screens and take potshots at them, without knowing who they really are.

    Again, if you have visited this church and found that they were teaching heresy, then I will be the first one to get in line behind you calling this church to task.

    This commercial isn’t heresy – it’s just silly. And silliness isn’t heretical.

    Now, that being said, the other commercial was pretty much heretical. I really hope someone in the decision making position at the city church will realize that they went too far and make sure it doesn’t happen again. And I hope that’s the last time I have to look at Carl’s nekkid bosom.

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  6. By the way, can anyone tell me what you get when you rearrange the letters in “britney spears”?

    A gold star for the one who can guess… if you already know don’t say.

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  7. Dear Nathan (answeringchurchforchrist):

    I am going to attampt to make this as clear as possible.
    Both of the videos produced, sanctioned and distributed by City Church, (the video in this post and this one) are the “fruit” of this Church. Jesus told us to judge a tree by its fruit (that’s right, we can judge).

    Now, the difference between you and I is that I can look at both of the fruit hanging from the City Church tree and tell what kind of tree (church) it is. You on the other hand still feel the need to pluck the fruit, bite into the fruit, get the fruit juices all over your hands, on your face, and in your hair, and you STILL call the apple tree an orange tree even as the acidic juices burn your skin.

    If I was a betting man, I’d wager (based on the fruit of this church) that City Church preaches a watered down, candy-coated, feel-good, entertain-the-goats, man-centered style of gospel. I mean, after all, when you’re trying to get people to your church by telling them they might find a wife as hot as the pastor’s, they’ve already baited the hook with expectational poison.

    My ability to judge the fruit of the City Church tree to know what kind of tree it is comes from the following four sources:

    I’ve been around the block long enough to be able to tell fruit apart.
    I can use the Scriptures to see if this church bares any resemblance to the New Testament Church.
    I use that God-given talent called “discernment.”
    I use that other God-given talent called “common sense.”

    Unfortunately you stand here and call the poisonous berry bush an edible grape vine, then you scorn those who refuse to eat of it claiming that we need to eat the fruit first before we can say anything about it. You consistently defend the bad and scorn the good.

    Why do you have such an aversion to those people who strive for holiness and want to see holiness in the church? Why are you against the church separating itself from the world and against those who call for such a separation? Why do you always seem to condone compromise? Why are you dissatisfied with the idea that some of us want those who claim to be Christians to start ACTING like Christians?

    Woe to those who call good bad, and bad good. You need to use caution Nathan. We live in very serious times. Instead of defending these clowns and others like them, begin defending Christ and His Bride. There are many tares sown among the wheat. Please don’t be caught on the day of harvest encouraging, defending, watering, and feeding the tares.

    Finally, I recommend reading the post I linked to below:
    http://reformationnation.wordpress.com/2007/11/13/when-churches-sacrifice-morality-for-evangelism/

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  8. I haven’t seen any proof that this fruit is poison. I see a church trying to be creative in the ways that they are reaching out to the lost. I see one example of a serious lapse of judgment, which could be attributed to immaturity on someone’s part (the pastor there is in his mid-twenties, for heaven’s sake. I would hope he’d have some mentors helping him figure out the direction of the church, but I don’t know if he does). Are you suggesting that the leadership of a “Pilgrim-approved” church won’t make any mistakes? Even the twelve men that originally followed Jesus made mistakes, regularly.

    Here is what I know, from the little information I can glean off the web.
    1) These folks are a part of the body of Christ. Nothing from their website leads me to believe otherwise.
    2) They recognize that a large portion of our modern American society is fed up with church the way it’s been conducted TRADITIONALLY. They are using the gifts and abilities God has given them to try and reach out to those folks who otherwise would be at home in bed on Sunday morning reading the Times.
    3) I see nothing on their website to lead me to believe that they teach anything other than Biblical truth. Is it watered down? I don’t know – but if it is, that would perhaps be because our society isn’t as Biblically literate as in decades past, and you don’t feed infants steak and potatoes (1 Corinthians 13:11). If you look at their classes, it looks like they go pretty deep in their more “advanced” classes.

    What I don’t know:
    1) The hearts of these people. Like I don’t see your heart, or the heart of my own pastor. I don’t dare say that they have an aversion to holiness, because I know my own heart, and know that I am like Paul (Romans 7:15), often not doing what I should. I want to be holy, but I often miss the mark, but I get up each day and ask God to have mercy on me, and to help me to be more like His Son.

    Again, I see people who might have let their desire to catch attention get ahead of their common sense, but I’m not going to let that lapse in judgment lead me to condemn them. And I would caution you about being overly judgmental about the hearts and intentions and methods of your brothers and sisters in Christ in their attempts to share the Gospel.

    Finally, as to your four ways of recognizing the fruit, only #2 should really play any real part in making this judgment. The other three methods are too subjective. And the only red flag I see Biblically is the commercial made in poor taste. If you find me some substantial proof, some teachings of the pastor or the like, I’ll gladly retract my support and jump on board your bandwagon.

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  9. Well Nathan, we’ve hit another wall, haven’t we?

    You see, I didn’t just get saved yesterday and decide to create this blog today. When I first got saved I used to see the church through the same rose colored glasses as you do. I used to justify sin in those around me and in my own life. I used to make excuses for lukewarm behavior in the lives of those around me and in my own life. (We would have agreed with each other much more back then). However, since I really got saved, my perspective has drastically changed (as you can see).

    I no longer settle for mediocrity in my Christian walk and I don’t condone or make excuses for it in the lives of others who with their mouth claim Jesus, but with their lives claim Satan and the flesh.

    God calls us to be separate from the world. I take this very seriously as one of the signs (or fruits) of true conversion. Do we want to be separate? If the desire isn’t there, then we need to re-examine ourselves. Do we want to live with one foot in Heaven and one foot on earth? If so, when we die we will end up with both feet and our whole body in Hell.

    I don’t post what I post for the sake of being critical. I do it because I desperately and sincerely want to alert people to the dangers and deception that is out there. I have a passion for those people who believe they’re saved and going to heaven, but will be told by Jesus “depart from Me, I never knew you.” Those will be the saddest words ever heard and its damning finality will echo in the ears of those who hear it forever and ever.

    Whether they’re a sincere Mormon, JW or Professing Christian sitting in Church every Sunday, I want people to understand that God wants us to die to self. Anything less than full and complete surrender to Christ will be found unacceptable in His sight.

    You calling Rico “Carl” Suave’s monologue on his pastor’s hot wife simply a “mistake” speaks volumes about how you justify sin, lack of reverence, lack of holiness, etc. And to liken that to the Apostles making mistakes is disappointing.

    Because we’re apparently not even on the same page, I feel it’s best I move on to other issues and give you (and any others) the last word on this topic. If given a million words I could never convince you of that which the Holy Spirit has not shown you.

    The more you read my posts the more you will truly understand my intentions and my heart. And over time you may even find yourself agreeing with me more often than you think. Thank you for your comments and I hope to continue to see you around on here.

    Sincerely,
    – The Pilgrim

    P.S. In your spare time, I encourage you to listen to Paul Washer.

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  10. As with my other post, I’ll let it lay.

    I’ll keep reading, and will continue to post from time to time.

    -Nathan

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  11. “Britney Spears” rearranged, by the way, becomes “Presbyterians”.

    Now, doesn’t that rock your orthodoxy? 😉

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