Repent America?
The following is from the Repent America website:
Doubtless, there are many Evangelicals who believe that the words above describe a faithful example of service to God. Yet, despite all of the Scripture quotes given in the text, this sort of thing is not in accordance with biblical example.
There is no scriptural basis for the idea that Christians should preach where they have not been asked to speak and know that they are not welcome to speak. And there is not one example in the Bible of a man preaching to rank unbelievers who had not expressed an interest in hearing what he had to say. Repent America says: "We must go out into the world and declare the WORD OF GOD in front of the abortuaries and sexually perverse establishments, and at the homosexual parades and other sin celebrations and call them to repentance." But Christians must allow the teachings of the Bible to determine their practices, and there is no scriptural justification for their confrontational type of preaching. It is likely that no other culture had more "sin celebrations" than the ancient Roman society in which the early Christians lived, yet they did nothing similar to that which is advocated by the Repent America organization and others like it.
Jesus preached in the Temple, the synagogues, or in other places where people were gathered to hear Him. Paul preached or disputed mainly in the synagogues and in Christian assemblies. He also preached to people who were gathered for prayer, and to a gathering of philosophers. Peter preached to the assembled Jews and also to a group of Gentiles who had summoned him so that that they might hear his preaching. The point is that Jesus and His apostles preached in situations where people desired them to speak, places where religiously-minded people and others seeking spiritual knowledge congregated. They did not choose speaking locations where they could confront groups of people who were reveling in their sins, nor did they ever preach to an audience that was already known to be hostile to their message. To do so, is only to violate Christ's command to "give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine." (Mat. 7:6)
In fact, Jesus specifically taught that those who preached His gospel were to depart from those who showed a disdain for it, shaking off the dust from their shoes as a testimony against them. Repent America states. "Our light must invade the darkness!" But if professing Christians do things in the name of God which are not supported by the Bible, then they cannot claim to walking in the light. And if we are to "invade" the strongholds of Satan it is not to be in the militant, aggressive sense of the word. The Prince of peace will gain the victory through the ways of peace.
It certainly is the church's responsibility to call the ungodly to repentance, but this must be done within the framework of what is exemplified and taught in the Word of God. And Christians must be careful to direct their judgment in a scriptural manner, getting their own houses in order before delivering messages of repentance elsewhere. Repent America says that they want to reach out to "the religious, to the self-righteous, to the God-hating and win their souls to Christ." This is likely to be an accurate description of the majority of the people in the so-called Bible-believing churches, which have almost universally degenerated into the practice of a licentious pseudo-Christianity. And why have they so degenerated? Because today's "Bible-believing churches" preach "another Jesus" who does not require repentance, self-denial, and a life of obedience to scriptural teachings. The message needed today is not Repent America, but Repent Evangelicals.
REPENT AMERICA is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the birthplace of America, and desires to be in the full WILL OF GOD and to adhere entirely to the teachings of the Bible. We have a passion to serve the Lord and are devoted to reaching the lost, so that they may be saved and come unto the knowledge of the Truth.
As Christians, we know that there is a literal hell and a lake of fire where the unsaved will burn for all eternity, therefore, we act upon this Truth without streets and communities of America declaring the WORD OF GOD and proclaiming the GOOD NEWS.
We must go out to where the sinners are. We must go to those who would never come into our churches- to the atheists, to the religious, to the self-righteous, to the God-hating and win their souls to Christ.
For the Holy Scriptures declare in Romans 10, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?"
For so long, we have allowed Satan to invade our communities through abortuaries, the entertainment and pornography industries, religious institutions, sexually perverse establishments, homosexual parades and other sin celebrations, without a word from the Christian therein. God has called us to "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." Isaiah 58:1
We must lift up our voice like a trumpet. We must go out into the world and declare the WORD OF GOD in front of the abortuaries and sexually perverse establishments, and at the homosexual parades and other sin celebrations and call them to repentance. Our light must invade the darkness!
Jesus said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." If we love God, we will obey his commandments, and if we love our neighbours, we will go to them with the WORD OF GOD, so that they may be saved. For, "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
Doubtless, there are many Evangelicals who believe that the words above describe a faithful example of service to God. Yet, despite all of the Scripture quotes given in the text, this sort of thing is not in accordance with biblical example.
There is no scriptural basis for the idea that Christians should preach where they have not been asked to speak and know that they are not welcome to speak. And there is not one example in the Bible of a man preaching to rank unbelievers who had not expressed an interest in hearing what he had to say. Repent America says: "We must go out into the world and declare the WORD OF GOD in front of the abortuaries and sexually perverse establishments, and at the homosexual parades and other sin celebrations and call them to repentance." But Christians must allow the teachings of the Bible to determine their practices, and there is no scriptural justification for their confrontational type of preaching. It is likely that no other culture had more "sin celebrations" than the ancient Roman society in which the early Christians lived, yet they did nothing similar to that which is advocated by the Repent America organization and others like it.
Jesus preached in the Temple, the synagogues, or in other places where people were gathered to hear Him. Paul preached or disputed mainly in the synagogues and in Christian assemblies. He also preached to people who were gathered for prayer, and to a gathering of philosophers. Peter preached to the assembled Jews and also to a group of Gentiles who had summoned him so that that they might hear his preaching. The point is that Jesus and His apostles preached in situations where people desired them to speak, places where religiously-minded people and others seeking spiritual knowledge congregated. They did not choose speaking locations where they could confront groups of people who were reveling in their sins, nor did they ever preach to an audience that was already known to be hostile to their message. To do so, is only to violate Christ's command to "give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine." (Mat. 7:6)
In fact, Jesus specifically taught that those who preached His gospel were to depart from those who showed a disdain for it, shaking off the dust from their shoes as a testimony against them. Repent America states. "Our light must invade the darkness!" But if professing Christians do things in the name of God which are not supported by the Bible, then they cannot claim to walking in the light. And if we are to "invade" the strongholds of Satan it is not to be in the militant, aggressive sense of the word. The Prince of peace will gain the victory through the ways of peace.
It certainly is the church's responsibility to call the ungodly to repentance, but this must be done within the framework of what is exemplified and taught in the Word of God. And Christians must be careful to direct their judgment in a scriptural manner, getting their own houses in order before delivering messages of repentance elsewhere. Repent America says that they want to reach out to "the religious, to the self-righteous, to the God-hating and win their souls to Christ." This is likely to be an accurate description of the majority of the people in the so-called Bible-believing churches, which have almost universally degenerated into the practice of a licentious pseudo-Christianity. And why have they so degenerated? Because today's "Bible-believing churches" preach "another Jesus" who does not require repentance, self-denial, and a life of obedience to scriptural teachings. The message needed today is not Repent America, but Repent Evangelicals.
posted by Stuart DiNenno at 12/23/2004 06:44:00 PM
2 Comments:
I hope you sent your article to the Repent America people - it made sense and needs to be said. I have had similar thoughts for some time.
However, you do not address the issue of John the Baptist and other confrontational-style prophets. Would you consider these only applicable to the OT? Do we also not have a responsibility to at least speak the truth AT LEAST ONCE before "shaking the dust off our feet" (for how will we know whether our message is rejected until we have preached it?)
All the above is meant to give balance to the debate as I think neither Repent America or your own blog (notwithstanding the important points you have made) deal with the issues as fully as they could do.
With respect,
Mark Jones
People all over America has heard the Godpel of Jesus Christ, but, wants to turn to what the average perosn wants-For only self desires. We can contineously reveal with our lives shining with our Jesus in our hearts. Some of the ungodly will see the difference in us, & yes, we need to wipe the dust off our feet after they contineously turn against us.
Thank you for your article, &
God bless.
Bill
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