In my neighborhood, a new church is starting… meeting in a Karate Studio and the next door Pub and Grill.  If you have been reading the posts on this site, you have learned how sobering it is to walk the walk in holiness and reverence for our Lord. The “Freedom Church”  “Love Jesus,” Serves People,” and “Adopts a City.”

I know these are big pictures, but to see the whole brochure, big is better.

If you like, when you go there on April 3, you can enter a raffle according to their door to door advertisement left on our knob this week. We received a free raffle ticket attached at the bottom for an “ipad2,” “dinner and a movie for two,” a 6 week cardio kick boxing class,’ or 6 weeks of Karate classes.

God bless people who desire to share the gospel, but on the video (see below) I  think the bible is mentioned once, and most of what the people have to say is about their experience there. I am sure there are well intentioned people there who love the Lord. I am not criticizing, I am observing.

You can see from the video, there are people there of every age, and apparently the worship leader “Justice” is quite popular. Everyone is “pumped up,” which I think I heard a number of times in the church video. They are pumped up because Justice “brought it.” I suppose that is related to the message somehow, but Justice himself is interested in Jesus, people and the city.

In fact, one follower thinks it is “stinkin’ awesome,” and was once again “pumped” that there were so many people there. They are also  selling church “apparel” to help support the Freedom Kids Club.

There is no mention of the gospel, it’s ability to forgive, it’ s need for true repentance or the “brokenness” over sin.  However, you can get your laundry done by church members  once or twice a month, as they “reach out,’ to the city.  Perhaps that’s when they talk about the gospel… that in the dryer missing socks “go to be with Jesus” as the late comedienne Irma Bombeck wrote.

On their  website  “Mancave” page, they will be, “trying to follow Jesus together.”  I try to diet, I try to remember to exercise, I try new products, I try to study. As they say in the recovery world…”to try is to die.”

I wonder how many souls will die for lack of sound biblical doctrine; for living under the idea that we can get “pumped” at a worship service and fail to know the living God in all of His glory, power and deserved reverence.

Oh well, maybe it’s me. I ‘m a mother. In fact, a grandmother- and it’s “not your mother’s church, ” As their brochure states. No need to tell me. Perhaps it is not a church at all. Or maybe just not the “true church.” I don’t know. Only the Messiah will differentiate that upon his coming to judge the seven churches. I sure  hope he can recognize himself reflected in this one.

Good intentions, acts of kindness, doing someone’s laundry neither get us to heaven or help someone else come to the Lord.  As R.C. Sproule explains in  a recent you tube post to this site, people are not looking for Jesus, they are looking for peace, relief from guilt,  meaning and significance… all the benefits of a relationship with God without the commitment. It is only by God’s grace that one is driven to the cross. It isn’t by having someone else do the laundry for you.

This kind of “city” thinking is part of the move to change the church in America. As Paul McGuire reminds us there will be persecution of Christians here even in this country, but not for the one’s who have chosen to participate in the “state” church.  Reaching the city for Jesus is not a new concept. The emergent church has been attempting to do this for years.

There are some churches and church leaders who have succumbed to a political agenda. The following is an example of how the government can get tied into the church.

The president urged church leaders to push the health-care agenda in 2009.  Obama Asks Clergy

He asked clergy to “spread the facts and speak the truth” to refute misinformation among reform opponents “bearing false witness” by saying, among other things, the government plans to set up “death panels” to decide whether elderly citizens receive necessary care. ~UPI.com He asked clergy to “spread the facts and speak the truth” to refute misinformation among reform opponents “bearing false witness” by saying, among other things, the government plans to set up “death panels” to decide whether elderly citizens receive necessary care. ~UPI.com

Published: Aug. 19, 2009 at 9:49 PM

The Spirituality of Barack Obama and Rick Warren ~Lighthouse Trails Research

Maybe the “Freedom Church”  is just a little too free thinking, or not interested in freedom at all.

“ To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ~John 8:31-32  (italics added)

Time will tell.

See also Reinventing the Church Berit Kjos – 2002