The Emerging Church Apostasy

The last days’ church is a great mystery in the Holy Bible. Daniel gave an incredible prophecy of that church in special connection with the Antichrist, who would appear at the end. Daniel said, “And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits” (Daniel 11:32). We live in that day of flatteries. The church world no longer conducts its business by the Bible, but by an endless list of high-sounding flattery.

Biblical thinking is outdated and treated with scorn. To even speak of church growth by a Biblical model is insane to the growth experts. The new model is to make the sinner comfortable in the new “House of God.” Repentance of sin is out and total acceptance is in. Salvation is modeled after a style of club membership with fewer requirements. It’s easy religion that you cannot lose even if you quit the club. Jesus Christ warned us that it would characterize the church just before He returned.

A church that fits the Laodicean church is the express lifestyle to represent the church when He returns. He gave us the Book of Revelation as the chronological outline for the end. The Rapture will occur as the Laodicean spirit fills the church and His remnant will be caught up to meet Him. LetÂ’s read this entire letter. Please note that it is the only letter of the seven letters that is addressed to the people instead of to the church.

“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” (Revelation 3:14-22).

This letter to Laodicea perfectly fits the emerging church. Note again that this letter is addressed to the Laodicean people, not to the church itself. The other six are addressed to the church at Ephesus or at Sardis, etc. This letter is addressed to the people because they have taken charge. Authority is out and democracy is in. The church does what the people want and not what the Bible says. The man of God has become a puppeteer or hireling; he walks the line or he exits the door. They pay him well because they own him.

A man was bragging to me about a preacher a few days ago. What this man said amazed me, but I did not answer him because it was at a home where a death had occurred. His words to me were, “That preacher is whatever someone needs at a given time.” A little of that statement is okay, but the ultimate meaning is not. A real man of God will quickly find that he is a whole lot more than some people want. That preacher fits the description, but the man talking to me wanted me to know that I did not fit.

This last letter of the seven letters gives a marvelous description of Christ, the Lord of the church. The first words are, “These things saith the Amen.” This is the only time in Holy Scripture that Christ is called “Amen.” He is referred to as “Amen,” but not called “Amen.” When you see this last emerging church, you know that “Amen” is standing in the foyer. It’s almost over and the Laodicean church misses the Rapture. You will see that in this completed picture.

This church is described as “neither cold nor hot.” In our modern day language, we would say “lukewarm.” Jesus Christ would certainly be given lip service in this lukewarm atmosphere. There is some good theology and the enthusiasm for church life is strong, but the fire of the Holy Ghost is absent. Conviction of sin is the first result of a church on fire. Sin cannot live or be comfortable in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

A lukewarm church has snuffed out the cross life of Jesus Christ out of its members. The cross is no longer the lasting symbol of the emerging church. It may be displayed and wrapped up in a cloak of resurrection memories, but its crucifying life is over. Professing Christians can have lukewarm religion, but the cross life will set a fire in your soul.

Jesus Christ is extremely clear about this lukewarm religion and His words are plain, “I will spue thee out of my mouth.” He says it and He means it. The emerging church has millions of members that actually believe they are ready to meet God. The majority does not know what a mighty move of GodÂ’s Spirit would do in their soul. There are a host that used to have oil and fire — but like the five foolish virgins — slothfulness has robbed their life of His glory. He, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the final authority said, “I will spue thee out of my mouth.”

This emerging church is rich beyond measure. It is not an accident that the emerging church is heaped with wealth. Most of the world will pay a pretty penny for religion without sacrifice. By that, I mean liberal offerings to get fire insurance without the premium. This emerging church is just that, fire insurance without the premium or a promise of salvation without the cross life. Self dies hard and the Laodicean church is a church where self is alive and well. The Son of God left no doubt when He said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23b). If you are not dead to self and the world-pleasing life, you are lost and will miss the Rapture!

The invitation to salvation has become the biggest joke in the world. Mental agreement to the Bible or even to ChristÂ’s death on the cross will not save anyone. Tearless altars are altars where there is no sense of oneÂ’s sinfulness. You cannot look on the crucified Christ with eyes that have lived in sin and not weep. Sin is an ugly thing and only sinners can be saved. Until you admit your sins and become willing to forsake them, you are eternally lost.

Jesus Christ leaves no room for a cheap grace in this final call to the church. Listen again to His words, “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17). It does not matter how smooth the preacher’s words may be, the Master’s words are plain, “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” The word blind is powerful. The majority of the church is blind because cheap theology has made them blind. They are naked because only the grace of true salvation can put clothes on a lost man or woman. The Laodicean church is pitiful in the sight of God and that is why they will be spewed into the Great Tribulation.

“Gold tried in the fire” is one of those marvelous but mysterious terms of the true saints of the last day. The true church is the great result of repentance and dedication. It comes out of the fire of Holy Spirit conviction and sanctification. The remnant saints in this Laodicean atmosphere will be “tried by fire.” I see it more every day. The church world — this emerging church world — hates old-time separation from sin. Even the world is laughing at the way the church is competing with the world. The church is worldlier than good moral people that have never been converted. The emerging church is truly worldlier than the world.

Today, church members brag about being free and unfettered with standards and God’s commandments. Many people that were raised in strict, Bible-believing churches are giddy and outspoken about their new liberties. They run from one religious event to another enjoying entertainment and false religious activities and call it spiritual. Religion in the emerging church is “made for television” and more noisy than a bar room. Instead of church magnifying God, it magnifies man. It is man with a capital “M” and God with a little “g.” The Son of God is crying out to this church, “Repent.”

The emerging church is a Laodicean church that is headed right into the Tribulation period. Nothing could describe it better than this great letter from Jesus Christ. The timing is right before the Son of God splits the sky to call His saints to the wedding. Every detail fits the pattern. There is a hated remnant that will stand true and will overcome.

Let me name several doctrinal ideas that are playing a unique role in the present direction of the church. Each of these doctrines or ideas has affected millions of people. The Bible has been so bypassed by this emerging church world that there can be no correction. There was such a love for the Bible in the past that most serious errors were stopped. That is no longer true.

The Loss of Sovereignty in the Ministry of the Holy Spirit – As a Pentecostal myself, this error is paramount to me. The Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity and every attribute assigned to the Father and the Son must be assigned to the Holy Spirit. When the Charismatics and Pentecostals allowed men to teach others how to use the Spirit instead of being used by the Spirit, common sense went out of the window.

Every ministry and action of this Sovereign person quickly becomes human manipulation. Men or women are allowed to claim prophecy gifts when it is pure fantasy and foolishness. Claiming to speak in tongues at will was the first travesty and this followed to all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It has become nothing less than blasphemy.

Secular Psychology is raw humanism and its religious counterpart is nothing less than dressed-up humanism. I knew the first ministers in my fellowship of Pentecostals that received degrees in Psychology and their doctrines were scary. They started a slow descent into the world of apostasy. Probably nothing has had a greater impact in the area of compromise than the merging of humanism with theology.

The church is full of self-help programs born out of the fields of Psychology. When men begin to seek life changes by humanism instead of the Gospel and the blood, they lose their way. The Holy Spirit does not work in a mixture. You do not need God and anything else to save or change your life. To suggest you do is a rejection of the sufficiency of the Gospel.

Contemporary Music Opened the Door of the Adamic Nature Right in the Houses of God. Every one of us must walk in the Gospel in such a manner that the nature of sin is constantly defeated. This old nature is the doorway to being a prodigal. What we sing either feeds the spirit or the soul. Good Christian music feeds your spirit and you grow in spirituality. It must be Word-centered, Christ-centered, and anointed. We always become what we worship and what we sing is what we worship.

The soul of men is the seat of the Adamic nature and the Blood of Jesus sanctifies the soul so that the nature is kept dead. Soulical or contemporary music feeds that old nature and the soul becomes dominant in oneÂ’s life. It is impossible to sing soulical music and remain Spiritual. You cannot feed the spirit and the soul at the same time. Contemporary music is filled with the flesh. It is entertaining and its theology is often cheap and careless. This music is at the heart of the emerging church.

Cheap Trends in the Literacy World have had an Incredible Effect. The Prayer of Jabez, God Chasers, The Purpose Driven Life, and other books are all nothing but trendy religion that is void of truth and the cross. When you feed the church with religious trends, they are ready for the next hype and each one makes the truth of the Bible less desirous. These trends could only affect churches where the Bible has been downplayed or were prepared for the same.

The film that gloried in the gore of the cross instead of the glory of the cross was another step down. Once — in the end of the world – He suffered and to cringe at His death is unbiblical. The old song, “I Will Glory In The Cross,” is still right on. The triumph and victory of His death is the life of His church.

Conclusion
The emerging church is an incredible mixture. There are good people that cannot discern because truth has not filled their hearts. There are apostates who have turned willingly away from truth and they will be lost forever. There are some that are seeing the light and there is yet hope that they will come out of these harlot systems. Most Protestants are as far from truth as the Catholics.

Our duty is to be set apart and to walk in the Word of God. Never have men needed to be Spirit filled more than today. Give yourself to His cross and come out of the world. Learn to live in all His commandments, not as legalists, but as hungry souls depending wholly on His blood sacrifice for your righteousness.