The CORE message would have us remove everything Biblical from the portrait of Jesus and substitute a pop icon from the entertainment world.
The constant drumbeat of the Church Growth/Emerging Church frauds is - We have to get back to the pure message of Jesus.
The liturgy is a barrier to Church Growth, they claim. (Truthfully, not real church growth, but the Church Growth Movement of their illusions.) If we take away that fussy old liturgy, people can have an exciting service where they can focus on Jesus, we are told ad nauseum.
Misdirection of the Eyes
They swap the Biblical Jesus for a version of themselves. Presto chango. You may applaud now.
Jesus observed the worship and teaching customs of Judaism, which was born liturgical. Shouldn't we pause and wonder, during this season of Lent, if anyone in that circus has read the Bible in the last 30 years?
Jesus was circumcised. Luke 2:21
Jesus taught as a rabbi. Matthew 5:1 ff.
Jesus read appointed lessons in the synagogues. Luke 4:17
Jesus observed the Jewish liturgical year. John 2:13
Jesus and His disciples sang hymns. Matthew 26:30
Jesus observed the Passover, but Rock and Roll Lutherans do not observe Lent. Luke 22:15
The Last Supper was a Passover meal, with centuries of worship tradition.
The sacraments of Holy Communion and Holy Baptism are based on Jewish sacramental actions.
The Christian Church began on the Day of Pentecost, a Jewish holy day celebrated for centuries and still observed today (but not by Pentecostals). Acts 2:1
Paul also observed Jewish liturgy and marked days by the worship calendar. 1 Corinthians 16:8
Paul, like Jesus, consistently referred to Jewish religious terms.
The foundation of all Christian preaching was the Old Testament, which is liturgical and sacramental.
Nowhere does the New Testament reveal Jesus as a Godspell-entertainer, dancing through the streets and singing pop ditties.
The New Testament Church did not copy paganism and the circus to convert people to Christ. Instead, they took people away from the Roman culture of self-centered hedonism, substituting the Word for the flesh.
The rock idols of the Emerging Church are just as degenerate as ancient Romans - and in the same way.
The Church and Chicaneries say it is legalistic to insist on a pipe organ (which no traditional Lutheran claims) but they insist upon and demand a rock group for their so-called worship services. They badger congregations into installing a rock group to attract more people.
What Have We Learned?
The entire Don Patterson Network is besotted with the anti-Biblical fulminations of their anti-Lutheran heroes.
In the name of of Jesus, they take away Christ and the Means of Grace, substituting their clownish and bumbling entertainments to keep people from realizing the truth behind their fraud.
The Church Shrinkers have swindled Missouri, Wisconsin, and the Little Sect on the Prairie of millions of dollars, funneling the funds into their pet projects, which only serve to spread the Message of Me from Fuller, Willow Creek, Trinity Deerfield, Stetzer, Sweet, Driscoll, Groeschel, Kent Hunter, Waldo Werning, and Andy Stanley.
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Is Jesus Liturgical?":
A couple weeks back, even the Sunday Schoolers picked up on the dedication of Paul & Barnabas (in Acts 13 & 14) returning to synagogues right away on Sabbath, even after getting chased out of them in the previous town.
The devout (Acts 13:42) and intelligent (Act 13:7) accepted Christ's message. Those seeking the big crowd for themselves (Synagogue Growth Movement?!?) chased them out of town, and stoned Paul, leaving him for dead. No popcorn stonings then, I guess.
Since you've got your Bible open to Acts now, startle yourself with the efficacy of the Word in Acts 13:48.
