Today the Church of Christ has an unprecedented opportunity to spread the Gospel into all the world. With the collapse of Communism many pagan and atheistic eastern countries seem to be opening up for the Word of God. Thus the call to preach the Gospel has suddenly gained a new level of urgency. We have come to a new stage in the spiritual warfare and therefore must employ all the weapons at our disposal. But what a disaster it would be if now, at this historic moment, the Church would undergo a spiritual disarmament! What poor strategy it would be to exchange the spiritual weapons for humanistic methods! Yet this is exactly what is happening today. The great commission of our Lord is being undermined by the carnal methods and values of secular Humanism. While the doors of eastern nations are being opened for the Gospel, our western culture is becoming more and more pagan. And the sad thing is that many churches are increasingly adopting worldly prac­tices and methods, especially in evangelism. Yet the apostle Paul exhorts us, "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal…" (2 Cor. 10:4).

In North America we are witnessing an exodus from small community churches into mega-churches. It is predicted that thousands of smaller church buildings are going to be closed within the next few years. What's happening? What's the problem?

The central problem has not changed: it is sin – the carnality of the natural heart or the remaining carnality in believers. It manifests itself in different ways. One aspect of the problem is the loss of conviction regarding absolute truth. Churches that have doctrinal creeds and are committed to truth and moral standards are not popular. Instead of membership there is a trend to be just attenders, or "adherents." Churches which see membership as a binding covenant between Christ (the Husband) and the members of His Bride (the Church) are avoided. Yes, as Newsweek reported recently, the baby-boomers seem to have turned to religion, they are going to church. But their over-all motive has not changed. They want to be left free, without accountability. They lack the conviction and courage to make a firm commitment to anything but their pursuit of wealth, health and happiness.

Continuing adherence to a church is determined by the perception that a church is "meeting my needs" – a phrase which is too often a euphemism for: pampering my carnal desires. This generation has been trying ever since their early teens to find a deep lasting satisfaction to fill the void in their hearts. They have tried everything. The question that seems to have been haunting them ever since is, "Are you having fun yet?" Deep inside the answer is coming back, "No, I still have not found anything that will give me the true inner peace and delight in life for which my soul hungers." Now this generation is entering the doors of the church and asking, "Can I find it here?"

But the biggest mistake the church in the nineties can make is to give a carnal answer to what is essentially a spiritual question. Most people in our generation have a very unspiritual understanding of their needs. They have a consumerist mentality about how to satisfy their needs. They are shopping from one church to another like they would try different restaurants. But as they stop by a Christian church, they have a right to expect that the church knows what their deepest need is. Yet, what do they get? What message are they hearing? What method is being used to evangelize them? Is it Biblical or carnal evangelism?

Conversion or Coercion⤒🔗

One of the most blatant forms of carnal evangelism is making its way into the newly opened countries of eastern Europe. The September news magazine of the Dutch organization Kom Over en Help reported the following:

• Jehovah's Witnesses presently belong to the fastest growing religious group in Eastern Europe. The former East-block countries are being intensely evangelized by this sect. No efforts or costs are being spared.
• A preacher from Romania reports that the Jehovah's Witnesses promise a reward of 5,000 to 10,000 Lei (let's say, about $500 to $1,000 U.S.) to each person who joins this sect. An attractive offer for people who live in extreme poverty!

Similar reports are coming in from the former Soviet Union, Hungary and Czechoslovakia.

This is a method which preys on these poverty-stricken people in a most cruel and carnal manner. The "converts" so gained cannot be received as convicted believers but as victims of coercion. It would be an insult to the Gospel to call anything akin to such a method evan­gelism. It is more like religious blackmail.

"But," it may be objected, "this is the practice of a non-Christian cult. Surely, Christian churches would not stoop so low as to resort to such worldly methods to gain converts!" We certainly hope not. But are the methods and incentives commonly used to attract people to Christian churches always purely spiritual?

Success or Salvation←⤒🔗

There are whole ministries built on the promise of earthly success through the power of "possibility thinking." For instance, in Grand Rapids, those who cannot afford a pilgrimage to the Crystal Cathedral are being offered an "exciting rare opportunity" to see Dr. Schuller "in person." They are being invited to a Success Clinic Seminar at Sunshine Ministries Auditorium this spring to hear the California guru of positive thinking in a program entitled "The ABC's of Super Achievement." The invitation promises that the one evening conference will teach about "how Robert Schuller's 'Possibility Thinking' relates to one's career and business." At $69 per ticket we know that the organizers are certainly anticipating success. The first 500 who register will be in on the draw for two round-trip tickets to the Crystal Cathedral!

Surely this has nothing to do with the Christian ministry and with the salvation of souls and with Christian discipleship! The alarming thing is, however, that there are enough undiscerning people around to fill that large auditorium who will think that they are under a Christian Gospel minis­try. But in reality it is no more than a humanistic motivational business conference.

Is this what Jesus commissioned the church to do? One of our Lord's greatest griefs in the week of His passion was that Judas confirmed that his deepest motive for following Christ was an idolatrous love for money. This "success evangelism" will more effectively nurture covetousness (which is idolatry) than it will promote godliness with contentment which is great gain. (1 Tim.6:6).

Evangelize or Entertain←⤒🔗

In most large communities there are churches which are competing to put together the most attractive Sunday program. They assume people check the church ads in the Saturday press the way they look for the best bargains. The best show wins the numbers game. People scamper from church to church for the best musical performance, theatrical presentation or the best testimonial of some national celebrity. The crowds that attend such "contemporary worship" services indicate that most church goers have a greater hunger for religious entertainment than for the regular diet of Gospel preaching.

This trend toward entertainment instead of convicting preaching is apparently affecting the British scene as well. Rev. Maurice Roberts writes, "Preaching has given way to something akin to entertainment." He goes on to exhort: "This is no age for the fooleries of ecclesiastical pantomime or charade. We cannot afford the dubious luxuries of religious plays produced in the name of evangelism. Even the exercise of speaking in angelic tongues may have to wait till another world arrives." (The Banner of Truth, December 1992, p.4)

If preaching is still on the church's agenda, the preacher is expected to be a man with 'charisma': a self-confident, debonair man with the ability to move people to laughter or tears. The message must be strong on stirring the feelings, but weak on instructing the mind or convicting the conscience. It should not be too "preachy". Doctrine divides! Laws make legalists! Don't come with proclamations of absolute Gospel truths or universal divine laws. This is just not politically correct. People are hurting. They are going through a recession. They feel bad enough already. People need to be stroked. Let them go home with good feelings.

The common reason for leaving one church and looking for another is: "This church is not meeting my needs. I am looking for a church that makes me feel good. I need to feel good about my life and about myself. I want to hear something more positive." The common church-growth philosophy is that if you do not meet these "needs" you will not grow. It is concluded that there is no other way to get people interested in coming – certainly not if you expect them for the evening service!

But if we are to expect God's blessing on a ministry, are we to use methods based on popularity or principle? Are we humanistic pragmatists or Biblical evangelists?

Health or Holiness←⤒🔗

Many are being lured into supporting large Christian ministries which have as their main focus the expectation of miraculous healings. But does Scripture allow us to appeal to this motive?

Paul accounted the sufferings of this life to be negligible in comparison to the enjoyment of fellowship with Christ (cf. Rom. 8:18). Such a ledger does not balance in the carnal mind. But spiritual accounting makes very good sense to one who has an eye for eternal realities and has caught a glimpse of the glory that will follow.

A ministry which gathers disciples sole­ly by their common desire for physical healing does not fit the Biblical definition of "evangelical." Carnal people desire healing. One who still hates Christ, as Judas did, can even be instrumental in performing miracles (Matt. 10:1-4; cf. Luke 10:20). Ministries which make it their dis­tinguishing watch-word that they "believe in miracles" are to be viewed with extreme caution. The Saviour warns us that the Antichrist and false prophets will also gather a following for their "signs and wonders" (cf. Matt. 24:24; 2 Thess. 2:9; Rev. 13:14; Rev. 19:20).

Since deception can be presented by an angel of light, we must be armed with Biblical doctrine to discern what spirit is behind the ministry (Gal. 1:9; 1 John 4:1ff). If it is a ministry which appeals to the carnal mind, we must be suspicious that its spiritual root may be enmity against God (Rom. 8:7).

We are often misunderstood here. The issue is not that some Christians believe that God does miracles and others do not. All Christians believe that God still does miracles. But we do question the dubious claim of certain individuals that they have the gift of healing. Scripture describes the gift connected with "signs and wonders" consistently as the mark of a true prophet of God's Word or the "sign of an apostle" (2 Cor. 12:12, see also Deut. 34:10-11; Dan. 4:2; Acts 2:22; 2:43; 4:30; 5:12; 14:3; Rom. 15:18,19; Heb. 2:3, 4).

The central issue, however, is whether those who are discipled in this manner are Christians simply because they "believe in miracles." The question is whether the experience of a miracle adds any conclusive evidence that a person is a true believer. In John 2 we are told that there were many who professed to "believe in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did." But whatever their "commitment to Christ" was, "He did not commit himself to them, because He knew all" (vs. 23, 24). He knew what was inside of them, and their belief in His miraculous power was not enough to make them true disciples. No, He did not send them away. But He did wait until their "belief" proved to be a saving interest in Him. As it turned out, many were later offended in Him and revealed that their hearts were still carnal (Matt. 13:57; John 6:66).

The Gospel records show that our Lord truly had compassion on His hearers. He knew their needs. If they were sick He healed them (Matt. 14:13, 14). If they were hungry, He fed them. But He rebuked those whose commitment to Him was simply for the sake of these "signs and wonders" (Jn. 4:48; Matt. 16:4; Luke 16:31; Matt. 14:15-21). He charged that those who clamoured for signs and wonders belonged to a wicked and adulterous generation (Mat. 12:39, 16:4). When they followed Him just for the bread which filled their bellies, He rebuked them and, in­stead of giving earthly bread, He preached about the heavenly Bread (John 6:26ff). When finally the spiritual Gospel offended them He allowed them to leave. Jesus certainly did not pamper the carnal desires of His hearers in order to gain a following.

Preaching or Perks←⤒🔗

The church's ministry is to preach the Gospel for the conversion of sinners and to equip believers for holy living and Christian service. "Feed the sheep," was Jesus' command. With our limited insight into men's hearts we cannot keep the church perfectly pure of hypocrites who creep into the fold with hidden carnal motives. It is one thing to reckon with that as part of the imperfection of the church militant. But it is quite another thing to adopt methods which are calculated to lure in the wolves.

If the church is truly a salt in the earth, then its message, methods and lifestyle will have an antithetical flavour and will not be palatable to the world. A Biblical method of ministry may not be the most successful in terms of numbers, but it will give us the most assurance of genuine spiritual growth. The pure preaching of the Gospel as the two-edged sword of the Spirit can be expected to have a two-fold effect on our hearers.

The same Gospel, which is mocked by carnal hearers, is believed with joy by those who have been "ordained to eternal life" (Acts 13:44-49). If we are preaching the same message as Christ and the apostles, we may expect the same reaction. The Rock of the church will be pre­cious to those who believe, while He is a rock of offence to those who are dis­obedient to the Word (1 Peter 2:7, 8). With Paul, let us boast in nothing but Christ and Him crucified. In this Gospel message, what thrills the soul of a believer, or gives hope to the convicted sinner, will at the same time repel the hardened unbeliever. The weapon which Christ gives us to wield is one which wounds and even divides.

Convicting Biblical preaching has never been highly respected by the carnal mind. In Paul's time it was already known as "foolishness" (1 Cor. 1:18ff). He himself was not a dynamic speaker. But, though he spoke in weakness, it was with the confirmation of the Spirit's power (1 Cor. 2:1ff). He had learned to abandon his confidence in the flesh and trust wholly in the excellency of Christ (Phil. 3:3-11). Yes, before his conversion he had boasted in human success. But by grace he had learned the "new math" of kingdom accounting: "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ" (Phil. 3:7).

Luring a following with crowd-pleasing perks is a spiritually dangerous thing. It is dangerous even from an economic or administrative point of view. It places the existence of the church on the same tenuous basis as a commercial enterprise. The moment the church down the road offers a more attractive "leader" or a more exciting show, the church may find itself with a large building and an even larger deficit. Another danger is that the church council may find itself in bondage to an unprincipled, but very effective leader who "keeps 'em comin' in." The competitive pressure of such "evangelical marketing" faces church leaders with even greater temptations to compromise principle in their method and message for the sake of numbers and dollars.

God-Centred Evangelism←⤒🔗

The need of our time is evangelism that is centred in God, not man. On the one hand, the Gospel must be defended against human pride. The thought that man can contribute to his own salvation must be rejected and opposed with the preaching of sovereign grace, justification without works, and the unfettered offer of free salvation. "Salvation is of the Lord." The arm of flesh will not save us. The arm of the Lord must be revealed. Carnal boasting is excluded (Rom. 3:27; Eph. 2:9). The Gospel offer of free grace implies a call for the crucifixion of carnal self-esteem. (Mat. 16:24)

But on the other hand, the same Gospel of salvation which excludes human contribution, also rules out carnal gain. The teaching of our Lord leaves no room for carnal motivation in the call to discipleship (Matt. 10:24; Luke 14:26,27; John 13:16; 15:20). Jesus was once ap­proached by a prospective convert who was ready with his decision to follow Christ. But Jesus warned him about having any carnal expectations regarding the kingdom of God. "And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head" (Matt. 8:20). Jesus very pointedly exhorted His hearers to count the cost. The call to dis­cipleship is a call for a sinner to deny himself, take up his cross, forsake all and follow Christ (Luke 14:25-33). Before anyone will commit himself on these terms he will need to see in Christ what flesh and blood cannot reveal to him. Sinners will need to see that He is the Lord, "the Christ, the Son of the living God." He must become their all in all.

When the Gospel is so applied by the Holy Spirit that they see "the King in His beauty," then no carnal motives will be able to compete with their allegiance to Him. They will answer with Simon Peter, "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God" (John 6:68, 69). No carnal attraction will lure them away from the place where they hear His voice.

Preaching and Prayer←⤒🔗

The Christian church needs to be called to renewed trust in the Word and Spirit of Christ. Our calling is to declare the truth of the law and gospel boldly, without apologizing to the carnal feelings of the unconverted. The task of preaching is to declare the whole Gospel message of an all-sufficient Christ for hell-worthy sin­ners. By the message of the cross of Christ the world is judged, the prince of this world is cast out, and sinners of all nations are drawn to Christ (John 12:31,32). We need not feel intimidated by the popular fads that blow through our nation. They change as quickly as the wind. Let us stay with the simple, time-tested evangelistic method entrusted to us by our Lord.

Biblical, doctrinally clear, conscience-convicting, Christ-exalting preaching is the real need of our time. The most effective way to keep evangelism and the church pure is simply to preach the Gospel of Christ – Christ, in all the glory of His person and all the perfection of His work. We are called to preach Christ, as the all-sufficient Saviour for sinners and the all-governing Lord of the Church.

Preaching and prayer for the blessing of God's sovereign power are very effective weapons in this spiritual battle. Let us wield these spiritual weapons with fresh confidence. "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds" (2 Cor. 10:4). These means are effective, not by human strength, nor by the power of positive thinking, but "through God" they are so mighty that it is foolish for Satan with his whole armoury to think that he can stand up to them.

The battle is the Lord's. Let us be very sure that our weapons are the Lord's and have come from the armoury of God (Eph. 6:13ff). Those who by grace persevere in the "good fight of faith" will be able to face even death with assurance and declare with Paul, "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15:57).