I Believe Ray Comfort's Documentary "Hell's Best Kept Secret" Explains Why Evangelical Churches are Falling Apart
I remembered a couple of years ago after I ended up checking more of Dr. John F. MacArthur's website and when Calvinism "crept into me" - I saw one of the most informative videos is called "Hell's Best Kept Secret" by Ray Comfort. It was talking about the problem of modern churches today and why evangelism is failing at a huge rate.
It's no secret that we're indeed the Laodicean age where false converts are indeed abounding. Why is it happening? I watched the video and examined the flaws of current evangelism. These flaws happen to involve the following:
It's no secret that we're indeed the Laodicean age where false converts are indeed abounding. Why is it happening? I watched the video and examined the flaws of current evangelism. These flaws happen to involve the following:
- Focusing on the benefits of salvation instead of the message of salvation. Some of these include "Receive Jesus Christ and you will feel peace, you will feel joy." instead of addressing the real ugly issue of sin.
- Many preachers are not using the Law to preach the Gospel and to reveal to the sinner their sinfulness. How can people know that they are sinners if they don't get to know why they are sinners?
- Many times, Jesus' Lordship is under attack. Instead of telling people that they must receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior - many times, it's just Savior. If Jesus isn't Lord then he's not the Savior. Also, if your Jesus isn't Lord then you're not saved to start with.
Kirk Cameron discussed in that documentary about the problem of the sinner - he or she thinks that mankind is basically good. How can people understand the message of salvation first without them having been exposed to the holiness of God and the sinfulness of mankind? It wouldn't make sense at all. Also, the message that man isn't basically good isn't a popular message. It's offensive because it attacks the very pride of man. Remember that humanity is stuck in their pride.
There was the illustration that I liked about the flight passenger. The flight passenger is told that the flight jacket will improve his flight. Just then a flight attendant accidentally spills boiling hot coffee. The passenger will take it off out of anger. But what if the flight passenger were told that the flight jacket was there because it's a safety precaution? The same flight passenger would hold on to it even with all the bumpy rides of the flight. It really makes a big difference.
Perhaps my favorite example is how often Comfort quotes the best Baptist preachers such as Charles H. Spurgeon and George Whitfield. Christian preaching is anything but a pleasant trip. As much as Christians are told to be nice and polite to people but they're told to never sugarcoat the truth. The problem is that when people use secular means to get people into their church - they only produce false converts. How many people today join in a born again Christian church but were never truly born again? The fallout rate or apostasy is amazing which proves that instead of true apostles - the worldly methods used are only producing Judas Iscariots. These people proved that they weren't truly saved to start with (1 John 2:19).
Truth is flimsy evangelism is a real problem in the church today. Chances are that pastor is not a pastor of God but a preacher from Satan. It has me getting mad to how the churches today are indeed so focused on feel good theology. A pastor who doesn't preach according to worldliness is bound to be rejected (Jeremiah 5:31). In the Old Testament, you can read how true prophets are anything but welcome. Elijah lived his whole life rejected. Jeremiah was a man of sorrows especially when false prophets were becoming more popular. You can imagine just how people today are shallow seekers who end up showing their signs of false conversion.
A good explanation to why many Evangelicals today are becoming Roman Catholic or any other religion is because of shallow seekers. How often is it today that many have put their trust in a decision than on the Savior? How many people today say the sinner's prayer and have never fully understood the reality of sin? How many people today claim that they have asked Jesus into their hearts and lives but evidence says otherwise? You can blame that on churches that prefer worldly methods instead of biblical methods of soulwinning.
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