What's Wrong With This Position IV. The Reason for my posting on the Emergent Theologians.

 I suppose some who come by this blog wonder where I am really coming from and why I have made this my first post. Well the emergent phenomenon is not happening at my church and God willing it won't. But it has happened in the LCMS with Leonard Sweet coming to LCMS symposiums and events. Much of what Mr. Sweet , Mr. Williard and others do is through the use of language reduce the effectiveness of the Gospel and appeal strictly to works based righteousness. These folk also diminish the truth about Jesus Christ and his true saving power. What is most sad are those people who actually think they are escaping the Vatican and discovering something deeper. What these people don't realise is they are joining Rome in errors by endorsing Lectio Divina, CSM( Contemplative Spiritual Mysticism) and other things. The emergent conversation believes all is negotiable so in the end we have despair or seek to become our own god. These folk are guilty of neglecting the office of the pastorate by refusing to condemn sin and doubting God's Word and questioning it. Notice the small "g" you are not God even if you think you are. I think back to the First Commandment, You shall have no other Gods. What does it mean to have no other Gods. It means that we should fear love and trust God above all things. This according to Luther's Small Catechism. Or Matthew 5:19 Anyone who breaks the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven. So to conclude this introduction my reason to the lies of this movement and it's theologians is a labor of love and concern for not only those of the LCMS but also Christians of other bodies.


 "They believe there is a God and they need to check in with him. But they don't have any sense that he is an active agent in their lives. As a result, they don't become disciples of Jesus. They consume his merits and the services of the church. … Discipleship is no essential part of Christianity today.

 The essential part of Christianity is not discipleship it is the death and resurrection of Christ for your sins. Christ is for us and does desire us to consume his merits and commands us for our own good as well. We only need to go to the Book of Matthew at the last supper he says,in Matthew 26:26-27 Take eat this is my body, verse 27 Then he took the cup gave thanks and offered it to them and said Drink from it all of you this is my blood which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.  He also tells us to do this in rememberance of me in Luke 22:19 .The desire to perform any sort of good work is from God working through us. Faith produces fruit. Apart from Christ we produce no good fruit. The fruits come from faith not from some perceived other action called "Discipleship" merely going to church, hearing God's Word and partaking of the Sacrament ,reading my Bible, and the sharing of my faith  when the opportunities arrive; is my vocation as a Christian or what some might call discipleship. Discipleship, should not be a forced exercise for the bretheren to perform and made a burden. The burden was already assumed by Christ and therefore should be a joy for us. To tell people about Christ is not a chore and not an exercise for us to do and be acceptable to God. We are made acceptable through Christ's precious blood and live a life of thanks because of it.  I think "Discipleship" is being used in this context as Works Based activities and smacks a little bit of works based righteousness. The part that is really annoying is the legalism .That as pastor he is judging the faith and life of those he serves based on what he sees when congregants come to church and hear God's Word. Pastor's know that there are definitely times where they don't see results in their preaching but it does not mean that there are not results for what is said on Sunday morning. I have always been told that we cannot judge our fellow man's heart and definitely cannot tell their measure of faith. But to say that I have to practice a "Discipleship Program" to be an acceptable Christian is ridiculous. If one does not see another's "good works"( Works that are done by God through the believer and with fear of God) does not mean that they do not exist. It is rather unfair to judge the faith of parishoners because one does not see them working in a soup kitchen or belonging to a supposed ministry( a term used liberally in non denominational circles.) and unpastorly to think that your parishoners are not living lives of faith and service. Is this about the pastor or those he serves? It isn't supposed to be about the pastor but those he serves. If those who come to hear the Word and Receive the Sacrament come on Sundays then the pastor is doing his job and should not second guess his parishoners living out lives of faith and service. Certainly there are some who don't live lives of faith and service, but the loss of some is not the loss of Christian Vocation for others.