So where are all these awful churches everyone keeps preaching about?

You know the ones. They are creating these huge mega churches but they don’t preach orthodox Christianity. My pastor keeps telling me about them so they must be out there. I just can’t find them.

What about all the churches who have sold out to the culture and are more focused on smoke machines and lasers than preaching the entire gospel of Christ? Everyone says these churches are leading to the demise of American Christianity. But why is it that when I visit these churches or podcast their sermons I hear the “good news” that Jesus loves me and has died for my sins and the “bad news” that a life of following Christ will be full of troubles.

Then there are all the topical preachers out there who don’t preach God’s word but instead just focus on helping me solve the everyday problems of my life. I really want to get worked up about the lack of expository teaching; except I’m finding that God uses both types of preaching and teaching in my life.

When did we decide that it is ok to take potshots at other churches on issues that don’t matter? Why do our pastors feel so secure in feeding our innate desires to believe we’re better than everyone else instead of teaching us the discipline of love in the unity of the Body of Christ?

For instance, I don’t agree with everything Rob Bell teaches but, after listening to several dozen sermons, I’m convinced he’s essentially orthodox. More importantly I see and hear stories of changed lives and people following hard after Christ.

Mark Driscoll has, at times, been crasser than I would have preferred. And I’m not sure his masculine Christ really honors the whole nature of God. But people are getting saved in Seattle! People are coming close to the Lord and surrendering their lives to Him.

Erwin McManus uses pretty unorthodox language but when Hollywood types are entering into real conversations about faith and coming to see that the historic Jesus Christ died as their substitute how can I complain. It’s not like my church is reaching them!

In I Corinthians 12, there’s an interesting coupling of verses that we rarely talk about together. Verse 3 makes the point that no one who is speaking in the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed." Paul then goes on to give us one of the best description of the unity and diversity of the Body of Christ. He makes the point that we are part of one body under one Spirit.

So my question is when you curse Christ’s Body do you not also curse Christ? Are you so sure in your methods, theology and preaching style that you are willing to stand before the Lord and explain that you were right to attack His Body from your place of calling?