Progressive Christianity

Message Content

Introduction to the series

Dunk on ‘em

Confront false beliefs that pretend to be christian Progressive Christianity Christian Nationalism Mormonism Jehovah’s witnesses 7th day adventists

Introduction

Tonight we are going to look at progressive christianity

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism Health & Wealth Gospel Universalism / Unitarianism Each one we’ll look at

Definition Problem Gospel solution Define two terms

Heresy Error Heresy

A belief that undercuts a core doctrine of Christianity. Example

Belief that you need to earn salvation

Judiazers Jesus wasn’t really a man

Gnostics Jesus wasn’t really God

Contemporary culture Denial of the Trinity

Marcionism Error

A sinful view of a doctrine that doesn’t undercut a core doctrine of Christianity.

MTD

Definition

Use the Bible to become a better person

“God’s way is always the best way” “Obedience to God makes your life better” Problem

Puts humans at the center of the Bible. You can be perfectly obedient You can be the hero of the story Story of David and Goliath

App. You are the hero — WRONG Unbeatable enemy If you’re asking how I can get God to work for me, you’re asking the wrong questions. Gospel Solution

Seeing the Bible as a story about God This belief is not a heresy, but it is an erroneous way to see the Bible.

Health and wealth Gospel

Definition

the assurance of “divine” physical health and prosperity through faith. Problem

Makes God submissive to our desires Gospel solution

Submit ourselves to the desires of God. Instead of asking God to change his heart, we are asking God to change our hearts. Error

I haven’t seen one health and wealth gospel teacher who didn’t have heretical beliefs

Universalism / Unitarianism

Defintion

All people get to go to heaven It’s a new spin on the book all dogs go to heaven Picture Feels new and progressive

Thomas Jefferson bible Problem

Removes key attributes of God If this were true

No rules = no justice Wrath - good thing Gospel solution

See the beauty in all of who God is Heresy

Cannot believe this and be saved.

Truth

All of these have one thing in common

Progressive “christianity” doesn’t believe the Bible is God’s word

MTD - Words for me about God $ - my way to get God to help me Universalism - my way to do whatever I want to do and feel like God won’t hate me.

G.K. Chesterton once penned:

Nobody has any business to use the word “progress” unless he has a definite creed and a cast-iron code of morals. Nobody can be progressive without being doctrinal; I might almost say that nobody can be progressive without being infallible–at any rate, without believing in some infallibility. For progress by its very name indicates a direction; and the moment we are in the least doubtful about the direction, we become in the same degree doubtful about the progress. Never since the beginning of the world has there been an age that had less right to use the word “progress” than we.

To be a progressive and not have an authoritative document (ie bible) is to progress toward nothing.

Landing

What is the actual good news? You have a God who actually is looking out for your best interest.

“You can do whatever you want and there is no consequences” Christian’s beliefs are old and archaic. They can’t be real.

If there is an all knowing God

He has to confront my sin I’m still growing - make bad choices There has to be a way where he can confront me and tell me to change.