Peter Drucker's Works Theology: Part 3

What is one to do when the Word of Government or the Word of Business conflicts with the Word of God? The "partnerships" that characterize the new global P.E.A.C.E. Plan efforts of Rick Warren reflect the 3-legged stool philosophy of Peter Drucker, his mentor. This "collaboration" (another name for the same thing) places Church, State and Corporate Business interests together as if all interests were compatible. The ethical dilemmas that this "partnership" raises are multitudinous.

What suffers most from such unholy alliances is the Word of God. History shows that the Word becomes compromised and squandered during such joint pursuits. And it becomes enmeshed and entangled in the competing interests of Business (especially financial) and State (particularly power).

J.C. Philpot's sermon, "The Word of Men and the Word of God" was preached at Providence Chapel, Oakham, on Tuesday Evening, Oct. 4, 1864. This message is timeless. The reader is challenged to find a modern-day neo-evangelical pastor with his 15-minute pre-digested, canned sermon who can stand on this solid ground at the close of his life, as Philpot could:

"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." 1 Thess. 2:13

". . . I hope, though I would wish to speak of myself humbly and modestly as becomes me, -- yet I would fain hope that the Lord, not only here, but elsewhere, has caused the gospel I have preached to be received not as the word of men, but as it is, the word of God. And I hope there are those underneath this roof this evening who can set to their seal that they have received what I have said from time to time from this pulpit, not as the word of men, but as the word of God. They have felt at various times a power in the word, as if God himself were pleased to speak to their hearts by it; and from the effects realised by it, in the peace and joy it has communicated, in the liberty which it has brought, in the comfort which it has given, in the sweet assurance with which it has been attended, in the abiding effects which it has wrought, and the permanent effects which it has produced, they can look back and recognise it as having been to them the very voice of God. Now, my dear friends, this will stand, and stand for ever. If you have received what I have spoken to you for these many years only as the word of men, when I am gone all will be gone, and I and it as much forgotten as if I had never preached in your ears the word of life. It will be as vain, as fleeting, as useless as the foam upon the water when stirred by a breeze, will all pass away as the smoke out of a chimney, or as the chaff of the summer threshing floors. Nay, worse, for where the gospel is not the savour of life unto life, it is the savour of death unto death (2 Cor. 2:16); and if our gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost. (2 Cor. 4:3.) It will little profit you in the great day to have heard the gospel for many years if it has not been made the power of God to your salvation. Nay, it cannot but increase your condemnation to have seen the light and rebelled against it, to have heard the truth, and yet inwardly or outwardly, in heart or in life to have turned aside to lies.

"But you who have received the gospel from my lips as the word of God, and found and felt its effectual power in your heart, will stand every storm and live at last. What you have thus heard and received has been for eternity. It has saved and sanctified your soul, and it will be owned of God at the last day as his voice through me to you. The faith raised up in your heart by the power of this word, the hope that has been communicated, and the love shed abroad by the Holy Ghost through it will all have his approbation in the great day when Christ shall come and all his saints with him. Then you who by his teaching and testimony have believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God, even you who can only say you desire to fear his name, be you weak or strong, will be found in him in that day accepted in the beloved. O that we may now be blessed with a sweet assurance that we shall then enter into the joy of the Lord; when all the infirmities of the flesh shall be forgotten, all the sins of our nature lost and buried in the grave, and we stand before the throne, with palms in our hands and everlasting crowns upon our heads, and all sorrow and sighing for ever fled away."

To read this entire sermon, go to: http://www.truegospel.net/Philpot/198a.htm

Countering Drucker's Works Theology: Part 2

From another great sermon by J.C. Philpot can be found the Old Doctrine about works and grace.

In the coming days, as Rick Warren's Global P.E.A.C.E. Plan gets more fully operational, believers may find more psychological, guilt-producing pressure brought to bear to "fulfill the Great Commission" or "end poverty" or "find a cure for AIDS."

The emphasis in Peter Drucker's philosophy is always placed on "results." When this translates into Christianity, it becomes "works" -- the shallow, performance-driven, people-pleasing, Pharisaical activities which the Lord Jesus Christ cried out against.

From another great sermon by J.C. Philpot can be found the Old Doctrine about works and grace. This sermon, which is excerpted below, poignantly presents the truth of the matter -- that it is a heart fully submitted to God that gives rise to genuine good deeds -- not external peer pressure from small groups, nor manipulative marketing tactics. Herescope readers are encouraged to read the sermons by Philpot in their entirety. The truth will be a blessing in these times when the pure, unadulterated Word of God is scarce.

From "On the Law and the Gospel," at http://www.truegospel.net/Philpot/072.htm:

"I would say that a believer has a rule to walk by which is sufficient to guide him in every step of the way; for if he has the eternal quickenings, teachings and leadings of the Spirit to make his conscience tender in the fear of God, and has a law of love written upon the heart by the finger of God; and besides this has the precepts of the gospel as a full and complete code of Christian obedience, what more can he want to make him perfect in every good word and work Heb 13:21 Can the law do any of these things for him? Can it give him life, in the first instance, when it is a killing letter? Can it maintain life, if it is not in its power to bestow it?

"But it may be asked: Do you then set aside the two great commandments of the law: 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God' etc. and 'thy neighbour as thyself'? No, on the contrary, the gospel as an external and internal rule fulfills them both, for 'love is the fulfilling of the law.' Ro 13:10 So this blessed rule of the gospel not only does not set aside the law as regards its fulfillment, but so to speak absorbs into itself and glorifies and harmonizes its two great commandments, by yielding to them in obedience of heart, which the law could not give; for the believers serves in the newness of the Spirit, not in the oldness of the letter Ro 7:6 as Christ’s freeman Joh 8:32 and not as Moses’s bondslave. This is willing obedience not a legal task. This will explain the meaning of the Apostle: 'For I delight in the law of God after the inward man': for the new man of grace, under the powerful influence of the Holy Spirit, delights in the law of God, not only for its holiness, but as inculcating that to do which fills the renewed heart and the inward delight — love to God and His people. . . ."

Countering Drucker's Works Theology: Part 1

Rick Warren's Second Reformation is all about "works." In yesterday's post Kay Warren was quoted from an interview she gave at http://www.crosswalk.com. In the same article at she called for Christians everywhere to get "seriously disturbed" about AIDS and to act on this crisis.

There is much need in the world. And after 2-3 decades of the "me" generation and neo-evangelical existentialism -- where "belief" was disconnected from "action" -- there may indeed be a void of Christian compassion and individual acts of charity. But the new teachings about "works," particularly under the influence of Peter Drucker's false gospel that integrates management philosophies and practices, swings the pendulum back too far in the other direction.

The Truth:

For balance, Herescope presents the old doctrines. If believers are relying upon modern evangelicalism's 10-minute sermons to get the truth, they may easily fall prey to the new Druckerisms and revisionist "works" theologies.

Today's sermon excerpt is from J.C. Philpot, who preached during a time of apostasy in the 1840s and 1850s. His timeless sermons present the Old Gospel. Many of his sermons are posted on-line. From http://www.truegospel.net/Philpot/138.htm.

THE LABOURER’S REST Mt 11:28 Part 1

Preached at Zoar Chapel, Great Alie Street, London, on Lord’s Day morning, July 27. 1845.

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."- Mt 11:28

". . . The Lord sees that many of His dear children are toiling and struggling to do something pleasing in His sight. And, whatever disappointments they continually meet -- whatever rents are made in the web which they are weaving to clothe themselves with; however short they find the bed, and however narrow the garment -- yet many go on foolishly endeavouring to please God by the works of the law, instead of trampling under foot their own righteousness, and looking wholly and solely to the obedience and sufferings of Jesus. To such He says, 'Come unto me.' Your labour is in vain; you can never work out a righteousness pleasing to God; for to be a righteousness acceptable to Him, it must be perfect: there must be no flaw in it; it must be completely without a spot, a speck, or a stain. Can you produce this? Have you ever produced one thought perfectly pure? -- one action thoroughly holy? -- one desire with which sin and self have not in some way intermingled? Were you ever fully conformed to God’s holy will and word for one minute in your life? Then how can you produce a righteousness which God can be pleased with?

"Now, we must learn for ourselves, by painful experience, that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and thus cast them away with self-loathing and abhorrence from us; yea, feel as Job did, 'Though I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean, yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me' Job 9:30,31. Yes, we must know and feel the word of God, manifesting His holiness and our unholiness, till we are glad to cast off our own righteousness just as we should be glad to cast off our besmeared clothes if we fell into a dirty ditch."

And from Part 2, "The Labourer's Rest" - Mt 11:28 http://www.truegospel.net/Philpot/139.htm

"3. But there is another idea still connected with 'rest,' relief. When we rest, we find relief to our weary limbs. So spiritually. When the soul comes to Jesus, He gives it rest and relief from its burdens; as well as deliverance from anxiety, and cessation from the labour that distresses and distracts it. He promises to give this -- "Come unto me, and I"-- Who else can do it? None, either in heaven or earth -- "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." How? By communicating to the soul out of His infinite fullness, by sprinkling upon the conscience His atoning blood, by shedding abroad in the heart His dying love, and enabling the soul to believe on His name, and cling to His Person.

"In this there is rest -- nothing else will do it -- nothing else will give it. Other remedies will leave us at last under the wrath of God. But he that comes to and leans upon Jesus, His finished work, His dying love, will have rest here and heaven hereafter. Are not our poor minds often restless, often anxious, and pensive, because of a thousand doubts, perplexities, painful trials, and grievous afflictions-do they not all make your spirit weary and restless within you? There never can be anything but restlessness while we move round this circle of sin and self. But when by precious faith we come out of our own righteousness, our own strength, our own wisdom, our own worthiness; come to, believe in, hang upon, and cleave unto the Person, blood, and work of the only-begotten Son of God, so as to feel a measure of His preciousness in our hearts -- then there is rest. This is solid, this is abiding, this is not delusive; this will never leave the soul deceived with false hopes. No, it will end in eternal bliss and glory -- in the open vision of eternal love -- in seeing Him face to face whom the soul has known, looked to, believed in, and loved upon earth."

More excerpts from pertinent J.C. Philpot sermons on this topic tomorrow!

Kay Warren's Peter Drucker Theology

In a recent interview entitled "Kay Warren 'Seriously Disturbed': Church Must Act on AIDS" by Janet Chismar, Senior Editor for Faith at www.crosswalk.com [see http://tinyurl.com/9l5cm], Kay Warren lists the compassionate reasons for Christian believers to become involved about the AIDS crisis. Many of these reasons to be caring and concerned are valid. But about halfway through the interview there is a jolting switch in agendas. What begins as a plea for simple acts of charity, suddenly represents a massive restructuring of the local church to fit a global church agenda.

The first jolt comes with this statement by Kay Warren:

"I think that, in time, the parachurch organizations will exist to support the local church, rather than the local church existing to resource the NGO."

The reader is invited to view this statement in context by visiting the url listed above. It is evident that there is a profound switch in focus, which places the autonomy of the local church under the jurisdiction of larger agencies, which may or may not be Christian. To underscore this point, Kay Warren advocates for Peter Drucker's 3-legged stool philosophy later in the interview:

"We believe the church has been the missing leg of a three-legged stool. Governments are doing things. Private sector businesses are doing things, trying to go after global giants, but the church has been absent. We have been trying to bring the church back to the table and say “It’s going to take all three.” The main reason is that the church has the widest distribution center. The church exists in places where there is nothing else. To utilize the distribution channels for care and compassion and teaching and training. It’s the way to go. It’s smart!"

Peter Drucker's 3-legged stool philosophy teaches that a "healthy" society is built upon three sectors: a public sector of government (State); a private sector of businesses (Corporations); and a social sector of community, church and charitable organizations." Each of these sectors must ultimately be accountable to the State, which sets the standards for results that are measurable. A thorough reading of Peter Drucker's philosophy reveals that the CHURCH must come under the umbrella of the STATE in order to most effectively function. This represents a substantial change in doctrine and worldview, and unbiblically alters the structure and function of the local body of believers.

A more thorough and in-depth explanation of the ramifications of Drucker's 3-legged stool philosophy and how it is being implemented on churches and charities can be found in a paper entitled "The Pied Pipers of Purpose" posted on-line at www.discernment-ministries.org [see http://tinyurl.com/8d5xv].

The Truth:

What used to be taught in Christianity before modernism in the late 20th century about the ministry of the local church? Here is one poignant example:

"It must be remembered. . . . that Christianity does not involve retreating into a shelter, much less a shell. The type of Christian life advocated in this study is not that of a withdrawal from society but of the active evangelism of that society. This evangelistic program is to be supported by a high type of Christian living; that is, by a spiritual type of Christian nonconformity to the world. It is a separation unto God which is regarded as 'radical' by society as a whole, even by much of professed Christendom, which is in the end most attractive to those who are earnestly seeking to do God's will. The best illustrations of this high type of Christian life combined with a vigorous evangelistic emphasis were found in the ancient church, both apostolic and sub-apostolic, and among the Anabaptists of the sixteenth century. A Christian group does not need to become like the world, nor to become greatly entangled with the organizations of the day, in order to carry on a vigorous program of of Christian witnessing. Rather let the entire life, social, economic, and every other aspect, be one of utter simplicity, combined with a vigorous program of maintaining Sunday schools, holding evangelistic meetings, promoting rural, city, and foreign missions; in short, the seeking first of His kingdom and His righteousness."

(This quotation comes from p. 191 of a newer edition of Separated Unto God by J.C. Wenger, which was originally published by Herald Press, 1951. This excellent classic has been recently republished by Sword & Trumpet and is available for $12.95 plus shipping by phoning 800-776-0478. This quotation was found in a chapter entitled "Simplicity in a World of Organizations," which represents a body of teaching long lost to neo-evangelicals concerning the dangers of joining ranks with worldly organizations.)

The Heresy of Entertainment

Below is an excellent quotation from A.W. Tozer that fits modern evangelicaldom perfectly, particularly the CBN-style glitz, glitter and glamour.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians 3:16)

"Religious entertainment has so corrupted the Church of Christ that millions don't know that it's heresy. . . . They don't know that it's as much a heresy as the counting of beads or splashing of holy water or something else. To expose this, of course, raises a storm of angry protest among the people . . . .

"One man wrote an article as an expose of me. He said that I claimed that religious entertainment was wrong and he said, 'Don't you know that every time you sing a hymn, it's entertainment?' Every time you sing a hymn? I don't know how that fellow ever finds his way home at night. He ought to have a seeing eye dog and a man with a white cane to take him home!

"When you raise your eyes to God and sing, 'Break Thou the bread of life, dear Lord to me,' is that entertainment - or is it worship? Isn't there a difference between worship and entertainment? The church that can't worship must be entertained. And men who can't lead a church to worship must provide the entertainment. That is why we have the great evangelical heresy here today - the heresy of religious entertainment!" (Tozer on the Almighty God)

The Rich, Poor Church

In these days of the widespread promotion of megachurches, Christians can easily lose sight of what Scripture says on the topic. On today's Thanksgiving holiday, it is good to be thankful to the Lord for all things, even when we are poor and small. David wrote in the Psalms, "I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts." (Ps. 119:141) Matthew Henry commenting on this verse, noted that David was "a man after God's own heart, one whom the King of kings did delight to honor, and yet small and despised in his own account and in the account of many others. David poor and yet pious, would not throw off his religion, though it exposed him to contempt, for he knew that was designed to try his constancy."

“I know your… poverty but you are rich” (Rev. 2:9)

The church of Smyrna was poor by all human measurements. They were probably a small church with not many members. Financially, they were also not prosperous like the church of Laodicea. No doubt others had mocked them because they were not big and thriving like some churches, or like the Jewish synagogue in town. Certainly, in comparison to the massive temples to the heathen gods, this group of persecuted believers seemed totally insignificant.

Maybe your church is like the church of Smyrna – small, financially weak and lacking many of the facilities, staff and budgets of some other churches. Maybe there is just a handful of believers meeting in a home but seeking to be obedient to the Lord and His Word.

I know exactly how it feels to be part of a small church. I know the embarrassment (not that we have need to be) when someone asks how big our church is and then proceeds to tell you that they are part of a church of several thousand. I know the look that implies that there is something wrong with you and your church. The raised eyebrows that seem to question whether you are part of a sect or a cult and even the direct statement that indicates that there has to be something wrong for your church to be so small. I know how it feels to see the wonderful facilities and technology of bigger churches not to mention the staff running around doing all sorts of wonderful projects. I also know how it feels not to be able to tackle various ministry projects because there just is no money for more than just the basics.

Yes, sometimes we feel we must be doing something wrong and, surely the Lord should bless if we are in His will. There are many questions and struggles that flood the minds of those who are part of a small church. Then, of course, the Devil is always ready to sow doubt, fear and accusation, and often he uses other Christians to do his dirty work.

Maybe you feel this way about yourself – that you are not prosperous and seem to just make it from one week to the next. I have heard many Christians say they are tired of struggling financially, spiritually and emotionally. No wonder the empty promises of the prosperity deceivers sound so attractive to so many. Off course we all want to be the head and not the tail. Off course we all want to be people of influence and none of us want to have to count the pennies to survive.

BUT Jesus says of the church in Smyrna that they are rich, even though they are poor in human terms! Now I have to immediately add that this does not mean that all poor people are rich in God’s eyes. Financial poverty or numerical weakness is no guarantee of spiritual prosperity just as there may be a few (people and churches) that are financially prosperous and who are spiritually blessed as well. The Lord says of the church that He knows their works and that their works prove their richness. The point is that we cannot count God’s blessing in money, numbers, health or size because God’s standards are very different to man’s standards. What we need is people and churches that are rich in God’s eyes, even though they may be poor from man’s perspective.

Of the seven churches the Lord addresses in Revelation only two do not receive any rebuke or correction and it was the two weakest ones in human terms. In only one of the seven cities represented by those seven churches did the Christian witness survive through to the 21st century – the city of Smyrna (modern Izmir).

Yes, they were poor, persecuted, and many of them were killed for the Faith, but the Lord was pleased with them because they had discovered the true riches laid up in heaven. In this respect they continued the brave tradition of the saints from the Old Testament who “were tortured . . . had trial of mockings and scourgings . . . chains and imprisonment . . . (who) were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented . . . .” (Hebrews 11:35-37)

It is hard not to listen to, and be affected by what people say, but we need to learn to be concerned with the Master’s opinion only. We all want approval, but man’s approval is almost certainly a sign that we do not have the Lord’s approval. “. . . We have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. . . not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts . . . Nor did we seek glory from men” (1 Thessalonians 2:4-6).

We would not be human if we did not look for some outward sign of God’s blessing and approval. We all wish that fire would come down from heaven, consume the sacrifice and vindicate us before all the scoffers and false prophets. But the reality is that we may die without seeing any outward manifestation of God’s blessing. But, again, we are not alone. It says of the heroes of the Old Testament that “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them (and) embraced them” (Hebrews 11:13).

So, take courage and say with Paul: “I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (1Corinthians 12:10). There is just one condition: It has to be “for Christ’s sake.” If we are small, weak, poor, mocked and persecuted because we are walking in obedience to Him and His Word, then we can rejoice. “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters” (1Peter 4:15). If we are financially embarrassed because we have lived wasteful lives or have not worked diligently, then we are suffering the natural consequences of our own slothfulness. So, lets work for the Master with all our might and if He chooses to confirm our labors with blessings and fruit in this life, then that is good, but if He chooses to reward us only on That Day then let us.

“Be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (James 5:7,8)

[The devotional above was prepared by Pastor Anton Bosch. Recently Pastor Bosch spoke at a Discernment Ministries conference in Naugatauk, Connecticut. Tapes of his speeches are available at http://www.discernment-ministries.org]

The Real Purpose

The remainder of this holiday week Herescope will post devotionals which effectively refute modern-day heresies. May these devotionals be a blessing to you.

Pertaining to yesterday's blog post, which described Peter Drucker and Rick Warren's new "works" theology, below is an apt quote from A.W. Tozer:

"The work of Christ in redemption, for all its mystery, has a simple and understandable end: it is to restore men to the position from which they fell and bring them around again to be admirers and lovers of the Triune God. God saves men to make them worshipers.

"This one central fact has been largely forgotten today, not by the liberals and the cults only, but by evangelical Christians as well. By direct teaching, by story, by example, by psychological pressure we force our new converts to 'go to work for the Lord.' Ignoring the fact that God has redeemed them to make worshipers out of them, we thrust them out into 'service,' quite as if the Lord were recruiting laborers for a project instead of seeking to restore moral beings to a condition where they can glorify God and enjoy Him forever. . . .

"Our Lord commands us to pray the Lord of the harvest that He will send forth laborers into His harvest field. What we are overlooking is that no none can be a worker who is not first a worshiper. Labor that does not spring out of worship is futile and can only be wood, hay and stubble in the day that shall try every man's work." (Tozer on the Almighty God)

Peter Drucker's Theology of Works

On November 18, 2005 in The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Leslie Lenkowsky wrote an article entitled "Drucker's Contributions to Nonprofit Management" (http://tinyurl.com/7lzwn). This article highlights management guru Peter Drucker's foray, in the latter part of his life, into transforming the social sector. This "third sector" of society was fertile ground for Drucker's social philosophies. He believed that churches, foundations, charities and private institutions should all be reinvented according to his results-driven formula. He taught a gospel of accountability, performance standards, outcomes, results, measurability and assessment.

"For most of his career, Peter F. Drucker was renowned as an expert on business management, whose books and articles were widely read, and advice widely sought, by corporate leaders throughout the world. But late in his life, he turned his attention to the nonprofit world, writing a best-selling guide to running charitable groups and creating a foundation bearing his name to strengthen leadership in what he called the 'social sector.'

"This shift is not as surprising as it might initially seem. Mr. Drucker, who died last week, was interested in nonprofit groups because he thought they played a key role in giving a purpose to modern societies, a task he felt that, despite their economic successes, businesses increasingly avoided. Unfortunately, as he would have seen it, there are now signs that nonprofit groups, too, are focusing more on their financial success than in serving others. . . .

"As he had with businesses, he saw in nonprofit groups a distinctively American innovation that could build community while providing valuable services and fostering innovation. Indeed, Mr. Drucker viewed nonprofit groups as leaders in the knowledge-driven enterprises that would characterize all economic activity in the future.

"But while management practices had been getting better, charities still had room for improvement, especially in producing results, if they were to retain the confidence and trust of the American public. Without that, their existence -- and their ability to promote greater social equality -- would be in jeopardy." [emphases added]

The full implementation of Peter Drucker's social business philosophies on the private sector is close to being achieved. Rick Warren's "purpose-driven" life and church programs is "Christianized" Drucker theology for the people in the pews. Warren boldly proclaimed this past Spring that he was launching a New Reformation that would be about "works." His new Druckerite church will rely heavily upon standards, results, measurements, accountability (not in the biblical sense, but rather in the Drucker sense), and a focus on performance. This is a new legalism.

The New Guilt

Drucker's system also relies heavily upon peer pressure in "community" for conformance to new standards. One way to achieve successful peer pressure is to create guilt -- not a true biblical guilt, but a psychological guilt. Guilt is very easy to produce when external standards for performance are set up. Interestingly, Dr. Francis Schaeffer warned about precisely this type of false guilt back in 1968 when he wrote The God Who Is There (Crossway, Complete Works, Vol. 3, 1982).

"Modern theology may use the term guilt, but because it is not orientated in a true moral framework, it turns out to be no more than guilt-feelings. And as in their system they have no place for true guilt, the death of Jesus on the cross takes on an entirely different meaning. Following from this, the work of Christ and the ministry of the church becomes one of two things: either a basis for sociological motivation, using undefinable religious terms; or a means for psychological integration, again using religious words. In both cases, the connotation words used are open to the control of the manipulators." (p. 111) [emphasis added]

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." (Gal. 2:16)

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." (Romans 5:8-9)

Peter Drucker's Existential Purpose

In 1949 Peter Drucker, management guru and "mentor" to Rick Warren of purpose-driven fame, wrote an essay entitled "The Unfashionable Kierkegaard." This essay formed the foundation of the philosophy that was to guide him the rest of his life. So important was this essay to him, that it was made available on the Internet at http://tinyurl.com/ajbuv. An introduction to this paper states, "This paper, written at the end of the forties on the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, holds a special place in Drucker's work, which is otherwise concerned with processes within society." (www.peterdrucker.at)

A New York Times commentary on Drucker's life, "A Man's Spiritual Journey From Kierkegaard to General Motors," by Peter Steinfels (November 19, 2005) can be found at http://tinyurl.com/a2g9x . This insightful article gives an account of Drucker's religious beliefs in the context of his management philosophy.

"Mr. Drucker was raised in Vienna in a family of intellectuals, the perfect incubator for the polymath he became. Jack Beatty, in his biography 'The World According to Peter Drucker' (Free Press, 1998), passes on Mr. Drucker's description of the family Lutheranism as 'so "liberal" that it consisted of little more than a tree at Christmas and Bach cantatas at Easter.'

"Then, at age 19, Mr. Drucker came across the works of the theologian and philosopher Soren Kierkegaard - and was bowled over. He studied Danish in order to read Kierkegaard's yet-untranslated writings.

"From Kierkegaard to studying General Motors and the secrets of entrepreneurship may seem like a long stretch. But Kierkegaard's stark Christian vision spoke to Mr. Drucker's lifelong search for what he was observing while working in a Germany sliding into Nazism - an explanation of why, in a modern world of organizations and rapid change, freedom has so often been surrendered."

The Significance of Kierkegaard

Dr. Francis Schaeffer warned evangelicals about how the philosophies of Soren Kierkegaard were permeating not only liberal Protestant churches, but also encroaching upon evangelicalism in his 1968 book The God Who Is There (Crossway, Complete Works, Vol. 3, 1982). Kierkegaard, he said, "is the father of modern existential thinking, both secular and theological thinking." (p. 14)

Dr. Schaeffer raised the question:

"Why is it that Kierkegaard can so aptly be thought of as the father of both [secular and theological]?. . . Kierkegaard led to the conclusion that you could not arrive at synthesis by reason. Instead, you achieve everything of real importance by a leap of faith." (p. 15)

". . . [T]he important thing about [Kierkegaard] is that when he put forth the concept of a leap of faith, he became in a real way the father of all modern existential thought, both secular and theological. [italics in original]

"As a result of this, from that time on, if rationalistic man wants to deal with the really important things of human life (such as purpose, significance, the validity of love), he must discard rational thought about them and make a gigantic, nonrational leap of faith. The rationalistic framework had failed to produce an answer on the basis of reason, and so all hope of a uniform field of knowledge had to be abandoned. We get the resulting dichotomy like this:

"THE NONRATIONAL AND NONLOGICAL
Existential experience; the final experience; the first order experience

"THE RATIONAL AND LOGICAL
Only particulars, no purpose, no meaning. Man is a machine." (p. 16)

Because of the untenable nature of this philosophical dichotomy, Dr. Schaeffer predicted that man would adopt a synthesized mysticism to fill the void. He warned that there would be a "new, evolving religion" with a "new theology." He observed that by using words with "undefined connotation" (p. 89) the new theology could easily replace existing theology.

"[People] in our culture in general are already in process of being accustomed to accept nondefined, contentless religious words and symbols, without any rational or historical control. Such words and symbols can be filled with the content of the moment. The words Jesus or Christ are the most ready for the manipulator. The phrase Jesus Christ has become a contentless banner which can be carried in any direction for sociological purposes. In other words, because the phrase Jesus Christ has been separated from true history and the content of Scripture, it can be used to trigger religiously motivated sociological actions directly contrary to the teaching of Christ. This is already in evidence, as for example in the 'new' morality being advocated by many within the Church today.

"So there is open to the new theology the possibility of supplying society with an endless series of religiously motivated arbitrary absolutes. It is against such manipulated semantic mysticism that we do well to prepare ourselves, our children and our spiritual children." (p. 90) [emphases added]

The Truth:

This Kierkegaardian "leap of faith" permitted Peter Drucker to develop a synthesized concept of man as "human capital" -- a machine with purpose, both secular and theological. (See previous posts on Peter Drucker for more information on this point.) The "purpose-driven" theology appears to give meaning to evangelicals who have been steeped in existentialism for nearly three decades. But this theology is shallow, representative of the "manipulated semantic mysticism" of which Dr. Schaeffer warned.

Dr. Schaeffer worried that many evangelicals did not truly know the faith. To counter this mysticism he asked a series of rational, serious questions:

"What does it mean to believe on, to cast oneself on, Christ? I would suggest there are four crucial aspects. More detail could be considered, but these are crucial. They are not slogans to be repeated by rote and they do not have to be said in these words, but the individuals must have come to a positive conclusion and affirmation concerning them, if he is to believe in a biblical sense:

"1. Do you believe that God exists and that He is a personal God, and that Jesus Christ is God -- remembering that we are not talking of the word or idea god, but of the infinite-personal God who is there?
"2. Do you acknowledge that you are guilty in the presence of this God -- remembering that we are not talking about guilt-feelings, but true moral guilt?
"3. Do you believe that Jesus Christ died in space and time, in history, on the cross, and that when He died His substitutional work bearing God's punishment against sin was fully accomplished and complete?
"4. On the basis of God's promises in His written communication to us, the Bible, do you (or have you) cast yourself on this Christ as your personal Savior -- not trusting in anything you yourself have ever done or ever will do?" (p. 147)

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." (1 John 1:1-3)

Peter Drucker's Mega-Church Legacy

The post-mortem accolades are pouring in for the managemant giant, Peter Drucker, who passed away a week ago at age 95. His influence spanned nearly a century and reached far beyond big corporations into the private sector. Previous Herescope posts have examined some of his influence over key individuals and movements in neo-evangelicaldom. Today's post covers just a few more examples of his far-reaching influence:

"Some of Mr Drucker's most innovative work was with voluntary and religious institutions . . . . Mr Drucker told his clients, who included the American Red Cross and the Girl Scouts of America, that they needed to think more like businesses—albeit businesses that dealt in 'changed lives' rather than in maximising profits. Their donors, he warned, would increasingly judge them not on the goodness of their intentions, but on the basis of their results.

"One perhaps unexpected example of Druckerism is the modern mega-church movement. He suggested to evangelical pastors that they create a more customer-friendly environment (hold back on the overt religious symbolism and provide plenty of facilities). Bill Hybels, the pastor of the 17,000-strong Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, has a quotation from Mr Drucker hanging outside his office: 'What is our business? Who is our customer? What does the customer consider value?'" ("Trusting the teacher in the grey-flannel suit" The Economist, Nov 17th 2005 [http://tinyurl.com/8ntzb]) [emphases added]

Business Week's cover story for November 28, 2005 is entitled "The Man Who Invented Management: Why Peter Drucker's ideas still matter" [http://tinyurl.com/a5avy]. These ideas have become commonplace in the modern mega-churches:

"Whether it's recognized or not, the organization and practice of management today is derived largely from the thinking of Peter Drucker. His teachings form a blueprint for every thinking leader. . . . In a world of quick fixes and glib explanations, a world of fads and simplistic PowerPoint lessons, he understood that the job of leading people and institutions is filled with complexity. He taught generations of managers the importance of picking the best people, of focusing on opportunities and not problems, of getting on the same side of the desk as your customer, of the need to understand your competitive advantages, and to continue to refine them. He believed that talented people were the essential ingredient of every successful enterprise. . . .

"In his later years, as his health weakened, so did Drucker's magnetic pull. Although he maintained a coterie of corporate followers, he increasingly turned his attention to nonprofit leaders, from Frances Hesselbein of the Girl Scouts of the USA to Rick Warren, founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. Warren, author of The Purpose-Driven Life, considered Drucker a mentor. 'Drucker told me: "The function of management in a church is to make the church more churchlike, not more businesslike. It's to allow you to do what your mission is,"' Warren said. 'Business was just a starting point from which he had this platform to influence leaders of all different kinds." [emphases added]

Despite Warren's claims that Drucker's ideas helped his church become more "churchlike," Drucker believed that non-profits needed to act more like business. The Economist article, cited previously, continued:

"Mr Drucker went further than just applying business techniques to managing voluntary organisations. He believed that such entities have many lessons to teach business corporations. They are often much better at engaging the enthusiasm of their volunteers—and they are also better at turning their “customers” into “marketers” for their organisation. These days, business organisations have as much to learn from churches as churches have to learn from them." [emphasis added]

The Market-Driven Church

Drucker was not only influential in training evangelical leaders in his social management philosophy, but he also was the man behind the modern marketing extravaganza going on in evangelicaldom. For example, Rick Warren's brand name "purpose-driven" reflects the "results-driven" philosophy of Peter Drucker. "Master of Marketing" is the title given to Peter Drucker by the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in a recent tribute posted at http://tinyurl.com/9rjmc:

"Wide-ranging as Drucker's contributions were to the field of management, his writings about marketing are as important, say Wharton professors. Stephen J. Hoch, chairperson of the marketing department, describes Drucker as 'the Warren Buffett of management gurus. His analysis of management and marketing issues always was pithy and to the point. No pandering to buzzwords and fads, but a constancy of message, with straightforward reasoning and clearly articulated ideas. The following statement attributed to Drucker is today still the essence of marketing: "The aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous. (It) ... is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service fits him and sells itself. Ideally, marketing should result in a customer who is ready to buy."'

"Marketing professor David J. Reibstein says . . . . 'Drucker considered a business's most valuable asset to be its people. Generally, he is considered the father of management, but I also consider him the father of marketing. He said the role of business is to create a customer. He always emphasized focusing on customers and understanding what they valued.'" [emphases added]

The Truth:

Psalm 119 is probably the least popular of the psalms in today's neo-evangelical environment. Yet, it is one of the most wonderful source of meaty food to the believer who is seeking the Lord with the whole heart and earnestly desiring to stand firm on the Word of God in these perilous times.

Verse 33 states: "Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end." Matthew Poole's Commentary adds, "That I may persevere; for the apostacy proceeds from the want of a good understanding."

Verse 36 states: "Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness." Matthew Poole's Commentary comments on "covetousness" (which is the source of all market-driven evangelism):

"Unto thy testimonies; to the love and prctice of them. Not to covetousness; not to the inordinate love and desire of riches: which particular lust he mentions, partly, because this lust is most spreading and universal, and there is scarce any man who doth not desire riches either for the love of riches, or upon pretence of necessity, or for the service of pride or luxury, or some other lust; partly, because this lust is most opposite to God's testimonies, and doth most comonly hinder men from receiving God's word, and from profiting by it; see Matt. 13:22; Luke 16:14; and partly, because this lust is most pernicious, as being the root of all evil, 1 Tim. 6:10, and is most mischievous in princes and governors, such as David was, and therefore in a special manner forbidden to them, Exod. 28:21."

Bob Buford Invests in Ken Blanchard

In August 2000, "From Success to Significance: Faithworks," Barbara Elliott wrote about Bob Buford's investments -- time and talent, as well as monetary -- in the nonprofit sector. [http://tinyurl.com/7eklr]

"Since 1987, Bob Buford has poured most of his time, talent and financial resources into a series of overlapping and complementary nonprofit ventures."

Another official history of Bob Buford on-line at http://tinyurl.com/cnlo9 records more information about his investments. Mentioned below is Ken Blanchard, a controversial consultant popular in neo-evangelical circles who has close connections with the higher echelons of New Age leadership:

"After Selling Buford Television, Inc. in 1999, Bob officially entered into his halftime on a full-time basis. The mission of The Buford Foundation is to identify and resource people, ideas and organizations that have the potential to produce 100X results for the Kingdom. Buford Foundation is the "incubator" - the place where good ideas get tested to see of they are 100X ideas. Some of the ideas in which Buford Foundation has invested itself are:

". . . The Center for FaithWalk Leadership - an initiative started by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges to encourage business leaders to use Jesus as their coach for developing leadership skills. You can find more information at www.leadlikejesus.com."

The previously cited Barbara Elliott article, takes note of Peter Drucker's involvement in all of this activity by Bob Buford.

"One of Bob Buford’s mentors and best friends is Peter Drucker, the renowned business management guru. Drucker has devoted a great deal of time and energy to nonprofit management as well and is committed to revitalizing what he calls the 'social sector.' Drucker’s wisdom in management has been directed to training the leaders of nonprofits to bring forth a renaissance in the private, social sector. . . .

"The result of that brainstorming between Peter Drucker and Bob Buford was the birth of FaithWorks in 1998. FaithWorks set out to build a bridge linking business leaders in 'halftime' to leaders of faith-based organizations in the social sector. FaithWorks seminars and workshops, which have been held in eleven cities throughout the U.S., were launched to inspire business leaders and help them identify their abilities using sophisticated tools. They also make use of inspiring messages from "half-timers" like Ken Blanchard, author of the One Minute Manager."

The Truth:

For more information about Ken Blanchard see Christian Research Service's reports at http://tinyurl.com/dq9x9.

"Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death." (Prov. 11:4)

Bob Buford's tributes to Peter Drucker

Peter Drucker was the "mentor" of Bob Buford of Leadership Network. Leadership Network has played a key role in building and training a generation of pastoral "leaders" immersed in the business philosophies of Drucker. Like leaven, the thoughts and ideas of Drucker have permeated throughout the evangelical world. Buford's role has been to add sugar to the starter, making sure that the leaven could rapidly fill the whole lump.

Below are some current Internet postings, pertaining to Drucker's recent passing, which demonstrate the pervasiveness of Drucker's influence, particularly through the conduit of Bob Buford. From Dallas News, November 15, 2005:

"Dallas author Bob Buford, a co-founder and the first chairman of the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management, has lost a beloved mentor.

"'Like Shakespeare, Einstein and Lincoln, there's only one of him,' says Mr. Buford, who attended Mr. Drucker's funeral in California on Monday. 'Drucker came at a unique moment in history when he was most needed.'

"Mr. Buford credits his mentor with transforming management into the 'alternative to tyranny.' He says that's largely responsible for "the peace and prosperity of the second half of the 20th century.'

"No small feat there. "

"'I've long since ceased trying to determine what thoughts are mine and which come from Peter,' says Mr. Buford, author of Finishing Well, a management book." [http://tinyurl.com/984s8]

At the ActiveEnergy.net website, Bob Buford posted "a list of articles, musings and other bits about Peter." [http://tinyurl.com/b6t83] Also posted at ActiveEnergy.net is a tribute to Peter Drucker, in which Buford proclaims:

"Peter lived in the bloodiest, most murderous century on record. He observed both its awful carnage and its colossal growth clear eyed. He did his best to point out its flaws. He provided us, those of us who remain, with an 'Alternative to Tyranny,' the main theme of his sixty years of hard work. He was responsible. He did not despair. He worked ceaselessly almost to the last to provide us with signposts and a path out of this dark night." [ http://tinyurl.com/c6wta]

The Truth:

Peter Drucker was highly influenced by the esoteric German philosophies swirling around during the 1800s. He took many of these philosophies, which were antithetical to orthodox Christianity. Rather than taking the human race out of a "dark night," these philosophies are the same ones that gave rise to the totalitarian governments of the 20th century.

The most insidious of Drucker's ideas is the concept of "knowledge workers" based on a model of "human capital." This idea assigns each human being an economic worth. It places demands upon humans for performance to achieve results under an onerous "system" of accountability. This is not a biblical model, nor is it compatible with orthodox Christianity. But rather it is a utilitarian model for managing people on Earth.

The effects of Drucker's thought upon the modern evangelical church have been to create a results-oriented, purpose-driven, works-based theological structure. For more information on this topic, read "The Pied Pipers of Purpose" at http://www.tinyurl.com/8d5xv .

"LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him! Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away." (Psalm 144:3-4)

Peter Drucker's Influence

Peter Drucker, the management guru who had a profound effect on modern evangelicalism, passed away on Friday, November 11th. Shortly before his passing, Bob Buford of Leadership Network and HalfTime fame, wrote a special ActiveEnergy.net "prayer about aging" which included a tribute to Drucker:

" And thank You for Peter Drucker’s life, which he invested in my own life and the lives of so many others. He has enlightened the path before me for 25 years or more. He is irreplaceable. Help me to extend his legacy to others like me." [ http://tinyurl.com/928nf]

In an interview in the Spring of 2003, Bob Buford explained some of the interconnections.

"When I was young, I became the head of Buford Television. I didn't think I knew how to manage, and the person who made the most sense to me was Peter Drucker. In practical things -- such as how to manage -- Peter is the smartest and most profound human being alive on the planet today. I apprenticed myself to his thinking, and it worked.

"Later, I began to think, 'I wonder what that body of management knowledge would do if applied to nonprofits and churches.' . . . I simply joined two strands of my life: my desire to expand God's Kingdom on Earth and the need for management.

"I found Peter's two greatest fans, Frances Hesselbein and Dick Schubert, and we conspired to create a foundation for nonprofit management with Peter Drucker at the center that would attract other 'planets' in the management universe. Today, we have 300 thought leaders who under the umbrella of the Drucker Foundation -- now the Leader to Leader Institute -- have lent their best thoughts to the non-profit world." [http://tinyurl.com/cke92] [emphases added]

In 1984 Bob Buford founded Leadership Network to be a resource broker to supply information to evangelical leaders and pastors, particularly targeting those who wanted to develop innovative churches. This organization has served as the main conduit for Drucker's philosophies and practices to enter evangelicaldom. Four years later in 1988 Bob Buford founded the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management (now the Leader to Leader Institute).

Peter Drucker served as one of Rick Warren's mentors. To read a fascinating published conversation between Drucker and Warren, visit: http://tinyurl.com/cmxup. For some additional history on Buford's early Leadership Network, visit: http://tinyurl.com/8daag. For more information about how Bob Buford set up Young Leaders (now Emergent) , see the November 11th Herescope. For a firsthand account of the story, visit http://tinyurl.com/5lfd8 . It becomes obvious, after reading these pages, that there was a particular agenda that was derived from Drucker, and these organizations and individuals were set up to accomplish it.

The Truth:

For further understanding about the profound influence of Peter Drucker, see the monograph, The Pied Pipers of Purpose: Human Capital Systems and Church Performance [http://tinyurl.com/8d5xv]. Prior to delving into an extended history of Drucker's influence, the authors write:

"Peter Drucker is now 94 years old. Should this paper end up in his hands, we sincerely urge him to repent and renounce the deeds he has committed during the long lifetime that the Lord has given him on this earth. It is not too late for you to repent, sir, and we urgently plead with you for the sake of your soul. May God have mercy on you for the influence your ideas have had upon the past three generations of mankind, and will have on the future generations yet to come. Although you say you are a believer, your testimony is incomplete and conflicting. Your writings and works reflect the esoteric philosophies that you grew up with and have embraced during your lifetime, not the humble, simple, pure Word of God." (p. 12)

"As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them." (Psalm 103: 15-18)

Emergent "Post-colonial" Disingenuousness

After Brian McLaren of the "Emergent" brand of neo-evangelicalism was named one of the top 25 most influential Evangelicals in America today by TIME magazine (Feb. 7, 2005), Homiletics Online published an interview with him entitled "A Generous, not Suspicious, Orthodoxy" [http://www.tinyurl.com/c4n99]. In this interview McLaren discusses a new term that he has invented: post-colonial.

"HOMILETICS: So a new kind of Christian is one who transcends these labels?

"McLAREN: I don’t want to use the word “transcend,” as it sounds superior. But a new kind of Christian is someone who doesn’t feel like he or she fits anymore, and feels he or she is moving into something beyond these polarizations. Another word for post modern is post-colonial. Part of what goes along with a colonial approach to Christianity is a very control-oriented approach to things. One way to describe colonialism is that the people of Europe or people of European descent know how things are and the rest of the world needs to conform to their way of thinking." [emphasis added]

[Note: the invention of new terminologies by post-modern evangelical leaders is often employed in a dialectic manner: 1) A traditional Christian practice or doctrine is described as bad because of any number of reasons, including a good dose of revisionist history; and 2) Therefore, we need to replace this bad practice or orthodoxy with a better method, formula, doctrine, or practice. Out with the big, bad OLD. In with the seductive, generous, broad-way NEW.]

The case was recently made by McLaren, at a Fuller Theological Seminary "book signing" and "conversation" (11/8/05) that there is something wrong with colonial. Colonial, according to McLaren, represents all of the worst aspects of exporting American religion abroad. Therefore, evangelicals need to become post-colonial, whereby Americans stop imposing their westernized Christianity on the Third World. This means American Churches need to sit down in “conversation” with churches and believers in other parts of the world, accept their experiences and versions of Christianity as valid, accept them as equals and learn from them. This means embracing things that on the surface may seem New Age or pagan as valid expressions of the faith. McLaren mentioned examples -- some cultures’ view of God include viewing God as “Chief,” “Brother,” “Ancestor,” and a number of others. This type of contextualization (syncretism of Christianity with paganism) is apparently acceptable to McLaren.

So, colonial now refers to American Christianity, which is lumped in with all of the bad aspects of western culture. In fairness, it must be noted that there is much to criticize about American Christianity, and many of its worst aspects are currently being exported overseas via the evangelical media. But McLaren's inference is that colonial also means anything pertaining to the traditional Gospel of the Bible. McLaren's solution -- post-colonial -- represents a syncretism of new gospel theologies and pagan practices.

Commentary

McLaren's use of the term post-colonial is disengenuous. The Global P.E.A.C.E. Plan that Rick Warren is implementing in Africa is colonialism. This plan for Africa is all about building an empire, a network -- a partnership of church, state (UN and nations) and corporations. As such, it represents a horrible new form of western "colonialism." In fact, it could be termed "Christian imperialism" because it is being done in the name of "advancing" (in a military sense of the word) the Kingdom of God on Earth.

McLaren's interconnections with Rick Warren are multitudinous. They were both "projects" of Bob Buford, and were fed the same diet of Peter Druckerisms. Like two sides to a coin, they are both implementing the same global Plan. McLaren is filling the theological niche in his attempts to reach the younger generation with a neo-paganized gospel. Rick Warren is filling the methodological niche by setting up a global church-state-corporate partnership structure.

Rick Warren is exporting (marketing) his purpose-driven brand of American Christianity to the Third World -- particularly targeting Africa. He is creating "toolkits" (methodologies) which rely upon the system of accountability (monitoring, databanking and assessing results) promulgated by Peter Drucker. Some of Warren's global partners have plans to implement a systemic methodology invented by humanist psychologist B. F. Skinner (rewarding the compliant, penalizing the noncompliant). The plan is based on the 3-legged stool concept of Drucker -- Corporate (businesses, markeplaces), Church (private sector, charities, foundations) and State (international and national governments, who set the standards for accountability). This Global P.E.A.C.E. Plan is the most massive exportation of western colonialism in history -- and it is all being done in the name of building the Kingdom of God on Earth!

How deceptive, then, for McLaren to create the term "post-colonial." Post-colonial ominously appears to represent a brave new world of "Christian imperialism" that "advances the Kingdom" with a syncretized pagan-gospel in partnership with multi-national corporations and global governance entities.

[For background reading on this commentary, see www.discernment-ministries.org newsletter reports on the Global Day of Prayer, The Second Reformation, and "The Pied Pipers of Purpose."]

The Truth:

The Emergent, syncretized, neo-pagan gospel soup is best described by the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer:

"While I was in Finland some years ago, A Bible-believing university professor there used the following illustration. A new liberal, he says, is like a shopkeeper who keeps many things under the counter. When the old-fashioned liberal comes in and asks for old-fashioned liberalism, the new liberal reaches under the counter and says, 'That is just what we have here.' When the Bible-beliving Christian comes in, the new liberal reaches under the counter and says, 'That is just what we have here.' The new theology is able to do this because of its both-and mentality. Opposites can still be mutually true." (The Church Before the Watching World, p. 125)

For good reading, see Apprising Ministries article "EMERGENT CHURCH: Is There Absolute Truth?" at http://tinyurl.com/avbne

I John 2: 18-26

"Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.
These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you."

Having an Emergent Beer

In an article entitled "Cool Kids Church" by Eric Landry posted at http://tinyurl.com/a975a there is a quasi-critique of McLaren's Emergent Church. The critique itself is illustrative of the neo-evangelical gospel of accommodation to culture. The Modern Reformation magazine folks (in post-modern fashion) suggest that everyone go out for a beer.

"Most of us here at Modern Reformation like the Emergent Church folks. . . .

"But the appreciation is a nervous one. As much as we are warmed by their insightful criticism of Evangelicalism, we just can’t shake the sense that these children of the megachurch are taking their postmodern angst and marketing it to the urban jungles just like their chino-wearing, cool hair dads did in middle America. That, of course, leads us to wonder if Emergent will really offer anything substantially different than what they are critiquing.

"After reading their books and blogs, conversing with them, and attending their conferences most of us just want to grab a beer and talk with these men and women. I think we would find that we have much in common and I would hope that our own like-minded efforts might serve to keep the Emergent folks from swinging the pendulum too far in an unhealthy direction. . . . [emphasis added]

"Will the Emergent Church be anything other than another passing evangelical fad? We hope so. But in order to be such the movement will have to acknowledge how their history as an evangelical institution (as the Young leaders Network and Terra Nova Project, arms of the Leadership Network) continues to shape their present course. In order to be a real force for good within Evangelicalism the movement will have to go beyond Evangelicalism and appropriate a churchly tradition that gives it real depth, not just an ecclesiological field guide. Otherwise, their efforts at reform will be truncated, for Evangelicalism can’t be reformed. By its very nature the movement is shaped not by confession or doctrine but by personality, culture, and circumstance. And thus far, that seems to be what is shaping the efforts of the Emergent Church as well." (Modern Reformation, July/August 2005, volume 14 issue 4).

More relevant history of the Emergent movement, particularly documenting its links to Bob Buford and Leadership Network, can be found at:
http://tinyurl.com/5lfd8;
http://tinyurl.com/9aaxc;
http://tinyurl.com/awxdz;
http://tinyurl.com/bzkbd;

But Buford, who birthed Emergent (see yesterday's post), wasn't just influenced by evangelicalism. It is important to examine the larger picture. Buford was a project of Peter Drucker, who needed a vehicle to reinvent the private sector of society to fit his communitarian designs. Bob Buford recently wrote in his "musings" of his indebtedness to Peter Drucker, business guru:

"And thank You for Peter Drucker’s life, which he invested in my own life and the lives of so many others. He has enlightened the path before me for 25 years or more. He is irreplaceable. Help me to extend his legacy to others like me." http://tinyurl.com/cl5s7

The Truth:

The late Dr. Francis Schaeffer, writing in The Great Evangelical Disaster, warned of the consequences of this new gospel of accommodation to culture.

"Accommodation, accommodation. How the mindset of accommodation grows and expands. The last sixty years have given birth to a moral disaster, and what have we done? Sadly we must say that the evangelical world has been part of the disaster. More than this, the evangelical response itself has been a disaster. Where is the clear voice speaking to the crucial issues of the day with distinctively biblical, Christian answers? With tears we must say it is not there and that a large segment of the evangelical world has become seduced by the world spirit of this present age. And more than this, we can expect the future to be a further disaster if the evangelical world does not take a stand for biblical truth and morality in the full spectrum of life. For the evangelical accommodation to the world of our age represents the removal of the last barrier against the breakdown of our culture. And with the final removal of this barrier will come social chaos and the rise of authoritarianism in some form to restore social order." (Crossway Books, p. 401)

1 John 5: 1-3
"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous."

Marketing Emergent

There is currently a rapid explosion of alliances between ministries, missions, and corporate ventures. Big business has entered the Church with partnerships for "advancing the Kindgom" and with promises of winning new souls along with profits. These marketplace "ministries" are popping up all over, particularly in Rick Warren's activities on the continent of Africa [see http://www.discernment-ministries.org/NLJulyAugust_2005.htm for more details on this point].

The postmodern, neoevangelical, emergent, etc. (fill in the blank) church has opened its arms to embrace a new"ministry" of saving souls by conducting business. In fact, marketing has entered the church as a "kingdom-building strategy." Cell church and church planting structures (by whatever name) are based on the Amway system of network marketing.

Name brand positioning to market one's one unique style of evangelism, church growth methodology or theology is now commonplace. For example, "purpose-driven" is inextricably linked to the man Rick Warren and his particular folksy style. The same is true of the term "Emergent" or "emerging" and Brian McLaren. An article from Publishers Weekly that ran earlier this year gives some interesting history of how "Emergent" is now a marketing bonanza for the publishing industry. An article entitled "Pomos Toward Paradise: A new subcategory points Christians to an emerging faith for a postmodern world," by Marcia Ford from 1/17/2005, discloses:

" . . . in the 1990s several existing groups and companies began to converge after recognizing their shared vision for ministry in a postmodern world: Youth Specialties and Zondervan, which had already enjoyed a 30-year partnership—with Zondervan publishing a line of ministry resources for youth workers for the organization—and the Young Leaders Network, affiliated with Leadership Network. 'The Young Leaders Network started doing some exploration in this area [of postmodernism],' said Youth Specialties president Mark Ostreicher. 'About that same time, some friends of mine started using the phrase 'emerging church' and formed a group called Emergent. We formed a partnership with them on day two of their existence, which is why our imprint is called emergentYS.'

"Not surprisingly, emergentYS has become the imprint most closely associated with the movement, with its author roster composed largely of members of the Emergent network. . . . "

The Publishers Weekly article explains the careful market positioning with the new name-brand of "Emergent."

"Partly because of the amorphous nature of the emerging church movement—unlike a denomination with a clearly defined and easily reached demographic—titles in the subcategory tend to stay in print and continue to sell long after their initial release dates. An example is McLaren's A New Kind of Christian. 'Sales have doubled every year, which is not the backlist pattern we normally see,' said Sheryl Fullerton, executive editor of the Jossey-Bass religion line. 'In that book, Brian crystallized a lot of the questions people had. It became one of the seminal texts of the movement, and I think that's why it's continuing to do really well.'

"'The longevity of pomo ["postmodern," ed.] titles can also be attributed to steady sales resulting from word-of-mouth marketing. "The emerging church is a community. They're bloggers, they have independent Web sites, and there's all this conversation going on,' Fullerton told PW. . . ."

"That kind of viral networking keeps books by some of the movement's most popular authors—Leonard Sweet, Robert E. Webber, Dan Kimball, Stan Grenz, John Franke, Spencer Burke, Mike Yaconelli—in print for years, including some titles that released in the mid 1990s." [emphasis added]

The secular Publishers Weekly aptly describes the Emergent niche in the overall evangelical market:

"As the Emerging Church name implies, the movement is one that has not fully arrived. Those taking part in the movement wouldn't have it any other way. A resistance to anything final and formulaic sets pomos apart from the modernist's emphasis on science, reason and propositional truth. Pomos see faith as a journey that integrates core values such as community, relevance, relationship, transformation, mission, story and interaction with a post-Christian culture." [http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA496162.html?pubdate=1%2F17%2F2005&display=archive]

The Truth:

For several articles critiquing the Emergent church, see "Emergent Church: Where Is The Truth?" http://www.apprising.org/archives/2005/11/emergent_church.html and "Emerging With A Christian View Of Scripture" http://www.apprising.org/archives/2005/09/emerging_with_a_1.html.

"And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all of them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." (Matthew 21:12-13)

How Leadership Network created the "Emerging Church"

There are many interconnections between Bob Buford of the Leadership Network, Rick Warren of "purpose-driven" fame, and Brian McLaren of the "Emerging Church." On the website http://www.anewkindofchristian.com/archives/000226.html, "The website for A New Kind of Christian, Brian McLaren answers the question, "How did Emergent start?"

"1. Emergent grew out of the Young Leader Networks, which was launched in the mid-90’s by Leadership Network, a Dallas-based foundation. Doug Pagitt, Chris Seay, Andrew Jones, Brad Smith, and others were involved before I was, and they did a great job of setting a tone and direction for the emergent conversation."

In order to understand the significance of this answer, a bit of background information might be helpful. This is a movement that is bringing in new doctrines and new church structures, particularly targeted at a younger generation of Christians. Berit Kjos, writing about Brian McLaren, notes the connection between McLaren and Rick Warren and comments on the methods of changing doctrine:

"While many pastors and church leaders have written books that describe this spiritual transformation, the message of Pastor Brian McLaren carries more weight since he is an acknowledged leader in this movement. Some of his articles are posted at http://www.pastors.com/, a website founded by Pastor Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life. McLaren's book, A New Kind of Christian, is written as a semi-fictional dialogue, so that readers can experience the thrill of questioning old truths and discovering new truth through the dialectic process. . . . [T]he introduction touts the postmodern worldview while raising doubts about Biblical faith . . . . " [http://www.crossroad.to/News/Church/Klenck2.html]

Robert Klenck, in an excellent and comprehensive article at http://www.crossroad.to/Excerpts/church/new-kind-christian.htm entitled "What's Wrong With the 21st Century Church?" writes about the purpose of the Emerging Church:

"The Mission of the Leadership Network is to 'Accelerate the emergence of the 21st-century church,' and that the (emerging) 'paradigm (of the 21st century church) is not centered in theology, but rather it is focused on structure, organization, and the transition from an institutionally based church to a mission-driven church.' [emphasis added]

"The Young Leader Networks, affiliated with the Leadership Network, under the heading 'People We Connect' state that they connect 'Theologians who construct new theologies that emerge out of practice.' and that 'We need your help to move to this “new age” of ministry built upon various experiences and expressions (emphasis added).' 'Our vision is to contextualize our message…by narrative preaching opposed to propositional. … within the framework of relationship. We prefer the mediums of art, expression, and experience opposed to a 95-point sermon used by generations before us to communicate truth.'" [emphasis added]

[A more comprehensive history and explanation of Bob Buford and the Leadership Network is found in Robert Klenck's report, "How Diaprax Manifests Itself in the Church (Growth Movement)," available in a booklet published by the Institution for Authority Research's "Readings in the Dialectic" (e-mail iardeangotcher@yahoo.com for information on how to purchase this excellent report). For more information on the Leadership Network and Rick Warren, see "The Shepherding Movement Comes of Age," at http://www.discernment-ministries.org/NLjanfeb_2003.htm and "The Pied Pipers of Purpose," http://www.discernment-ministries.org/Purpose_Driven.pdf.]

"What Is Emerging?"

In an article with this title, Chuck Smith, Jr. wrote in April 28, 2005, under a section entitled "Rewind to the 1970s" that Leadership Network had a direct role in setting up the Emergent Church:

"As far back as 1970, Larry Richards was calling for A New Face for the Church and in 1975 Howard Snyder pointed out The Problem with Wineskins. The student revolution of the 1960s marked the beginning of change in western society, and prescient believers were already discovering that the church would have to alter some of its structures in order to recast biblical community in the new world, still forming. The recommended changes of the ‘60s, however, had more to do with tweaking existing structures rather than calling the entire structure, right down to its foundation, into question.

"In the last decade of the 20th century, a small group of Christian leaders were drawn together by their mutual conviction that evangelicalism had produced a subculture that was no longer the best possible representation of Christianity. The world that had given birth to North American evangelical institutions (established basically through the 1940s to the 1960s) had disappeared by 1990. These believers realized that pushing the same methodologies (perhaps even the idea of methodology) and striving to salvage the old worldview would increasingly alienate popular culture and future generations of Christian youth.

"The group that met together to discuss these issues was fortunately blessed with astute and theologically informed thinkers like Brian McLaren and Tony Jones; ecclesiastical innovators like Todd Hunter, Chris Seay, and Brad Cecil; advocates of worship renewal like Sally Morgenthaler; and world-Christians like Andrew Jones. Scholars who had been discerning the times—Len Sweet, Stanley Grenz, N. T. Wright, Robert Webber, and Dallas Willard, to name a few—forged a biblical vocabulary that enabled the early team to converse intelligently on issues that were their passion. All of them shared two basic beliefs: western culture had radically changed since the 1950s, and the church desperately needed renovation to respond to cultural changes.

"The more the original crew talked among themselves, the more their numbers grew. In the early 1990s, Leadership Network provided the initial platform for them to generate more discussions and host conferences. Later they adopted the name The TerraNova Project, and when Leadership Network withdrew its support, they became Emergent, which Brian McLaren insists is a conversation rather than a movement." [New link
http://www.forministry.com/vsItemDisplay.dsp&objectID=A670797B-0CBE-43D1-A877B4F9EA43CC4F&method=display&templateID=C3435351-D45C-4B52-867A3F794D1CD85C, emphasis added]

Brian McLaren confirms this history in an interview at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week846/interview.html, July 15, 2005, in answer to the question "How did all of this get started?"

"Well, back in the early 1990s there was an organization called Leadership Network funded by an individual in Texas, and Leadership Network was bringing together the leaders of megachurches around the country. By the early and mid-'90s, they noticed, though, that the kinds of people that were coming to their events were getting a year older every year, and there wasn't a [group of] younger people filling in. They were one of the first major organizations to notice this.

"They started realizing that there was a sentence that was being said by church leaders of all denominations across the country, and that was, "You know, we don't have anybody between 18 and 35." When they started paying attention to this increased dropout rate among young adults in church attendance, that opened up a discussion in the mid-'90s about Gen X. And so they starting bringing together young leaders in the Gen X category to talk about what was working in the church, what wasn't working, what was going on.

"After a couple of years some of these young Gen X guys said, 'You know, it's not really about a generation. It's really about philosophy; it's really about a cultural shift. It's not just about a style of dress, a style of music, but that there's something going on in our culture. And those of us who are younger have to grapple with this and live with this." The term that they were using was the shift from modern to a postmodern culture. And so what began to happen -- and as this thing had a life of its own, they said, 'If it's not just about Gen X, then we have to make sure that we get some older people who aren't just in that age frame to talk about this.'

"I had just written a book on the subject. That's how I got involved, and it turned out that there were a number of us, all simultaneously thinking we were the only one talking about it and thinking and writing about it, who all around the same time were noticing the same phenomenon. So it was a very exciting coming together of these younger leaders and some of us a little bit older, saying, 'This is our world, and this is the future. And the Christian faith and our individual churches, we've got to engage with and deal with it.'"

The Truth:

Pastor Enrique Ivaldi, at www.freewebs.com/luteranos/ in a recent sermon entitled "Ye are Clean, But Not All," observed:

"There is much truth in what the devil teaches. Remember, the devil is called the master deceiver in Scripture and to deceive people, you have to use truth. You cannot use all error. Nobody would be deceived if it were all error. You have to mix truth and error together and that is what the devil is a master at doing. There is much truth in what the devil teaches. In fact, there is so much truth in it that you may not be able to find anything wrong with it. In these last days that truth will be so combined with error that unless the Holy Ghost is working on your mind, you will not be able to tell the difference."

"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3)

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Emergent Blather vs. Rejected, Slain, Raised

The Emergent Church and all of the modern manifestations of neo-evangelicaldom preach a new gospel which is not The Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is a new generation that is intentionally being lured into emerging theologies which blend mysticism into Christianity to create an entirely new "orthodoxy" of Brian McLaren and others.

Dr. Francis Schaeffer's written works intellectually and theologically stood against the German existential philosophies. He also challenged eastern mysticism during the era of the 1960s and 1970s. His works are even more relevant today as hybrids of these "emerging" orthodoxies are rising mightily to threaten the very foundation of Christianity.

The Word of God, in its true orthodoxy, possesses the potential to demolish every starry speculation and mystical mantra being marketed by the mystical-driven church.

For an excellent critique of Brian McLaren and his book A Generous Orthodoxy visit http://www.twincityfellowship.com/cic/articles/issue87.htm and read Bob DeWaay's article, "Emergent Delusion."

An Example of the Old Orthodoxy

For Herescope readers' edification, here is another morsel of meat, a commentary by Dr. Francis Schaeffer on Romans 6:4a, Romans 6:6a, Galations w:20a and Galations 6:14 (see Scriptures below) from a chapter in True Spirituality entitled "The Centrality of Death."

“Now the death of the Lord Jesus is absolutely unique. It is substitutionary. There is no death like Jesus’ death. There is no parallel death to Jesus’ death – this must stand as absolute in our thinking. His substitutionary death on the cross, in space and time in history, had infinite value because of who He is as God. Thus nothing need be added to the substitutionary value of His death, nor can anything be added. He died once for all. Having said that as forcefully as we can state it, we add that nevertheless in Luke 9, verses 22-24, we find that Christ puts forth a chronological order. In verse 22: ‘The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.’ The order is in three steps: rejected, slain, raised. This speaks of His coming unique and substitutionary death; yet this order – rejected, slain, raised – is immediately related by Jesus Christ Himself in verses 23 and 24 to us, the Christians. ‘And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself (renounce himself), and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever would save his life shall lose it; but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.’ Here Jesus takes this order that was so necessary for our redemption in the unique substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus Christ, and applies it to the Christian’s life. The order – rejected, slain, raised – is also the order of the Christian life of true spirituality: there is no other.

"If we forget the absolute uniqueness of Christ’s death, we are in heresy. As soon as we set aside or minimize, as soon as we cut down in any way (as the liberals of all kinds do in their theology), the uniqueness and substitutionary character of Christ’s death, our teaching is no longer Christian. On the other hand, let us remember the other side of the matter. If we forget the relationship of this order to us as Christians, then we have a sterile orthodoxy, and we have no true Christian life. Spirituality in any true biblical sense will come to an end.

"Jesus is talking here about our death by choice in the present life. He applies it to a specific situation to make it more concrete. ‘For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels’ (verse 26). The Bible is not speaking of some romantic feeling, some idealization, some abstraction. Jesus carries this concept of facing the rejection, being slain, down into a very practical situation: facing an alien world. It is the saying ‘no’ to self when our natural selves would desire acceptance by the alien world – a world in revolt against its Creator and our Lord. As we look at the New Testament as a whole, we find that this command of Christ is not limited to one situation; it is that which is to be the whole mentality and outlook of the Christian’s life. What is being presented to us here is the question of the Christian’s mentality in all of life, and the order stands: rejected, slain, raised. As Christ’s rejection and death are the first steps in the order of redemption, so our rejection and death to things and self are the first steps in the order of true and growing spirituality. As there could be no next step in the order of Christ’s redemption until the step of death was taken, so in the Christian there can be no further step until these first two steps are faced – not in theory only, but at least in some partial practice. Rejected, slain." (Dr. Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality, Crossway Books, p. 221-222)
The Truth:

"Romans 6:4a: We were buried with him by baptism into death

Romans 6:6a: Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him

Galatians 2:20a: I am crucified with Christ

Galatians 6:14: But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom 9or whereby) the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." (Ibid, p. 215 [italics added])

More on this topic tomorrow. . . .

The Contrast between the Old Doctrine and the New Doctrine

Every once in awhile, Herescope will post a good devotional from the archives of Christendom that demonstrates the sharp contrast between the neo-evangelical doctrines that are prevalent in churches today and what used to be taught as solid, orthodox Christian New Testament doctrine. This classic quotation below from A. W. Tozer is priceless in its relevance to today. As you reflect on this devotional, compare it to the current teachings of Rick Warren and other neo-evangelial leaders, who no longer preach about the cross, and repentance, and what Jesus did for us.

The Old Cross and the New

"All unannounced and almostly undetected there has come in modern times a new cross into popular evangelical circles. It is like the old cross, but different: the likenesses are superficial; the differences, fundamental.

"From this new cross has sprung a new philosophy of the Christian life, and from that new philosophy has come a new evangelical technique—a new type of meeting and a new kind of preaching. This new evangelism employs the same language as the old, but its content is not the same and its emphasis not as before.

"The old cross would have no truck with the world. For Adam’s proud flesh it meant the end of the journey. It carried into effect the sentence imposed by the law of Sinai. The new cross is not opposed to the human race; rather, it is a friendly pal and, if understood aright, it is the source of oceans of good clean fun and innocent enjoyment. It lets Adam live without interference. His life motivation is unchanged; he still lives for his own pleasure, only now he takes delight in singing choruses and watching religious movies instead of singing bawdy songs and drinking hard liquor. The accent is still on enjoyment, though the fun is now on a higher plane morally if not intellectually.

"The new cross encourages a new and entirely different evangelistic approach. The evangelist does not demand abnegation of the old life before a new life can be received. He preaches not contrasts but similarities. He seeks to key into public interest by showing that Christianity makes no unpleasant demands; rather, it offers the same thing the world does, only on a higher level. Whatever the sin-mad world happens to be clamoring after at the moment is cleverly shown to be the very thing the gospel offers, only the religious product is better.

"The new cross does not slay the sinner, it redirects him. It gears him into a cleaner and jollier way of living and saves his self-respect. To the self-assertive it says, 'Come and assert yourself for Christ.' To the egotist it says, 'Come and do your boasting in the Lord.' To the thrill seeker it says, 'Come and enjoy the thrill of Christian fellowship.'" The Christian message is slanted in the direction of the current vogue in order to make it acceptable to the public.

"The philosophy back of this kind of thing may be sincere but its sincerity does not save it from being false. It is false because it is blind. It misses completely the whole meaning of the cross.
The old cross is a symbol of death. It stands for the abrupt, violent end of a human being. The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said good-by to his friends. He was not coming back. He was going out to have it ended. The cross made no compromise, modified nothing, spared nothing; it slew all of the man, completely and for good. It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim. It struck cruel and hard, and when it had finished its work, the man was no more.

"The race of Adam is under death sentence. There is no commutation and no escape. God cannot approve any of the fruits of sin, however innocent they may appear or beautiful to the eyes of men. God salvages the individual by liquidating him and then raising him again to newness of life.

"That evangelism which draws friendly parallels between the ways of God and the ways of men is false to the Bible and cruel to the souls of its hearers. The faith of Christ does not parallel the world, it intersects it. In coming to Christ we do not bring our old life up onto a higher plane; we leave it at the cross. The corn of wheat must fall into the ground and die.

"We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum.
God offers life, but not an improved old life. The life He offers is life out of death. It stands always on the far side of the cross. Whoever would possess it must pass under the rod. He must repudiate himself and concur in God’s just sentence against him. What does this mean to the individual, the condemned man who would find life in Christ Jesus? How can this theology be translated into life? Simply, he must repent and believe. He must forsake his sins and then go on to forsake himself. Let him cover nothing, defend nothing, excuse nothing. Let him not seek to make terms with God, but let him bow his head before the stroke of God’s stern displeasure and acknowledge himself worthy to die.

"Having done this let him gaze with simple trust upon the risen Saviour, and from Him will come life and rebirth and cleansing and power. The cross that ended the earthly life of Jesus now puts an end to the sinner; and the power that raised Christ from the dead now raises him to a new life along with Christ.

"To any who may object to this or count it merely a narrow and private view of truth, let me say God has set His hallmark of approval upon this message from Paul’s day to the present. Whether stated in these exact words or not, this has been the content of all preaching that has brought life and power to the world through the centuries. The mystics, the reformers, the revivalists have put their emphasis here, and signs and wonders and mighty operations of the Holy Ghost gave witness to God’s approval.

"Dare we, the heirs of such a legacy of power, tamper with the truth? Dare we with our stubby pencils erase the lines of the blueprint or alter the pattern shown us in the Mount? May God forbid. Let us preach the old cross and we will know the old power." (A. W. Tozer)

The Truth:

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Cor. 5:17)