Does the “Infomercial Gospel” Produce True Converts to Christianity?

Seeker-sensitive churches have been popping up like weeds across our land. These churches claim that they exist FOR the unchurched NOT for believers. Their pastors claim that they are obsessed with evangelism. Yet, their evangelistic messages all too often skirt the thorny unpopular issues of sin and repentance and instead attempt to woo the un-churched into the Christian faith by presenting a ‘positive’ gospel that is designed to entice people to make a decision for Christ very much the same way infomercials convince people to pick up the phone and agree to make the 3 easy payments of $29.95. Examples of this ‘Infomercial Gospel’ abound, “Receive Christ as Your Personal Savior and you’ll...

know your life’s purpose
lead a simpler life style
have a saner less stressful schedule
have a more fulfilling sex life
have more rewarding career
have financial freedom
a dream family
a healthier body

These messages are exactly the same types of messages that insomniacs are bombarded with when they flip through television channels in the middle of the night. The promises are identical.

After listening to hundreds of these sermons I feel that if these pastors would just throw in a free set of Ginsu Knifes for everyone that makes a ‘decision’ for Jesus in the next 15 minutes their numbers would skyrocket even further.

But this leads us to ask a critical question, “If people are ‘making decisions’ for Jesus so that they can have a more fulfilling life, have better sex, less stress, and a more rewarding career but they have not been told that they are sinners who face God’s wrath and judgement unless they ‘repent and believe the gospel’ have they really been converted to the true faith?

When one takes the time to examine the scriptures regarding these pastors’ messages you will find that they are preaching a gospel that is different than the Biblical Gospel. But, in order to fully appreciate this fact one needs wrestle with the Biblical doctrine of the MEANS through Which God Effects conversion.

Jesus said in Luke 24:46 “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

In this passage Jesus is defining the Christian message to the world. It is a call for repentance from sins and the proclamation of the forgiveness of sins won by Jesus Christ on the cross. The call for repentance is brought about through the preaching of God’s Law. Law preaching will have the effect of terrorizing its listners who will then need to hear the comforting words of the forgiveness of sins.

In other words, the message that effects true conversion properly utilizes BOTH God’s Law and the Gospel.

Here is what Lutheran Theologian Francis Pieper wrote on this matter.

The means of conversion is the Gospel, which produces faith. This very Gospel, which is a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks, has the wonderful power to create in man the faith which accepts its promises. Only by hearing or reading the Gospel is conversion brought about (Rom. 10:14–17; John 5:39; 17:20)...

Since, however, a man must first realize that he is subject to eternal damnation on account of his sins before he will accept the Gospel of grace, the preaching of the Law must always precede and accompany the preaching of the Gospel. “By the Law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20)..In short, men will be converted to God only when Law and Gospel are preached in the proper order and with the proper distinction.

Since conversion is effected by the Gospel with the aid of the Law, the inner motions of the heart which go to make up conversion are (a) the terrors of conscience (terrores conscientiae), which arise from the knowledge of sin engendered by the Law (“He came trembling … and said: Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Acts 16:29–30); and (b) the trust of the heart (fiducia cordis) in the gracious promise of forgiveness extended to man in the Gospel (“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,” Acts 16:31). Where these two motions, contrition and faith, which are effected by the Holy Ghost, through the Law and the Gospel, are wanting, no conversion has taken place. Where they are found, we must say that the Holy Ghost has wrought a genuine conversion.

In other words, if a pastor's message does not properly utilize God’s law in order to bring about true sorrow for sins and terror of God’s judgment (penitent contrition) as well as the good news that all sins are forgiven because of Christ and by the free gift of faith in Christ Jesus then that pastor's message produced ZERO conversions regardless of how practical, relevant or appealing it may have been to an unbeliever.

The seductive error of so many seeker-sensitive churches in their evangelistic efforts is that they falsly believe that people can be converted to Christ without the preaching of the law which condemns sinners. They instead use sales and marketing tactics to entice the potential convert into making a decision that already appeals to their sinful and self-centered appetites for health, wellness and prosperity. But, these messages do not produce sorrow for sins, nor do they proclaim God’s just judgment and wrath because of sin. The 'Infomercial Gospel' only promises to make an easy American life even easier and more satisfying.

This ‘Infomercial Gospel’ is not the Biblical Gospel and is utterly impotent and incapable of producing true Christian converts.

The message that Jesus Himself said SHOULD be proclaimed to all nations including 21st Century America is ‘Repentance and the Forgiveness of Sins’.

It doesn’t matter how many people these pastors brag that they’ve led to Christ. If they are preaching the ‘Infomercial Gospel’ then Biblically we know that few if any are true converts to the Christian faith.

Comments

[Gary (aka fool4jesus)]

Chris, I'm totally with you. I am now going to lead the Way of the Master to learn how to better share the real Gospel with people.

To anybody from a seeker-sensitive church who says that your church is different and preaches the real Gospel: please supply at least one actual example of an MP3 link so we can listen, too. I have spent between 6 and 10 hours now listening to sermons from seeker-sensitive churches, all of which claimed to be preaching the Gospel.

Unfortunately, I have never once have heard something that would convict a person of his sinfulness and need for the Savior, but I'm still waiting.

[Gary (aka fool4jesus)]

By the way, I should mention a recent entry on my blog in reaction to a discussion with somebody from a seeker-sensitive church and why so many "converts" fall away.

http://cajoneador.blogspot.com/2007/08/problem-in-seeker-sensitive-churches.html

[Truman]

AMEN, brother! The gospel is Supposed to be offensive! It's not supposed to make you feel all nice and warm and cuddly inside. It's supposed to convict you of your sins, make you realize what a wretch you are, and then look to God for forgiveness and salvation.

When was Jesus Christ EVER "sensitive" to people? When did He ever water down what He preached? When did He ever lure people in with a soft message and a false promise?

Good grief. My favorite example remains what He did after feeding the 5,000. The crowds followed Him to make Him their earthly king to overthrow Rome. But He saw right through them and gave a sermon so offensive that most left, never to return. (The talk was on how He was the "bread of life")

The Lord never used a "seeker-sensitive" approach, but instead, He gave them (us) the truth, period.

[Jimmy]

So...you are saying that if anyone comes to know Christ thru one of the 'seeker sensitive' churches...they are NOT really saved?
I find that argument very lacking in biblical proof.

Truman, I never found the Gospel offensive. the preacher was talking about peace that passes all understanding...how that there is joy in saving knowledge of Christ...how that He gave His life, suffered so that I didn't have to....and that was all it took. I knew right then I wanted whatever he was talking about and I gave my heart to Christ.
There was nothing offensive about it. He preached the Gospel with passion, with a brokenness, with a sincerity that pricked my heart. He never told me how rotten I was...once I heard about a perfect loving God who sacrificed so much so that I could have eternal life...I automatically knew that of myself I was unworthy of such...I knew I was full of sin....unholy...and that it was only thru God's grace and mercey could such a salvation be true

How can that be offensive?

[Truman]

Jimmy - I understand, but for many people it actually is. They don't want to be confronted with their sins and don't believe they have anything they need to be forgiven for. The idea that they need forgivness and a Savior is offensive to thm. I've met such people before.

I also meant that the gospel is offensive to the world. The Lord says "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." To the world, that is incredibly intolerant, especially in modern America.