Marriage is honourable in all,
and the bed undefiled:
but whoremongers and adulterers
God will judge.
Hebrews 13:4 (King James Bible)
Sexy Churches
March 10, 2011 (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org)
SEXY CHURCHESEnlarged March 10, 2011 (first published February 18, 2008)
The Seeker Sensitive philosophy says we must offer people what they want in a church; they should feel comfortable and be entertained and their “felt needs” must be addressed. The latest attraction is to feature “red hot” conversations on sex.
CHARLOTTE SOUTH FELLOWSHIP IN MATHEWS, NORTH CAROLINA, featured a five week series in February 2007 called “Sex Crazy.” Two of the messages were “Single and Sexually Satisfied” and “Raising Sexually Satisfied Kids.” One person who listened to one of these sermons testified: “After reading that there was an entire sermon on ‘Being single and sexually satisfied’ (huh?), against my better judgment, I downloaded the sermon to listen to while doing my morning cleaning. It has been a long time since I’ve heard such wishy-washy, pointless, worldly, shallow fluff. In fact, I was left with the same sickening pit in my stomach I always had after services at the ‘seeker-friendly’ church I went to. This guy quoted Cosmo magazine more than the Bible (I’m not sure he even quoted the Bible, now that I think of it). He never once (that I recall) mentioned the name of Jesus Christ, never once said sex before marriage is a sin (it’s ‘not the best choice,’ but apparently it’s not a sin). And most disturbing, the dude said it was not his job to exhort people to stay virgins until marriage! I couldn't bring myself to listen to ‘Raising sexually satisfied kids.’ I’ll assume that was a poor choice of wording, but it still gives me the creeps” (http://www.alittleleaven.com/2007/11/sex-crazy.html).
In February-March 2007 EASTLAKE COMMUNITY CHURCH IN KIRKLAND, WASHINGTON, had a “Thank God for Sex” campaign. Sermons titles included “Sex is Good” and “Learn Some New Moves.” Eastlake advertises itself as a new kind of church and invites attendees to wear their shorts.
ROCKY RIVER COMMUNITY CHURCH IN CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA, had a “Desperate Sex Lives” campaign in February-March 2007. They fretted that “the only time most churches talk about sex is when they speak against it” and promised to “bring sex out of the dark and into the light.” They have “all the cool stuff like multimedia, a live band, and Krispy Kreme donuts” and they deal with Bible issues “in a casual, no pressure environment.”
REVOLUTION CHURCH IN CANTON, GEORGIA, also got into the sex campaign business. To accompany the sermon series they used secular rock, including “Feel Like Making Love” by Bad Company and “Your Body is a Wonderland” by John Mayer. In his message on “Creative Sex” Pastor Gary Lamb said things that cannot be quoted.
GRANGER COMMUNITY CHURCH IN GRANGER, INDIANA, had a “My Lame Sex Life” campaign featuring billboards with two pair of feet in a very suggestive configuration. One sermon title was “The Greatest Six You’ll Ever Have.”
CORNERSTONE CHURCH IN CHANDLER, ARIZONA, had a “Bringing Sexy Back” campaign in August-September 2007. One of the sermon titles was “Greatest Sex Ever.”
THE GATHERING IN SEVIERVILLE, TENNESSEE, had a “Red Hot Sex” campaign in October 2007. It claimed that a “red hot sex life empowers every part of marriage.” One sermon title by Pastor Gene Wolfenbarger was “God has designed you for sex and how to make it hot.”
REVOLUTION CHURCH IN LONGBEACH, CALIFORNIA, kicked off their “God Loves Sex” campaign in July 2007 with a “sex party.” The web site explained, “Nothing dirty or weird--just an opportunity to celebrate God’s gift of sex and intimacy.” The advertisement said, “God wants you to have great sex,” and one of the sermon titles was “Leather, Whips and Whip Cream.”
OAKLEAF CHURCH IN CARTERSVILLE, GEORGIA, had a “Your Great Sex Life” campaign in March 2007. The advertisement complained that “the church either ignores sex or brings down a judgmental hammer.” (On December 23 this “church” is featuring “A Rockin’ Christmas Eve Eve.”)
RELEVANT CHURCH IN TAMPA, FLORIDA, issued a 30 day sex challenge to its congregation beginning February 17, 2008. Pastor Paul Wirth has challenged the single members of his church to “abstain from sex for 30 days and the married members to have sex for 30 days. Wirth told television station channel 10, “When you’re single it’s like you’re always thinking about it and you’re like man I’d like to have it as much as possible and sometimes that prevents them from having a great really healthy relationship later on when you do get married. God invented sex and why would the church be afraid to talk about what God invented?” (“Church Says: Take the 30 Day Sex Challenge,” TampaBays10.com, Feb. 14, 2008). Each Sunday through March 16th the church will deal with a different topic related to sex. The campaign features an advertisement that is very sensual and sexually suggestive.
IGNITE CHURCH IN JOPLIN, MISSOURI, is advertising its 2011 MY SEX LIFE SUCKS campaign with billboards depicting men and women in immoral poses. Many local people are outraged at the photos, one of which is near a Sonic family restaurant. The church’s senior pastor, Heath Mooneyham, justified the campaign, saying “the message is all about love, and God’s purpose for it--which includes sex” (“Church Tries to Ignite Married Couples’s Sex Lives,” ABCNews, Feb. 12, 2011).
NEW DAY CHURCH OF BROWNSBURG, INDIANA, is advertising its “Sex ... Not in Church” campaign with the slogan “What happens when God gets between the sheets”? (“Brownsburg Church Promotes God as an Expert on Sex,” Indianapolis Star, Feb. 13, 2011).
My friends, this is carnal and foolish and wicked. Bible-believing churches have always taught God’s people what the Bible says about sexual relations, but there is no place for this type of thing. What about the single people who attend these campaigns? What are they supposed to do when the church focuses on great sex! In spite of the churches’ claims to the contrary, these campaigns are not holy and are not faithful to God’s Word. The Bible never deals with this issue in a shocking or lascivious manner.
“Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4).
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