Emergent Movement

EC can creep into many denominations without realizing. Emergent is an MOVEMENT like any other movements like Holiness, Word of Faith and other movements. United Methodist Church (Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors) is a prime example of EC format. According to the Official Eergent website: "Emergent is first and foremost a friendship, a network of warm and mutually encouraging relationships." Often large denominations and mega-churches have already set up an "emerged ministry" or have numerous emerged ministries. If you want to study more about "Emergent Movement", this is a good site: The Emergent Church Teachings V. The Bible's Teachings: A comparison chart (Click on Title above to get into this site). This is a Website where Emergent members from around the world join and communicate. Again, Emergent is not a denomination but rather a movement. This site also have many references and links regarding to "The History of Emergent Movement" from THEIR perspectives (Not mine). http://www.emergentvillage.com/about/ Emergent thinkers have came up with their own solution of "Worshipping in Spirit" from their own perspective rather than God's perspective. God's Holiness, Christians' Standards and Sin as United Methodist Church did with their motto "Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors". Why people leaving Churches that teaches God's holiness? Why some are moving to another church that don't really teach God's holiness? Some denominations "relaxed" God's holiness without God's permission. People are not just looking for a friendly church, but a local Church where they can make real friendship and meaningful fellowship. This leads to "knowing and enjoying God that others may know and enjoy Him." The Scriptures teach every believers to be committed to a local church where he or she is loved and cared for, instructed in the things Christ commanded, encouraged to grow spiritually, and serving Christ effectively. One true Church, the body and the bride of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-32), composed of all true believers of the present age (I Cor. 12:12-13); and the organization of its members in local churches for worship, for edification of believers, and for world-wide gospel witness, each local church being autonomous but cooperating in fellowship and work (Eph. 4:11-16). A local church is for: Worshiping & Praying (Romans (12:1-2) Love (1 Pet. 1:22) Edify (Eph. 4:16) Encourage (Heb. 10:24) Teach and Admonish (Col. 3:16) Bear Burdens (Gal. 6:2) Comfort (1 Thes. 4:18) Forgive (Eph. 4:32; Matt. 6:14-15) Work Together (Phil. 1:27) Discipline ( Matt. 18:15, 2 Cor. 2:5-11, Thes. 3:6-15, and Jude 22-23) To me, there is nothing wrong with United Methodist Church's motto. Every church should love EVERYONE whoever comes into the local church. In God's commandment summarized by Christ in the New Testament that we are to LOVE God first (first 4 commandments) and we are to love one another (last 6 commandments). Romans 12:9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. We are commanded by God to love sinners as well as Christians. The only difference is that we are to HATE what they do but still love them. Love is the key. God is love. He gave us two commandments. We are to love God and others. With the Holy Spirit and love, I will walk in the Spirit, Christ produces the fruit. It is Christ through the Holy Spirit produces power, love, a sound mind through us. Christ helps us. Without Christ, we are nothing. The main problem I had was how they came up with the motto to fit "friendly seeking environment". UMC have "relaxed" God's holiness without God's permission. This is the topic of God's Holiness, Christians' Standards and Practicing Sin. Would God change His holiness in order to change the church's views on various "practicing" sins? The concept is this: Sin, is where an unregenerate person runs away from God, meaning that a person called a "fugitive" that as a sinner, it is a person's inclination is to flee from God. Like when Adam and Eve sinned, they fled from God and hid. When we come to worship our Lord, we are no longer "fugitives" but rather "believers" whose sins are forgiven. God knows every believers' hearts and God will accept any believers who truly believe His Son, who died for our sins. We are to worship God from our hearts because we are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16), that God will search us and try us, and know our thoughts.(Psalm 139:23). God knows who we are by looking in our hearts, minds and souls. Like Paul said in Romans 12:1 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy, and pleasing to God, this is your spiritual act of worship." God hates SIN and local churches are relaxing God's holiness in order for people to come in and worship "in their sins" rather than "repented of their sins". Before we worship our Holy God, we must repent so that God will not see sin in us as we worship. Yes.. this is Emergent Church (EC) primary concept of what every local churches should have and that's the primary danger I am seeing of this "friendly seeking church environment".