By David J. Stewart | August 2009
Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
There's been much talk in the newsmedia this week about a campaign/website
started by the Jefferson Hills Christian Church in Imperial, Missouri,
called whatsforgivable.com.
Several billboards alone I-55 in south St. Louis went up on
08-24-09. The group's organizers are requesting donations for $2,500 per
billboard to publicly ask people the question, “What's Forgivable?”
Their goal is to create public interest, get people thinking and then provide the answer to the question, “What's Forgivable?,” in a 5-week sermon series beginning 09-13-09.
There's a serious problem with what they're doing. Why all the mystery? What about the lost sinners who die between now and the church meetings which begin in 3-weeks? Why not just answer the question now? Sadly, their website at whatsforgivable.com does not answer the question. They fail to tell anyone how to be saved. It's tragic!
Neither does the website of the Jefferson Hills Christian Church provide any information on how to become a born-again Christian. They simply speak of “joining the journey as a follower of Jesus,” and require people to register to obtain more information at a Starting Point Luncheon. You know, Judas was a follower of Jesus, but he went to Hell when he died. Being a follower of Jesus is NOT salvation.
Here's the stated vision of the Jefferson Hills Christian Church from their own website:
Our Vision: Love God. Connect People. Impact the World.
•Love God with all our heart.WORSHIP
•Connect People for spiritual growth.GROUPS
•Impact the World for Jesus.IMPACT TEAMS
Our Mission: to help YOU Love God, Connect it to the People in your life, to Impact your World.
Our Slogan – “It’s time to get real!”
Our Values: Risk, Authenticity, Life-Change
Risk, Authenticity and Life-Change are the three greatest faith values we believe we can hold together if we want to get real with Loving God, Connecting it to People so we can Impact the World. Every decision we make, every activity we engage in, will always clearly reflect each value to move us further in our vision for JH. This is how our ministry together will bring glory to God.SOURCE: http://www.jhchurch.org/ (click on “VISION”)
How could any legitimate New Testament Church not include soul-winning as part of their vision? There is NO mention of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You can love God, connect with people and impact the world all you want and still go straight to Hell when you die. You'd better get born-again like Jesus commanded in John 3:3-7. John 3:3b, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Have you been born-again? There is no other way to Heaven. Following Jesus isn't good enough. Changing your life isn't good enough. Attending church, getting water baptized, partaking of Communion and impacting the world isn't good enough. None of those things can help you get to Heaven. In fact, they will send you to Hell if you place any trust in them at all.
The Bible teaches that EVERY sin is forgivable, except one, rejecting Jesus Christ as one's personal Savior. There's only one sin that can keep a sinner out of Heaven, UNBELIEF. We are saved by God's grace through faith in the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Whether or not the Jefferson Hills Christian Church believes that or not is unknown, because they shroud their beliefs in mystery and curiosity. Jesus said, “I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing” (John 18:20).
Look at their statement of “VISION” once again. All of the things they mention are based on modern psychology, and not Biblical truth. I'm so sick and tired of churches calling pastors who have PhD's in psychology. Today's pulpits all across the world are filled with psychologists instead of hell, fire and damnation preachers. You'll be hard-pressed to find a church nowadays where the pastor preaches aloud against the wickedness of our time. Most churches nowadays are as mortuaries, where some deadbeat who attended a theological cemetery gets up and presents a one-hour sermonette, a sugar-stick sermon he copied from some modern apostate. Preaching ought to be from the heart, from a man's own personal walk with God, and not from some outline he bought at the local bookstore or found online. What is God doing in your heart?
Why not post billboards with Isaiah 1:18 which answers the question, “What's Forgivable?” ...
Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
Let's cut to the chase. We're in a recession and the Jefferson Hills Christian Church wants contributors to each donate $2,500 to put up a bunch of billboards presenting a question without an answer. If you're going to spend all that money, why not just tell people the answer? It's lunacy what they're doing. It's just a massive waste of money. Did Jesus say, “I'll tell you the truth in 3-weeks, but first I need everyone to give me lots of money to promote the meeting.”? No, of course not. Why can't the church simply tell people the answer now? In effect, they're selling the truth. That's the problem today, everything's about business and making money. Why do people have to go to a church building and wait until September 13th to find out the answer to the mysterious question, “What's Forgivable?”
I'll guarantee you that 9-out-of-10 drivers who read those billboards will never go to that church or come back to find out what the answer is to the question, “What's Forgivable?” Untold multitudes of people are going to whatsforgivable.com to search for the answer, but there is no answer provided, which is a shame. Why not present the Good News of Jesus Christ crucified and the precious blood that He shed to take away our sins? Why do people have to attend a meeting in 3-weeks? It is foolish! I say, give people the truth right away, especially if you're spending $2,500 per billboard to advertise.
Shame on any church or professed Christian group or Gospel singer's website that fails to present the plain and simple Gospel of Christ Jesus. It is apostasy! Why not just say, “Any sin is forgivable through faith in Jesus Christ!”? The world doesn't need the question, they've had that since the creation of man... they need the answer, and they need the answer NOW! People are going to Hell.
