The Evangelical Climate Today

The evangelical climate today has been permeated by existentialism, and people seek experiences continually. When there is a mind-set that is experience-orientated, there is a necessary downgrading of anything propositional! The Bible is propositional, as is great preaching, says Dr Henry Drummond. Existentialism is one of the factors that have made the charismatic movement so successful, he says. All that many people want today when they come to worship is to have a spiritual experience.

The music that is used today is designed for this very purpose. It is chosen to have an affect on those who sing or hear it. It touches the emotions and has a conditioning effect on those who participate in such events. There is a tendency to be repetitive in which verses and choruses are sung over and over again.  Very often the theology in such 'worship songs' leaves a lot to be desired. At times it is misleading - but it has the desired effect on the worshippers. To top it all, sometimes the songs are virtually unsingable. An enjoyable atmosphere is created artificially that leaves those present open to all kinds of psychological suggestions, some of which can be very harmful to the spiritual life of the person who have been affected by it. This is true in so many evangelical churches and meetings.

Therefore the people do not come to church to be taught God's Word, but to feel good, and have their needs met. I said in an earlier post that Reformed preaching is often justifiably criticised for being too cerebral; this must be qualified by saying that there can be no Biblical preaching without a certain cerebral element. Drummond is surely correct when he says that both the Bible and preaching are propositional. In order for it to be presented to intelligent men, it has to be directed primarily to the intellect. But if all that many church members want today is to have a spiritual experiences of some sort, then propositional truth will be seriously discounted. They have forgotten that they are called to love God "with all their mind," (Mt.22:37). When Christians refuse to use their minds in their devotions, either public or private, it should not surprise us that this will have a destructive impact on preaching, thus rendering it impotent. God does not just want to inform men, but to transform them. He wants to move through the Word by His Spirit and grip their hearts so that they will never again be the same. God does not want to negotiate, but to nullify; not stimulate our minds, but rather strip us of our sin and self-righteousness; we do not need lectures about God, but we do need great preaching that will confront us with the revelation of the Living God of heaven.