After watching the FX docuseries “The Secrets of Hillsong” I am thinking about the phrase “Come as you are.” and how it has affected the church in preaching, teaching, theology, etc. You hear “come as you are” but there is no clear call to be “born again”. You see this and hear this during the docuseries. It’s very interesting because now we have an abundance1 of church goers who believe that God is okay with whatever.2 Hillsong made the “church” god, made “church attendance” holiness. Everything is centered on the word “church”, it was all about coming to “church” to find freedom and acceptance - “come as you are” - but there is/was no talk of repentance. At the end of episode 4 (there are only 4) one volunteer who was disgusted with Brian Houston and Carl Lentz -rightfully so- basically says “Church should never be this way, it should be about helping others and we can do that without God or Jesus…”
When the church is your golden calf this is your theology. Who needs God and Jesus when you have the church. Salvation is ultimately wrapped up in your work for the church. God will let you in right? He has too right? Wasn’t it all about Him even though He is never mentioned nor His Son?
They showed you Hillsong College where you went and learned how to build a successful church. How you can be kingdom influencers and world changers devoid of the gospel. Whose kingdom are you an influencer for? Ultimately your own, because you are taught how to build a church. There is so much in the docuseries that a lot of others will write or comment about.3 The “Come as you are” theology without mentioning repentance has gutted the church, that was my biggest take away because with repentance a lot of other issues mentioned would have been properly dealt with. Years ago, with Brian Houston himself. He created a culture where the church is God and that culture imploded on itself because that God was false, an idol, their golden calf.
If you have the opportunity to watch the docuseries, you should. It is very eye opening and an in your face look at what happens behind the scenes. This is the face of evangelicalism4 in American church culture - Hillsong, Bethel, Elevation, etc. we are looking at brands. A brand that tells you to come as you are because the universal Christ loves you and accepts you - just make sure you put that other god in the offering bucket on the way out.5
I hope other mega-church pastors are paying attention or at least have their closet doors locked because this month (June 2023) Brian Houston will find out if he has to serve jail time over everything that has transpired.
This has been going on for years, it’s just Hillsong’s turn to grab the baton and run with it.
Universalism - the theological belief that God’s love will overcome His Word. That what He has defined as sin has changed on the account of the cross. In the end it will not matter what man believes or how he lives because God’s “love” wins and everyone goes to heaven.
I chose “Come as you are” because in my humble opinion that teaching has captured the denominations of the American Church and has led to the acceptance of the Universal Christ.
The SBC is a dumpster fire at this point. New Orleans ought to be entertaining especially after Rick Warren is allowed to continually create more division. As a friend of mine says “you don’t invite trouble” apparently the SBC is fine with doing that.
Yes, you read that right. Bucket. They had 5 gallon buckets placed throughout the church.
It's still strange to me how elusive the Gospel is. In the mouth of some, 'Come as you are' depicts a Grace that will tolerate no obstacles, that no matter how hideous the sin overcomes it to rescue the sinner. But in the mouth of neutered evangelicalism(maybe just call it NE from now on?) it signifies the insignificance of sin, essentially the denial of the sinfulness of sin. To the man who feels the weight of his sin and longs to be free from it but is held back by thoughts of who he is and how unworthy he is of God's love 'Come as you are' are the right words to speak. But to the one who is still content in his sins they are a curse from the devil.
I think that you hit the nail on the head when you emphasize repentance, the New Mind, New Way of Thinking. The lack of this is what makes their 'praise choruses' and sermons so empty. They want God to be high and lifted up, but they don't want anything to do with what He was talking about when He said, 'If I am lifted up I will draw all men to myself.'