I've removed the name of the church, because my intention is not to criticize a particular group. And yes I know one is limited by space as to what one can say. But this sign is public and obviously wants to get a particular message across.
So what to you think? Is this accurate?
Hello,
ReplyDeleteIt (to my understanding) sends the opposite message from the true one. "To die for" would mean that we are good, wonderful even, and we aren't even worthy to unlatch His shoes, not even worthy to be His servants.
Only God is worthy.
I guess they wanted something "catchy" that would attract the younger crowd. Sigh. Jesus isn't "trendy". He went through something horrendous to pull us out of a terrible situation that would have ended in hell.
He died for us not because we are "to die for" but because He loves us even though we could never deserve His love, but He made it so anyway.
"He loved us while we were yet sinners..."
Church signs are good. In previous generations one could presume, with reasonable accuracy, something about a congregation's theology and doctrine from the name and denomintional affilliation. Not so anymore. Churches today are more interested in attracting unregenerate attenders so they drop tell-tale words from their names. Denominational tags are gone. Even the word, "church" is gone. How does anyone know what you might encounter when you walk into a meeting hall with names like "Journey," or "Victory Outreach," or "The Promise?"
ReplyDeleteAnother blogger was posting photos of "Stupid Church Signs" for a while. They were somewhat telling. If I were new in the community and looking for a church, I would pass this one by ust because of the man-centered message on the sign.
There was one in my community that posted the pastor's topical sermon series for several weeks running. It said, "The Gospel According To Disney."
You know it's funny (and possibly slightly off topic) but we got some church advertisments in the mail over the weekend..I assume due to Easter.
ReplyDeleteOne was really pretty overtly "seeker oriented" with this as their slogan:
upbeat music
casual dress
positive messages
Does God exit for the service of man cause we're so irresistibly great? That's what I see in that sign. Ouch! Where is the honor and reverence due God and Christ??!!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Petra. The sign seems to suggest that Jesus came to shed His blood on the cross because mankind was so "irresitably great". Wrong. Very wrong.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the people who wrote the sign may not have meant that at all. But we can't argue with what they meant, only with what they wrote.
I felt rather sad when I would drive by the sign.
ReplyDeleteOn the one hand, I hope that once people are in the door they would hear a biblical gospel.
But as to the sign itself, it seems to reduce Christ's death to be about affirming how wonderful we are. It's misleading at best. It also could give false assurance, because there are those who believe that Jesus' death gives blanket acceptance before God to every human being without any need for regeneration, repentance, and faith.
I agree with your assessment Persis. And I live in the Bible Belt of the south and am quite frequently sad when I pass church signs.
ReplyDeleteThe most recent, "The empty tomb proves Christianity, the empty church denies it." My thoughts were...how can anything deny Christianity? Especially their empty building.
The trivialization of theology is really a trivialization of God. Short messages can be powerful but, today's tendency to skate on the edge of the world's thin-ice baditudes minimizes the intent of the Gospel and makes eternal truths innoculous to a sinner who wants nothing but to be comfortable in his "journey" to eternity.
ReplyDeleteThe sign is sickening and it cheapens the death of Christ.
ReplyDelete