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Friday, January 05, 2007

Saddened

I am greatly saddened, not surprised, just saddened. Many of you who read this blog and are Southern Baptist will know who Ed Young is. He is the former 2 time president of the SBC. His son is pastor of a very large church in Dallas, TX. I was sent an e-mail this week directing me to his site. His newest sermon series is titled "Living larger than Life." There is nothing noteworthy or shocking about this title. Many churches today are preaching the pseudo-gospel of success and fame these days. What is disturbing is the video "advertising this sermon series." Ed Young, Jr. goes to none other than Hulk Hogan's house to explain the series. That's right the wrestler. For those of us that were kids in the 80s the guy on Saturday morning ripping his shirt off for all you Hulkamaniacs. I am not here to cast a decision as to Hulk Hogan's salvation. What disturbs me is the video goes through his elaborate house, and Ed Young describes Hulk as larger than life, saying implicitly that this is what you are to aspire to be. I do not recall that being found in Scripture anywhere. Hulk was entertaining, and I am sure he will still bring a crowd. However, not one mention of Jesus was made in regard to the series. I find this to be a growing disturbing trend. A church without Jesus, is just a club that meets on Sunday. If we do not preach condemnation, if we do not preach the cross, why will anyone think they need Jesus at all? For if we can be "Larger than Life" without Him, what did He really redeem us from anyway??

3 Comments:

At 5:37 PM, Blogger SMITTY said...

I have heard a couple of Ed Young Jr. messages... and I believe he struggles to do the gospel justice. My friend (Dave Campbell) has a worship leader friend who FC hired a couple of years ago. He came back soon after and said the Young's pretty face was all over the place. He said they do a fantastic job at marketing him. I've never been a big fan because of that.

 
At 6:16 PM, Blogger Refmergant said...

That is very sad indeed... especially when FC claims to believe the right things on their website. Claiming them and (preaching and living) them are two different things. I do not think we are called to market a product. Especially not a personality.

 
At 1:47 PM, Blogger JTapp said...

I've been to FC a few times, have heard him "preach." You may remember about a year or so ago I wrote a post that if we're going to criticize Joel Osteen then we need to also criticize the Ed Young Jr.'s of the world even though they're SBC and their churches believe "the right things."

This sermon series is nothing new at all. Ed Young Jr.'s philosophy towards seminary students is the same as Andy Stanley's: a seminary degree is actually a bothersome thing, not a help to you. There's an exact quote along those lines, but I can't find a reference.

I still contend that even though Ed Young's gospel may be "watered down," so are the vast majority of gospels preached out there. "Repent" is a word you won't hear in most churches, even the really "good " ones.

 

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