When it comes to our relationship with God, who has established this relationship? We acknowledge that God alone established it. He then is the only true seeker. He is the one who sought us out—we love, because he first loved us. Have you heard of the term, “Seeker sensitive church?” These churches often cast themselves as the place where unbelievers can feel at home in order to seek after God. It is a place where you will not feel awkward or condemned. The church is a safe place to build relationships, to find healing, in order to be a productive member in society. The church then focuses on felt needs and the fixing of the norms of society to make better husbands, fathers, employers, etc. The theology of these churches is nothing more than 19th C.E. Protestant Liberalism, even though today they usually cast themselves as conservative.
Our church follows after 16th and 17th C.E. Reformed Protestantism and we asks the hard questions, “Can the unbelieving sinner stand before a Holy God and not feel awkward or condemned?” Notice, I said unbelieving sinner, as good Protestants we acknowledge that we too are sinners, yet are at the same time just before a Holy God through faith in Christ. A true seeker church, a Biblical church should recognize that the only seeker of sinners is God. He seeks us out. What does he find, but sinners who should feel the burden of his wrath. We are sinners and he is a Holy God. As sinners without Christ, we should stand before God in fear.
It is our hope that sinners, whom we welcome with open arms, will come into our church and will feel awkward and condemned, not that we personally make it awkward, but that our gospel liturgy should. We promise to offer something foreign to the sinner–—the gospel. Our liturgy is foreign to the unbeliever because it focuses on the gospel. We do not use the 19th C.E. Protestant Liberal mantra, “Be the Gospel,” because you cannot, you failed at being the gospel at your birth—you were not born incarnate of the virgin Mary. To that end, this church plant promises that we will not give you what you want, but what you need. We promise to not offer you good advice, but only the good news for that is what we all need weekly. Does your church preach the gospel every week? Is Christ proclaimed from all of the Scripture? If not, then this church is for you, because that is what we all need. Good advice does nothing for you spiritually, the good news of Christ does. One last claim, this church will not talk politics nor do we care of your political leanings, matter of fact, we do not even want to know. We hold to the doctrine of the Spirituality of the church, which means we focus on one thing—Jesus Christ, who said, “My Kingdom is not of this world.”
So, we welcome you tonight to our meeting. The Belgrade Elders are hosting the meeting to discuss the direction of the Missoula Reformed Bible Study. If you are interested in attending, we warmly welcome you. The meeting starts at 7:00pm. For direction to the meeting, send an email to www.missoulaurc@gmail.com.
Covenant Reformed Missoula 