Dear Pastor Hybels:
I am a graduate of Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana, and have been a big fan of your ministry for many years. I am active in the ministry of Calvary Chapel.
Unfortunately these last few years many of us have been concerned about the "seeker friendly" focus of your ministry,
as the gospel of Jesus Christ gets watered down, and God's Word is preached "precept upon precept" less and less.
Pastor Hybels, it was difficult enough on the Christian community when you embraced former President Clinton in such a public way, when there was no outward sign
of repentance from him at all. "You shall know them by their fruits."
But now, with the publicity surrounding you inviting Godless men into your body to "teach" your people their idolatrous ways, we in the church of the body of Christ
are grief-stricken, much in the same way we were on Sept. 11th.
How does, "You shall have no other gods before me" enter into your position? Please share with those of us who love the Lord and who walk in His ways to understand how the Holy Spirit can possibly lead you into this type of public act?
Without God's Word and God's Spirit, we having NOTHING.
Please help us understand.
from believers in California & around the United States...
Unfortunately these last few years many of us have been concerned about the "seeker friendly" focus of your ministry, as the gospel of Jesus Christ gets watered down, and God's Word is preached "precept upon precept" less and less.
Please describe how the gospel is watered down by a seeker-sensitive service. Didn't Paul himself talk about becoming a Jew to the Jews, a Gentile to the Gentiles? He even went so far as to argue Christianity in a philosophical forum and quote popular, pagan poets to make his point. He was sensitive to the mode of presentation, yet he didn't "water down" the message. I believe many people who talk about the gospel being watered down are in fact criticizing the method, not the message.
But now, with the publicity surrounding you inviting Godless men into your body to "teach" your people their idolatrous ways, we in the church of the body of Christare grief-stricken, much in the same way we were on Sept. 11th.Did I miss something here? Did Hybels invite a muslim to teach his congregation how to become muslims? Have they set up idols and instructed the people to worship them? (You did mention "idolatrous".) Did Hybels endorse his guest's theology, encourage people that it was another gospel or another way to God? Not that I read.
Or did the muslim make a fool of himself and reveal his hypocricy for all to see in public? Were muslims possibly intrigued by a church that was not threatened/intimidated by one of their teachers? Might they visit now and be exposed to the truth -- something that was impossible before? Might the believers who were present find a reason to cast aside blind prejudice against muslims, yet strengthen Biblical objections?
How does, "You shall have no other gods before me" enter into your position?I haven't read anything that says that Hybels was proposing another God. Nor espousing teachings of another God. He allowed a muslim to speak in a panel discussion kind of way. You can argue that he bent over too far backwards in order to not appear to be ambushing his guest. I really can't argue against that, having not been there, and it might well be true. But your statements go way beyond that.
Again, I don't personally like Hybels. I've been to their church probably about three times on trips. I know some people who work there. So I'm not their head cheerleader. But I can't stand to see people throwing serious accusations around based on -- as far as I can tell from the lack of support provided -- prejudice based on appearances or "flavor".
So please, if Hybels said, "Hey, here's a muslim and I want you to listen to him and consider the truth he wants to share about another way to God," then let's lower the boom. It's heresy. But if there's only anger over his association with a sinner (Clinton), anger over having a muslim speak in a service, assumptions of corruption because of size or income, etc, then let's label it for the prejudice that it is and move on.