Recently, the Christian Today helped highlight what masquerades as “biblical truth” for Carl Lentz to its readers. Before tackling this, we would like to point out these comments by Carl Lentz and his wife:
LIE 1: JESUS DIDN’T ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF HOMOSEXUALITY
Carl Lentz: “Jesus was in the thick of an era where homosexuality, just like it is today, was widely prevalent. And I’m still waiting for smeone [sic] to show me the quote where Jesus addressed it on the record in front of people. You won’t find it because he never did…”
Apologetics expert Walter Martin exposed this liberal lie back in the 1980s (even though it has been refuted a few decades earlier):
Matthew, chapter 15, Christ is speaking, verse 19, “For out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts, murders,” notice the differentiation, “adulteries, fornications,” plural, “thefts, false witness, blasphemies.”
“These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.” “The word homosexual is not there; what are you arguing about?” I’m arguing about the use of the word porneus, which was found written over the wall, and the doorway, and the arches, in excavations [by] archaeologists of Roman brothels. And the word porneus did not mean “sex before marriage” alone.
It meant homosexuality, bestiality, and all forms of degraded sex. And it became well known to everybody in the culture, if any of them ever did their homework, that porneus referred to anything goes. Jesus well knew the Roman brothels. He well knew the culture of His time; and when He said adulteries and fornications—plural—He was making a direct reference to the practices of the Romans and the Greeks and the pagans of the time who prostituted themselves to all forms of evil.
He knew it; He condemned it. It’s not just the matter of the word, it’s a matter of the culture; and Jesus certainly understood the culture of His time—if He didn’t, nobody did. [Source]
LIE 2: IT’S NOT A PASTOR’S JOB TO TELL PEOPLE HOW THEY SHOULD LIVE?
Laura Lentz: “It’s not our place to tell anyone how they should live, it’s – that’s their journey.”
Why didn’t Carl Lentz rebuke his wife? If they honestly knew the gospel of Jesus Christ (whom they claim they love), wouldn’t they know that the gospel demands people repent of their wicked lifestyles and turn to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins?
This has been the Christian message for the last 2000 years. You have to wonder what on earth these foolish leaders preach every Sunday if it’s not the gospel of repentance.
LIE 3: THE CHURCH SHOULD BE FULL OF GAY MEN AND WOMEN?
Carl Lentz: “We have a lot of gay men and women in our church and I pray we always do.”
When you compare this quote with his wife’s above remark, what Carl Lentz is fostering is a culture of unrepentance by creating a church full of people who are irresponsible in their sins. Why is he proud to have a church full of gay men and women if he does not think it is in his job description to preach a gospel that brings Godly repentance and a turning from a lifestyle of sin? Remember that Lentz’ motto is, “Come as you are”.
We have extensively exposed that Hillsong’s teachers do not preach the Christian gospel nor do they handle God’s Word correctly. The environment that Carl Lentz has set up is actually dangerous for both heterosexual or homosexual people. In the end both groups will get hurt by some form of church abuse or scandal. This is because Carl Lentz’ refusal to believe that it is his job to preach in such a way that will cause sinners in his church to repent through Jesus’ gospel of repentance.
According to scripture, the church is the called-out people of God. God has made His people holy. They are set apart. We can understand God’s Holiness by understanding His Laws in Leviticus. Just like Ancient Israel, we are called out by God and are not to return to our pagan practices or lifestyle. One of those lifestyles we are called to turn from is the the lifestyle of homosexuality (Leviticus 20). In other words, if someone was a practicing homosexual that came to know Jesus through the gospel of repentance, a sign that they are now filled with the Holy Spirit and made holy by God is their new lifestyle of repentance. They are showing they are of God’s Church because they have turned from their sexual immorality.
As the Apostle Paul writes,
“[…] Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corithians 6:9-11
So why does Carl Lentz refuse to preach the gospel of repentance which converts an object of wrath into becoming the church of the living God? Why does he leave our homosexual brothers and sisters in their sins? Like all people, homosexuals need to hear the full weight of the Law followed by the glorious hope of the Gospel. So why does he shut them out from hearing the wonderful saving gospel message of Christ?
Just like the false teachers in Jesus’ day, our Lord has this to say to Carl Lentz:
“But woe to you, [Carl Lentz], hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you, [Carl Lentz], hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.” Matthew 23:13-15
What we are seeing is Carl Lentz choosing to be “controversial” for all the wrong reasons, and it appears he’s out to gain man’s approval rather than God’s approval. It’s evil and it’s sad. Pray for those caught up in the Hillsong NYC.
The Christian Today reports,
Hillsong New York pastor Carl Lentz: ‘We have a lot of gay men and women in our church and I pray we always do’
If avoiding the H-word was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for Carl Lentz, the pastor of Hillsong New York City.
At least that’s what he suggested in a recent CNN segment on his views and the hugely successful church he leads in trendy New York.
For Lentz, homosexuality is just not something he feels the need to go on about.
“Jesus was in the thick of an era where homosexuality, just like it is today, was widely prevalent. And I’m still waiting for smeone to show me the quote where Jesus addressed it on the record in front of people. You won’t find it because he never did,” he said.
Other pastors are happy to go in front of the cameras to share their views about the Bible’s take on homosexuality, but Lentz – who’s managed to link Christian with cool like few other church leaders – doesn’t think a “media moment” is the best place to wade into the issue.
“I do discuss it, just not the way people want me to,” he says.
What he will say, though, is that he is more than happy for gay people to be part of his flock.
“We have a lot of gay men and women in our church and I pray we always do.”
His wife, Laura Lentz, also featured in the segment and expressed similar views: “It’s not our place to tell anyone how they should live, it’s – that’s their journey.”
The interviewer for the segment, Poppy Harlow, wasn’t able to get it out of Carl whether he was Democrat or Republican but Lentz did express his frustration at the idea – not so uncommon in the US – that being a Democrat is incompatible with being a Christian.
“My thing is that Jesus transcends politics,” he said. “Some Christians say you can’t even be a Democrat and follow Jesus. That really bugs me.”
Harlow also interviewed Hillsong founder Pastor Brian Houston for the segment. Does he think it’s Carl Lentz who is the attraction – more than Hillsong – to the NYC church that reportedly attracts around 5,000 people to its services each week?
Houston agrees Lentz is a “magnetic” guy but he’s pretty certain it’s Hillsong itself that’s the draw.
“I’ve seen the same response all over the world,” he said. “People lining up for church in London, Cape Town, Stockholm, we’ve seen it. Even Paris, you know.”
Watch the segment in full here
Source: Cath Martin, Hillsong New York pastor Carl Lentz: ‘We have a lot of gay men and women in our church and I pray we always do’, Christian Today, http://www.christiantoday.com/article/hillsong.new.york.pastor.carl.lentz.we.have.a.lot.of.gay.men.and.women.in.our.church.and.i.pray.we.always.do/37918.htm, Published 06/06/2014. (Accessed 15/10/2014.)
Hillsong Church Watch 