Ask the average person in San Clemente about Christianity, and they’ll describe rock concerts, coffee shops, and “life-hack” sermons. They’ll describe a social club that happens to meet on Sundays with people who look, talk, and act just like the world. Is it any wonder they’re turned off?
When the world looks at the average church today, they see an entertainment center that avoids hard truths and never bothers to share the Gospel. Modern “evangelicals” have tried SO hard to mimic the world as closely as possible in order to attract the world, but it definitely hasn’t attracted people to biblical Christianity.
This is why San Clemente needs an Independent Fundamental Baptist church.
We Take the Bible Seriously
The IFB difference begins with a refusal to compromise. While modern churches chase “relevance” and the approval of the culture, we’re busy trying to please the Lord.
We believe the King James Bible is the preserved Word of God. So we read it and do our best to obey it and preach it. We don’t pick the comfortable verses and ignore the ones that call for holiness.
“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” — James 4:4
The Difference of Separation
The modern San Clemente church tries to blend into the world to appear “friendly.” But the Bible commands separation. We don’t want to be a “cool” social club; we want to tell the world about our Savior and live a life that is pleasing to Him.
When a church stops looking and acting like the world, people take notice.
Soulwinning
You can attend a “cool” church in South OC for years and never hear a member talk about personal soulwinning. An IFB church is different. The Great Commission is not a suggestion; it’s a command for every believer.
We don’t retreat behind walls to “feel good among ourselves.” We go into neighborhoods to tell people how they can be saved. Hell is real, and the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” — Romans 1:16
The Christianity that’s dominant in San Clemente is gimmicks and vague emotional “spiritual” talk that makes women weepy. What we need is a place where the Bible is the final authority, the preaching is bold, and the people are genuinely striving to live for Christ.
An IFB church isn’t for those who want to be entertained or for those who want to blend in, it’s for those who want to live for God.
Please pray for our city, that God would appoint a man to come and start an IFB church in our city.
