A Closer Look at Episodes 2 and 3 of a Newly Launched Christian Podcast
By Erin conner, writer and communications associate
51 million Americans listen to podcasts at least once a month, making it a powerful platform for Matt Bennett, Founder and President of Christian Union and the Heritage Pastors Association, to use to deliver messages about national revival and reformation.
In two episodes of his newly launched podcast, Bennett explores ideas in Megan Basham's best selling book Shepherds for Sale; a book that investigates how deeply secular billionaires have infiltrated America’s churches. Shepherds for Sale "documents how progressive powerbrokers set out to change the American church… and warns of what happens when the church trusts the world’s wisdom instead of Scripture" (Amazon.com). In review of the book, Os Guinness shares, "Some will quibble over details, but no one should miss the powerful warning in this book. We face a gathering storm, as Winston Churchill warned a century ago, but this time the enemy is inside as well as outside the gates. Every convinced and unashamed Evangelical should read, ponder, and pray over this important book."
As Bennett reviews the claims of the book in his podcast, his tone is not one against the American Church, but against the deception that is attempting to lead the Church astray. Bennett appeals to his listeners, asking them to reconsider the intentions and messages being presented in mainstream culture and asking God for His mercy and help to turn us back to His design and His Word for direction and life. He reveals that there is a spirit of confusion and divisiveness working against the Body of Christ, trying to prevent it from finding unity and effectiveness, and arguably trying to lead its members into apostasy.
In episode 2, Bennett discusses the secular forces, both cultural and political, attempting to influence the church in negative ways. In episode 3, Bennett delves deeper into the urgent need to uphold God's unchanging doctrine in both the church and society, addressing specific attempts to distort biblical truths. "Christians need to be able to affirm what is the centrality of the gospel and be able to talk through different matters and test what is true according to the Scriptures," Bennett says.
Using Basham's book as a springboard, Bennett discusses topics like climate change, the "me too" movement, and the importance of due process in legal jurisprudence, revealing the strong cultural push for American Christians to handle problems according to the secular world as opposed to Scripture. Bennett claims that perhaps the most significant idea that threatens to derail the American Church is related to the issue of sexual immorality, quoting from Bashham's book that "For the most part, our culture will not fault you for saying that Jesus is the only way to God," but that a refusal to capitulate to what the world says about sexuality can cause one to incur significant costs. There are people dedicating large amounts of money and effort to persuade the Church to rebel against God in the area of sexual integrity and to reject God's design for the family. Bennett's response to all of this is to educate the public about Biblical practices of seeking God wholeheartedly.
Deeply moved by the relative powerlessness of American Christianity, Bennett ends his latest podcast with a call to contend for the faith from the Book of Jude to not pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only master and Lord, Jesus Christ, saying, "Revival comes when there is deep repentance, so we need to focus ourselves on this."
"What is important is not whether an issue is left or right, but whether it is biblical or unbiblical," Bennett powerfully concludes.
Tune in to the Bennett Broadcast now to watch or listen to the full episodes.
Learn more about a Biblical lifestyle of seeking God wholeheartedly at DanielSpirituality.org.
Join the movement to Help America Return to God.
