By Viola Larson, Naming His Grace blog
Rev. Bob Azzarito is the new pastor at University Presbyterian Church (USA), a group nested in Fremont Presbyterian Church, an Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Sacramento. Azzarito is battling a caricature of his own making. He has been attempting to aid the people of his church by using his sermons to show them the difference between the EPC, and the PCUSA. His sermon series on the church site is “Another Way of Seeing,” but the advertisement for it in the Inside Publications has the headline, “Is Evangelicalism the only way to view God?” And in a neighborhood local list service UPC member, Judy Kerri, wrote an invitation to the River Park Community:
University Presbyterian Church, a new church within the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), would like to extend an invitation for you to join us on Sunday mornings for our continuing series of sermons on “Another Way of Seeing.” If you have wondered whether or not there are other ways to understand God and the Bible other than Conservative Evangelicalism, then this study might be a help to you. Over the past several decades, Evangelical thinking has dominated the airwaves, and as a result many think this is the only way to understand theology. This Sunday, our new pastor, Bob Azzarito, who was himself raised in an Evangelical denomination before becoming a Presbyterian, continues to outline some of the main differences between Evangelicalism and the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA).
This week he will be discussing the topic of salvation. Did you know that the concept of being “born again,” a common term and concept in Evangelical thinking, is not a standard Biblical definition of salvation? It might also be surprising to learn that the idea of salvation in the Bible has little to do with what happens after death. Join us at 11:15 am. Sunday, in the Chapel on the property of Fremont Church, 5770 Carlson Drive.
Azzarito, isn’t just talking about evangelicalism in general because he is addressing members who did not want to follow Fremont out of the PCUSA into the EPC. They rather chose and were given the privilege of staying PCUSA while being nested on Fremont’s campus for ten years. That was part of the package that allowed Fremont to leave with their property. So with each sermon Azzarito in some way addresses the members’ experience of having chosen to not go with the other members of Fremont. And with that he attempts to show the differences between EPC and the PCUSA. For instance in the first sermon, after commiserating with the people and what has happened to them, Azzarito states, “… I’ve decided to spend some time articulating what it means to be PC (U.S.A.) and not EPC,” and “I want you to understand the distinctives.”
12 Comments. Leave new
Azzarito states, “… I’ve decided to spend some time articulating what it means to be PC (U.S.A.) and not EPC,” and “I want you to understand the distinctives.”
Yeah, they actually believe in the Bible in the EPC, we don’t.
Azzarito is embarrassing himself by making a common straw man argument. He throws together a bunch of popular notions of evangelicalism and then dismisses them one by one with his supposedly more learned approach. He completely misses the gospel and Christ-centered impulse of evangelicalism, Sad, really.
So he was an evangelical before he became PCUSA. So what exactly is he now? Pres, any insight you may provide is greatly appreciated.
Once again the Golden Calf is being fashioned. The PCUSA has made its position clear in the last GA and the churches and members who will not worship that Calf are leaving. An attempt to justify a departure from scriptural teachings and justify that by hiding under the hood of progressive acceptability is seen clearly by those who know the rouse. Clarity is apparent in understanding, Scripture Alone, Faith Alone, Grace Alone. This clarity needs no explanation. PCUSA appers to have departed from this clarity of mission. Reimagining God as some think in these times is truly rebuilding the Golden Calf and acquesing to political and societial whim is the metal from which this false god is constructed.
I just wonder if Azzarito and the other three people in the room with him are going to be sticking up their driving fingers at the Fremont sanctuary during his “sermons”.
Religious liberals, as evidenced by their posts on the website, exhibit what is really the oldest heresy in the book, Gnosticism. In that their trump card time after time in every discourse with religious conservatives-traditionalists, is their own sense of intellectual superiority, breeding, schooling, or some special or higher form of insight denied to the masses or greater unwashed. You see it in their arrogance and pride as well. In essence they think themselves better than you, more smart, more enlightened, entitled.
You see evidence of that today in what transpires in builder bob’s take on faith and revelation. It was a heresy in 120AD, heresy today . Shakespeare reminds us all that pride does go before the fall, as does many scriptural injunctions. Call them out when you see them and treat them accordingly. The hardest thing you can ever tell a religious liberal is not that they are less than loving or compassionate, or they lack faith, or that they are not all inclusive and pluralistic, but that they are stupid, ignorant, lost in their own delusions. In essence worship a false and pagan god of pride and vanity. That really presses their buttons.
” The hardest thing you can ever tell a religious liberal is not that they are less than loving or compassionate, or they lack faith, or that they are not all inclusive and pluralistic, but that they are stupid, ignorant, lost in their own delusions. In essence worship a false and pagan god of pride and vanity. That really presses their buttons.”
These same people are Apostates, condemned and will suffer in eternity in the lake of fire, Rev. 21.
Wow, you could have saved Azzarito and his followers a lot of time with that summary of his sermon series.
“It might also be surprising to learn that the idea of salvation in the Bible has little to do with what happens after death. ” Of course. Christ mission was primarily about saving us to plant trees. This theology is what’s ailing the PC(USA).
“I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.”
SO…they don’t believe what the EPC calls ESSENTIALS OF OUR FAITH
All Scripture is self-attesting and being Truth, requires our unreserved submission in all areas of life. The infallible Word of God, the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is a complete and unified witness to God’s redemptive acts culminating in the incarnation of the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible, uniquely and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, is the supreme and final authority on all matters on which it speaks. On this sure foundation we affirm these additional Essentials of our faith:
We believe in one God, the sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To Him be all honor, glory and praise forever!
Jesus Christ, the living Word, became flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. He who is true God became true man united in one Person forever. He died on the cross a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. On the third day He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He now is our High Priest and Mediator.
The Holy Spirit has come to glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to our hearts. He convicts us of sin and draws us to the Savior. Indwelling our hearts, He gives new life to us, empowers and imparts gifts to us for service. He instructs and guides us into all truth, and seals us for the day of redemption.
Being estranged from God and condemned by our sinfulness, our salvation is wholly dependent upon the work of God’s free grace. God credits His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, thereby justifies them in His sight. Only such as are born of the Holy Spirit and receive Jesus Christ become children of God and heirs of eternal life.
The true Church is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit are united together in the body of Christ. The Church finds her visible, yet imperfect, expression in local congregations where the Word of God is preached in its purity and the sacraments are administered in their integrity; where scriptural discipline is practiced, and where loving fellowship is maintained. For her perfecting, she awaits the return of her Lord.
Jesus Christ will come again to the earth-personally, visibly, and bodily-to judge the living and the dead, and to consummate history and the eternal plan of God. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” (Rev. 22:20)
The Lord Jesus Christ commands all believers to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and to make disciples of all nations. Obedience to the Great Commission requires total commitment to “Him who loved us and gave Himself for us.” He calls us to a life of self-denying love and service. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10)
These Essentials are set forth in greater detail in the Westminster Confession of Faith.
I just wish they’d stop calling themselves “Presbyterian” and hang up a sign that says “Unitarian Universalist.”
Hi, I do think this is an excellent web site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I may come back once again since
I book marked it. Money and freedom is the best way
to change, may you be rich and continue to help others.