“If the gospel were more faithfully preached, there would be fewer people professing to believe it.”
--A. W. Pink
I came across this quote on christianresearchnetwork.com recently and it hurt. I mean it hurt because as a pastor I am responsible for preaching the whole counsel of God and sometimes we don't lay it out as strong and straight as we should. It makes me wonder if one of the reasons that many think they are saved (besides their spiritual blindness) is because we as pastors and preachers give them such a watered down version of the gospel that it is no longer the gospel but a freakish substitute.
What do you think?
LinkWithin
7 comments:
I think that you have hit the nail on the head.
This past Sunday, our pastor was preaching a fantastic sermon and he made the comment that the clock does not align with his form of teaching and he would have to make it a "two-parter". It must be hard to get into a subject quite deeply when the clock is ticking and you have a limited time to get the point across.
Maybe that is why sermons tend to get watered down? Then add to that the people out there preaching a very distorted form of the gospel. The "feel good, warm and fuzzy" message.
I don't think a lot of people would actually accept real factual biblical teaching and doctrine. It's not so warm and fuzzy.
Thanks for your blog, I like seeing what you have on your mind.
~Angel
Hey DT!!!
I think you are right. At the church I had attended (I left a few weeks ago), I could probably count on one hand the times I heard the true gospel preached in two years. It was this year that I started to feel the lack. The watered down gospel was in the "repeat this prayer" offer of salvation to whomever raised their hand in the audience (I don't know why I stayed so long).
Anyway, even as believers, we should love hearing the gospel preached. I gorge on Paul Washer's preaching of the gospel because it is so comprehensive, so fiery, so stirring and it reminds me of what Christ has done. I find myself turning things that I am struggling with over to the Lord for His grace because the gospel shows me again my helplessness before Him.
We go so far sometimes and forget that we should, like Paul said, "know anything...except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2) and to remember that the gospel is the "power of God to salvation for everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16). Power is in the gospel and even as a believer, I love to hear it preached, to meditate on it, and to share with others.
The gospel message would weed out many (and leave the few going through the narrow gate - Matt. 7:13-27); therefore, as we know, the fact that there are MANY who profess Christ proves that the message that is preached is not the true gospel. If it were the true message, then it would be incomprehensible to most people..."For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Cor. 1:18)
As a side note to what aduladi said above:
If we viewed Sundays (or whatever day you fellowship) as a day unto the Lord, then all else will be pushed aside except for the exposition of the Word, fellowship and prayer on that day, and no one will be in a hurry to get home. I want to get to that point where I spend the full day in rest unto Christ, where the family just rejoices in Him for the entire day...partially with other believers and partially alone together.
I wonder how many pastors are "muzzled" by the leaders in their church. A pastor must have godly elders to support him as he preaches the true gospel.
Good post, DT.
I think christians should both preach and practice simple way of life as opposed to the very worldly life that we see now. New cars every year or two, renovate house every now and then, expensive holidays etc should all be avoided, and preached against. We are supposed to be at "rest" from all these right?
Consume less, donate more.
Now I have a question .. When we say dead to the world in baptism, is that just to sins, or the desires and lusts as well?
dk
dk,
I don't think that we should necessarily preach against this stuff. I do think that we should avoid feeling like we have to keep up. There is no sin in a new car, new house, or a renovated house. But it can very easily become an idol in our life if we are not careful.
You said ... "When we say dead to the world in baptism, is that just to sins, or the desires and lusts as well?"
To all of the above. But that death is something that has to happen every day.
Paul said "I die daily."
DT
Angel,
I agree with your assessment. I also think the bigger problem is that pastors try to "toe" the line. I think they want to see people saved and they want to see their churches flourish. Hell-fire and repentance preaching does not necessarily draw a crowd so they try to tone it down without totally watering it down. In the process you have a message that slightly resembles the truth but draws some people in. In other words you have compromise and a half-messaged which to me is not much of a message at all.
DT
If someone, who has a two year old car that did 40k during that time, went and sold that (perfectly working) car and bought another new car, I would think he/she has done some lusting before he bought that new one, there by sinning. If someone fell in his "lust of the eyes", and takes pride in it and his fellow believers complement him "nice car", "you've got style" etc, is it healthy for the spiritual life of that person, as well as the others in the congregation? Assuming that person took out another loan that would strain his budget, where would his mind be more likely to be? With Jesus, or his job/ business?
Should not pastors warn their members of not -so - obvious sins and the traps that they lay?
I think "lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and pride of life" is something that needs more importance in sermons.
dk
Post a Comment