Posted on 09/12/2007 8:00:02 PM PDT by P-Marlowe
My oldest son Luke, now married, :) sent me a link the other day that quoted A.W. Tozer and James Kennedy (both wonderful Christian leaders in their day). Both men believed that many, if not most, professing believers they encountered around the country were not actually saved. They were deeply troubled by the distortions of the gospel that were the result of trying to get the gospel to more people. Well intentioned yes, but eternally dangerous for the souls of men and woman who had not heard the whole message. The article prompted me to look back in my file for something I remembered writing a while back. Here it is . . . What gospel have you heard and believed?
Five Distortions of the Gospel in Our Day
1) The Cake Mix Gospel: if we leave out key ingredients our souls will never "rise" to God. We don't need the message reduced to some irreducible elements, we need the whole gospel. You don't expect your car to run without all the parts. You don't expect your body to function without all the organs working properly. You don't expect a cake to taste right if it's rushed and readied without the right ingredients. The gospel without repentance is not the gospel. Acts 18:26, And he [Apollos] began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
2) The Cultural Gospel: Skip the postmodern sales job and go for the heart where human need never changes. Understanding the 'culture' is much less important than knowing what the Bible says about every human heart separated from God. We don't need slick sales people giving out the gospel. We need bold, Spirit-filled messengers with a deep heart of compassion for lost people. The gospel without authoritative/binding truth is not the gospel. Acts 17:30, In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
3) The Cool Gospel: Jesus transcends fashion trends. Marketing Jesus is cheap and powerless. We don't need to 'spin' the message we need to say it. We need to stop shaping Jesus in some misguided effort to make Him appealing. Jesus doesn't need to be like us; we need to be like Him. The gospel wrapped in stylistic packaging is not the gospel. Revelation 3:17 Because you say, 'I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,' and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.
4) The Carnal Gospel: What Jesus can do for me: health, wealth, always happy, never hurting? Jesus solves those issues, but not the way we may think. He'll change what you want a lot more than what you have. The selfish gospel that promises things Jesus doesn't promise is a lie and is sentencing the lost who listen to a shocking surprise in eternity. The gospel of "me before Jesus" is not the gospel. Mark 8:35 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.
5) The Careful Gospel: Let's not upset anybody, just keep 'em comfortable and coming back, There's lots of time for folks to figure it out. The gospel of "get them to church, and in time everything will come together as long as we don't offend them" is a dangerous gospel. Well intentioned is not enough. The gospel without urgency is not the gospel. 2 Corinthians 6:2, Behold, now is "THE ACCEPTABLE TIME," behold, now is "THE DAY OF SALVATION.
Do you understand the implications of a distorted gospel? What horror to imagine many people thinking they are ready to meet God only to find out they never were because they believed a distorted gospel. Matthew 7 predicts just a scene of shocking surprise. Matthew 7:22-23, Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock.
I wrote a little poem called, "I Want the Whole Gospel," I'll share it with you next time :)
james
good post. I enjoy pastor McDonald’s messages.
Used to go to Harvest regularly.
Classic example: Rick Warren’s version of the Gospel in his books.
Hoo boy. I can guess what he thinks about Catholics.
There’s The Comfortable Calculating Gospel. I heard this when a church was planning to build a new building (to be funded by renting luxury apartments built on church property) when the existing one was seldom more than half full because “we can’t expect people on the North Side to want to sit close to complete strangers.” The promoters also claimed that we needed more briskly flushing toilets, a well-equipped and staffed nursery, and other things so that visitors would have a reason to come back.
Excellent post. I think too many priests and ministers want to do a soft sell on the Gospel rather than putting the REAL word and truth out there for us to face.
Our priest doesn’t pull any punches. Preaches on the hard stuff.
**Our priest doesn’t pull any punches. Preaches on the hard stuff.**
And as a result the number of families at our church as doubled in the last three years. I think people want to hear the truth. They are hungry and want to be fed real food.
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OOPS:
I meant: D. James Kennedy
Does he preach salvation by Grace through faith and not of works?
Does he Preach the 5 Solas?
Did Kennedy die? I thought he retired.
Please clarify this, Thanks.
Great Post.
Did Kennedy die? I thought he retired. Please clarify this, Thanks.
Both. Retirement was announced, to noone's surprise, given his health problems. Very shortly after (days) he died.
In my almost 25 years as an RN (working mostly in oncology and hospice), I've seen so many patients feel betrayed by this false version of the Gospel. Instead of being comforted by an ever-loving Savior who would help carry their burdens, they had been deceived into thinking that there would be few burdens IF ONLY their faith was strong enough. So when they got sick and were in pain, they either believed God had reneged on His promises, or that their faith was defective.
Thankfully, many of these people were able to eventually see (through the counsel of many wonderful believers) that God's love and mercy were there in the MIDST of their suffering. No longer did they believe that their illnesses were indications that God had withdrawn His mercy. This didn't always happen though.
It is my belief that those who preach this perversion of the Gospel have much to answer for.
I saw that too, at one of the smaller churches we attended. One of the parishioners, a young man, got cancer. People were so invested in praying for his healing that they were stunned when he died. Reeling. Good for you for speaking into that at the hospital.
IIRC, Kennedy retired (due to health problems) and then passed on
10 days later.
Focus On The Family devoted one show this week to his life and service.
Dennis James Kennedy, (November 3, 1930 – September 5, 2007)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._James_Kennedy
Tribute Webpage
http://65.240.226.104:8080/
Webcast of Funeral (1PM today, 9-13-07 at 1PM Eastern)
http://65.240.226.104:8080/webcast.aspx
Memorial Events (linked from page above)
http://65.240.226.104:8080/tribute.aspx
We had a ‘true man of God’ at our church. He was a true testament to great faith. We called him ‘Grampa’. When in his late years he became ill, he still never missed a service unless he was hospitalized. Towards the end he was hospitalized more and more. Every day we would pray for him to be restored in his body and back to our fellowship. Just like clockwork he would take a turn for the better. Yet it was frustrating for him, for he had done all the Lord had ever asked of him. “Why won’t He take me home?” he would cry.
I remember it was a Sunday evening service, and the man leading the worship stopped to lead us in prayer for Grampa since he had just gone back in to the hospital right after morning service. But this time the leader said something different.
He said,”Lord, all this time we have been praying selfishly for you to heal and return Grampa to us. You have have been faithful in granting what we asked. But our dear brother desires to be with You and that seems to be the cause of most of his pain now. He’s homesick. Lord, if it be Your will to take him, then take him, we are ready to let him go, and if not, please return him to us.”
After the service the church phone rang. When Pastor got off the phone he came out and told us that Grampa had finally gone to be with the Lord, right around the time we prayed for him.
This article describes 98% of American churches, I believe.
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