The true Gospel message is simple beloved. It is all about Jesus Christ and Him crucified. But you cannot get to a real discussion of Him crucified without discussing the very things that the modern church thinks will scare people away. There is a reason the path that leads to eternal life is narrow - few are on it. The purpose driven and seeker friendly paradigms are filled with plausible words of wisdom but they do not contain the words that lead to eternal life. Their power rests in the wisdom of men and not in the power of God. It is terrifying and dangerous to be so concerned with temporal offense that you diminish the Gospel at the cost of eternal bankruptcy.
Here is the truly sad thing. General Motors knew they had a bad product so they altered their language to fool the consumers. The purpose driven/seeker friendly pastor has a good product. A righteous product. The only product that can truly save people eternally. The best thing is they are not required to sell it. They are not required to market it. They simply have to preach it. Instead however, they alter the language to fool the consumer. Not to trick them into salvation because that cannot happen. No beloved, they alter the language of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in order to trick them into coming back to their church building. Sure they pat themselves on the back and claim that person as saved but the reality is far worse.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. - Matthew 23: 15 (ESV)
Woe to you seeker friendly and purpose driven pastor. The object is not to make as many churched people as possible! Secular success metrics do not indicate spiritual approval! The object is to preach the entire counsel of God and bring as many to the foot of the cross as possible. Will this mean your church is not as big? Possibly. Will it mean that you are not as popular? Probably. Maybe your next book is not a best seller. Maybe you do not get that premium time slot on TBN. But at the end of days, you will be able to stand before Christ free of the blood of those He entrusted to you. Put down the Purpose Driven Church. It is just a GM employee manual for how to turn a gas attendant into a Petroleum Exchange Technician. It is taking what is eternal and dumbing it down over temporal concerns. Maybe it provides some temporary relief. Maybe it even leads to a lot of temporary fame and fortune. But one day you will stand before Christ and you will not be able to tell Him that your altered gospel just didn't perform to design. Words matter; especially the Words from God. Our key verse today reminds us that every word of God proves true. Do not change those words, lest He rebuke you and find you to be a liar.
Reverend Anthony Wade - June 21, 2014
