In my travels, I hear many speak of the struggles that face their local congregations. For the most part, one thing seems to stand out and that the lack of numbers growth. Congregations seem to be losing numbers and that becomes the focus. Brethren do not seem to ask 'why'? Many have their ideas, but for the most part there is only one reason congregations slowly die off....CONVERSIONS! We have stopped in many cases of reaching out with the Gospel. The social gospel is embracing everyone who claims to believe and see none as lost! I am not a legalist, for those who know me well, but there is a standard of the truth and one must line up with that truth if they are going to be saved! For some, they have little insight to the Gospel. One thing for certain, the Gospel is God's power to save people (Rom. 1:16-17). In forgetting God's power, many turn to gimmicks and other things to 'attract' those outside Christ. Let's have a special Sunday worship to bring people in or make our services more attractive when people visit. We create all sorts of out-reaches for this and that. Now, understand there are some good things we do to reach others and I am not against them. What seems to be most troubling is the lack of insight to where the real power and out-reach program needs to be: THE GOSPEL!
Are we being equipped with spiritual food? Are our preachers teaching the things that grow people in the likeness of Jesus or making us fleshly like the rest of the world? Preachers can only preach/teach what they know and if they do not know the power of God, the 'good news' of God and what that means, they are deteriorating the faith of the listening saints. I sat in a large congregation while visiting and listened to a sermon, (by a so called big name brotherhood preacher), that was taken directly out of the Reader's Digest! And people wonder why we are dying? Preachers are speaking about love, love, love (and that is a true and real part of God), but the love they preach is a 'touchy, feel good' rather than challenged with the dynamics of God's sacrificing love. Paul warned Timothy that there will come a time in the church when the brethren will not want sound doctrine but want their ears tickled and find teachers/preachers who will tickle them with little social lessons (II Tim. 4:2-3). God's word is wrapped around the Gospel. Not a social gospel but the Gospel that will save others. The Gospel is what gives people hope! The Gospel gives people the assurance of heaven! (Col. 1:5) The Gospel is the message of truth (Eph. 1:13). THE GOSPEL SAVES!
You want to win your family for Christ? Get them the gospel! You want to influence your friends? Share with them the gospel. You want the church to grow? Center on the gospel. We can have our different programs but if the Gospel is not the center point, the drawing point, we have relinquished the power of God to save to a man saving scheme! The result? Maybe we are looking at it in the local congregations?
Are we being equipped with spiritual food? Are our preachers teaching the things that grow people in the likeness of Jesus or making us fleshly like the rest of the world? Preachers can only preach/teach what they know and if they do not know the power of God, the 'good news' of God and what that means, they are deteriorating the faith of the listening saints. I sat in a large congregation while visiting and listened to a sermon, (by a so called big name brotherhood preacher), that was taken directly out of the Reader's Digest! And people wonder why we are dying? Preachers are speaking about love, love, love (and that is a true and real part of God), but the love they preach is a 'touchy, feel good' rather than challenged with the dynamics of God's sacrificing love. Paul warned Timothy that there will come a time in the church when the brethren will not want sound doctrine but want their ears tickled and find teachers/preachers who will tickle them with little social lessons (II Tim. 4:2-3). God's word is wrapped around the Gospel. Not a social gospel but the Gospel that will save others. The Gospel is what gives people hope! The Gospel gives people the assurance of heaven! (Col. 1:5) The Gospel is the message of truth (Eph. 1:13). THE GOSPEL SAVES!
You want to win your family for Christ? Get them the gospel! You want to influence your friends? Share with them the gospel. You want the church to grow? Center on the gospel. We can have our different programs but if the Gospel is not the center point, the drawing point, we have relinquished the power of God to save to a man saving scheme! The result? Maybe we are looking at it in the local congregations?
1 comment:
AMEN!
Anybody else notice the capitaliztion of THE GOSPEL? There is only one.
A leasson preached from the Gospel is for the benefit of those listening to learn, and not for them to feel warm and fuzzy about their own desires or emotions.
Thank you for a "straight to the point" message that tells it how it is while focusing on God.
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