Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Here's An Excellent Question
Reformation Theology had a very interesting post last Friday. Not sure I agree with all of it, but I found this comment most interesting.
Church is not about inspiration, it is about transformation. When we limit the story we tell, when we stop just a little short of the whole truth for the sake of not sending people away we do not breed success, rather we cheapen the gospel.
Success is God's business, fidelity to the gospel is ours.
It bothered me in the same way many of the sermons in contemporary evangelical churches bother me. What was it you ask? It was the fact that the text of Scripture preached upon really had little or nothing to do with the sermon at hand, and also, that the Text was actually saying the very opposite of what the preacher was trying to make it say. While the Moravian missionaries are to be commended for their spending their lives, and in many cases deaths, for the work of the Kingdom, that is not what the story of the rich young ruler is about AT ALL. It is my conviction, from many years of careful study, that the Scripture, in its whole counsel, contains either law or gospel wherever you look. When we preach from any Text of Scripture we can always find law, which condemns us, and the gospel of Christ which redeems us. This is true for both Old and New Testaments. Luther once said, "The law is for the proud but he gospel is for the brokenhearted."I think that many times we preach and hear "gospel-lite." In an effort to keep the pews full, create an appearance of growth and keep the offering plates full, we tell people what they want to hear rather than the radical and transforming message of the true gospel.
Well, what was preached to us that Sunday I unfortunately concluded, was really just a spiritual pep-talk. While there may have been very encouraging content, but was it the gospel? Is the pulpit meant to rally the troops with inspiring half-time talks, or be a place to preach Christ crucified?
Church is not about inspiration, it is about transformation. When we limit the story we tell, when we stop just a little short of the whole truth for the sake of not sending people away we do not breed success, rather we cheapen the gospel.
Success is God's business, fidelity to the gospel is ours.
