Monday Morning Insights

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    Is Your Gospel Simple?  How Complicated Are You Making the Gospel Message?

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    It is entirely possible that I am not smart enough to get the depth of these men and so I misunderstand their thinking entirely.  I will entertain that fully but I must also say if I am not after 40 years of following Christ and 27 years of ministry, theological training and the likes, maybe the guy at Taco Bell isn’t either. 

    Much of what I read coming out of the theological world today, whether traditional or emergent makes the Gospel more complicated than Paul did.  Again, please forgive my simplicity, it also seems to be more of a compilation of proof-texting and supporting currently held beliefs.  My dad used to say, “Son when you see every problem as a nail, your only tool becomes a hammer.” If I am holding to a set of beliefs I can be easily tempted to recreate or reorient the Gospel to suit my beliefs.  This is what I see happening in many of the seminaries and bible colleges today. 

    Just this week I have heard the following statements:  The gospel is about the poor, The gospel is about compassion and social justice, The Gospel is about restoring man to community and self, The Gospel is about the community of the triune God revealing himself in Christ to restore man to that community, The gospel is God’s way of bringing the kingdom of God to earth and the reign of God to earth… These statements are coming from the best and brightest in our education systems. 

    I think Paul gives us something very tangible when he says this is the Gospel I preached to you “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” 1 Corinthians 15

    The gospels power is found in its message.  God, through Christ, did what could not be done by us.  He satisfied the holiness of God on our behalf through the death of Christ.  By defeating death, both spiritual and physical he sealed my salvation through the resurrection of Christ from the dead.  This is what Paul preached and its power was not in the information but in the resurrection.

    The gospels power is found in its simplicity.  By Faith access is given to anyone.  There is nothing like this in the world of religion.  By faith I have access is a powerful truth.  The 3 year old can have access the 98 year old can have access, the derelict of culture or the good of our culture can have access. 

    The gospels power is found in its author.  What makes the gospel good news is that the offer of forgiveness, freedom from the power of sin, life with Christ, life in the community of faith is that it can actually happen.  The author of the gospel has the power to make it true.  The gospel is not empty promises made by someone who cannot keep them. 

    Let’s not make the gospel some complicated piece of information, rather let us see it as an invitation from a God who is love, proved that love in his death, sealed that love by the resurrection of Christ and offers that love in such a way as to allow anyone the ability to say yes.  Let’s not present the gospel as a set of facts, but rather let us share it as an invitation from God and let’s make sure anyone who receives the invitation from God does not miss the chance to be discipled to maturity. 

    Questions for discussion

    Do you have a simple gospel? 
    Do you share it like it really is the power of God or just a set of facts?
    What does your church do to communicate the Gospel clearly and regularly?
    How do you help new believers in Christ grow?

    About the author:  Leonard Lee a regular commenter here at MMI.  He is also a church planter and a veteran of over 25 years of ministry.  He is married to his best friend and they have two awesome kids.  He currently pastors Bayside of Central Roseville and loves to hunt, fish and play.

    Is the Gospel really that simple and powerful? The trend of theologians, emergent and modern to explain the Gospel seems to be making what Paul said contained the power of God more complicated. Many educational institutions are dissecting to death what was meant to bring life. Having read Foster, Willard, theologians and several other men of God, the way to Jesus seems to be getting more complicated and headier. It is almost like a secret handshake to depth with God rather than a simple truth that give me access to God.

    Comments

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    1. Steve Lavey on Thu, May 10, 2007

      Todd—


      I agree completely—We try to make it so complicated!   I came across a video of Piper’s six minute Gospel and it was a good reminder of the simplicity of the Truth.

    2. Peter Hamm on Thu, May 10, 2007

      I’m guilty.


      I can’t pay the fine.


      SomeOne else paid it for me.


      I trust Him.


      I’m not guilty.

    3. Todd Rhoades on Thu, May 10, 2007

      WHAT?  NO REPENTANCE?


      Todd

    4. Peter Hamm on Thu, May 10, 2007

      I guess trusting him and realizing my need for him because of my admitted guilt doesn’t constitute repentance in some eyes, because I didn’t use the word. (I was deliberately avoiding churchy language.)


      You’re right, Todd. Shame on me. Let me go back and make it more complicated if I can.

    5. Daniel on Thu, May 10, 2007

      Leonard, thanks for the thoughts.  I have a couple of my own…  http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/grin.gif


      I hate to say this, but why do we assume understanding a message that confused 1st century Jews is going to make so much more sense to us, 21st century U.S. citizens?  I agree that God has something to say to everyone, but the assumption that the Good News preached in 1st century Palestine to Second Temple Jews under Roman rule is just going to ‘click’ to its hearers in the 21st century strikes me as problematically naive.


      Unfortunately Leonard, though you say that the Gospel is ‘simple’, your summary isn’t simple, nor is it uncontroversial.  Your ‘satisfaction’ theory of atonement and your take on the ‘holiness’ of God is problematic in light of what the apostle Paul actually said (read NT Wright rather than Luther, then re-read Romans).


      The truth of the matter is that the Gospel makes no sense apart from the community which is redeemed by it. The Good News that Christ reigns requires that we tell the odd story about the Creator God who enters into covenant with a man named Abram and who promises to bless the Earth through his descendants.  It also requires telling how, just like the original Creation, the plan with Israel also went south and jeopardized God’s integrity (since he had promised to ‘save the world’ through Abraham’s seed). The story of Jesus is the story of God’s perfect covenant faithfulness who fulfills Israel’s vocation as its representative, and reconstitutes Israel around himself (he passed through the <u>waters</u>, wandered in the <u>desert</u>, embodied/replaced the <u>Temple</u> by <u>forgiving sins</u>, had <u>twelve</u> disciples, and laid down his life for his enemies).  We who are his followers are now heirs to the promise of Abraham, we are grafted into the vine, and we are called to be set apart, to be a city on a hill, a light in the darkness, and to manifest God’s sovereign rule by being ‘New Creation’.


      The Gospel is no less than all this, and so our obsession with reducing the Gospel must be done away with.  You can no more reduce the Lord of the Rings to a 20-page paperback than tell the Gospel story in 1 minute!  


      No, rather by being the Church and by telling the story of the Israel of God (Paul’s words), we forge an alternative ‘metanarrative’ to the rampant militant consumerism we are taught every day in what is to us a foreign land.


      That being said, I grant that God will use ‘simple’ formulations on a day to day basis to remind us of the larger story.  But the reminders should never take the place of salvation history.


      My two cents.


      -Daniel-

    6. Mike Knight on Thu, May 10, 2007

      Lee doesn’t understand what’s going on in our post-modern culture. His verse in 1Cor. gives the effect of the gospel not it’s content. Don’t anyone wonder why so many of these new births are still-born ?


      Mike

    7. bishopdave on Thu, May 10, 2007

      Recently read something that really convicted me but I can’t remember where or who.


      ** “I felt like I was trying to get people to agree with me rather than get them to meet God.”


      Todd, I liked this post, thank you!

    8. Todd Rhoades on Thu, May 10, 2007

      “You’re right, Todd. Shame on me. Let me go back and make it more complicated if I can.”


      Peter… I hope you know I was kidding.  http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/smile.gif


      Todd

    9. Peter Hamm on Thu, May 10, 2007

      Todd,


      I hope you know I was kidding back.

    10. nora on Thu, May 10, 2007

      Mike, I think the tone of your comments to Leonard was rude, and not befitting someone who apparently understands the “content” of the gospel as well as you purport to.  You certainly have a right to disagree, but around here we try to do it a little more politely.


      That being said, I think I agree with Daniel on this one, Leonard.  And maybe, in essence, you don’t disagree with Daniel either.  When one is in a crunch to “boil down” the Gospel to its very essence and core, perhaps exercises like these are helpful.  However, I think that when we try to reduce it, something is lost, and the story is robbed of its power.

    11. RevJeff on Thu, May 10, 2007

      Jesus said, “Follow me.”  And they left everything and followed. 


      Sure they were WITH JESUS, but they figured the rest of it our as they went along.  Most of it not making sense until after HE left them and sent the Holy Spirit…


      HOW do we help them grow? 


      BIBLE - PRAY - Accountability - Service

    12. Leonard on Thu, May 10, 2007

      Mike,


      Mike, please help me understand how you see Paul’s words being the effect of the Gospel rather than the gospel.  I don’t want to argue I just want to see what you’re seeing.  On another note I pastored an emergent church for 8 years.  


      Daniel, I too appreciate your thinking.  I am not sure how what you said was any simpler nor do I assume that was your goal.  I have read your thoughts on this before and honestly they are very well put together.  I love NT Wright but do not necessarily hold everything he says tightly.  I also am not sure I think the message was as confusing as you hold to believe.  Just because a message is odd does not by default make it confusing. In fact I think that is a part of the power of the Gospel.  It makes soul sense.  Sort of when I heard it, I knew it was true.  I don’t think I used the word understand in reference to how people receive the Gospel nor do I expect people too understand. 


      Let me lay another bit of context with my words.  I say this carefully as I do not take credit for the result.  In being a Christ follower for 40+ years, I have been privileged to share Christ with thousands upon thousand of people.  This has taken place in large arenas through crusades, small venues of a small group of seekers, large group rally’s, one on one meetings, building intentional friendships and such.  I have been privileged to lead several thousand people to Christ.  My thinking comes from my study of the word coupled with the practice of sharing Christ.  I don’t think I am an expert but I do live out what I speak and find that the Holy Spirit is working in the lives of so many people ready (something about fields white with harvest) to enter a friendship with Christ.


      It literally breaks my heart to think of people spending their whole life not knowing that God forgives.  It devastates my heart to think someone can live their entire life and not know they are loved by God.  I hurt thinking someone could live their entire life and never find out who made them and why.  To spend 60,70,80 years an never know the joy of living in the community of faith, joining God in his redemptive plan, developing a deep friendship with your creator, breaking free form both the power of sin and its impact is tragic.  To enter into eternity without Christ is even more tragic.  I guess I say this to say, this is not a theological debate for me, it is a personal conversation

    13. Camey on Thu, May 10, 2007

      No, my gospel isn’t simple. Why? It’s not my gospel. When I try to make it so… THAT’S when it becomes complicated because it is turned into something that it is not.. nor was ever meant to be.


      I definitely agree with you Leonard in regards to your last paragraph. It is a personal conversation that at times we are invited to be a part of. IF it becomes real, alive, and breathing then that is only because of God. It’s not my power… it’s not my conviction… it’s not your…..

    14. Daniel on Thu, May 10, 2007

      Leonard, thanks for taking the time to put together such a thoughtful response.


      Clearly, your experience in sharing the gospel with others has shaped your take on the issue. Perhaps I was not clear enough, or more likely, I misunderstood what you were saying: I whole-heartedly agree that the gospel is not supposed to be ‘confusing’ (/muddled/unclear). That is to say, it makes sense, and more profoundly (and this is what I gather you are saying), it ‘clicks’ when the coin drops in the slot. It has (to use fancy words) immediate existential relevance in the lives of many people.


      That being said, and I think you’ll agree with this, the gospel is not just that we are forgiven in Christ (or rather it is, but that short statement assumes a meaningful background many people lack).  The story of Creation, which becomes the story of Israel, which becomes the story of Jesus, which then expands to become the story of the Church (including Jews and Gentiles) are irreducible aspects of the gospel (in other words, the ‘solution’ only makes sense in a narrative that clearly underscores the ‘problem(s)’). These are learned, of course, in the fullness of time.


      But notice that when Phillip shares (what we can assume to be) the ‘bare bones’ gospel with the Ethiopian eunuch, the eunuch’s response is “is there anything to prevent me from being baptized?”—which, in 1st century context, is necessarily understood as pledging allegiance and membership to the Kingdom movement, the Church.  That is to say, when Phillip preached the gospel, he did it in such a way that a call to conversion/repentance/change was required, and in such a way to frame that need for New Creation within the story of Creation, Israel, and Jesus in such a way that the ‘convert’s first response is to acknowledge the need to be baptized into the new community of God.


      I know too many ‘Christians’ who prayed a prayer because of a moment they had, but because of a lack of clarity on the heart of the gospel (that is, the story of God’s providence), their lives weren’t profoundly changed. While I’m positive, based on your post, that these aren’t the kinds of ‘conversions’ you’ve been leading, I wanted to make sure the message we proclaim as a Body has the same effect on its hearers as Phillip’s did on the Ethiopian eunuch.


      Am I making sense?


      This is way too much talking for a Thursday…


      Cheers!


      -Daniel-

    15. Leonard on Thu, May 10, 2007

      I get you Daniel, probably agree with you a lot too.  Thanks for the dialog, maybe we will all get better at extending the invitation of Christ to follow him.

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