Is Your Gospel Simple? How Complicated Are You Making the Gospel Message?
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Thu, May 10, 2007
- Viewed 107
- (36) comments so far
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
if you want a Globally Recognized Avatar (the images next to your profile) get them here. Once you sign up, they will displayed on any website that supports them.
Stewart on Thu, May 10, 2007
Does it bother anyone that Jesus never laid out “4 Easy Steps to Salvation”? I’m in agreement that the gospel ought to be clear and straightforward and that you don’t need a religious studies degree to understand it.
I’ve heard my share of preachers who in our attempt to be wholistic make things so complicated and/or boring that no one raised in a multimedia culture will ever connect.
The challenge (IMHO) is not simplicity, rather it is an engaging and interesting presentation. The problem with some of the language being criticised in the original post is not theological but practical. It’s not everyday vernacular. My plumber wouldn’t understand what they were talking about and wouldn’t care. It sounds like something you’d get in a seminary lecture. Gotta find ways to talk about the deep things of God in language people understand.
Leonard on Fri, May 11, 2007
Great thought on the need to find ways to talk about the deep things of God so people understand. what do you do in this regard, I’d love to learn. Thanks for your thoughts.
It does not bother me at all about Jesus never boiling it down to 4 points… Jesus never did a lot of things. I do not think His ministry was only prescriptive meaning that we should only do what he did. Much of his ministry is descriptive too meaning we can see what he accomplished and join him in our culture and our day. Jesus put ears back on and raised the dead, walked on water and fed thousands with fish and bread. Jesus read from Old testament scrolls and spoke in the temple. I have never done any of these things. I type on a computer right now, send e-mail to my friends, cut and past bible verses every day and listen to other preachers sermons on my iPod. Jesus never did any of those things. A silly list I know but the point is that just because Jesus method was not a 4 point… does not mean the 4 point… is not solid.
Jeremy Farmer on Fri, May 11, 2007
Simplicity: Panacea or Plague?
That’d be a great title for an article, Leonard. I love what you wrote. Great job!
Mike Knight on Fri, May 11, 2007
Dear Lee,
One person (maybe more), thought I was rude in my earlier comment. Sorry, that wasn’t my intention. Just being brief.
I don’t spend much time on the computer, so I not checking my mail everyday, but I wouldn’t mind if our exchange started by you taking me through the exact plan of salvation you use in leading a person to Christ.
Thanks, Mike
Leonard on Fri, May 11, 2007
Mike, I did not feel you were rude but thanks for caring about that. I would like to have you answer my question about 1 Corinthians 15. I do think you might have been a bit presumptive about me so your question about the exact plan of salvation feels a bit more like a set up than an actual want to know. If I am wrong about this I am sorry in advance for misjudging you.
In terms of the response I ask of people to confess with their mouth Jesus as Lord and and to believe in their heart that God did raise Him from the dead as Paul described in Romans 10. This is a commitment of faith made to God. As for the plan it varies based upon circumstances and situations but when I share Christ I will always ask for permission first. I include the problem between man and God which the bible describes as sin. I explain God’s solution to the problem, which includes the sinless life, the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. I always include an opportunity to respond to Christs offer of Grace and forgiveness and When the response is affirmative I will with wide open arms welcome them into the community of faith and the family of God. when someone does not wish to receive the offer of Christ to follow him I usually ask if it would be okay to address this with them again sometime.
My invitation is not merely to say words but to follow Christ and to enter into a friendship with Christ. I also try to connect each person to the community of faith that would help them understand a more complete story of God. Hope that answers your question.
Daniel on Fri, May 11, 2007
I would offer this as an additional thought:
Though it may be appropriate at times to seek to ‘interface’, as it were, with the popular culture—hence the talk of being engaging and relevant—there are other times (and I’m tempted to argue that this should be our default modus operandi) when, rather than constantly explaining “Christians believe X, Y and Z”, we should simply do what the Church does (e.g. live non-violently, love our enemies, share resources, celebrate integrity and covenant faithfulness, care for the poor, etc.), all while cultivating internally that story which defines us (our call to be heirs of the promise to Abraham, for the blessing of the whole Earth). Because meaning is contextually derived, the ‘outsiders’ who are drawn in by the beauty (and oddness) of our communal and individual ‘fruit’ will slowly be brought up like apprentices, learning the disciplines of faithful living. Again, the message makes little sense apart from the community which is transformed by the message. This is not a call to cultivate an elitist jargonized group, but simply an acknowledgment that the truth of the Gospel can’t be entirely conformed to the patterns of our society’s thought-world (how would our minds then not be conformed to the present age? new ways of thinking are necessary and must be learned—this is what Jesus’ parables were about).
Look at me, I’m rambling again. Forgive my logorrhea. Hopefully the approach I suggest above won’t be interpreted in such a way as to rule out what Paul did at Mars Hill (for example). ‘Relevance’, appropriately qualified, is absolutely necessary. I simply hope we don’t forget that part of what Christians have to offer to the surrounding culture may involve practices and beliefs which only make sense after proper ‘training’ of sorts… if you know what I mean.
Blessings to all,
-Daniel-
Leonard on Sat, May 12, 2007
Preach the gospel at all time and if necessary use words. Saint Francis of Assisi
It is a both and not an either or Faith comes by hearing and hearing by th word of God… We must tell people but we must also live out the life of Jesus as a community. They will know we are Christians by our love. Well said Daniel
Brian L on Mon, May 14, 2007
Daniel - I agree with you (I think - I’m not sure my little brain is wrapping around everything you just said, but I think I get it! http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/smile.gif).
It’s been a conviction of mine that the early church grew because they actually LIVED what they believed, not just gave it lip-service. They lived in dangerous times that caused people to make an informed decision about following Christ - there was no room for waffling. But their conviction about Christ and His teachings was enough for them.
Leonard - have you read Hybel’s book, “Just Walk Across the Room?” I just finished it and I absolutely loved it.
At the end, he says that in communicating the gospel, it can be boiled down to three “irreducible ingredients” (pp.214-215):
1. God loves you. “Our God is filled with love and compassion no matter who’s dug what kind of hole for themselves, no matter how far they’ve drifted away. God loves you! God is heartbroken anytime anybody doesn’t wind up in heaven.”
2. Christ chose to pay for you. “...no amount of human effort can ever make someone ‘right’ with God. The theological term for the idea is substitutionary atonement, meaning that Christ did for human beings what they could not do for themselves…the debt they owed was already paid in full.”
3. There is a decision to be made regarding the first two ideas. “A person will never, ever drift into salvation. No, a person must opt into or opt out of Christ’s plan of salvation.”
Obviously, these three things aren’t the only things involved in God’s redemptive plan, as has been discussed in another thread, but I agree that in communicating a person’s need for salvation, these are the bottom line.
Brian
Phil DiLernia on Mon, May 14, 2007
I liked the article. I think the author definitely exposes a problem. Sometimes the gospel that we hear is the god that we pledge our faith to and that can be a problem. If the gospel I hear is “come to Jesus and you’ll live with plenty of $$” then that’s the god I’ve pledged my allegiance to. If the gospel I hear is that god wants a be a part of my marriage and direct my life then I may have pledged my allegiance to a god who promises that everything will go “OK” with my marriage and life. And on and on and on ...
I believe that the Gospel should always include some basic elements and I try to present them each time - even though I get to the invitation through multiple paths and passages (depending on where I am in my message or conversation.)
- We have a problem; no ones lives either for God or in the Spirit of God. We live selfishly and this in essence makes us God’s enemy.
- That type of life is what the Bible terms “sin” or just plain ol’ missing the mark that God has set
- We need forgiveness for a debt we cannot pay thru works and God provides that through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son Jesus who is God in the flesh
- In order to become reconciled (or made at peace with) God we must admit the problem and accept God’s solution to it ... to believe and trust in God’s view of us and not our own.
- Those who accept God’s offer of His Son’s payment have the opportunity to live a new life, to see life through a new lens, and if truly lived in God’s power will seperate themselves from the world and no longer care about the approval of man.
- In seperation from the world I will ALWAYS explain this as such; we have the opportunity to love differently, offer mercy differently, see outsides our own lives differently, and experience contentment differently than the rest of the world. All this is available to those who profess Christ as their Savior and all this is promised to those who follow Jesus Christ after their profession.
I believe that last thing is extremely important and attractive to those God is speaking to in our post-modern or post-Christian culture of today because people today want to know how being a follower of Christ is going to change their lives in the “here and now.” I know some people don’t like this “here and now” focus BUT if God is God then following Him should hold the promise of a changed life now too (they seek transformation and we’ve got to tell them what transformation is and what it is not.) In addition, my read on scripture says that how our “here and nows” are impacted by Christ may tell us alot about the genuiness of yesterday’s professions.
Those points most probably are covered somewhere in the message (or conversations) and are NOT routinely or rotely verbalized as to formulize our salvation or experience with God.
There’s my 10 cents.
Phil DiLernia on Mon, May 14, 2007
My last post made me go to my church’s website and discover how I worded it there. Very interesting and very similar to what I wrote above.
Check it out here
http://fbcwayne.ctsmemberconnect.net/home-ctrl.do?view=3&grpId=14174
Have a great day!
Mike Knight on Mon, May 14, 2007
Hi Lee . Let me answer your question about 1Cor.15. It is a succinct summary of the gospel that Christ explained at great lenght. By explaining more than 1Cor. is not complicating the gospel but communicating it clearly and in its entirety.The statement in the Lausanne Covenant speaks to this, “ In issuing the gospel invitation we have no liberty to conceal the cost of disipleship. Jesus still calls all who would follow him to deny themselves, take up their cross….” etc.
Without understanding these absolute statements one will not understand a Biblical repentance, nor a Biblical faith that identifies the person with what is being totally trusted. There is still a cost to be counted. In a culture which doesn’t believe in absolute truth and has personalized definitions, the chances of someone thinking the same way about a word as Jesus does is almost impossible. In our age of pragmatism, Jesus has been reduced to someone to be used. Used to; Get clean and sober, Repair a broken family, Heal emotion wounds, Get out of Hell etc. When this stays the motive people don’t move beyond this point. They don’t do God. They didn’t want God , they wanted their problems fixed. Most pastors are presenting this kind of Jesus.The Biblical purpose for salvation is clear and its not about forgiveness. Forgiveness is a means not an end. The purpose is this; . to be reconciled to God in a initimate, worshipfull relationship, Jn 17:3. . To be transformed into the character of Christ,Lu 14:27. .and obediently live out God’s purpose for Himself in this world.( not the individual’s purpose) 1Jn2:5-6. The gospel must be communicated in a clear and complete manner that allows one to still count the cost. Counting the cost does not mean does one want to go to Heaven or Hell. Well, Lee, I hope I communicated my stand to you. I don’t even know where the spell check is so good luck reading this. God’s Blessing, Mike
Leonard on Mon, May 14, 2007
Excellent thoughts Mike, well stated, I’ll have to chew on them a bit.
Peter Hamm on Mon, May 14, 2007
Mike.
[The gospel must be communicated in a clear and complete manner…]
Not if the biblical record is true. Often the gospel is proclaimed in a way that is, by your definition, “incomplete.” Surely, it is complete in the context of that persons body of experience and learning, both before and after the ... but for me to sit down and give someone a complete theological understanding of substitutionary atonement to encourage them to trust Christ is, in a word, impractical, and it’s not what happens in Scripture. When Saul is “saved” on the Damascus road, we do NOT have a recording of Jesus explaining all the nuances of the faith. In the context of Saul’s experience, Jesus told him what he needed to hear to trust Him!
I love the simple explanation of the gospel in Acts 10:36. The NLT is great for this one… “This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.” Simple. Complete? If it was, we wouldn’t have the New Testament, but in the context of all our hearers know… perhaps all they need to hear!
Also Mike, when you say [Most pastors are presenting this kind of Jesus] you are certainly iimplying that you’ve heard “most pastors”. I just don’t think this is true at all. I think most pastors in Bible-believing churches are preaching the real Gospel.
Daniel on Mon, May 14, 2007
Brian—I’m glad you (tentatively?) agree with me. If there’s any inability to wrap your mind around what I’m saying, I’m sure it has nothing to do with your “little brain” (which I’m sure is quite normal) and everything to do with my inability to express myself.
For the sake of clarity, allow me to suggest that the ‘bare bones’ which both you and Hybels seem to agree upon are direct descendants of the Reformation and, I believe, somewhat mistaken. While I wouldn’t say those ‘bare bones’ are incorrect, per se, I do think they are only tangential to the heart of the gospel as understood by both Paul and Jesus.
Did anyone else notice that Hybels’ summary (God bless him) nowhere mentions the Kingdom of God? And yet this is pretty much the only thing Jesus ever talked about. So if I were to offer an alternative ‘bare bones’ account of the gospel (though I am loathe to reduce it in such a way), I’d suggest this:
- God is the Creator, and God’s influence on Creation has ever only been ‘very good’—there is no malice or evil in God
- God’s good Creation has gone south because of humanity’s stupidity
- To remedy this, God launched a new project: a sort of new creation with Creation: Israel—called to be a people ‘set apart’ for the blessing of the whole world—to serve as a sign post for life under God’s good sovereign rule
- This project of God’s failed (again) because of humankind’s/Israel’s stupidity (/sin)—again
- But God, who is good, is also faithful, and in faithfulness to the promise to Abraham, God sent Jesus to be true Israel, and by atoning for Israel’s sin (taking on the covenantal punishment/judgment due Israel) and being raised from the dead, began a new humanity, a new ‘New Creation’
- By the power of his Spirit, the Church (defined as all those who pledge allegiance to the Risen Lord) is called to embody the Kingdom of God (that is, the place where God rules unfettered) by sharing resources, loving the poor, blessing those who persecute them, putting down the sword and picking up the cross, following Jesus on the path of self-sacrificing discipleship and so on
- We live in the hope that God will make all things new (a new heaven and a new Earth, where God’s dwelling is with humankind) and we live and structure our lives in prophetic anticipation of that future. Jesus’ life, death and resurrection were a breaking in of God’s Kingdom into our world, and the Church follows his pattern.
- Our calling of others to join us (through baptism) in discipleship only makes sense in that story.
Perhaps now you can understand my hesitancy in trying to ‘boil down’ the gospel without giving a proper context… Even my lame summary above horribly distorts the narrative of Scripture—which is why it is so important for the Church to <u>be</u> the Church. Otherwise our story will never make sense.
That’s all for now.
Much love,
-Daniel-
Brian on Mon, May 14, 2007
Daniel,
I think you and I agree about a lot of stuff, and to be honest, I’ve never taken the time to dissect kingdom living as you have.
I think that what Hybels, others, and myself, are looking to do is not so much explain what the kingdom is and what it is all about, but rather to help people become part of that kingdom - through recognition of their sin and need for the Savior.
“Kingdom understanding” comes through discipleship and can only come by participation in the kingdom. Unless a person comes to know why the even need to be part of that kingdom, then it seems to me that they will never understand the rest.
Unless they see that “Christ died for sins, once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God (1 Peter 3:18), “(God)...sent His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16),” that whoever does not believe in the Son is condemned already because they do not believe…(John 3:18), then the rest is mumbo jumbo to them.
You and I can have great conversations about the overall kingdom picture. But unless a person is a child of God (and therefore a subject of the kingdom), can we really expect them to “get it” when it comes to the overall picture?
And I simply can’t see how saving people from hell is “tangential” to anything. This is why Christ died! If the gospel is simply “renewal,” or “kingdom-type” living then did Jesus really have to die? He came to redeem those made in the image of God. There is no kingdom without that redemption. The kingdom is made up of redeemed people, is it not?
Again, I agree with you that the Church needs to BE the church. The message needs to be lived out in the lives of the redeemed, or it has little power.
I appreciate you, bro. Even in our disagreement I see that you love Christ and pray that God blesses you immensely.
Brian
Page 2 of 3 pages < 1 2 3 >
Post a Comment