Is Today's Gospel a Laughing Stock?

Popular Gospel

“The popular gospel of this day, is the laughing-stock of Hell; it dare neither damn the sinner, nor sanctify the saint.” - Catherine Booth

These words spoken close on 100 years ago are oh so relevant to today’s church. Whatever happened to the full Gospel I wonder? When did we ever start to water it down? How come it is now so non-politically correct to preach that which invades the soul and convicts the sinner – so that he cries out for mercy and runs to the altar?

We live in an age of compromise. An age full of half truths, only half spoken, for fear of man’s reaction. It has always been a fact that, in many places around the world a Christian can still be put to death for spreading the Gospel. Yet many many wonderful souls do so everyday regardless of risk or consequence. Not so the Western Church. We are still free to preach the Gospel – if we want to.

That phrase, ‘if we want to’, says it all as, for the most part apparently, we don’t appear to want to at all. The Gospel is there for us yet it remains on the shelf. At best, when it is taken down, perhaps once a year, then it is dusted off and presented in such a way as to tickle the ears of the listener and to make him feel good. The Bible warned us about this. “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2 Tim 4:3-4 NIV

Why is that I wonder? I don’t care what else you may think, but to me this is rebellion and compromise. It is a refusal to preach the Gospel as we are urged to do in Mark 16:15-16 “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Again, in Matthew 28:19 NKJV “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. So, what is preached instead?

What is preached is a compromise gospel. It is a gospel that people want to hear – Jesus is God’s Son, he died and rose again for our sins. Turn to Him, give Him your life, invite Him into your heart and you will be saved. All well and good so far. Then straight into the ‘Sinners Prayer’ and that’s it – you’re saved !! No mention of repentance. No mention of turning away from your sin. No mention of Bible reading, no mention of finding a good church (cos you’re already in one), and no mention of telling others about your decision. This ‘soft’ gospel makes it easy on the ears and easy on the sinner.

When asked ‘Why?’, most preachers would hedge, duck and dive, and as far as possible avoid the question whilst protesting long and loud that they do preach the gospel. And, yes they do preach some of it – but only some of it. The real reasons, and there are a few, are all along the lines of ‘not upsetting people’, and ‘don’t want to upset the flock’. Unspoken reasons include not upsetting the big givers or tithers, and not upsetting the church board !!

Yet Jesus seemed to set out to offend the religious; He seemed bent on upsetting the big tithers and givers; He associated with the poor and the lonely and those considered the worst sinners – like thieves and prostitutes. In fact he called the rich and religious ‘whitewashed sepulchres’ and he drove traders from the temple with a whip.

So, probable to the chagrin of many leaders, I urge you, brothers and sisters, go find a church where, the full gospel is preached, where the poor, the sick, and the prostitutes are welcome. Find a church that at least tries to be the church that Jesus seemed to envisage. A church in fact that obeys the great commission - “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Mark 16:15-18 NKJV

Catherine Booth was right - “The popular gospel of this day, is the laughing-stock of Hell; it dare neither damn the sinner, nor sanctify the saint.”