Not Too Good to Be True - Part 1

John 11:20-27 Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

I read a spiritually thought-provoking article today by Dr. Robert Strimple on the subject of real true faith. He wrote that as we survey the American Christian scene today, many of the mainline churches, rather than returning to and sticking with the biblical faith and embracing the gospel, have tried to attract new members and subsequently have seen their membership shrink. The term “evangelical” (from evangelium - to announce the gospel … the “good news of Jesus Christ. To live according to the gospel; consonant to the doctrines and precepts of the gospel), now seems to have lost all meaning. The newly “emergent” churches continue to call themselves evangelical, but have adopted a “cultural relevance” theology that that shares more in common with old liberalism than holiness. Dr. Strimple states most evangelical churches still claim to hold to the biblical gospel, but rather than preaching the gospel with joy in its full riches and the power of the Holy Spirit, assume their hearers’ acceptance of the gospel and preach sermons on more “practical” matters such as personal relationships and how to be a better person, friend, spouse, parent, et cetera for love, happiness and peace in life – fruitfulness from self efforts. And the sad irony is that without a firm foundation in the fundamentals of our Christian faith, the hearers of such sermons are not achieving even these practical goals.

Romans 10:14-15 “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

If our churches are to be truly joyful and God glorifying, growing in both faith and numbers, the gospel of Jesus Christ must not be assumed, it must be preached and believed. The most recent polls said that those professing themselves to be Christians numbered 75% of those who reached adulthood in the 50’s and before. 35% of the next generation and 15% of the one following. How are they to be reached and retained? The Lord’s living gospel must be preached and the Word of God taught to them in the power of the Holy Spirit. But what is the underlying problem and why is it that so-called “practical” sermon topics have replaced the gospel?

Let’s see what Dr. Strimple has to say about when Jesus says to us, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”  on tomorrow’s post.

In Christ, Brian