THE NOBLE BEREAN: Volume Seventeen – February 2007
“THE
COMPROMISING CHURCH OF AMERICA!”
By Michael C. Gaudiosi
- The Berean Radio Network
 SIMPLE!
– The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the simplest message man has ever
heard! Really, it’s true! The Gospel is so simple! Here it is, in
simple plain to the point words of the apostle Paul: 1
Corinthians 15:3-4 - For I delivered unto you first of all that
which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according
to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again
the third day according to the scriptures.
That’s it! Jesus died for our sins,
according to the scriptures, was buried and rose again on the third
day according to the scriptures. How hard is that? Jesus Christ shed
His blood and died on the cross to bring reconciliation back between
God and man that was lost by Adam in the Garden, because of one
three letter word: SIN, and has given us eternal life and
kept us from going to a place of everlasting torment, and separation
from God called: HELL! Simple, isn’t it?
But, like most everything, man has
complicated it by trying to put his own spin on God! The Church in
America, for the most part, has added to this problem. How? By
taking something so simple and straightforward and messing it up
with a feel good about you message, one that is “relevant” for
today’s modern society. Removing the SIN and HELL
part, and a slow but sure watering down of the death burial and
resurrection of Jesus to the point of not mentioning it at all!
There you have all the ingredients for a complicated message,
spoon-fed to most undiscerning Christians, or as the old song says:
“just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, in a
most delightful way!”
What do I mean by all this? Well,
let’s see now…what was that best selling book, came out a few years
ago, that put the Gospel in the back seat while promoting self? What
was that…Oh yeah, now I remember…The Purpose Driven Life!
Well, that’s one. Let me think…how about that enormous effort to
unite Evangelicals and Catholics together under one ecumenical
roof…what was that? Oh yes! Now I remember…The Passion of the
Christ! Salvation at the box office! What a concept!! What
else? Let me see now…oh it’s too complicated to sort it all out, I
mean with all the “Christian” rock concerts, BMX racing, Hip-Hop
rallies, games, gimmicks and all the signs and wonders, the bells
and whistles, I just can’t do it!! It’s too complicated!!!
See what I mean? Why can’t we just
leave preaching alone? Why do we have to dress it up in pretty bows
and make it sound nice and sweet? Why isn’t it good enough to simply
preach the Gospel as is?? Because nobody wants to hear it as is,
that’s why! Nobody wants to be told they are sinners. Nobody wants
to be told unless they repent, they will face everlasting separation
from God in hell! Nobody wants to be told of the lost condition of
his or her soul before a Holy God! Nobody wants to be told that
Jesus Christ is the only hope they have to escape hell and to have
eternal life starting here and lasting forever! All anybody ever
wants to hear is how he or she can have his or her “best life now”,
not in the hereafter!
SOLA SCRIPTURA – THE
SCRIPTURE ALONE!
Well enough of my ranting, what does
the Bible say about all this? We have a very clear indication that
scripture supports the simple preaching of a very simple Gospel!
1 Corinthians 1:17-18 - For
Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with
wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none
effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish
foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:21-23 - For
after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it
pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that
believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after
wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a
stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness
It is the simple preaching of the
Gospel, that's it! Nothing more! There is no need for all these
programs, gimmicks, and all this other nonsense that most of the
Church gets involved with today. There is no need to become like the
world, or use the worlds methods for “the glory of God”, which is
the usual justification for worldly methods used in the Church
today.
The apostle Paul did not need to use
any other method at all! Only preaching!
1 Corinthians 2:1-5 - And I,
brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or
of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined
not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him
crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much
trembling. And my speech and my preaching was
not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the
Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the
wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Look closely at verse four -
And my speech and my preaching was not with
enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit
and of power. “Demonstration of the
Spirit and of power” does not
mean Paul was entertaining the church, or doing all kinds of signs
and wonders as the Charismatic church would like to think. The
“demonstration of the Spirit and of power” was NOTHING
MORE THAN SIMPLE PREACHING!!
Romans 1:16 - For I am not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to
the Greek.
Paul says clearly he
did not need to use words of enticement of mans wisdom to attract
people to the Gospel...HE JUST SIMPLY PREACHED THE GOSPEL AND
THE POWER OF GOD MOVED MIGHTILY!!
Now you may say, how about what Paul
said...I am made all things to all men, that I might by all
means save some..(1 Corinthians 9:22). Isn't Paul saying
here that we are to use any means possible at our disposal, such as
“Christian” rock, hip-hop, movies, drama skits...etc to win the
lost?
No! This is not what Paul is saying
here at all! He is merely stating that he is willing to place his
own Christian liberty aside and become a humble servant. Take a look
at verse 19 - For though I be free from all men, yet have I
made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
Then he makes the statement in verses
20-22 - And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain
the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I
might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without
law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the
law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the
weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all
things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
Paul was very much aware that there
was so much opposition to the Gospel that is why the urgency to get
the Gospel to as many as would listen! For instance, Paul says, “to
the Jew I became a Jew, that I might gain the Jews.”
Paul simply speaks of being a humble servant to the Jews. Consider
this: the Jews would not eat certain foods because they considered
them to be unclean. Paul as a Christian was free, and at liberty to
eat anything he wanted, however he would not flaunt this liberty in
front of the Jews lest he offend them and they would not receive the
Gospel.
In other words, Paul preached the
Gospel WITHOUT COMPROMISE to all, but he preached it as a
servant to all!
Nowhere does it say that Paul would
incorporate the ungodly methods of the world into the Gospel message
to get the attention of the unbeliever. Take a look at 1
Corinthians 9:16 - For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to
glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I
preach not the gospel! This is a very clear statement! There
is more to be said on this, but it will be for another time, another
place!
I have written on this topic before.
It would be very nice if the Church would just stick to the simple
method of preaching the biblical Gospel so that I will not have to
write on this topic again!
Search the Scripture for yourself!
SOLA SCRIPTURA! The Scripture ALONE! May the Lord bless you!
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