When I was growing up, my Dad and his business partner owned a neighborhood tavern just outside Chicago. Like so many others in the same business, they prided themselves on providing a fair drink at a fair price. However, not all of their competitors were so inclined… and sometimes watered down the booze to pad their profits. To help prevent such cheating, the state liquor board conducted random checks on open bottles with an instrument called a proof hydrometer. Failing the inspection would most likely result in the suspension of their liquor license. These days, there are more than a few pastors who are watering down the Gospel. They may be doing it to increase membership, improve their finances, or worse… they are in serious error about the true Gospel. Whatever it is, they are preaching a diluted Gospel that teaches only that God loves you, that there is endless grace, and that He has a wonderful plan for your life. They teach a Gospel that makes no moral demands on those who “believe in Jesus”. They teach what Paul called “another Gospel” that promises a happier life but offers no eternal security at all. They fail to teach that God hates sin and punishes sinners. They fail to teach that our God is righteous and cannot and will not tolerate evil. They fail to teach that God will not save those who profess only “belief in Him” and continue in their unrepentant sin. I am not writing this to rebuke anyone in particular… but I am concerned that the presentation of the Gospel in many churches has been weakened and cheapened to the point it bears no resemblance to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They seem to want to be politically correct by not challenging the rapidly decaying culture we live in. Instead, many of them substitute social justice topics and multimedia worship experiences that appeal to millennials and Gen Z. Slick marketing has replaced the desire to know and proclaim the truth. Church-goers in these places are offered only a cheap entertainment experience, complete with mesmerizing music, frenzied participants on stage, blinding light shows, and “celebrity pastors” who never mention judgment or repentance. This dilute gospel taught in some of these so-called churches sadly leads people to believe all they have to do is claim Jesus as savior without a commitment to obey Him as the Lord of their lives… as they continue to live in rebellion against Him. It is a cheap, counterfeit version of the Gospel that deceives people into thinking they are headed to heaven just by showing up on Sunday morning. If you liked this post, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. These pastors are not alone… there are also several so-called Christian speakers holding sold-out seminars and workshops in churches, sports stadiums, and convention halls. They too profess only half-truths to tickle the ears of attendees with misleading promises of healing or financial prosperity.
Still, others are reluctant to preach the whole Gospel because they think people don’t want to hear it.
When I was chairman of the board of elders in our church in Arizona some years ago, we made the decision early on to teach the whole Gospel. Yes, people did leave, and yes, that was painful, but many of the ones who stayed on grew in their faith and endeavored to obey God’s word… Please understand that I am NOT suggesting that pastors preach hellfire and brimstone every Sunday. What I am suggesting is that they teach the Bible as written and not skip the verses that deal with sin, judgment, or repentance. A diluted version of the Gospel does not change lives. It seduces people into thinking they are saved when they are NOT. I’d rather be in a church with 50 saved folks than one with 20,000 “members”. What kind of pastor do you have? If you enjoy our posts, help us cover the expense of this blog by buying us a coffee!
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