I'm Tired of the Goofy Gospel

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I'm tired of hearing and reading about a goofy gospel. I'm very tired of seeing people fall away from the faith, demonstrating they were never truly saved.

"They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us." - 1 John 2:19

The goofy gospel is being proclaimed by many of the most popular "pastors" and "churches". Take Bethel Church in Redding, CA for example. Bill Johnson and Kris Vallotton are leading a very large group of people astray in many ways. Their influence in the Christian music world is huge, and their teachings are very dangerous and goofy. I go into detail about many of these strange practices in this article.

I keep using the word "goofy", but it's really not funny at all. This is serious, and it doesn't begin or end with Bethel Church.

This comes from an entire Christian culture who is unwilling to search the Scriptures. It's coming from parents who were more concerned with their kids having fun or succeeding in sports than showing them the real gospel. It comes from professing Christan parents today who seldom mention church, much less the gospel, but talk about everything else under the sun with their children.

We have churches who are dead, and pulpits with pastors who either don't preach the gospel, or they save it for a 30 second spiel at the end of the service that's part of the invitation. Where is the focus? Is there anything more important than the gospel of Jesus Christ, Christians? No!

I'm so tired of a goofy gospel, a lazy gospel, and a watered down gospel. A "just accept Jesus into your heart" gospel without mention of true repentance. A "gospel" that pumps up a young person for 15 minutes into their car ride home, and fades into passions of the world.

I'm tired of churches who have zero apologetic ministries. "Just believe it" and "it's faith" won't cut it, folks! God didn't give us a "just believe it" faith! His Word is full of truth, precise prophecy, and wisdom. He prepares us:

"but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;" - 1 Peter 3:15

Do you really think most Christians you talk to today are ready to give a defense? I really don't. I wasn't ready to give a defense for far too long of a time. The apologetics ministries are out there, but we're not pointing people to them. Take Living Waters for example. Ray Comfort has produced countless evangelism resources for Christians young and old to learn and grow in sharing the Gospel. I've been a student for a while now and have so much more to learn. We all do!

The fault for denying Christ certainly comes down to the person. I professed Christ at a young age, and then didn't live like a Christian for years. Thankfully, God used loved ones and pastors who are dedicated to God's Word to reveal how dark and sinful I was (how we've all been but many never consider). If it wasn't for pastors like John MacArthur, who aren't afraid to preach the Word of God without filter, I'd be hopelessly stuck in my sins today. God mercifully and graciously used these men to draw me to Him. I didn't earn it. He loved me first.

Maybe you came here and you don't know the real Gospel from the Bible. Before you do anything else, please read through the end of this article. We're going to be talking about the literal reason for your existence.

Contrary to what you may have heard, you're not an ancestor of a fish who was an ancestor of nothing. No, you are a human being that was created in God's image. You're not some animal. There are reasons why you have eyes to see, ears to hear, and all your senses. Those didn't just pop into being and evolve for billions of years for no meaningful reason. In fact, without God you can't define a meaningful reason for life. You cannot find any lasting reason for life outside of Christ.

You will hear, and have probably already heard, atheists tell you that you're basically just a bag of chemicals, and your ancestors are traced back to literally nothing (an absolute impossibility). I can't think of anything that would make you feel more meaningless. They likely will not bring up the fact that there is very little difference in existing and not existing in an atheistic worldview.

Tell me, what differences are there in these sequences of events:

There is little to no difference in those scenarios. Do you really think that lines up with reality? Any lasting reason to live a "moral" life in that worldview? It's a lie, which is morally wrong in reality.

The Gospel

You, just like me and everyone else, have fallen short of God's standard of morality. If you think you're a good person, you're not. You've told lies, you've stolen things (big or small), you've looked at another person with lust and committed adultery in your heart, you've taken God's name in vain, and you've broken many more commandments. I've broken them too.

God is just, and He's a good and perfect judge. He rightfully sends sinners to Hell. A good judge doesn't let a criminal get away with it. A good judge doesn't let us get away with it either. We need someone to stand in our place. We need someone to take the penalty of our sins, someone who has never sinned.

We need Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect and sinless life. He did this as He is God who took on flesh. He was brutally beaten and crucified on a cross to take the penalty of our sins. He was raised to life and appeared to many witnesses. Authors write of eyewitnesses to these events who were still around at the time of their writings (1 Corinthians 15:6). He is our true hope in the reality of our sinful state. He can and does offer to stand in our place before the righteous Judge.

He requires that you repent, which means to turn away, from your sins. It's a change of mind towards sin. He requires that you believe He died and rose from the grave and trust Him for salvation (read Romans 10).

He promises that whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed (Romans 10:11). He cannot lie as He created morality.

You can't earn this. This is a free gift from God (Ephesians 2:8). We've done nothing to deserve this, though we freely chose to sin countlessly and tremendously.

If you have just repented and trusted in Christ for salvation, follow Him in baptism. Talk to a local trustworthy pastor about this.

Never believe a strange alternative to the true and Biblical Gospel. One that tickles the ears, and doesn't speak of the repentance that God requires. Too many have claimed to know Christ and have fallen away. For all Christians, it's time to be serious about following Christ.