Gospel Incomplete

The topic of the gospel has been mentioned in numerous conversations as of late. Not that any of us can adequately grasp the completeness & complexity of the gospel, yet those I speak with agree that for years something has been missing in our "gospel." Or, if not "missing" in our gospel, there seems to be something "incomplete" or "misguided." I'll do my best to organize some thoughts I have been having:

Coming from a Baptist background (the last 8 years or so), I learned that some denominations were liberal based upon the portions of Scripture that were stressed. For example, those who focused too much upon social aspects of the gospel were liberal, not stressing enough doctrine. Yet, there were those who were strict on Bible teaching & yet permitted drinking responsibly...liberal. In Seminary, I heard a pastor of a very prominent Baptist Church in the mid-South who had written his PhD. dissertation on the topic of "elders is in the church." According to Dr. B (code-name), "elder rule is directly from the pit of hell"; churches that have elders are...liberal. By majoring on these issues I feel like we have made God look small & petty. 

What am I not saying? 

• I am not saying that we shouldn't adopt a creed or doctrine. Actually, I think we should have very inflexible aspects to our beliefs. I agree with Mohler who said, "it is nonsense to say Christianity is about Jesus without confessing who Jesus is...we must declare what Scripture declares concerning Jesus." 
  
• I am also not saying that the entire counsel of God is not beneficial (2 Timothy 3:16). Yet, you & I both know that certain preachers stress certain aspects of the gospel & favor specific mandates above others. 
• I am also not saying that the church doesn't have a prophetic voice in the world, declaring to the world God's judgment against sin. 

What I am saying?

• Consider that far too many people in my church (& yours as well) believe the gospel is about the minimal entry requirements to get you into heaven when you die. As John Ortberg said, trusting Jesus has meant "are you counting on a certain arrangement that got made so that you can go to heaven when you die?" If this is what Jesus taught, then I have been reading the wrong Bible. 
• People are confused & lost. As a result, many are fundamental about issues that are highly important but yet they are forgetting some of the most important commands. I believe many have been given false assurance of salvation & believe that to be moral is to be saved. As Brennan Manning stated last week, "How many times have you heard anyone say, 'Wow, those Christians really love one another. Rather, we are only known for our opposition to abortion & homosexuality." 
• Jesus speaks of both our social responsibility to the "least of these" & the poor as well as the Great Commission of discipleship. I love what Greg Pinkner said, "the church must care for those in need because it is the best way to remind us of what Christ has done for us." 

A few ideas on what I would hope to see:

• Stress the sovereignty of God in all things & proclaim the gospel. Mohler said, "If true gospel has content, it is irreducible, it is non-negotiable, it is glorious. It saves. It is the gospel that redeems." 
• Find theological "non-negotiables, absolute essentials, unconditional assertions," aka doctrine & bind it to social responsibility. Not either/or but both/and. 
• Have churches that are birthed out of mission rather than dissension. I would dare say that the majority of churches in my region were planted due to irreconcilable differences with their "former" church. Many of these churches need to "die & be born as a mission" (Schuller). I may be naive but I sincerely believe that if our churches (specifically leaders) would demonstrate a missional lifestyle, many of our narcissistic idols could be destroyed. 
• Develop a curriculum of teaching within our churches that allowed church members the opportunity to hear the whole counsel of God. Instead of preaching on random texts every week which can be confusing when you try to piece it all together, why not develop a curriculum for Scripture teaching. 
• People need to hear even the portions of Scripture that are very difficult to hear. When is the last time you heard a preacher stress Jesus' teaching "it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven"? Have we forgotten that if we make over $1500/month, we are in the top 3% of the wealthy in the world. If anyone is rich, surely it is us. We need to take inventory of what we really "need" & give away a bunch of stuff/possessions & take responsibility for the poor, orphaned, widowed, etc. in our backyard & overseas. 
• New generations are going to challenge our thinking in how we view the gospel. We must be prepared to have our minds enlightened to Scripture & how it is lived out. 

I could go on & on. I am not pointing fingers unless first the finger is in my face. I just know that there needs to be reform in our churches. I believe this is slowly but gradually taking place. If anything, I hope to be a part of a people who are taking Jesus' teachings literally, even the ones that cause me "sacrifice." But, I am sure I will echo with the great missionary Hudson Taylor who said, "I never made a sacrifice." A life given in abandoned service to Christ is your "best life now". 

Please join the discussion.