- Joined
- Apr 25, 2006
- Messages
- 18,404
What 'sells'
'...another Jesus...a different spirit...a different gospel...' 2 Corinthians 11:4
Evangelism would be easier if we could guarantee that God will make every Christian a millionaire or good looking or even a promise that He didn't mind if we never changed our actions or attitudes. The temptation to preach 'what sells' is always with us. One pastor recently acknowledged that his message was attracting big crowds but not turning people into disciples, so he changed direction. Paul warns the Corinthian church to be on guard against anyone who preaches 'another Jesus...a different spirit...or a different gospel.'
God told Jonah to tell people something HE thought they wouldn't want to hear. So he legged it to try to avoid the issue. But running away didn't work for Jonah, and it won't work for us. God loves people too much to let people waste their lives on anything other than the life they were created for. And He loved the people of Nineveh too much to let Jonah off the hook.
The first thing God told Jonah to say when he reached Nineveh was, 'Repent'. Repent means to change direction and choose a better option. Problem is not everyone likes to be told they haven't already chosen the best option. The word gospel literally means good news. It's not good because we've have changed it to make it sound better- it's good because when people get it they change for the better.
written by Bob Gass
'...another Jesus...a different spirit...a different gospel...' 2 Corinthians 11:4
Evangelism would be easier if we could guarantee that God will make every Christian a millionaire or good looking or even a promise that He didn't mind if we never changed our actions or attitudes. The temptation to preach 'what sells' is always with us. One pastor recently acknowledged that his message was attracting big crowds but not turning people into disciples, so he changed direction. Paul warns the Corinthian church to be on guard against anyone who preaches 'another Jesus...a different spirit...or a different gospel.'
God told Jonah to tell people something HE thought they wouldn't want to hear. So he legged it to try to avoid the issue. But running away didn't work for Jonah, and it won't work for us. God loves people too much to let people waste their lives on anything other than the life they were created for. And He loved the people of Nineveh too much to let Jonah off the hook.
The first thing God told Jonah to say when he reached Nineveh was, 'Repent'. Repent means to change direction and choose a better option. Problem is not everyone likes to be told they haven't already chosen the best option. The word gospel literally means good news. It's not good because we've have changed it to make it sound better- it's good because when people get it they change for the better.
written by Bob Gass
