A Palatable Gospel

I. Reading Passage:

II. Making palatable that which does not suit our taste

A. Worldly examples

B. We put salt or ketchup on foods to make bland or unpleasant foods bearable. We try to couch criticism with compliments.“A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. Politicians and business leaders try to spin bad or unfavorable news in a way that puts them in a better light.

C. The common thing with each of these is that something bad or undesirable is fixed up, covered up, or painted over to make it appealing.

D. Sadly, some Christians act as if the truth about how to live and worship is unpalatable to the world and want to dress it up to make it more appealing.

E. Some who follow this philosophy do not stop to ask, “Perhaps we ought to teach others to have a taste for the truth instead of watering down the truth to appeal to the world’s palate.” They also forget that the truth of God’s word has been undesirable and distasteful to the majority of people in each generation.1 Peter 2:2-3 – the word of God is inherently tasteful However, it is not the enemies of God’s word that try to flavor it or water down the strong parts to make it palatable but those who claim to be God’s children who will change the word to be tasty to a world that has no hunger for it.

III. The religious world is changing the flavor of the gospel to draw men

A. They are using social “lures” to fish for men.

B. Family Life Centers, which are church built and run community centers with athletic facilities and social activities. Money or candy for children who come to Bible class.

C. Change worship and the church to appeal to man’s taste

D. Feel that the gospel message is not enough

E. ABC News story mega churches, giant houses of worship that draw up to 20,000 to weekend services. Some churches do surveys to find what “unchurched” people wanted and tailored their church to fit them. Think of this premise: You find people who have no interest in God or seeking about how to please Him and design a church to fit their worldly tastes. The result: (Charts on Mega-churches) The real solution is to go to the scripture and find out what God wants in a church and in worship and do what pleases Him and let me develop the taste and desire for it.

F. Take the sting out of the sermon so it will soothe rather than prick

G. Worldly approach

H. Chart on Feel good sermons. Appeal to pleasure chartA Palatable gospel chart Jewish person quote (not a Christian!)

I. Men of the Old Testament

J. What was Moses’ message of encouragement to Israel as they were ready to enter the Promised Land under Joshua? Dt. 31:23-30 (Did he lose his copy of How To Win Friends and Influence People?) What was Ezra’s message to God’s people who violated God’s law of marriage? God wants you to be happy? There are children so we should not break up the family? Ezra 10:9-11 What was Isaiah’s message to his materialistic and self serving generation, Isaiah 6:8-10 (GOD); Isaiah 5, Jeremiah 6 – calls Israel a harlot (v.6) but God’s message is of love and repentance (v.12-13)

K. New Testament men

L. John the Baptist: Matthew 3:7 – brood of vipers

M. Peter

N. Acts 2:22-24, 36 – you murdered Jesus Acts 37 – they were cut to the heart and obeyed When the hard truth finds a soft heart it cuts through that it may purge its disease so that it may be healed. Stephen: Acts 7:51-53 – Stephen did not “accentuate the positive”

O. Paul

P. Letter to Corinthians: 2 Cor 7:8-12 – hard letter but look at the results it bore. Acts 13:6-11 – Rebuked the false teacher sharply Acts 15:1-2 (Galatians 2:4-5) – Judaizing teachers (did not deny Christ, His deity, lordship, savior… but demanded that Gentiles be circumcised and keep the Law. Paul yielded not.

Q. Jesus’ approach

R. Since Jesus was God’s Son and full of love and grace, His approach would be different right? Wrong. Jesus’ sermon on the mountain is filled with exhortations and radical demands to change who they were and how they thought. Matthew 23 (hypocrites—how dare He?), v.33 brood of vipers

S. Matthew 15:8-12 – the saying offended the Pharisees

T. Did Jesus backtrack or soften His message so that the Pharisees would not be offended? Did Jesus apologize to the Pharisees for hurting their feelings?

U. Verses 13-14 – Let them alone

V. They are blind and do not want to see and will not see the truth because they do not seek it. God will uproot them for their rebellion—don’t pander to them, don’t soften the message to make it palatable to them, don’t step down from a strong stance on the truth—LET THEM ALONE!

W. Jesus refused those who followed him for bread.

X. Jesus fed them miraculously one time.

Y. Mark 6:33-36 – It was late and the disciples urged Jesus to dismiss the people so they could go to the city and buy food for themselves. There was a young man who had five barley loaves and two fish that Jesus used to feed the multitude. When Jesus departed from the multitude that night, they sought Him. Jesus rebuked them for following Him for the wrong reason, John 6:24-27. When He challenged them, some departed for good, John 6:66 (Jesus didn’t soften his message or chase them down) Jesus knew that those who stayed desired something more than bread to fill their stomachs, John 6:67-69.

Z. Some today would say that Jesus’ problem in John 6 was that He didn’t package the gospel message so the multitude would accept it—He didn’t need to be so hard or dogmatic.

A. Those who didn’t really care left Him. Those who desired to serve Him stayed.

B. What else does the Bible say about making the gospel palatable to the multitudes?

C. 2 Timothy 3:4-52 Timothy 4:3-4 – Preach the word to those who will listen. Jewish comment

D. Emphasize the church social instead of the church spiritual

E. Some lost their faith and made the church a place of social change

F. The gospel does indeed change lives, but it does so individually. The world changes when individuals change.

G. Some want to use the church to effect social and political changes.

H. The church has a higher mission than social revolution. We are not prohibited from personal action in the social and political realm, but it has no place in the church. Sociologist quote (2 charts) Baptist quote How many time have people asked you to worship with them and begun to list all the social appeals of their church: Number of young families, children, how many times people get together to eat or play golf, or all the friends you could make? Do you emphasize these things when you invite people to come here? Christ did not die for a social club or a political action committee, He did not die so you could be on a church ball team, He died to cleanse and purchase His church, a soul-saving, life-changing, spiritual body.

IV. We must draw people in with the gospel

A. John 12:32 – Jesus would draw men to himself by His sacrifice.

B. If we think this is insufficient, we make a mockery of His death. If men will not be drawn by Christ’s love for their souls and His atoning sacrifice, ice cream, entertainment, socializing, or Family Life Centers, or softball teams will not change them.

C. 1 Corinthians 2:2 – Paul came only with the gospel

D. Don’t be embarrassed when that is all you have to offer!

E. This simple gospel preached without gimmicks overturned the world!

F. Acts 17:6 – These men have turned the world upside down! Acts 19:26 – Upset Ephesian craftsmen Acts 13:12 – Astonished at the teaching The gospel’s power hasn’t changed, could it be that we are not preaching it the way that these first century Christians did?

G. Acts 13:46 – judged themselves unworthy of the gospel

H. It is not the gospel’s fault if it does not call a certain individual; the person has judged himself unworthy. The Roman Caesars used “bread and circuses” to appeal to the masses and encourage the people to like them. We should not stoop to such fleshly techniques to lead people to God. The old preachers used to say that a church that relies on ice cream suppers, tea parties, and chicken dinners for its growth is as cold as the ice cream, weak as the tea, and as dead as the chicken.

I. You might get a person to come to church by appealing to his fleshly tastes; but you will never get him to come to Jesus.