The "Gospel" of Accommodation

This isn't the intense blog post I was talking about in my last post. That one in still to come so stay on the edge of your seats! I had to write about this subject because as I was running this morning, God hit me with this truth and I had to share:

While running this morning I thought about the accommodating, American "gospel." So many churches have fallen prey to entertainment and people-pleasing taking over the house of the Lord. These pastors and leaders do everything in their earthly power to fill seats instead of make disciples. Many pastors have been deceived into thinking this is just the way Christianity works in this culture and the only way to see growth is to jump on board. It is for this very reason, I believe, there are so many young, liberal, have-it-your-way "Christians" today. Church, how have we allowed ourselves to fall so far from Biblical Truth?

The Bible compares the Christian life to a race. Running a race is not easy. It takes hard work, consistent and faithful training, and authority over your mind. There will come times when you are running and your mind gets the best of you. You just do not think you can take that next step. The church's job at that point is to encourage you to keep running. Let's take a look at the different approaches of an accommodating church and a Biblically-founded church:

In an effort to encourage, the accommodating pastor would say:
"It's okay! You're special. I know you are in pain so take a break if you need to. We all walk at one time or another in this race. You deserve it."

... Now, that may not seem like a bad thing to say. It is filled with some truth. It is definitely what a runner would want to hear, but it is definitely not what a runner needs to here. Especially the runner mentioned in 1 Corinthians 9. That runner is in the race to win.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

Let's take a look at what the Biblically-founded pastor would say:
"Look how far you've come! Do not stop now. Keep pushing! It hurts now but eternal glory awaits!"

Do you see the difference? God painted it so clear for me this morning. The accommodating "gospel" encourages people to give up. What the Church, my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and I, NEEDS is the SOLID TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD, nothing more and nothing less, to win this race. It may more than likely will not be what we want to hear, but we will be eternally grateful.

Lord, I pray your Church would rise up from the depth that we have fallen. There are wolves in sheep's clothing among us (Matthew 7:15) that have led us to the broad path, and we have gone willingly! Lead us, as our Good Shepherd, back to the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13). Wake up your church leaders and train them to feed the sheep and starve the goats in their congregations.

It's time for America to see the true composition of Christianity.