THE Lie - the EXTREME "GOSPEL"

By William R. Cunningham
December 7, 2003

INTRODUCTION

I watched a television show last Sunday evening called, "Extreme Martial Arts (XMA)." I was looking forward to watching this show because I studied the martial arts and was very interested in what they would reveal. I thought that the show would be about the physics of martial arts techniques. For example, I was curious of how force is generated and how martial artists do the things that they do, which seem physically impossible sometimes. So I sat down with great expectation to watch this show.

However, I soon became disillusioned by the show. The show seemed to be about competition martial arts more than anything else. I was never interested in competition martial arts. Anyone who has been in a street fight would tell you that the competition sparring is nothing like a street fight. In any case, I soon realized that the show was about a form of martial arts that isn't really martial arts. It was more about the flashy techniques, i.e., the extreme. In this case the extreme meant extending well beyond the norm. Though the techniques looked really great, they were impractical at best. My karate instructor was a man of practicality. He believed that one strike should end the conflict. After all, the martial arts were developed for self-defense, not competition.

While I was watching this show and became increasingly disillusioned, I remembered a wrestling division called the XWF or something like that. I have only seen the advertisements for this division and have never actually watched it. In any case, it was called the eXtreme Wrestling Federation or something like that. I remember that they performed, well......, extreme techniques. They jumped from ladders, did various types of flips and spins in the air. They were indeed extreme. However, it had nothing to do with traditional wrestling.

So now I have in the forefront of my mind the extreme martial arts (XMA) and the extreme wrestling federation (EWF). The focus of my thought was on the word extreme. Then it happened! I received an email from a Christian bookstore. They were advertising a bible called, "The Extreme New Testament." I couldn't believe my eyes. How could there be such thing as an extreme New Testament. Now consider what I said previously about the context of extreme here.

Well I contacted a friend of mine just to see if I wasn't overreacting. He assured me that I wasn't overreacting and that my concerns were justified. Many churches, pastors, ministers, and congregations have subscribed to the concept of an extreme gospel by, among other things, extreme preaching. The truth of the gospel has been lost because of all of the fluff that is placed over it. People don't see Christ crucified. They instead see Christ the rich business man who desires to share his riches.

To make matters even more alarming for me was the fact that I am currently reading a book by John MacArthur called, "Hard to Believe." I recommend this book to all people who want to know the truth. The same friend recommended this book to me some time ago. It is interesting that Mr. MacArthur brought out the same type of extreme preaching that I am referring to here. People don't know the truth of the Gospel. They only know the extreme.

In this sermon I am going to discuss with you the truth Gospel and how the extreme is nothing more than fluff and a lie. People believe the fluff and know nothing of the truth. I hope that after you read these sermon notes that you would come to recognize the importance of knowing the truth of the Gospel and not the fluff, i.e., the extreme.

THE EXTREME MESSAGE

There are many false teachings pertaining to the Christian faith being perpetuated in the churches and ministries today. Some of these false teaching include the following.

1. God wants you rich
2. We have the right to be rich
3. Faith is a force
4. We can control our destiny by confession
5. Jesus died so that we might have the abundant life, i.e., the "good life."
6. Jesus was rich so we should be rich
7. We should demand the best houses, cars, etc. from God since we are, "the king's kids."

These and other false doctrines are taught in the churches today. The bad thing is that people believe these lies. They don't know the truth of the Gospel so they are deceived by the extreme gospel, which isn't a gospel at all. Consider what Paul said to the Galatian church.

Galatians 1:6-9 (NKJV) I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

Jesus warned that there would be false prophets.

Matthew 7:15 (NKJV) "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

These false prophets are numerous in the religious community and the people are sucking their doctrine up. People typically do not study their Bible so they have no idea when a lie is presented to them. Furthermore, these false teachers and preachers appeal the lust of people by promising them that they could have new cars, more money, etc. if they do such things as tithe, confess, or whatever. The main technique for pawning this message to the people is the fast eloquent talker.

THE FAST TALKER

Ignorance leads to deception and deception leads to destruction. Most if not all of us would like to have a comfortable life. We would like to have a new car when we want one or a new house when we desire it. We would like to have money so that we won't worry about financial things. The false prophets and teachers feed from these normal human desires. The preachers tell the congregation lies deceiving them into thinking that they will have these things. People fall for it because sometimes it appears to work. What they don't realize is that the Bible does not present such a doctrine. They don't know because they don't read and study the Bible.

The fast talker uses the following to deceive the people into believing their own doctrine.

1. Human emotions - You could see this in any prosperity church. The emotions are always at a high level because then you could easily be led to the next phase.
2. Suggestion - Once you are in a state where you can accept and respond to suggestion then you are deceived. In most cases the music is repetitive type music, almost like a chant. The preacher is appealing to the congregation emotionally and with much vigor. Then the statements are made for you to respond to and because of the environment at that time, you are more likely to respond.
3. False reasoning (logic) - Scriptures are often taken out of context to support a reasoning that does not exist in the Bible. People use isolated scriptures to make a point that the Bible never made.
4. Ignorance - If you don't know the truth then you are more likely to believe a lie. The Bible tells us that God's people are destroyed because of their lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). Pastors and preachers support this vehemently. Anyone who begins to question what is taught is targeted as the enemy. This person is said to be used of the devil to cause strife, when in fact this person is merely trying to get the truth of the matter. I can recall many occasions where what a minister said the Bible stated did not agree with what I knew the Bible stated from my own studies. Brining such discrepancies to a pastor or minister is usually perceived as a challenge to his or her authority. For some reason they become threatened by such a seeker and single that person out as the enemy.
5. The extreme message - the deception could not be complete unless the message is extreme. It is here that people are deceived into believing something that is not true. They respond to the hype instead of the facts. They believe the message because of the high intensity delivery instead of understanding the facts from the Scripture.
6. False witnesses -- How could the false teaching be complete unless there were people that could confirm its truthfulness. People say that they received a financial breakthrough after giving Pastor so and so some money or after they began to tithe. People say that after they confesses such and such that their confessions came true. This makes the false teachings seem real and again its unfortunate that people believe it.

These false teachings in the church community would be less likely to propagate if the people knew the truth, i.e., knew what the Bible said. However, most professed Christians only know what their pastor said or a favorite evangelist or preacher. His or her knowledge of God is typically through the preaching of someone else. This means that they don't know what God said for themselves.

It should be pointed out here that none of these represent the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not about riches, luxuries, and the like.

THE SIMPLICITY OF THE GOSPEL

Now let us look at the truth, which comes from the Holy Word of God, the Bible. Consider what Paul the Apostle said.

Romans 16:17-18 (NKJV) Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.

The word "simple" in verse 18 comes from the Greek word "akakos) and it means innocent, or subjectively unsuspecting.

The word "heart" refers to the thoughts or feelings (mind) of a person.

So here you see Paul referring to those who present a false teaching with flattering speech and smooth words. The phrase "smooth words" ("good words" in the KJV) refers to plausible words that give a sense of goodness. The phrase "flattering speech" ("fair speeches" in the KJV) refers to someone that speaks elegantly or reverently. So the power of such preaching is not in the truth of the content but in the extreme of the presentation.

It could be that the gospel is so simple that people seem to believe that there has to be more to it. The Gospel is how Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the dead. Jesus died so that we might have life, not so that we would have riches. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21.

Now let's look at another scripture.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (NKJV) And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Notice what Paul says here. Paul says that he didn't come preaching to them with excellence of speech. The word "excellence" comes from the Greek word "huperoche" and it means prominence or figuratively superiority. He goes on to say that he did not come with persuasive words or human wisdom. Paul came with the simplicity of the Gospel that was upheld by the power of God.

However, this is very much the opposite of what happens in many churches today. It is the great orators that gain the following. Those who are persuasive and can appeal to the emotions of the people are popular. People don't care about the truth and these preachers definitely do not care about the truth of Scripture. Instead, they pawn their own doctrine to fulfill their own lust at the expense of the people. The people are many times just as guilty. If they would only confirm what is said from the Scriptures then they would be less likely to fall for such lies.

Now let's review one more scripture.

2 Corinthians 11:6 (NKJV) Even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things.

This is a great saying by Paul. He said that he is not a trained speaker though he does have knowledge. The emphasis here is that the oratory skills are not important unless we want to appeal to the emotions. Though I should say that the presentation should not be boring else the facts would not come across for lack of interest. In any case, its not so much the presentation that matters. It is more the content that matters in regards to the truth of the Gospel. Sure various people may have more intense ways of sharing the true Gospel. However, many ministers share lies with just as much intensity and greatness of speech deceiving many. Consider the following.

1 Corinthians 1:17-18 (NKJV) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

CONCLUSION

I pray that you are not one of those who have been deceived by the extreme "gospel," which isn't a gospel at all. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God. We have salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. This is the message that people need to hear, namely that Jesus Christ who was born of the virgin Mary by the power of God, who died on the cross as the propitiation for our sins, who was raised from the dead by the power of God on the third day, and that this Jesus ascended to the Father who to this day makes intercessions for us. That is the Gospel. Is this what you believe.

Many people don't even know what the Gospel is. I remember asking a class if they knew what the Gospel of Jesus Christ was. The only answer was that it was the good news. True the gospel of Jesus Christ is good news but that is not merely what it is. The Gospel is the story of Jesus Christ. It is through the preaching of the Gospel that we come to know the truth and become redeemed by the blood of Christ. It is through the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we come to be saved. Without the Gospel then no one could be saved.

Help spread the word about the true Gospel of Christ. Be an adversary to those who present false teachings to unsuspecting and ignorant (without knowledge) people. Help them to know Jesus by presenting them with the pure Gospel and not the fluff that is so prevalent in churches today. Amen.