...just ask John McCain!
The Republican nominee for President is known for crossing the aisle, being bipartisan, and playing to the center. When you try to appeal to everyone your message gets watered down and in the end people on both sides of the spectrum get frustrated. True conservatives weren't crazy about John McCain and true liberals were passionate about Barack Obama. The lukewarm moderates went where the party was. The results speak for themselves. Say what you want about Barack Obama, but he had a fairly consistent message and whether you agree with him or not, he's an unapologetic liberal. You know where he stands and what he'll try to do as President of the United States.
There's an analogy here for Christians. Playing to the center doesn't work. When you water down the gospel and conveniently leave out things like sin, judgement, hell, and repentance you end up with people frustrated on both ends of the spectrum. The good news doesn't make sense without the bad. How can people know they need to be saved without understanding that they are lawbreakers in God's sight? If we tell people that by following Christ their problems are over, what happens when they're diagnosed with cancer the next week?
When people are exposed to the true gospel of Jesus Christ the church gains TRUE conversions. When people are exposed to a wishy-washy version of the gospel our churches get filled with wishy-washy church-goers who just want to be where the party is. That's what has happened and again, the results speak for themselves. Churches are busting at the seams but ask a typical attender to define grace, the gospel, or the great commission and you will get a blank stare.
We can change this! That's why we do what we do. That's why our Vacation Bible School curriculum, our music, and our presentation of the gospel MUST be bold. We don't need to apologize for the gospel. It WILL offend some people, the truth always does. Instead of being scared of that we must expect it and ask God to give us the courage to do what He commands. We MUST share the gospel with others. We only get so much time and our world needs the truth. They are hungry for it.
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