by David Wilkerson
Accommodate means to adapt, to make suitable and acceptable,
to make convenient. A gospel of accommodation is creeping into
the United States. It's an American cultural invention to appease
the lifestyle of luxury and pleasure. Primarily a Caucasian, suburban
gospel, it's also in our major cities and is sweeping the nation,
influencing ministers of every denomination, and giving birth to
megachurches with thousands who come to hear a non-confronting
message. It's an adaptable gospel that is spoon-fed through
humorous skits, drama, and short, nonabrasive sermonettes on
how to cope-called a seeker-friendly or sinner-friendly gospel.
To begin with, those terms are unscriptural. The gospel of Jesus
Christ has always been confronting-there is no such thing as a
friendly gospel but a friendly grace.
This new gospel is being propagated by bright, young, talented
ministers. They have come upon a formula which states you can
go into any town or city; and if you have the right formula, within
a short time you can raise a megachurch.
If you are a young man and have certain skills, you find those
skills and a part of the city that would best suit you. You move
into that area, poll it, and find out what the non-churchgoers want:
Then you go to your computer and design a gospel that will not
confront but will shoot out the desires and the needs of the people.
After you have gathered a handful of people, you keep interviewing
them to find out what they want; then you design your message
to help people cope with their needs. The program you design is
intended to make the church comfortable and friendly for all sinners
who wish to attend.
This gospel is fast becoming the most prosperous and flourishing
of all religious movements. Thousands attend these churches. The
pastor is the CEO, and it becomes a business. They make no
bones about it: They are following Madison Avenue tactics and
can make a success of it. Their formula for quick church growth
is cleverly packaged and is being sold especially to young ministers-
those who want to be a part of the big boys and what's happening
on a fast track. They want it to happen quickly.
Paul's Warning
Paul warned of the coming of another gospel and another Jesus
(2 Corinthians 11:4). He warned the church that it's really not
another gospel but a perversion of the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
If you hear any other gospel, he said, let that preacher be accursed.
In other words, no matter how pleasant, how pious, or how sincere,
if the message is not the death of sin through the cross of Jesus
Christ, let it be accursed.
I tremble when I read in the Scriptures that in the last days Satan
is going to come right into the church posing as an angel of light.
He's going to take ministers who, at one time, had the touch of
God, and he's going to transform them into angels of light to
become his tool of deception. That's frightening. It causes me
to fall on my face before God for such false, deceitful workers
transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. No marvel,
for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore,
it's no great thing if ministers also are transformed as the ministers
of righteousness whose end shall be according to their works..."
-Source-
http://enrichmentjournal.ag.
Blogger Footnote:
You don't have to be in a mega church or even in a large church to experience the effects of a comfortable and convenient gospel. It has no power because there is nothing for you to do except sit back, relax and enjoy the show.
Your daily life can be so effective in expelling all the unwanted doings of the gospel of Christ by doing nothing. Just go to work, come home, watch your favorite TV shows, eat, drink and be merry. Just show up for a meeting on Sunday morning and maybe Wednesday night and you are done. The rest of your life is yours to do what you want to do. Just take care of you and don't worry about your neighbors.
We had best take a moment to survey our lives and lifestyles. If you have no other mission than to take care of you then you are going to be very sad when that day comes for recollection of your life. The question is. "What did you do for me and my kingdom?" Jesus says that "Those that do the will of my Father" are the ones entering into his kingdom.
It's your choice. God will not force you to do anything. I hope your choice is the wise one.
