I have been an adult Sunday school teacher for several years.  Over the years, I have made many references to my Sunday school classroom experiences in “St. John Studies”.  I always try to make my class interesting; I want people to enjoy coming and maybe along the way, I get a chance to teach them something that grows their faith.  But I do want them to enjoy coming. I don’t want to prepare a lesson and deliver it to an empty room.

I have seen what happens when adult Sunday school students  are confronted by teaching topics that they don’t like.  Years ago, I was a student in an adult Sunday school class when my teacher decided to discuss a book on spiritual warfare.  Several students left the class and they did not return.  I asked some of them why they left, and they said the topic was just too negative.  They did not want to learn about the powers of Satan.

Matt Chandler has written a book about church-goers who go to church and listen to the message from the pulpit but they don’t actually know what the Gospel says.  They assume they know [what he calls the assumed gospel], but they are not getting the true Word of God.

What are they getting?  Sermons from pastors who are too concerned about what he calls “the three Bs.”  What can we do to maintain or expand the church building?   What can we do to have a bigger budget?  What can we do to get more “butts in the seats?”  Chandler calls this approach to ministry the “Pablum of church growth” [41].  Pastors want to avoid subjects that are negative, concentrating on grace, love, forgiveness and healing.  “These are all the kindnesses of God….the lovingkindness of God—[that] is the phenomenal theme running throughout the entire Bible” [40]. 

Chandler says that idea about the “theme” is just not true and if people knew the explicit Word of God they would know they are being preached a distorted version of The Bible.  “The avoidance of the difficult things of Scripture—of sinfulness and hell and God’s notable severity—is idolatrous and cowardly.  If a man or woman is afraid to explain to you the severity of God, they have betrayed you, and they love their ego more than they love you” [41].

In chapter one of his book Chandler has castigated the church for a weak form of worship and now he is getting to the reason that worship is weak.  When a grandfatherly God with long white hair and a pleasing smile is the vision that is being preached, the worshipper in the pew has no awe, no respect, no real worship of the God who has transcendent creativity, sovereign knowing, perfect self-sufficiency, and glorious self-regard.  I find it interesting that Chandler refers to a single verse to make his point but he could also reference much of the Old Testament.  Romans 11:22 says “Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell but kindness for you, provided that you continue in His kindness.”  Paul is referring to those who persevere in the faith, but he is not forgetting this obvious fact: some do not persevere and they will face the wrath of God.  “Failing to note the severity of God is attempted theft of all He’s due.  To discount, disguise, or disbelieve what God does in response to falling short of His glory is, in itself, falling short of His glory” [41].

So many of today’s Christians love to say “I am a New Testament Christian.”  What that means is that the “good news” of the New Testament is the focus of their Bible study [God’s lovingkindness].   Chandler says whoa!  There is notable evidence in the New Testament [beside Roman’s 11:22] that Jesus is not going to honor lax worship.  Matthew 3:11-12 refers to John the Baptist’s admonition that Jesus is coming with a winnowing fork in His hand and he is going to clear the threshing floor and bring his wheat into the barn.  The chaff will be burned with an unquenchable fire.  That chaff is a metaphor for persons who fall short of the glory of God. 

Let’s return to the chief end of man.  That chief end is that we need to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.  Chandler says in the strongest words possible that man has rewritten the story of God and has put himself in the center of the story.  Man is attempting to steal some of God’s glory.  When we hear in the pew that God is such a benevolent Deity, who exists to give us only what we want, we are not getting the “explicit” gospel; we are getting a message designed to keep us expanding that church building, padding that church budget and returning to our seat in the pew.  The pastor is trying to keep his flock happy.

Chandler likens this type of pastor to a parent who does not warn a child of impending dangers in life: do not play in the street or know how to swim before you jump into the deep end of the swimming pool.  Those dangers are real.  God’s severity if real! 

Is that a warm message?  Is that a fuzzy message?  Is that a kind message?  No, but it is an honest message.  God can be very unhappy with me if I do not show Him the utmost respect that He deserves.  The brave pastor who advocates for God in an honest way is being faithful to The Word.  The pastor who shies away from the idea that we worship a wrathful God is all about his own ego.  He wants a bigger church, a bigger budget and more people in his church because that is proof that he is doing a good job, his ministry is successful.  Growing the church is the utmost concern.

Real God gets lost along the way…