A Me Centered Gospel

I recently went to see an old friend’s band play. When I got to the venue it was a church that was having some sort of youth rally. Chris and I walked in as they were doing some worship music. I was enjoying sitting back watching people worship, then someone started talking and it went downhill fast. It was completely an emotion driven time. He started chanting ‘Amen’ when I thought he was going to say something meaty, but that might have killed the emotion. When he did start talking it was all about YOU! It was a lot of really good partial truth, but it lacked any foundation or solidarity. He skipped over any reason for our faith or new life—things like our sin and depravity, or the death of Christ—and went straight to Christ is risen and we’re going to change the world, yay! No one is perfect but God still loves us, praise Jesus, yay! This is the gist of what he said but he took 5 minutes to say it in a sort of whispered and excited way to continue the emotional experience. Chris looked at me and said “that’s not the gospel.” There was more talk of how its all about being good people and changing the world because people will see God in YOU! Your generation and the gospel depend on YOU! YOU have to get rid of sin in your life or the gospel will die. There was nothing about how wretched we are without Christ, nothing about how Christ took our penalty, nothing about a regenerated heart, nothing about any reason to live for Christ other than an emotional pep rally that got some kids so intoxicated with emotion that they were jumping up and down shouting.

The band was there to provide music and a good atmosphere which they did well, but when it came to the speaking, it was totally a me focused gospel that sets people up for a twisted Christianity, an over inflated view of self and a small view of God.


It saddened me that these kids were being fed such a partial gospel. It was about having all the goodies of the Christian faith: forgiveness, freedom, and a ticket to heaven. But for some reason its OK to skip all the groundwork and the hard parts like humility, sanctification, and suffering.

I don’t say this to bash anyone but that it was eye opening for me and gives me a reminder to check myself and to make sure the gospel in my life is focused on Him and not me. Its so easy and comfortable to fall into thinking that this life, even my Christian walk is about us…its not! Any good in my life is a result of His grace and Him putting a new heart in me.