Oh my G-d
I just found one of the most profound sermons/speeches I've ever read. I didn't even finish it the first time through. I stopped reading it to repent, and just read some of that Bible thing I haven't read in a year (no exaggeration). (I'll come back and post a comment when I finish reading).
here's an excerpt:
I stand here today . . . I’m not troubled in my heart about your self-esteem. I’m not troubled in my heart about whether or not you feel good about yourself, whether or not life is turning out like you want it to turn out, or whether or not your checkbook is balanced. There’s only one thing that gave me a sleepless night. There’s only one thing that troubled me all throughout the morning, and this is this. Within a hundred years, a great majority of people in this building will possibly be in hell. And many who even profess Jesus Christ as Lord will spend an eternity in hell.
You say, Pastor, how can you say such a thing? I can say such a thing because I don’t do my Christian work in America. I spend most of my time preaching in South America, in Africa, and Eastern Europe. And I want you to know that, when you take a look at American Christianity, it is based more upon a godless culture than it is upon the Word of God.
. . . I’m not trying to be hard for the sake of being hard. Do you realize how
much love it takes to stand before 5,000 people and tell them that American Christianity is almost totally wrong? Do you know what it’s going to cost me to never be asked back again to something like this? To be unpopular? Do you know why you do it? You don’t do it because you get paid well. You don’t do it because men love you. You do it because you love men and because, more than that, you want to honor God.
Here's the link:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/789/The-Truth-About-Christianity
here's an excerpt:
I stand here today . . . I’m not troubled in my heart about your self-esteem. I’m not troubled in my heart about whether or not you feel good about yourself, whether or not life is turning out like you want it to turn out, or whether or not your checkbook is balanced. There’s only one thing that gave me a sleepless night. There’s only one thing that troubled me all throughout the morning, and this is this. Within a hundred years, a great majority of people in this building will possibly be in hell. And many who even profess Jesus Christ as Lord will spend an eternity in hell.
You say, Pastor, how can you say such a thing? I can say such a thing because I don’t do my Christian work in America. I spend most of my time preaching in South America, in Africa, and Eastern Europe. And I want you to know that, when you take a look at American Christianity, it is based more upon a godless culture than it is upon the Word of God.
. . . I’m not trying to be hard for the sake of being hard. Do you realize how
much love it takes to stand before 5,000 people and tell them that American Christianity is almost totally wrong? Do you know what it’s going to cost me to never be asked back again to something like this? To be unpopular? Do you know why you do it? You don’t do it because you get paid well. You don’t do it because men love you. You do it because you love men and because, more than that, you want to honor God.
Here's the link:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/789/The-Truth-About-Christianity
posted by mick_brigham at 5:39 AM
3 Comments:
Yeah, that's a bit jarring. It'd probably make me dust off my Bible too. I wonder what he means about "American Christianity." Is it the me-ism of the first part?
Jarring indeed. I am curious though, and I am going to read the link which may answer my question, but what is his picture of 'actual' christianity? I wonder how much of his displeasure is actually an americanized theology amid a different cultural faith. That being said, i'm not disagreeing with him regarding his statement of the american concept of Christianity, it is way off in many ways, perhaps a product of our rampant pragmatism...but its curious as to what position he will take?
-beardo-
It is tough to see exactly what He is talking about in regards to American Christianity, but I can see it is maybe rooted in the worldliness that we tend to hold to in our Churches in America. We need a good old persecution to weed out the real beleivers from the cultural Christioans and drive us to revival. Look at the Chinese church for instance. or the Korean Church pastor David Yonggi Cho for instance. It is the largest church in the world and they pray, and pray, and pray some more and then experience persection. "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church" wrote Tertullian maybe just what we need right now.
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