Recently, during a course on the Gospel of Mark, Dr. Jon Weatherly (who is, by his own account, “seldom wrong, never in doubt”) made a comment that struck me as quite significant. “There is no difference,” he said, “between the proclamation of the gospel and pastoral ministry.” 

This led me to the question following: why do we try to make things so complicated? Christendom is full of self-help books and countless resources on “practical” topics which have little or nothing to do with the centrality of the gospel. True, the gospel doesn’t explicitly tell us how to diet, nor does provide tips for investing in mutual funds. What most books seek to do, however, is to take what biblical principles we do have, detach them from the gospel of Jesus Christ, and build upon them with more “practical” contemporary advice. Therefore, we take ”he who spareth the rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him correcteth him betimes” (Proverbs 13:24 KJV) and expound upon effective disciplinary practices, all while neglecting to explain how such practices should relate to and reflect the gospel. It then has nothing to do with how fathers should represent the gospel to their children in their paternal discipline, provision and sacrificial love, and everything to do with being “a good parent” in the eyes of pop-Christianity. 

How is it, then, that we seperate so-called “Christian” behaviors from the Christian gospel? Is is merely an overemphasis on pragmatism? Perhaps. But I think there’s more to it. I think our practical ideas are detached from the gospel simply because we, as human beings, are detached from the gospel. 

A 2004 study by researcher George Barna found that “just 7% of Protestants possess a biblical worldview.”  This is why publishers generally don’t publish gospel-centered resources; they don’t sell! Barna’s result is not all that surprising. Out of all the professing Christians in America, I’d bet that there are very few with even a basic understanding of the gospel (and perhaps even fewer who live by it).  So, should really we be surprised that the gospel is largely absent from most “Christian” literature? Publishers need to make money! Sadly, our books and resources are nothing more than a reflection of our church and its values.

What, then, is the solution to this problem?

I believe the answer is simple and obvious, although easier said than done: preach the gospel. Preach the gospel to yourself. Preach the gospel to others. Dr. Weatherly was right: “there is no difference between the proclamation of the gospel and pastoral ministry.” The gospel should be our consolation, our guiding answer and our hope. It should change us! As we become more and more mindful of the gospel and its effect on us, it gains greater influence our lives. It will transform us as we become more obedient to the Lord. The gospel is not only the means of our salvation, but also the means by which we continue to operate within the community of faith while facing a world of suffering. Tim Chester and Steve Timmis put it this way in Total Church (IVP):

“We continue to ‘evangelize’ one another as Christians because it continues to be the gospel message with which we exhort and encourage one another. The good news that gives life is the good news that transforms, while the community that incarnates gospel truth for the sinner is the community that incarnates gospel truth for the saint” (110).

A while back, Drew Goodmanson (Kaleo Church in San Diego) posted a helpful guide in this regard. Rather than repeating what he’s already said, I recommend you check out his blog post here.

This should lead to a lot of re-evaluation and introspection, both individually and corporately. Why do we do what we do? Is it gospel-centered? After all, there are a lot of good things done for the wrong reasons. Are social justice, environmental awareness, and picketing abortion clinics natural outworkings of the gospel? Many times, absolutely yes. Other times, no; we do a lot of things based on pride or cultural fads. If this is this case, repentance is appropriate, as our actions may be acceptable but our hearts need change. Furthermore, some of our practices, we will find, need to be reformed. Are fancy stages, trendy lighting and good coffee valid expressions of the gospel? Perhaps. But is the gospel the centerpiece of our reasoning? 

Church leaders need to preach the gospel to their congregations, even if it means abandoning their precious three-point sermon system. Likewise, they need to teach their congregations to preach the gospel to each other and to themselves. We too often see pastoral ministry as something done in addition to preaching the gospel. However, preaching the gospel is by far the most important aspect of pastoral ministry, if not ultimately the only aspect of pastoral ministry. It is how Paul overcame discrimination in Rome, worldliness in Corinth, division in Ephesus, and false teachers in Galatia. The gospel is magnificent; “it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). It is our only hope in this broken world. And it had better start changing the way we live.