Ashamed of the Gospel

Definately on my top ten list - and probably would make the top five; John MacArthur's classic, Ashamed of the Gospel offers these sobering words in just the first few pages...

...in a column that appeared a few years ago in a popular Christian magazine. a well-known preacher was venting his own loathing for long sermons. January 1 was coming, so he resolved to do better in the coming year. "That means wasting less time listening to long sermons and spending much more time preparing short ones," he wrote. "People, I've discovered, will forgive even poor theology as long as they get out before noon." (Jamie Buckingham, "Wasted Time," Charisma December 1988), 98.

Unfortunately, that perfectly sums up the predominant attitude behind much of modern ministry. Bad doctrine is tolerable; a long sermon most certainly is not. The timing of the benediction is of far more concern to the average churchgoer than the content of the sermon. Sunday dinner and the feeding of our mouths takes precedence over Sunday school and the nourishment of our souls. Long-windedness has become a greater sin than heresy. The church has imbibed the worldly philosophy of pragmatism, and we're just beginning to taste the bitter results.

Ashamed of the Gospel, pp. xi-xii