Since we are supposed to think of our congregation as consumers, today's sermon will be preceded by a word from our sponsor:

"Serious Bible study got you down?  Do you spend hours researching a text only to produce a sermon that no one wants to hear?  Does the message of scripture seem at odds with your own lifestyle?  Friends.  K tel has the product for you.   Gospel Lite.  Yes.  Gospel Lite.  One third less challenging than our regular gospel.   Listen to these exceprts:
"Jesus died for our errors in judgment"
"He who would be my disciple must hop in his Honda and follow me."
"Blessed are the rich for they must be doing something right."
"Love your enemies while killing them."
"He who hates his life should see a good psychiatrist."
Plus many, many more.  Get your congregation off your back.  Tell them what they want to hear, with Gospel Lite.  You'll sleep better at night, too.  So order yours now.  Send $9.95 to Gospel Lite,  Box 666, Nashville, Tennessee 43104, or save COD charges by dialing 1-800-THE-WORD and using your VISA or Mastercard.   Operators are standing by.

Thankfully, Gospel Lite is not available in stores, and it's rarely as crass as I've presented it.  But Gospel Lite is real and it's everywhere.  You'll find it on channel 46 or on the radio or even in churches.  I call it Gospel Lite because its adherents are never called to grow beyond a certain point.  Gospel Lite in its North American incarnation comes in two flavors.  The Liberal variety makes almost no demands at all on the believer and focuses on making them feel good about themselves.  The consevative brand focuses on personal morality, promoting a kind of civic decency, while avoiding issues which might be threatening or controversial.

Every now and then when I want to laugh, or cry, I'll tune into channel 46 and listen for a while.  Gospel Lite is in full flower.  I tuned in one day to hear Lester Sumrall giving a travelogue of poor countries where he had found rich people, and this was taken as evidence that God was there in those countries blessing those rich people.

Now I realize that it's a time honored tradition to bash your own generation and your own culture.  The seeds of destruction aren't just sown, they're in bloom.  The judgment day surely can't be far off! •• That's not my point.  The temptation to preach Gospel Lite has been with us ever since Christ ascended, ever since creation.

In the Old Testament, in Jeremiah 14:13, the weeping complains to God saying,    "Ah, Sovereign Lord, the prophets keep telling the people, 'You will not see the sword or suffer famine. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place.'"  Here the prophets told the people what they wanted to hear, not what they needed to hear.  In the New testament, Jesus spends most of his earthly ministry trying to beat Gospel Lite out of his disciples heads.  The Messiah wasn't going to suffer he would rule and they would rule with him.  The epistles too, are full of warnings regarding deceivers and anti-christs.  The temptation to water down and pervert the gospel has always been there.

It's also not my purpose to assign evil motives to these people or to the modern purveyors of Gospel Lite.  It's a natural human temptation.  We want to be respected, liked . .  hey, we like to be employed.  And when we bear the truth and it's painful, everything we've worked for is in jeopardy.

Herein lies the risk for us as preachers and potential preachers.  We are not exempt from the temptation to preach Gospel Lite, much as we might like to think we are.  We will be tempted to sidestep controversial issues and difficult passages of scripture.  We will be tempted to placate rather than prophecy.

If you have any doubts about this just consider the way we at seminary have handled an issue like abortion, that ever popular whipping boy.  The unspoken strategy is "if we ignore it, maybe it will go away."  It's just too dangerous to talk about it.  If I speak out against it, I'm afraid you'll lump me in with those narrow-minded fanatics who bomb abortion clinics.  If I speak out for it, someone will brand me a heartless baby-killer.  So hey, it's better just to stick with hermeneutics.  ••• Don't believe it.  You might as well be facing the tough issues here in the safe confines of academia.  Because when you get out in the congregation you will face them all:  abortion, homosexuality, divorce, remarriage, war taxes, consumerism, euthenasia, drinking, you name it, it's coming your way.

So what are you going to do?  I'd like to close with several suggestions of ways you might avoid preaching Gospel Lite.
First, think  •  and pray.  It's your job as a church leader to have explored life's thorny issues on a deeper level than Joe or Jane in the pew.  If you do your homework, you're less likely to duck the tough issues when they arise or to look foolish by handling them ineptly.

Second, speak plainly and forthrightly on the issues.  You're not the pope, so it's no crime if people in your congregation disagree with you on a particular point.  They may confront you, (that's good) but ultimately, they'll respect your candor.

Third, acknowledge dissent and pain when it exists.  People are much more likely to listen to difficult or opposing views when their own position or situation is acknowledged and validated.  For example, here's a situation you're all likely to face:  The most loved and most hated holiday of the year would have to be Mother's Day.  If you have a house full of children it's wonderful, but if you struggle with infertility or your Mother was shrew, the holiday is a stinging reminder of what you don't have.  My wife and I have been trying to have children for several years so I know about this first hand.  This past Sunday she went to College Church, where they were celebrating Mother's Day and having of all things a baby dedication.  It sounded like a recipe for disaster.  Instead, she came home singing the praises of James Waltner who had been sensitive enough to acknowledge the pain which this holiday causes many people.  They still celebrated, but not without taking a brief time to "mourn with those who mourn."

Fourth, if you challenge your congregation, give them concrete ways of acting on that challenge.  The gospel is only good news when people are able to put it into practice.  Yesterday June told us how boring it is when preachers speak in pious platitudes and vague generalities. I'd like to add to that.  It's not just boring, it's demoralizing.  If someone tells me to take up my cross, love my enemies or give everything that I have, but gives me no concrete courses of action, I am paralyzed and inoculated against future growth in that area.

Fifth and finally, keep the lines of communication open.  If you expect people to listen to your sermons with an open mind, you will have to model openness and good listening skills when they share their opinions.  You are responsible for fostering and maintaining that climate of openness so necessary for spiritual growth.

Gospel Lite, one third less challenging than our regular gospel.   In our era of slick marketing and hard sell, it may look appealing.  I've already heard someone say we might have to soft-pedal the peace issue to reach our Vision 95 goals.   That's Gospel Lite.  At times you will be tempted to buy it, but it shouldn't be on anyone's shopping list.  It is my prayer today that we would  never forget who the power is behind the true gospel.  And furthermore, may we never sacrifice that true gospel on the altar of expediency.