Wednesday, August 12, 2009

SPURGEON SPEAKS TO POSTMODERNISM FROM THE GRAVE

Titled & Compiled by my friend, Dr. James White

"We have to deal with a spirit, I know not how to denominate it, unless I call it a spirit of moderatism in the pulpits of protestant churches. Men have begun to rub off the rough edges of truth, to give up the doctrines of Luther and Zwingle, and Calvin, and to endeavour to accommodate them to polished tastes. You might go into a Roman Catholic chapel now-a-days, and hear as good a sermon from a Popish priest as you hear in many cases from a Protestant minister, because he does not touch disputed points, or bring out the angular parts of our Protestant religion. Mark, too, in the great majority of our books what a dislike there is to sound doctrine! the writers seem to fancy that truth is of no more value than error; that as for the doctrines we preach, it cannot matter what they are; still holding that

"He can't be wrong whose life is in the right. There is creeping into the pulpits of Baptists and every other denomination, a lethargy and coldness, and with that a sort of nullification of all truth. While they for the most part preach but little notable error, yet the truth itself is uttered in so minute a form that no one detects it, and in so ambiguous a style, that no one is struck with it. So far as man can do it, God's arrows are blunted, and the edge of his sword is turned in the day of battle. Men do not hear the truth as they used to.


The velvet mouth is succeeding to the velvet cushion, and the organ is the only thing in the building which giveth forth a certain sound. From all such things, "good Lord deliver us!" May heaven put an end to all this moderatism; we want out-and-out truth in these perilous days; we want a man just now to speak as God tells him, and care for nobody. Oh! if we had some of the old Scotch preachers! Those Scotch preachers made kings tremble; they were no men's servants; they were very lords, wherever they went, because each of them said, "God has given me a message; my brow is like adamant against men; I will speak what God bids me." Like Micah, they said, "As the Lord my God liveth, whatsoever my God saith unto me, that will I speak." Heroes of the truth, soldiers of Christ awake! Even now there are enemies. Think not that the fight is over; the great warfare of truth waxes more hot and fierce than ever. Oh! soldiers of Christ! take your swords from your scabbards! stand up for God and for his truth again, lest a free grace gospel should be forgotten."

"But I think that the worst battlement the churches have now, is an earthwork of great and extreme caution. It is held to be improper that certain obnoxious truths in the Bible should be preached; sundry reasons are given why they should be withheld. One is, because it tends to discourage men from coming to Christ. Another is, because certain persons will be offended on account of these rough edges of the gospel. Some would say, "O keep them back! You need not preach such and such a doctrine. Why preach distinguishing grace? Why divine sovereignty? Why election? why perseverance? why effectual calling? These are calculated to offend the people, they cannot endure such truths." If you tell them about the love of Christ, and the vast mercy of God, and such like it will always be pleasing and satisfying; but you must never preach deep searching law-work, you must not be cutting at the heart and sending the lancet into the soul-that would be dangerous. Hence most churches are shielding themselves behind an ignominious bulwark of extreme caution. You never hear their ministers spoken against; they are quite safe behind the screen you will be very much puzzled to tell what are the real doctrinal views of our modern divines. I believe you will pick up in some poor humble chapel more doctrinal knowledge in half an hour, than in some of your larger chapels in half a century. God's church must be brought once more to rely upon the pure truth, upon the simple gospel, the unalloyed doctrines of the grace of God.

O may this church never have any bulwark but the promises of God! May he be her strength and shield! May his Aegis be o'er our head and be our constant guard! May we never depart from the simplicity of the faith!"

9 comments:

4given said...

"I believe you will pick up in some poor humble chapel more doctrinal knowledge in half an hour, than in some of your larger chapels in half a century."

My church is very small. But the goal to be as Christ in word and deed is indeed there. The teaching is God-honoring truth. My pastor displays Christ in His life and teaching. He labours over the Word of God to feed and encourage us, not only on Sunday morning, but ALL week. He encourages us to be as Bereans and to hold him accountable. He challenges us daily to get out of our comfort zones and eat, live, and breathe Christ. He weeps with us when we are in pain... he lovingly but boldly confronts sin... he is a praying pastor that walks in holy fear. He is not on a high horse. But he is genuinely working out his salvation in fear and trembling as he diligently pours his heart and life into the Word of Truth relying on the Good and perfect Shepherd to teach him how to be our Shepherd.
no gimmicks.

Jana said...

I heard a speaker a while back who pointed out that what isn't said in a church is often more important than what is. One can attend any number of denominations' weekly service and hear things that are certainly true. I attend my grandmother's church when I visit her, a Methodist church, and I can barely stand to sit there. What the preacher says is only so much fluff, and no matter how true it is, it teaches nothing. Like 4given, I attend a small church, with a pastor who, well, everything she said, LOL! I always leave church feeling like I have learned something, and my husband and I usually discuss the sermon on the ride home. I would not be comfortable attending a church where things were not said just to keep people happy or to attract more people into the church. Unfortunately, more and more people want to be somewhere they feel "comfortable," the truth is compromised, and the itching ears get scratched.

Taliesin said...

"You might go into a Roman Catholic chapel now-a-days, and hear as good a sermon from a Popish priest as you hear in many cases from a Protestant minister."

In something I've been listening too lately, I believe it's the White Horse Inn's series on the Romans Revolution, it was mentioned a religious liberal had attended an "evangelical" church in the south. He was surprised because he said the sermon could have been preached in any liberal church. So what happened in Europe is happening here, just a century and a half or so later.

Gordan said...

Would a full-orbed Biblical view have to concede that the pitiful state of preaching in America is God's judgment on Evangelicalism?

N. L. White said...

"But this I have against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place-unless you repent" Revelation 2:4&5

Forget all of the theories about whether these verses are speaking of the Church through history or a specific church at the time or what ever else and look at these verses. Perhaps we can use them to pray for ourselves and then the church in America.

I agree that the pattern shone in the European countries seems to be the path the American church is headed down, as evidenced above. All the more reason to pray for open mouths and loosened tongues that proclaim the gospel to every man woman and child.

donsands said...

Always love C. H. Spurgeon. Excellent words for us today.

4given, You are truly blessed. Thanks for sharing that. God surely does have His pastors. Jer. 3:15

Dead Men Talking said...

So blessed, so blessed!

Steve - your timely words of Spurgeon are indeed propetic for this critical time and age.

As effeminate Christianity struts the world stage with all her baubles and pomp that sharp two edged sword is impatient in its desire to be unsheathed and let loose again in the souls of men and women.

As Tozer once said "Someone someday will arrive on the scene and really believe and preach the Word and shame us all"

Keep em coming!

The Blainemonster said...

Awesome. And isn't this the struggle of the ages? To guard the trust and keep the truth polished and sharp? There seem to be men in every age (oh yeah, that includes my own wicked heart) that want to make a cream puff out of the rock solid truth.

Unknown said...

I too attend a church that has a pastor who does not avoid the more difficult passages in fear that someone might be "offended". While it isn't a small church, there is definitely no worries of people disliking the message. If they get offended they can go somewhere else to have someone scratch the itching ear.

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." -Proverbs 27:6

It's my opinion that the best way is chapter by chapter, verse by verse, precept upon precept.... that way the WHOLE bible is being taught...