Gospel Tilted World

I Timothy 3:15 states that the purpose of the church is to be "the pillar and support of the truth."   Unfortunately, that is usually  not on the top of the  church-goer's list when choosing a home church.  Kids' programs, bible studies, contemporary music with worship bands, coffee cafes, etc. usually top the list.  Why?

And why do so many churches look so different than the early churches?  Are we, as churches, succumbing to what the world wants the Church to look like?

Kregal Publications sent me The World-Tilting Gospel by Dan Phillips to review.  In the introduction, Dan quotes Acts 17: 6-7 in regards to how the early church turned the world upside down:

These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.

The early churches didn't have fancy buildings, technology, youth group, money, coffee cafes, worship bands or Twitter and yet they turned the world upside down.   Think about our churches today - we have all of those things and, yet, we are not turning the world upside down.  

The author's main premise is that the world is tilting our churches; churches are offering more and more programs to draw people in and yet the gospel they preach isn't changing lives.  Today's gospel that is preached in too many churches isn't tilting the world...it's not the true gospel.

"...too many people who regard themselves as Christians are utterly clueless about the most fundamental truths...The world tilts them because of various barriers erected in their minds through exposure to bad teaching.  A variety of false doctrines hold them back from enjoying the life to which God calls them in Jesus Christ.  They bank on bad teaching, they're burdened by bad teaching, and they're bound by bad teaching," (pgs. 17-18).

  Thus far, this is a book I'd recommend and would like to get into the hands of every member of our church!  Please look for my complete blog review of it the week of October 3.