Jesus, the Gospel, and the Church: Why bother?

Jesus, the Gospel, and the Church: Why bother?

Have you ever asked yourself what wearing a suit and tie, men not being permitted to have long hair, women wearing makeup or painting their nails, listening to music with percussion instruments, wearing a wedding ring or jewelry, women wearing provocative clothing like miniskirts, short dresses, or halter tops, sleeveless dresses, women not being allowed to wear pants but only dresses, women not being allowed on the platform or stage during the worship service only during Sabbath School, women frowned upon for putting highlights in their hair or dying their hair a different color, Only singing hymns songs because they are the only type of songs that God “approves” of, no clapping or applause, and no jumping for joy but instead remaining quiet and silent as the only real sign or reverence has to do with following Jesus Christ and worshipping God on the Seventh-day Sabbath?

What is the Gospel? What constitutes the true Gospel? Is it just Jesus and Him crucified? Or is the true Gospel Jesus plus “something else”? What is the experience of a Christian really like? How much of what appears to be the Gospel of Jesus Christ is actually not? Is the Christian lifestyle a prerequisite for being “saved”, or is the Christian lifestyle the natural response of a person who is already “saved”? Is my salvation dependent on my obedience or is it dependant wholly on faith? How much of what we do at church is truly biblical? How much of what we do at church is cultural, and how much is based on tradition? Is tradition always bad? Am I lost if I reject my church’s tradition, even if that tradition makes certain members feel it identifies us as the remnant church of Bible prophecy? What constitutes the remnant church? What about texting and emailing during the worship service? Is the modern church just like the Old Testament Earthly Sanctuary? Is there an Outer Court, a Holy Place, and a Most Holy Place? Can women participate in a divine worship service? Can a woman preach? Can a women be a pastor? Is the Pastor and Minister like a priest in the Old Testament? Do the pastor’s prayers ascend higher to heaven and do his prayers get heard by God before everyone else’s? Why do youth either tend to become just like their parents, or exactly the opposite in their religious life? Is being strict and rule-oriented in your religious experience good? Is being grace-oriented and loving bad? Why do youth leave the church when they reach their late teens and become legal adults? What is missing in their religious experience? Why don’t they come back even after they discover that what the world offers them is temporary, fleeting, and non-satisfying? Why don’t they just come back to church? Why do they choose to stay in the far country instead of just coming back to the Father’s House? Isn’t church the place where people should meet and learn about God, be accepted just as they are, and be able to find God? Why aren’t thousands of people coming into the church right now to find God? Doesn’t God love them and want them to join to church? Is the problem with God, is the problem with how we “do church?” What does Vatican Council II have to do with the way we conduct church services today? What do the teachings of Charismatic teacher Peter Wagner and the Three Waves of the Holy Spirit have to do with how some church are doing church? Are seeker services ok? Are sermons that are Gospel-Lite and Motivational and Self-help ok? Why don’t we hear more sermons on the “Blood of Jesus” on Television and the internet? Why do some church stear away from preaching a gospel of a suffering and crucified Savior and opt for preaching sermons on positive thinking, self-improvement to achieve wealth, and “how to live your best right now” instead of preparing to live your best life in the future in heaven when Jesus comes back? In so many words, we want to answer the question, “Jesus, the Gospel and the Church: Why Bother?

I would like to invite you to join me on this journey trough this maze of confusion and enemy mines that seek to prevent us from reaching a biblical and reasoned answer. If you truly are interested in following Christ instead of following only tradition. If you are truly interested in becoming a Christ follower instead of just a Christian by name. If you want to discover answers to questions you always wanted to ask but were afraid to, join me in this series “Jesus, the Gospel, and the Church: Why Bother?”

Together, we will be confronting some of the most difficult, misunderstood, and challenging Bible topics. These are in fact hot potatoes for some. However, we intend to find honest answers for honest seekers. We will use the Bible as our main textbook and use the science of hermeneutics called exegesis instead of the popular false approach commonly used called eisegesis. We will also look at what Ellen G. White has written on the topics, look at church history, and use our God-given common sense. All together, we hope to come out on top with our faith having been placed upon the true Gospel and not a counterfeit Gospel. There are only two pre-requisites necessary before embarking upon this journey.

First, you must believe that God has answers and that He wants you to discover Biblical answers to these difficult and often avoided subjects. Second, you need to have a desire to follow God and His truth, no matter the cost. You need to make the decision right now that no matter how painful it may be to you or to others, you desire to follow God’s truth, believe it, and live it in your life. That may mean changing or adapting some of your currently held beliefs on certain topics if that is what God tells you to do. So are you ready? Are you ready to begin the journey?

Here is the list of topics:

1)   What is the True Gospel?

2)   Why does the church exist today?

3)   Is obedience necessary in order to be saved?

4)   Christian Standards and Norms and Gospel?

5)   What about Church Tradition?

6)   Are Tattoos, jewelry, and adornment always bad?

7)   Is the church a holy place?

8)   Are pastors more Holy than regular church members?

9)   Is music, dancing, and clapping in the church ok?

10) What about Vatican Council II and Peter Wagner’s Three Waves of the Holy Spirit?

11) Is there anything wrong with Joel Olsteen, Rick Warren, and the Mega Church Movement?

12) Is the Seventh-day Adventist Church the remnant church of Bible prophecy or should be look for another Church?