Ashamed of the Gospel: When the Church Becomes Like the World

by John F. MacArthur

Publisher:

Crossway

, 1993

Overview

Near the end of his ministry, Charles H. Spurgeon wrote a series of articles entitled "The Down Grade." He was warning the church of his day that Christianity was on the decline, and worse, the downward momentum seemed to be overtaking evangelicalism. Christian leaders were becoming worldly, spiritually cold, and tolerant of doctrinal error. So much so, that he feared the Church would eventually forfeit its testimony altogether. Sadly, his prediction came true, and evangelicalism in early twentieth-century England was decimated. Today, John MacArthur is sounding the same cry in Ashamed of the Gospel, bringing the same type of issues to the forefront of evangelical awareness. But while Spurgeon battles modernism—which led to a denial of doctrines fundamental to the Christian faith—MacArthur is primarily concerned with "pragmatism." Pragmatism ignores doctrine and focuses more on achieving "success" than on communicating God's Word unashamedly. Tragically, this theology: emphasizes church growth over church doctrine; makes entertaining congregations more important than feeding them spiritually; views truth as being secondary to "what works." The challenging message of Ashamed of the Gospel is one that today's Church dare not ignore. And it offers a warning that can make the difference for an entire congregation between walking in the light or living in the dark.

Product Details

• Title: Ashamed of the Gospel: When the Church Becomes Like the World
• Author: John MacArthur, Jr.
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Publication Date: 1993
• Pages: 243

Contents

Top Highlights

“Pragmatism is the notion that meaning or worth is determined by practical consequences. It is closely akin to utilitarianism, the belief that usefulness is the standard of what is good. To a pragmatist/utilitarian, if a technique or course of action has the desired effect, it is good. If it doesn’t seem to work, it must be wrong.” (Page 12)

“Pragmatism has roots in Darwinism and secular humanism. It is inherently relativistic, rejecting the notion of absolute right and wrong, good and evil, truth and error. Pragmatism ultimately defines truth as that which is useful, meaningful, and helpful. Ideas that don’t seem workable or relevant are rejected as false.” (Page 12)

“‘False doctrine and worldliness’—the same two influences Spurgeon attacked—always go hand in hand, with worldliness leading the way. Christians today tend to forget that modernism was not first of all a theological agenda but a methodological one. Early modernists were not trying to hit at the core of biblical faith; they were simply trying to make Christianity more palatable to a cynical world.” (Page 23)

“To sum it all up in five categories, Paul commanded Timothy: 1) to be faithful in his preaching of biblical truth; 2) to be bold in exposing and refuting error; 3) to be an example of godliness to the flock; 4) to be diligent and work hard in the ministry; and 5) to be willing to suffer hardship and persecution in his service for the Lord.” (Page 27)

“External criteria such as affluence, numbers, money, or positive response have never been the biblical measure of success in ministry. Faithfulness, godliness, and spiritual commitment are the virtues God esteems—and such qualities should be the building blocks of any ministry philosophy.” (Page 29)

Product Details

• Title: Ashamed of the Gospel: When the Church Becomes Like the World
• Author: John F. MacArthur
• Publisher: Crossway
• Print Publication Date: 1993
• Logos Release Date: 2001
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Spurgeon, C. H. (Charles Haddon), 1834-1892; Church; Evangelicalism; Pastoral theology; Preaching
• Resource ID: LLS:40.140.4
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-29T05:22:09Z

About John F. MacArthur

John MacArthur (b. 1939) is a Calvinist theologian, author, editor, and teacher. He is a popular conference speaker and the president of both The Master's College and The Master's Seminary. He has also served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California since 1969. Best known for his expository exegesis of the Bible, Logos has collected more than 3,000 of his sermons in the John MacArthur Sermon Archive and offers the complete MacArthur New Testament Commentary.

MacArthur’s pulpit ministry extends around the globe through his media ministry, Grace to You. In addition to producing daily radio programs for nearly 2,000 English and Spanish radio outlets worldwide, Grace to You distributes books, software, and CDs by John MacArthur. He has written hundreds of books and study guides, including the bestselling John MacArthur Essential Bible Study Library and the MacArthur Study Bible. He is also the author of notable titles like Different by Design and Twelve Ordinary Men.