The Preaching Of The Gospel

[mulls]

I challenge you to watch this. It's an hour long,

[url="http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=264868249898683262&q=paul+washer"]http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=...p;q=paul+washer[/url]


Folks on this board always talk about it being impossible to nail down protestant beliefs because there's so many versions, and that "praying a prayer/asking Jesus into your heart" thing isn't legit.

This guy addresses all that stuff. I've never heard a message this tough before.

I'd love to discuss it, if you can spare the hour and watch the whole thing. At the least, I'd love to talk about what you think his presentation was like, if it was manipulative, or legit, or whatever else.




sean



p.s. this isn't a veiled evangelism attempt on my part, lest you think i'm being deceitful. i just want you to see this because it will help you know what i believe, and maybe we can get a discussion out of it. and it is quite powerful however you cut it.

Edited December 23, 2006 by mulls

[homeschoolmom]

[quote name='mulls' post='1147959' date='Dec 23 2006, 01:21 AM']p.s. this isn't a veiled evangelism attempt on my part, lest you think i'm being deceitful. i just want you to see this because it will help you know what i believe, and maybe we can get a discussion out of it. and it is quite powerful however you cut it.
[/quote]
I completely believe you on this. At some point I will probably carve out an hour to watch it.

[mulls]

for more clarification, it's not the be-all-end-all of gospel messages. he's definately talking to youth. but he does a good job of calling out fake "american christianity."

[Groo the Wanderer]

I must admit, there is a LOT of that out there, especially on TV.... I will try to find an hour to watch it, but man, that's hard between family, work, and school.

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='mulls' post='1148086' date='Dec 23 2006, 11:03 AM']
for more clarification, it's not the be-all-end-all of gospel messages. he's definately talking to youth. but he does a good job of calling out fake "american christianity."
[/quote]
Ick...American Christianity...I much prefer Roman Christianity. :

[rkwright]

Watching now...

[rkwright]

Well Mulls I watched the vid... it has its good points and some bad points, I'll tell ya what I think. To the other phatmassers, I'd watch it. It does have a 'good' message, just be aware of some of the teaching that is not Catholic (though he doesn't spend too much time on it). His general message applies to Catholics as much as his audience.

First off the things he said that I liked...

1- The rejection of the idea that salvation is a quick sinner's prayer, the end. He is 100% right on this, that being 'saved' is not a one time prayer. He pulls from Matt. 7 where Jesus tells us that not all who say 'Lord Lord' will be saved. The Pastor tells Christians we cannot be saved by simply praying a prayer then going on in our worldly ways. Honestly to me it sounds very very much like a faith and works deal, though the pastor throws in a one liner to say 'I don't mean works'. The message of the Gospel is not 'pray a sinner's prayer and your saved for your whole life'. This Pastor knows this, and we've always believed this.

2- I like how he points out the problems in 'American Christianity'. The I'm a christian but living in the world. He calls them 'Carnal Christians', though this is a term I'm unfamilar with. As Christians we are called to live in a way that does not fit with our world right now.

3- I like that he points out we often think we're doing good, he says we think 'we're saved' because compared to others we look good. Instead we need to be comparing ourselves to Christ and His commandments. I heard a talk on reconcillation a few months ago and the Priest said this: "One of the scariest things I ever hear in confessions is 'On the whole I'm pretty good, I haven't killed anyone or robbed a bank or had sex with anyone other than my wife, so I'm doing good'" We cannot decieve ourselves by comparing to other people in this world.

4- I like how he is anti-aborition and points out the sin in it.

5- Again the general message that I got out of this is that a One time prayer, a once saved always saved idea theology is not the Gospel. We are called to live a holy life, and reject unholy things. It is not enough to simply say Jesus's name and be saved.

Ok so some of the problems I had with it...

1- He did throw out there 'We are saved by faith and faith alone!' It was like a 2 second clip, but this is a heresy in the eyes of a Catholic.

2- He bashed the Church for a 1/2 second with the 'All roads do NOT lead to Rome!'

3- He was big on the fire and brimstone stuff which is ok, but I don't like his take on the human condition (total depravity) and the wrath and fury of God. He said God took pleasure in the death of Jesus so he could pour out the wrath, an idea I dislike very much. He kinda 'smashed' God is love. But thats simply not true; God is love, and a perfect love which equates perfect justice.

Overall though its good to hear. Though it is not too entirely shocking to a good Catholic because this is getting closer and closer to what we have always believed.

Sorry for any misspellings.. its late!

[jswranch]

Sean,

I would love to watch the sermon, but it is hard to complete a 4 hour download on dial-up. Show me how to do this while a 3year old swings from your neck, and a 2year old gets into the kitchen knives while I change a newborn, then I am all ears.

Let me pick on something you said
[quote]Folks on this board always talk about it being impossible to nail down protestant beliefs because there's so many versions, [/quote]
Notice this guy nails down his protestant beliefs. Since you accept him so highly, this must also nail down your protestant beliefs. However, he does not nail down the other upteen thousand versions of the same faith.

I think this guy is a step in the 'right' direction.

PS. How is the reading going? Let me know when you are ready for more.

Edited December 24, 2006 by jswranch

[SRMiller]

For those who don't have the time to watch the video, there's also a transcript of it on the same site, which is what I looked at. I need to look at it some more before making comments, I think.

I will say that I gave him the benefit of the doubt on the "All roads do NOT lead to Rome" comment and thought maybe he was just changing the old saying of "all roads lead to Rome". Just a thought.

[God Conquers]

mulls,

All I have to say is:

Amen.

It's true, our lives do need to be transformed. Our hearts do need to burn for the gospel, we must hate sin and the world.

I really liked him.

[KnightofChrist]

WOW!!!