The Missing Gospel

It seems one should be able to sit in any Christian church, especially in America, and hear the 'gospel' preached. Don't mean to sound critical here, but I can't help but fear, the gospel, as the central theme, has been replaced. New words, describing the contemporary pastor's message have become popular, i.e., 'relevant', 'inclusive', 'tolerant', 'seeker friendly' etc. The 'gospel' has been reduced to anything that could be deemed 'good news' by our present culture. How to deal with stress, depression, financial problems, etc... How to develop and maintain 'relationships', or how to simply 'get along' with everybody, and so on... These are the types of 'good news' messages people want to hear. Remove the line-upon-line, precept-upon-precept wisdom of the Scriptures and insert the Psychology. We don't need to hear the Word taught and preached from someone who has spent most of his learning time and effort on his knees, with only one Book as the source. [We think] we need to hear from one whose learning came from the halls of godless intitutions of higher learning--one who meets the 'qualifications' and owns the credentials of a psychiatrist, or at least, a 'counselor'. The Bible is just not enough anymore.
God, help us!
Some of my pastor friends, I'm afraid, have been caught up in this so-called 'emerging church' spirit. They have become 'purpose driven' instead of 'Spirit led'. The psychology behind their methodology is basically, "If we can't draw the younger generation (18-30 year olds) to church, then we won't be able to reach them with any of the Truth at all. So it's better to conform to their culture and life-style, thus, making church interesting enough for them to come; than to sacrifice all opportunity to reach them."
So now, we have mega-churches with congregations full of young folks, sipping their Starbucks, and enjoying the contemporary 'worship' music, and the culturally 'relevant' message... But there is something missing...
It's absence won't be noticed by the many who have never experienced it, but the life-changing power that is manifest in the heart of a believer who feeds on a steady diet of the 'gospel' of Christ seems to have no appearance in this post-modern, emerging church experience.
Have I not seen change? You ask?
Oh, I've seen some change... I've seen church leaders, staff, and much of the longstanding members of the congregation, change to the point they blend in completely with the new and unlearned members, just off the street. Torn and sloppy jeans, tatoos, and body piercings have been added to the appearance of the leadership. Oh, I know... I sound legalistic, critical, and chock-full of condemnation, now, don't I.
But seriously... If you know and believe the Word, you know there is something wrong with this picture. Please wake up. We (the church) are to be the 'salt of the earth'... Instead, the world has become the 'salt' of the church. Contrary to what some have taught, Jesus was not referring to the 'preserving' power of salt--He was referring to it's 'savor' (flavoring power) (Matthew 5:13). Salt is supposed to have an 'influence' on that, to which it's added.
No, we are not to condemn the sinner, be critical of their dress, etc... We should never reject the tattooed, body-pierced, souls who dare to darken the doors of the church, but receive them with open arms into the faith and the family of God. God's Word (if it is proclaimed), and the Holy Spirit will, in time, provide any and all necessary motivation to change and become on the outside, more and more like that which God has made on the inside. But we should cooperate with God and allow Him to stir within the immature, the desire to grow up. We don't do that by adorning ourselves like those who do not know Him. And I'm not referring merely to clothing styles. Many who stand in leadership positions in the church today, not only dress like the most rebellious of the world's cultures, but talk like them, drink like them, watch filthy movies with them, listen to foul, ungodly 'music' with them, etc.
Jesus also said, in the very next verses, that we are to be "...the light of the world", and to "...Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14,16). Again, He was undoubtedly referring to more than your clothes, or whether or not you have a tatoo. The 'good works' have to do with the ministry of the believer and should manifest enough of the glory and power of God, so as to cause men to "glorify" the heavenly Father. But pray tell me... Can anyone expect to 'shine' to that degree, when the 'light' has only been hidden to those around? When foul, vulgar, language is heard from the 'Christian' as much as it is from the agnostic sinner of the world? And please don't kid yourself, "...out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" --Jesus (Matthew 12:34)
Jesus prayed intently, the night before He hung on Calvary's cross, that God Almighty would 'sanctify' (set apart, make holy) those who would one day believe in Him... He prayed, "...Sanctify them by Your Truth. Your Word is Truth" (John 17:17). He also gave the reason in the next few verses, summarized and paraphrased by this... That we who believe would come into godly unity by becoming more like Jesus, not by becoming more like one another. And this godly unity would happen through the process of 'sancification' by the Word. And the reason for that? "...That the world may believe that you sent me." (John 17:20-21).
This kind of unity--the kind that gives witness to the Lordship of Jesus Christ--is not obtained by human efforts to 'unify' with those we are trying to reach. The 'culture' may come into the church house, by the thousands--but that does not mean they have been 'reached'.
This kind of unity only comes as we hear the gospel, which is the power of God (Romans 1:16/1 Cor. 1:23,24), on a regular basis, "...till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine...
...But speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ"
(Ephesians 4:13-14, 15)
There will be at least a remnant of the church (as a whole) who gets there, before it's all said and done. But it will not happen in your church--if the 'gospel' is, and remains, missing.