The Gospel’s Power and Message
By Paul Washer
Reformation Heritage Books ( Grand Rapids, Michigan ): 2012
Strictly speaking, this is not a book review. The Gospel’s Power and Message has just been released and I’ve only read the preface and the first chapter. Based just upon this though, it is a powerful message that Paul Washer relates in the pages of this tome.
Brother Paul has been a missionary to Peru and is the founder of HeartCry Missionary Society which supports more than 165 indigenous missionaries in more than 26 countries throughout the world. He is probably best known on the Internet for his “Shocking Youth Message” video. He presents the gospel in all its powerful glory and makes no apologies to those who think it foolish or offensive. He doesn’t sugar coat the bad news so the good news of Jesus Christ is all the sweeter.
Here is an excerpt from the preface:
One of the greatest crimes committed by this present Christian generation is its neglect of the gospel, and it is from this neglect that all our other maladies spring forth.
This is a serious indictment of many nominal Christians, churches and denominations, and it has massive implications. It proposes that if the gospel of Christ were proclaimed plainly and accurately, then the distressing state of affairs in some churches – that greatly dishonors God – would vanish. I can’t argue with his assertion. Too many so-called Christian churches soft-peddle the gospel, wink at sin and completely ignore Christian discipline. The antidote for this, and all sin, is a liberal application of the gospel of grace. On this subject, Washer also says:
When the church proclaims a lesser gospel, it fills up with carnal men who share little interest in the things of God, and the maintenance of such men is a heavy burden upon the church. The church then tones down the radical demands of the gospel to a convenient morality, and true devotion to Christ gives way to activities designed to meet the felt needs of its members. The church becomes activity-driven rather than Christ-centered, and it carefully filters or repackages the truth so as not to offend the carnal majority. The church lays aside the great truths of Scripture and orthodox Christianity, and pragmatism (i.e., whatever keeps the church going and growing) becomes the rule of the day.
You can download a .pdf of the preface and the first chapter of his new book here: http://heritagebooktalk.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/washer-paul-the-gospels-power-and-message-sample.pdf
The Gospel’s Power and Message is available through Reformation Heritage Books, Granted Ministries and Amazon.com.
