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Today's Gospel: Authentic or Synthetic?

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If you are not satisfied with much of today's so-called evangelism, but you can't quite put your finger on what's wrong with it, this book is for you. Much of today's evangelism has nothing to do with the preaching of the gospel, but focuses on unity at any expense. Mr. Chantry uses the gospel story of the rich young ruler and his encounter with Jesus Christ as an example of how to preach the gospel. He stresses the need for us to stick to the Master's way of handling lost individuals, not to popular but misleading methods (he even cites a few of the most common appeals to men's hearts as bad examples). This is life and death stuff! Jesus lets the "fish" get away, but we think by outdoing the Fisherman we can get more converts, says Chantry. Time is we followed the Teacher's methods and stop trying to win the crowds with no gospel at all. Try it out, you will see some real converts! Oh, and by the way, you may see some real persecution by the false church, too. God bless. Chris

Pastor Chantry writes with a concern that addresses many of the the shallow and careless evangelistic methodologies that are still widely prevalent today. While evangelistic zeal for the lost is essential,zeal which is according to knowledge is equally important. The book highlights in places the great danger and harm that can be caused by misplaced zeal. He uses the Lord Jesus' personal evangelism with the rich young ruler because that contains all the essential elements for gospel preaching and evangelistic witnessing that should be present if our zeal is to be united with Biblical knowledge. Who better to instruct us on how to evangelize than the Lord Jesus Himself. A few of the essential elements are: preaching the law of God,preaching the character of God and preaching the necesstiy of true repentance. When preaching on the character of God the preacher is seeking to make known the attributes of God,and thereby exalt His character. Pastor Chantry thus exposes one of the great weaknesses in so much preaching and evangelism today,that being, that it is man centered when it should and must be God centered. Why is modern day evangelism and missionary labours so impotent? Walter Chantry asks in the introduction: Where is the power of Edwards and Whitfield in today's preaching? The author thinks that it is in the content of the Gospel message. Mr.Chantry writes on p.36 "The absence of God's Holy law from modern preaching is perhaps as responsible as any other factor for the evangelistic impotence of our Churches and missions." Men,women and children must know that they are lost before they can truly be saved and the preaching of God's Holy law is the means that God has ordained to bring about conviction of sin. Romans 3:20b ...for by the law is the knoledge of sin.'Today's Gospel...' will help to expose much of what is lacking in so many pulpits and many evangelistic endeavours,may the Lord be pleased to use it to that end for many years to come.

Books, like music, often return us to a place in the mind's eye, where they most impressed and moved our hearts and lives. If you have always wondered what has been missing in your Christian walk of faith, this little, inexpensive "CLASSIC" just might be one of those powerful memories that will flood your soul when you look back on the refreshing time you first read it. I believe; TODAY'S GOSPEL: Authentic or Synthetic? will become a "Christian Classic" because of its watershed message in history. Our modern gospel and methods have proven to be lacking, to say the least. The witness of the evening news within our towns, cities, and culture in which we live is the fruit of Today's Gospel.

The rethinking of the "Authentic" gospel is the reason that we must "START HERE" no matter what our denominations or how long we have been Christians. Pastor Chantry unfolds before you, the Lord Jesus as gospel teacher, a full orbed teacher "...were you called, Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps." Chantry presents Christ the King and lover of doing; doing the will of God, "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love. Even as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love."

TODAY'S GOSPEL, is about returning to, or remembering the age-old gospel of Christ and how we can know and do God's will, which is what gives our faith true meaning. You will enjoy Chantry's straightforward story form that details the meeting of the Lord Jesus with the Rich Young Ruler and their passionate interaction. This special little book is far more powerful and " Re-Creating" (2 Corinthians 5:17-21) than anything our modern, "Easy-Believism," formulas have to offer.

After reading this book, the gospel of Christ, will most surely become far richer and God honoring than you have ever understood the teaching before. If you have already read, TODAY'S GOSPEL, it might be time to refocus and read it again. (You know what I am talking about!) Moreover, if you have read this little book before, why have you not purchased a few COPIES by now and given them to those around you, so that they can have the opportunity to consider its POWERFUL MESSAGE?
Radio Bible Guy,
ChristianRF.com

I have received tremendous encouragement from reading Mr. Chantry's book. It offers a convicting message relevant to those who are considering a relationship with Jesus Christ and those like myself who have been in such a relationship for many years. Mr. Chantry performs an excellent work in analyzing the Lord's encounter with the rich young ruler and sets it as a benchmark for effective evangelism. I hope those who read this will give serious consideration to reading the book. I believe you will consider it to be time well spent.

This work by Walter Chantry ought to be read by anyone who is interested in seeing people come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. In our technique addicted society this book is a breath of fresh air. Chantry carefully walks the reader through how Jesus shared the gospel with the rich young ruler in Mark 10 and compares it to how we do evangelism today. If you are involved in sharing the gospel, are training others in evangelism or lead a Bible study or Sunday school class this book ought to be seriously considered as part of your teaching materials. Thought provoking, insightful and readable, this book will get others talking about how Christ shared the gospel

Today's Gospel hit practically everything straight on, with what I was dealing with in looking for a God-centered, Bible-based church. This past year, I really noticed the "watered-down" preaching of SO MANY churchs. I just couldn't believe that this was actually how the Bible should be taught, and how the church should be. Chantry does a great job in centralizing the book around the Word. Based upon a parable in the Bible, he makes the points and comments more solid. I have also be reading a very similar book called Ashamed of the Gospel, by John MacArthur Jr.. Both books stress the importance of the full "blow" of the Gospel, and the danger of deceiving the congregation and world that Christianity is truely a rose garden. I appreciated the straight-forwardness, and was encouraged and reassured of the importance of solid food for our spiritual maturity.

I read Today's Gospel in 1972, and saw that the Gospel I'd been hearing emphasized faith but not repentance. Chantry shows that salvation involves surrendering to Christ as Lord. He takes the story of the Rich Young Ruler as a springboard for his Reformed view of evangelism. Chantry states that genuine faith is accompanied by repentance, and that both are gifts granted by our sovereign Lord.

This book is a "MUST READ" for all Christians! I found this book sitting in my bookcase the other day. I don't know where it came from or how it got there, but for whatever reason it ended up there I'm very grateful! I've never heard of Walter Chantry before, so I was a little suspicious of this book from the start. However, the moment I started reading the introduction I was hooked. The book is less than 100 pages so it didn't take long to read (took me maybe 4-5 hours).

Chantry examines true evangelism by analyzing Jesus' response to the rich young ruler, who asked the infamous question, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Chantry exhorts the reader to see Jesus' response to this man as the model for evangelism and not the exception. Christ's response to this man is shocking, but the truth of His message is essential for everyone, especially those who desire to spread the Gospel message. Today's Gospel is often presented in a way that makes much of Christ's love and forgiveness and minimizes the sinner's condition and need for repentance. Chantry explains that we must be careful in our sincere desire to lead others to Christ that we not minimize the demands for salvation. He warns, "When a half truth is presented as the whole truth, it becomes an untruth."

The Gospel, as Chantry explains, should include an accurate presentation of the character of God, an explanation of God's law, the necessity of repentance, the necessity of faith, and necessity for a total dependence upon God for salvation. This of course stands in stark contrast to what is commonly presented today as the Gospel. Chantry devotes a chapter to each of these topics. Additionally, he devotes a chapter to the subject of assurance which I found very beneficial. Bottom line... It's a great book. Get yourself a copy. I just ordered 4 to pass out to my friends and family in Christ. I wish I had time to write more. - Soli Deo gloria

Today's Gospel is the most clear, accurate and powerfully written book I've ever read on the Gospel and evangelism, I've read it about 20 times. Walter Chantry does an impressive exposition of Jesus' encounter with the rich young ruler to show the standard of gospel preaching as set forth by the Master Evangelist Himself. Along the way he shows the contrast with modern evangelism and gospel presentations that are more prevalent and subtle today than they were 40 years ago when he originally wrote Today's Gospel.

Over the last 100+ years Dispensational Theology has flooded the evangelical church in America with a faulty gospel that removed the Law and repentance from gospel preaching. Viewing our present era as the "age of grace" the 10 commandments were deemed irrelevant for the church age. In addition, repentance was redefined as a mere "change of mind" that is to say, simply changing your mind from not believing in Jesus to believing, nothing more, no turning from sin needed. Now sinners don't know what sin is, or that they need to turn from that sin (read some doctrinal statements from prominent seminaries and churches and you'll see what I mean). These two alterations to the gospel preaching are now so ingrained that most evangelicals don't think to question where these ideas came from. As Chantry points out, the modern gospel can't be traced back to the Reformers, much less back to our Lord's own gospel preaching.

If you've grown up in a church that teaches a watered-down, half-truth gospel, this book will be very sobering and will take a little re-reading to digest. Do the research, read the gospels yourself, read some of the books recommended in the bibliography (especially the ones that pre-date dispensationalism) you'll see the gospel messages in scripture and the gospel writings of the Reformers is not the gospel of today.

Sinners today are being told vaguely that "all have sinned" and if you just have faith that Jesus died for you you'll be forgiven and go to heaven when you die. As Chantry say "a half truth when presented as a whole truth becomes an untruth".

The church in America needs another Reformation to to get back to the Gospel that our Lord proclaimed. Millions are being led down the broad path, they need to wake up and read and study what the scriptures say and quit believing the Christian elite who tell you it doesn't really mean what it says.

Absolutely NOTHING in this world is more important than an accurate understanding of the way of salvation!

I bought 15 more copies and gave them to my pastors and family. Buy extras for yourself, you'll want to give copies away also, it's that good.

"Though it is proper to reason with men, persuade men, beseech men, there will be no response unless God in His grace attends with enabling power the words we speak. Our evangelism must be based upon a dependence on the Lord...it pleases God to raise dead sinners through the foolishness of the Gospel preaching" (86).

Today's Gospel:Authentic or Synthetic is a book I read over ten years ago when I worked at Pilgrim Book and Bible. It was one of the first books I read after becoming a Reformed Christian. It helped me to see how preaching and evangelism fits into the larger picture of the sovereignty of God without merely handing out the "Four Spiritual Laws" booklets. It guided me in seeing how evangelism is not about slick presentations or fancy ploys to rush someone into faith. Rather, it focuses on relying on God Himself to bring lost sinners to Himself through preaching and sharing the Gospel.

Walter Chantry uses the encounter of the rich young ruler (Mark 10) as the frame story to contrast Jesus' method of evangelism to modern evangelistic techniques ("modern" is relative; Chantry writes in 1970. I can't imagine how this book would read if he used today's techniques from Joel Osteen's ilk). Rather than pushing for a "decision for Christ," Jesus shows how he violates the Law in his "righteousness," and that he is unwilling to repent. He allows the young man to leave to ponder the Gospel instead of having a quick decision. "To impress hearts with the gravity of the decision before them, we would do well to say, `Sit down and consider,' rather than, `Stand up and come forward.' (65).

I highly recommend this short book for those who are looking for a clearer picture of evangelism, an antidote to the poisonous moralistic, therapeutic Deism that runs rampant in our churches and our youth groups. While an excellent book for us lay people in churches, it is a must for you professional Christian workers.