“I don’t listen to that guy. He’s just one of those ‘feel good’ preachers.” Those were the words an acquaintance used in a recent conversation when a certain well-known minister’s name was brought up. I walked away after the conversation scratching my head in bewilderment, not because I didn’t know what she meant by those words, but wondering what she had against feeling good. I was fully aware that her idea of good preaching was good old “hellfire damnation, have them squirming in their seats feeling the flames of Hades licking at their worthless selves.”
Here’s an idea for a church advertisement: “Feeling good about yourself? Optimistic about the future? Hopeful? Then our church is not for you! You should be ashamed! Tired of that “feel good” gospel? Come visit us at Feel Bad Fellowship!”
I realize the satire is a little ridiculous, but not so much when you realize that a good number of Christians still think this way.
I can all too well remember a time in my life when I shared that belief. Don’t misunderstand me. I still believe there’s a place called hell.
I can’t recall any time ever that a sinner has come up to me asking, “Where can I find a church that will make me feel bad? That person living without hope is already feeling bad. Ok, I know I’m making a play on words here, but you get my drift.
Having read the Gospels many times, I’ve never found an instance where someone who had an encounter with Jesus walked away feeling bad. Unless, of course, they were a Pharisee, Sadducee, scribe, or the rich young ruler. They walked away feeling bad because they refused to recognize who He really was. The sick, the blind, the lame, the demon-possessed, the prostitute, all of these encountered the transformational power of the Living Word and walked away feeling pretty good.
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.
Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics, and He healed them. (Matthew 4:23-24)
I can only speak for myself, but that kind of preaching makes me feel good!
We must change the way we think about the gospel. The word “gospel” means good news. People who are oppressed are looking for good news. They’re looking for hope.
Jesus never used shame or guilt to get anyone to follow Him. In fact, He never talked anyone into following Him. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. (1 Cor. 4:20) If you can be talked into following Jesus, you can be talked out of it. But if you’ve had a transformational encounter with the love of God, you can never be the same. In fact, you’ll feel good!
If a person who is lost and without hope were to hear our conversation about “feel good” preaching, what kind of hope would that give them?
Things began to change in my mind when I came into a greater understanding of the goodness of God. It’s the goodness of God that leads us to repentance (see Rom. 2:4). To repent means to change the way that we think. When you begin to see just how good He really is, you can’t help but change the way you see Him, yourself, and others. That, my friends, is the “feel good gospel.”
Feeling good,
Kevin