Hard Words from John Stott

Ten years ago I had the privelege of taking a 3 month sabbatical. During that time we visited a number of different churches in several different states, but the most interesting visit was to First Presbyterian Church in Bellevue, mainly because the speaker for the morning was none other than pastor-theologian John Stott. I just came across my notes from his sermon in which he somewhat randomly spoke to issues he saw developing in the church at the end of the 20th century (1996). I think his concerns are possibly more valid ten years later. See if you can discern his concerns from these quotes.

The church seems to have a pussycat ministry where we stroke people with what they want to hear until they purr. We become quite popular when we implement it

It is not possible to be popular and faithful at the same time.

The only way to self-discovery is self-denial. You find yourself by losing yourself – in Christ.

Discipleship today (at least in the church) tends to be a veneer of piety over paganism.