Calvin And Lloyd-Jones Unwelcome!

There is such an antipathy to the authentic Gospel within reformed evangelicalism today that it is doubtful whether men like John Calvin, Richard Baxter, Edmund Calamy, Jonathan Edwards, Joseph Bellamy, John or Charles Wesley, Robert Murray McCheyne, J. C. Ryle, Thomas Chalmers, or even Dr Lloyd-Jones himself would be welcome in their pulpits.  There is such a antipathy to true and vigorous evangelism that many in today's compromised church prefer to lull their people to sleep rather than awaken them with the alarming sound of the Gospel.  They want peace in the church at all costs - and I mean 'at all costs!'  If this is to be maintained by a watered-down message, so be it.  A good minister is one who can keep all church members on board, whether or not they are regenerate. 

But here's the issue: if a preacher in the mould of Calvin and Lloyd-Jones were to come into their pulpits - and all in between - and preach a searching and disturbing message, there would  be a riot.  That's what happened when George Whitefield or John Wesley preached the Gospel.  Our congregations will not have such preaching!  They want to be left alone in their spiritual doldrums, and not be made to think seriously about spiritual matters, and definitely not those spiritual matters that relate to their own souls and relationship with Christ.  People who do not want to meet with God in His Word cannot on any supposition be regarded as Christians.  They want away as far as they can get from God.

But a truly authentic gospel ministry disturbs the peace, such as was preached by the men mentioned above, and the churches simply do not want that.