121118 The Good Morals Gospel

SUNDAY MORNING (November 18th) • Counterfeit GospelsThe "Good Morals" GospelBe pleasant. Help others. Be polite. Don't lie. Don't cheat. Don't steal. Say you're sorry. Useyour manners. Treat other people the way you would want to be treated.The "good morals" gospel sounds a lot like the gentle admonitions of a grandmother.Millions believe that as long as they have some "good, clean morals," that's what matters inthe eyes of God. The ultimate goal of religion? To promote moral, upright behavior. Theultimate purpose of the church? To function as a bastion of morality and encouragechurchgoers to be hard workers and kind neighbors. All the while, subscribers to the "goodmorals" gospel can exhibit "good, clean morals" in the eyes of the secular society aroundthem, yet never recognize their desperate need for a Savior.In what ways do these characteristics and tendencies of the "good morals" gospelultimately produce a counterfeit?r "Getting right" with Godwithout defining who Godis -~ Thinking of God in human terms, almost like a doting grandparent -~ Treating the "good news" as good advicewhyis the "good morals" gospel so attractive and, as a result, so popular?If the "good morals" gospel is a counterfeit, does it need to be countered? If so, in what ways?