Yes—Les Feldick says the church has become powerless primarily because the Gospel has been neglected, reduced to clichés, and replaced by comfort and prosperity.
Les directly ties the church's weakness to the neglect of Paul's writings, calling that neglect the reason for the demise of the power of the church. He also says the Gospel has been reduced to clichés, so people miss the full message that Christ died, shed His blood, was buried, and rose again. In his teaching, God's power is released only when that Gospel is believed, and the church's ease has further weakened it.
1 Corinthians 1:18 — The verse at the center of Les's teaching: the preaching of the cross is the power of God to the saved.
Romans 1:16 — Defines the Gospel as the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes.
2 Corinthians 4:3 — Explains why the Gospel seems powerless: it is hidden to those who are lost.
Revelation 3:17 — Pictures a church that calls itself rich yet is spiritually destitute—the condition Les applies to today's church.
The Bible repeatedly ties God's power to the message of the Gospel. Romans 1:16 calls the Gospel "the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth," and 1 Corinthians 1:18 says the preaching of the cross is "the power of God" to those who are saved, even though it is foolishness to those who are perishing. Scripture also warns that outward success can mask spiritual need: Revelation 3:17 describes a church that says "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing," yet does not know that it is "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." And 2 Corinthians 4:3 says that when the gospel is hidden, it is hidden only to those who are lost.
Les Feldick's core diagnosis is that the church is powerless because Paul's letters are the most neglected part of Scripture. He says this neglect is "the reason for the demise of the power of the church" and the reason churches can be filled with members yet spiritually destitute, just as Jesus described the Laodicean church. Les also teaches that the Gospel has too often been reduced to convenient clichés, and he warns that someone can be led into false security by simply taking Christ into his heart without understanding what Christ did on the cross.
Les Feldick points directly to the neglect of Paul's writings. He says they are the most neglected in Scripture today and gives that as the reason for the demise of the power of the church. He describes churches that are filled with members but spiritually destitute, matching the Laodicean church in Revelation 3, which thinks it is rich but is actually poor, miserable, wretched, blind, and naked.
Les says that too many times the Gospel has been reduced to clichés—handy little frames of words that people use because they are easy. He warns that people can be led into false security by taking Christ into their hearts without knowing the full truth of the matter. The full message, according to Les, is that Christ died for sin, shed His blood, was buried, and rose again.
According to Les, the power is in the preaching of the cross. He quotes 1 Corinthians 1:18—the cross is foolishness to those who perish but the power of God to those who are saved—and says that power is released when we believe the Gospel that Christ died, shed His blood, was buried, and rose again. He also says the Gospel is not just a ticket to heaven; it is the power of God.
Les says, "I think it's the worst thing that ever happened to the church that we've got it so good." He notes that the church grew when it was under pressure and warns that we may again face pressure in the near future. In Les's view, comfort and affluence have made the church weak rather than powerful.
Les turns to 2 Corinthians 4:3: "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost." He says the believer understands what the Gospel is about because it is what saved him, but the lost masses do not realize the plight they are in.
Gospel Reduced to Clichés
Les says the Gospel has too often been reduced to handy cliches instead of being presented as the full message that Christ died, was buried, and rose again.
Neglect of Paul's Writings
Les points to the neglect of Paul's epistles as the direct cause of the church's loss of power and compares today's church to Laodicea, rich in appearance but spiritually poor.
Gospel Hidden to the Lost
Les applies 2 Corinthians 4:3 to show that the gospel is hidden to those who are lost, which is why the message is not getting through to the world.
False Security of Clichés
Les warns that something like taking Christ into one's heart can produce false security if the person does not understand the cross.
Power of the Preaching of the Cross
Les explains that the preaching of the cross is the power of God to the saved and that this power is released only when one believes the gospel of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.
Power Greater Than Creation
Les says it took more of God's power to save a sinner than to create the universe, and that power is released by believing the Gospel.
The Gospel Is the Power of God
Les says the gospel is not simply a ticket to heaven; it is the power of God, and it cannot be earned—it is simply received.
Prosperity Weakens the Church
Les says the worst thing that happened to the church is that it has it so good; the church grew when it was under pressure.
Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Shows that the gospel itself is the vehicle through which God's saving power operates.
1 Corinthians 1:18: For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
The message of the cross is God's power to those being saved, even though the world considers it foolish.
2 Corinthians 4:3: But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
Explains why the gospel does not get through to those who are perishing.
Revelation 3:17: Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Identifies a church that appears rich but is spiritually destitute, which Les applies to the modern church.
Yes. He says the neglect of Paul's writings is the reason for the demise of the power of the church, and he describes churches that are filled with members but spiritually destitute.
He points to the neglect of Paul's letters, a gospel reduced to clichés, and the comfort of the church. He says the church grew when it was under pressure, and prosperity has made it weak.
It is the Gospel that Christ died for sin, shed His blood, was buried, and rose again. When that Gospel is believed, God's saving power is released.
He says that phrase can become a cliché. If it does not include understanding what Christ did on the cross, a person can be led into false security, since the only reason for having Christ in your heart is because of the cross.
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