The Naked
GOSPEL
Praise for
The Naked Gospel
How do you know a sailboat is maxed out in the wind? The authors wife, a sailboat captain, can tell you. It hydroplanes. How do you know its hydroplaning? You listen for the hum. This book shows you how to open the sails of your life to the winds of truth and max out in Gods Spirit. Read this book and hear the hum.
L EONARD S WEET ,
bestselling author of So Beautiful:
Divine Design for Life and the Church
Our culture screams at us, Productivity!and often, this mantra gets absorbed and spread by the church. Grace is a word we use often but rarely understand the depth and true meaning of. In The Naked Gospel, Andrew Farley strips down religion and shows us the faith and freedom God intends for us to have in a fully abundant, radiant life.
A NNE J ACKSON ,
speaker and author of Mad Church
What a great textbook on how to strip away all the religious fakery and take the challenge to just be a normal person while being a healthy Christian.
S TEVE A RTERBURN ,
founder and chairman
of New Life Ministries
Reading Andrew Farleys book The Naked Gospel harkened me back to my own faith-altering encounter with Jesus when I first embraced the outrageous idea of the exchanged life. That message dynamically changed me, which is why Im excited about Andrews booka biblically centered freedom manual for todays stuck Christian. If youre tired of wearing the Im a super Christian mask, if youre weary and discouraged on the inside, read this book and experience the freedom Jesus brings.
M ARY D EMUTH ,
author of Daisy Chain
The Naked Gospel is an intelligently written book that is thoroughly intriguing. Your church or small group could benefit greatly by its wisdom and concepts. This is a must-read!
D AVE S TONE ,
senior minister,
Southeast Christian Church
The message that Andrew Farley brings in The Naked Gospel is so necessary for the church today. It is absolutely essential for a fulfilling and genuinely Christ-centered life.
J OHN B EST , ThD,
former professor of New Testament
Literature and Exegesis,
Dallas Theological Seminary
For over three years, I have co-hosted radio and television programs with Dr. Andrew Farley. God has gifted this insightful teacher and author with the ability to communicate the meaning of the Scriptures with remarkable simplicity. The clarity of his words should refresh the spirit of every saint and beckon to the lost. The heart of his message is captured here, and it comes at the perfect time, when the United States, and indeed the whole world, is hungering for answers. The Naked Gospel is unabashed truth.
C HIP P OLK ,
cofounder and playwright,
Ragtown Gospel Theater
The Naked
GOSPEL
The Truth You May Never Hear In Church
Andrew Farley
ZONDERVAN
The Naked Gospel
Copyright 2009 by Andrew Farley
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Zondervan.
ePub Edition JULY 2009 ISBN: 978-0-310-56328-0
Requests for information should be addressed to:
Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Farley, Andrew, 1972-
The naked gospel : the truth you may never hear in church / Andrew Farley.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-0-310-29306-4 (softcover)
1. Christian life. 2. Theology, DoctrinalPopular works. I. Title.
BV4501.3.F36 2009
230-dc22 2008054098
This title is also available in a Zondervan audio edition. Visit www.zondervan.fm.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, Todays New International Version . TNIV. Copyright 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version . NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible. Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc., 7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920. www.alivecommunications.com
Interior design by Beth Shagene
09 10 11 12 13 14 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For my son, Gavina map.
Yeah, its really this good.
Its even better than I could explain.
Enjoy the New, and enjoy Him!
Im proud of you, boy.
Table of Contents
The naked gospel [is] discovering what was the gospel
which our Lord and his apostles preached; what additions
and alterations latter ages have made in it;
what advantages and damages have thereupon ensued.
Arthur Bury, 1691
Arthur Burys book titled The Naked Gospel
was burned by the church of his day.
T HE REAL, NAKED GOSPEL IS A LOT BETTER THAN ANY OF US REALIZE . A word of warning, though: You might throw this book down in disgust; you might pick it back up again in curiosity; you might shake your head in frustration as you wonder, How could I have missed this before? or Is this guy crazy?
When it comes to Christianity, I realize its more palatable to talk in generalities. Its risky to draw lines in the sand and confront disagreements. But you may have noticed that much of the New Testament was written to correct misunderstandings and false doctrine. Apparently, pushing absolutes and even splitting theological hairs are supposed to be part of healthy church life.
Christians today are grateful for Jesus and heaven. Some of us go to church every time the doors are open. Some listen to hundreds of sermons each year. Some memorize scores of Bible verses. Some even hold a few degrees in God stuff.
Despite all of our fervor, many of us are still apathetic instead of ecstatic over the gospel. But maybe theres an answer to our heartfelt yearning for more passion in our Christian life.
Is this kind of Christianitythe kind that replaces apathy with ecstasytoo good to be true? Actually, I believe its the only kind thats biblical. However, it seems that today its the truth you may never hear in church.
