Eternal Life Music

Movie Commentary: “Lord Save Us From Your Followers”

// April 22nd, 2010 // Articles

Full Title: “Lord Save Us From Your Followers – The Movie” a documentary by Dan Merchant.

This film poses and addresses the question: “Why is the gospel of love dividing America?”  In my opinion, it falls far short of giving a truthful answer to the question.

 Having watched the film in its entirety, I was quite disappointed and I’ll explain why.  But first, let me address what I love about this film.  The film attempts to focus on the love of Jesus Christ, and what are presented as the general failures of the church as a whole (Christ’s followers) to display that love.  Point noted.  Christians in general should be very mindful to show the world the love of Christ, and to make every effort to absolutely always operate in love for God and love for other people.  So, what I love about this film is the call to do better in displaying the love of Christ, and to being more compassionate in general.  Amen.  Truth without love is heartless; and heartlessness is certainly not Christlike.

 The film goes so far as to depict Dan Merchant at a homosexual festival of some sort welcoming non-Christians into a confession booth, wherein he makes confession and apologizes to them on behalf of the church.  When all is said and done, they accept his apology, everybody’s happy, everybody gets along, nobody’s life is changed, and nobody comes to a saving knowledge of  Jesus Christ.  Love without truth is pointless; and pointlessness is certainly not Christlike.  Dan Merchant’s approach appeared to be very disarming, but at no point does the film depict Dan Merchant or anyone else giving anyone the Gospel of our salvation, i.e., the “word of truth” which is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes. (Eph. 1:13; Romans 1:16).  Romans 10:14 poses the following questions: “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”  This film would leave one with the impression that it is hateful or hurtful to tell someone the Gospel truth.  It suggests doing so is not loving, and that it is not Christlike.  In love, I beg to differ.

Consider two questions: (1) What was Jesus’ reason for coming as our Messiah? (2) What was his purpose in coming.  Both questions can be answered biblically and concisely.  Jesus’ reason for coming was love.  John 3:16-18 explains: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”  This points us immediately to the answer to our second question: Jesus’ purpose in coming was to bear witness to the truth so that men might believe and be saved.  Consider the Messiah’s own words: “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world – to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”  John 18:37.

The purpose of the church is no different.  We are called to bear witness to the truth, motivated by love.  We are not called to speak truth without love.  Yet we are called to do more than make a mere showing of love without bearing witness to the truth (even non-Christians do that).  “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ[.]”  Eph. 4:15.  Thus the mature Christian is called to properly balance both truth and love, speaking truth in love.  The church is indeed guilty of not being perfect in this regard.  But let’s not lose sight of our ultimate goal: “that the world might be saved through him.”

Revisiting the premise of the film – “Why is the gospel of love dividing America?” –  perhaps the more properly phrased question would be: why is “the word of truth” dividing America (or anyplace else)?  Again the bible provides clear and concise answers.  Jesus said:

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”  Matthew 10:34-35.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”  John 15:18-19.

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  Matthew 5:11-12.

“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets. But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”  Luke 6:26-28.

Clearly and without question, God intended for the Gospel to be divisive.  It may not sound loving, but it is the truth.  You won’t hear these passages in this film, but they are still truth.  And in truth, the divisive nature of the Gospel is loving, because God’s aim is to divide sinners from the sin that condemns them to hell.  It is a rescue mission; and “the word of truth” is both the life-line, and the dividing line.

I do recommend this film for all Christians for all the things that I love about it.  But I caution that it must be processed in light of the truth of God’s word.

Todd Barnes for EternalLifeMusic.com