The Gospel According to the Beatles

The Pastor at First Baptist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma decided that for the next few weeks he's going to preach on the Gospel According to the Beatles. We think the warning words of the Apostle Paul from Galatians 1:6-9 are applicable here:

" I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Sorry but the Beatle's Gospel is a different gospel than the Biblical Gospel.

______

Comments

[jftheophilus]

Let's be honest.. who cares what the Beatles say about the Gospel. The Beatles are famous, famous for music.. they have no say in what the Gospel is about. Secondly, it's not even the Beatles talking about the Gospel... most likely he's going to play their songs & see what kind of "spiritual message" is behind it.
I'm sorry but this seems useless to me.

[Jud]

What next, The Gospel according to Alistir Crowley? ? The Gospel according to Yogi Maharishi Mahesh ? These are the spiritual influences of the Beatles so why don't we get even closer to the source of what made thee Beatles tick.

The intent of these pastors is for people to like them, they are people pleasers. The line of thinking is this... "If we can get people to like us, then they will love our Jesus." So they take pot shots at Christianity for quick laughs with their seeker services and present an "other" Gospel... and they prosper.

It is but for a season though.

[merry]

The Beatles were bigger than Jesus Christ--John Lennon said so himself! So a sermon series on the Beatles should attract more people than any other topic would . . .right?

(Just so no one is confused . . . I was sarcastically quoting a blasphemous statement to make a point--that this whole thing is a BAD idea.)

[TheGreatApostasy]

Wow. Where do I start?

Before I say anything, let me make it clear that I love the Beatles. But for their music. Only.

Anytime their songs dealt with any sort of spirituality, it was NOT the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not by any stretch of the imagination. There are many songs on their albums that I won't even listen to ever again because the songs aren't just vaguely spiritual, the songs are blatantly and outright Hindu (or one of it's many Western incarnations).

Before I became a Christian in my mid-20's (20+ years ago), the Beatles' spirituality "spoke to me." But it didn't lead me to the Gospel! It led me quite quickly in exactly the opposite direction.

"The Gospel According to the Beatles." Wow. That's just wrong on so many levels. And you'd think that a Baptist church would know better. :-(

[Eddie Snipes]

Simply amazing :(
Since one of their songs states, "Imagine there is no God...Imagine there is no heaven", I wonder what kind of gospel message can be gleaned from this. How about, "Imagine there is no doctrine and imagine we won't all stand before the judgment seat of Christ"

[shma]

As a young teen I had no use for the Beatles after John said they were more popular than God - to this day I have no use for the - if my church ever mentioned that I would never darken the doors!!!!!

[David Richardson]

Let me ask you all a question: Do you know anything about this sermon series other than the title? To condemn it without knowing much at all about the content is a bit premature isn't it? The pastor has a name. It's Deron Spoo. Before you slam him on the internet (which takes very little courage), how about contact him or his church and ask about the specifics of this series. Don't let a post by "a little leaven" do your thinking for you.

[Mrs. Pilgrim]

Mr. Richardson, the point here is that this is not only remarkably kitschy, but terribly inappopriate, given the stated beliefs of the members of the band in question.

"The Gospel According to" is reserved for those who actually were THERE to witness it go down, and believed it.

[merry]

Mr. Richardson, let me ask YOU a question: Do you know anything about the Beatles other than the fact that they're a band? To justify a sermon series on them without knowing much at all about who they are is a bit premature isn't it? I'm glad to hear your pastor has a name. A unique one, too. Before you defend him on the internet (which isn't exactly an act of bravery, either), how about asking him what exactly his motives were and then discern them for yourself? Don't let your Pastor Spoo do his thinking for you.

[David Richardson]

Mrs. Pilgrim, what is "inappopriate" (as you spell it)about this? Did Rev. Spoo say in his sermon series that the beliefs of the band members are correct? Did Rev. Spoo agree with them and disagree with Scripture? What exactly did he say that is so "inappopriate" (as you spell it) in his sermon series? If you don't care for the title of the series, that's fine; however, it's incredibly shallow to slam on a sermon series when you do not know the actual content of the message. Can we not show a little more depth than this?

[David Richardson]

Merry - I got a really good laugh at your response. Thanks for that! Let me catch you up on a few things: [#1] Yes, I do know about the Beatles. Who doesn't? [#2] Rev. Spoo is not my pastor. You see, I do not have to be directly under someone else's influence in order to stand up for what is right. [#3] If you would read my post before shooting off your response, you would notice that I did not defend him. I simply asked why people are slamming Rev. Spoo for something so simple as a sermon series title without knowing about the specific content. It is irresponsible for any of you, Merry, to slam him on the internet when you have not even heard the sermon. [#4] If you want to talk about bravery, I put up my first and last name, as well as my blog. I'm the one who is open and honest about who I am. No hiding going on here. Care to reveal more about yourself? That is, after all, brave.

[merry]

Dear Mr. Richardson,

Revealing myself on the internet may be brave, but I think it is more stupid than brave. It is a lot more safe for you, an adult male, to reveal who you are than it is for me, a teenage female. Actually I DO use my real first name on here (spelled differently because I think it looks cuter), but to use my real first and last name I think is just asking for trouble. Actually I HAVE revealed quite a bit about myself in comments througout this site, but I'd rather not give out specifics. I'd rather not be stalked. And let me make one thing perfectly clear: I do not say things on the internet that I would not say to someone's face. I did not say anything to you that I wouldn't say to your face. It has nothing to do with bravery. It has everything to do with honesty. I don't think I'm being dishonest about using my real first name on here. I don't think I'm being cowardly, either.

Sincerely,

Merry (<--- real first name)

[Jim Mc.]

Just so we're clear concerning the theological stance taken by the Beatles --

God is a Concept by which
we measure our pain
I'll say it again
God is a Concept by which
we measure our pain
I don't believe in magic
I don't believe in I-ching
I don't believe in Bible
I don't believe in Tarot
I don't believe in Hitler
I don't believe in Jesus
I don't believe in Kennedy
I don't believe in Buddha
I don't believe in Mantra
I don't believe in Gita
I don't believe in Yoga
I don't believe in Kings
I don't believe in Elvis
I don't believe in Zimmerman
I don't believe in Beatles
I just believe in me...and that reality

John Lennon
From the song "God"

[Mrs. Pilgrim]

Mr. Richardson, thank you for pointing out the one uncaught typographical error of which I'm guilty in the last three weeks.

As we're speaking of spelling and grammatical errors, may I remind you that "slam" is a transitive verb? It is not possible to "slam on" something in the context wherein you use said verb.

It is incorrect to use two active verbs in the same clause; you must separate them with a comma. Thus, you should have rendered it: "Did Rev. Spoo agree with them, and disagree with Scripture?"

It is incorrect to numerate within a paragraph by placing the numerals in brackets, or to precede said numerals with a pound/number sign. You should have rendered it: "(1) [content]; (2) [content];" and so forth.

A dash is indicated, in correct typography, by two hyphens ("--").

"Internet" is capitalized.

"If you want to talk about bravery, I put up my first and last name, as well as my blog." The first phrase and the principal clause are not directly related. Some may regard this as stylistically acceptable, but it is not correct.

"No hiding going on here." This is a fragment, not a full sentence.

...Sir, do not trifle with me in the realm of linguistics. You will find yourself pathetically outgunned, and revealed as a hypocrite.

Furthermore, it is wildly inappropriate for a grown man to demand that a minor reveal her identity on the Internet. You will kindly refrain from requesting that she endanger herself.

[Trent Kastman]

This is really not surprising considering that several Christian rock groups site the Beatles as one of their influences. Caedmon's Call, the Galactic Cowboys, and Jars of Clay(their guitarist is said to be a "Beatles fanatic"), among others site the Beatles as one of their influences. For a long time, DC Talk started their concerts with the Beatles "Help" and Mayfair Laundry(their name comes from a scene in a Beatles movie) sings the Beatles' song "Here Comes the Sun."
So this really shouldn't come as a shock to anyone.

[Mrs. Pilgrim]

Mrs. Pilgrim - While I read your essay on the finer points of linguistics, I kept thinking to myself: "Is this the only argument she has? Is this really it?" Your response has proved that you have no real argument of substance in this discussion. As for the minor in this discussion, you need to rethink your position. I did not know she was a minor. I did not "demand" she do anything. I did not request that "she endanger herself." Once she stated she was a minor, I stopped all discussion with her. You, Maam, need to learn to read more closely before you offer your feedback. It will make your posts at least appear respectable on the surface. Now that I have read your highly emotional response that lacked any trace of meaningful content, I will close out this discussion. Sincerely, David Richardson

[Mrs. Pilgrim]

Mr. Richardson, I also congratulate you on judging me more harshly than you believe I have a right to judge you. There's a word for that.

I rather knew that your next attempt on my intellectual integrity would be to respond to my extensive discussion of your grammatical hypocrisy with a casual "She can't argue the points of fact." Of course, your OWN first response to me was not REMOTELY marred by your repeated reference to my one typo. Additionally, sir, if you would do yourself the kindness of rereading my response, you might realize that the tone is exceedingly clinical. I didn't once call you a moron, as is my wont when I am feeling genuinely "emotional."

Very well, sir, as you wish to challenge me yet again, I will do you the courtesy of meeting you on your own grounds.

The title of anything is expected to be indicative of its content. In titling this sermon series "The Gospel According to the Beatles," the deliverer thereof implies that the Beatles have some insight to offer into the events surrounding Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Please refer to the similar titles of the first four books of the New Testament.

I have viewed the topics of the two installments thus far in this series. One of them is "Eleanor Rigby," and is supposed to speak to the subject of "lonely people." To be frank, the song on its face is rather irrelevant, and its deeper meaning appears to mock people who live out seemingly irrelevant lives--much like "Penny Lane."

The other that is currently available is "When I'm Sixty-Four," and deals with the topic of "old age." It's a nice little love song, but it's terribly insecure.

Does this satisfy you that I have done some investigation?

Do you wish me to concede that this series is nauseatingly clever? Very well: yes, it is. Do you wish me to call it a magnificent idea to build a sermon series around the songs of a group of men whose spiritual lives were (and are) an abomination before the Lord? I will do no such thing.

Very simply expressed, Mr. Richardson, my position is that pandering to the shallow, worldly tastes of shallow, worldly Christians by exegeting the musical ruminations of godless heathen, rather than exegeting the Bible itself, is not only absurd, but an insult to my Lord, our God. He needs no help from those who rejected Him.

...Oh, and Mr. Richardson? Kindly sign your comments in your own name, not mine. You're confusing the bystanders.

Your humble servant,
Mrs. Wayfarer Pilgrim

[merry]

Mrs. Pilgrim,
I'd like to thank you for standing by me even though Mr. Richardson thought you ought to do differently. I wasn't concerned about me being a minor as much as I was appalled by the man's lack of common sense. Thanks for the support.:)

Mr. Richardson,
A simple apology would have been fine. I would have quickly forgiven you. You didn't know. You didn't need to be so defensive in your comments to Mrs. Pilgrim--her arguments were no worse than yours; in fact many of them were in direct response to your own. I went to your blog and was surprised to see you are a pastor? I'm sorry that most of your comments did not reflect that. You came here on your own to defend another church's silly sermon title. Why? It didn't do anything. Go back and read this entire argument. It's rather ridiculous, isn't it? I'm sorry I jumped in and made fun of your comment. It wasn't necessary.

[jftheophilus]

It's probably that "who is the church for?" view that is the difference between Mr. Richardson & yourself Mrs. Pilgrim. I would be so bold as to fancy the guess that you & I view the church service as for believers, whereas Mr. Richardson probably sees it as an evangelistic time.
I personally believe that the Gospel should be stated for the unbelievers who do make their way into the church service, but the church service is primarily for the equipping of the saints.

If that's the case then I can see how the clever "Gospel According to the Beatles" would be used to entice the lost to enter...

With the view I stated I do not see how that would have any real value to it. If the church service is for the saints then who cares about the Beatles?

[Mrs. Pilgrim]

Merry, you're welcome. It's a pleasure to call you my sister.

J.F. Theophilus, your boldness is merited, and rewarded. Glad we're on the same page, brother.

[Trent Kastman]

I'd like to make a correction to my post: I meant to say cite, not site. Thanks for allowing me to correct my error.

[Joy]

Oh my goodness, folks, I almost can't believe some of the pettyness. We are brothers and sisters and we are fighting amongst each other here on the INTERNET!!!

This almost makes me more sad than some of the crazy stuff I read about on this blog.

[Chus]

wow!!!! How quick we are to judge. I wonder if any of you has bothered to go to that church (if in Tulsa), or to visit the website and listen to the recorded sermons. I would recommend you do that before judging this particular pastor. The name of the series is the one mentioned above, but the ONLY Gospel preached in this church, and through this "message title", is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[Jerad Thompson]

I would first like to thank you "loyal fans" of A Little Leaven.com, you have shown me the true face of the modern Pharisee. Since you have all deemed this series so inappropriate with out even knowing the pastor's name, as is evidenced above, I am sure this message will fall in deaf ears, but here goes: The theme of today's sermon was "all you need is love" and yes, this song was sung this morning in church before the message. The ACTUAL GOSPEL was from 1 John 4:7-12. The tie in was made with the fact that the Beatles sing mostly of love (the entirety of their 1st 2 albums) and love is mentioned 13 times in these 4 verses (and over 700 times in the entire scripture). The passage, as I am sure you zealots already know, is about GODS LOVE and that IT IS ALL YOU NEED. Specifically, that we should love one another, because love comes from God. The irony here is that the first 2 verses of this sermon I believe should be studied and meditated over by all of us: "Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. You see, what Reverend Spoo was trying to do is relate to people in his community by using a commonly known theme to show God's love. Much as Jesus used parables that illustrated every day issues faced by his listeners to reveal God's love, the connection here isn't that complex - "All You Need Is Love" and God is love, therefore all you need is God. I hope this sheds a little light on what this series is all about, now that you have an example, you can decide for yourselves. I would just like to close with one of my life verses, as it applies to why I think this site is off base on this one: "To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings." 1 Cor. 9:22

Yours in Christ,
Jerad.

P.S. Did any of you know that John Lennon loved to listen to Oral Robert's sermons, and had regular dialogues with Mr. Roberts about God, and according to biographers of Lennon, even professed Jesus to be Lord, and just to drive home the point, he put his money where his mouth was with several thousand dollars in donations to Mr. Robert's ministry—Just food for thought.

[Nikki]

I personally see nothing wrong with the sermons. Nowhere does this pastor claim that The Beatles were Christians or even religious people. The sermons are about the universal themes in the music.

If I'm not mistaken, todays sermon featured the song "All You Need Is Love". The Beatles were asked to have a song for a program that would be aired around the world that would appeal to anyone, no matter their nationality. The theme? Love.

One of the passages that Pastor Spoo related this to was 1 John 4:7-11.

"Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God -- for God is love.God Showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that God loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other."

"All You Need Is Love"

Pastor Spoo also brought up another passage, Mark 12:28-31. When Jesus was asked what was most important, he replied with two things:
LOVE your neighbor as youself.
LOVE God with all your heart.

"All You Need Is Love"

This is only one example of this series. Pastor Spoo is simply relating the themes of the songs with scripture. He is not, in any way, saying that The Beatles, as people, were good models of Christianity. His goal is for people to remember the things the bible says about lonliness, old age, love, and other things that EVERYONE deals with whenever they hear these songs. The Beatles were, are, and probably always will be popular. People relate to them. Why not use them to teach us lessons?

[Cathy]

If you haven't actually listened to the sermons, you have no reason to comment. If you have then, of course, you can form your own opinion. You must admit one thing, however, even the name of the sermons have people talking and discussing God, Christianity and religion and we certainly need more of that here in the United States.

I have listened to the sermons and find them extremely appropriate. Jesus used all types of people and situations to bring his message. Are you saying that just because the tax collector and the prostitute are considered sinners one should avoid them, never talk to them or about them and not use them. Matthew would have certainly been lost if that were the case.

[A Member of FBC Tulsa - Sue Wilson]

I'm not an eloquent writer, but I want to tell you what's on my heart in my plain simple language.

How unlucky you all are that you have not had the opportunity to hear these sermons in person. If you have listened to them on the internet, I'm sure you will agree that our Lord is glorified. Nothing is glorified at our church but our Lord. Our mission at First Baptist Church Tulsa is just that------to glorify God in all we do. I am 56 years old (soon to be 57) and have been a Christian for 44 years; a member of FBC - Tulsa for 32 years, a Southern Baptist for 39 years. Being a Baptist is not important. Being a Christian is. I'm only a Baptist because I found out the Baptist's have the best music in church. All Christian religion's doctrine should always be and only be ---the Bible.

If you have heard these sermons or any sermon of Deron Spoo, please don't tell anyone how inspiring he is to our congregation and how much the members at FBC love him. We don't want anyone to steal him away. I personally need him here to remind me of what I'm supposed to be to others. Oh, and by the way, he is very spiritual and preaches God's Word. But he is not a stick in the mud.

We seem to live in a very critical world these days with the ability to put down anyone and any idea that is different from our own in politics and religion. I just can't go along with that way of thinking. Creativity is something that should be appreciated in all aspects of life-----even religion. (I was not so creative in the 60's and 70's to live by the slogan, If It Feels Good, Do It---though. My generation is paying for that way of life now.) God uses sinners and we are all sinners, so John Lennon and Paul McCartney's songs have some depth to them. If nothing else, they were/are master musicians. And if you listen to Deron's sermon today and read the many verses regarding "JOY" in the Bible, you might interpret what I have lived by for all of my life-----Christians should NOT be fuddy duddies. Deron just wants to show us we can have fun as Christians. God invented it.
Growing up with the Beatles' music, I appreciated their talents and abilities to write catchy songs. I'm also a professional singer, singing with the Symphony here in Tulsa, and understand the difficulty in writing good music. (Not much going on these days in that area----especially in some of the contemporary Christian music. I hope that changes soon.) Nothing about these Beatles songs that have been topics for sermons have been protrayed as the "word from God"; yet, God uses even sinners to get a point across.
I was very aggrevated in the 60's at John Lennon's remark of popularity, too, but I also realized that John Lennon needed God. Maybe that is why he sought out discussions with Billy Graham and Oral Roberts, and contributed money to ORU, here in Tulsa. I've put a call into a good friend of mine who produced John Lennon's and Paul McCartney's albums to see if John Lennon ever found Christ in his heart. He appeared to be searching. I'll let you know when he calls back. He once told me he asked John Lennon to please have body guards with him when he left his condo in NYC. John told him there was always a large group of people in front of his condo, so he wasn't worried. I'm sorry for John's sake he didn't listen to my friend's advice.

My perception of the sermons so far are:
1. Eleanor Rigby, she was so lonely. She was so sad and no one even noticed her----not even the Priest where she went to church. The point was being a disciple of Christ. Why do we as Christians let our members become so lonely and never help an orphan, widowed, divorced or single person to see if they just need someone to talk to? Or something different to eat. I surely want my life to be more significant than Eleanor Rigby's was, and I pray I help people in some way.
2. When I'm 64. Paul McCartney wrote this song as a tribute to his own father who was 64 at the time. What kind of tribute have you given your Father in Heaven? Are you honoring God in your life?
3. Yesterday. Don't live in the past. Don't live in the religious world of 1963. We have all made mistakes for which we are troubled. Don't beat yourself up for the sins God has already forgiven you for----if you have asked for God's forgiveness. (We don't need man's forgiveness or approval---something I'm adding.) Go forward and live each day as a gift from God and in His Word.
3. All You Need is Love. The Gospel of Christ is all about love---mentioned over 500 times in the Bible. There are three types of love, Eros, Phile and Agape. Agape love is the Love of God. Don't be so critical, don't be so judgmental thinking you know what is in someone's heart. You don't know nor will ever know. Love one another as Jesus told us to do. The Love of God we sang so beautifully today as a congregation-------an old song that Deron recited the second verse. Loving God is the most important thing we can do. But more than anything else, the Love of God is so powerful and great, we can't empty the ocean if it were ink to write how wonderful God's love is.

These are as I heard the sermons. I'm sure I have left out some important points, but I hope this has given a glimpse of our Pastor and church.

Am I defending Deron Spoo??? You bet your bippy I am. He doesn't need me to defend him, though. His life as a husband and father and his pastoring are the example of what we need to be striving for-------loving God and helping those in need.

[Gayle]

As a member of First Baptist Church, Tulsa, I would recommend that you click on the link at the top of this page, and go to the "Messages" link on our website. There you can listen to any of Deron Spoo's sermons and make an informed assessment of the content. You might also like to read our mission statement and see the many ways we are bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ in Tulsa and around the world.

[Sally]

I agree with Chus, don't judge a book by its cover. After reading all the comments on here, I watched a few sermons for myself. I think they are quite interesting and I will always remember the pastor's messages everytime I hear the songs.

[Chris]

Chus,

I appreciate your comments. To be upfront and honest with everyone reading, I am a member of First Baptist Church, Tulsa. Therefore, I probably have a fairly biased opinion on this subject. I have been "entertained", for the lack of a better word, by some of the postings on this sermon series. We, as Christians, can be very quick to judge others. I think we all need to read Matthew 7 again. Don't judge a book by it's cover and don't judge a sermon series, or a church for that matter, by it's title. Just for the record, the sermons that Pastor Spoo has delivered over the past month have been excellent. I would encourage anyone that questions how you could mix the Bible and The Beatles to listen to at least one of the archived sermons in this series. I would personally recommend Help! on August 26th or Yesterday on September 2nd. By the way, the Beatles aren't the only "secular" music group that have inspired sermons. Many pastors have based sermons on music from the Irish rock band U2. In fact, many Episcopal churches have held "U2 Eucharist" services in an attempt to raise money to help the needy. To summarize:
We shouldn't be so quick to judge according to name, appearance,etc... As The Bible (and Bono from U2) teaches us, the Spirit moves in mysterious ways.

[A Member of First Baptist Church in Tulsa]

As a member of First Baptist in Tusa, I'm REALLY glad that I stumbled onto this discussion. It seems that some of you may have jumped to an incorrect conclusion about what's actually being preached at our church, and I'm really happy to attempt to clear up some of the misperceptions that I've seen here. Frankly, I'm also a little saddened by how judgmental some of the posts here have been, but then again this IS the Internet and I know that many of you only know what you've read here at this site...

The Beatles are NOT (I repeat: NOT) being put on a par with Scripture in this series of sermons-- nor are they being quoted with any Biblical or spiritual authority. What our pastor is doing in his sermons is taking a theme from a particular Beatles' song and then looking to see what the Bible has to say about it. Nothing radical or controversial going on here!

For example, last week we looked at the notion that "All You Need Is Love." However, the TEXT that was studied in this sermon was 1 John 4:7-21. Aside from the sermon's title, there wasn't anything in this lesson that was terribly different from what you'd expect to hear in any other Baptist church. All three Sunday services were packed, and all three included God's plan for salvation.

Yes, our pastor is young and has a sense of humor. He's always said, from the very first day that we hired him, that his goal was to pastor the kind of church that he'd like to attend himself if he weren't on the staff. If it's a sin to have a little fun in church, then by all means, condemn our congregation and our pastor for not living up to your high standards... but please, I'd love to see where the Scripture says you have to go around with a scowl, like you've been sucking lemons all morning.

I do know that my KJV says not to judge, that we're all members of the same body of Christ, and that it's a good idea to remove the telephone pole from your own eye before trying to brush a speck out of somebody else's.

Spoken with love and in HIS name,

~J

[Tulsa Citizen, have attended 2 sermons]

When reading all the negativity about the preacher of this series, I will admit at first, I was quick to judge. I saw the bill board driving to work--"The Gospel, according to the Beatles." I thought this was horrible, but I gave it a try. The pastor's reasoning for this is completly understandable. If people, including myself, would take a step back and see things for what they really are, judgement would not be so quick. In fact isn't judging sinful? The pastor of this series made use of the beatles to get God's word across. Whatever it takes. Another thing, I am not defending John Lennon's statement about being bigger than Jesus, but in the world we live in, can we say he was wrong in reality. The beatles were being watched more than any preacher. People need to look at what is most important in their lives and always put God first, but this is not always the case. Think about it, superbowl can be bigger than Jesus in the view of some people. I know that nothing is more powerful or bigger than Jesus, but in today's world's view; something like that is not too far from the sad sad truth.

[Mike Cook]

I have been talking to a couple of friends of mine regarding the flurry of blogs surrounding the message series "The Gospel According to the Beatles" at First Baptist Church in Tulsa. I told them I wanted to put in my two cents, but they both said I should let it be. I said that not voicing an opinion would get you no where man, but they were sure it was a bad idea. I told them we can work it out.
At that juncture Rocky and Rita called my other friend Maxwell to seek his opinion. Maxwell agreed I should proceed although they did have a hard time hearing his reply over the pinging of what they thought sounded like a hammer hitting someone in the head.
I prayed and contemplated and God brought me the answer. Spoo wasn’t asking, “do you want to know a secret?” Nor did he ever say anything about starting some sort of Baptist revolution, even though as Christians, we all want to change the world. His only point as I saw it was we should follow the son.
Now I know it probably seems a bit perverse to drag some theology out of some Beatles lyrics. But didn’t Jesus draw in the odd and the outcast. Wasn’t one of his disciples a taxman?
Michelle is another close friend of mine who makes her living as a paperback writer. She reminded me that a day in the life of a Christian is seeking a closer relationship with Jesus and sharing his love with others…(that means the heathen and the non-heathen alike). Could it be she asked, “that Spoo has found some clever way to bring the word to people who may be curious about this true Gospel of Jesus Christ?” “Does it nourish those who know Jesus and might it make others curious to seek him?” she asked.
It grew close to lunch as we chatted and I required sustenance to fuel my brain, but all I could do was stutter and contemplate these thoughts, so I told her “baby you can drive my car”. After a belly buster sub at the Yellow Submarine I felt confident I could carry that weight. I had to tell her, in my life I had never heard a series of sermons that pointed more to God.
As I sat down to write this blog I got an email from Jojo. I met him when he lived in Tuscon Arizonza a while back. He has since moved to California for something having to do with some type of vegetation that grows out there. I’m not quite sure what that’s all about. I filled him in on all the hoopla and he said “ you know man, I work eight days a week out here trying to let the world know about Jesus. If some dude in Tulsa Oklahoma can suck a little theology out of the four lads and lead some people to the Jesus, then as far as I’m concerned, he’s got a ticket to ride.” I told Jojo that when he left Tuscon, I thought he was a loner. Now I know he isn’t.
So with a little help from my friends, I make my case. Isn’t Spoo just doing the do for the Father?

I too am a member of Tulsa FBC. This series is about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Nothing else. I invite you to listen to the web casts or come and see us this Sunday and make up your own mind about it. I’ll save you a seat.

Mike Cook

[Nikki]

Mike Cook, you just made my day. : )

[Steve from Phoenix]

Wow! What an interesting Blog. I just wanted to comment on you folks from the Babtist Church, you really rock. I agree with all said and being this said if any of you from there in Tulsa happen to go to Phoenix please stop by at the Calvary Church on I-17 between Cactus rd. and Thunderbird rd. on the second friday of every month I play in a Beatle band. We are all over six ft. three in. and go by the name of BeTalls. We change the lyrics to Gospel and Love to play music for our Lord Jesus at our Hebrew coffee shop. Please visit if you get a chance

God Bless you all

[Student]

I confess...I didn't read evey word of what has been posted. I caught the headlines and skimmed it until something caught my eye and I studied it further.

Kinda like when I started reading the Bible.

Kinda like when I started attending First Baptist Church several months ago.

I don't know much about the Beatles. Pastor Spoo has pointed out numerous facts about them during this series but I don't recall them anymore than I did before having grown up listening to the radio.

In fact, I probably would have to stop and think about the specifics of the sermons in general....that's just who I am. And that's why I take notes and cut out the little part of the announcement to keep in my Bible. I'm human...I forget things.

I found his comment today about "Hey Jude" being about children of divorce and it caught my attention since I think that's a tough thing to deal with. Glad someone's thinking of them even if its not the actual parents.

And I caught wind of this song we sang at invitation I hadn't heard before that I came to find piano music for hoping I could learn to play it.

And I found someone who shared my understanding of the raging fire (or "Revolution) of God's Kingdom existing within each one of us. I have believed for a long time that this growing will happen and it is us that stunts its growth. Let me elaborate for a moment...

Does anything in all creation seem more perfect, precious and without flaw than a newborn child? I often wonder if there was a fathomable way to not allow the world to interfere with the growing of that child what the result be?

Isn't it true that man (humans) were created in the perfect image of God? Isn't it reasonable to believe that a newborn child is just about as close to God as we could get?

Isn't it us (the world) who introduces flaws to the child?

I don't think they know how to lie, cheat, steal or commit insider trading naturally...I think we have to teach them.

But what if we didn't?

What if we added no stumbling block to the path of that child and let them be? How fare would the fire of God live through that child? How strong could it grow?

You have made an issue out of a series in a church entitled "The Gospel According to the Beatles"....good or bad feelings...I'm honored you have them.

Follow what you beleive to be "...true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—..." Philipians 4:8 (NIV)but follow it with fervor.

Let your fire for God burn....and don't cast obstacles before those who burn as well.

[Frank]

A member for 42 years of FBC and listened to Hultgren,Shaw, & Spoo.When he started I was taken aghast whe he showed "The Matrix" on a sunday evening in Fellowship hall.One of the deacons approached him to not show this but he did it anyway.That deacon left FBC and went to another church in town(I don't know which one)but I couldn't figure what this has to do with the teachings of Christ.Now he has gospel according to the Fab Four which I couldn't understand how it lead any one to Christ.Besides,even though John listened to Oral that doesn't necessarily '...make it better'.The crowd in FBC is changing and the older people who listened to Storey and Hultgren are dying off.Warren Hultgren said there would always be a church at 4th & Cincinnati but it may not be a baptist church.Throughout Spoo's messages he does make comments in a snide way directed to southern baptists. As long as he preaches the true gospel that's okay with me but I think he's trying to break away from being a southern baptist and become an Amerian baptist.

[jordan]

this is an ABOMINATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THIS IS TOTAL TRAVESTY
THIS IS HOW SATAN WANTS TO DESTROY CHURCHES,

ITS LIKE THESE CHURCHES HAVE THIER CONSCIENCES SEAREED WITH A HOT IRON~!

BEATLES WERE ALL ABOUT DO WHAT YOU WANT!

[Devon]

I don't know about this...it really is gimmicky to say the least!

But I guess it could be worse...the gospel according to the Rolling Stones...oy...

Honestly though, I also have enjoyed the Beatles music but the actual musicians themselves were quite anti christ and that was according to a close associate of theirs...

Granted, one needs to pray for Paul and Ringo...I don't know where they are at....

I just can't imagine people like Tozer or Ravenhill or Sproul or many others having EVER to resort to gimmicks to preach the pure gospel of Christ?