I tagged an article from a Christian faith blog about a week ago that I've been meaning to write about, and I find I'm still somewhat at a loss for what can truly be said about the topic that isn't either blatantly obvious, has already been said and re-said and re-hashed into mush, or just curmudgeonly ranting about the "good old days".
The essence of the article was addressing the plethora of churches who, with their hearts in the right place for the most part, reach out to the unsaved of the world by trying to meet them where they are - loud music, bright lights, torn jeans; coffee shops and Instagram; Bible "translations" that paraphrase to the point of losing the context. The obvious reaction is the one implied by my quotation marks around the word "translations"... don't think you've succeeded when you "win the whole world but lose your soul" in the process.
Here's the critical guideline that all churches, missionaries, and believers must continually keep in mind when they interact with the world they (and we) live in: We are to be the salt and the light for the world. We are to be those with the Joy of Christ within us, those who live their lives differently from those we interact with, so that they ask us where that joy comes from that we possess. We are to be different, or else we have nothing to offer the world as Christians.
But somehow, we must meet the non-believer along the road to Damascus, if not halfway, then at least a few steps towards where they are. Too many Christians live in their Christian bubble, never interacting with non-believers at ALL! By definition, they are violating the Great Commission! Our purpose to remain on the earth is to share the Gospel, and bring the unsaved to Christ! Otherwise, God would have simply taken us all up the moment we're saved. It's not that unlike the political situation in 2016-17...liberals and conservatives are each getting their own news-services, hearing ONLY the "facts" they want to hear, talking with only like-minded people who reinforce their opinions. Our young people are demanding "safe spaces" on college campuses to prevent having to hear those who might disagree with them and make them think a little, make them defend their opinion. But the whole purpose of college was just that: to make students THINK!
Remember the tale of Lot in Genesis 19 - he had gone with his wife and two daughters to live in Sodom, thinking that as a man of God he was equipped to be a positive influence on the community. To some extent he succeeded; to a larger extent, Sodom exercised its influence on him and his family. When the angels come to the town square, seeking information and evidence on the city, and the lustful mob comes to rape (one might even say "sodomize") the two man-like angels, Lot's solution is almost as reprehensible: he offers his two virgin daughters to them to rape as they will in order to protect his guests. So, okay, five points for trying to protect the innocent guests, but minus several thousand for forsaking his daughters! (To their infinite dis-credit, the young ladies take care of losing their own virginities a couple of verses later, in an equally reprehensible way.) None of Lot's actions speak of a man whose principles were maintained against the pressure of Sodom's lifestyle; on the contrary, the city changed him without his realizing what it had done to him.
Don't think that because you're a Christian, you can go into a strip club and claim to be proselytizing the dancers or the Johns! It's far more likely you're the one who's going to change, even if you don't see it immediately, or at all. The same thing goes for violent video, pornography, casual profanity at the workplace, and just about anywhere else where the world is the one in control.
When in comes to the church, then, we are under an obligation to provide a contrast to what the world offers. If Sunday looks just like Tuesday, what are we offering? The critical element is not the presentation, not the preacher, not any of the bells and whistles at all, in fact.
The critical factor is the connection between the believer and God. If that occurs, then the rest of is unnecessary, and if that doesn't occur, then the rest of it is pointless.
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