I would like to thank you for the thoughts I received after yesterday's post. Great stuff. I do however sense a little confusion. In no way am I saying we should do away with the church, or am I speaking down to the church. I believe the church has been established by God for His purpose, and my only thought is to stay in constant evaluation of the actions of today's church to ensure we are truly doing all we can to be most successful at fulfilling God's purpose.
Sometimes when God brings a thought to your mind it pushes you to great lengths. It can cause a shift in personal philosophy and ideas drawing you closer to God and His will. Some because you realize you were wrong about some stuff, others because you realize you were right. My goal is to maintain within the boundaries of God's Holy Word, (since His Word never changes) and do all I can to reach the lost.
I would like to specifically respond to the comment I received which was stated as follows "as what you knew as fact yesterday, you question today." May we not forget that Saul of Tarsus believed he was doing all he could to serve God, by destroying the name of Jesus. It was only after the Holy Spirit opened his eyes that he saw the opposite to be true. He went on to be the number one church planting missionary of all time (the Apostle Paul). What he knew yesterday to be fact, he questioned today. May we never believe we have it all figured out, and that we have all the answers.
God is living and active in our lives, His word is living and active in our lives if we read it. I do not believe it is wrong to question anything, it is the questions that drive us to deepen our relationships, and stay true to the Word. Let us as Believers constantly strive to understand the will of God, and wrestle with His ways which are high above our ways.
On a much lighter note, I aim to lighten things up tomorrow on "Then They Will Know." Not that I oppose or shy away from deep theological thoughts, but I just feel like it! So for now I say farewell, and focus on the Savior!
From the EvanTell Toolbox by David Souther:
ReplyDelete"To 'contextualize' does not mean to change the gospel message: 'Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead!' That message has reached cultures around the world for the last 2000 years and will stay the same until Christ's return.
"Instead, 'contextualize' means 'to place into context'. In regard to the gospel, it means to communicate the good news in a way that is relevant. This is vital in evangelism. Each culture looks at the world in a specific way. If we ignore a person's background and worldview, we risk communicating a gospel that is misunderstood and distorted.
"One of the most effective ways to reach other cultures for Christ is to use appropriate illustrations. Because the unsaved mind is not accustomed to thinking in terms of Scripture, illustrations can clarify biblical truths. However, it is important to use illustrations that relate to your audience. An illustration about a home run would make no sense to someone who is unfamiliar with baseball.
"Research the culture you are trying to reach in order to understand their point of view. This will help you select illustrations that your audience will understand. Jesus provides a great example of this. He used simple illustrations and stories about fishing and farming; two subjects with which His audience was familiar. In the same way, we need to find illustrations that speak to the culture of our audience to make the terms of the gospel as clear and simple as possible."
If we want teens to receive Christ, we need to approach them in a place they get. Why do we expect them to come into churches full of older people who don't get them and want them to become like they are, so often passionless and rule bound? Places like Crossroads are meeting kids in the context of their lives, without compromising the gospel....they have the same passion as the kids and are directing the kids' passion toward Christ. Too many local churches squash that passion. How wonderful if these teens could grow up and bring that passion into the local church!