Tek7 (Legacy)
CGA & ToJ President
That being said, I have some issues with local churches in America. The phrase "Marketing the church," I believe, aptly fits many American churches. My wife and I have been seeking a home church for over a year now. Lacking a home church in which to get involved has been a great burden at times, but it has also provided many experiences in which to gather information about the state of the local church. I must admit that my experiences are limited to Tulsa, Oklahoma and St. Louis, Missouri. While I believe I can interpolate some general "trends" in local churches across the nation, I understand that cultures and sub-cultures may vary according to region.
I strongly believe that churches are called to preach the Gospel. While church buildings should serve as a meeting point and "staging area" for evangelism efforts and an invitation given to accept Christ as Savior included in every church service, I also believe that church services should focus more heavily on training and equipping Christians--not so they can feel better about themselves or enjoy a latte before service, but rather so they can serve God according to the plan He has for their lives. This includes both general (applicable to all Christians, e.g. seek the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind) and specific (e.g. quit your job and serve as a missionary in Africa) instruction. Church staff, especially pastors, must take special care to identify the difference between the two and give more time to general instruction while encouraging each individual to seek specific instruction from God.
Paul stated that he became all things to all men so that by all possible means he might save some. This verse does not contradict Jesus' statement that he would divide families. This is obviously not a matter of malice on Christ's part, but rather a recognition of the inevitable effect his life, death, and resurrection would have on societies in general and family units in particular. The two verses may seem "out of tune," but recognize that Paul, while approaching different churches and cultures with a different style, always taught the same message.
Consider the Gospels: All share information key to the Gospel message. Yet there are four books, each intended for a different audience.
Paul, along with the authors of the Gospel, was seeking to contextualize, not diminish or alter, the truth of Christ's offer of redemption for humanity. Similarly, the church is charged with the mission to deliver the message of the Gospel to unbelievers (often outside the doors of the church) and help equip Christians to preach the Gospel to those in their particular sphere of influence. Your pastor has one set of friends, you likely have another. Both of you have separate opportunities to share the truth of Christ's gift; both of you are called to fulfill the Great Commission.
My issue is not so much with contextualizing the Word of God, considering your audience and building a message with that particular audience in mind. If that is what is meant by "seeker sensitive," then I have misunderstood the term and believe semantics, not intentions or differing approaches, are the cause for disagreement.
What I am seeing in the church today is not contextualizing so much as marketing. Symptoms of the marketing phenomenon include emphasis on building programs, overuse of anecdotes rather than Scriptures, and a conspicuous lack of teaching on church history. I have heard few pastors explain the context of first-century culture to facilitate understanding of Jesus' parables and Paul's letters. On the other hand, I believe I may have heard only one or two sermons this last year that did not begin with an anecdote. I'm not against anecdotes in principle, but stories should facilitate understanding of the Bible, not merely elicit a chuckle from the congregation. While preachers should consider their audience, they should also remember that their purpose is instruction, not entertainment.
I see churches with shiny web sites, shiny buildings, and beautiful people in the congregation. I have to wonder, would the sinners with whom Jesus ate feel comfortable visiting a modern church? While the church building is intended primarily for believers, church members should be praying for the same compassion that motivated Jesus. Helping those less fortunate and serving the Lord are one and the same. We should search for ways to love sinners while maintaining a violent hatred of sin. In the last year, I have read announcements for far more potluck dinners, events involving donuts, and retreats than efforts to feed, clothe, and befriend those less fortunate. Many local churches, at least in the midwest, are filled with row upon row of middle class or upper-middle class citizens.
Many middle class and upper-middle class have a skewed vision of reality, placing far too much importance on getting that shiny car or moving up the corporate ladder. One of Jesus' key purposes was challenging the values system of his contemporaries. So why aren't we making the same challenge?
Members of the church need to step out of their comfort zones, recognize the rampant injustice in our society, and get to work doing something about it. Personal freedoms are in serious jeopardy in our nation, but I don't hear the church talking about it. The church is not only called to preach the Gospel and train up believers, but also to seek resolutions to social injustices. And don't think for a moment that fighting social injustice and preaching the Gospel aren't linked. If we are living epistles of Christ, what will people think when they see church members wearing nice clothes, driving nice cars, and failing to address social injustice? Many non-Christians call Christians "hypocrites," and the American church's tendency toward isolation and a self-help approach are key reasons. If you want to read about a man who cried out against social injustice in his time, read the book of Isaiah some time. And don't think that humanity has changed since then.
Insulation from "out there" and "them" goes hand-in-hand with marketing. If you are selling someone a service, would you tell them that they have to give of their time, learn to love other people, honestly examine themselves and seek to root out any faults (with God's aid, of course), and otherwise suffer while learning to serve the Lord?
Jesus said his yoke is easy and his burden is light--and compared to the weight of a life without Christ, this is so true. Still, Jesus did not say there would be no suffering involved in serving him. Jesus, in specific situations, may ask us to humbly surrender possessions we love, as in the case of the Rich Young Ruler. He may call us to leave all behind to serve him, as he called the disciples. A light weight still has substance.
It has been said that salvation is free but discipleship costs everything. We are called to preach the message of redemption through Christ's death and resurrection, but we are also called to teach our fellow Christians about the cost of discipleship. Let us stand up, count the cost, and pay it gladly to serve the Lord. I pray the church stops picking out the Scriptures they like and avoiding the difficult truths of the Word. We could use one less financial seminar, complete with Starbucks Coffee, and one more day heading down to the homeless shelter to provide a hot meal and preach hope to those less fortunate.
Jesus wasn't afraid to teach hard truths, even if it meant people turned away. While we should take reasonable care not to offend our audience, we shouldn't be afraid to speak the truth, either.
SIDE NOTE: Does anyone have a problem with pastors using Luke 6:38 as a means to solicit tithes and offerings? It just feels as though pastors are shouting, "Give money to the church and watch it grow!" I personally believe that people should give their tithes rejoicing, trusting that the Lord will use their money to further His kingdom. If He deems fit to bless the person who tithes faithfully with finances, so be it. We, as Christians, should give tithes because it is the right thing to do, not because we expect God to fire up the money printing press and send us a big ol' check from heaven. The emphasis should be our love for God, not our love for money. I also believe that Luke 6:38 isn't talking just about money, but rather everything we have.
CONCLUSION: I know I went off-topic here and there. I know that my words were passionate. I ask that you read this post in the manner in which they were intended: meant to force people to evaluate their relationship with Christ and their efforts to serve Him. I recognize that the church does so many awesome things year after year. I am not of the opinion that the church is doomed to failure; it has stood for over two thousand years and Jesus assures us that it will stand until his return. Still, we must proactively step our of our comfort zones, ask difficult questions, and make personal and corporate efforts to serve the Lord as He commands.
I strongly believe that churches are called to preach the Gospel. While church buildings should serve as a meeting point and "staging area" for evangelism efforts and an invitation given to accept Christ as Savior included in every church service, I also believe that church services should focus more heavily on training and equipping Christians--not so they can feel better about themselves or enjoy a latte before service, but rather so they can serve God according to the plan He has for their lives. This includes both general (applicable to all Christians, e.g. seek the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind) and specific (e.g. quit your job and serve as a missionary in Africa) instruction. Church staff, especially pastors, must take special care to identify the difference between the two and give more time to general instruction while encouraging each individual to seek specific instruction from God.
Paul stated that he became all things to all men so that by all possible means he might save some. This verse does not contradict Jesus' statement that he would divide families. This is obviously not a matter of malice on Christ's part, but rather a recognition of the inevitable effect his life, death, and resurrection would have on societies in general and family units in particular. The two verses may seem "out of tune," but recognize that Paul, while approaching different churches and cultures with a different style, always taught the same message.
Consider the Gospels: All share information key to the Gospel message. Yet there are four books, each intended for a different audience.
Source: GotQuestions.org, Why did God give us four Gospels?
Paul, along with the authors of the Gospel, was seeking to contextualize, not diminish or alter, the truth of Christ's offer of redemption for humanity. Similarly, the church is charged with the mission to deliver the message of the Gospel to unbelievers (often outside the doors of the church) and help equip Christians to preach the Gospel to those in their particular sphere of influence. Your pastor has one set of friends, you likely have another. Both of you have separate opportunities to share the truth of Christ's gift; both of you are called to fulfill the Great Commission.
My issue is not so much with contextualizing the Word of God, considering your audience and building a message with that particular audience in mind. If that is what is meant by "seeker sensitive," then I have misunderstood the term and believe semantics, not intentions or differing approaches, are the cause for disagreement.
What I am seeing in the church today is not contextualizing so much as marketing. Symptoms of the marketing phenomenon include emphasis on building programs, overuse of anecdotes rather than Scriptures, and a conspicuous lack of teaching on church history. I have heard few pastors explain the context of first-century culture to facilitate understanding of Jesus' parables and Paul's letters. On the other hand, I believe I may have heard only one or two sermons this last year that did not begin with an anecdote. I'm not against anecdotes in principle, but stories should facilitate understanding of the Bible, not merely elicit a chuckle from the congregation. While preachers should consider their audience, they should also remember that their purpose is instruction, not entertainment.
I see churches with shiny web sites, shiny buildings, and beautiful people in the congregation. I have to wonder, would the sinners with whom Jesus ate feel comfortable visiting a modern church? While the church building is intended primarily for believers, church members should be praying for the same compassion that motivated Jesus. Helping those less fortunate and serving the Lord are one and the same. We should search for ways to love sinners while maintaining a violent hatred of sin. In the last year, I have read announcements for far more potluck dinners, events involving donuts, and retreats than efforts to feed, clothe, and befriend those less fortunate. Many local churches, at least in the midwest, are filled with row upon row of middle class or upper-middle class citizens.
Many middle class and upper-middle class have a skewed vision of reality, placing far too much importance on getting that shiny car or moving up the corporate ladder. One of Jesus' key purposes was challenging the values system of his contemporaries. So why aren't we making the same challenge?
Members of the church need to step out of their comfort zones, recognize the rampant injustice in our society, and get to work doing something about it. Personal freedoms are in serious jeopardy in our nation, but I don't hear the church talking about it. The church is not only called to preach the Gospel and train up believers, but also to seek resolutions to social injustices. And don't think for a moment that fighting social injustice and preaching the Gospel aren't linked. If we are living epistles of Christ, what will people think when they see church members wearing nice clothes, driving nice cars, and failing to address social injustice? Many non-Christians call Christians "hypocrites," and the American church's tendency toward isolation and a self-help approach are key reasons. If you want to read about a man who cried out against social injustice in his time, read the book of Isaiah some time. And don't think that humanity has changed since then.
Insulation from "out there" and "them" goes hand-in-hand with marketing. If you are selling someone a service, would you tell them that they have to give of their time, learn to love other people, honestly examine themselves and seek to root out any faults (with God's aid, of course), and otherwise suffer while learning to serve the Lord?
Jesus said his yoke is easy and his burden is light--and compared to the weight of a life without Christ, this is so true. Still, Jesus did not say there would be no suffering involved in serving him. Jesus, in specific situations, may ask us to humbly surrender possessions we love, as in the case of the Rich Young Ruler. He may call us to leave all behind to serve him, as he called the disciples. A light weight still has substance.
It has been said that salvation is free but discipleship costs everything. We are called to preach the message of redemption through Christ's death and resurrection, but we are also called to teach our fellow Christians about the cost of discipleship. Let us stand up, count the cost, and pay it gladly to serve the Lord. I pray the church stops picking out the Scriptures they like and avoiding the difficult truths of the Word. We could use one less financial seminar, complete with Starbucks Coffee, and one more day heading down to the homeless shelter to provide a hot meal and preach hope to those less fortunate.
Jesus wasn't afraid to teach hard truths, even if it meant people turned away. While we should take reasonable care not to offend our audience, we shouldn't be afraid to speak the truth, either.
SIDE NOTE: Does anyone have a problem with pastors using Luke 6:38 as a means to solicit tithes and offerings? It just feels as though pastors are shouting, "Give money to the church and watch it grow!" I personally believe that people should give their tithes rejoicing, trusting that the Lord will use their money to further His kingdom. If He deems fit to bless the person who tithes faithfully with finances, so be it. We, as Christians, should give tithes because it is the right thing to do, not because we expect God to fire up the money printing press and send us a big ol' check from heaven. The emphasis should be our love for God, not our love for money. I also believe that Luke 6:38 isn't talking just about money, but rather everything we have.
CONCLUSION: I know I went off-topic here and there. I know that my words were passionate. I ask that you read this post in the manner in which they were intended: meant to force people to evaluate their relationship with Christ and their efforts to serve Him. I recognize that the church does so many awesome things year after year. I am not of the opinion that the church is doomed to failure; it has stood for over two thousand years and Jesus assures us that it will stand until his return. Still, we must proactively step our of our comfort zones, ask difficult questions, and make personal and corporate efforts to serve the Lord as He commands.
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