Last week I was going through my google drive and found some things I wrote several years ago. It is interesting to me to read what I wrote in the past. I can see how I viewed things and where I've grown. It is also interesting to me to see how some views have not faltered. Below is one of my writings. It is a bit lengthy, but I feel like they are good points. Enjoy!
August 8, 2008,
In Acts 2 , Paul is talking to the Jewish people and basically telling them to repent and come to Christ. He is also telling them that they have to turn from their traditions and accept Christ. Something that would be a huge deal in the Jewish culture. As with most religions and groups, if you decide to leave, there is shame, ridicule, and sometimes exile.
If you look at the early church in Acts, it is very obvious that the message being preached was not one of, come and be happy, or come and be prosperous, it was repent or go to hell. That is about it, there was no free car give away or free gas cards for coming to church. It was very much a take it or leave it mentality.
The part that is frustrating me as of late, is for some reason, churches have decided to cater to the non-believer. “We don't want them to feel uncomfortable” or “we don't want it to seem like church”. Why not? Since when did church not need to feel like church? We are to preach the Gospel, not serve coffee and donuts. Now, I am not saying that church that serves coffee and donuts is not doing something right. There is a very big difference in biblical reasons and traditional reasons, but the evangelical church today seems to be very concerned with making everyone comfortable. We don't want to offend anyone. We will just leave abortion or homosexuality alone, we don't want to make anyone “uncomfortable”. I heard on the radio the other day someone saying that if the gospel is preached around non-believers it is going to make them uncomfortable. If the word in not in you it will sound foreign. The bible talks explicitly about that. Why can't the church just worry about preaching the gospel and let God take care of the rest? If we are being true followers and preaching, the gospel will not fall on deaf ears. People will be drawn to it, the gospel, the truth. That is what happens when churches grow, they are preaching the truth. That is the only thing that will eternally grow a church. Look at the Billy Graham crusades, he did not do raffle drawings or ease into the word. He messages were about repentance. That was all, Jesus is Lord and you need to follow Him. He is the only way to Heaven. Period, end of sentence. That is all you need to say,
Think of it this way. If a non-believer comes into your church and that sunday the straight up gospel is not presented, that may have been the only time that person would have step foot into the church. Instead of hearing the way to heaven, they heard a great life lesson on how to live their life better. Good for them, go to the book store and there are entire sections dedicated to self help. Instead, they could have heard the leave your earthly ways and live for God. “Give up your life so you can have it” We are so concerned about hurting someones feelings are scaring them away, that we hesitate to tell them they have to give up their old lifestyle and be born again. That means rejecting your old ways and changing your habits, your life style. That is what Paul told the Jews, and 3000 did that, just by hearing the truth, not because he put our cushy chairs or made sure he did not start his preaching too early in the morning, or step on anyones toes.
How can we preach change but yet, cater to the world so they wont have to change? If people do not need to change to come to church, how can we expect them to change for Christ? We give off the impression that all you need to do is believe and accept, but lots of time repentance is left out, Accepting Christ's gift is not “free” it is available for ANYONE who wants it, but it does not come without a price. However, it is worth far more then we could ever give up, far more then we could ever imagine.
There is something that I heard once and I can't type it out correctly, but the jest of it was saying that how we lead people to Christ is how they will expect their Christian walk to be. That is a lot easier said then typed, but basically we need to stop misleading people into thinking that Christianity is a get out of hell free card and start letting them know that it is a life change, one that could cause them to lose their friends, and even family connections. It is a costly decision, not one that can be made without those changes. Please Church, stop catering, start preaching, that is all that has to happen. Preach the truth every sunday and people will come. The world is seeking truth and human nature is to seek the truth, it is a desire that is in everyone (I wonder who put that there?) and when the Word of God is being spoken, that will be all you need. A tent can bring as many souls to Christ as a 50,000 square foot A/C cushy reclining chairs with the biggest sound system and the greatest band. Christ is the only thing a church needs. People will be reached, just follow the example in Acts.
