Christianity Can Change

Posted on April 30, 2009 in Blog, Pastor's Post

I have selected five terms that struck me as I reflected on the recent (historically speaking) explosion of the marketing church otherwise known as the seeker-sensitive model.  Teaching Scripture is an eye-opening experience both for the preacher and the hearer.  I have often encountered in Scripture a Christianity so utterly foreign and unlike our present experience.  This is not to say that Scripture does not speak to current issues or trends in the world of today, it does (2 Tim. 4:3-4).

But often times almost everything in Scripture seems like the author’s of Scripture were thinking of a dream land.  If there is one word that would crystallize precisely what I mean by that it would be, obedience.  Scripture speaks of the church as if it could obey the hard sayings of Scripture. The repetitious calls to live ultimately under the absolute Lordship of Christ where He is master and we are doulos, “slave”.  Christians today have far too many rights.  If we were to think more globally, the case might not be as drastic as what we face in the West.  In America we live in an ocean of endless options.  For starters we can choose what type of church to attend.  But really the list is endless, music not too fast not too slow, preaching not too short and definitely not too long, buildings big and small, choirs, a cappella, five piece bands, contemporary, traditional, or liturgical.  What makes this so relevant is that this list is not an exaggeration.  If anything, the list could be extended to touch on issues of children’s ministry, singles groups, and endless other activities and church programs.  In the midst of so many options we have become extremely comfortable Christians.  Comfortable, very comfortable.

What I fear is the deflating of some of Scriptures most potent and powerful words.  Words that were written to exhort us to live lives that are dynamic, radical, and intense.  Here are just five words that draw out this truth.  In a world where we have become accustom to so many options and luxuries, how can we feel the weight of the word, “fear” (2 Cor. 5:11 | Heb. 10:31)?  If the aim in church is to get people to feel good about themselves telling them that God is going to give us a painless ride through life, why be “sober-minded” (1 Thes. 5:6-8 | 2 Tim. 4:5 | 1 Pet. 1:13; 4:7; 5:8)?  In churches were no one is called a false teacher, heretic, or to use inspired speech, “dogs and evil workers” then why split hairs and focus on something as insignificant as “sound doctrine” (1 Tim. 4:6 | 2 Tim. 4:3 |; Tit. 1:9; 2:1)?  When the church has put in place a psychiatric ward to meet people’s felt needs through psycho-babble counseling, why focus very much on “endurance” and sanctification in trials (2 Cor. 6:4 |  Heb. 10:36; 12.1 |; Jam. 1:3-4)?

And if our churches are desperately trying to mirror the activities of this present evil age with multi-media, video games, music, modesty standards, inspirational speakers, and tolerance; then what in the world are we hoping for? Why should we “hope” for something that we have not seen if what we see in church is so dazzling and entertaining?  But Christianity can Change!

One thing that cannot be denied is that the early church was a church met with incredible challenges.  The first New Covenant Christians were well acquainted with suffering, persecution, and affliction all of which came in a labyrinth of complex levels.  Well, without going into detail concerning the plethora of passages depicting the life of the early church we should simply acknowledge that through the furnace of affliction God’s people experienced joy, peace, love, faith, power, and growth.  I am excited to be alive in this epoch of history.  I say that because knowing the history of the church, it is evident that the church can and has experienced God’s hand of blessing in tumultuous times.

History would teach us that God can at anytime remove the options of the West and humble us to face what it means to truly rely on God for all strength and spirit filled joy.  What really prompted this post was the heading of a news article I recently read entitled, “the big one”?  In this news article the topic was the swine flu recently breaking out all across the states and especially in Mexico were the number of the dead is rising fast.  What struck me was the reality that God could at any time flip the switch and plunge our generation into the furnace of affliction.  At anytime God could bring the church into a season of immense suffering through persecution, an epidemic, or pandemic like the one described in the news article.  In many places of the world persecution and serious humanitarian issues are a reality for the church.  Although not desiring to sound like a doomsday sensationalist, I could not help but wonder what it would be like if the experience of many of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world was brought here.

To be quite honest, I am terribly curios to see how the seeker model will do in a world where the options that are currently being sold as a genuine means of grace were suddenly rendered useless and even insane.  If people are dying in the church because of the swine flu, I doubt very much that people will be impressed by the “Wii”.  If the pastor is being threatened with jail time because of the hate speech legislation, no one would care who was coming to ‘perform’ worship.

But ultimately, we might see the true church prosper and flourish.  The five terms mentioned above would instantly become utterly precious and all seeker activities and methods would become frivolous.  We would “hope” for heaven more knowing that here there is no abiding city but only death and decay.  We would “endure” better with greater obedience if we knew that sanctification in our trials were fitting us for heaven and the great judgment of believers and their works.  We would “fear” God realizing that many of the brethren are now in His all-glorious presence.  We would want purity in our “doctrine” because we would want nothing to deprive us from a true knowledge of God.  Not wanting our minds to be conformed to this present evil age, our thoughts then would ultimately be “sober” and reverent.

In short, sermons would be less story like and more urgent.  We would spend more time on or knees then at the restaurants.  We would spend more time evangelizing than socializing.  We would spend more time pleading with the wicked and less time waiting for an open door.  We would spend less time downloading music from i-tunes and more time preparing our souls to see God.  It seems unlikely, impossible even, but ultimately God will decide.

I was encouraged to see this verse in the book of Acts.  We are preparing to study the books of Acts in Sunday Seminary at SJCC and I can’t wait to soak in the early church.  Acts nine records a situation where the church was encouraged by the conversion of Saul.  Paul was preaching and he was suffering, “they were attempting to put him to death” (Acts 9:29b).  Yet because the church was being “built up” they experienced peace.  Notice the tension the early church lived within, “fear…comfort”.

“So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.” - Acts 9:31

Solus Christus!

Pastor Emilio Ramos