As a little boy, I
remember sitting next to my parents as we listened to what the preacher had to
say. There was no sleeping. Writing notes. Coloring.
Playing video games, or eating.
My parents felt that “church” was to sit and listen. No movement.
We also dressed the
part. It was the days of leisure suits
and dippity-do. My suit was powder blue
and my hair had enough dippity-do that it wasn’t about to move no matter what I
did.
I still remember the
preachers I was “forced” to listen to.
They would pound the pulpit and proclaim their sermons with a fiery
passion and delivered a message that made you afraid if you didn’t obey every
word of it.
Looking back after
living 40+ years, I see the value in attending a church gathering that focused
its attention of right living. I may
disagree with the preaching method, but who is to say that my method or anyone
else’s is any better today.
I teach that the
culture should not change the church, but the church influences the
culture. When a church is focused on
living out Values. Morals. Ethics.
Honesty. Love. Going the extra mile or two. Generosity.
Unity. God. Spirit. It will transform a culture modeling the very
ideas of Scripture.
Could it be possible
that our churches have focused on the wrong messages? Is it possible that our churches are more in
competition with each other than it is to weed out the satanic corruption that
is permeating our culture? Could it be
possible that we’ve allowed the cultural changes to take a backseat and ignore
the decay of values, morals, ethics, honesty, love, going the extra mile or
two, generosity, unity, God and Spirit because we have become self-absorbed,
selfish, and less caring what our children are being taught through television,
music and other social media?
It is a fact that
our culture has changed over the last 40 years. It is also a fact that our
churches have changed, too? The
simplicity of seeking, serving and sharing seem to have faded away into a more
complex way of doing “church.” We say
that we have to keep up with the changes in our culture and generations. I agree!
We do need to know what is happening and ensure we are engaged and
connected with our culture in a very positive way. However, if we are living out the principles
of Scripture and seeking, serving, and sharing, then our culture doesn’t change
so badly that it is hard to recognize.
Jesus got into the
mix of his culture. He didn’t keep
office hours, nor did he tell the people to check with his secretary to see if
he has an opening. He was in the
trenches with the people. Scriptures
says, “ He came into the world to seek
and to save the lost.”
Luke
19:10. Some churches have the tendency of using
their facilities as the go to place for spiritual security only. Jesus had the philosophy to go to the people
to model what right living looks like.
He also came to minister to the needs of the people, according to Matthew 20:28. We will not know the
needs of our community unless we are engaged and connected the way Jesus
was.
Jesus dealt with the
sins of the people straight up. He
didn’t sugar coat his message, but he always said it with a loving and grace
heart. Jesus said to the people, in Mark 2:17, “…Who
needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting the sin-sick, not
the spiritually-fit.” (MSG)
In order to make a
lasting impact in our culture, every aspect of the Christian life must be
seasoned with the flavor of Jesus. Jesus
talks to the large crowd that gathered to hear him speak at the base of the
mountain about being salt and light in Matthew
5:13-16. A Salt life means: “a tasty flavored life” If something
doesn’t taste good; it generally isn’t eaten and thrown away. Christians have the responsibility of
ensuring our life is tasteful so that it will cause someone to want to come
back for seconds and thirds and fourths!
Jesus also said that
we are the light of the world. Light helps
others see what Christian values, morals, ethics, honesty, love, going the
extra mile or two, generosity, unity, God and Spirit looks like. In order to help others see the importance of
having a relationship with Jesus, we must be lit up with love, joy, peace, kindness, and
goodness. We must demonstrate a
life style that others are willing to change and be like.
It is the
responsibility of Christians to help shape a culture to look like Jesus, act
like Jesus and live like Jesus. The
corruption of a community isn’t just the fault of those who have always lived
in corruption; they don’t know any other life.
The fault of a corrupted culture partly lies with Christians who idly
sit by and live a self-absorbed life and churches who are more concerned about
their offerings, programs, and the only one’s right slogans than they are about
the spiritual well being of every citizen in the town.
It is time each
Christian stands up for the values, morals, ethics, honesty, love, going the
extra mile or two, generosity, unity, God and Spirit to change a culture for
Jesus
Remember, Be God
Controlled!