Drifting with the CULTURE
“The North American church has largely conceded its unique calling by relinquishing traditional church functions and adopting modern methods. As a result, the church’s role in spiritual formation, leadership, worship, and other essential functions has become barely distinguishable from other societal institutions” says David E Fitch. Today it is very popular to see the local church as a service agency and a pastor as a CEO of this business agency that strives to satisfy or meet people’s needs. We live in a changing world where the functions and calling of pastors and churches are constantly being redefined with the rise of “audience-driven,” “seeker-friendly,” and “seeker sensitive” churches.
I personally believe that worship and witness are like the two sides of a coin, each enhancing the other. A meaningful worship leads to an effective witnessing life, and an active witnessing life is a response to a meaningful worship. During the history of the church on many occasions the church drifted with the culture in an attempt to reach out to the lost world. This article is not intended to criticize some of the new approaches but to caution Christians against the slippery slope of some modern methods of evangelism. With all due respect to those who have done an amazing job in reaching people where they are, I think we have succeeded in bringing many non-church goers to the church, but have failed in bringing many of them to a personal relationship with Christ.
I personally believe that worship and witness are like the two sides of a coin, each enhancing the other. A meaningful worship leads to an effective witnessing life, and an active witnessing life is a response to a meaningful worship.
“All unannounced and mostly undetected there has come in modern times a new cross into popular evangelical circles. It is like the old cross, but different: the likenesses are superficial; the differences, fundamental….The new cross does not slay the sinner, it redirects him. It gears him into a cleaner and jollier way of living and saves his self-respect. To the self-assertive it says, “Come and assert yourself for Christ.” To the egotist it says, “Come and do your boasting in the Lord.” To the thrill seeker it says, “Come and enjoy the thrill of Christian fellowship.” The Christian message is slanted in the direction of the current vogue in order to make it acceptable to the public” says the 20th century prophet A.W. Tozer.
I personally think bringing a person to the church without eventually bringing him or her to Christ is like relocating dead people from a non-religious grave yard to a religious one.
Michael Bird a pastor from Australia got this advice from a visiting American preacher ““Don’t tell people about the cross, it doesn’t work…Just tell them that God loves them and has a plan for them.”…The message of a crucified Jew is ridiculous to the modern mind and an ineffective tool for Church Growth. So move on to something better. A crucified Messiah is stupid, but promise them prosperity, give them emotional experiences, provide them with self-esteem – then you’ll fill the pews.” We have developed new methods of filling our pews, but I sometimes wonder “what is the point of filling our pews if spiritual transformation is not happening”? I personally think bringing a person to the church without eventually bringing him or her to Christ is like relocating dead people from a non-religious grave yard to a religious one.
“The problem is not that Christians have disappeared, but that Christian faith has become so deformed. Under the influence of modernity, we modern Christians are literally capable of winning the world while losing our own souls… If the process of becoming “all things to all people” is to remain faithful to Christ, it has to climax in clear persuasion and genuine conversion. Joining people where they are is only the first step in the process, not the last. Unless it resists this danger, the church-growth movement will prove to be a gigantic exercise in cultural adjustment and surrender” says Os Guinness.
William R Inge warned us long ago about the danger of drifting with the culture when he said “He who marries the spirit of the age will soon become a widower”. If the church desires to transform people of every age and culture by the power of the gospel, we should learn to be relevant in the culture without compromising on the gospel truth. In the words of A W Tozer “We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum.”
“We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world…We are not diplomats but prophets…” – A W Tozer
– – Author: Rev. Francis Burgula – –
