Welcome to Part III. This is going to be the last post on this series, and please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. The past couple weeks’ blog posts talked about the state of the American church amid the political backdrop of 2020 and 2021- and the challenges that must be confronted to forge a viable path forward. Today, I wanted to wrap this up by talking about what Christians (that make up the American church) can do to further God’s kingdom in America and beyond. Yet it is important to understand that many of these points are not easy things to confront as individuals. Yet if we are to be an effective witness and an example of who Jesus is (hence the name “Christian”- Acts 11:26), then it is crucial to examine what is taking place. What takeaways can we glean from here? Are these things relatable to your experiences?
IV. The need to love others with different views while speaking the truth in love.
One of the hallmarks of the Christian faith is the ability to love others and showcase Christ’s love for us to others that we may meet. Yet one of the biggest challenges that the American church grapples with today (especially with controversial topics such as gay marriage and abortion) is navigating how we are to love others who have different points of view. A significant problem is that some of the church has split into “two camps”- where one side adopts a theology that accepts lifestyles that do not line up with Scripture; and the other side is often quick to judge those who live out these lifestyles. To be clear, this happens on multiple fronts and with people who are on different parts of the political / ideological spectrum. A sorely needed but often missing skill is the art of “speaking the truth in love”. Speaking the truth in love is the ability to engage in difficult conversations with people in a loving manner while honoring what the Scriptures say. This is not an easy task- especially in today’s often polarizing climate. Yet the ability to have a conversation about difficult topics with the approach of Christ-like love towards the other person and the genuine desire to point them towards Scripture and help lead them to faith in Christ (or growing in that faith) is paramount. It is a beautiful thing to be able to walk through struggles with others while continuing to focus on Jesus and God’s word.
V. Leading by example and establishing a witness to others as to what a Christian really is.
It is important here to reiterate that good works and moral living do not lead to salvation. Salvation is a free gift for us that Jesus invites us to receive because of His atonement for sin on the cross. Yet as we live our day to day lives (and how we act)- we must come to terms with the fact that our behavior as Christians displays a witness to others as to who we are. One of the greatest frustrations that Jesus voiced in the Gospels was against religious hypocrites of his day. Yet recently, how are we to examine ourselves- are we those who put into practice what we say and teach to others? There is nothing wrong with wanting to live a “moral” Biblical lifestyle. But why do we choose to live that lifestyle? If it is for our own benefit and to avoid falling into sin ourselves, then we are missing the point. In the book of James (vs. 1:27), it says that “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in the distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world”. This puts things into another perspective. Think about it- living a Godly lifestyle is not just about ourselves but something much bigger than ourselves- conveying as a witness through ourselves of who Christ is to others who do not know Him. This frames the main goal of our behavior and character not in becoming a morally upstanding person (though this is certainly beneficial) but instead to glorify God and help lead others to develop a spiritual desire to follow Jesus. How does our behavior show others an example of who Christ is like? Those are some lofty shoes to fill! When it comes to practical day to day matters such as “Am I going to get drunk tonight?”, “Will I seek to use my leadership position for pride or to be a humble servant?”, “Is my conduct surrounding marriage honoring to God?”, etc. – We can look at these and other practical situations as if each event can lead others closer (or further away) from Christ. The perspective shifts from the question of how it impacts ourselves to the question of how it ultimately impacts others and their spiritual walks.
VI. Examining scripture and moving from a tendency for some to “twist scripture” to a selfless “obedience” perspective of allowing the Bible to shape and challenge one’s lifestyle and walk.
This point challenges how we approach Scripture. What perspective do we examine it and study it? One of the great temptations of many Christians today is to “twist” scripture in order to fit their own agenda. Much of this is done unintentionally (such as taking certain Bible verses out of proper context or interpreting a piece of Scripture in a way that it was never meant to be taken). However, one must understand the perspective of how we are to study Scripture. If we are studying Scripture to back our own views and human ways of thinking, then twisting or manipulating it is very easy to accomplish. But what if Scripture is meant to challenge and reshape how we think? What if Scripture serves the purpose of reckoning with our pre-existing beliefs and transforming how we live? It turns out that these are true for Scripture! (Hebrews 4: 12-13, 2 Timothy 3: 16-17). Yet looking at it from this lens requires us to examine a Scripture from a different perspective. Now Scripture is to be regarded as the infallible Word of God- where we are to wrestle with and adopt the position of changing our way of thinking to align with Scripture (instead of twisting or forcing Scripture to align with our way of thinking). How are we to look at Scripture? Do we look at God’s word because we genuinely want to follow and obey Him and what He teaches?
VII. Not being afraid of darkness and instead choosing to shine the light amid the darkness- even if it means persecution, sacrifice, and hardship.
Acts 14 is a terrific chapter to examine what it is like to be a missionary with his heart sold out for the Gospel. This passage highlights Paul and Barnabas’ efforts to establish churches and preach the Gospel in Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. Multiple miracles (signs and wonders) take place, and many people come to know the Lord in these three cities. Yet the men faced many challenges. While in Lystra, Paul was nearly stoned to death, and he discovered a plot to murder him in Iconium (which is why he fled the city). As they revisited the churches and returned to Antioch, Paul stated that “We must go through many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22b) before him and Barnabas appointed elders to lead each church.
Why is this passage so profound today? The answer is because it illustrates in clear detail what living out the missional Christian life is like. Paul and Barnabas were not afraid of the darkness- and were not afraid of preaching the Gospel (even if it meant death). In the midst of the darkness, Paul’s missionary journeys helped spread the Gospel throughout the Roman world. Today, we are called to not be afraid of the darkness as a church and instead to preach the message to those who do not know the Lord. If we as a church want to grow and “advance” in terms of transforming lives through Christ and launch Gospel movements throughout the Western world, we need to let go of a “comfortable cultural Christianity” and not be afraid of hardship (whether it be in terms of peer pressure, career challenges, opposition, etc.) that could result from fully living out the faith. There is an element of overcoming fear as we seek to trust in God despite what takes place. Yet when this fear is overcome and we learn to trust in God in all circumstances (even when He is calling us towards more difficult circumstances)- then we do not have to worry about which political party controls the government. We do not have to worry about the direction that our country is taking. We do not have to worry about which laws are passed in terms of religion throughout the governments of the world. This is because when the attitude towards persecution or hardship changes from being afraid of it to preparing for it or embracing it when it comes, then we can step into the freedom in Christ to live out our walk as Christians and to truly shine that light through the darkness for others to see. This has eternal implications.
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These are some big topics to examine, but it is important to look at the Church in America and what we can do to further advance God’s kingdom in this county and beyond. And might I add a couple more points- first, prayer is super important here. If effective evangelism and church ministry is to take place, prayer must be integral part of it. If we desire an outcome to take place (especially while on the local or international mission field), sustained consistent prayer is important. Second, it is also crucial to examine how “revival” takes place (especially as many of us pray for it to take place). While that is going to be a separate post (or series of posts) that I hope to have up sometime in the next couple months, I look forward to further diving into that topic. Additional updates on the mission trip will be posted here in my blog, and thank you again for your prayers as we prepare to do missions overseas!
Good insights Brett!
Thank you very much!