"Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.'" John 14:6 (NLT)
When my daughter was still in high school, one of her classmates invited her to an outreach that his church was having. Directed toward young people, the hope was that those who were unchurched would be attracted enough to begin attending regularly. After the event, I picked them up and as I was taking the classmate home, I began asking how everything went. As it turns out, the night was comprised of performances by "Christian" rock bands, most of which were playing heavy metal music. Apparently, the music, coupled with the mosh pit, afforded an evening full of fun.
I would have been interested to know how many of those who attended this event actually came back for a church service. I still fail to understand how people can be drawn to Christ by being enticed through imitations of what the world offers. I have no problem with different genres of Christian music, but I do believe it is necessary to at least hear and understand the words that are being sung. And a mosh pit and body surfing? How is Jesus presented through that?
Across this nation, churches are being abandoned and boarded up. Many of those that remain open claim that attendance has been dropping. Fewer Americans believe that this country is a "Christian" nation. Jesus has become the punchline of jokes and those who choose to worship Him are touted as believing in fairy tales. By giving in to the demands for coffee bars and tickling the ears of attendees with "feel good" messages, we have lost our focus on our mission.
In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus gives this charge to His disciples, "Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
When we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are to share Him with others. The Lord has gifted each of us with abilities and talents that will assist us in doing so. If you sing, worship Him in song. If you are an artist, then honor Him with your art. If you have the gift of hospitality, then open your home and share the Gospel with your visitors. If you can do public speaking, then openly declare Him. Maybe you have a deep love for children. Children are ready learners. Their hearts are open to the stories of the Bible.
We need to return to solid Bible teaching. I love listening to men of God speak the truth. It is rare these days to hear the honest rebuking of sin from the pulpit. Too many church leaders are afraid that people will be offended and leave the congregation. But if the true need for Jesus is exchanged for warm and fuzzy messages, then we fail to offer the need for forgiveness.
We are watching frightening changes in this country and around the world. The enemy must sit back and laugh as evil increases and fear grips the followers of Jesus. This must not continue. Christians need to be in earnest prayer and we need to stand up for what is right and true. The Gospel is desperately needed and we are the ones that hold it. But we need to be ready to speak it in truth which means that the world will likely not appreciate what we have to say. No more compromising. We have Jesus to show the way. God bless.
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