Relevant?

 As a "Baby Boomer," I came of age in the late 60's and early 70's. The culture was radically changing and we were seeing the changes everywhere, especially in what we watched on TV. I remember TV shows of that era stressing how they were seeking to be "real" and "relevant." Relevant was a real buzz word back then. They believed it was key to attracting viewers. Now, in many ways, it seems the church is using the same word to attract and speak to a new generation. Movies and television were changed forever by that movement. Some of it was good, but judging by what "entertainment" has evolved, or more correctly devolved into, most of it was not. The church has changed as well, and there's a lot of good in the change....mixed with much that is not.

Before going any further, let me say I am not a "traditionalist" who hates change and resists it with all my strength. My ministry began in a traditional setting, but through the years I felt He was leading me away from that and into what was in many ways, not traditional at all. I believe that the church must have a message that speaks to and is relevant to the culture it's trying to reach. The methodology of the 60's, 70's, and even the 90's isn't going to be effective in 2024. A common catch-phrase became, "Change the methods, not the message." I would ask however, in our use of relevant methods, do we still have a relevant message? If we do, what's the evidence for that? If we do, why is our culture in the state that it's in?

We have worked awfully hard at making our churches more attractive, more welcoming, more contemporary in our efforts to reach the culture. None of this is wrong, but I fear in our efforts to make everything more attractive and welcoming to people, we have made His church less welcoming and attractive to His Holy Spirit. We may draw crowds, but what is taking place in their hearts? Is spiritual transformation taking place? Are we seeing people being made "new in Jesus Christ?" 

Those who are in Christ are meant to live supernatural lives. Lives that see the world and respond to it in radically different ways than those without Him. Yet, there doesn't seem to be anything greatly different about the life of the average believer than that of the average non-believer. We are not meant to be sanitized versions of people in the world. Christ did not come to make us a little better as humans. In the Book of Acts, it was said of Christians as they came into a city, "These ones who are turning the world upside down have now come here!" They turned the world upside down not by acts of violence, but by lives so radically transformed that those who'd been changed made a supernatural impact on their culture. History bears this out. Today, who carries the greatest impact? Popular culture or the witness of the church? We once called the spiritually crippled to "rise and walk" in Jesus Christ. What do we call them to now?

Our relevancy doesn't come from replacing pianos with keyboards, choirs with worship teams, and hymns with praise choruses. Neither does it come from innovative lighting or darkening of the sanctuary, big screen graphics and videos, or really cool pastors. None of these are wrong in themselves, (Well, maybe the "really cool pastors") but they change no one. Neither does a message that's been "dumbed down" to appeal to a biblically illiterate and very lost generation. What will make us relevant to that generation is a full gospel Scriptural message that apologizes for nothing and is preached powerfully, clearly, and lovingly. A message that points its listeners to the Jesus Christ of the Bible. The Jesus Christ who through His Holy Spirit, transforms the lives of those who confess their sin, turn from it, and receive His Life and Spirit into their hearts. This is the desperate need of the culture and of the church. 

I close with the question; When all our "stuff," our props and even our methods are gone, what is it that we have left to give to those born spiritually crippled and blind into this fallen world? Will we, can we say to them, "Rise and walk!" That message never ceases to be relevant wherever it is proclaimed. May we ceaselessly proclaim it.

Blessings,
Pastor O