Our Ever-Changing Culture

Our culture is changing rapidly.  Things that were common only 20 years ago are becoming impossible.  Things that were rare 20 years ago are now common place.  My conclusion is that our world is changing, and it is not becoming more like Christ. However in the midst of the change and in the midst of a post-Christian culture, there are at least three things that the church has in terms of an advantage.

The first one is hope.  There’s always hope with Jesus.  No matter how depraved the world becomes, God’s plan is still to reach humanity with the gospel message.  But the way that message gets declared has changed for the church today.  Years ago the church was able to say ‘come and see us, we’ll impress you into believing like us.’  That doesn’t work as effectively as it once did.  We now have to ‘go out and influence people.’ We have to make friends with those on the outside and shed new light on what really makes Christianity special.  True hope is only available through Jesus.  He is the hope of the world.  We are called to offer hope to others by lifting up the hope of the world, Jesus.

The second advantage is community.  Think about the rise of social media, the rise of on-line dating.  People are longing for relationships and community.  They won’t find it on-line, but can find it in the church.  When Christian community is in working order, there’s nothing like it.  Many will be open to experiencing a life group before they will a church service; they will be intrigued when they see a group of people committed to serving or being unified around a cause.  That’s why we have to seek unity and togetherness with those inside and outside the kingdom.

Transformation is the church’s third advantage.  That word means that Jesus changes eternities and lives.  Transformation breeds excitement and gives the current generation the feeling of authenticity they so much desire.

If the church fails to foster true transformation, it is much easier to question our message.  One of the most effective ways to introduce people to Jesus is to tell them of how your life has been transformed because of Him.  We have to provide a picture to those we come in contact with that the real gospel helps people walk through life’s challenges.

The church’s message (by church I mean believers) is one of hope, community and transformation.  Let’s ‘go out and tell’ and remember ‘come and see’ doesn’t work in today’s world.

Blessings, 
Mark

P.S. Do you feel like you’re trapped in the rat race of life?  Each day you work hard only to do it all over again?  What if there was a better way of living?  Good news: there is!  Join us this Sunday at 9:15 or 11:00 and discover the secret to conquering the rat race of life.