Doc110 wrote:
Thanks, their is this thread that could really use this post article that you wrote.
Peace and God' blessing be with you. Blessed be his name forever. Amen.
God Bless,
Danielle, I came across a really beautiful article, Thought you might like to read it. On the similar post thread path of "Stop the hate" theme.
Hope you enjoy.
Doc110, Happy and safe 4th.
7/4/15 Sharing the Gospel of Jesus in a Hostile Age, tips for Christians.
http://www.wnd.com/2015/07/tips-for-christians-how-to-share-gospel-in-hostile-age/ 'Now that we live in a more secular society, we have to change the way we communicate'
In the face of a U.S. Supreme Court decision finding a constitutional right to gay marriage and the Oklahoma State Supreme ruling a Ten Commandments monument unconstitutional, many Christians are experiencing increased intolerance in the public square. But does the increasingly secular culture mean believers need to adjust how they share the gospel?
Yes, I mean, and no, said Tim Keller, founding pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. No in that you dont change the good news, but, yes, it does I think change the way you share it.
Keller is the author of several well-known Christian books, including Counterfeit Gods and The Reason for God. His new book is Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism.
Keller said people frequently alter their method of communicating with other people based on what they know about them, and sharing Christ is no different.
If Im talking to somebody whos skeptical or somebody whos sympathetic, I change the way I talk, Keller explained. Were that way with everyone.
Hopefully, if you know how to communicate, you instinctively say things differently when youre trying to bridge a barrier. Now that we live in a more secular society, were going to have to change the way we communicate the gospel.
According to Keller, a key step to engaging this generation is to be able to explain your personal relationship with Christ through His word.
The gospel has to be real to you, he said. It has to have really changed your life. It cant just be something youve adopted because you inherited it.
If you simply say, Well, this is the truth, people arent going to listen.
Instead, you have to say, Heres how it works. Heres how it functions in my heart, how it functions in my life. Theres got to be authenticity, and youve got to make it life-related. Otherwise, people wont listen.
Keller said authenticity is critical to the millennial generation, although he said young people are often quite hypocritical on this issue.
Millennials are very high on authenticity, he said. Theyre often self-righteous about it. Im not sure that theyre any less self-righteous or any more tolerant than their grandparents, or parents or great-grandparents.
Whats funny about the millennials is, like every other generation, whatever they value theyre self-righteous about it. We have it and nobody else does. And then they look down their noses and so theyre no better.
That being said, Keller said authenticity needs to be at the core of our witness.
Paul says, We didnt just preach the gospel, but we shared our very hearts with you (1 Thessalonians 2:8). Therefore, you really do have to do that and its never been more important, he said.
Keller is very quick to assert that engagement is meaningless unless the truth and significance of Christs life, death and resurrection is conveyed.
He said many clergy fail to be clear, and it leads people down a road of false assurance of their salvation.
If you dont do that, people just assume in their heart what you might call moralism, Keller said.
So if youre preaching on Malachi, where it talks about tithing and giving your money away and not spending it all on yourself Jesus is not in the book of Malachi. Its an Old Testament book if you just explain that and then you end the sermon, the impression will be that Id better give my money away or Gods not going to take me to heaven, said Keller, calling that thinking deadly.
You dont want to encourage people to think that its their moral efforts that can get them to heaven, he said. That creates pride and discouragement.
Keller said every Bible passage can be logically connected to the gospel, and he said the Malachi example is no exception.
You have to go to the gospel, he said. You say Jesus Christ was infinitely rich. He was in heaven with all the spiritual riches. But He became poor so that through His poverty, we might become rich. He came to earth, became immortal, He died on the cross. And He didnt just tithe. He didnt just give 10 percent. He gave everything.
When you do that, youre not only giving people an inspiring motivation, but youre reminding people that youre not saved through your giving of money. Youre saved through Jesus.
Keller said all preachers, ordained or not, need to keep the gospel at the center of their messages.
Its not something a lot of preachers do, but its something they need to learn to do, he said.Danielle, I fail at this every day. Daniel I enjoy your consolatory, yet patriotic writing style. Thanks for your rationale, continued input here on the OPP website in the age of insanity.
God Bless.