The gospel is always relevant. Christians must have confidence in it. It speaks to humanities greatest need (although people may believe other needs are greater). It is a message that lives. It tells us how we can be brought into relationship with the true and living God.
Churches that seek to take away the difficult parts of the gospel become irrelevant. To tamper with the truth is to end up with a distortion. A water-downed version of the gospel may be less offensive but it does not carry the same life-transforming power.
Even churches that teach the truth can appear to be irrelevant.
Churches can appear irrelevant when conservation becomes more important than proclamation. Such churches are simply concerned with having enough members to be viable. In this situation the local church becomes the vision rather than being an instrument of the vision.
Churches can appear irrelevant when the fellowship becomes closed. Perhaps people enjoy each others company so much that they don’t want new people to change the dynamic. Maybe some want to preserve their place in the fellowship and see outsiders as a threat. When new people come along to such a church they feel kept at a distance.
Churches can appear irrelevant when they are nostalgic. There needs to be a difference between remembering the past and attempting to recreate it. Tradition is a resource to be used not a straight-jacket to be enforced. Going to church should not feel like stepping back in time. Forms and styles are used to convey the substance but must not be the substance.
Relevant churches have confidence in the gospel and seek to obey the Great Commission.
Churches that seek to take away the difficult parts of the gospel become irrelevant. To tamper with the truth is to end up with a distortion. A water-downed version of the gospel may be less offensive but it does not carry the same life-transforming power.
Even churches that teach the truth can appear to be irrelevant.
Churches can appear irrelevant when conservation becomes more important than proclamation. Such churches are simply concerned with having enough members to be viable. In this situation the local church becomes the vision rather than being an instrument of the vision.
Churches can appear irrelevant when the fellowship becomes closed. Perhaps people enjoy each others company so much that they don’t want new people to change the dynamic. Maybe some want to preserve their place in the fellowship and see outsiders as a threat. When new people come along to such a church they feel kept at a distance.
Churches can appear irrelevant when they are nostalgic. There needs to be a difference between remembering the past and attempting to recreate it. Tradition is a resource to be used not a straight-jacket to be enforced. Going to church should not feel like stepping back in time. Forms and styles are used to convey the substance but must not be the substance.
Relevant churches have confidence in the gospel and seek to obey the Great Commission.
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