So many pieces have to come together for a high level production to land correctly. In the church and ministry world, there is really no difference between what bands, concerts, and television shows are doing, at least there shouldn’t be. God has created us to create FOR Him. Think about that. Bring that in and digest it, because there is a real divide here in thinking.
So often I see churches afraid to embrace what is catching the eyes of people in popular culture because we don’t want to be “of the world.” The truth is, we still exist IN the world and we are called to reach those who are far from Christ.
Jesus walked with sinners, not just those who knew the law. He went to their house, their popular culture, and He used it to bring them closer to Him.
Tear down the walls, bring people in
We are on the front lines of a battle for souls, and if you think that separating ourselves and putting up walls to distance ourselves from those we are called to reach is going to bring people in, then I would suggest we rethink our strategy for reaching the lost.
You see, the arguments between big production and small production, rock music and hymns, moving lights and house lights, haze ... oh, the haze comments. We have all been called to reach people for Jesus, and there are people who are looking for free coffee and some hymns, and there are people looking to be accepted as they are in an environment that they resonate with. Jesus walked with sinners, not just those who knew the law. He went to their house, their popular culture, and He used it to bring them closer to Him.
Tell the story, share the Word
So how does that translate to our environments? Well, just like Jesus did so many times, we are telling a story. Just like any concert, television program, or entertainment venue, we have an audience that God is entrusting us to reach with His Word. The key is to tell that story with excellence. There will be churches that are called to use very little production, and some that are called to put on a full-on rock show. We have to stop looking at each of them as wrong. If people are stepping closer to Jesus, the method, as long as it is free of sin, should be of no concern to someone called to something different. We should be coming together and learning from each other. We should be partnering with churches that are different from the one we serve in, so long as the compass is pointed to Jesus.
My dad had something that he would say all the time: “Son, that’s why they make Ford’s and Chevy’s.” He would say that when someone had a different opinion than me. Usually him. But I believe that it is sage wisdom for the topic under consideration right here. There are so many types of people out there that need to hear about the saving grace of Jesus. And God has equipped us with a calling to reach them all through our gifts. Small church, large church, and everything in the middle, focus on what Jesus has you doing and support those reaching people for Him in the ways that you are not called.
We should be coming together and learning from each other. We should be partnering with churches that are different from the one we serve in, so long as the compass is pointed to Jesus.
Though I am not free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law, I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do this all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. - 1 Corinthians 9:19-23
What if God is using you to reach a specific group of people, but you are too focused on what someone else is doing? What if you find yourself criticizing others doing it differently than you, and you are missing the big picture that God is painting right in front of you? Something to think about.
