Thursday, February 7, 2008

 

How Will They Know Series

Matthew 10:1 “He called His disciples to Him and gave them authority….”  

 

The World’s Doubts

 

The world has come to doubt much about Christianity.   In the book, UnChristian, the authors say 1/5 of non-believers, regardless of age, admit they had a bad experience in the church with a Christian.   The bad experience of some relationship with a Christian impacted their lives by leaving them with a negative image of Jesus Christ.   This represents nearly 50 million adult residents in our country.    The media generally represents the church as  full of buffoons and many times we live up to their caricature.   

In the thirty years I have been a pastor I have met many people who told me that they did not believe in Jesus Christ because they were hurt by someone in the church. 

 

Christianity, in our culture, has a PR problem, which results in the church’s doubtful credibility in the world.   The issues of mistrust center around a variety of concerns.   The world thinks the church is hypocritical, people who say one thing but live something entirely different.   The church has been criticized as insincere and concerned only with numbers and money, not souls.   The world feels that Christians are sheltered or isolated from the reality of the world and the lives of most people in our country.   The church is indicted as being judgmental.  The world says those in the church are prideful and quick to find faults in others.  Often the church members are seen as primarily molded by a political agenda of right-wing politics.  Often we in the church are labeled as people who turn on our own members and are not concerned about their welfare.  

 

Sadly, I think that sometimes the church has not lived to be the best example.  Although I could take issue and rightfully discredit, to some degree, all these criticisms I do see elements of truth in each one of them.   My friend, Matt used to say, “Most of the time when people criticize the church and its decisions, those inside must seek to find the elements of truth and respond.” 

 

We can never go wrong if we follow the example of Christ.   If we see our faith through the lens of Christ’s love, it changes everything.   If we never lose sight of what He calls us to be, we will be secure in our witness.  It is not easy to love as Jesus did.   If we love as Jesus did then we give ourselves away even to a world that may nail us to the cross.   The world will never know Jesus Christ if Christians don’t emulate him.   He is the only true way.

 

Prayer:

Dear God, help me to be like Jesus.  Amen. 

 

I hope to see you in church this Sunday!