In John 15:18, Jesus is recorded telling his followers that the world will hate them. They will be hated because they first hated Jesus. As Jesus was getting ready to give his life on the cross, he knew that the road ahead for his followers would be a challenge and very hard. He wanted them to see the reality that they would be marginalized by the world and even killed by people who think they have the greater good on their side. They would not fit into the culture because they followed Jesus, plain and simple.
As modern day followers of Jesus, the evangelical church, we have forgotten about the reality that we are different. The problem is we do not like to be different. We want to be liked and included and accepted.
Over the last 30 to 40 years, an attempt has been made to make Christianity and the church fit into the world. There have been multiple changes is mission strategy and evangelism that God has certainly blessed. I do not propose a wholesale critique. The realization that we couldn’t take a colonization approach to starting churches overseas was a strong move forward. We now realize just because church is done one way in a certain area does not always work in another context. This is an important reminder when we reach people here and around the world.
However, I see the desire to contextualize has unfortunately led us down a path that has contextualized the church and the gospel into something that is not distinct from the world. John Piper recently tweeted “The more the church sounds and feels like the culture the less people will feel the need to go.”
As a pastor for the last 12 years, I see a church culture that continually struggles to fit into a world that for the most part has rejected Jesus. The moral slide in our culture is enabled by church cultures and believers that want to live just like the world and be accepted by the world, at the expense of holiness, and being set a apart. Can the church really stand up for the gospel and our faith in Jesus, when we do exactly what the world does?
Didn’t Jesus tell his followers they would be hated and marginalized? So if we are truly following the ways and teachings of Jesus, why do we want to fit into the culture so much? Is it really because we want to see the gospel spread or is it because we want to belong and really don’t like to be different, or hated, or marginalized?
Well, we are different. Not because of us be because of Jesus! You are unique and set apart for His glory! Embrace it. I agree with Piper, if we look, sound and act just like the culture why would anyone need us? The church needs to be a distinct light for what this culture needs and what we need. Jesus!
It’s ok that we don’t fit into the culture, were not supposed to!
See You in Church!
FAITH HOPE LOVE 