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The Better Choice

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In yesterday’s post, I highlighted the importance of a church placing evangelism at the forefront of it’s ministries. When it comes to being an effective evangelistic church, research has proven there is no one-size-fits-all approach. However, there is one method of evangelism that remains at the top of all other evangelism methods and that is the method of personal evangelism. Word of mouth remains the best way to share Jesus with others.

In this post, I would like to share a personal evangelism approach that I created. However, before I get to that, I would like to give a brief history of evangelism in the church from a broad scale perspective — “the how”, if you will. The gospel message never changes, but methods of sharing the gospel always will.

In the 1970’s, bus ministry ruled the day. In the 1980’s, mass media in the form of radio and televised services took over. In the 1990’s, the worship service, with an ever-increasing focus on contemporary music, became the tool (don’t forget about the family life center). In the 2000’s, Sunday School and small groups became the front door of the church. In the 2010’s, a church’s website became the virtual screen door before one walked through the physical front door of the church. In the here and now—the 2020’s— your church better have a presence on social media.

Once again though, in all these changes, the gospel never did. Within the church and its evangelistic training circles, we went through just as many changes as described above. We went from memorizing the Romans Road to participating in training such as CWT, EE, Faith, Grow, Share Jesus without Fear, The Story, 3 Circles, and the list goes on.

All of these tools have merit and are worthy of use, — even today. However, as our culture changes by the day, we need to come up with more relevant tools. In many ways, our evangelism needs to become more apologetics-based. One reason this is so is because our nation has become much more religiously pluralistic.

Here is a strategy I recently came up with. For right now, I am calling it the “Jesus is better” approach. I think we have reached a place in our culture where we first need to help people expose their own idols and then help these same people begin to deconstruct the idols they have put before Creator God (Jesus).

Here’s how my approach works! I like to ask people what their favorite thing in the world is. If it was me answering the question, I would probably say, “watching college football” (good thing the season is almost here!). Then I would follow-up the person’s answer by first affirming their answer and then asking the person another question. For example, “Watching college football is great, but do you know there is something better?” It is at this point you need to genuinely listen to the person’s response. If it was me answering the question, I would probably catch on that the person asking me the question was a Christian and I would say, “Yes, I know there is something better. Knowing and serving Jesus is the best!” But if I was not a Christian and I was answering the question, I would probably respond by saying, “What?” is better. If you are the one asking the questions, this is primetime to say “Being a friend of God” is better.

There could be a range of responses from here, but one of the most frequent responses will be “How?” do you become a friend of God. This is where you BOOM—share the gospel! Share your own story of how God saved you and how you became His friend. Tell about how you were walking planet earth not giving any thought to God when . . . You can talk about prayer and Bible reading, as it relates to being God’s friend, but you must first share the gospel! If the person you are talking to happens to reveal that he or she is already a Christian, discussing quiet time habits and devotional times are totally appropriate. These practices relate to being a friend of God, but outside of Jesus initiating a saving relationship with us, it is impossible for us to be God’s friend. Romans 5:10 is clear that left to ourselves and to our sin, we are God’s enemy. Thankfully, Jesus went on to say in John 6:44 that His Father had the ability to draw sinners like us to Jesus so that we, his enemies, could be saved and thus become his friend! That’s the gospel and that’s what we share!

Here is another example of my “Jesus is better” approach. Say you are a woman and you are talking to another lady. You might say to her, “What is it in life that you like doing the most?” or “What do you value most in life?” She might respond with “shopping” or “family”. This is where you reaffirm her, saying “Shopping (or family) is great, but do you know there is something better?” Here again, you will need to gauge the responses, but if she says, “No, what?” is better, you are now ready to segue into the gospel by responding with “Having a relationship with God whereby you can talk to Him and He can talk to you” is better. Again, be ready to receive a range of responses here such as “I didn’t know that was possible”, “What are you talking about?”, or “Oh, I see where you are going with this” and again be ready to respond appropriately to each. This is no cookie-cutter strategy to sharing Jesus with others. You will need to think of possible scenarios that could come up yourself and you will likely already know how certain people will respond. Know that the Holy Spirit will help you and can give you words you didn’t know you had (Romans 8:26, Mark 13:11).

What I love most about this approach is its conversational nature. The conversation is bound to go in a number of directions. People are tired of hearing us preach to them in the form of gospel presentations. What they really want to know is do we care. Do we care enough to discover where they are at in life and then are we willing to lovingly lead them to take the next step.

“If you’re not fishing, you’re not following.”

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Fields (and fields) of Corn

Field of Dreams game to return to Iowa in 2022 | FOX 2

A few weeks ago, in a cornfield out in Iowa, Major League Baseball put on a real Field of Dreams game between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox. The game lived up to its billing, providing three home runs in the last inning, not to mention a walk-off home run that gave the White Sox the victory. Fantasy became reality as a movie came to life.   

Jesus once spoke about fields, but he didn’t have baseball in mind. Jesus talked to his disciples about the fields being ripe for harvest (Matthew 9:35-38). Now, a cornfield is getting closer to the picture Jesus had in mind. The only difference is the corn would have represented people. If you plant corn, you know you have to wait and pray, hoping the corn seed you planted will be met with the right conditions so that one day you can pick real corn off the stalk. 

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus talked about sowing seed and the different types of soil that the seed falls on. Jesus said the seed was the Word of God (Matthew 13:1-23). If we are not careful, I think we might confuse these two different accounts. In the latter account, Jesus is talking about people’s reactions to the gospel seeds that we sow. Some people will receive the gospel and some people will not.

But Matthew 9:35-38 is different. Jesus is saying that the fields are ALWAYS ripe for harvest. There are people right now who are ready to receive the gospel, if only we will share. It is true that we will sow gospel seeds and sometimes have wait to wait many years before we see the fruit of it in people’s lives. But it is equally true that sometimes we will sow gospel seeds and see immediate fruit. Not everyone receives the gospel the first time they hear, but some do. At the same time, sometimes we reap what others sow. You may share the gospel with someone who has heard it a thousand times, and you just happen to be the one who leads that person to the Lord. That’s what Jesus is saying in this account: Look up, There is always corn ready to be picked!

Many denominations and churches have lost their way. They wonder why their numbers are plummeting. The answer is rather quite simple. They’ve stopped harvesting. A church or denomination that stops winning people to the Lord will eventually die in the same way that a crop will die without water. We must share the gospel with everyone everywhere everyday so that all the gospel seeds that have been planted by us or others will continued to be watered. 

Most church leaders agree that the church has at least five purposes, which are mandated from Scripture. Though given different names by different leaders, those five purposes are Worship, Ministry, Discipleship, Fellowship, and Evangelism. I would add Prayer to that list. However, of those five, I would consider one to be essential or primary. You might think it to be Worship because after all, didn’t John Piper say that missions exists because worship doesn’t. Piper’s analysis is correct, but glorifying God is the end-result. Without people being won to to the Lord, Worship, Ministry, Discipleship, and Fellowship simply cannot happen. 

My dream is that struggling churches would return to following Jesus by being “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). That Jesus would open their eyes so that they would see corn as far as their eyes can see (a trip to Iowa in the middle of harvest season might be a good place to start). That they would once again “seek and save that which is lost” (Luke 19:10).

If I was a lost person, the last place I would want to go is to church. I would have no desire and would feel out of place (kind of like a fish out of water). But, if I had just come to know the Lord, the first place I would want to go is to church. I would crave the exhortation, edification, and encouragement from being with other like-minded brothers and sisters in Christ. The culture we live in has changed. The church needs to stop inviting people to church and start inviting people to Jesus. Cultivate relationships with lost people on their field. We’re the road team now. Go to their homes and do things with them that they enjoy doing. It might be going to a ballgame. Then, initiate gospel conversations. If you are then able to pick some corn, don’t leave them out to dry. The first thing you should do is invite them to attend church with you. After all, you’re already friends. 

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The War within

The desire of self- destruction. “Unless your name is death, I would… | by Lagos Thomas | Medium

Or

By Their Strange Fruit : Biblical Justice

Have you noticed lately how American Marxism is gaining ground in our culture and society? From college campuses to social media to mass entertainment to peer pressure to corporate politics and more, the next generation continues to face an incoming onslaught and ongoing avalanche in the form of classroom state-mandated CRT, availability of transgender multi-use restrooms, and the promotion to devalue the concept of the nuclear family.

The truth is the seeds of Marxism have been in place for decades in various American institutions, but now the seeds have grown up and are beginning to germinate in full bloom. Just as many from the LGBQT community have come out in time, so now many underground Marxists have come out of their closets.

It is at this point I want to remind you of a reference I made in a previous post to Rod Dreyer where he wrote of Marxism not as being a different political ideology, but rather being a rival religion to the Christian faith. Rod is right. Marxism and Christianity are at odds with one another. I could spell out many differences between the two religions, however, my preference is to share some commonalities.

CRT, which is a staple of Marxism, has captivated the next generation due the theory’s emphasis on justice. Overcoming injustice is certainly a good trait and one that Jesus would affirm. In fact, Jesus spent much of his life correcting the injustices he saw around him. Has the Church spent too much time trying to get people on earth into heaven to the peril of ignoring biblical justice, thereby allowing heaven, in the form of God’s Kingdom, to come down to earth? Derwin Gray speaks to this phenomenon at some length when he writes of building a multiethnic church in the here and now. One day, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ will gather from all tongues, tribes, and nations to worship King Jesus in and around the throne room of God. But, why wait until then?

I certainly don’t approve of Marxism or CRT. But can we not say that many of Marx’s adherents are trying to make a right, yet are going about it in the wrong way. I mean, rioting and looting and burning American cities, buildings, and monuments down to the ground are not ends that justify the means. There is a proper way to bring about justice. But how can outright force, violence in demanding one’s way, and defunding the police be the correct means? I am not a pacifist. There are times when war is necessary. But declaring war on your nation when your nation is the greatest nation on earth is not one of those occasions.

Many young people in BLM, Antifa, and many young people on college campuses and in public schools are chasing down two things: (1) the perfectibility of man, and (2) Utopia on earth. Now, trying to improve society and our earth, even through environmental means, is a noble cause. Jesus was all about restoring culture on earth and his followers should be as well. However, Jesus also realized something that Marxists do not. Jesus realized that man could never perfect himself on earth and that utopia on earth will never occur on this earth — that is outside of Jesus making it happen. In other words, neither idea is going to happen this side of heaven. The good news, however, is that one day Jesus will right all wrongs! Jesus will create a new heaven and a new earth where people he has made righteous will live in harmonic utopia. Systemic, structural, and individual racism will also end for good!

No society, no culture, no nation will ever be perfect. America the beautiful is full of flaws and has a history marred in sin. This is no cause to erase history or to forget history. Rather, it is cause for America to learn from its past failures, make amends, and make sure that its sins do not reappear. This is where God comes into picture. America can’t make itself right in her own efforts and neither would her self-destruction cure all evils. The better route is for our nation to repent of its sin, turn to Jesus, and begin to follow His Word. Then and only then will peace flow like a river and justice roll like a wave.

Christianity offers a better narrative than Marxism! And Jesus, not man, controls the narrative. Do you know this Jesus? The One that told the scribes and Pharisees they did right to tithe but did wrong to neglect the weightier matters of the law such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. The One that said he was sent to preach the good news to the poor and to set the captives free. If not, perhaps you need to read the gospels or watch The Chosen. The Chosen contains much information that is extrabiblical yet is nonetheless one of the best visual presentations I have seen of what the Christ may have been like while walking this earth. I ask you again, “Do you know Him?

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Let’s shake on it!

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There is no issue more controversial right now in our churches, schools, and workplaces than the issue of critical race theory (CRT). This theory has torn the nation, denominations, and even families into two.

I have written previously about CRT, but I think I need to expound further. Rather than come at CRT from an academic angle, I think it is high time we all speak personally to the subject at hand.

CRT as a theory in and of itself has a lot of complexities and I am not going to delve into every aspect of the theory. I will say that within my own convention, the majority of black pastors would say that CRT has made some contributions to society at-large and that the majority of white pastors would say to side with CRT is to side with heterodoxy.

Rather than shout at each other from across the room, let’s all try to sizzle the emotion for a second and try to understand where each side is coming from. I don’t think black pastors are saying CRT is bulletproof. At the same time, I think that white pastors are doing their best to accentuate the authority and sufficiency of Scripture.

When it boils down to it, I think black pastors would like white pastors to acknowledge that systemic and structural racism exists while I think white pastors would like black pastors to acknowledge there are evils that exist within CRT and that these evils need to be made public.

Can I just say, as a white pastor, that systemic and structural racism exists and that it has existed in America since its inception. This fact shouldn’t be hard for anyone to admit. At the same time, I must say that I am not a proponent of CRT and I think our country would be better off in the short-term and in the long-term without it.

That being said, CRT, which is founded on the three legs of equity, inclusion, and diversity, has brought many atrocities to light. What I mean is that CRT has forced and is forcing our nation to discuss race-related issues that have often been side-stepped or ignored altogether. The problem is civil discourse has taken a major hit over the last decade and it has become hard for many people, even of the same race, to talk to one another about any subject.

Rather than talk to each other about the nuances of CRT, I think it would be best if we first examined our own hearts and then began talking to one another as fellow image-bearers of God.

When you examine yourself, ask yourself if you are a racist. Probe yourself to see if you have ever displayed racist behavior or attitudes toward another God-given image-bearer. If you have, repent first to God, and then whereas possible, repent to the person you sinned against. There is no way you will do the latter until you have done the former.

Let me ask you this: How much in your life have you gone out of your way to get to know people of other colors, backgrounds, nationalities? And when I ask you that question, I mean right here in America and not on some international mission trip. Many times, I’ve been the only white guy playing full-field soccer with hispanics or the only white guy playing full-court basketball with blacks. I once lived in an apartment complex where I was the minority. People of other colors know whether you love them or not. They can tell by your actions and not just by your words. I would submit that once we get right with our Maker, we’ll be able to get right with other men.

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Expound to Confound

Secular psychologist Jordan Peterson has just written his most recent book Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life. This book is a follow-up to his best seller 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos.

It has been said that the next generation, particularly young men, flock to Peterson’s simple advice on life. To many young men, Peterson represents the dad they never had. When Peterson writes about cleaning up your room and straightening up your life, many young people perk up and listen because they have never had anyone speak so directly to them about the importance of personal responsibility.

There is some value to secular psychology, however, man’s wisdom should never have the final say for the Christian’s directive in life. It is a lament that many children and youth grow up without caring parents and for some, no parents at all. The sad fact is that this phenomenon has led many in the next generation to view Peterson as a cultish god-like figure. In their adoration and adulation, this sect or fan-club has fallen prey to the temptation of idol worship. They have chosen to worship the creation over the Creator.

There was a preacher who used to tell his congregation, “I am about to confound you” every time before he preached. What did this preacher mean when he made this statement? Simply put, nothing less than “the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength” (1 Cor 1:25).

The preacher was talking about none other than the message of the cross. The gospel message is confounding because the wisest man in the world would never have guessed that God himself would have stepped out of heaven to come to this earth to die for the sins of mankind.

The gospel is the message we preach and it is through the “foolishness” of this message that God is pleased to “save those who believe” (1 Cor 1:21).

Even Peterson is pounced on by his pundits when he speaks of maintaining personal responsibility in the face of suffering. After all, who likes to suffer? But this reasoning is where Peterson’s message has some resemblance to the gospel. In the face of the worst suffering you could ever imagine, Jesus resolved himself to go through with the punishment. The difference within these philosophies, however, lies in the fact that Jesus died the death we should have died because Jesus lived the life we never could have lived. Being the sinless Son of God, Jesus chose to die in our place to appease the wrath of God for those who would believe.

The question really is, “Will you follow Peterson’s and or other men’s life advice and principles?” or “Will you follow the Word of God?” Some of Peterson’s principles have merit, only because they are rooted in God’s creation-order or God’s law itself. No matter how you slice or dice it, 2+2 always = 4. All truth is God’s truth. But when it comes to the sinfulness of mankind, God’s math works differently: One sinless man, and his name is Jesus, died for the sins of all.

There is no self-help book or program that you can go through that will save you from your sin. You might “improve” upon some behavior or become a “better” person according to your own standard, but when it comes to being forgiven by a Holy God, you are in no better shape until you lay down the wisdom of man and accept the wisdom of God. Until you do so, you will continue to be confounded. You will persist to have a form of godliness, only to deny the power thereof (2 Tim 3:5). There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end, it leads to eternal destruction (Proverbs 14:12). I implore you to deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow Jesus (Matt 16:24).

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Faith and Culture Presentation: Part 2

A couple of years ago, I posted a Faith and Culture presentation that I did at my church. Now, I have added a second! I’ll let the video speak for itself . . .

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Ready or not, here We come!

Golden Gate Bridge | History, Construction, & Facts | Britannica

As the church goes, so goes next generation ministry. The two are so intertwined together that there is no escaping the fact. But is the church going in the direction that God wants it to go? That’s a question only you and your church can answer. However, I think I can provide you with some help as your team tries to formulate an answer.

Is your church gauging success by the 3 B’s – buildings, budgets, and bodies or is your church gauging success by the 3 D’s – decisions, disciples, and development of those disciples?

Is your church growing in Christ and not just growing in number? Are hearts being converted, disciples being made, and fruit being born? In other words, are lives being transformed by the written and living powerful Word of God?

Are your people gaining clean hands, a pure heart, and a sound mind?

Is your church growing in grace, godliness, and good works? Philippians 1:11 and Colossians 1:10 teach us that “the mark of a church that is growing in Christ is the fruit of righteousness and good works.”

In his book Growing True Disciples, George Barna writes, “True discipleship builds churches known for their culture of love, commitment, and service rather than for their events, information, and programs.” Does your church have this type of disciple-making culture?

If so, you can expect next generation ministry to flourish in your context!

Near the turn of the century, Robert Lewis wrote a book called The Church of Irresistible Influence. The book was prophetic in the sense that delineated what the church’s witness should look like in this century compared to last’s. Lewis realized his church in Arkansas had been burning bridges when they should have been been building them all along. He said, “my first error was in trying to convince a postmodern world of truth when it rejects truth . . . in our culture . . . truth is consistently and wrongly defined as a matter of one’s preference or perspective, if it exists at all”

In our century, reason gave way to experience as “I think, therefore I am was replaced with I feel, therefore I know . . . maybe.” Objective truth went out the window and was replaced with subjectivity on every level. Lewis writes, “To our age, truth is nothing more than talk — especially when you don’t show it. The eye, not the ear, is the decisive organ. Our postmodern world is tired fo words — it wants real. Real is everything. Real is convincing . . . We are trying to build bridges on truth alone, while the world is crying out for proof. Proof!”

Lewis writes next, “Our design is wrong. We need bridges that balance public proclamation with congregational incarnation. Bridges that are suspended by the steel cables of the Great Commandment as well as the Great Commission . . . [our age doesn’t despise] belief. Rather, it is an age that wants to believe, desperately so . . . But it trusts nothing except what it can see and, more importantly, experience.” This postmodern world needs not only to hear the Word of truth, they must see the Word made flesh — “A living proof — an irrefutable incarnation.”

This is where your church comes in and this is why the early church exploded in number. We can’t just do church. We got to be the church!

Lewis ends by saying, “What the world waits to see is whether what we have is better than what they have. Just think what bridges we could build if we truly followed the example of the New Testament church. We would go beyond seeker-sensitive to a new frontier of being community-admired. We would be known, not just by the corner we inhabit, but by the city with which we interact. And people would be drawn to God, not because of the weekly show in our churches, but by the irrefutable lifestyles we incarnate. On both sides of the postmodern chasm, there is a growing emptiness. For the church, it is due to a lack of radical, courageous, and sacrificial faith: If our Christianity is real, let’s live it. For the world, this emptiness is from a lack of captivating, life-giving proof: If your Christianity is real, let’s see it.

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In Christ Alone

Image result for Voddie Baucham Social Justice

If you work with the next generation, you need to be familiar with the concepts of “critical race theory (CRT)”, “systemic racism”, and “social justice”. You need to understand that leading evangelicals have different takes on these subjects. The topic has a complexity of factors which is why Pastors Voddie Baucham, John MacArthur, Eric Mason, David Platt, and Matt Chandler don’t all seem to be on the same page.

Whereas many public school systems now want to cram CRT into its curriculum and conversantly into its students while telling students how they should act upon its doctrine and creeds without being allowed to think for themselves, you need to study the issue and come to your own conclusions. I agree with Voddie that social justice is not biblical justice and I agree with MacArthur that social justice is a caveat for socialism. Justice needs no adjective.

The reason you need to understand terms like “intersectionality”, “equity”, and “disparity” is because your students will know them or will be learning them soon. It is sad that education has become overly political, but as I wrote in a previous post, we are not dealing with a mere political idea, but rather a rival religion. The strand of Cultural Marxism we are dealing with views Christianity, the family, and the Church as the oppressor and wants to level the playing field by undermining the “privileges” that come with being a part of these “groups”.

I know . . . this is heavy stuff . . . but you need to understand this ideology and the nuances that come with it. Not everyone is privileged to live in the state of Florida, where many traditional American liberties and freedoms are being maintained. How else will you be able to combat this ideology in the lives of your students if you don’t understand it? And trust me, the issue(s) will come up.

This ideology is not only dividing races, it is dividing families. Children are turning on parents and grandparents. This is a generational issue we all need to talk through. But when we talk, we must keep the gospel front and center. Explain why the gospel presents a better way, why the gospel paints a prettier picture. To a certain degree, structural or systemic racism has always been around and is in place today. But, even if Marxists had their full way, systemic racism would never be completely eradicated. We live in a fallen world, where things will never be perfect and where sin is our ultimate problem.

Christendom need not be split between woke pastors and non-woke pastors, woke churches and non-woke churches. Why? Because we are One in Christ! We are one race, all coming from Adam and Eve. We all bleed red. Politics will never be the answer to our sin problem, because only Jesus is. Christ’s blood and his blood alone has the power to cleanse us from our sins. We need to repent not of being white, or of being woke, but of being wrong. We have all messed up when it comes to obeying God’s standard (The Law) and we all need his forgiveness. Pastors, preach the Word! Don’t let CRT and woke-ism take over your pulpit. Exposit the Word, not the hot-button topic of the day. Scripture is sufficient. Let God through His Word speak for Himself. These are the “outcomes” we need to be concerned about.

It is ok if we Christians don’t always agree. However, we must all agree on primary issues such as the gospel and the atonement. After all, Easter is coming! Unfortunately, “Progressive Christianity” is teaching a false gospel. You need to be aware of this separate ideology as well. Might I recommend to you books and or videos by Alisa Childers? The time is now for us to stand up against Cultural Marxism, Progressive Christianity, and the like.

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Jesus Talk

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Over the past half-century, talk has really taken off on all media platforms. When we used to think of talk shows, we thought of late-night television show hosts such as Jay Leno or David Letterman or daytime tv talk show hosts such as Jerry Springer or Oprah. But now, it seems every sector in culture and society has a talk show. You can listen to news talk, sports talk, or weather talk if you would like and with a seemingly different show and host every hour on the hour on any given day. When you get bored with all of that, you can listen to some food talk and then proceed to your kitchen and cook up that new recipe.

Besides the increase of talk, there has also been an increase in the amount of media platforms that you can listen to your favorite talk shows on (social media, podcasts, smartTV, etc.) But we’re doing more than listening to more talk than we used to. We’re also talking more ourselves. Today, it seems everyone has a voice that is heard, whether that be on their own website, blog, channel, account, feed, etc.

Freedom of speech is a good thing and being allowed to express yourself and your views on multiple platforms all at the same time is also a good thing. However, all this talk begs one question. What would Jesus say? If you were talking to Jesus face to face, what would he talk about? We know he would talk about repentance and the Kingdom of God, but what else? For those of us who know him, I think he would ask us a rather direct question: Are you talking about me as much as you’re talking about all these other topics?

In the day and hour in which we live, we must realize there are some people around us that are more willing and open to talk about Jesus than they ever have been before. There are some hurting individuals who need and want you to talk to them about Jesus. They are seeking hope, love, joy, and peace. You have the answer. Will you offer it to them?

With all of the executive orders President Biden signed in his first week on the job, I see some devastating consequences that could come our nation’s way. I don’t want to come across as a pessimist, but I do see a coming increase in crime, anger, and poverty. When people get angry enough with one another, wars are bound to happen whether they be foreign or domestic. No one wants WW III or another Civil War until they do. As followers of Christ, we are not only to pray for peace in and our city, state, nation, and world. We are to make peace and to offer peace to those around us who are seeking to find it.

The rhetoric from all sides needs to be toned down, but neither rhetoric nor tone is the primary problem today. The issue at stake is the issue of first being able to sit down at a table with people who hold different views than you do and have civil discourse. Until we can talk and listen to one another, headway cannot be made.

We talk to each other about weather, sports, and politics. We talk to each other about love, relationships, and food. At times, we’ll even talk to each other about race, religion, and creed. Yet the question remains: Will you talk to people about Jesus?

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In the Name of Progress?

Pluralism, Relativism, Marxism, Communism, Secularism, Humanism, Materialism , Scientism, Hedonism, Atheism . . . I have heard before if it ends in “ism,” it probably isn’t good. Not even positivism—the idea that science is the source of all authoritative knowledge and that history is a story of the advance of technology—is a positive “ism.” I am afraid all of these “ism’s” and more are contributing to a great schism in our nation.

In his prescient book, Live Not By Lies, Rod Dreyer makes a profound statement that Progressivism is not just another political idea, but rather a rival religion. In many ways, churches are seeing the next generation leave its institutions in droves and are left wondering why. I would say these churches are unsure why its youth are leaving because most likely, these churches are not keeping up with the times. Sure, these same churches may have the latest bells and whistles, what some churches may label as progress, but my belief is that Dreyer has it right: Most churches have been blindsided by Progressivism.

All gas and no brakes may sound good in theory, but it doesn’t work too well if you’re driving a car. The problem with postmodernism is that you can’t do whatever you want to do and go wherever you want to go. There are rules in life that must be followed and that includes stopping at traffic lights. Why has the church given into consumerism, seeking what man desires more than what God commands? Technology is good but it’s not all good. Church shouldn’t be minimized into a virtual rock show with stage lights that includes an occasional message from a hologram preacher. The church should be occupied by real people in a real place worshipping a real God. Maybe I went into a tangent here, but I am simply pointing out other “ism’s” that aren’t so good. Back to the “ism” that has blindsided the Church . . .

Please understand what Dreyer is saying. Dreyer is comparing Progressivism to a rival religion, such as the likes of Mormonism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Taoism, Confucianism, Sikhism, and more. If we, the church, don’t understand this, we’re not going to understand what hit us and we will be left out to dry. What we are witnessing isn’t politics as usual. Every sphere of life is being politicized today. 20,000 National Guard troops being called up to Washington D.C. is a political statement. Writing “Black Lives Matter” on NBA courts is a political statement. Cancelling social media accounts and censoring conservative talk at home, work, or play is a political statement. Whether its Big Business, Big Tech, or Big Brother, this political over reach is not good for our country because it strips us of our freedoms. Dreyer is right. Today’s America, in its soft totalitarian forms, resembles the former USSR. The progressives’ manifestos are no different than the 1936 Constitution of the Soviet Union. I am not going to write much about this now, but don’t think that your church’s social media account or your pastor’s messages couldn’t be cancelled real soon. That’s what “Progressivism” is all about.

Dreyer’s book should be a wake-up call to the church. I only hope it’s not too late. Going, going, going isn’t always good. Forward-thinking sometimes means taking a step back and in the case of The Church and our families, it might mean taking many steps back. We must make time to stop, to pause, and to ask ourselves if what we are doing is what God wants us to do. We must take time to evaluate the results. In the name of progress, we handed our kids smartphones and tablets (if you have not, your kid’s school probably has). But should we have given a child the world at his or her fingertips when they are not ready or of age to see all that the world has to offer? We embraced social media full-scale, but should we have embraced social media without first finding out about the long-term effects it has on our health and well-being? We trusted Big Tech but should we have, seeing now that its leaders act as demagogues aligned with one way of thinking.

Not even the Left and the Liberals are on the same page. The Left and the Liberals are divided in their own camp, probably even more so than The Left is divided from the Right. I think we’ll see this divide even more clearly in and among the Democrats once President Biden comes into office. But that is not The Church’s ultimate concern. Our concern should be to be of One mind, the mind of Christ. We need to be unified. We need to be loving our neighbor and praying for our nation. We don’t need to be attacking our brothers and sisters-in-Christ at this time. Trumpism is another “ism” that isn’t good. I am not saying that it was wrong of someone to vote for Donald Trump or to support Donald Trump, only that we as Christ-followers should never turn Donald Trump into an idol that we worship. We don’t worship a donkey or an elephant. We worship The Lamb of God!

I am hearing of school teachers imposing their progressive beliefs on the next generation at school. I hear of students making fun of other students because they have conservative beliefs and hold conservative values. At the rate we are going, I can see Big Tech soon shutting down your social media account because of anything you have left on in that is pro-Trump or anti-progressive ideology. Church and ministry leaders, I implore you to not have your head stuck in the sand. See Progressivism for what it is: a rival religion that is taking the next generation away from us.