The Church is Living in a New (old) World

    Any student of history, specifically church history, knows that the antagonism Christians in the US are experiencing at this point in time is nothing new. It is new for Americans. America was founded, to a very large degree, on the basis of religious freedom that was very friendly, even dependent on, Christianity. For the past 242 years and more, our country has been unique in the annals of world history in being pro-Christianity. We came to depend on a Bible-friendly government and culture, so much so that it was not unusual for presidents of the United States to quote Bible in various speeches.

    But, these 242 years are largely an anomaly in the annals of human history. Generally speaking, the “powers that be” have been hostile to God’s people and His people have lived as “the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now” (1 Cor. 4:13).

    Our urge is to close ourselves off from the world and become separatists. That’s what many of the Jews did during the Greek / Hellenistic period. The Hasidim believed they had to live radically different from the Jews around them who were accepting Hellenization of their culture with open arms. Then we had the Pharisees doing a similar thing in the NT times. But, as an old saying goes, we cannot be so “heavenly-minded” that we become no “earthly good.” 

    If Satan can convince us that no one wants to hear the Gospel and that we simply need to close ourselves off from the world lest we become contaminated, then Satan has won! He might not have won our souls but if he can get us to close our mouths from fear or cynicism, then he’s won the souls of all those we could potentially convert.

    When David Kinnaman of Barna Research and Gabe Lyons did research into churches that were being proactive in this current culture, they found nine factors that were consistent across the board. These nine will not surprise any serious Bible student.

    1. They prioritize outreach by serving the poor and sharing the faith.

    2. They partner with other churches and causes.

    3. They are innovative for the sake of the gospel.

    4. They focus on reaching receptive teens and young adults.

    5. They teach the Bible thoroughly.

    6. They foster a close community within the church.

    7. They work at developing new leaders.

    8. The church is led by a team that has diverse skills and gifts.

    9. The church leans heavily on prayer.

    Kinnaman and Lyons are not the “saviors” of the church. But it is enlightening to see what these conservative Protestants have found relative to a positive reaction to the culture around us. These points are worth considering, in light of biblical teaching, and suggest to me that if we simply follow the pattern for Christianity as we see it in the New Testament, we’ll be successful with our efforts to “proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). After all, the church grew and thrived in its early years in an ethical and moral culture very similar to ours.

Paul Holland

 

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