Category Archives: Christian Living and Practice

Be Careful How You Walk

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Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise. Ephesians 5:15

It seems that many within the Christian community today have thrown away any pretense of caution, opting to rush headlong into cultural engagement through “coolness.”  Those that have taken this approach are known as “hipster” Christians, as well as by a few other names.  Regardless of what name they go by, these believers have jettisoned the old forms of Christian engagement and Gospel proclamation for a completely different, sometimes hard to identify cultural engagement.

By it’s very nature hipster Christianity is more about the individual than the body of Christ corporately; more about paying close attention to social trends and fashion than it is about emerging debates about morality and challenges to orthodoxy; more about pushing whatever envelope is perceived as a restraint to personal expression, instead of understanding why the forms Christianity takes today are there.  In short, hipster Christianity is about creating an individual faith free from the constraints of corporate identity.

On the surface it seems that the old Christian adage “in the world but not of the world” has been permanently shelved in favor of a “in the world and enjoying everything it has to offer” mentality. Hipsters have decided that being immersed in the culture is the only way to be relevant. I don’t think this is a wise approach and it cannot be argued as a valid approach biblically in my opinion.

Christians who are tattooed, sport Duck Dynasty beards, wear earrings, have their bodies pierced or sculpted, and sport the latest clothing fashions and electronic technology might appear relevant to their peers but what follows from that? How does that provide an inroad to sharing the Gospel?

The bottom line friends, is that the culture needs redeemed not emulated.  Dipping your toe into the cesspool of culture attempting to smell like them in order to fit in is a misguided strategy. The Apostle Paul was invited to speak to the Athenians and heard on subsequent occasions not because he tried to be relevant to them but because he rocked their world with talk of a dead man being resurrected.

One thing is sure, hanging out at the local pub and knocking down a few beers with unbelievers may give you a sense of belonging but don’t kid yourself. You are not called to be cool or relevant to the lost. You are called to live Christ in front of them and to tell them of the only way to salvation – faith in the One who died to forgive their sins. So be careful to walk in a manner worthy of your high calling in Christ.

Grasping that is a transforming truth.

When Your Church Becomes A Fortress

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The reformer Martin Luther was known for many things, not the least of which is being a hymn writer.  One of his most noteworthy efforts is the classic “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”  The first stanza says:

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.  For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.

I thought of this hymn when contemplating the statistics about the number of churches that have closed their doors or are in danger of closing due to dwindling attendance.

In a spiritual climate awash with spiritual seekers how can this happen?  I am convinced that the primary reason so many once thriving Christian churches have closed is because they confused their faith as a fortress with their church as a fortress.  What do I mean by this?

Simply this – our faith is a fortress that enables us to withstand the most difficult of circumstances without being defeated.  However, our faith is in our great God and not in our own abilities. When Christians believe that their church must be a fortress that stands against a culture in decline then they have made the fatal misstep of substituting the biblical mandate to be salt and light with a theology of self-preservation.

Churches that cease to look at their communities as opportunities to demonstrate the love of God in practical, meaningful ways have sentenced themselves to first irrelevance for the Kingdom, and secondly to slow, painful deaths.

Remember friends, our strength is in God and He has willed that His people will triumph in His Kingdom affairs.  That is a transforming truth!

Are You Making Disciples?

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“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

This well-know passage from the gospel of Matthew is often used to teach that churches should be involved in missionary work.  While that is certainly true, a larger truth is missed when Christians go no further than that. That larger truth is this: making disciples is an individual responsibility of every believer.

We know that the disciples took this charge seriously because history tells us that they did indeed go into many different countries, some traveling great distances.  Thomas for example, traveled to India to make disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

What does this admonition of Jesus mean for us today?  While you may never be called by God to travel to a foreign land, you are charged with making disciples wherever you are.  Are you doing that?  Do you know how to do that? Do you understand the dynamics of what happens when Christians take seriously the call to be disciple makers?

Let me give you four major reasons why disciple-making is both strategic and foundational for the individual Christian and the Church.  These principles apply across the board regardless of gender or age.

First, making disciples points people to God and makes their existing relationship with Him stronger.  Who doesn’t need all the help they can get in this fast-paced hurry-up world when it comes to taking time to know and love God more? This is the vertical dimension of discipleship.

Second, discipling people improves their relationships in marriage, in the home, in the school, and at work.  In short, relationships on the horizontal are improved through a commitment to be a disciple of Jesus.

Third, discipling people equips them to be a functioning part of the local church body.  The apostle Paul compared the local church to the human body and stated that it functions best when every individual person fulfills their complementary function.

Finally, making disciples helps people see the role they are meant to play in the communities in which they live. Being salt and light means being involved in communicating and displaying the love of Jesus to all people.

Friends, disciple making helps believers grow in their relationship with God, in their relationships with others in their home environments, with others in their church body, and then as a witness to Jesus Christ in the communities in which they live.

Begin today to find ways to disciple someone else and watch the transformation that takes place in their life and yours.