Feb
12
2010
Are we unChristian?
Author: pastoroffishingI read a book once titled unChristian. It came to my mind tonight as I look across the world of Facebook at the various people that profess Christ and how many appear to be very unchristian in their postings. Now I am not here to cast judgment on those that sin because Lord knows I am right there with it. This is more about a temperature of the effectiveness of our faith in this world we live in.
The book is basically hitting on some of the top things Christians do that are very unchristian in nature. I am wondering what has started this trend within America. I am wondering if it has to do with discipleship. I know I have ranted and raved on this subject before but as I start to look at the stem of how deep this problem can be.
Analysis of our modern church we see this mentality of Christians that they pay the pastor to teach on a Sunday and that is where they get their discipleship from the pulpit. Maybe some will read a book or attend a Sunday school class or head into a small group. The majority though go through life not really growing or moving in their faith.
In turn this lack of teaching relationships within their lives do they lack examples in the real world? Pastors seem to be those that are removed from the world. They tend to be looked at differently so we need to look at how someone is grown beyond the pastorate. I am not saying the pastorate is wrong or bad, but as a church grows the one on one or small group setting for a pastor tends to be more difficult to have.
Realizing this we need to start looking at how we structure our churches for more effective discipling growth. The Anabaptist tradition had this from what we could tell. They didn’t have the luxury of authors writing books upon books or the instant access of sermons and teaching on the Internet. It seems that right now in our current world we as Christians have everything we need and more…
Yet here we are in a time where we are seeing a weaker and weaker church. I begin to wonder why (Mennonite Church USA spends so much time dealing with all these social issues and taking these stances on things yet we lack the discipleship that is necessary to make changes. I am throwing all this out because it seems to me that we are lacking more and more what it takes to fulfill the Great Commission. We are lacking it because we are not taking to heart what it is that the Lord wants and asks of us.
The Holy Spirit is still moving yet many ignore the promptings or do not take the time to heed them. Over and over I see status postings of Christians in despair yet they do not acknowledge their Lord publicly and what He is doing in their lives…
Have we become this weak that we almost look unchristian to those around us?
February 12th, 2010 at 3:18 pm
This to me has been a very frustrating thing as I have come to the faith. When I started reading the Bible with an unhardened heart and open mind I saw a lifestyle that Christians are supposed to be living. Our lives in this country are so easy compared with the stories you read about in Scripture. When you are comfortable in your situation the desperation factor doesn’t exist. The saints in the Bible were fighting for their lives and the lives of people around them. They were also fighting to keep the faith alive. We don’t look at it like that…its old hat to us.
I also think that we see so many different “flavors” of Christianity that it starts to muddy the waters. I know before I accepted Jesus into my life I would enjoy finding all of the contradictions within the faith. I would often ask ‘who’s got it right?’ I think this starts with a lack of Biblical teaching. So many people have found people who tell them what they want to hear. (hmm…I think the Bible warns against that). They have found the religion that scratches them right where they itch. They don’t believe that all of the Bible is true or that God has somehow changed.
I heard someone say that alot of Christians don’t follow Jesus, they just ask Him to come along for a ride with them. The true disciples of Christ FOLLOW Him. The faithful in the Bible were following Him. That was hard in their time for many reasons and it is hard now for others but some of the same. They were different and the world did not accept them. They also did not accept the world. They were a bunch of weirdos. We just don’t want to look different or be weirdos. I know for myself I am not there yet, but I pray that God transforms me into a different, extraordinary (in every sense of the word), but faithful FOLLOWER of Christ!
February 12th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
Another thing…I was just reminded of a sermon I listened to where the pastor said that it all comes down to the first lie in the garden…”did God really say…?” Satan is not that creative. The same lie that worked then works today. Our culture says..no God didn’t really say that or He didn’t really mean that. That was back then..it doesn’t apply today. Well as I am convicted of my sin I realize God really did say!
February 13th, 2010 at 11:17 pm
You hit on a very good point regarding the following aspect of Christ. It then starts to hit on what does scripture say. Many times we have our flavors…but yet are we truly looking at our own heart. I appreciate your openess to share on this. As time continues the question is are we being noted by our love…now love is a tough thing but are we truly loving.
I like how you pointed out the concept of asking Jesus along for the ride versus a follow. We also have to look at scripture with the lense of why and who is writing at the time. It gets very intense when we look at the full picture.
Just think Paul didn’t have the teachings of Paul to rely on…hmmmm