A good portion of the church has, for many years now, been operating with the idea that we can grow the church by our own savvy. While the apostles stood in the streets recounting the mighty acts of God and depending upon him to add to the church those being saved, we figure maybe their message didn’t resonate with those who aren’t as concerned with glorifying God and we could possibly come up with a more universally accepted message.
We’ve probably all heard the cry of people warning about the dangers of the “seeker friendly” movement, as well as defenses regarding how it may be a better setting for less mature believers, but I believe Paul warned Timothy of this impulse and that it likely has been operating much longer than this label.
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
2 Timothy 4:1-4
Preaching out of season will not be popular by definition. It’s not going to suit people’s passions. However, I’m sure every preacher would claim it’s the “other guys” who aren’t preaching the truth because everyone knows at least someone that disagrees, right? Hold on. There’s a really easy way to tell when an idea is unpopular because it is an “out of season” truth and when it’s probably just a bad idea.
For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?
2 Corinthans 2:15-16
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
John 10:27-28
The truth is going to resonate and be appreciated by those who are in Christ. If you find yourself attempting to convince the church with teachings you’re more likely to hear taught in secular universities then among believers, you’re not “fixing” the church with your teaching. You’re misleading them!
Ultimately, if your goal is to create a more “relevant” church by teaching what the world longs for or even demands the church adopt, you may make some new friends but at the greatest cost of all.
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
James 4:4
Not to say the church is perfect. It never has been. However, that is because we are constantly at risk of losing our saltiness by adopting the attitudes and ideas of the cultures in which we are called to live as exiles.
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
2 Corinthians 6:13-15
If you’re looking around at your social circles and getting frustrated that all your unbelieving friends “get it” but your brothers and sisters don’t, repent! You’ve been trapped by the schemes of the devil.
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Ephesians 4:11-16
The world is full of deception and schemes. Each member of the body of Christ needs to work together to grow in maturity so that we aren’t easily swayed and tossed about by the doctrines of men or demons. Fear of offending the world will keep us from protecting our brothers and sisters. It creates division and stunts the growth of the church. If you want to be more like Christ, seek fellowship and community within the family of God. We need every member working together!
