4 Radical Shifts the Church in America Needs to Make

 A couple weeks ago, I started a series called Red Letter Words . . . taking a look at some of the words that Jesus spoke and words, that if you and I as Christ followers truly lived by, would radically change the way we live our lives for Jesus. Not only that, but if most churches in America would live by them, they would look radically different, too.

   

I started the series with the last red letter word from Jesus, the word "Go." Having just returned from India and seeing the persecution Christ followers are under in that part of the world, and even experiencing just a taste of what persecution would be like (we were run off by a group of Hindu extremists), I realized in a very clear way that "going" means something completely different to Christ followers in India than it does for us in America.

   

Well, I didn't finish that message so I promised I would write a couple of blog entrees to finish it up.

   

It seems a lot of churches in America aren't too concerned about going and reaching unchurched and unconvinced people. In my personal opinion this is evidenced by the lack of conversions most churches see in a given year and in the refusal many churches have to "do church" differently in order to be more relevant to the culture around us.

   

So I think that American church needs to make some radical shifts if this is going to change.

   

First shift: Stop thinking about self and start thinking about God

   

. . . stop thinking about what I want and more about what God wants

. . . stop asking "what about me?" and start asking "what about God?"

. . . stop walking away from a church just because it is willing to do things different to reach the unconvinced and be willing to slide over, go to a different service, park further away in order to make it easier for an unconvinced person to hear the Good News

   

God's heart is for people to come into the kingdom. He paid way too high of a price, the death of His only Son, for us to sit back and whine, complain, and grow increasingly self-centered when it comes to church.

   

Does it take a little bit of maturity to be more focused on what God wants and less on what I want? No! It takes a lot of maturity! I think one of the greatest signs of spiritual maturity is not how much Bible we know, not how loud we sing, not how high we can raise our hands, and certainly not how many Bible studies we go to. A greater sign of maturity is how willing and how much are we willing to sacrifice that others may come to Jesus?

   

Think about it . . . Jesus sacrificed everything! You don't hear Him saying too often, "What about me?"

   

He was all about what His Father wanted and seeing people come into the Kingdom. We should be, too!

Comments

[Courtney Inman]

Very true! All good and valid points. I think sacrifice has become a somewhat foreign concept to the brothers and sisters of America. Even just little decisions that would honor God versus ourselves would have a big impact. People watch us constantly. A non-believer isn't really going to care or be impressed by how much Bible we know, how loud we sing, how often we go to church, etc... When we display the love of Christ to them, that is real and leaves a lasting impression. Thank you for always bringing the truth to your messages and not being afraid to speak it.