One the great privileges (and advantages and dangers) of being a teacher is in the fact that I have the opportunity to take time pondering the significance of truth. As we wind up our weekly study and exposition of Romans 5-8, I have become increasingly overwhelmed with the massive realities of the substantial message of the Gospel and the fact that everything we do , say, think, feel and choose stem from our concept of this Gospel. The greatest tragedy (yes, this is my opinion) of the contemporary church in North America is that our vision of the Gospel is far too small. God's vision of the Gospel is vast and eternal. We need to think more like Him.
A study in the book of Romans should remedy our Gospel myopia to some extent. If nothing else, I trust that the studies we've done in this great book of the Bible have at the very least widened the scope or our lens and clarified the vista. I believe it is critical to understand that when the massive realities of the Gospel begin to consume our thinking and our world-view and our choices there will be great change in the way we live and in the way we consider family, life and work - and the church. This message we call 'The Gospel' affects everything in our lives with the colossal realities of God, sin, judgment, faith, justification, sanctification, glorification, and assurance. The actuality of a Holy God reconciling a rebellious people to Himself is an absolute revolution.
Here's where we often stop short. The modern church is trying so very hard to make the ancient first century message of the Gospel relevant to the contemporary 21st century ear. I believe we are obligated to do that, to a certain and real extent. The problem is when we displace the message with the institution. My concern is that in our desperate attempt to be a relevant institution, the lost and unbelieving world in which we live gets completely jipped because we (the church) cease to be relevant at the point that really matters: The Gospel.
I was recently at the website of a church that uses secular pop music in its services for the purpose of drawing a crowd. The message is a pithy twenty minute 'how to' talk on having a better family or better finances or happier marriages. All in the name of relevance. I'm not ragging on 'how to' messages and I'm not ragging on pop music in church. However, getting people to attend a service because of 'cool factor' is not relevance. What is relevant is the fact that the people who attend church services are often in bondage to more sorts of sin and addictions that you could possibly think about (and several that you've never thought of before, and a few more that you really don't even want to think about). Reality is that many people in our services are engaging in every kind of behavior that dishonors the name of our Creator and that His fame and Glory continue to be diminished because of rebellion. There is one thing that makes the church relevant to society. It's the gory, bloody death of Jesus. He is the only way to know the Father and He is the only hope of paradise restored.
Relevance is not (necessarily) the positive lyrics of a washed up pop singer and a 20 minute talk on straightening up your personal finances.
Relevance is personal repentance and faith and Divine restoration.
Perhaps, if we were to let the simple and massive truth of the Gospel pour into every area of our lives we would find ourselves to be the most relevant people on the planet. Peculiar people? Yes, but relevant people in this damaged world - because we hold up the glory of a holy God and we bring a message of reconciliation to Him - through Him - for Him.
