I've been meditating with my Intercessory Team about offenses. We are taking authority over the spirit of taking offense. There has been a revelation along this line in the Body of Christ in the past few years. Actually we seen even more Scriptures on not giving offense, and this has largely been ignored in the Body of Christ, particularly by the evangelical clergy.
I assume you heard the guest on Ravi Zacharias' program Saturday, who argued that we need to invest more in apologetics, and that if we don't, we will lose the harvest we are garnering in Africa, that we will lose our young people, as they are educated and so hearing the challenges to the gospel. The responsibility of the clergy, and really of all of us, to have an articulated clear explanation of why what we believe makes sense, you know, having an answer for the hope that is within us, is our sacred responsibility.
Too often we Christians in the United States are insulated in our own little cocoon, and we never think about communicating with those outside. This is even more true for the clergy, since we are employed in the church, but we are ALL called to be fishers of men, evangelistic. One would think that those of us who are “evangelical,” that is, who believe in the Bible and believe people need to be born again, would be more, rather than less, interested in speaking to those outside, but alas. In this oversight, we get lazy and get great offense.
For instance, people outside when they hear Christian radio program and children know ahead of time that therefore it is all about spanking. Right? So I am calling to find underwriting sponsors and once gal wanted to know what I say about discipline. I was taken aback by this, and attempted to give and answer, but no, the woman “knew” I was lying. I was a Christian; I was talking about children; therefore I was just preaching abuse. “That IS what it is about, isn't it?” she asked. And you know exactly why she thought this. But the truth is, of course on MY broadcast, it was not until the 18th month that spanking was even alluded to and that by a guest. There is just more to childrearing than punishment – and clearly that is why this ministry is so needed.
A woman came to talk with me last Sunday. She was clearly very educated, could read Greek and Hebrew and I had all I could do to keep up with her wide ranging knowledge. She dropped some factual bits of practical knowledge that I needed in my quest to learn more about broadcasting. But finally a point came. She lamented the difficulties that fundamentalists were bringing tot he world. She admitted, however, the difficulty of definition, that she was not talking about the theological position of the 5 fundamentals of the faith. (You see, she understood clearly what she was talking about.) No, she was talking about those people who believe their scriptures literally and who proselytize, whether Christina, Muslim or Hindu. So, searching for a term, she lighted on a pretty good choice: evangelical – although the media never calls Muslim and Hindus evangelical, indeed it was not a bad match. She joyed in the fact that fewer and fewer of America;s young people are adhering to this form of religion. Once again, right. Barn says that of US 18 year olds, only 2% are churched. She rejoiced then, that perhaps evangelicalism is dying out from our nation. Why? Because evangelical (see her definition) are responsible for so much evil in the world – they go around bombing.
I hope you think about this. I hope you think about this long if you are clergy. I hope you ask Holy Spirit for wisdom on this. I want you to see why this seems like a reasonable conclusion to this woman. And don't be like that.
Do you remember the Bible Study we had summer before last? I had asked for a study on how to witness. Rather comically, the only session in that study about how to witness was allotted to me; I had to teach it. That night, the leading student, in discussion, responded what she would do if she were in a situation such as I had spun --- at a musical festival where strangers talk and such a person had made a comment that we all believe in the same God and that all spiritual paths lead to the same destination. The response was a Scripture verse, so right in itself, but I pointed out how JUST quoting that would come across like a slap in the face. So I suggested what I would do is acknowledge my new acquaintance sharing her feelings with me, but that I saw it differently, because of the scriptures and experience, and then THEN quote the Scripture, so coming across as a respectful sharing of feelings and life rather than a slap and discredit.
How about let's thinking about how we are coming across to those outside? How about moving a little more toward evangelism? How about being a little more mature in terms of thinking of others instead of ourselves. How about being a little more responsible in terms of learning how to articulate our faith in a reasonable and understandable manner.
Happy witnessing. May your harvest be great.
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