Category Archives: Issues

A previous post suggested it’s possible for the Church to be responsive to people in the world around us without compromising. There’s another option — being non-responsive. We can either be a responsive, non-responsive, or compromising church. To coin a once popular question: What would Jesus do?

Distinguishing Between a Responsive, Non-Responsive, and Compromising Church

Some people expect the Church to conform to the ways and opinions of the world. If we don’t conform, they peg us as intolerant and out of touch. Such conformity, however, makes us a compromising Church. God wants us to live as His transformed people in this world, not conformed to the world (Rom. 12:2). We live in the world but not of it (Jn. 17:14-16). For more, read: Feel Like the Church is Compromising?

Being misunderstood isn’t new. Think of Jesus when He lived on this earth. The scribes and Pharisees constantly criticized Him. Yet, Jesus continued to effectively make disciples, focusing on compassion and true ministry (Matt. 9:9-13). He met people where they were without compromising truth and who He was. The Church needs this kind of responsiveness wherein we respond to the needs of the world around us without compromising truth. We approach people with BOTH grace and truth, the Christ-like way of doing life (Jn. 1:14, 17). — Be sure to read this post: A Church That’s Responsive, Not Compromising

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day held to their traditions so rigidly that they couldn’t respond with compassion. Jesus’ ministry enraged them. Instead of pointing people to God, they focused on themselves and their own ways. Non-responsive churches similarly can become legalistic, holding to what they’ve always done. As a result, people become increasingly frustrated with the church. Attendance drops. They have minimal eternal impact in the world around them. Unfortunately, the people in the world often lump all churches and individual believers together with the non-responsive ones. That, however, isn’t true. — Also read: The Church and Change

Let’s Follow Jesus’ Example and Be a Responsive Church

Through the ages, churches haven’t always stayed true. Some have interpreted Scripture and characterized God through the lens of their own experience, desires, or personal bents rather than letting Scripture interpret itself. As a result, churches often either become dogmatic on that which God has not set up as absolute or wavering on that which He has established as fixed. Is it any wonder people are confused or frustrated with the Church?

To be responsive without compromising, . . .

stay true to who God is, His purposes, design, and mission for the Church.

determine what’s negotiable and non-negotiable.

think creatively about how to take that same non-negotiable message and present it in ways that meet people where they are.

put people over programs.

willingly invest the time and effort it takes to make changes and not fall back on “but we’ve always done it that way”.

always use God and His Word as the standard, not experience, expediency, or the expectations of others.

trust God to guide rather than simply follow what other churches do or what seems right to us.

think about how Jesus would respond to people and their needs. Let’s showcase Him to the world around us.

We talk about the church needing to adapt to the world around us, yet too often that results in compromise. The Apostle Paul, nonetheless, did say, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some” (1 Cor. 9:19-22). God used this same person to write, “do not conform to the pattern of this world” (Rom. 12:2). We must therefore conclude that his words in 1 Corinthians 9 cannot mean conformity. Adapting to the world around us cannot mean rewriting God’s moral code or redefining truth. Perhaps “responsive” would be a better word for us to use.

An Illustration of Being Responsive

In today’s world people access the Internet through a variety of means — large screen monitors, laptops, tablets, TVs, and smartphones. Even holding a tablet or smartphone horizontally or vertically can result in a different view of a website. In the past webmasters designed completely different sites to adapt to the varying platforms. Now, however, responsive web design code has been written and widely accepted that enables the same site to respond to the different sizes. The same content viewed on any device using media queries and style sheets, suits the medium.

What Does it Mean for the Church to be Responsive

Developing a responsive website required the use of certain code and taking the time and effort to redesign the site. As mentioned earlier, this code wasn’t always available. The Church, however, has always had the right code to be responsive. We have God’s Word with God Himself as our standard. In the Church we have a message that doesn’t change and a mission to fulfill.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Heb. 3:8)

To stay true to Him, we cannot adapt to the world around us in any way that deviates from the truth of who He is, in the fullness of who He is, and from the full authority that is His.

As the world around us changes, the Church does not have to lose its place as the salt and light in it by becoming irrelevant or by conforming to the world. But, to “make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:18-20), we need to reach people where they are. How? — By being responsive.

We maintain the same message but become responsive in our methodology, form, and structure. We consider how we can relate to people where they are in ways they can understand, fulfilling our purpose to love them but to always first and foremost love the Lord our God — responding to people in ways that do not adulterate our love for Him.

Let’s makes sure we get this right: Being responsive doesn’t mean we move in the same direction as our society, accepting and approving what the world says is right. Being responsive does not mean compromising truth or disregarding what God views as holy and right. Being responsive is learning how to relate to people in a world that accepts immorality as normal and relativism as the standard while we, at the same time, stay aligned to God’s Word. How can we love people in today’s world without compromise? Figure that out and we can get back to our purpose to love God with all of who we are and to love people as well as fulfilling our mission to go and make fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

Our motivation matters when it comes to making good impressions on others. Based on 1 Corinthians 10:31-33, whatever we do should first and foremost be to the glory of God. When we care about the glory of God, we will also care about the good of people. Remember the greatest commandments, first of which is to love God. The second is to love people. Love for God spills over into love for people and would make us want to seek their good for the glory of God.

Seeking to Impress for the Right Reasons

When we’re trying to make a good impression on people to reflect God and His glory, it becomes about helping them come to know God better. For that to happen we must guard against two things.

1) not causing anyone to stumble (1 Cor. 10:32)

Sometimes we may have good intentions but what we’re doing isn’t always for people’s good. We may be sending out mixed messages, confusing people by what we’re doing to impress them. People may not actually see the Lord but rather just the non-essentials. We may end up watering down truth to make it more appealing, yet truth is what sets people free. It’s possible we’re robbing people of God’s best by focusing on making them happy when He wants to make them holy.

2) not seeking my own good (1 Cor. 10:33)

We may say what we’re doing is for people’s good, to draw them in and lead them to the Lord. Sometimes, however, if we’re honest, we may have to admit that it becomes about us. We boast about our programs, about numbers, and all that makes us look like a growing church. Can we honestly say, like the Apostle Paul said, “I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.” (1 Cor. 10:33)

Discerning if Motivation for Making a Good Impression is Truly for People’s Good

We need God to search our hearts (Ps. 139:23-24) to honestly answer these questions.

• Are we seeking to make a good impression on others to help them or to help ourselves?

If we’re hoping to personally gain from it, our motivation isn’t pure.

• Do we want to make ourselves feel good or lead others to the One who is good?

When it becomes about feeling like we’re making a difference, the focus has turned inward rather than upward.

If we try to impress others for self-centered reasons, it becomes people-pleasing that leads to manipulation in order to get the reaction we want from them. When it’s no longer for the purpose of helping others (Rom. 15:2), trying to make a good impression fails to glorify God.

We walk a motivational tightrope. When we start to slip, we need to quickly refocus our steps so we stay securely on doing whatever we do for God’s glory and the good of others.

We previously looked at whether trying to make a good impression is biblical. Using 1 Corinthians 10:31-33, we concluded that it’s biblical if done for God’s glory and people’s good. That speaks to our motivations. Anything we do to the glory of God will also end up being for people’s good. We should therefore make God’s glory the top priority.

The Primary Reason for Seeking to Impress People

We can come up with all sorts of good-sounding reasons for trying to impress people. First and foremost, however, it should be about glorifying God. That removes any motivation related to boasting about our efforts.

Think about it: God doesn’t need us to draw people to Himself. He often displays His grace and power through our weaknesses so there’s no room for boasting. — “Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.'” (1 Cor. 1:26-31)

Discerning if Motivation for Making a Good Impression is for the Glory of God

We would do well to pray, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Ps. 139:23-24) To help us make sure there aren’t any offensive ways in us, we should ask ourselves questions from different angles.

• Are we keeping the spotlight on God?

When making a good impression becomes about us, and how we look to others, we’re crossing the line in our motivation. We need to keep putting the focus on God. He’s the one to be lifted up.

• Are we sure to give God the credit?

If we get upset when people fail to acknowledge what we’ve done, we’re probably trying to impress them for personal applause. We need to be most concerned about God being praised. He’s the one to be honored.

• Are we careful to stay true to, and align with, God and His Word?

Compromising to draw people in does not glorify God. We need to always do that which aligns to the character and ways of God for Him to be glorified. He’s the one to be reflected.

Should Christians, and our churches, be concerned with making good impressions on others? As in all we do, let’s turn to God’s Word for an answer.

Bible Verses that Seem to Be Against Seeking to Impress People

We can find a number of Scripture verses that suggest we should be against trying to impress people. Here are some verses against seeking to make good impressions:

Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Gal. 1:10)

Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Gal. 6:12-14)

On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. (1 Thess. 2:4)

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Col. 3:23-24)

At first glance, the above verses do seem to suggest that we should not seek to impress people, that their opinions of us and what we do shouldn’t matter. God is the One to whom we stand accountable. God is the One whom we should seek to please.

Scripture that Seems to Suggest that We Should be Concerned About What Other People Think

Following are some verses that seem to indicate that what people think and feel matter in order to best reach and teach them. Scripture does appear to suggest benefit in making good impressions.

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. (1 Cor. 9:19)

so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive (Titus 2:10)

Reconciling Scripture Gives Us Biblical Grounds for Desiring to Make Good Impressions

As always, we must look at the full counsel of God. We must reconcile Scripture with Scripture. Here are verses that help us do that:

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God — even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. (1 Cor. 10:31-33)

Two issues must be in place when seeking to impress others, always in this order:

1) God’s glory

2) People’s good

Click on the above links to read about this criteria for trying to make good impressions on people.

The busyness of individual believers affects not only their own lives but also the life of the church in many ways. As Christians we should be concerned that what we do is beneficial and constructive not just for ourselves but for others.

How the Personal Busyness of Christians Affects Church Life

Here are just some of the ways peoples’ busy lifestyles affect the whole Church.

Attendance:

People constantly make choices about what they view as important enough to fit into their busy schedules.  Sometimes sleeping in, family time, work, sports events, or some other activity will take priority over regular church programs; how much more for training or other special events.

Fellowshipping with one another:

In a busy world, time and availability are a rare commodity but it takes time to get to know people.  How are we to fellowship with one another if we do not spend time with one another?  (Heb. 10:25)

Recruitment:

The number one reason ministry leaders tend to hear for people not serving, according to a poll taken on the MinTools.com site, is busyness. How do we motivate people to get involved in the work of the church and ministry when their schedules are already full?

How well people do in their ministry responsibilities:

Busyness affects our ability to be reliable in the little things.  Little things add up to a big picture.  Whether they simply feel too depleted to put their best into the ministry or they run out of time to tend to all the details, busy people often do just what they must to get by. Read: Busyness Affects Ministry

Corporate Worship:

Worship does not begin and end in a worship service.  If we are not presenting our lives to God throughout the week, we will have little to bring into the worship service to add into the collective expression of praise.  God looks at the big picture, not simply that moment.  He sees the heart.

Helping One Another with Perspective About Time

Let’s help each other remember that there will come a day when time will be no more.

NOW is what we have to work with here on this earth.  You or those you know may be in heaven tomorrow.  That thought should challenge us in the way we use our time.

Heaven will be the culmination of our love relationship with the Lord.  Let’s not let busyness rob us of nurturing that relationship now.  Let’s take time to talk with Him and to let Him speak with us through His Word … today!

Let’s help one another identify lies we might believe about our need to be busy and what we can or can’t do about it.

Perhaps we’re letting the world define what’s most important in life. Maybe we’ve allowed Satan to deceive our minds. For how, read: Combatting the Lies about Busyness

Let’s help each other learn to live in light of eternity, using our time in ways that count not just for today but for eternity.  When we do, we will follow the words of Ephesians 5:15-16 —

Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil.