I recently responded to a blog about people quitting the church.  This is a real issue and one I think will continue to plague the church unless we change.  Here are my thoughts.

 

Wow, this can be a touchy subject. I feel that one reason people are choosing not to participate in the organized church is the lack of relevancy. I know some would say if you are preaching the Word it is always relevant and it is, BUT, it is not always received. You have to cultivate the ground first for the seed to take root.

I think of two things on this issue. The first being that Jesus himself modified His presentation of the message depending on who He was ministering to. Listen close, He did not modify the message He did however modify how He presented it. Jesus was a master of communication in this way.

The second thing that comes to mind is culture. Jesus was mindful of this as well. He always brought out the truth in ways that were culturally relevant. He shared stories that helped people identify with the message. Again a master. Thinking from a cultural perspective let’s look at advertising. How many products can you think of that have been on the market for the past 30 years? I can think of several. These companies continue to use some of the same forms of advertising but have they continued to present their product in the same way? NO. They still use commercials but look how drastically those commercials have changed. Why not continue presenting their product the way they did 30 years ago? Because culture has changed. Same message, different presentation.

I by no means equate the truth of God's word with marketing schemes but the principle that Jesus Himself exemplified is a reality. If Jesus used stories of farming to farmers would he use the same stories today to people surrounded with the technology that we experience? The truth and power of God’s Word will never change. The principles found in God’s Word are timeless. Do we present His message in a way that proves it to be timeless?

Just my thoughts.