“As missional Christians, we don’t want to be stuck in the past, speaking to where culture was 10 years ago—we need to be relevant today.” – Alex Early
I disagree with Alex Early, and here’s why…
There is a difference between customs and culture. When Toni and I were missionaries in Puerto Rico and Dominica Republic, we were very careful about their customs and were trained to respect them. It was our intent to bring the culture of the Kingdom of Heaven and the power of the Gospel through word and actions to the Caribbean people.
Communism was rampant throughout Dominica. One night, I was even picked up by Dominican soldiers at gun point and led away. We were not there to adopt their culture but to invite them into the amazing and life giving, soul saving, world changing, person of Jesus Christ; him crucified, buried in a tomb and raised to life!
The wonderful, undiluted, non-world-conforming, uncompromising, inerrant, ever constant, and eternal truth of God needs not be relevant to the world. Rather, the world must pursue the relevance of Heaven through Christ.
Didn’t Jesus teach us to seek His Father’s will and Kingdom as it exists in heaven for earth and not the other way around? Relevancy originates in Heaven and not on the shiftiness of earth.
The spirit of political progressivism has spread into the Church. It is a leaven and is working its way through the body. This is the unfortunate philosophical message in Mr. Early’s quote. While in the wilderness, didn’t Jesus reject the temptation by Satan to be relevant?
“Bow down and worship me,” said Satan, “and I will give you all the kingdoms of the world.” Matthew 4: 8-9
Cultural relevancy, that is to adapt the Gospel to contemporary culture is demonic.
The Gospel, as it was proclaimed in the beginning, requires no repackaging or homogenization; it requires no modernization or Hollywood sensation; it does not require special effects or celebrity endorsement. It finds its power working best in the weak, in the poor in spirit, in the persecuted, in the merciful, in those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and in the pure of heart.
These types of missional Christians need not be relevant to the in vogue culture. No, the world is not worthy of these types of Christ followers. If their message is rejected; let me say again, if their message is rejected, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and more tolerable for Gomorrah then it will be for that town, or, for that culture in the day of Judgment.
The culture and people must be relevant to the Gospel or reject it. To do so otherwise is to progressively reduce the Gospel’s message into politically correct and palatable speech. While it may produce a form of godliness, it will deny its power.
The ends justifying the means is not a biblical model. It is a key principle of the secular humanists, radical socialists, and Leftest revolutionaries.
We do not use the methods of the world to win the world! Rather, we use divine weapons to dismantle every thought and argument, which raises itself against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ, and not culture.
Christ must become our culture, and we therefore must preach Christ as he was, as he is; as he will always be. Christ is constant and current in any age as himself.
We do not need to dress Jesus as hipsters or in saggy pants; braid his hair or tattoo images of angels on his shoulders or forearms. We don’t need to pierce his lip, his chin, or brow; they’ve already been pierced on our behalf. One day, we’ll all see Him whom we’ve pierced and out of fear and reverence we’ll all fall to our knees.
Yes, Christ is always relevant, in every age and in every culture. After all, He is the Alpha and Omega; the First and the Last; the Beginning and the End. He is our constant and our Rock.
If you recall, everyone, even Jesus’ own family, wanted him to both conform and be relevant. Jesus’ only relevance was his Father’s will and his Father’s ways. Anything more would be pride; anything less would be rebellion.
The war is over our minds and thoughts. It seeks control over body and soul. It has been lurking around for thousands of years. Now, in these last days, it has crossed the threshold of many churches, colleges, universities, and even our seminaries.
We must return to the scriptures and stop elevating what man says and thinks. “On Christ the Solid Rock [we] stand – All other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand.”
Good intentions won’t save you; far too many people have learned too late that that’s just the devil’s pavement to hell.
Believe in Jesus Christ as he is or don’t believe at all. Relevance is the highway to hell, and narrow is the way to life, and few find it.
Call To Courage 