If this Gospel—the Gospel of Jesus Christ—is going to
re-engage Western culture in a new way, it starts with us. And it will happen when we commit to
demonstrating his restorative power everywhere we show up and to everyone we
encounter: with our friends and family, in the neighborhood where we live, and
in the places where our vocations take shape. When Christians put their
priority on the first thing, the second things being to take care of
themselves. Jesus himself couldn’t have
been any clearer: “But seek first his
kingdom and his righteousness, and all these [second] things will be given to
you as well” (Mt 6:33).
Second Things
Resulting From the Proper First Thing
I’ve seen many of the next Christians get to order
correct. When they do, and when we do, consider what’s possible.
The
focus on savvy outreach methods and
persuasive skills goes away. Outsiders
aren’t seen as commodities to be recruited, reached, or proselytized. They are treated as valued creations of God,
possessing his image and seeing their goodness affirmed wherever it shines
through. By recovering the Gospel, the
next Christians are befriending people through authentic relationships where
love is the only agenda. They trust God
to work in outsiders’ lives when he’s ready, using their unconditional love,
grace and acceptance as the basis. Good deeds will stop being done as an action that earns God’s favor. Instead, by recovering the Gospel, Christians will recognize that ultimate grace can be experienced through Christ alone—that his unconditional love and power is the only reliable source for true restoration. Although many good dees will go forward in his name, they will be done in a response of worship to a good God and played out in the most ordinary, and sometimes darkest, places in our world.
The
emphasis placed on doing social justice
will be grounded in the Gospel. We were
once enslaved by sin, but God saved us and restored us to wholeness. So
Christians plead the case of the marginalized because God pleased their own
case when they were marginalized.
Understanding this good news also means recognizing its ultimate power to
change real circumstances. IN the lives of the mistreated, underrepresented,
and left behind and left behind of our world, the Christian responds by solving
real problems. Their acts of social justice demonstrate to the world that
Christ cares about the here and now—not just the afterlife.
Debates
around methods of cultural engagement
will become less of a theme. As
Christians rediscover the Gospel—and particularly the life of Jesus—they will
be left with only one choice: to roll their sleeves up and get in on the
game. No longer content to separate or
lie back hoping someone else will get involved; they are forced into the middle
of society. Their sociological
understanding of the seven channels of culture and the failed attempts of past
generations to change culture by critiquing and condemning it inform their
motivations. Instead, they show up and
create culture. For those churches trying to keep up with how to be “relevant” or debating what church model is most “effective,” the distraction will subside. Pastors will begin to see more and more the power of the Gospel to change local communities, not just individual lives. Church leaders will disciple their people to become more like Christ, do mission in the place God has called them, and find the best way for the church structure to support those two activities. The churches that recover the Gospel instead of being too focused on finding the “right” worship style, programming winsome services, or measuring church growth statistics become a light in their communities. If they left town, they’d be sorely missed. Their cities are genuinely better places, even for non-Christians, as a result of their presence.
Fascination by some Christians over end-time prophecies will diminish. For those who’ve been enamored with what life might look like around Jesus’s return, they’ll be awakened to their opportunity in the present moment to be a part of what God is doing now. Following the lead of the next Christians, they’ll de-prioritize speculation over end-time predictions by recognizing that we’ve all been called to restoration no matter how history’s final chapter concludes.
Recovering
the full story of the Gospel informs Christians on their responsibility to care
for God’s creation –to demonstrate environmental
stewardship. It’s not up for debate
that part of our commission to “have dominion” on earth included using earth’s
resources responsibly, considering future generations and doing the basic
things that help creation flourish. I’m
not talking about militant political action.
I’m describing average Christians doing their part to limit consumption,
recycle, plant gardens, and advocate for the poor where environmental
injustices (like air pollution and unclean water) stand to hurt their
livelihood. The Gospel of restoration extends over all of God’s creation.
Church
Leaders will unleash their people to use their gifts throughout all seven
channels of cultural influence.
Understanding the Gospel’s call to restore, pastors will begin to teach
their people how to become vehicles for God’s restoration to flood their
workplaces and industries. The focus
moves off career paths and onto
calling. Christians reengage their
vocations, seeing them as essential to God’s original intentions for the
world. The church is reignited as the
focus moves from inside the walls out to every sphere of society. Along the way, people are more fulfilled as
they discover purpose in the place where they are where they are spending the
majority of their time. Finally, Christians won’t be consumed with trying to change the negative perceptions so prevalent within the younger generations. Instead, they’ll recognize that perceptions change one person at a time—one experience at a time. I once thought that Christianity’s problem was “branding.” But that’s a second thing. The first thing is the Gospel. When Christians recover the effect of the Gospel in their own lives to shift their inclinations from judgment to grace, hypocrisy to authenticity, and rejection to acceptance, then outsiders will give them another chance. But this kind of shift won’t happen instantly. The perception will only change through consistent exposure, over time, to Christ’s followers who take seriously their call to proclaim and embody the Gospel in everything they do, everywhere they go.
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