Make the Gospel Relevant
Many articles and books have been published recently about making the Gospel relevant. The heart behind it all, I believe, is to find a way to take a message written 2000 years ago about events that took place 2000 years ago on the other side of the world, and make it relate to families today. The premise, I assume, is that it is challenging to apply words from the Bible to the modern family of 2014.
While I understand the challenge of communicating the story of Jesus to different generations and different cultures, I don't believe that the Gospel message needs much help in becoming relevant, for as I read the words of Scripture, it seems to cut to the heart all on its own.
So here are 3 things I think we can do as the church and as families to make the Gospel Relevant:
(1) Preach the Gospel: Many people can't relate to the Gospel because it has been altered, confused, and watered-down. The power is lost. The message is unclear, and the impact, weak. Instead, let us share the Gospel message exactly how the early church shared it. Paul reminds the church of the Gospel saying, simply, "that Christ died for our sins, he was buried, and he was raised on the third day" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). The power of the Gospel is not found in the creative delivery of the sermon or in the modern illustrations and references that make it more accessible. The Gospel is powerful in and of itself. As Paul writes, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16). If we long to see families today understand and believe the Gospel, let us simply preach the Gospel, boldly, clearly, so that, as with Peter's audience hearing the preaching of the Gosepl (Acts 2:37), families today will be cut to the heart, repent, and put their faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins.
(2) Live the Gospel: One of the most powerful testimonies comes when the lost world encounters a faithful church. Any culture of any generation can relate to a message that claims to change lives when they see that it has actually changed lives. Transformation is relevant. Hope is relevant. Joy is relevant. Peace is relevant. Forgiveness is relevant, for everyone talks of these things, longs for these things, and is searching for these things. I believe they will find it in the Gospel when they find it alive in the church. When they see what they've heard, when we live what we've declared, modern culture will worship the Marvelous Christ. Like the unbeliever of 1 Corinthians 14:24 who hears the prophesy of the church and falls on his face to worship God, and like the suicidal jailer of Acts 16 who believes in Jesus after witnessing missionaries worship Christ in the midst of persecution, todays families will worship and believe as they enounter, not just the Gospel, but a living Gospel overflowing out of the church. Show me a church that loves and forgives their city and I'll show you a city able to relate to the Gospel that church preaches.
(3) Listen: Far too often, we preach and live the Gospel, but we fail to do these in the context of relationships and meaningful conversations. Far too often, we engage the world with the Gosepl the same way, regardless of our audience. Those who aim to see the Gospel relevant today should begin by listening. Listen to the heart of your community. Listen to their journeys. Hear their stories. Discern where they are, and begin there. Philip witnessed to the man from Ethiopia by explaining Scripture from the Old Testament book of Isaiah (Acts 8). Peter witnessed to Cornelius by telling the story of Jesus' life, death and resurrection, beginning with his baptism (Acts 10). Paul witnessed to the city of Athens by proclaiming the "unknown God" and his creation (Acts 17). They all preached and lived the same Gospel. They all pointed the lost to Jesus Christ. But they listened. They observed. Philip stood by the chariot and listened to what the Ethiopian man was reading. Peter asked Cornelius to first share his story, and Paul spent days examining the idolatry of the city before addressing the Areopagus. Our cities don't need the Church to be entertaining or funny or worldly, but I do believe they need the church to listen, and then share the Good News of Christ so that it penetrates their hearts and meets them where they are, which is what the Gospel always does. It is relevant because it does meet us where we are. It meets a sinful person with forgiveness, a wicked person with a new heart, the depressed with comfort, the anxious with peace, the hateful with love, and the Gospel meets the dead person with life (Ephesians 2:1-10).
Jonathan Williams is the founder of Gospel Family Ministries and the Senior Pastor of Wilcrest Baptist Church, a multi-ethnic church of 44 nations located in Houston, TX. He and his wife are blessed with three wonderful children.
