Is the church “counter -cultural?”
Is the church counter-cultural – and are you and I? I read a very good article by Carey Nieuwhof, a Canadian Pastor http://careynieuwhof.com/2015/06/some-advice-on-same-sex-marriage-for-us-church-leaders-from-a-canadian/ and will unashamedly “borrow” from his thoughts to share with you. In America we are have moved (rapidly) from a “quasi-Christian” culture to post-modern within a generation or two at most. So, if your views tend to be simpatico with culture, you’ve probably not read the scriptures closely enough and you may have become comfortable fitting in with both worlds. Following Jesus requires distinct differences. 21st Christianity on appearances is appearing murky and non-distinctive from culture.
Research shows most people today are not pretending or professing to be Christians and don’t bother with the posing and hypocrisy many church-goers ascribe to. They might even act more consistently with their values than we do since they tend to openly live what they believe. Possibly the bulk of the “pretenders” are in the church. Yet still, defying logic, we ask the question in our heads or outright, “Why don’t non-Christians behave like Christians?” Short advice to you . . . stop asking that! If God doesn’t expect this, then why do you? (I’m not implying we can sit on a high moral horse and have the right to look down our noses at anyone) Nieuwhof says “If you want to be ineffective at reaching unchurched people, judge them.” What is the logic for judging people who don’t follow Jesus for behaving like people who don’t follow Jesus? Instead, we might ask why so many “professing Christians” behave like non-Christians. The apostle Peter said it was “time for judgment to begin with the household of God.” (1Ptr. 4:17)
Let’s go and be counter-cultural. We’re at our best when we offer a clear alternative, not just a resemblance of a reflection of our culture or a diluted spirituality. This contrast affords a clearer look at an alternative lifestyle and helps clarify the choice.
Well sports fans, we inevitably got tossed the “hot potato” last week with the Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage. It seemed like the church was just making some headway in getting its laser off homosexuality as the prime offense against God and taking into account sins such as greed, jealousy, hypocrisy, gluttony, unforgiveness and other sexual immorality. We need continued progress.
Don’t think for a minute that non-believers are unaware of the hypocrisy we, as Christians, can accommodate . Are we considering that gay sex is possibly no different morally than “same-sex” outside of marriage? How many unmarried people do you know (Christian or non) who are either living together or having sex? Does this register differently with your moral compass? Why treat it differently? “If we don’t deal with straight sex outside of marriage maybe we should leave gay sex alone.” (Nieuwhof) Ouch! Yes, times are changing. God’s absolutes don’t. Think About It.