FROM THE PASTOR'S DESK
Building
Bridges for the Gospel
As Christians, we are called by
God to be Christ's ambassadors. Now that's quite a job description! In order to
fulfill our glorious task, though, we are going to have to step outside of our
insulated Christian circles and learn how to bridge the gap between Christ's
church and today's world.
I've
found my life as a Christian to be exciting because I get to be a bridge-builder
for Christ. Of course, Jesus is the only mediator between God and man (1 Tim.
2:5); but, acting under His authority, Christians have the privilege of building
bridges too. What kinds of bridges are still left to be built? Non-Christians
often have barriers that keep them from considering Christ: intellectual,
cultural, and moral barriers. We can be their bridges to the gospel. Just as
Jesus left heaven to come and mingle with the sinful world, He's left us with
the glorious task of creatively penetrating our world with the good news. In a
sense, then, there may never be a time when we are more like Jesus than when we
are bridging this cultural gap with the gospel.
How
does one become a bridge-builder for Christ? While it's true we need to
understand theology and the gospel message, we must also understand what
non-Christians believe, how they think, and how they've been impacted by today's
culture etc. And then, as ambassadors for Christ, we become the bridge between
the church and the world by communicating the gospel into the context of the
non-Christian mindset.
According
to David Hesselgrave in his book Communicating Christ Cross- Culturally,
"understanding another person's world view (or belief system) is the
starting point for communicating the gospel." By showing an understanding
of and interest in another person's beliefs, we gain credibility and integrity
before that person and probably even a hearing for the Christian message.
One
time, for example, I was sharing Christ with a non Christian student. After
listening intently for forty-five minutes to his belief, and asking several
questions, he finally asked me, "What do you believe?" What an
opening to share the gospel! As we learn to investigate the world views of our
culture, we'll even begin to enjoy talking to non-Christians.
A
bridge-builder is one who has made a commitment to understand people with
different backgrounds and beliefs in order to make Christianity relevant to
these people. In order to become a bridge- builder, though, we have to go
through a process. First, we need to examine the isolation problem found in many
of today's churches. Then we'll look at Christ's model for ministry which
overcomes our isolation. Next, we'll find out how our lives can build bridges to
the world. Finally, we look at the need for education in order to construct
better bridges.
The Problem of Isolation
Imagine receiving a phone call informing you that you'd been chosen to become
the Indian Ambassador to China. You'd consider that quite an honor! How would
you prepare for your task? You'd want to do a thorough study of Chinese culture
and customs. If you simply said, "No problem, I'm an Indian!" and
neglected this study, you'd find yourself very ineffective as an ambassador.
Now imagine if Christ were to call you, as an Indian, to be His ambassador to
India. How would you prepare for that? Well, in fact this is what Christ has
called us to (2 Cor. 5:20). But what if we were to say, "No problem, I'm a
Christian!" but neglected any attempt to understand our own culture?
Surprisingly this is what many people in the church today have done. Some
believers have actually avoided any connection with the world. Jan Johnson in
her Moody Monthly article "Escaping the Christian Ghetto" has
called these people "Rabbit-Hole Christians." According to Johnson,
"In the morning they pop out of their safe Christian homes, hold their
breath at work, scurry home to their families and then off to their Bible
Studies, and finally end the day praying for the unbelievers they safely avoided
all day."
Today's Christians, however, are often viewed by the world as
anti-intellectuals, as people who have neglected their minds in order to become
"spiritual." But with this mentality, we are unable to address the
critical issues of our day, and so our culture begins to look elsewhere for
answers: to the secular humanists, for example.
What is the root of this separation mindset? Well, many believers today hold
to a pietistic view of the Christian life. Pietism began in the 1800s, but it
had a certain deficiency. According to Francis Schaeffer, "it was
`platonic' in that it made a sharp division between the `spiritual' world and
the `material' world. The totality of human experience was not afforded a proper
place."
This pietistic view of Christian living, I think, has sapped the real life
out of the Christian experience for many people. That's because one's
spirituality never quite comes "down" far enough to integrate with the
real world. We still end up trying to be nice Christians, but too many areas of
our humanity get left out. It no longer looks very attractive to those first
investigating the faith, either. In fact, some nonbelievers get scared off!
How can we change this pattern? We must remove this "sharp
division" by finding out how our spiritual life works in the physical
world, by developing a biblical world view. As we learn to apply the Christian
faith to our own life and world we become able to tell nonbelievers how it
applies to theirs also, and this opens doors for the gospel. But without a
well-thought-out faith we don't feel comfortable taking our message into the
middle of the marketplace of modern ideas, and so we stay isolated. What we
actually need is a model for building bridges within the complexity of today's
culture, one that makes Christianity relevant to the lives of real
people. Christ Himself has provided this model in an absolutely amazing way.
What is this model?
Christ’s
Model of Contextualization
The model
is based on the character of God. The Bible presents to us a God who continually
seeks man by entering into man’s cultural context. In the New Testament we
first find God seeking man by taking on a “contextualized” form—that of a
man. Contextualization means becoming identified with the opposing party and
requires breaking through cultural barriers in order to establish communication.
Through
the incarnation of Christ, God crossed a rather large “cultural gap”
to seek man, and identify with man, by actually becoming a man. God took on our
context, and in doing so, He broke through two barriers that kept man from
having a relationship with Him. What were these two barriers?
First
Christ broke through our humanity barrier. Christ took on the flesh,
cultural patterns, thought patterns, practices, and frailty associated with
humanity. He left His world and entered into our world. And then second, Christ
broke through the sin barrier. He went to the cross and became sin on our
behalf so we could be forgiven of our sins and come to know God personally.
Not only
did God seek man by becoming a man, His commitment to seek man continued after
Christ’s death and resurrection, but took on a different form. His
communication model, one still involving contextualization, continues
through His people. In 2 Corinthians 5:20 we see that God has called every
believer to be an ambassador for Christ. How do we go about this task? By
following Christ’s model, and breaking through the same two barriers He did.
First, we need to break through the humanity barrier. Motivated by His
love, we also need to enter into the world of nonbelievers, seeking to
understand their context, and finding areas of common ground. This means that,
without compromising, we are to get involved with real people and their needs,
struggles, and intellectual doubts. Second, we need to help people overcome the sin
barrier. We do this by sharing the gospel within their context, in a way that
“makes sense” within another person’s cultural and intellectual makeup.
According
to Francis Schaeffer, “[A foreign missionary] must learn the language of the
thought-forms of the people to whom one speaks. So it is with the Christian
Church. Its responsibility is not only to hold to the basic, scriptural
principles of the Christian faith, but to communicate these unchanging truths
`into’ the generation in which one is living.”
Now
let’s turn our attention to how to use this model of building bridges for the
gospel that Christ has given us.
We
Are God’s Bridges
When
non-Christians encounter us, what impressions do they walk away with? Do they
simply see another “religion,” or do they encounter a Christianity that is
relevant outside the church and makes good rational sense in every area of human
life?
As Christ
took on the context of human flesh, so we must enter into the context of
today’s world. The basis for our ministry, therefore, is not only found in
sharing the truths of the Christian faith, but also in utilizing our own
humanity as an actual channel for relating these truths.
The early
church repeatedly followed Christ’s model by building human bridges in order
to communicate the gospel within the context of the audience. In Acts 17, Paul
shared the gospel with the polytheistic and philosophically-oriented Greeks
differently than he did with the monotheistic, traditionally-oriented Jews. He
could do this because he had a deep understanding of each culture. Oftentimes in
the New Testament, certain individuals were able to build bridges because of
common cultural back-grounds. Their very lives and heritage built a natural
bridge. Timothy, for example, could easily minister to Greeks in his hometown
because of his Greek heritage. At other times, though, there is no apparent
common ground, and we have to learn how nonbelievers are thinking and
accommodate accordingly. For example, when Paul needed Timothy to accompany him
on a missionary trip, he had Timothy circumcised. Why? Because they were going
to come into contact with Jews who saw circumcision as very important.
Christ
Himself clearly took a contextual approach to ministry. In John 3, Christ
confronts Nicodemus, a teacher of the law, with some deep theological insights.
But in John 4, as Jesus casually converses with the woman at the well about her
immoral past, He uses the well as a simple illustration of the “living
water” He could provide. In each case, Jesus showed genuine respect for that
person’s background and mindset by tailoring the gospel appropriately.
Likewise, an ambassador for Christ must show utmost respect to the people he is
trying to reach, and to their mindset. By demonstrating a deep understanding of
culture, we gain integrity and credibility with our audience.
The key is
that our very lives are the bridges, or channels, for the gospel. When God
created man He gave man dominion over the world (Gen. 1:28). God was essentially
giving every person the assignment of demonstrating His character on earth. As
Christ’s ambassadors, He has given each of us specific areas in which we can
become channels for His love and truth as we turn these areas over to Him. These
areas include our talents, burdens, educational fields, abilities, and spiritual
gifts. Whether a person is a homemaker, a dentist, a Ph.D. candidate, or a
farmer, he or she needs to do an extensive study regarding how biblical truth
provides a foundation for that “platform” God has given. Often He will show
a person a specific subculture that only he or she can reach.
Pastor David Dayalan
top
QUOTES:
Five
key principles of evangelism:
1. The
supreme object of the work of evangelism is to glorify God. Not to save
souls.
2. The
only power that can do it is the Holy Spirit not our human strength.
3. The one and only medium through the
Spirit works is the Scripture. Therefore we reason out
of the Scripture like Paul did.
4. These preceding principles have the
true motivation for evangelism, a true zeal for god and a love for others.
5. There
is a constant danger of heresy through a false zeal and on employing
unscriptural methods.
a)
The minimum amount of truth to the maximum mummer of people.
b)
The maximum amount of truth to the minimum number of people.
- Martin
Lloyd Jones
top
When your time on earth has ended, how do you think you will be remembered? Let me ask the question a little differently: How would you like to be remembered? The distinction between these questions is very important. For instance, I might desire to be remembered as a warm, caring, generous person. However, if I am cold, uncaring and not generous toward others, that is the way people will remember me, not the way I want to be remembered.
If you’re like me, you can think of at least several people who have had a positive impact on your life. The people who come to my mind are those that served as strong examples of how to live and how to give of themselves. They took a genuine, unselfish interest in me and inspired me to develop my gifts and abilities more fully. Then there are people I have never met – writers, artists, public servants and leaders – who demonstrated, through words and deeds, what it means to strive to live in the image of God.
When we speak in terms of how people will remember us after we pass from this life, we are thinking of the legacy we will leave behind. Like a stone thrown into a lake that disappears and leaves only ripples behind, what will be the nature of the “ripples” we leave behind when our lives come to a close?
This is a question of profound importance. Today I am in my early 40’s and know that more of my earthly life is behind me than in front of me. The reality is, not one of us knows for certain how much life we have left. So, based on what you have done thus far – and what you expect to do in the time that remains – what kind of legacy will you leave behind?
Once again, the book of Proverbs in the Bible offers great insight. Basically it tells us that a key to leaving a meaningful, positive legacy is what we might call “right living.” It uses words like “righteous,” which means to live in the right way. Consider the following:
A life poorly spent is soon forgotten. Howard Hughes was one of the world’s richest men, but he died an eccentric, paranoid recluse. He could have done so much good with his wealth, making a difference in many lives, but instead his riches corrupted him. “The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot” (Proverbs 10:7).
A life well spent will bear fruit for a long time and is a good investment. Some of the richest people in life are those who do not make great investments, but have given of what they had – their time, talent and personal resources – to benefit others. Their reward cannot be measured in terms of money or material possessions. “the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:29).
Lives guided by evil intent do not leave lasting legacies. When we see people prospering at the expense of others, we can be assured that their “success” will quickly fade like the light of a candle that is blown out. “The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out” (Proverbs 13:9). “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of the wicked, for the evil man has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out” (Proverbs 24:19,20).
To establish a worthwhile legacy, spend your life on things that will last. “You can’t take it with you,” the adage reminds us. When our lives come to an end, it will no longer matter how much money we had in the bank, how many cars we owned, how big our houses were, or whether we could afford to eat in fancy restaurants.
All that matters – our legacy – will be the impact we had on the lives of people God brought into our lives. “…for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations”
(Proverbs 27:24).
Pastor David Dayalan
top
|
