My Own Thoughts on Bridging the Chasm, III

I wanted to continue my prior discussions on "Bridging the Chasm" between evangelicals and the world around them, playing off of Michael Spencer's comments.  Here are points 3 and 4 of his suggestions on how to do this:

3. Go to the secular venues- the campuses, the talk shows, etc.- and don't sound so dxxxed scary.
4. Make a full frontal assault on Christian television and broadcasting that embrasses the cause of Christ. Reject it. Denounce it. I saw Al Mohler on a TBN program the other day. Listen....we just need to get totally AWAY from people with large purple hair crying on satin couches. If Matt Crouch wants our support he needs to start ordering some hits....asap.

Point #3 is simply encouraging us to do what the apostle Paul did.  One of the things we have to remember is how different our society is from the first century world.  Today, most of our preaching and teaching are done in religious venues.  In the first century, most of the preaching and teaching that was done was done in what we would now call "secular" venues.  Of course Paul and the other apostles preached and taught in Christian gatherings in homes and other places.  But, he focused a large part of his ministry in the "public places" of the towns he went to.  Where there were Jews, he went to the Jews, where there were Greeks he went to preach to the Greeks. 

From time to time I will hear a discussion on whether or not we should just "preach the gospel," or seek to influence the culture.  For instance, when the seeker sensitive movement came along many evangelicals criticized them and said that if they would just preach the gospel, people would come.

Actually, both made a mistake (IMHO).  The seeker sensitive movement erred in making the church into something it wasn't intended to be.  They reshaped the church into the image of the world.  Basically, they stayed in the church and transformed the church to make it more accomodating to the world.  They brought the world into the church.

Critics of the seeker sensitive movement also missed an important point.  They are absolutely correct in saying that the gospel alone is sufficient to bring people to Christ.  These folks continued to preach a pure and biblical gospel, within their churches.  What these folks missed is that the apostle Paul preached a clear and biblical gospel in the secular arenas of society.  The anti-seeker crowd erred in not taking the gospel off campus.

I'm not sure what Michael was getting at when he said that we shouldn't sound so scary, but I would say that there are alot of weirdos and angry people out there who are proclaiming the name of Christ.  We need to keep the I Peter 3:15-16 motto of gentleness and respect in mind at all times.

I'm in agreement with his criticisms of TV and other broadcasting that embarasses the cause of Christ.  This is in keeping with the polemics of Jesus and the apostles. Jesus and Paul were remarkably gentle and respectful toward "sinners."  They never shied away from confronting sin, but did it in a very kind way. They were both pretty harsh on hypocrisy within the people of God.  Think of Jesus' scathing denunciations of the Pharisees, Paul's in your face confrontation of Peter's hypocrisy in Galatians and his heartfelt wish for the castration of the Judaizers in Galatia.

Comments

[mark mc]

"Listen....we just need to get totally AWAY from people with large purple hair crying on satin couches. If Matt Crouch wants our support he needs to start ordering some hits....asap."

I admire your generosity, David, not to tag such an effete and un-serious remark for the irrelevancy that is, and reading into it instead something worth listening to. But it's too generous for me.

I'm severely disadvantaged, because I don't know anything about Michael (my filter erroneously blocks BHT as a porn site), and thus I am forced to read him for what he said instead of what he means (apparently). Furthermore, TBN is a non-entity to me. I'm so out of it that I don't know anyone who actually watches it.

But, you greatly flatter the quoted criticism if you really meant to compare it to the polemics of Jesus and the apostles. Did Jesus say, "woe to the fashion-challenged. blessed are the culture snobs"?

Again, I feel like an intruder here. I will shut up if asked.

[Catez]

I'm enjoying this series David. One thing that is on my mind is that it's very easy to look at something like TBN and think that is evangelism. I've met people who think very much that way - they watch and send money so they have participated in evangelism. From my own observations, a lot of the church have the opportunity to be "a Jew to the Jew, a Greek to the Greeks..." right across their fence line at home. When I commented previously that it's as simple as inviting your neighbours over for a meal I figured people wouldn't get where I was coming from. Look at the numbers of Christians - add to that the numbers of neighbours on both sides, down the street, parents of childrens schoolfriends, and think about the number of after dinner conversations that could take place and relationships that form. Where better to exhibit Christ and at the right moment share the gospel verbally. I agree the seeker-sensitive movement got it horse before cart - but - that is because, as I think you point out, many Christians don't see themselves at home as being evangelists, or see evangelism as a spectator sport. Paul went into different locations, yet he told others to stay in the calling in which they were. Which I see as meaning - do it where you are! Sometimes, being totally honest, I read some things Christians have written and it reminds me of a siege mentality - as if they are continually barricading themselves against non-Christians. And I think when one engages in a lot of diatribes and polemic, as some do, it can be hard to come down from that unassailable tree fortress and just talk to the same sinners one has been ranting about.

[Kent Runge]

mark mc, I'd take a look at the efficacy of that pron filter if it blocks BHT and allows TBN.

[Terry]

Check out my own not so breif comments on Bridging the Chasm at
http://pruittcommunications.blogspot.com/2004/11/bridging-chasm.html

[Terry]

Oh, by the way, I have been wanting to write something on this for quite some time, you just gave me the oppritunity.

[matt h.]

David,

Good stuff. I wasn't aware that Mohler had been on TBN - and as a student at the institution of which he is president, I'm a bit troubled by that. Can you give me any other details on the program?