Well, the title of this blog should tell you its topic, so I’ll ask you a question. Should the internet be a focal point of modern evangelism or is it a cesspool of corruption? Is it an endless fountain of possible Christian conversions or literally “sin in your pocket”? The answer is yes.
The internet is both corruption and possibility. When God created food, sex, material items, and an endless array of other “things”, He created them with a proper human use.
However, when the devil saw these “things” he also saw infinite ways to corrupt and disrupt the proper use of them. When God created food then the devil shifted that good thing into gluttony and lack of contentment. When God created sex the devil shifted it into pornography and the sex trade.
The devil can create nothing – but he can corrupt the wonderful things that God has made for our benefit and enjoyment. Our job is to learn to use the things God gives us in a Biblical way.
I see the internet as a new type of God-given blessing that must be used with responsibility and for the good of mankind. With the power of the internet we can look up Bible verses and commentaries in seconds. We can evangelize in ways we’ve never dreamed of (check out my YouTube channel to see just one of the ways we can reach people).
However, we all know that with the power of the internet we can also look up pornography and horrible photos of death and corruption in seconds. We can communicate with others across the world in sinful and improper ways.
The choice is yours. Will you use the power of the internet for good for for evil? Will you choose the path of light or the path of darkness? Let us all choose the path of light. This is, after all, the new frontier.
In my recent studies I have been exploring the journey of Paul into Athens and (particularly) his discussion with the council of philosophers and officials at the Areopagus. This story is found in Acts 17. The Areopagus was a rock outcropping northwest of the Acropolis and was an important meeting place for a group regarded as the Greek Council.
This council was formed of elders and representatives of the city (and many philosophers) and was quite powerful and influential (similar to what the Senate would have been in Rome). Here, discussions would be held about various gods, new ideas, city matters, and philosophies. Paul was taken here by the council so they could hear his thoughts, beliefs, and ideas (Acts 17:19 NET).
Paul taken to the Areopagus
Notice I said “taken” to the Areopagus. The terminology used here is very similar to Acts 16:19-20 where Paul and Silas are “seized” and “dragged” into the marketplace to face the authorities. This council felt they had the legal right to hear any new “ideas” that were brought forth and to make sure that they did not endanger the city.
So, what seems like a great discussion of ideas with various philosophers and council members is actually (again) a trial of sorts. Paul deals with it well and his lessons in evangelism here are immense. First, he relates to his audience by stating that he can see they are “very religious” (Acts 17:22).
Paul Begins his Oration
Next, he asserts that he can identify the “unknown god” that they have built an altar for. It seems they had many gods and idols and had built this altar in case they had left one out. Regardless, Paul preaches God to them and then relates to them once again by quoting one of their respected philosopher/poets, Aratus, who said ‘For we too are his offspring’ (Acts 17:28-29).
Paul is certainly using rhetoric and argument in a powerful way – but he is also using it in a Godly way. Paul is “softening the blow” for his “elite” and “sophisticated” audience. He is relating to these people on a personal level before giving them the hard truth of God, Jesus, and the resurrection.
Evangelism Today
What can we learn from this that might influence our own evangelism today? Well, I think we can learn to relate to our audience before giving them harsh truths. I think we can see where someone is right before we address where they are wrong, and I think that we can follow all of that up with God’s saving truth.
Finally, there is one more step that should be mentioned. If, after presenting the truth, you are rejected, then you must move on to the next opportunity. That doesn’t mean you’ll never try to evangelize to that person again, but it does mean that for the time being you must “shake the dust off your feet” and leave them for a time (Matt 10:14). After all, the fields are white for harvest (John 4:35).
Spreading the gospel is not so much about the success as it is about the trying. God causes the growth, we can but plant and water. I always loved this line by T.S. Eliot in his book of poems, Four Quartets:
“For us there is only the trying, the rest is not our business.”
Today’s culture is made up of hierarchies, idols, heroes, and, on the opposite end of the spectrum, those who just aren’t considered that cool. In fact, we are so used to this system of “ranking” that it can even creep into organizations where it most certainly does not belong.
The Lord’s church is not a place for hierarchies. There is no room for human “rankings” in the Lord’s church. In fact, if proof is in order, we need look no further than James:
Jas 2:1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.
Jas 2:2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in,
Jas 2:3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,”
Jas 2:4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
Jas 2:5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?
Jas 2:6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?
So, you may be thinking, what is this guy on about? Since when does this happen regularly in the church? Well, to that I would say that, indeed, the Lord’s church are some of the finest people on earth. Still, I will give two examples of “issues” that might be problematic to the Lord’s church.
Single people. It is indeed true that there is a stigma about single people in the church. I’m not sure why, since Jesus mentions that this is a possible lifestyle (Matt 19:11-12) and since Paul discusses the fact that being single might even have some advantages (1 Cor 7:31-34). There are many job postings for preachers that list marriage (and often kids) as a requirement for the job. I’m not saying this is necessarily wrong (they are paying the person after all) but it is strange that neither Jesus nor Paul (based on those standards) would qualify for that particular preaching job.
Concern for the World. It is understandable that we are concerned for the world we live in, however, a deeper concern for this world than for the one to come can be problematic. I sometimes feel as if the church thinks that they can “perfect” this world with a few more quality politicians or laws passed. The Bible teaches that God is in control of governments and that this world is wearing out like an old garment, that it is ran by the “prince of the air”, and is going to burn with fervent heat at the end of time. I think we should let go of trying to “fix” the world and embrace and strengthen the church (Christ’s Kingdom). Our brothers and sisters should come before political parties and politicians that promise (falsely) to reform this world.
I hope this article has spurred some thought, and I hope that you will comment below if you have any thoughts on these controversial topics. Have a great week and I’ll talk to you soon!
I believe we all battle something that is seldom mentioned inside our churches (or in life in general). This thing is there…lurking…and it has an effect on us all. This “thing”, which is the subject of today’s article, is our immense interest in the things of the world and our lack on interest in the things of God.
Now, I understand this may not apply to everyone reading this article, but I do think it applies to me more often than it should. Too often we fail to read our Bibles daily, too often we go though slumps in our study, too often we put the things of the world ahead of the things that concern God (and thus our eternal life).
Think about your media viewing habits for a minute (T.V., books, YouTube, etc.). Do you make more time for television or YouTube than you do Bible study? Do you read more worldly books than books concerning God? If you say “yes” to this question I do not think you are alone. In fact I think that we all face this to some extent. We all sometimes let our earthly interests outweigh Godly interests.
So how can we solve this? Well, I think it starts with taking just a small action towards the Godly and away from the worldly. This is a complicated topic, but here are a few steps I think will help:
Set aside time to read and study the Bible each day.
Attend all of the church services that you can.
Learn to “love” theology, and yes, apologetics (the defense of God’s Word). Apologetics is becoming more and more important as we engage with more agnostic/atheistic secular people in our daily lives.
Push worldly things aside whenever possible. Whether it be the television or the internet. Begin to push away the worldly and embrace the things of the Lord.
I also believe that prayer is often overlooked and that we should all pray for God to help us to keep our interests in the correct (and proper) order.
Finally, remember that this is a process. It will take time to develop new habits and interests. Still, I believe if we dedicate ourselves to the development of these new “Godly” interests our lives will be much richer both now and eternally.
From what I can see the church of Christ and education have had an interesting relationship over the years. Many preachers (and I am one of them) state that the only education needed in ministry is a strong foundation in the knowledge of God’s Word, a desire to preach, and the desire to be a dedicated Christian. These components will lead to experience and skill and thus will lead to a pretty solid preacher.
Still, education can be valuable as well. Brother Thomas B. Warren was a big proponent of education (even secular education) for preachers. He felt that the universities had had education to themselves for too long and that good Christians needed to become a part of the system. I agree, but I also wonder if things have now gone too far for that to (realistically) happen.
I will tell you a story to illustrate my point. I had a professor in undergrad who what blatantly misinterpreting scripture by “picking and choosing” verses and using “the argument from authority” fallacy. What I mean by this is he was taking another professor (who he obviously looked up to) and stating that because this professor said such and such that such and such was “fact”. I spoke up in class and refuted each point that the professor made with scripture. Things did not go well.
Before I get into the outcome of this contention I would like to state that I did nothing that any solid brother or sister in the church could not have done. In fact, I looked many of the verses needed to refute him on my iPad right there in class! So, I am not saying that I’m some kind of Biblical genius who refuted this well educated man. Still, I was able to refute every argument he offered and I did so.
He became VERY agitated and began to yell at me. He said, “Do not insult my intelligence! This man [the professor he was looking up and referring to] has a PhD and has been on the New York Times best seller list!” I basically replied that what the Bible says outweighs any man, as I believe it to be the Word of God. During this “confrontation” the other students in the class were looking at the floor uncomfortably. Still, I continued to refute each false premise (I felt it was my duty as a Christian for the benefit of the other students in the class), and he became even more angry.
After five or six refutations he was literally yelling so loudly that I was afraid other professors (in other classes) were going to intervene. He said many things, that I did not have the expertise to correct this famous professor, etc., and concluded by bellowing “That’s it! Class is over! I cannot be interrupted by someone with such a naive view of the Bible!”
After class I tried to give him a Bible reference card that tells you where to look up various subjects (Plan of Salvation, etc.) in the Bible. He refused to even look at me and told me he did not want my material and to take it with me and then followed me out of class yelling about the “insulting” of his intelligence and my “naive” view of the Bible. He went to the elevator and I took the stairs, I heard his yelling echoing down the hallway until the doorway to the stairs closed behind me.
I tell this story because the situation at public universities is (in my opinion) worsening. I know there are some places where this is likely less severe, but consider that I was at a university in the south! The ability to express views is being limited to that which is “culturally acceptable” and Christianity is becoming less and less acceptable in the university culture. Forget “equality”, we have a power shift (that has been happening for decades by the way) occurring in our public institutions – and I believe it is reaching an unprecedented level. Certain religious and political views are just not allowed to be put forth. This should not be the case.
Now, I understand that freedom of speech has its limitations (see my article here), but I also understand that if atheistic and evolutionary views are being presented in college (as well as views that assert that the Bible is just a book) – then the proper Biblical views should also be allowed to be put forth. This gives each student the ability to choose rationally between the two possibilities and make an educated decision about the future of their lives.
So, what is to be done about this dreadful situation? I think that we have to continue to fight for the equal presentation of both sides of the argument. I am not claiming that teachers should not put forth views, but they should put forth (to their students) all reasonable options. Since the Biblical option is by far the most reasonable option, it should be included in the curriculum of our educational institutions. Since that is not currently the case, I believe that we must educate our young people so that they can fight the good fight of faith in classrooms across the nation…even if professors and teachers claim they are “insulting their intelligence”.
Are we designed to seek “spectacles” – feats of greatness, grandeur, splendor, and glory? I just finished a book called Competing Spectacles by Tony Reinke and I must say that I recommend it…with a caveat. Get ready to feel some discomfort if you read it. The basis of the book is that secular media (T.V., Social Media, YouTube, politics, etc.) is starting to take the place of God for many of us in America.
In this book the author talks about something that I have mentioned on this blog quite a few times, the fact that we are designed to worship. We are designed to bow to something greater than us (God made us this way) and if we do not worship God we will find something, anything to worship to fill that void. This is one of the primary causes of idolatry (which doesn’t necessarily have to be graven images). Paul tells us what kind of things we should concentrate on in the Book of Philippians:
Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Php 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
All media is not inherently bad, but we should take Biblical principles into consideration every time we consume one of these “media spectacles”. Many of these spectacles do not conform to the above verses (and many other verses in the Bible). This means it needs to be looked at carefully:
Jas 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
When we see this content we should try and see behind the curtain. We should think a bit about who is pulling the strings and be open to the (very likely) possibility that they have motives for producing the content they do. What are they trying to get us to believe? What are they trying to get us to do? How are they trying to get us to behave?
Now it must be known that the author of the book Conflicting Spectacles is not a member of the Lord’s church. It also should be known that I’m not recommending any doctrinal matters the book might promote, but honestly I don’t think the book mentioned doctrine anyway. What I do recommend is the basic premise of the book, which I feel hits the nail right on the head when it comes to the current social & cultural situation in America.
The Basics of the Book
The core of it is this: we are designed (by God) to worship the ultimate spectacle, Jesus Christ, but when we fall away from Jesus we end up with a “God shaped hole” in our lives. What many in America turn to to fill this hole is secular media. So that might be movies with amazing special effects, YouTube binges, fiery politics, hilarious sit coms, novels, you name it. Even scarier is the fact that the media is getting better and better at “hooking us” with these false and misleading spectacles.
Again I will repeat, this does not mean that partaking in Social Media, T.V., books, and other forms of media is a sin. What it means is that we should actively think about what we are consuming and whether it fits into a Christian life.
One final thing that I’d like to mention is the amount of time we spend consuming secular media. We should be careful to avoid spending too much time on the things of the world at the expense of the things commanded us in the Bible. Studying the Bible, listening to Biblical programs, and doing things that enhance your life (outdoor work, hobbies, learning, etc.) is more valuable than listening to the agendas of the world. The agenda of the Bible is truth and it’s news is neither fake nor untrue – God and scripture should be our number 1 priority:
Act 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Let us search the scriptures daily to see if the things we are partaking in are healthy for our soul. After all, the Word of God has the final say in all matters temporal or eternal. Here is a rather long section of scripture that I think is pertinent to this week’s topic:
Eph 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
Eph 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
Eph 5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
Eph 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
Eph 5:12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
Eph 5:13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
Eph 5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
Eph 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Eph 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Eph 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
So, if you are brave enough (I’ll warn you, it is almost sure to cut you to the heart as it did with me) you might consider looking up this book. I think it is around twelve dollars on Amazon (I’m not going to link to it from here). Regardless, the core message is one that I’m sure we can all agree on, most of us need to reevaluate our consumption of secular “spectacles” and focus on the ultimate spectacle; Jesus Christ’s death and glorious resurrection. Then, and only then will we be truly fulfilled and gratified.
