"Repainting the Faith"

"We are never, ever, ever going to make Christianity so cool that everybody wants it. That is a fool's errand. It is chasing the wind. We can't repaint the faith. It doesn't need our help anyway.

Every effort to remake the Christian faith leads to wickedness. Every effort to adjust the gospel so it appears more appealing, more palatable, is foolishness. This is liberal theology's only play in the play book. 'Let's get rid of the atoning work of Jesus Christ because it's harsh. Let's get rid of hell because it's offensive. Let's save Christianity by changing Christianity.' But in the urban context of Acts 2, with people all over the ancient world gathered in Jerusalem, Peter announces, 'You killed him. This majestic one true God of the universe--you crucified him.' And what happens?

     Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles,
     'Brothers, what shall we do?' And Peter said to them, 'Repent and be baptized every one of you in the     
     name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For
     the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our
     God calls to himself.' And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying,
     'Save yourselves from this crooked generation.' So those who received his word were baptized, and there
     were added that day about three thousand souls. (vv.37-41).

All they did was preach the gospel, and men were cut to the core. They wanted to know, 'What do we do in response to this news?' Peter tells them, 'You repent and get baptized.'

What saved them? Their faith. No action brought about their salvation. They hadn't fed any poor people. Apart from what Peter is saying here, they hadn't been sitting under teaching or going to church each week. They hadn't, in the end done anything but heard, 'God is majestic, and you have sinned, but in Christ you can be reconciled to him,' and they were so cut to the heart that they responded with saving faith. 

Acts 2 takes us back to the truth that we simply have to tell. God does the opening of hearts. God opens minds. There is such freedom in this! Do you see how that takes weight off the perfection of our presentation? We don't have to be able to explain it absolutely or completely or be able to apologetically defend creationism or argue the falsity of materialism or whatever. I'm not saying we shouldn't pursue those things. I'm saying that in the end it is God who opens up eyes and ears. Our responsibility is to tell them. It is as simple as that. 

Some people won't like hearing it. What else is new? This has been true as far back as Genesis. It has always been true that some people do not want to hear this message. But some are going to hear it and be saved. So, relational evangelism? Go for it, as long as it turns into actual evangelism. You hanging out having a beer with your buddy so he can see that Christians are cool is not what we're called to do. You're eventually going to have to open up your mouth and share the gospel. When the pure gospel is shared, people respond." 

- Matt Chandler 


from: http://www.amazon.com/Explicit-Gospel-Re-Lit/dp/1433530031/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381122918&sr=1-1&keywords=the+explicit+gospel