I think sometimes the reason Jesus isn’t relevant is Christians (including me probably) treat Jesus like the magic 8 ball. Like he’s not even real. (notice real). Remember those? They were hoot when I was a kid. King of Queens had a good episode about the Metalo – the fortune teller that answered all your questions. Funny stuff! Don’t we do that though? Sometimes we treat Jesus like the lucky rabbit’s foot or the sky fairy or genie in the magic lamp.
This novelty item called “The Submissive Jesus” promoted by an atheist kind of sums up the mentality that Jesus is here for us rather than the other way around.
The idea is that if you twist the crown of thorns into Submissive Jesus skull he will be forced to answer your prayer. At $29.95 (with a $10 rebate if you purchase before Mother’s Day)The Submissive Jesus says 100 random phrases and comes with:
26 page instruction manual
Dinner with God coupon
Freedom from Hell coupon
Warranty for 40 days and 40 nights
Their commercials are almost pornographic so reader – beware if you go to their web site. Here is the tamest of them (this should pop up a windows media player) and represents the mentality I think many Christians have regarding Jesus and prayer. More alarmingly this is the perception that non-Jesus followers have about us!
Here’s my question – what are we doing to CHANGE this perception?
Filed under: Christian, Christianity, Real Life, Relevant Christian, Relevant Life
WHAT???…I thought this was a blog about being ‘Relevant’!
It is!
What is more relevant than getting back to the basics of what the Gospel is…..
Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, living in mans heart!
In Him there is forgiveness of sins, healing, peace, comfort and rest.
It is not because of any works that I have done…it’s not because I keep all or most of the commandments…it is only because of His grace and mercy.
It is because He saw fit to extend an invitation for all mankind to believe in Him and be saved…and I accepted that invitation. That’s it! Nothing more…nothing less.
The Christian mission…simple…“Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled”. Luke 14:23
Yes…there is more expected after the acceptance, but the acceptance IS the foundation on which we build from.
Get them in the door…present them with the Gospel of a savior that loved them so much that He laid down His life for them that they might have abundant life, THEN disciple them. Then show them that they can live a better life by living the way indicated by scripture. Not tradition!
Today’s generation is looking for an authentic, relational spiritual experience. They are not afraid of the cost. They are not afraid to take a stand. They are not weak.
What they don’t want…lifeless, non-relational, irrelevant, weak, going-thru-the-motions Christianity.
Denominational arguments are a waste of time and energy.
The way the First Baptistyrian Pentelutheran Orthodox Charismatic Church in Christ does things may not work for you…and vice versa.
Each church has a mandate….reach your community for Christ.
“I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” 1 Corinthians 9:19-23
How you do it depends on you! How will you reach your community?
