I once preached a message titled, “Change to Stay the Same!” using
1 Corinthians 1:17-18 as my text. For Christ did not
send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence,
lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross
is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is
the power of God.
It leads us to the
question: What does it mean to stay faithful to the Gospel? And how
can we preserve its original meaning? The problem is we end up trying to
preserve the way we’ve always done it! Truth is understood through language,
culture, and the time it happens. Believers and churches (hopefully made up of
believers) should be in a process of constant refocusing to be true to the
meaning of the Gospel. We have a choice between facing the future or backing in
to it (looking backwards to what was instead of what can be).
There are four areas to
change in order to stay faithful to the Gospel:
1. In our understanding – new spiritual and
Biblical thoughts
-We need tradition (values & roots) to grow & be
strong, but not traditionalism (roots us down, deadens us, and makes us
dogmatic).
2. In our dialogue – new commitment to
conversation with “others”
We need to listen with “God” ears, and Hearts.
3. In our connectedness – new focus on missions.
We need to recognize opportunities to connect with other believers, and if
necessary create new ones.
4. In our fellowship – new ways of being the
church. The question is not about why we feel as we do about God, but seeking
and proclaiming the truth about God!
I’m excited about what
God wants to do in our lives. We just need to stay faithful - even if it means
doing things differently. Amen?
