Relevance, Rejection and Revival

It goes without saying; we are standing at the very edge of the judgments of God being poured out on all humanity.

I want you to understand, I am not a doom and gloom preacher: I just don't always talk about what is wrong with the church! But you cannot thumb your nose and constantly reject the grace and the mercies of a loving God who is pleading with all humanity to turn to Him, and not face the wrath that comes in response to that rejection!

Do you like being rejected? Do you like it when you are the object of jokes? Do you like it when people tell lies on you? You know what it feels like when someone close to you, rejects your love and turns away from you, blaming you for the problems of the relationship?

Think about how Jesus must feel, to hear His name drug through the mud, lied about; to have His last name always be a curse word; think about how He must feel when He sees the late night guys make fun of His name, knowing all He wants is for people to know He so loved the world, He was willing to be the supreme sacrifice so all cultures, all generations and all peoples would know He is Lord!

We have become a generation of people who want the easy way out! We want a word that tickles our ears, makes us feel good, a word that doesn't offend any one…all the while we are fulfilling the scripture that says, "…all we like sheep have gone astray…"

The spirit of political correctness has latched its demonic hold on the church, and I for one am asking God to forgive me for my part in it! There comes a time (or is coming a time) in which we are going to have to stand both for and against some things that is going to offend people. There are some things that are sin that the Bible says is sin. But is the pressure to be relevant diminishing our ability to be an agent of lasting change in people's lives?

Yes, I want to be relevant! And yes, I want to be accepted by people! I want people to truly know how my heart hurts for people who are struggling with sin, fighting depression, trying to overcome circumstances that are not their fault; but should we trade relationship with God for a chance to be relevant without being offensive? John the Baptist offended people with his style, his dress, and his message!

I certainly don't want to beat people up with the Word, nor be offensive for the sake of shock. Neither do I have a martyr complex. Paul said we are set to be an offense to the world and to the kingdom of darkness. Islam has no problem being offensive to people! They are different, and make no bones about it! But they do this out of anger and religious duty! What will happen when we fall so in love with Jesus, that we do it out of love and not religious duty?

The Holy Spirit and the Word are relevant to every generation, and for every people group!