UnChristian - Part 2

The second perception that Kinnaman deals with is this: Christians are insincere and concerned only with converting others. In this chapter he touches on a number of myths about how people come to be Christians. I was going to go over each one, but I think instead I'll just talk about the one that stood out the most to me. That is this - "Anything that brings people to Christ is worth doing." Many churches pay huge dollars to do evangelism efforts that will reach tons of people at the same time. They may mail Bibles, or tracts, or other Christian material to homes in their community. Or they will do an event and then sneak in Jesus at the end. Kinnaman says that the research shows that such efforts will create three to ten times as much negative response as positive. In other words, for every person that responds positively and moves toward Christ, three to ten others will move away from Him even further. This is huge. The perception of people is that they are simply a number, a notch on a belt, a statistic. Can I ask a really difficult question? Is that really just a perception? Do we care about them, really care about them? What if that person that you befriended tells you that he or she has no interest in Jesus - what happens to the friendship? What is our motivation? Do we seek conversion, or friendship? Do we love unconditionally, or with an agenda?

Here's a confession for you. As a pastor I struggle with evangelism. It's not one of my gifts, nor is it something I get excited about. Let me clarify. I struggle with the whole make-a-decision-and-pray-a-prayer kind of evangelism. Let me explain. I've done plenty of "raise your hand and pray this prayer" kind of sermons. But if I'm honest, they always feel awkward and weird. I feel like I'm trying to sell someone on something. It's almost like I'm trying to be a used car salesman. Just get them to sign on the dotted line next to the "as-is, no warranty" line and once they drive off my property it isn't my problem anymore. We get so geared up and focused on the decision. The prayer. The raised hand. The checked box. Don't get me wrong. I believe that people need to make a faith commitment to Christ. There's a place in there somewhere where people acknowledge their need for a Savior. But it seems to me that while this is an important step, it certainly shouldn't be where it ends. Nor should it be the highlight. To me the highlight is someone who is learning to walk with Jesus as his disciple. Kinnaman says "Intentionally or not, we promote the idea to outsiders that being a Christ follower is primarily about the mere choice to convert" (79). We need a more holistic approach to being a Christ follower. We need discipleship. We need to do life together with people. We need friendships that run deep. It's not as flashy, not as noticeable, not as numbers driven. It's slower, harder, more messy. But it's real. It's genuine. It's authentic. It's discipeship. Now that's something that gets me excited.

I'll end with this one other quote from Kinnaman and then I'd love to hear feedback. "Transformation is a process, a journey, not a one-time decision. This resonates with Mosaics and Busters. The depth and texture of Christianity ought to appeal to young people, but the unChristian notion strains life in Christ into mere mental allegiance to a religion. The truth is that when a person makes a commitment to Christ, it is just the first step into a much larger reality" (82).

Thoughts?

Posted in: church,David Kinnaman,Evangelism,UnChristian