Living Messengers

In his book, Lifestyle Discipleship Jim Petersen makes the case that "Our basic strategy for connecting with an unbelieving world is going to have to change." In the past we've assumed that if we opened the church doors, sooner or later the world would come to us. That is no longer so. We live in the first unchurched generation in American history.

Our task is to bring Christ to them - whoever and wherever they are. We are called to serve Christ as insiders in an unbelieving world. That becomes impossible if we segregate ourselves from non-Christians, hunkered down with Christians in holy huddles. Petersen holds that we have "abandoned a post" that was uniquely ours by leaving the world to simmer in its' own stew. You see, Christians often have the mistaken impression that becoming an insider in the kingdom of God means being an outsider to the world. Jesus never avoided the world, even when grossly criticized for rubbing shoulders with sinners (Luke 15). Neither should we.

I like the way Bible teacher, Theodore Epp says it:
"Live as though Christ died yesterday,
rose from the grave today,
and is coming back tomorrow."

Now that's the heart of the matter.