gospel
The Barna Group – Six Megathemes Emerge from Barna Group Research in 2010
The Barna Group – Six Megathemes Emerge from Barna Group Research in 2010.
Makes me wonder why this is true. All of the studies findings seem to come back to Barna’s first point:
1. The Christian Church is becoming less theologically literate.
A theologically illiterate Church might lose mission (pt 2), not care for spiritual principles (pt 3), prioritize community action over gospel proclamation (pt 4), become more pc (pt 5) and experience little/no impact on the world around. Whether or not my thinking is true, one still wonders, “Why?”
I believe it starts with our evangelism. We often try to downplay various aspects of the gospel, in order to win an audience or secure a conversion. Some down play God’s justness and Hell. Others downplay the radical commitment that Christ demands. When we win people to a gospel that only requires a prayer and attending church once in a while, we should not be surprised by these results.
“So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33 ESV)
Contrary to our invitations, Jesus made a radical call upon those who would experience God’s grace–they must give up everything. The response Christ demands is a willingness to lay down anything–and everything–in order to gain Christ. When we have this attitude toward Christ Barna’s six findings will no longer true.
The Gospel is the Answer to Race Relations
America continues to search for the answer to racism. Though most don’t know it, the answer America searches for is the gospel.
Racism is both sin and the result of sin. Genesis 11 recounts the beginning of diversity. In verse 1 we read, “Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.” This tells us not only that everyone spoke the same language, but that they shared a common culture. Sadly, this unity was not to last. Through this shared language mankind devises a plan to build the Tower of Babel. To graciously slow the spread of sin, the Lord confuses their languages and drives them apart (Genesis 11:7,8). This linguistic and geographic separation gives birth to diversity.
But this is not the end of the story. God’s gospel includes a plan to reunite now divided peoples. On the day of Pentecost, the Apostles received a remarkable gift. They were able to speak the gospel in the languages of all the people gathered in Jerusalem (Acts 2:4-6). This is God overcoming the confused languages of Genesis 11. It shows God desires to create one people out of the folks from every tribe, tongue and nation.
Hence the language of Revelation 7:9-10, “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” Here we have a multitude of people, comprised of people from every tribe and people, all singing together the same song, with a loud voice! Certainly this is the anti-Babel. Instead of one people being driven apart, they are brought together to form one people. Instead of one language becoming many, many languages become one.
This happens through the gospel. Paul writes in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians teaches us the gospel is for everyone—Jew, Greek, Slave, Free, Male, Female, so on and so forth. When we come to Christ we all come the same way, and having come to Christ we are now united in a new kingdom, a new people. To borrow from Dr. King, in the kingdom of heaven no one is judged by the color of his skin.
What does this mean for us? It means that the Church holds the only, viable answer for the problems of prejudice and racism. The answer is disciplemaking ministry. As the church engages the world with the gospel and teaches the world to follow Christ completely, we build a community that is truly post-racial. In the end, the world should look at the church and see the kind of community for which they long.
Certainly this is no short-term answer. Lasting gospel transformation occurs over time as we first come to faith in Christ and then learn to live according to the gospel teaching. While it may not be a quick fix, the gospel is the only, real answer to the sin of racism.
Brandon Markette 