Several years ago I heard Jerry Vines say that, “the job of the Pastor was not to answer the questions that people are asking, but to answer the questions that they should be asking.” Today I received a survey of Pastors that chronicled the issues that the people in their congregation were dealing with. Top three on the list were as follows:
- Money
- Family
- Time Management
I guess it is not surprising that Pastors desiring to be relevant spend the majority of their time preaching on the issues that people are asking about. Please understand, that’s not all bad. The Apostle Paul wrote many of his letters in response to the questions people were asking. In that sense he went to great lengths to be relevant. But somehow it seems that in our attempt to be relevant, the person of Jesus has become totally irrelevant to the Church. That’s crazy! Jesus is what we are all about. The Church is about Jesus, Christianity is about Jesus, life is about Jesus.
It seems that the unconverted masses understand the significance of Jesus. Here are two instances of the world’s recognition of the relevance of Christ that was told originally by Evangelist Ravi Zacharias in a recent episode of his popular radio program, “Let my People Think” -
The great interviewer Larry King was asked if he had one person to interview who it would be. Without pausing King answered, “It would be Jesus Christ”. The reporter then asked, “What question would you ask Him?” King replied, “I would ask Him if he were really virgin born, because the answer to that question would define all of life for me”
The story is told of Billy Graham’s invitation Chancellor Konrad Adenauer in Germany. Upon Graham’s arrival the two men engaged in deep conversation. At one point in the discussion, Konrad Adenauer looked into the eyes of the Evangelist and said, “Mr. Graham do you believe Jesus Christ really rose from the dead?” Graham rather stirred by this question said, “If I didn’t believe in the resurrection of Christ I would have nothing to preach”. Mr. Adenauer paused a little longer, walked over to the window and looked out at the debris of the city below and said, “Mr. Graham outside of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I know of no other hope for mankind.”
July 27th we are launching a Mega-Series of sermons through the Gospel of John. A Mega-Series is the overarching direction of several sub-series. As I prepare for our study through the Gospel of John I relish the opportunity to show the profound relevance of our Lord Jesus Christ. We will look deeply into his deity, humanity, the major themes of His ministry, the significance of His works, the simplicity and profundity of his message, the eternal significance of his death, burial and resurrection. As you encounter Christ through this study it will revolutionize your marriage, your finances, probably even your time management. No one who ever met Jesus was ever the same again. He is the single most relevant figure in all of history.
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A very timely post Zach. Timely for the church and our denomination. I look forward to following these sermons.
Brothers and sisters, if we believe what Jesus taught, we know that the answers to our practical questions about family, money, time, and all others, begin and end with our Source for Truth, the gospel of Jesus Christ. When we draw closer to Christ, we draw closer to all the answers that we urgently crave. Jesus said (Matthew 6:33), “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” He did not mean that just clothes and food would be added to us, but that God would respond to all our practical concerns in His perfect and loving way.
When debt is overwhelming you, or when a child is on a self-destructive path, or when your relationship with your spouse has grown cold, focusing on your own faith and obedience to Christ might not seem practical and might not seem to address your urgent needs. The wonderful fact is that nothing ELSE will address your urgent needs! In sure hope and trust you can remember that God loves you and will help you when you draw close and know His Son. This is not a promise of worldly happiness and prosperity, but it is a promise of contentment and peace in Christ.
I am looking forward to Pastor Zach’s series on John with its VERY practical and relevant focus on Christ!