I want to begin with a few questions before getting into a devotional reflection to prepare us for Sunday’s message:
How did you come to know Christ and why are you still a Christian?
Who is the person in your life that it breaks your heart that they are no longer a Christian? Why did they leave? Focus your answer on why they left.
Who is someone you know who is not a Christian that you wish was? Why are they not a Christian?
I would love to hear your stories if you feel like sharing – ryan@nodachurch.com
Christianity in America is on the decline. It is easy to write off why people leave but these are people Jesus cares about. We should try to understand why they left and allow ourselves some time for reflection on how we have presented Christ to them in a way that it didn’t come across as good news. Not everyone will accept Jesus, but we must make sure we remove any obstacles that might be in the way of people coming to know Jesus.
When we look back to why people we know have left the faith, or why people we know are not interested in following Christ, what are some of the major things you hear?
I read a study back in 2007 that was focused on how the world around us saw Christians. The research group interviewed thousands of people from all over America trying to get an understanding of the growing trends they were seeing in how Christians were viewed. They titled the book “unChristian” because people basically did not see us a Christ like. I’ve linked a review of the book here.
The culture’s overall view of Christians fell into six categories: hypocritical, only care about “saving” others, anti-homosexual, sheltered, too political, and judgmental.
What was most surprising thing in their interviews was that people were continually using insider language. They realized that most of the people they were interviewing once had a Christian faith but left it. This prompted a second research project that resulted in a book four years later called “You Lost Me.” You can find a review here.
There are times in the church where we have focused on some things thinking we were focusing on Christ. We’ve assured people they wouldn’t go to hell if they followed the rules. We’ve sought after power to create and sustain a particular way of life for ourselves. We have been known more for what we were against than what we stood for. I’m sure you could continue to add to this list.
Jesus says that the world will know we are his disciples by the way we love one another, the world will know God through our unity, and we will carry God’s presence into the world through the Holy Spirit. These are the themes that kept coming back up as we went through the Gospel of John. To show Christ to the world we must first know Christ ourselves.
As we look to the future, what do you want our church to be known for in our community?
Read 1 Peter 1:13-2:25 and reflect on these questions:
What does it look like to be holy as God is holy?
Where is our citizenship? How does that shape how we are to live as foreigners here in America?
Why are we called to live good lives among the unbelieving world around us?
What hope do you find in “…but the Word of the Lord stands forever”? What are you holding on to that is simply grass and flowers?