LETTER & REPLY

Dear Editor,
I want to thank you for sending me so regularly CETF and to compliment you on the many fine articles within its pages; articles that frequently have some very good academic as well as spiritual content. It is also invaluable for me as continually it provides some sharp relief against which error and truth can be discerned, and it enables me to be a better "Berean".
There is one article that has occurred in your most recent publication referring to Celtic Christianity. I have personally little knowledge of that as an issue within itself. However, your ability to pull apart almost everything Roger Ellis has said raises an issue which for me is pertinent to the kind of work I find myself involved in with youngsters.
The word culture emerges, live and kicking. In witnessing and evangelising, just how much does one concede to prevailing cultural norms and trends? I never seem to get this right. Also, I find that as generation succeeds generation, this changes and what is relevant to one generation becomes old hat to the next. I am not always willing to make the Gospel "relevant" lest such "preaching" or witnessing loses its power.
However, there is a point where Paul states that he learns how to talk to anyone, implying, I think, that is to engage people where they are in their thinking. Catching youngsters' attention is an all-important skill, and how to do that with what equipment one uses is a constantly live issue.
Compromise is the danger here, and the number one pitfall. Whereas I do not look for a "catch all" answer, I would be glad of some observations, and maybe more discussion at some point.

Mike Lampard
Liverpool, UK 

Communication, culture and compromise:

A response to Mike Lampard's letter to CETF (5.5.99) by Neil Richardson (see above)

FIRSTLY, on behalf of CETF and Vanguard, I'd like to thank Mike
warmly for his kind encouragement. He is one among so many of you, our readers, who keep us keeping on in our written work in His service. Without your gifts and edifying words, we would not be able to continue.

Secondly, Mike alludes to the academic aspect of our articles. This is a tricky balance to get right: the excellent Christian journal The Briefing <http://www.gospelnet.com.au/mat-media/> was asked by one reader recently to "print more digestible articles for the ordinary person". My own articles can perhaps at times be a little lengthy or laden with references and footnotes which may deter the average reader. Often this is to pre-empt cries of `Foul' and `Unfair!' and `Unfounded criticism!í as we seek to show that we are earnest enough to be thorough and diligent, covering all angles.

We would challenge all Christians to use what intellect God has given them (often greater than we think when His Spirit animates our thinking), persevering with these sometimes weighty matters, that we become "transformed by the renewing of our minds, that we may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:2). So it is of joy to us that some may find academic rigour to be of merit in this age of sound bite and rhetorical blandish-ment. "Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD" (Isaiah 1:18).

Thirdly, Mike kindly applauds our efforts in discernment. We are, indeed, like so many other more gifted brothers and sisters in Christ, keen that God should use us to help others to see the difference between true and false spirituality, and (more subtly) true and false Christianity. You will find that most who call themselves Christians are happy to derogate Jehovah's Witnesses and Christian Scientists, for example, thinking that this is their discernment job done (see Nicky Gumbel articles Vanguard Jan 1998 issue).

As Alan Morrison memorably put it in the title of his book, there is a "Trojan Horse in the Temple". Apostasy, as in the days of Ezekiel, is occurring "at the door of the temple of the Lord" (Ezekiel 8:16). People are swearing by the LORD even as they swear allegiance to Malcham (Zephaniah 1:5). Many have forgotten, if I can put it reverently, what Jesus looks like. His name is upon their lips (often sung in mantra-like repetition), but knowledge and love of His true character and life as revealed in Scripture is far from them.

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you shall not be a priest to me: seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I will forget your children" (Hosea 4:6).

Why should we go chasing after the false gods of maniacal laughter, animal noises, electric shocks, gold teeth and health and wealth prosperity? It is because we have forgotten our sufficiency in Christ (2 Corinthians 12:9). As Peter Jensen so aptly puts it, "Our whole personal history as believers, and the whole sweep of God's work in saving the world, can be simply summed up as `Christ' ...You cannot have more than Christ; to attempt to have more is to endanger what you already have" (The Briefing #223).

So then we must, it is our spiritual duty to warn our family in Christ of those pernicious things that will endanger that Pearl of greatest price, our Lord Jesus Christ, our only and best possession. For this we are happy to risk the charge of negativism: to avoid being negative about antichrists (those who oppose or seek to replace Christ) in the church, is to join with them (1 John 2:18-20). May God give us grace.

Fourthly, money. We thank you so much for your kind donations, and hope by God's grace and will to continue providing both magazines free.

Fifthly, culture and communicating the gospel, especially to youth. Mike's dilemma is a very real and common one, I'd suggest. Anybody who has tried to work with young people will have found that `speaking their language' and `getting into their groove' will soon become issues. I've worked co-leading youth and student groups almost continually from the ages of 14 to 22. I'm now 23 and teach at a secondary school (ages 11-18). And I've always been encouraged by fellow workers that we should be aiming to `meet them at their level'. But something has often perturbed me here: I have been and am still a `young person' and very often the people who tell me these things could less accurately be described as such!! Some men and women often in their forties and above seem to get into this pattern of thinking:

1. My youth work is not thriving: it's stagnant and shrinking. I can't seem to motivate and encourage the young people in my group.

2. Therefore, there must be something wrong with the way I am delivering the Christian message (in word and action).

3. Therefore, I must find out what styles and approaches they use in life, seek to emulate them so as to `speak their language'.

4. Then I will win more for Jesus, because they will finally understand what I'm saying, or they will "dig what I'm on about".

But there are some tenuous assumptions here. One is that the main problem is that young people don't understand the language and style of older people. I radically disagree. This may be a problem, but it is not scriptural to say that the reason why people don't believe is because they don't understand. The main reason why people don't believe is because they don't want to! We are all at the same level here, young and old. "Men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19).

As Francis Schaeffer pointed out, man's main problem is not one of communication, it's one of morality. It's not that we don't understand, it's that we don't want to. Of course young people (and older people for that matter) will say that they don't understand, that their leaders are stuffy, boring, not dynamic, etc. etc. This indeed may be true, and we obviously need to be careful to be infectiously excited by the truth God has revealed to us and in us. But it is a pretext, an excuse for non-belief. If we become the most exciting, down-to-earth, up-to-date youth leaders in the world, will we experience revival? No. We may fill our youth clubs, but this is not the same as filling the kingdom of heaven.

This communication problem vs. moral problem antithesis I think is Roger Ellis' main problem (and similarly the rest of the New Church movement). Their post-millennial eschatology leads them to expect global revival and Christian-isation of the world before the return of Christ—that the Bride will make herself ready. The reality is the world is going deeper and deeper into darkness and gearing itself up for the "Strong Delusion" of 2 Thessalonians 2. "The love of many shall grow cold" (Matthew 24:12). "False prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many" (Matt. 24:11). "In the latter times some shall depart from the faith" (1 Tim.4:1). "Evil men and seducers shall grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived" (2 Tim.3:13). By God's grace, many individuals of every tribe and tongue are being saved. But the teaching of Scripture is not of an end-times revival, but of apostasy.

So the New Church is stuck. They want revival: they see (if they are prepared to look) apostasy. So, in order to get large numbers into the kingdom of God, they have to "redefine Christianity" (as Rick Joyner would put it). They find it much easier to convert people to "another gospel" (Galatians 1:6) of sound and lights which doesn't involve repentance, death to self and total submission to Christ's Lordship (all of these concepts are utterly absent from Alpha News, the Alpha Course propaganda paper).

Anybody can fill a hall or even stadium if you have the right combination of music, lighting, film, props and set. This does not stop being true of Christian meetings. But as soon as you tell people honestly of God's character, of His perfection, of our sin and depravity, of our total need for salvation and helplessness in achieving it, of the offence of the Cross... all of the glitter fades away. Its effectiveness is nullified. No amount of multimedia will make people glad to hear that they are sinners in the hands of an angry God. In the end, many have concluded that as well as changing the medium (so as to get them in the door) we have to change the message (so as to keep them there). One American church leader says that the most stupid thing we can do in evangelism is to call people to repent of their sins. I guess that makes John the Baptist (Matt.3:2), Jesus (Matthew 4:17) and Peter (Acts 2:38) pretty stupid, in this man's eyes. In what sense is he a Christian?

Mike is quite right. Compromise is a major danger here. But it is also true that, as he says, catching youngsters' attention is an all important skill. I can honestly say that over half my waking hours are devoted to developing this frustratingly elusive skill: teaching children is a lifestyle, not a job! In no way am I seeking here to denigrate the use of means. I believe in the use of energetic music. I think visual aids are sometimes appropriate in teaching and preaching. I can never bring myself to be outraged as many are at the use of drama in church or Sunday school. Games are a vital part of Sunday School and youth club. All of these things can be helpful, they can be part of the "all means" (1 Cor 9:22) that Paul speaks of. But Paul also says in the same epistle that he would "not know any thing among you, save Jesus, and Him crucified" (1 Cor 2:2). And it is "the gospel" that is "the power of God for salvation to every one that believes" (Romans 1:16).

I fear it is because we do not trust the strength of the gospel: we believe it is too weak to gain and keep the attention of young people whose concentration spans have been stunted and maimed by TV-culture and whose sense of fidelity and commitment has been warped and mutilated by the example set by their parents' generation.

We also fear it is too offensive: so instead of presenting it to them, with reality, with fervour, plainly and without embellishment or diminution, we doctor the message. We delete the bits about hell, about submission, about how we stand condemned naturally, that we must be born again, and receive the life of Christ, and be prepared to lose our own.

Also, we do not respect the Holy Spirit's power: it's all become human technique. Of course, the message of Christianity without the convicting power of the Holy Spirit is repugnant to the unregenerate hearer. So much of our work is to pray for the Spirit's stirring up of hearers. Our work is utterly useless without Him. Instead of turning to God in prayer, that He might convict the hearers when we preach the word, we turn to the message itself and change it, making it more palatable. Instead of letting the Spirit give us contagious vitality and enthusiasm so that people cannot help but see the reality of Jesus in us, we tinker around with the medium, equating electricity, sound, light and movement with real life.

So some conclusions:

Whether you are older or younger, don't assume that it's because you wear unfashionable clothing/don't have enough multimedia equipment/don't listen to the Top 40/haven't seen Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace/etc. that young people won't hear the message of Jesus. They're just like any human: rebels, dead in trespasses and sins, in need of the Spirit's illumination.

Whether you are older or younger, don't cling to traditional ways for the sake of them, either. Don't avoid means and methods such as sketches for fear of diluting the message: just use them as signposts to the gospel, rather than distractions from it.

Whether you are older or younger, believe in the Gospel of Christ. Don't add or subtract. It's enough. It's perfect. It's beautiful. It is unchanging and always relevant because it deals with our main human problem (the moral one: we are sinners). It's powerful and able to change the heart of man, by means of the application of the Holy Spirit.

Whether you are older or younger, pray and read the Bible. The essential reasons why any Christian's testimony lacks power are that he has failed to bring his hearers to God before addressing them and to ask for power in doing so, and that he has failed to "let the word of Christ dwell in him richly in all wisdom" and rendered himself unable to "teach and admonish others...with grace in his heart to the Lord" (Colossians 3:16).
(My paraphrase.)

God bless you, Mike, and all our brothers and sisters who work with the young. May He use you all to lead many of them to Christ.

"Don't stop the little children, and don't forbid them to come to me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:14).

"Out of the mouth of babes and infants you have ordained strength" (Psalm 8;2).

"If any man shall add to these things, God shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book" (Revelation 22:19,20).

"Wherefore He is able to save them to the uttermost that come to God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).

by Neil Richardson

Appeared in Volume 5.2 September 1999