BJ Not BK

      Consider the following quotes by some well known men against Christians and Christianity. 

If Christ were here now there is one thing he would not be -- a Christian.  Mark Twain

The only good argument against Christianity is Christians.  G K Chesterton

The greatest evil in the world today is the Christian religion.  H.G. Wells

Christians are losers.  Ted Turner

I like your Christ.  I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.  Gandhi

If Christians would really live according to the teachings of Christ, as found in the Bible, all of India would be Christian today.  Gandhi

     As children of God we are each called to be a witness of Jesus Christ, to "testify" before an unbelieving world of who Jesus is in our lives, what He has done for us in the past, what He is doing for us today, how He has changed us, how He has saved us.  Yet for some reason the world fails to see Jesus in our lives.  Why is that?

Consider the following research on the shift in American values as documented in Boiling Point  written by George Barna and Mark Hatch.  (this is a condensed version in an effort to shorten the post)

Core Values               Secondary Values               Abandoned Values
convenience                  simplicity                                  discernment
happiness                     compassion                              loyalty
belonging                      teamwork                                 consensus
authenticity                   risk taking                                 thrift
meaning                        wealth                                      idealism
image                           change                                      tradition

Now look at the research Barna and Hatch did showing the abandoned values by Christians in the same time frame.

Values abandoned by Christians over the last fifty years.

Radial obedience, Biblical knowledge, discipline, holistic stewardship, theological purity, patience, church loyalty, salvation by grace alone, persecution, submission to authority, confession of sins, elder care, accountability, family spirituality, diversity, holiness

Over the last fifty years the lines between the culture and the church have blurred as both the traditional values and our Biblical values have eroded, shifted, and been replaced by a secular, humanistic, post-modern world view.  This is not our calling!  We have gotten off mission. 

***Central Truth:  The central mission of my life is to be an accurate representation of Jesus Christ to my community. 

Focal Passage:  Matthew 5:13-16

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Jesus is preaching and he points to each of us "you!" and I are the salt of the earth.  The culture is chock full of blandness.  Ours is a cookie cutter play book filled with the same lies about love, marriage, sex, wealth, happiness, religion, and tolerance.  Love is a feeling, sex is nothing more than the fulfillment of animalistic urges, wealth is to be had by all who claim it, work hard to obtain it, marriage is a business 50/50 business venture where if one party doesn't pull their weight the other can hit the eject button, and happiness is found at serving ones self.  

Enter Jesus loving, Bible reading, walking on your knees, filled with the Holy Spirit prayer warrior.  You are a rebel, you are counter cultural not because you don't bathe, have long hair, and are covered with tattoos.......(not that there is anything wrong with that - Seinfeld) but you are an automatic outcast because you are different.  There is Jesus who says I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE, not one of many ways, many truths, and many lives.  You see salt was very expensive in the days of Jesus.  Salt was used to preserve and to save food which as we all know keeps us from being hungry, cranky, and dead.  Salt was a vital part of every day life as it also gave flavor to otherwise bland food.

You and I are commanded by Jesus to be the salt that gives flavor to this bland world.  We are to preserve the truth about Jesus and through our faithfulness to help share the gospel that saves those around us.  Yet salt can become impure over time as it is used and diluted with other things.  We have to be very careful that we do not become diluted, lose purity, and destroy the very nature of Jesus within us.  Jesus states that salt can't be made salty again and is worthless.

Question?  Ask yourself, have I become diluted?  What areas of my life are impure?  What areas of my life are inaccurately representing Jesus?  Take a few moments to pray right now to repent of those areas and ask God to help you make changes.

Jesus also compares our lives to bright lights.  Light gives warmth, helps us see, keeps us from stumbling when we go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, prevents us from running off the road when coming home for U.T. ballgames.  The light also exposes.  It shows us imperfections that are easily hidden by the darkness.  Boy does the world ever need light! 

My mother-n-law is a French teacher and every other year she takes a group to Europe for several weeks and I always love to see the pictures and gifts she brings back yet her comments are always the same...."Europe is an increasingly dark, Godless continent that continues to grow darker every time I visit." 

Why is that?  Europe has replaced God with socialism.  The churches have subsequently withdrawn their lights to the recesses of their sanctuary choosing to worship on a personal/private level leaving a vacuum where Jesus once stood to be filled with other religions including social Darwinism, materialism, and atheism.  Sound familiar?   

As children of God and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ we must maintain our purity and not hide the light within us, Jesus!  While we are never to embrace the culture we are called to engage the culture, work within the culture, and love the culture just like Jesus did so that our generation can come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Thought question of the week:  Do you have a Biblical world view?  What do you base this on?  Are you pure in your thought life?  In your spending habits, what you watch, what you read?  What about the things you allow into your home, movies, music, magazines?  How do they influence your thinking?  Are you concerned about others or yourself?  Have you allowed yourself to be contaminated?

Are you an accurate representation of Jesus?  Are you letting Jesus shine through every facet of your life?  How so?  What areas are you holding back from Jesus and why?  Is your life one so that others want to know more about Jesus or does it push people away from Jesus?

Closing prayer:

"Father God, I thank you for Jesus.  Jesus, I thank you for your willing sacrifice on the cross that has paid for our sins, that anyone can be saved by simply accepting your free gift by believing in you.  I thank you for anyone who reads this study and is challenged and changed by your words.  Jesus, please change us to be better and accurate representatives of you, help us to better share your good news of salvation, grace, mercy, and peace to those around us and to those you send our way.  Jesus, may you be glorified in all that we do.  May we come to you, stay with you, and follow you.  May we be pure in our lives as we let the light of Jesus shine on those around us, not for our sake, but for the glory of your gospel and your son Jesus."