I watched the 80’s throwback movie “Blinded by the Light” recently, and not being a Bruce Springsteen fan, it was mostly the non-Boss music that made me reminisce. Hearing the Pet Shop Boys took me back to my high school days and the music that was so much a part of my life at a time of life when music seems so important. One song that stood out to me was “It’s a Sin,” the second hit from the Pet Shop Boys after their debut single, “West End Girls.” As I listened to the chorus, it struck me that I remembered more of the melody than the lyrics. I think I spent more time dancing to the song than actually listening to its message. Now, so many years later, I read the lyrics of lead singer Neil Tennant and reflected on them with sadness and regret. His words give voice to many people’s experience of religion, so even if you’ve never heard of the band, you may relate to their message.
We create sayings to remind ourselves about things we recognize as important:
Each of these slogans helps us remember the importance of prioritizing our priorities. And they highlight the reality that often other things distract us from what we believe should be central.
The church is not immune to this. I’ve seen Christians become obsessed with ‘biblical’ diets, numerology, church growth, the end times, particular forms of worship, home-schooling, social justice, speaking in tongues, and not speaking in tongues. In each case, a secondary issue became an all-consuming issue. In some cases, a good thing became a bad thing because it replaced the best thing. At times, I despaired that Christians seemed to get excited about almost anything other than the gospel!
Today, there is a trend to make the gospel a priority. But like all trends, this one will likely pass. When it does, we will still have God’s appointed means for keeping the gospel front and centre in our lives: The Lord’s Supper. Let me explain three ways that the Lord’s Supper can help us remember to keep our focus on the gospel.
I used to live in a community where there were a lot of scientists. It seemed like almost everyone had a PhD. I would often ask people about their work but when they tried to explain it one of two things usually happened. Either they would lose me in a long monologue filled with technical jargon and confusing detail or else they would give a one-word answer as if to say, ‘You’re not going to understand this and I’m tired of trying to explain myself to people.’
I fear that the same thing happens when we have opportunities to share our faith. We either over-complicate the message or give up because we don’t feel qualified to explain it. How unfortunate it would be for the people you care about not to ever hear the good news of salvation because you were never able to explain it simply. With a little preparation, I’m convinced that anyone can share the good news. Specifically, I think there are eleven verses that every Christian should learn to share their faith.
When our dryer broke down last summer, I was faced with one of those buying decisions that I wanted to get right. I looked at ads, studied manufacturer’s websites, and read some comparison guides. But I knew that as detailed as those were, they were all written by people who were paid to explain a point of view. And so I didn’t feel my research was complete until I read the consumer reviews of my top contenders. What did people love? What did they find annoying? What surprised them? Reviews can help you find a trusted book, a better plumber, and avoid a restaurant with terrible service. The only thing better than an online review is a personal one. When someone you trust tells you about their experience with a great product or a fabulous service, it can help overcome a lot of doubts. The same is true when we tell others about our experience in meeting Jesus. In fact, the Bible says that we should leave Him lots of reviews. Let me explain.
Sometimes, our attempts to share our faith are little more than spamming the gospel. We go with the cheapest, most impersonal way to get the good news out. But gospel spam isn’t much more effective than the other spam that we receive. It’s quickly identified and sent to the trash. How can you be more than a gospel spammer?
When someone understands what the Bible calls “good news,” they usually respond with hesitation. The gospel message that Jesus bore the consequences of our sins at the cross sounds like good news, but a little too good to be true. When people hear that all they have to do to receive Jesus’ free gift of salvation is believe in Him, it feels a little like one of those emails telling us that we’ve received an inheritance from a wealthy benefactor. Sure, we have! Click, delete. The problem is that the words we use to describe our response to God are often heard without any context and they’re robbed of their meaning and impact as a result. I’d like to consider one of the key passages that describes how a person can respond to the gospel.
“A Tale of Two Cities” is Charles Dickens’ most famous work and possibly the best-selling novel of all time. Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution and dealing with the class struggle of eighteenth-century France, at its heart is a beautiful love story. An English legal aide named Sydney Carton is in love with Lucie Manette. Her heart, however, is given to a man descended from the French aristocracy, named Charles Darnay. Darnay marries Manette and they begin a happy life together in England until he makes a return trip to Paris. There, he is swept up in the arrests of the French Revolution and thrown in prison. Shortly before his execution though, Carton manages to slip into the prison, drug Darnay, exchange clothes with him and has him sent out of the prison with his own identification papers. It’s an incredible act of self-sacrifice because, with Darnay out of the way, he might have been able to renew his love for Lucie. Knowing, however, that she loved Darnay, he gave his life in love and set another free. The novel ends with the death of Carton by guillotine. This story pictures for me, perhaps better than any other, the incredible message of the Bible.
A visit to a Japanese home taught me something surprising about heaven. Just as a host sets the rules for entering their house, God sets the terms for entering His kingdom. Jesus’ parable of the wedding feast reveals what keeps people out.
When tragedy strikes, we ask tough questions: Does God care? Why does suffering exist? The story of Adam and Eve in Genesis provides deep answers, revealing God's love, the deception of sin, and His ultimate plan to restore what was lost.
If you were to draw close to Jesus, how do you think He would change you? There was a time when I would have answered that question very differently. I figured He would rob my fun. I feared He would be controlling. I worried that He would come with guilt and pressure. Instead, what I came to experience was rest. One of the first verses of the Bible that I ever read was Jesus’ invitation to rest in Matthew 11:28-30.
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
At first, I didn’t understand how this promise worked or whether it was true. But it was one of those statements that was so bold that it was either false and put Jesus on the level of a con artist, or it was true and shattered everything I assumed about who Jesus really was. I’d like to share what I’ve come to experience of the truth of Jesus’ invitation.
