Discover Grace Blog

Only By His Grace

Please take a moment to hear this amazing story. Oh, that we might trust Christ like this:

Should We Really Listen to the Unchurched?

Everybody listens to someone. As parents, we teach our children to listen and comply with what we tell them. As employees, we follow the guidance of those in authority over us.

However, as ministry leaders, we may wonder from whom we should take our instruction. Our theology tells us to look to God, but can we also find any insight listening to people outside the Church?

In our latest LifeWay Research book, Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and the Churches That Reach Them (B&H), we studied young adults' views of religion, spirituality and the Church. We used those findings to provide instruction and examples of how best to connect this generation to God and church.

As good as research can be, some question the idea of doing this type of analysis, saying we're surveying the wrong crowd. Let's agree on this: God, through His Word and the work of the Holy Spirit, is the unequivocal authority on ministry and church. But the next questions are: "Do the beliefs of the unchurched really have value? Should their ideas and perspectives inform our evangelistic strategy?" Here is my answer to both: YES.

A Hopeful Response

I believe that God is honored when we listen to the longings of the unchurched because it is mercy and mission that compel us to listen. We pay attention to the longings of the lost because we care for them (mercy) and desire to make the Gospel known to them as clearly as possible (mission). Knowing the people we hope to reach allows us to better address their concerns, articulate the truth and apply the Gospel.

Some believe this generation is disinterested in the things of God and thus, demand the Church alter its beliefs and mission. Our research indicates quite the opposite.

A Spiritual Generation

Spiritual interest is high among the younger generation. Although being spiritual does not always equate with being religious, only 18 percent said they were neither spiritual nor religious.

A majority (81 percent) of younger unchurched adults in America believe that God or a higher supreme being exists. Research also shows, that the theological beliefs of unchurched people in their 20s are closer to historic Christianity than the beliefs of older unchurched generations.

Young adults certainly are more interested in Christianity than many think. Almost 90 per- cent of the unchurched in their 20s would be willing to listen
if someone wanted to tell them about Christianity. Three out of 5 would be willing to study the Bible if a friend asked them.

Asking the Church to Be the Church

Our data showed that the younger unchurched see Christianity as relevant and viable, but more about organized religion than loving God and people. They believe the Church is full of hypocrites and is unnecessary for spiritual development.

However, much of what they are looking for can be found in God and His Church. Our churches should be embodying authentic community, a life of depth, a responsibility to serve others and the desire to connect with other generations. Our research revealed these are the very things that the younger unchurched deemed important.

The younger unchurched don't need us to re-create our message to accommodate their needs. Rather, what they are often seeking is what we need to be doing for the Church to actually be the Church.

Ed Stetzer is president of LifeWay Research (LifeWayResearch.com) and co-author (with Richie Stanley and Jason Hayes) of Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and the Churches That Reach Them (B&H). You'll find Ed's research blog at OutreachMagazine.com.

Adoption: Abba Changes Everything

To often we excuse away the Biblical mandate to care for orphans and widows: "it is someone else's job....I am already busy."  Yet there is an encouraging movement within the Church in America to capture a vision to adopt the forgotten into loving, godly homes. 

Consider this recent news blip in light of the economy:

Adoptions Increase
Bethany Christian Services — the nation's largest adoption agency — reports that international and domestic adoptions have increased by 26 percent over last year. Bethany has also seen a 19 percent increase in families stepping forward to begin the adoption process this year. Bethany has partnered with many organizations to promote adoptions, including Focus on the Family and the MTV reality show "16 and Pregnant." One of the most watched episodes for MTV in 2009 featured a Bethany birth mother who decided to place her baby with a family in North Carolina. [CitizenLink.com]

As encouraging as this is, I hope it will be only the beginning.

Here is a most excellent article that every Christian ought to read...and it will move your heart (and if necessary: heart of stone):

"Abba Changes Everything"

The Four Classes of Legalism by Dan Doriani

Dr. Dan Doriani is an EPC pastor in St. Louis (& professor at Covenant Seminary).   We've been talking a lot about legalism in the last few weeks.  I came across this excellent explanation that he gives.  I hope it is helpful...

“Class-one legalists are auto-soterists; they declare what one must do in order to obtain God’s favor or salvation. The rich young ruler was a class-one legalist.

Class-two legalists declare what good deeds or spiritual disciplines one must perform to retain God’s favor and salvation.

Class-three legalists love the law so much they create new laws, laws not found in Scripture, and require submission to them. The Pharisees, who build fences around the law, were class-three legalists.

Class-four legalists avoid these gross errors, but they so accentuate obedience to the law of God that other ideas shrivel up. They reason, ‘God has redeemed us at the cost of his Son’s life. Now he demands our service in return. He has given us his Spirit and a new nature and has stated his will. With these resources, we obey his law in gratitude for our redemption. This is our duty to God.’ In an important way this is true, but class-four legalists dwell on the law of God until they forget the love of God. Worshiping, delighting in, communing with, and conforming to God are forgotten.

Class-four legalists can preach sermons in which every sentence is true, while the whole is oppressive. It is oppressive to proclaim Christ as the Lawgiver to whom we owe a vast debt, as if we must somehow repay him- – repay God! — for his gifts to us.

I count myself a member of the legion of recovering class-four legalists. We slide into a ‘Just Do It’ mentality occasionally, dispensing commands just because they are right.