The Cross, Community, and Culture

God has called us to proclaim His gospel to the ends of the earth. According to Matt. 4:19 if we are following Christ we are fishers of men. The logical conclusion is that if we are not fishers of men we are not following Christ. Partial obedience is still disobedience. The truth of the gospel is unchanging and His children are the carriers of that truth. Interestingly enough, one of the primary challenges to carrying out our mission is the Christian subculture many churches have created. This has caused them to turn their focus inward instead of outward on those who desperately need Christ. The challenge for every believer is to transform from a consumer of Christian product to a compassion for those without Christ.

There is one act of obedience that we can do on earth that we cannot do in heaven. That is sharing the gospel with our lost friends and family. The goal in our churches should be to help people get over their instincts to stick together and form a “holy huddle” and empower them to live their lives on mission for God. We must develop missional communities that remain focused on their neighbors rather than on their church. Sadly, it appears that we would rather close ourselves up in a sanctuary several hours a week than open up our homes to share dinner with unbelievers who live right next door. Read more