But somewhere along the way, I believe that “relevance” became about making the Truth of God’s Word step out in skinny jeans while slurping up a grande mocha frappuccino. (No offense to either. I wish I could wear the former and it’s because of the latter that I can’t!) What makes His Word relevant? Is it what we wrap it in, or is it the very fact that it is TRUTH PERSONIFIED in the Person of Jesus Christ?
Yes. I have an opinion about this. But the reality is... SO DOES GOD. Check this out:
“As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house[a] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”
Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”
has become the cornerstone,”
and,
“A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”
and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” -1 Peter 2:4-10
In an effort to make the Truth of the Gospel palatable for the world’s appetite, we’ve had a tendency to water it down, muddle it up, and sadly, rob it of its POWER to transform. Jesus was not just some do-good hippie. He had a message that, quite frankly, polarized folks. And it still does.
Now, this is not to say that we should blindly spew the message with complete disregard for the circumstances of the hearer. We read Paul saying just the opposite in his first letter to the Church in Corinth:
“...I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” -9:22b-23
But it was Paul’s deep-seated conviction of the power of the Gospel to transform that motivated him to “become all things to all people.” Remember, this was the same guy who was plotting the demise of Christians everywhere as he travelled along the road to Damascus. The book of Acts actually states that Saul (later, Paul) was “breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples.” He was one that had most definitely stumbled all over the message of Jesus, the Messiah. But as he walked that road, intent to destroy His Bride, Jesus met him with a flash of light. And in the presence of the Lamb that had been slain, Saul experienced it. The TRUTH. And he was transformed. Renamed Paul, this man went from chasing down and imprisoning believers to encouraging them to “fight the good fight” to expand this Kingdom that he had once tried so desperately to destroy. And just listen to the list of what Paul endured because of his boldness in proclaiming the Truth of Christ:
“...I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.” -2 Corinthians 11:23-27
He was not ashamed of the Gospel, as evidenced by the intense persecution he endured because of it. Paul knew that what made the Gospel relevant was simply that it was the only Truth that had the power to make an old heart new. It was the only Message wrapped up in Emanuel... God with us. It was the only Story where death had been conquered once and for all... for ALL who believe. The undiluted, dynamically life-changing, Good News of Jesus Christ was relevant for all. And it still is today... with or without a latte in hand.
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