What would it look like?
Ever think about this?
90% of this country Christian?!
I would love nothing more than to see this nation saturated with the love of Christ, infiltrated with the forgiveness and love of Jesus, restored by the transforming power of the Son of God, but…
What does that look like?
The people who lived when Jesus walked this earth had some ideas. They thought the
In the middle ages, the “church†sought to assert itself again by steam-rollering over anyone and everyone by force. They labeled it “Christian†and they thought so highly of their cause that they lifted the status from a cause to a crusade.
But God wasn’t in it and we’re still reeling from the brilliance of that move.
Today many “Christians†say the evidence of the
I don’t have my HP calculator handy, so I’m going to have to wing this one. Let’s see, I’ll place the odds conservatively at about zero.
And, again, dreading the missing math machine I can only guesstimate the percentage of people who are actually sucked in by this hokey stuff…I’d say that somewhere between 80 – 90 percent of people find this message almost impossible to resist. Coincidentally, it lines up rather nicely with
Preach it and your popularity will soar.
However…
Yep, you guessed it. Won’t get you any closer to the God who loves you and wants to have a relationship with you. Follow this rather stained and misleading yellow brick road and it might even lead you in the complete opposite direction.
Here’s what Andy Stanley said about this very subject last week at Catalyst, “What would you do if you realized one day that you were the most powerful person in the room?†One day Jesus Himself was faced with this very question and John 13: 3 says, 3Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;
Here’s what He then did,
4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. (vs4–5)
Want to know what we’d see from 85% of the nation if they moved from claiming Christianity to actually becoming Christ Followers?
Go back and read the last 2 verses.
Now ya know.
Just a thought.
Rob Singleton is the lead pastor and founding pastor of 
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What would be very interesting is to know when these polls are performed, just how the question is asked?
If we hit the streets and ask a simple yes or no question;
“Do you consider yourself a Christian?â€
My guess is we hit the same 85% or better easy……
For the ones that answer yes, follow up with “why is that?â€
The responses will show us how we get to that 85% and just how many different ways people “believe†what defines a Christian.
Now how about asking (at least) these 5 questions instead:
1) Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?
2) Were you Baptised “after” you accepted Christ?
3) Are you currently a Member of and attend Church regularly?
4) Do look for opportunities to use the talents God has given you to serve in your Church and the community?
5) Do you Tithe regularly to your / a Church?
(Could be an interesting video project for the Southbrook Worship / Production Team)
Does answering the 5 question above “correctly” define / make a Christian or a Christ-Follower? Not at all, I see being a Christ-Follower as how we live our lives for God every day in every way after we have accepted Christ.
Being a Christian is not about some list where we check off tasks to say we are making the grade or just giving our fair share. It is a daily commitment and that commitment is not always easy in this world. What is amazing, is when your heart is in the right place, the commiment becomes easier no matter your situation.
The questions may only help zero in on what the Bible teaches us are some basic characteristics of a person that is living their life for Christ.
Personally, and I don’t want to sound too confrontational here, but I would like to know who makes the decision as to who is and who is not a “true Christian”. Sincere inquiry.
Hi “Nicest Girl”
Not too confrontational — besides, a little confrontation is good sometimes
But to answer your question I point you not to “Who” gets to make the decision as to whether or not someone is truly a Christian, but rather, “What.”
For the answer, check out the following scriptures;
“You can identify them (Christians) by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.
Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. Matthew 7:15-20
The common theme there is “Fruit.” It’s a “what” not a “who” therefore, the determination in your life is whether or not you are bearing any godly fruit.
I also have a sincere question and do not wish to cause conflict. Am I wrong to feel as though most “Christians” seem more concerned with shining their lights on the sin of others than helping those lost souls find their own light within themselves? More times than not the focus seems to be on their darkness than the light, though a tiny flicker, inside of them. This deeply troubles me. It is their darkness, which they are quite aware of, that makes them feel they have no hope of being loved by God. The tiny flicker is forgotten and sadly their souls become property of Satan. This burden on my heart is very heavy. How do you feel about this?
Hi “Nobody” < – I hate calling you that, but that is the name you gave.
You are right in your observation that there are Christians who seem more concerned with judging others than they do about deepening there own relationship with Jesus and allowing Him to move mightily in their life, but I do not believe it’s “Many.”
Again, the reason goes back to “fruit” and a life characterized by judging and critiquing, condemning and “lording it over others” is a life much more in line with the religious hypocrytes that Jesus railed against so many times throughout the New Testament. That’s not the fruit of a “Christ Follower.”
Jesus did not come to bring rules and regulations, He came to bring “relationship.” If you have a real relationship with Christ (through confessing your sins to God and receiving Christ’s offer of forgiveness and salvation) then your fruit will reflect it.
It’s all part of the 5 W’s. And are you loving your neighbor as much as you love yourself. Where are you going, and who are you following to get there.
Thanks Rob. “Nobody” you are loved for who you are fruit or no fruit. Your question leads me to believe you have good fruit and a loving heart. Follow it. and read this…
http://www.jayforeman.blogspot.com/
And keep reading Rob’s blog every day!! It’s water for your fruit.
I have a response to a past blog and also last night’s message from Geoffrey. They relate to “the end is near” and “things may appear closer in the mirror” as these both occurred to me in the early morning hours on my way to work today. As I was driving through Indian Trail this morning listening to 91.9 and peering in the rear view mirror to check the tailgater behind me, I was rudely brought back to reality with a glimse of a deer in front of my car….my new car! As I slammed on the brakes and swerved to miss her, thousands of thoughts went through my brain, mainly, what the …”thud” was that, followed by “how hurt is my car” but all that was immediately replaced with thoughts like…”Thank God the air bags didn’t go off” and “how is the deer???” God was in fact looking over me as I escaped the whole ordeal with nothing more than a bruised ego for not being a good enough driver to avoid the deer. The deer escaped, a little bruised also, but nonetheless running like crazy the other direction from me and as for the car….it’s only metal and plastic…easily fixed!! This morning I saw that life is not a certain thing…looking in the rear view mirror too long can be dangerous….and God has us all in his most capable hands!!
Nobody (I also think this is the wrong name for you). Your observation is RIGHT ON! As a Christ Follower I find that I fight an uphill battle to “re-create” what a Christian acts like. I grew up in the South where you were going to be told when you were doing wrong. I have always felt like we know when we are doing wrong we don’t need someone else to point that out. What we need is the support to do better/ right.
I personally have made it my stride to not condemn anyone but to help them in whatever way I can to lift them up. It is easier to step out of the mud if you are lifted up and not neck deep in it!
As Christ Followers we just have to let people know that Christ loves them! He will work out the rest it is just our job to let them know!
Let me explain “Nobody”……..a certain perspective is needed to understand why I like being Nobody, one phrase can sum it all up.
“Somebody” should do something, but “Nobody” is going to. I have struggled my entire life. I’ve realized that my suffering has been helpful to many people. If we don’t use the lesson’s we learn from the hard times to help others then our suffering was in vain. I don’t like being tested at all, but I enjoy being given the opportunity to turn the evil of Satan into something useful to God.
So who does decide who’s a Christian? What decides? Well, I myself have had to learn that it is not up to me who and who is not a Christian. I need to live my life, bear fruit, and help others find the light of Jesus. And then others decide for themselves and Jesus knows their hearts.
My small group is studying the book of Jame right now- (great group to join! Tuesday nights, 7-9pm)- anyway, we read through and talked about the first chapter last week. The chapter ended with the following verses-vs 26+27 “If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.”
Well, over the few months my feet has figuratively been washed by my small group members (and many others in my church family) as they cared for me. They showed true and acceptable ‘religion’ in a world when ‘religion’ almost sounds like a bad word! I saw their hearts when they cared for me, and the fruit of the Spirit: Galations 5:22-23 “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things.” No there isn’t!!!
I like your take on this, Rob. Sadly I think that for many people their assumption is that if 85% of this country were Christians their would be no filth on TV, creationism would be taught in school, and stores would be closed on Sundays. While I support all of those things on some level, the real evidence would be serving the hurting and needy.
Hi everyone my name is Johnny I am an independent Preacher of an none denomination, none sectarian house-church in the Philippines, That’s why I left the USA back in 2005 in the first place,
because America claims to be somewhere close to 90% or at least 75% Christian yet we have a divorce rate of at least 50%! This means that more Christian marriages end in divorce than none Christian marriages in the USA,
this plus the unbelievable division in Christendom in itself proves that the USA never was and never will be a true Christian country! You can’t discipline your children in the states without going to jail.
Women and gays have more rights than men and church leaders. There are no more family values or morality left in the states. I believe there is just too damn much freedom in America which will not last to much longer mark my words. America was founded on pure paganism,
Please check it out!!!
The United States: A Country founded on Paganism
by Pagan Jim
Originated: 20 March 2005
Additions: 17 Dec. 2008
http://www.nobeliefs.com/pagan.htm
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Peace in Messiah
Pastor Johnny J Christen
God bless you Rob i like your website.