SD Views of “Gospel” and “Jesus”
June 10, 2008 7:29 pm Blogs
At our Theo 101 class this last Sunday evening we had a discussion about San Diego’s views of the word “gospel” and the word “Jesus.” We came up with quite an interesting list. Here are some of the more interesting ones that were mentioned…
Gospel = Bad music made by Christians or people from the South.
Gospel = A euphemism for something unquestionably true, like “the iPhone is amazing.”
Gospel = Something that weird people who hand out flyers are always trying to sell you.
Gospel = A book or message of the Bible about Jesus.
Jesus = A popular male name among our neighbors below the U.S. border.
Jesus = Something one yells, screams, or curses when they are upset.
Jesus = Who you get in tune with when you are Jammin’ (smoking pot).
Jesus = The only hope for human salvation.
Knowing and understanding what the views are of our friends, neighbors, and city is important for us as Christians. Not so that we can start fights with people and tell them how wrong they are…but so we can properly address their concerns and hopefully shown them a Jesus and a gospel they have yet to actually hear of.
This is called “contextualization.” Where we take the gospel of Jesus to all different kinds of contexts, and the way that we talk about him varies based upon what context that is. in 1 Cor 9:19-23 Paul calls us to be sensitive to the presuppositions of our hearers so that they might truly hear and receive the blessing of the gospel. Often people are turned off to Christianity, not because of the message, or even because they are not one day destined to embrace it, but often they are turned off by of the messenger. Sometimes we ourselves are the biggest barriers to the gospel for people because we do not first listen and learn how to contextualize the gospel in hopes that it will get the best possible hearing.
My friend Ed Stetzer, a former pastor and church planter, now full-time missiologist, who is also on Board of Directors for Acts 29, was recently interviewed by CNN asking the question, “Do Christians get on your nerves?” It is a very interesting interview, you can check it out HERE. From my perspective it seems many of us as Christians have assumed we are living in a place that ought to conform to and understand us, when in reality we are truly living in a post-Christian, pagan, pluralistic culture. Rather than whine and be upset about that, we need to accept it and figure out how to adapt and reach people with the gospel.
Another interesting study demonstrating how we may not be doing the gospel missionary work of adapting is a report based on statistical research titled, “Unchurched Americans Turned Off by Church, Open to Christians.” You can read it HERE. Rather than fighting against our culture, it is my heart and desire that The Resolved Church would be a group of people who are constantly studying, loving, and learning the city of San Diego so that we can truly reach out to it and share the gospel of Jesus in words and ways which neither compromise the message nor unnecessarily complicate it.
Maybe you ask is contexualizing even Biblical? Besides the 1 Corinthians passage I already mentioned above, think about Jesus himself, who came into our world, speaking the people’s language of the day, wearing their clothes, and talking in parables that they understood. Think about Paul, who in Athens, took an alter used for diabolic worship as a positive illustration for the gospel. Think about foreign missionaries who for years have gone to other countries seeking a way to connect peoples of different tribes and tongues to the gospel. The difference is that now, here, in San Diego, our neighbor is a foreigner, whom we no longer can assume we know and understand. We must go on a mission for them. I pray you join me in that endeavor.
- Pastor Duane