is this thing on?

"We have a responsibility to communicate the gospel to our generation. . .No one can become a Christian unless he understands what Christianity is saying. Many pastors, missionaries and Christian teachers seem to be helpless as they try to speak to the educated people and the mass of people about them. They do not seem to face the fact that it is our task to speak to our generation; the past has gone, the future is not yet here. So the positive side of apologetics is teh communication of the gospel to the present generation in terms that they can understand." *

Tired old discussions of religion still dominate many of our churches today. Sometimes this is seen in the lack of preparation that many of our church leaders provide for themselves. Knowing full well that not everyone has the opportunity to study and learn the finer points of theology, philosophy and reason, my argument here is against the poor attempt to understand and to think about our faith. In support of my thesis is the overwhelming people who are still being had by the health and wealth heresies (the Hinnster, Hot Rod Parsley, Bobby $Tilt$ton, etc. . .) as well as the "upper class" churchgoers who attend Sunday morning musicals with no mention of sin and sacrifice.

It is no wonder that the church is having such a difficult time in our culture. Yet in many places across the globe the radical message of the Gospel is being lived out in revolutionary ways - much to the explosive growth despite massive persecution for faith. And in these parts of the world it is still considered a privledge, responsibility and even honor to grow in God's Word.

And knowledge is not the end, but the means. Perhaps this realization will hinder the pile of arguments for Christian Theism that debate points nobody even cares about in today's society. Our apologetics seem to be on pace with our Sunday morning services - outdated and impotent. Let us remember to challenge ourselves with a tenacity for the truth of the Gospel, that we might rightly divide the Word of Truth, expose counterfeits for what they really are, and effectively engage our world. After all, it was Jesus who spoke of knowing the truth - for it will set us free.

So if our lives proclaim the Gospel, let's make sure the amplifier is cranked.


*Francis A. Schaeffer, The God Who Is There, 2nd ed. (Downers Grove: IVP, 1982), 172-173.
emphasis in original