Making the Right Kind of Impression
Acts 2:42-47; 5:12-13
November 2, 2008
NOTE: THE ME/WE/GOD/YOU/WE FORMAT USED (AND ADAPTED) IS FROM ANDY STANLEY’S BOOK, "COMMUNICATING FOR A CHANGE."
Introduction
My intention for today was to continue working through our passage in Matthew as we look at the “woes” that Jesus pronounces on the religious leaders in His day.
But I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I was really supposed to address something I mentioned last week, and that was the idea that Church of Jesus has a bad reputation in our society.
Last week I read off some statistics from a book entitle, “unChristian,” by Gabe Lyons and David Kinnaman. Gabe Lyons runs a Christian ministry called “The Fermi Project,” whose goal is to help the Church make a positive impact on a culture that, by and large, wants nothing to do with Christianity and the Church.
David Kinnaman is the president of the Barna Group, which has been leading the way for many years in Christian research regarding the culture and how to impact it.
So you see, the book isn’t a collection of thoughts put together for the sake of trying to paint the Church in a bad light for the sake of denigrating it.
The purpose of the book and the research behind it was to find out just what kind of impact the Church was having on the current culture of non-Christians aged 16-29 years old. You know, the future leaders of our country and the world.
They were asked, “What is your current perception of Christianity?” Here are their responses, gathered over a three-year period, as I shared last week:
91% said anti-homosexual
87% said judgmental
85% said hypocritical
78% said old-fashioned
75% said too involved in politics
72% said out of touch with reality
70% said insensitive to others
68% said boring
64% said not accepting of other faiths
61% said confusing
These things may or not be actually true in any given church fellowship, but whether or not they are true, they are how the Church and Christians are viewed.
Perception is reality to many people. And if we’re perceived this way, it blocks the way for us to sharing the good news of Jesus and the hope He brings.
So what can we do to show people that they have a wrong picture of us, at least as a whole?
Because there’s no doubt that many Christians fit these categories all too nicely. And they’re proud of it.
But I’m convinced that these perceptions of the church are not accurate in terms of how the Church is supposed to be perceived.
So what can we do about it? That’s what I want us to look at today.
God: The basis for the message today is found in two passages from the book of Acts. This book chronicles the life of the early church after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension to heaven.
And in this section, we can find some fascinating things about how the early church went about its business, especially before it underwent massive persecution.
Acts 2:42-47 –
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Acts 5:12-14 –
12 The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.
The point is that while they weren’t the most popular group in town, they at least had the favor of the people.
You: Let me give you some ways to remedy the negative impressions people have about the Church and Christians.
Before I do that, let me add something: none of these things are of any value if they aren’t done in and with love.
The apostle Paul talks about how we can be all sorts of things – theologically smart, have huge faith, and be a religious big shot – but if we don’t have love, it’s all for nothing. So look at these things with that in mind.
1. Devote yourself to the teaching of the Scriptures above all else.
The early gang was devoted to the teaching of the apostles’ teaching. We can be, too.
How? By reading and studying the teaching of the apostles – the New Testament.
The Church is supposed to be a people of the Scriptures, making the words of Jesus our rule for life.
The teachings of the apostles are what we have in the gospels and other books of the New Testament.
And what was the basis of their teachings? The teachings of Jesus.
In the Scriptures we find the words that give us life. We find the words that counsel us in wisdom and keep us from error.
We find the words that tell us not just what the truth is, but how we’re supposed to live and communicate that truth. Remember that the purpose of Scripture isn’t to inform, it’s purpose is to transform us to be like Jesus.
So devote yourself to the Scriptures.
This is an essential for those who wish to make a good impression on those we’re trying to reach for Christ.
Here’s another essential for doing that:
2. Work to preserve the unity of the fellowship.
These folks in the early Church we well aware of the fact that they needed each other.
The religious leaders were trying to stamp out the Church and any memory of Jesus.
Being a Christian in that time invited the prospect of being imprisoned and tortured.
So they stuck together, loving each other, providing for each other, and encouraging each other as a body of believers.
It’s been said on more than occasion that Christians are really great at eating their own. And it’s true on many occasions.
One of the greatest plagues of the Church is that there is so much division and tearing apart in the Church.
People decide that the Church belongs to them instead of to Jesus, so they work to build their own little kingdom, pushing out everyone who doesn’t bow to them and their agenda.
And if that doesn’t work, they tear the church apart and leave, smearing those left behind.
Or they refuse to handle their disagreements the way Jesus says – no, commands us to, and instead engage in smear campaigns, backbiting, and gossip.
Real Christlike, huh?
The world sees this happening in the church and gives them one more excuse to reject Christ.
They see the nastiness that’s embedded in those who cause dissension and division, and they want no part of it. And who can blame them?
They see the sin of divisiveness (and yes, it is a sin, according to Scripture) and it gives the Church a black eye.
Let’s be people who promote the unity of the Church. When you talk about the Church, you mention how God is moving, how we seek to honor Him in everything we do from our Sunday services to the way we clean the building and mow the lawns.
That doesn’t mean that you necessarily agree with everything that happens or every decision that’s made.
But when you don’t agree, you talk about it with those people you disagree with, and you do it in a loving, grown-up, Christlike manner.
One of the best ways to promote the unity of the Church is to open your home to the believers for times of study and fellowship.
That’s something the early church did, and it’s a great model for us.
Let’s look at idea number three:
3. Share your abundance with those in need, especially those in the family.
This is pretty self-explanatory, but maybe it needs to be said anyway.
One of the abiding principles throughout all of Scripture is the idea that we are supposed to share with those on need.
The Bible says to do good to all people, especially those who are believers in Jesus.
Selfish hoarding is against all Jesus taught and stood for. It’s not wrong to have an abundance or even great wealth. It’s wrong to keep it from those who have legitimate needs, however.
Idea #4 for helping us give the right kind of impression about the Church:
4. Be public about your faith in Christ.
The Christians in the early church met publicly at the temple. They didn’t hide it. They met and worshiped as a group where they could be seen.
They didn’t do it for show, they did it because they believed that worship of Jesus should not be done in secret.
Notice that the Christians here were public, but they weren’t pushy.
They didn’t hide their faith. At the same time they didn’t force it down people’s throats.
Our faith should be personal. But it should never be private. We are commanded by Christ to share the good news of forgiveness and a home in heaven with anyone who’ll listen.
The fifth idea for helping others gain the right impression about Christianity and the Church is to…
5. Have firm convictions, but be gentle in how you communicate them.
I think this is where a lot of Christians miss the boat.
They think that having correct convictions means being mean and harsh about how they communicate them.
The biggest and most prominent example I can think of the group from Westboro Baptist Church in Wichita, KS.
They’re the ones who travel to places around the country and picket soldiers’ funerals with signs that say that the brave soldier is in hell for fighting for a country that tolerates homosexuality.
They even take their small children and have them hold up signs saying things like, “God hates fags.”
Tough to hear? Does it make your stomach turn? It ought to. I simply can’t see Jesus doing anything like that.
But what does the media show? These guys.
They don’t showcase the great work that the church does helping orphans, the homeless, AIDS victims, starving people, or anything like that.
They see these folks.
You can be against homosexuality and still be loving and gracious about it. And if you can’t be, you’ve got a problem that you need to get help from God for.
You can be against abortion without calling abortionists murderers and killers for profit.
It’s better to be gentle and pray.
The Bible says we’re supposed to gently instruct those who oppose us, not scream at them until their ears bleed.
So have firm convictions. But be careful how you promote them.
Here’s the last of the ideas I want to share with you today about how to make the right impression for Christ.
6. Become more known more for what you’re for than what you’re against.
The church is more known for what it’s against than what it’s for.
We’re against homosexuality and gay marriage. We’re against abortion. We’re against other religions. We’re against anti-God curriculum in schools. We’re against wearing pink socks in church (or at least we should be).
And it’s okay to be against these things – they are biblical positions to have. But all people hear is how we’re down about everything.
They see religious wackos picketing soldiers funerals, calling down curses on them and their families – in the name of Jesus.
They see extremists calling for the extermination of Muslims and gays and whoever else they don’t agree with – in the name of Jesus.
And even well-meaning Christian people who raise the alarm about real issues are painted as intolerant bigots.
But does the world know what we’re for?
We’re for strong families and communities. We’re for allowing freedom of religion and freedom of speech, even if it disagrees with ours.
We’re for parental involvement in every level of our families lives, especially concerning the welfare of our children. We’re for protecting life in the womb and all the way to death.
We’re for showing compassion to those around us, even if they don’t share our faith.
We’re for showing the world that Jesus is the hope of salvation, and the hope for a just peaceful society.
The world doesn’t know that. They only see what we’re against.
Folks, I’m not suggesting that these six things are a cure-all for the Church’s image problem.
But I am suggesting that if each of us would take one or two of these things, and really be intentional about applying them, things can happen.
We: What I’m talking about here is the fact
we’re not supposed to just go to church. We’re supposed to be the Church.
We’re supposed to be the reflection and representation of Jesus here on earth to a broken world that needs him so badly.
And I believe that if we would get serious about that, then the world would see the real scoop about who we are and what we’re all about.
These six things I’ve talked about here are just some tangible things we can to do help us become a church that accurately reflects and represents Jesus until He comes again.
What if everyone here today or who hears this message decided to pick one or two of these things I’ve just listed and made it happen in their life?
Can you imagine what would happen if we really got going on this?
I believe it would open doors in our area for the gospel of Jesus like maybe never before in our history.
It would allow for the Kingdom to be spread. And it would allow for God to glorified and honored as He takes pride in the Bride of His Son, Jesus.
Let’s pray.
Communion
Well, Church, one of the things that the Church is supposed to do is share in the Lord’s Supper, or Communion.
This is a time of remembrance of the Lord’s death on our behalf, but it’s also a time to reflect on the fact that we are the body of Christ.
We are His Church, set apart for His work. We are set apart for His purposes, and therefore there is no room in the Church for personal agendas or personal kingdoms within the Church.
So as we partake of the elements today, I would like you to take some time and ask the Lord to show you how you can more fully submit to Him, allowing people to see Jesus in you, so they can see their need for Him.
