Pastor Sam shared three ways in which we employ the strategy of incarnational holiness: relevance, revelation, and redemption. Over the next three blog posts we'll consider each of these sermon points.
Relevance
In this past Sunday's sermon, we learned that relevance requires deliberate relationships with people. At Bronx Bethany, we have a vested interest in maintaining affinity groups. We do evangelism in the context of activities specific to our personal areas of interest or expertise: students help students, parents serve as a resource to other parents, and so on. Pastor Sam referenced Joel Edwards' concept of earning the right to be heard: because we have shared a common experience with non-Christians over a period of time, they are more amenable to listening to us when we share our faith and hope in Christ.
A key aspect of relevance is meeting people where they are. If we are absent, we cannot be relevant. Evangelism is not so much inviting people to a church building as it is being the expression of Christ's love wherever we go. As our pastor said (paraphrased here), we make ourselves accessible to people and we offer them something they need.
Where do we find ourselves challenged?
- Sometimes we won't go to where the people are; we are choosing not to tell anyone of the good things that God has done for us.
- Sometimes we make ourselves accessible to people, but we are not expressing the love of Christ towards them.
Today, let's assess our relevance quotient. Is our love of people informed by the love of Christ? And, is that love demonstrated in the world as we live from day to day?
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