Saying it vs. Doing it
Posted by bransonsheets | Tags: branson, next genIs culture change possible? Do we honestly want it to change? Saying, “yes” is easy enough, but that’s a far cry from giving our lives to MAKE it happen.
Many of you were here for my opening message in the new series called, “Sound the Alarm!” As you know, I presented the alarming fact that the Church in North America has lost (and is continuing to lose) an entire generation of its young people. Something has to be done, and it’s really up to us. If you weren’t here last weekend, click here to listen to the message: http://connect2covenant.com/media
For many of us, the problem seems so daunting and wide-spread, and we’re tempted to believe that there is not much that any of us can do. Don’t believe it! Nothing will happen until people like us decide that we are determined NOT to lose our children, and that our families will NOT look like the culture around us. It’s got to start somewhere, why not with a few of us?
A great example of an entire culture being transformed is the story of John Wesley. The efforts of one man not only fueled a great revival in England, but those efforts eventually brought about the transformation of whole nations.
18th century England was a grim place to live. The Industrial Revolution drew thousands of people to the large cities, but poor working and living conditions actually produced a miserable existence for many of those workers. Rampant disease, alcoholism, starvation, unsafe working conditions, child labor that was closer to slavery than anything else, and hopelessness were the norms. The Church of England was a place for the affluent to gather rather than the body to carry out the work of Christ, so the status quo was simply perpetuated generation after generation.
Then along came one man, John Wesley, who got converted and set out to (as he described it) spread scriptural holiness over the whole land. They began to preach to the poor and broken people of England, and it lit a fire that became one of the largest and most radical social movements of all time. By the end of his life, there were hundreds of thousands of people who called themselves Methodists (for their counter-cultural methods!) who were not only living for Jesus but also changing the culture in which they lived. Wesley’s work was not just preaching about Jesus. He put living for Jesus into practice by opening a medicine shop to serve poor people, providing free education for the children of factory and mine workers, starting a number of orphanages and homes for the elderly, and working for change in conditions that exploited people. Eventually, some of these Methodists went to other places (Australia, India, and the 13 colonies), and continued to live their lives in a way that changed the culture around them.
Change like that is possible today even in the culture in which we live. It will start when some regular people like us make the decision that we are going to live differently and raise our children to love God with all their heart, soul and strength. The more that happens, the more Covenant will impact everyone and everything around us. It could get very exciting, or even dangerous!
So, what about you? What do you think would make it dangerous for us? What excites you most when thinking about cultural shifts like this?
See you this weekend!
Branson
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Terri Grimes says:
I loved the sermon yesterday and already quoted Branson at dinner last night! Our kids were talking about wanting to watch some violent gruesome movies and I announced that as a family we were no longer going to watch these types of movies because they do not align with the values that God wants us to live by. I got a lot of “but mom”‘s thrown back at me and my response was “I DON”T CARE!!!!! I don’t care if mommy used to watch these movies, I don’t care if your friends watch these, what I care about is that we make a stronger effort to show that we are willing to live by Godly values and principles in our lives.” And to back it up, we watched The Blind Side!!!
William Harper says:
After reading this message it is possible when just a few touch and agree for a cause. It only takes people that have a heart for change and a made up mind. Not only to change the culture, but to also to change the way this culture views church. We do that by training and coaching our congregation that, that is what God sent us for, to change the scene around us. I am changing the concept at VISION starting next month. I want to have more of an impact on West Greenville. Beautiful message. Thanks Branson!! Love You In the Lord!
Debbie Harper says:
The present generation has a role in teaching forgiveness and handling sinful acts of disobedience in a Godly manner. It is so important not only to forgive but to receive HIS forgiveness. I see an older generation clinging to things (issues) rather than forgiving and letting them go. What does this say to the younger generation? Sinful disobedience does not need to be exploited within the church, but it does need to be forgiven by the church body just as Christ forgives, and what I mean by that is exactly like Christ forgives—not almost like he does or similar to how he does—exactly like he does! Tactfulness may be a tool that is used to skirt many issues, but tactfulness should not be used in the place of resolution and forgiveness. It will come back to haunt you in the next generation—the very one you are trying to mold. So it must be stopped.
Debbie Harper says:
We need to be more like Jesus in every way we can and especially in our Church! If we are going to teach and mold a new generation into the kinship of Christ Jesus, let’s get it right once and for all. Let’s teach (and demonstrate) FORGIVENESS by using Christ’s example. We cannot have it both ways!
Mandi Nichols says:
Let our prayers be that the American Dream Culture will not mold US into desring to become an "American Dream Church". Somewhere in the mix we have mistaken the Jesus of our scriptures and molded Him into a different one: to define "different" would take too long. Molds, concepts, cliches', and "dreams" have become our bondage into a society and culture that is focused on "me" Christianity. Let us continue to pray that the Holy Spirit turns our focus onto the world, as He did with Wesley, with the "seek and save the lost" mentality of Jesus. And as He does, that we act on living out not just our Faith, but the command of our Savior. "Putting into practice" more than just "spiritual" things, but the PRACTICAL things that impact the world one heart at a time! ____~Praying for the Practical to become our Practice,__Mandi