simplicity

This Sunday I am preaching in Mettmann. The title of my sermon is “die Einfachkeit der Gute Nachricht” (the simplicity of the Good News). This will be the first time that I preach in German without having typed every word of my sermon out, and having it corrected and edited. I have an outline of what I want to say, and I trust the Holy Spirit to work through me. My German is not perfect. I will probably make a lot of mistakes, but I believe God desires to work in spite of my shortcomings. I believe he will glorify Himself in my weakness.

This theme is something that has been on my mind for a while now. We are bombarded with programs and strategies to get the word out to people. We can go to seminars and conferences that teach how to do church and how to implement new ways of reaching people and making the un-churched feel warm and welcomed. I am not speaking against these things, but I am saying that they can take over our thought, and complicate things when we do not keep the main thing the main thing.

Recently, I read a blog that taught how to be “missional” in how we dress. I won’t go into details, but it basically gave a step by step tutorial on how to shop for the right clothes (and how they should fit) so that you can better reach the post-modern society. I am not against dressing for the times, but again, I just see this as something else that complicates and distracts us from what we are really about. Futher, I don’t believe anything we wear is going to make the message of the Gospel seem cooler or easier to accept. Just be yourself. God made you just the way you are for a reason.

Frankly, I believe the reason we try so hard to find new ways to make the Gospel "attractive" is because we are ashamed. Ashamed of who we are, and ashamed at the simplicity of our faith. Maybe it’s fear, but in reality, I think shame is just fear’s shy, self-centered little cousin. We don’t believe that the simple story of Jesus is enough to reach people, so we have to “do” things to up our chances at seeing someone converted. When are we going to figure out, that it is not our job, nor is it within our ability to convince people to become Christians. We plead the cross with them, yes. We must always be ready "to give an account for the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15), but we do not have the power or the ability to convince someone they are a sinner and in need of a Savior. Only God is able to change a heart (Eph 2).
We can’t convince anyone. No model or program we apply to ministry will be the missing link to revival. All we can do, is give the simple message of the Gospel. In 1 Cor. 15:1-5, Paul writes,
“Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received in which also you stand, by which you are also being saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”

Paul calls the Gospel, “the power of God unto salvation”(Rom 1:16). That’s it. Is it possible for us to just love people, and share the simple message of the Gospel? Is this all it takes for God to change a heart. Yes. Not only is it enough, but it is the only thing that will open the eyes of an unbeliever to their lost condition. God never promises to bless the model, or the program, or the outfit. He promises to bless his Word.

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21)