Paul used "modern technology" to spread the Gospel !
This concept was introduced in my Bible class yesterday - and I was so intrigued by the comparison that I just had to comment!
In Paul's day - to make a journey of any distance was quite a feat. But in his zeal to spread the Gospel of Christ, Paul made not just one journey - but Several. So what was the "modern" technology he used to do this? Roads. The ever-expanding road system that the Romans built were indeed very "modern" for their time - paved, providing access to places never before seen.
Paul didn't hesistate to use them to communicate the Gospel of Christ!
Fast forward to today - the "modern" technology of OUR time is - the internet....it has completely revolutionized how we communicate in just a short 20 years.....This is the second time in this past month that I've heard it suggested that we use the internet to it's fullest to spread the word of Christ!
I can't help but wonder how this "fits" with the ever-present call to "return to the 1st century church" when we try to introduce a "modern" way of communicating the love of Christ. We are constantly berated for even suggesting using anything that isn't "the way they did it then"....but I suggest that even PAUL was moving along with the "modern" times in going beyond his back yard, beyond his "house church"....beyond "tradition" to spread the Gospel.
I suggest that we realize that God has given us gifts and talents to use - and in our modern world we SHOULD use every possible way to teach.
I recently had a conversation with someone from another state who was marveling at the fact that we, in our church, not only use power point - but videos and drama. She was saying that at her church they just recenlty introduced powerpoint for the sermons - but only Men could run the system - for a woman to have anything to do with it would be "wrong".
Hmmmm- I wonder who is "running" the internet.....
Am not going to worry a bit about it - .....I'm PROUD to be a Christian - and if someone somewhere is reading this Blog about THAT - then yayyyyyy!
We simply HAVE to move ahead.....the alternative is to move backwards!
3 comments:
I have never really figured out why some think the goal is to restore 1st-century methodology and actually believe that the COC has even remotely done so! I don't think Antioch had church buildings, padded pews, song books, sound systems, electric lights, running water, baptistries - ok, you get the picture! And, why would anyone ever think that duplicating methodology was the goal anyway? Praise God that we can simply focus on our Savior and the blessings we have in knowing Him. Praise God that our mission is to become fully devoted followers of Christ and help others to know the joy of living a life in response to His love. OK - sermon time's up! Thanks for the blog! Love you, Debbie
Amen, sister!
I'm with you, Karin. No matter what our medium, we have to quit all of the bickering and just spread the gospel! The Bible says that if we don't testify about Him, the rocks will cry out that "Jesus is Lord!" I don't want to be replaced by a rock! Jesus cared enough that we would love one another, that He prayed that we would be one, as He and the Father are one, at the very time He was facing His own imminent death on the cross. I think it's time that all of us just get over ourselves, and preach Jesus--whether on power point, internet, through WBS, carrier pigeon, whatever....it's time to get the focus off of ourselves and be the light of the world....glorifying God, not ourselves--and certainly not fighting to prove ourselves right! Jesus is the Way and the Truth and the Life.
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