Rebecca McLaughlin, author of Confronting Christianity, joins Glen Scrivener and Andrew Wilson to discuss the transformative impact of the church on the world. They explore attitudes towards church and personal evangelism, the fear of being labeled 'bigots', and the hope found in living in pre-Christian times. The podcast emphasizes the importance of worship, community, and serving the Lord in reaching out to others.
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Quick takeaways
The church can provide a sense of community and meaning in a post-Christian society, offering a transformative leavening impact on the world.
Creating a welcoming and inclusive community within the church, reaching out to those who have drifted away or have no Christian background, through hospitality and ongoing invitations.
Deep dives
Evangelism in a Post-Christian Context
In this podcast episode, the hosts discuss the changing landscape of evangelism in a post-Christian society. They emphasize the importance of reaching out to those who feel lonely and disconnected, and how the church can provide a sense of community and meaning in a world that often leaves people feeling empty. They discuss the need for Christians to be bold in sharing the gospel and invite others to church, highlighting that many people are open to conversations about faith and spirituality. They also address the challenges of living out the gospel in a post-Christian culture, including issues around sexual ethics and race, emphasizing the importance of humility and acknowledging the failures of the church in these areas. The hosts also discuss the role of worship in evangelism, noting how the power of corporate worship and the presence of God can often touch people more deeply than logical arguments or intellectual debates. They encourage Christians to embrace the strangeness of the gospel and the transformative power of worship as they engage in evangelism. Overall, the episode offers insights and encouragement for Christians navigating evangelism in a post-Christian context.
Creating a Welcoming Community
In this episode, the hosts explore the importance of creating a welcoming and inclusive community within the church. They discuss the need to reach out to those who have drifted away from the church or have never had any Christian background. They highlight the power of hospitality, inviting people into homes and fostering genuine relationships to get to know them and understand their beliefs. The hosts share personal stories of individuals they have encountered who are seeking spiritual fulfillment and are open to exploring the Christian faith. They emphasize the importance of extending ongoing invitations, beyond just Sunday services, and creating a welcoming space for people to hear about Jesus. They also discuss the cultural shift in membership and the opportunity for the church to provide the community and connection people are longing for in a post-trust society. Overall, the episode encourages Christians to actively engage in reaching out to those around them and offers practical insights on fostering a welcoming community.
The Power of Christian Worship
This podcast episode explores the power of Christian worship in evangelism. The hosts discuss how worship can be a gateway to sharing the gospel, as it often touches people's hearts in deeper and more meaningful ways than rational arguments or logical debates. They highlight the strangeness and uniqueness of Christian worship, noting that it can both intrigue and move people, even if they don't fully understand it. The hosts emphasize the importance of allowing worship to be a space where the gap between heaven and earth is bridged, where the presence of God is experienced. They discuss the joy and beauty of corporate worship, its power to bring people together and create a sense of community. They also emphasize the role of worship in transforming individuals and drawing them closer to God. Overall, the episode highlights the transformative and compelling nature of Christian worship in evangelism and encourages Christians to embrace its power as they share the gospel.
A Vision for Evangelism Today
In this episode, the hosts discuss the vision and approach for effective evangelism in today's world. They acknowledge the challenges and changing landscape of evangelism, but emphasize the enormous opportunity for reaching people with the gospel. They encourage Christians to embrace the reality that the harvest is plentiful and the workers are few, and to be bold in inviting others to hear the message of Jesus. The hosts highlight the importance of overcoming fear and rejection, and to be willing to engage in difficult conversations, particularly around sensitive topics like sexual ethics and race. They discuss the need for Christians to live out their faith in authentic and vulnerable ways, building genuine relationships and modeling the love of Jesus. The episode concludes with a reminder that the ultimate hope for evangelism comes from a perspective rooted in eschatology, with the understanding that ultimately, far more of the world will be Christian than it is now. Overall, the episode provides a vision for evangelism that is characterized by boldness, authenticity, and a deep reliance on the power and presence of God.
What's special about church? For this final episode, Glen Scrivener and Andrew Wilson are joined by Rebecca McLaughlin, author of Confronting Christianity and The Secular Creed.
They discuss the unique nature of the in-person church as the place where the vertical dimension of worship meets the horizontal dimension of embodied community. Reflecting on the long history of Christianity, they acknowledge that the church simply 'doing its thing' has a transformative leavening impact on the world.
McLaughlin offers a critique of some of our attitudes towards church and personal evangelism, and some encouragements to keep proclaiming Christ even when it feels fruitless. Scrivener examines how our fear of being labeled 'bigots' can sometimes lead us to disqualify ourselves from sharing the gospel, even though our friends might be more receptive than we imagine.
The podcast ends on a hopeful note: we are actually living in pre-Christian times—Jesus is Lord, he is returning, and summer is coming.
Credits:
Post-Christianity? is a podcast from The Gospel Coalition and The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics. Learn more about The Keller Center here.
The Good Book Company is the publisher of The Air We Breathe by Glen Scrivener. For 25% off books on Christianity and culture, go to thegoodbook.com/postpodcast.
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