5 Things Relevance Is Not
5 Things Relevance Is Not
5 Things Relevance Is Not
Over the last few years, the term "relevant" has become a buzzword in the Christian community, and many churches are touting their relevant style and relevant message to the city.
However, as with any buzzword, we can quickly lose sight of what is and is not really an instance of relevance. To help clarify the term, we've put together a list of fives things relevance is not.
#1 It's not loud music, flashy lights, a new stage every month
Many relevant churches have loud music. Many put a lot of time and attention into creating an atmosphere similar to what people enjoy outside the church (that's where the media comes in).
However, all these things are instances of attempts to be relevant. Some attempts succeed. Some fail. Relevance isn't defined based on attempts.
#2 It's not compromising truth, morals, or God's word
I have no snappy explanation about this. It's simple. If you're compromising God's truth, you're not being relevant. You're compromising. So let your choice stand for what it is. If you choose to compromise, don't pretend you're not. If it's not appropriate, don't do it.
#3 It's not a way to fight back against silly-head traditional churches
No other church is the enemy. We have more than enough enemies as it is, don't start making up more. No matter how well intentioned something is, no matter how successful you find it for winning souls or for producing spiritual maturity, it's never a way to fight back against any church.
Hip relevance isn't a way to fight back.
Holding the line of tradition isn't a way to fight back.
There are plenty of more important things you could be doing.
#4 It's not inherently unbiblical
Even Paul himself said that, "I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some." 1 Cor 9:22
That's not to say some people haven't done some unbiblical stuff in the name of relevance, but then again people have done some unbiblical stuff in the name of the Bible as well, so we must judge each case on it's own merits.
Put simply, relevance is an attempt by a church or by a Christian to imitate Jesus' incarnation.
Like Jesus, all Christians are heirs of God and sons and daughters of the King. Like most children, we have a great amount of freedom and rights when it comes to how we relate to our Father. We can worship in any style of music we want. We can decorate our churches any way we want. We can pray with Thee's and Thou's, or by just saying " 'Sup God."
But, like Jesus, we often choose to give up those rights and, instead, take on the outward limitations the lost are confined to. When we do that, we do not give up our identity in Christ anymore than Jesus was no longer Jesus when He came to earth. We do not give up our moral and ethical standards, anymore than Jesus decided that as long as He was in flesh sin would be ok.
But, Jesus did limit Himself in other ways. I doubt Jesus was thrilled about coming to earth and spending a year or two pooping his diapers, but He knows some days we feel like poop and we need a God who can relate and love us anyway.
I doubt Jesus was thrilled about having to express the limitless love and mercy of God using limited human language. But, He knew YOUR life would be changed by the message, even if language can't express the fullness of God's love.
Relevance is our attempt to take on the cultural limits of our society, the same way Jesus took on the limits of flesh so that He might understand our hurts. Jesus left the freedom and purity of the spiritual realm so that we might have a physical shoulder to cry on, and so we sometimes renounce our own taste in clothing so that the lost might cry on a shoulder clothed as they are clothed.
#5 The final thing relevance isn't:It's not what you expected
There is often a pattern to much of what is relevant in many situations. Many relevant churches allow casual dress. Many relevant churches have newer songs and a more youthful style band. But we can never, ever think that pattern defines the only way to be relevant to our community.
The true meaning of relevance is as different as the neighborhood you're in. There are some communities where suit-and-tie is relevant. There are some communities where hymns are relevant. There are some communities where those things aren't relevant.
Your job as a leader in the church is to find what is relevant to the people you're sent to reach and to take on the limits needed to reach them the same way Jesus and Paul became all things to all people so that they might win as many to Christ as possible.
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