Who's language do we speak?

Act 2:5-8 New Life Version (NLV) ⁵ There were many religious Jews staying in Jerusalem. They were from every country of the world. ⁶ When they heard this strange sound, they gathered together. They all listened! It was hard for them to believe they were hearing words in their own language. ⁷ They were surprised and wondered about it. They said to each other, “Are not these Galileans who are speaking? ⁸ How is it that each one of us can hear his own language?

These verses were part of Men's Group this evening.  The one I have made larger is one that hit me in the face as it was read.  It caused me to wonder if we as the Church are speaking in "the language" of those we are trying to meet.

I wonder if we use words that are a code for us insiders.  Not always as an attempt to keep the not-yet-christians or any other new comer in the dark but simply cause we have always used the terms; "born-again, second blessing, save, washed in the blood" to name a few.

I also wonder if we need to reach those that are not-yet-christians that are say under 45 years old and younger if we need to change our language?  How we present the gospel; both in words and also in other ways; which I,  as a 50 something former pastor turned hamburger flipper,  am not sure I can innumerate.  Change our time frame; both hour and day?  What makes Sunday between 9 a.m. and Noon the time for church?  Why not Friday at 7:52p.m. or Saturday afternoon or Tuesday evening?      Change our method of presentation?    Is there a way to do the sermon as a text or email that then can be discussed at the "worship time" (even that phrase "WORSHIP TIME" is our/my language.)  These and many other thoughts go wandering through my wondering mind this Wednesday evening between 6:00 p.m. and 7:29p.m. followed by Choir practice.

JESUS' Marching Orders

Matthew 28:18 - 20 (NCV) ¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said, “All power in heaven and on earth is given to me.  ¹⁹So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  ²⁰Teach them to obey everything that I have taught you, and I will be with you always, even until the end of this age.”

At the church I attend (and am also a member) we have been attempting to find God's mind on what our church, also known as the body of Christ that meets at 17th and Main in a certain community, needs  do to bring God glory.  I have seen a couple of things over the last week.

One is that we need to look at if those outside this group would "Know we are Christians by our love!" Both for those within and outside the group.  At times I am sorry to say that our love within is lacking and therefore OUR love without is not into good of shape either.  As I think about and pray about how we love those outside the group I have to say that we must not be doing a great job in that our rate of converts is not at all that good.  I we believe that the world is going to hell as we say we do and we chose a path that would keep us from going to hell; why would we not want to keep every one from going?  I am as bad as any other within the group about not having the passion to share (read the guts to share) Jesus with a dyeing world.  This leads to the second thing I have seen over the last week.

The second is that of Jesus' Marching Order to the Church; GO! Making converts of everybody!  Why? Because Jesus said; "All power has been given me in heaven and on earth.  This gives the people of God the energy, and ability as well as it should given us the desire to do what we are asked to do.  Jesus told his church to make converts; baptize those converts and then teach them to MAKE CONVERTS!  Jesus even goes on to say that He is with us to the end.  What are we waiting for?  We have the engraved invitation!  Why aren't we as a large group doing what Jesus (and God) has called us to do?  The reason may be we are scared?  We do not know how to make converts?  We may just simply not care!

So; if you have read this far into my non politically correct statements here and you claim to be a follower of Jesus the Messiah; I have one question: "What are you going to do about these orders?