Should the Church be relevant?

I’ve been pondering “being relevant” recently.  I hardly believe I am saying this, but… The Church should be relevant!  At least when it comes to evangelism...

How so?  Try not to get ahead of me here, because I am not saying let the world change you and let the world determine who you will be.  I'm certainly not saying change God's Word.  Being relevant is nothing if it isn’t fruitless, apart from living a life worth of the Gospel at all times (Philippians 1:27).  Though I have been skeptical at times of being "relevant”, I think my fears stem from the idea of being a thermometer that adjusts to the temperature in this world instead of a thermostat that sets the temperature.  Thermometer relevance is not the kind of relevance we need, I can assure you.

God through Paul’s letters, seems to be talking about being relevant as a means to deliver the Gospel to all people.  People who are saved, are saved when they hear the Word of God (Romans 10:17-18).  Being relevant is just a means to gain access into the lives of others, so that the Word of God can be delivered.  If we can become "all things" so that we can go into them or bring them to us, then we can present the Word of God and let it do His Work.  Of course, we are not talking about sinning in order to be relevant.  We are talking about doing things that are not sinful, in order to be relevant.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ, that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

Romans 10:17-18
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed:

“Their sound has gone out to all the earth,
And their words to the ends of the world.”

As is always the case, we need to be mindful there is danger in this spiritual endeavor of being relevant—that we would become distracted—and instead of truly becoming new things for the sake of presenting the Gospel, we simply blend and assimilate into the world as one of them.  For example, some will say, “Great, I can be relevant!  Let’s go drink, party, have fun, try new things and do new things!  Let’s do what the world is doing cause it looks like a lot of fun!”.  If we do this, what really is our motive?  We deceive ourselves if we think we serve God here.

Remember what Paul wrote, "Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.".  Some people use the excuse of being a witness in order to sin, which is really no witness at all.  "I hang out with sinners, just like Jesus did."  This can be used as a cop-out to really undermine the Gospel, and make relationships with people we really shouldn't have--ones where they are leading us away from Christ, rather than us leading them too Christ. This is the kind of relevance we do not need.  Instead of being a thermometer and letting the world set the pace, we need to be a thermostat while becoming all things for the sake of the Gospel.  Why do you choose to experience new things?  Is it for the sake of your flesh, or for the sake of the Gospel?

That being said, it seems we are in fact being told that being relevant in the right way is a good thing.  The right way being, becoming all things for the sake of representing and delivering the Gospel.  If this is you, relevance is in fact a very good thing.  Do you have a heart for the lost?  Be relevant!  Learn new things, do new things, meet new people, go new places and become what you otherwise would not inside of your own comfort zone for the sake of presenting the Gospel to those who are different than you, and without.

It’s okay to be relevant.  For many, the idea that it's okay to be relevant can be quite liberating.  I hope that it's liberating to you, for the right reasons.