I'm not long back from a men's breakfast and it set me thinking, I knew of the speaker, he is from the local Charismatic church. I didn't know he was the speaker or I probably wouldn't have gone. He stuck to type, he quoted some sociological study, a Franciscan monk and a couple of quotes from the Bible. He didn't have an open bible or expound any passage. He reminded me of a quote from John Stott in his Contemporary Christian book, that some churches try to be relevant but they never open their bible's so are not actually relevant. Stott rightly though points out the reverse is also true, there are churches where the word is opened but not applied so they are faithful. I left with the challenge that I think about often, how to be confessional, or if you prefer biblical faithful and yet engaging. I desire in my preaching to be bang up to date culturally and faithful to the Word. I suppose Stott again is helpful in this in his lecture on crossing the bridge from the world of the Bible to our world it's easier said than done though.
Seeking to be faithful and relevant
God Bless
Stephen
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