We Can't Exhaust Grace, But It Seems Like We're Trying

One thing social media has done for the world, and not in a good way, is allow people to speak their minds without having to speak it. As I watch world and church events unfold, I am often unimpressed. 

I am not against social media, I participate in many avenues on it, but I am growing more and more concerned at how Christians, in particular, are using it.  We comment and click with seeming impunity. We don't respond to circumstances like Christ would have. I have seen too many posts condemning everything, from the president, to somebody else's church and pastoral staff, to local guy across the road. I have seen attacks, anger, and even flat out lies, all from Christians. We are some of the first people to object to lying, but are also some of the first people to share every article without ever checking it out. If we want to be credible, we have to live credible lives. In a day and age where arguing is conversation, may we as Christians speak the truth in love.

I don't think that any person can out sin grace (you may have got that from the title). You are always one step from forgiveness and repentance. My concern is that the church today seems bent on seeing if it can out sin grace. We allow so much of this world to dictate who we are, and we allow so little of the Gospel dictate anything.

As I watch everyone sharing their "Ice Bucket Challenge" videos I am challenged with a simple truth. What if the church was as concerned with the Gospel as they were with social media? What if  I started a challenge that said if you don't witness to a lost person in the next 24 hours you had to donate $100 to a Missionary. How viral would that go through the church? From my view, not many would participate. It seems as if the church really cares about peoples health, but doesn't really care about their souls.

So what do we do to start making corrections? I believe we begin to filter. We don't share anything unless we know it to be absolutely true. We don't demean others in person, so we don't demean them online either. We make the church a haven for the weary and a hospital for the sick. We love the Word more than we love how many people watch our videos, or how many followers we can attract. We intentionally live out the Gospel, and we intentionally speak Gospel truths, because neither happen by accident.

Leaders are Communicators

As I have done several times already, I want to discuss what I am learning. The board here at Mountain Home Bible Church is working through "The Conviction to Lead" by Albert Mohler. Once again it is good to be sharpened. 

Let me start with quoting the book:

pg. 94- "Convictional leadership begins with a commitment to truth and a relentless desire to see others know and believe that same truth. But communication is a form of warfare. The leader is always fighting apathy, confusion, lack of direction, and competing voices. The wise leader understands this warfare and enters it eagerly."

He then gives 3 essential hallmarks of powerful communication: clarity, consistency and courage.

This is a great and simple way of reminding me of making sure that I intentionally communicate truth. In a world full of mixed messages, and subtle hints, we should be a group of clear communicators. Over the years I have been guilty of trying to get to the working before we getting through the communication step. That often, especially in my case, came from a faulty view that communication wasn't working. Communication is working, and it is essential to successfully leading people. 

As Christians we need to know where we are going and intentionally lead people there. In order to do this we will often repeat the same message over and over. Not because we don't have anything else to say, but because we realize that the message we have been given is essential. As the world remains far from God, speaking this message will require courage. 

May we accurately portray the Gospel with intentional communication. Be bold, speak truth.