From Craig Groeschel’s Blog
I have rarely shied away from being edgy.
“Get their attention!”
“Prove that you’re a real person!”
“Give them something to talk about!”
“Connect with those who aren’t churched!”
These sayings were the unspoken mantra for many pastors in my generation. While there is nothing inherently wrong with any of these statements, without wisdom and prayerful attention, a pastor can easily cross the line from edgy to offensive.
(I have unquestionably done this many times-especially in the past. In recent years, I’ve been convicted that I was being a bad example.) The message of Christ and the cross is offensive. But our language and attitude doesn’t have to be.
Without drifting into legalistic rules, here are a few suggestions:
- When you are promoting something, don’t make your printed materials and billboards something you wouldn’t want your 9-year-old son or daughter to see.
- Don’t use language you wouldn’t want to hear your children say.
- Keep your humor appropriate. A cheap laugh isn’t worth setting a bad example.
Our message will always be offensive to someone. Let’s make sure were are offensive for the right reasons and not the wrong.
The Gospel is ALWAYS relevant to EVERY man woman and child. The delivery does need to be tailored to each “audience” but the message stays the same. It IS offensive to the flesh, and the word of God, like Ezekiel (Ezek 3) says is “sweet in the mouth”, but also as John (Rev 10) testifies “it will make your stomach bitter”. It should be the thing that we love to deliver and it should cause us much pain in the delivery, for in it lies the Lord’s judgement against the sinful hearts of men, and simultaneously lies the salvation for all mankind.
We are to be “14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:14-16) so let us not use profanity for the purposes of shock factor… the salvation from sin as a free gift is shock enough. And let us not cause our brothers to stumble, rather to urge them on in all purity.
It is really only people who have got NOTHING to say, that have to fill up the space with profanity and evil speech. “Better to SAY NOTHING and be thought to be wise, than to open your mouth and be proven a fool!” and here: 3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life;
he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin(Prov 13:3).
The Lord is watching and present. Let us speak of Him and to Him as His position commands, and we can do this rightly when it is His Spirit who speaks through us through our preaching.