New England, "the pastors graveyard" a place where you can ask any Bible believing Christian and they will tell you that evangelizing here is hard. What is it about New England? Is this not the same place that all those great revivals of old started? Are we not free Americans able to talk to people about anything without fear? The answer, is not one we necessarily want to hear. The culture here is totally different from the times of the revivals, and we are not necessarily free to talk to people about religion, especially not at work during coffee break. This culture is a post - post modern worldview. We are now at least two generations out from our grandparents who were "religious" people. We look at the Bible and see the disciples talking to people clearly about the death, and resurrection of Christ from the grave three days later, and people believed and converted by the thousands. But not today, and especially not here in New England. So does the Bible have anything to say about how to reach this culture?
Acts 17:16 (to the rest of the chapter)
The idea of Christ and salvation were so foreign to the people of Athens that they actually thought Paul was preaching two different and new gods to them. So Paul didn't start there. If you study this passage, then you find he actually started where the people were, he even complemented them on their intellectuality and religious dedication. He goes back to creation, he goes back to Genesis 1 and points out that this God, is the creator God. That they are guilty sinners who need to repent of their sins. Then he goes on to talk about Christ, but it isnt where he started.
That is where we are today, people have no understanding of sin. They believe that sin is just another word for "im not perfect" but what they hear about God, they believe that He is loving and nothing else. They dont understand the sin, and that God is also just, and so they will go to hell if they dont repent. We must go to the beginning, creation. People here in New England are just like the Athenians who loved to hear something new and discuss the juicy stuff. Lost of people here love to talk about science, and that is a wonderful "in" with them. What if when those scientific discoveries that they love to talk about, you could use to show them evidence for God creating around 6,000 years ago? What if you learned about geology and could whitness to someone by picking up a rock? That is the power of creation science. It will not only bolster your faith to new heights in confidence that Gods word is true, but it opens countless doors to share the gospel.
The 3rd Annual Northeast Creation Conference is coming, and that is what it is about. Please look it up at www.northeastcreation.org or if you want more to research the creation/evolution debate yourself then check out www.creation.com, www.answersingenesis.org or www.icr.org where there are tons of helpful resources to get your started! Creation really is an important part of the very core of the gospel.
If were not sinners and we evolved, then why do I need a savior? Just something to think about...
Comments