Living Room Study

2 Peter 1

“Therefore I will always remind you about these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you have.  I consider it right, as long as I am in this tent, to wake you up with a reminder, knowing that I will soon lay aside my tent, as our Lord, Jesus the Messiah has also shown me.  And I will also make ever effort that after my departure you may be able to recall these things at any time.”  2 Peter 1:12-15

Several years ago, an evangelical philosophy began to spread throughout the Christian music & entertainment community. Based primarily on the ideas of a book called “Roaring Lambs”, many artists in the “business” became preoccupied with the notion that people weren’t becoming Christians, because there weren’t enough Christian “stars” in the secular entertainment industry. A quasi movement arose in response to the perceived “need” to raise-up prominent Christians who would influence the World with their art & star-power.

Obviously, I find nothing wrong with evangelism, or doing ministry in secular venues…but attached to the aforementioned philosophy was the negative sentiment that Christian artists who didn’t adopt this approach, whose music was primarily designed to disciple & encourage Christians, were selling-out. The term used was: “Preaching to the choir.” In response, many artists decided to forsake the Church as a marketplace and rush to the general marketplace, where all the “lost” people are perceived to be dwelling.

Being a Christian, and a member of the music business community, I became keenly interested in this movement. It has been my observation that the secular siege has more to do with marketing music than winning souls. Christian music, TV, radio & retail, combined, reaches less than 15% of people who attend church. Preaching to the choir? We haven’t reached 85% of the choir yet! Surely there are lost and discouraged people in that 85%, who need to be reminded of the truth and hope of the Bible.

Many of my colleagues felt they were on the cusp of an awakening, and this secular initiative would be the fulcrum from which revival was leveraged. A few even obtained success. But for the most part, the church is still waiting to receive the wave of converts these “stars” have produced. The reason is because the closer we get to the World…with the intent of selling them a product…the more the World demands we diminish our message. Quite literally: They won’t buy it.

Friends, the World will not be won from a stage. The revolution will not be televised. God primarily uses laymen to win souls. By the way, that’s YOU. More than a rock star persona, we need a generation of well-versed believers, who can do the work of an evangelist and remain present in the lives of their converts in order to disciple them. This was exactly the Apostle Peter’s point. One doesn’t become well-versed and disciplined without repetition and Godly community.

The only organization Jesus ever established, on the earth, was the Church. The further we get from that, the less effective we become as ministers.

Blessings.

Steve Wiggins