Change has been around for thousands of years, including the Garden of Eden. As long as Adam and Eve obeyed God things went well. Then something  happened: Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin entered into a perfect world, and Adam and Eve encountered change in their lives. Man and woman were evicted, if you will, from having it all to living off of the land, by the sweat of Adam's brow. Not a good change. Becoming a Christian is certainly a change. Going from spiritual death to eternal life, from darkness to light, is change, the best change of all. A change associated with becoming a Christian-being born again-is renewing ones mind to think in line with God's Word. This produces change in the way one thinks, which eventually affects ones words and actions. Renewing ones mind is definitely a good change. A very good change.

Recognizing change around you and being willing to use what's changing (i.e. technology) to impart the unchanging Word of God to the world around you, including your next-door neighbors, is part of good change. Those under the age of 25 are better at this kind of change than those of us over 50.

Why are people against change, especially when it comes to technology? Why do so many who are 60 and over dig in their heels to resist change when they were those who saw (some demanded) so much change in the '60s and '70s? To use a restaurant analogy, spiritual appetites were changing in the '60s but most menus (churches) weren't.

One church that did change was Calvary Chapel, in Costa Mesa, California. Pastored then by Chuck Smith, this church became a leader in what came to be known as the Jesus Movement. Pastor Chuck allowed change to come into the sanctuary. New music, new people, new attitudes. And it was for good. The Movement spread across the country to the East Coast. Catering to young people drew thousands to churches willing to change or risk being left behind, culturally speaking.

Fast forward to today. As Christians we have the greatest message of all time, the message of the Gospel. Let's not change that; let's keep the pureness and simplicity of the Bible. After all, how much simpler can John 3:16 get? At the same time, each generation learns differently than those before it. Take potatoes, for instance. You can boil, fry, bake, boil, stew, and mash potatoes.  I've had potatoes each of these ways over the years. It's called variety.

A lot of churches-thus Christians-are like potatoes. They "preach" potatoes but serve them up only boiled, for instance. As much as I like potatoes, I'd get tired of them being just boiled. After a while. I'd be looking for change. The same is true in reaching younger generations: they're hungry for the potato (message), but want it some other way than boiled. Those refusing to change may lose a whole generation of "eaters." Isn’t that worth changing?

Using technology to present the timeless truths of Jesus Christ is one great example of when change can be good for you. Let's not lose another moment in being willing to change methods in how the message is "served." It's change the Church cannot afford to not make.

What are some changes you would like to see happen in the church you attend? What are you doing to try to bring about good change where you live?

© Hubert Gardner Ministries 2016-2024