By Pastor Stephen Hess –
What does it mean to be an “evangelical” Christian? That question has been the subject of significant debate in recent years. Much of the confusion has come from the fact that people define the term “evangelical” in different ways. Some define evangelical sociologically. When used this way, the term refers not so much to what people believe but how they behave. “Evangelical Christians” become defined as those that have certain cultural traits or worship practices. Others define evangelical politically. When used this way, the term refers to Christians who vote a certain way or support particular political parties.
In truth, neither of the above definitions are helpful or accurate. The word evangelical in the true sense is neither a sociological term nor a political term, but a theological one. It comes from the Greek word “evangel” which means gospel. The gospel is the good news that Jesus is the Son of God who became flesh and died for our sins on the cross. Through faith in Christ’s death and resurrection we are freed from our sins and given the gift of eternal life. Therefore in a Biblical or theological definition, an evangelical Christian is someone who believes this gospel, and an evangelical church is a congregation that puts this gospel at the center of its mission and vision.
Many Christian leaders over the past few decades have observed that the evangelical church in America is in trouble today. The reason it is in trouble is not because it is shrinking numerically (in fact many “evangelical” churches are growing!), but because it has forgotten its theology. As James Montgomery Boice wrote, “Today’s evangelical church no longer understands the gospel it claims to uphold, and if it no longer understands the gospel, it certainly no longer proclaims it to an unbelieving world.”
In many so-called evangelical churches today, gimmicks and entertainment have replaced God-centered worship, motivational speaking that focuses on felt needs has replaced Bible-centered teaching, and social programs that don’t address man’s spiritual needs have replaced gospel-centered mission. What is the solution? The people of God need to go back to the Bible and ask: What is the gospel and what does it mean to put the gospel at the center of our lives as individuals and as churches who follow Jesus?
On April 28th we will be starting a new sermon series on the book of Acts. The subtitle of this series is “To the ends of the earth,” which comes from Acts 1:8 where Jesus says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” The book of Acts gives us a fascinating window into the earliest days of the church after the resurrection of Jesus. Studying this book gives us a deeper understanding of what the true gospel is all about and how it should shape our mission. In other words, we discover in Acts what it truly means to be an “evangelical” people.
Come join us on Sunday mornings as we explore what it means to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth!