The Bored-Again Christian

In this episode, I look into the perception by the unchurched that Christianity is boring.

Transcript

Hello my name is Kyle Jenkins and this is the Loving All Peoples Podcast. A podcast about connecting the Church to the Unchurched. 

There is a major cultural shift-taking place in America in regard to Christianity that we cannot ignore. The fact is people are becoming less and less inclined to follow Christianity. There are of course a multitude of reasons for this, but one of the main contributors of this is that a lot of people see Christianity in America as a mundane religion and people are not drawn to it. Here is the definition of mundane: “lacking interest or excitement; dull.” Here is another definition. “Of this earthly world rather than a heavenly or spiritual one.” Christianity was never meant to be mundane. God is certainly not mundane! 

One of the biggest misconceptions about Christianity by the unchurched and even many Christians is that Christianity is simply boring. How do I know this? I know this because over the years I have talked to countless unchurched people about it. 

We have to know what people are thinking, because there is a reason Christianity is becoming less and less relevant in America. Ask most non-Christians their thoughts on Christianity and many times you are going to get answers like, “it is about dressing up and going to church building on a Sunday morning.” “It is judgmental.” “It is about rules.” Ask someone to tell you what they think church is and often times you are going to hear things like, “you sit in pews and listen to boring church music and listen to someone speak and you pass around an offering plate.” Now of course many of us know that this is not always the church experience, but non-Christians and the unchurched don’t know that! Why would they if they have never been? If this is the unchurched perception of what Christianity is, then how are we going to change that perception if we don’t show them something different?   

As Christians, we have a lot of work to do. We are all responsible for this view that the unchurched has of Christianity. The only way to change this perception to love and reach all people and show them the beautiful and radical message of Jesus. We can’t share what we don’t have. As Christians if we find Christianity boring, then others around you will get that message. If we don’t share Jesus with others, then people will get the perception that the message of Jesus is not important enough to share. Either we have bought into a mundane Christianity and have nothing to show them, or we are just not connecting with non-Christians.

It grieves me that most people we talk to only equate Jesus and the Church with an unattractive stale religion that is full of rules, hypocrisy, legalism, and judgment.  Who gave them this view? I know Jesus didn't. I know the Bible didn't. Read the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) and read the book of Acts and find out for yourselves.  

I want to ask you this question: Have you really looked into Jesus for yourself according to the Bible? Have you read the Gospels for yourself? I want to challenge you to do so. Take out all of your past perceptions of the Church and Jesus, and just read for yourself. I am CONVINCED you will see something radically different from what you have perceived Jesus and the Church to be if you have had a negative impression of it. 

Because when I read the Gospels, I see Jesus hanging out with hurting people. I see him with the outcasts of society. I see him with the sick and caring for the sick. I see him loving sinners. I see him loving prostitutes. I see him loving adulterers. I see him loving the people who everyone else hated. I even see him loving his enemies. I see him full of grace and mercy.  I see him sticking up for the poor and the downtrodden. I see him doing supernatural miracles. I see him healing people and raising people from the dead. I see him literally giving his life for people, for you and me. I see him murdered in the most brutal way humankind could think of at that time and him willingly dying for us, so that we could be free from sin, to know him, and live forever in eternity. Then I see him being resurrected from the grave.

And it doesn't end there! It does not end with him going up to heaven and leaving us with nothing to do but believe in Him!  Before he goes back to heaven, HE GIVES US THE JOB of spreading the love and the message that he gave to us, and then he gives us the his spirit to help us do it. Does this sound like an "unattractive stale religion that is full of rules, hypocrisy, legalism, and judgment?”  

Biblical Christianity is supposed to be a radical adventure that will draw people to it. Don’t settle for anything less!

If you have any questions, you can contact us through our website at lovingallpeoples.com. And please remember to follow our podcast to receive upcoming episodes. Thanks for the listen everyone. This is the Loving All Peoples Podcast.