If you look up the lists of either overused phrases or pretentious or annoying or useless ones, you’ll find, “it is what it is.” How did it become overused if it was so worthless? I say that because Christianity actually is what it is. It isn’t what we want it to be. It isn’t what the world will be impressed with. It is what it is. And what it is, is true. It is the true account of everything. What we found out about what it is, is that it is absolutely wonderful. Everything else is insignificant in comparison.
What Christianity is though doesn’t seem to be good enough for many Christians anymore. What is impressive to the world is something different than Christianity, but that doesn’t mean that Christians should treat Christianity like it is less than impressive. The world isn’t going to like Christianity, but it might like a program for kids, a promise of safety, some friends, a boyfriend or girlfriend, pop music, amusement, or games. In John 6, the world wanted bread. Bread would be good enough, as far as that crowd who followed Jesus was concerned. Jesus — Christianity — wasn’t sufficiently impressive.
Christians are to be offering Christianity, that is, Christians are to be giving people Christ. They are to be so impressed with Christianity, and like it so much, yea, love it, that they will talk about it all the time and to everyone. That’s not the latest for Christians. Christians are sort of ashamed of Christianity, and to save Christianity from itself, they present something else with the idea that at some point in the future, they will spring it on the unreceptive.
Nothing is more impressive than Christianity, which is to say that Jesus is the most precious Person, topic, theme, solution — whatever word that applies here — in all of earth and in all of heaven. Christians aren’t impressed and they give the world that impression by starting with many number of things before they ever get to Jesus. Many of them are what people are seeking, and they plan on using those things, the things people in the world are interested in, to lure people into Christianity. At that point, Christianity has taken on a different nature, a nature that is diminished, that is lesser than other things. Christianity should be kept Christianity, because nothing is better.
Christians should preach Christianity like they like it. This is a mindset. It should be easy for an actual Christian. It’s hard for the impostor, really impossible. Why would someone in the world though like it better than everything else, if Christians don’t like it better than everything else? What is pathetic, even despicable, about this lessening of Christianity, and prioritizing things above it, is that Christian leaders, even pastors, train their people and other leaders or potential leaders to do the same thing.
This is what pastors should be saying. Preach Christ. Talk about Jesus. Give the good news. Treat the gospel like it is the most wonderful thing. Don’t apologize for it. Don’t start with other things. Get right to the gospel. Instead, professing Christians are still constantly brainstorming to concoct a better way.
The leaders say people will get discouraged from talking about Jesus, because people won’t like that. They counsel to start with something people will like. They train to target people in a certain demographic with something they’ll relate with, that they will like, that they are seeking for. That will succeed, they say, and then when it does, people will want to do this work more. They won’t quit so easily. It will be easier, so they’ll not give up the work. Just think, these men came up with this idea too. They’ve helped and edified these people into better Christian workers with this strategy. They often say too that God gave this to them, almost like it were supernaturally revealed.
Some of you readers probably have a certain critique of this post. You’re maybe saying or thinking, these leaders, pastors, and the ones who take up the above tact, the bait and switch really, actually are very impressed with Christianity. They just know the world won’t be. A few things here. Even if the world isn’t, it still is the only way for them to be saved. If you don’t present it then you are less impressed with what Christianity itself will do. Christianity, Christ, is the only way to be saved. It can change someone. Preaching Christ also is how God is glorified, because that strategy doesn’t make sense that it will work. The ones constantly at the drawing board or cooking up a new recipe are not impressed with the changing power of Christianity.
Those who say to start with something the world is seeking will often also prove that their techniques are best with some stats they have in the short term. However, they can’t figure in the long term destructive effects, and even how that in the short term, what they are using isn’t actually, actually, working. You don’t get to find out what is working in the short term until the long term. By then it’s too late. This is why the just live by faith. They just believe what God said and do it.
Professing Christian leaders don’t think Christianity will work as it is. That is also not to be impressed with it. It is to say that as it is, Christianity isn’t powerful. It doesn’t work as is. The special sauce, originated by men, must be added. They are also not impressed with it to talk about it first. They are saying they are impressed with it, but they aren’t, and you can see that by how that Christianity comes later in their strategy. This is not how Jesus operated. Ever.
There’s no wonder the world won’t be impressed. Christians can’t talk about Christianity like they are impressed with it. If they were, they would. They would, because they are impressed, and they would, because they can. People who are impressed can talk about it like they are. The more they dig into it, the more they’ll be impressed too.
Much of the problem in Christianity is that Christians don’t like Christianity. They want to go to heaven. They like what Christianity will give them if they have it, but they aren’t really that impressed with Christianity, not to talk about it like it’s the best thing in the world. Christianity is what it is and that should be good enough for Christians, but for so many, it isn’t. A different Christianity, one more palatable to others, is what is presented, not something that would be done by someone who is impressed with what it is.
If we can all get on this page, with a zeal of "Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding" (Acts 28:31), we would turn the world upside down.
But there are more tares than wheat, with most of the wheat been hidden as underneath a bushel basket.