reThink: Chuck Colson

SUMMARY: We need to see Christianity as a world view, by teaching them the basics of the faith and how to live it.

Quote: ‘We don’t do church, we are the church!’

Recommends reading unChristian by Gabe Lyons/David Kinnaman

Chuck posed the Question: What is Christianity?
Answer: A view of ultimate reality

Biggest problem is the Biblical Ignorance among Christians.

Quoted Barna’s research [click here]

We need to make sure our church congregations know the basics…
Recommends his book, The Faith: Given Once and For All and Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

Tells a story of when he was in Navy training, used this story as a metaphor for…
Basic Training [a biblical boot camp]

What does it mean to be saved?

You made a decision for Christ, but did God make a decision for you?

If he has you will show signs of a New Life…

The Mickey Cohen story…

He was a notorious gangster who went to a Billy Graham Crusade and made a commitment for Jesus. However there was no change. He was still stealing, running illegal rings, and ‘offing’ his opposition. When the Graham association asked him what he was doing… he commented ‘There are Christian movie stars, Christian athletes, why not a Christian gangster?

Colson says the answers to these issues are SIMPLE…

All Christians need to KNOW, DEFEND, LIVE, and EXPLAIN the FAITH.

Although Christianity is on the decline in the U.S. it’s exploding in the prisons… Why?

Because they need hope, need change.
Christianity is the Announcement of God’s Kingdom on Earth
It changes culture, even prisons.

People are desperate, looking for meaning. They look to one of four options…

• Eastern Religion [god is everywhere]
• Islam [Wrath]
• Christianity [Change]
• Atheism/Nothing [essentially belief in yourself]

Christianity is the Kingdom.
It’s being reconciled to God. Healed.
It’s a proposal to live in His Kingdom.

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Encouraging thought: I greatly desire for Christians to be grounded in the Kingdom and the Faith. To be able to change culture by presenting the Gospel in such an intelligent, respectful, honest, bold, life giving way that the skeptic begins to see Christianity as the true and ultimate view of reality. By rethinking discipleship I have great hope for Renovo to impact our culture and the world.