what does worldly look like?
recently some of my friends were accused of being worldly because of the way they look and dress. a group of fundamentalist pastors decided to pick on my friends because they were doing ministry and being worldly. they claimed that they are using worldly methods, and it was disgusting to God. they had problems with the way they do their hair, saying they didnt comb their hair or something. my friends that i am talking about are professional skaters and bmx riders who also bring they message of jesus at their shows. these guys skate in front of thousands of people at their shows, why not give the gospel i ask. if the way a person looks on the outside is a reflection of the way they are on the inside then lets use this logic and have some fun. ok? ok, here we go.
what does worldly really look like? if someone dresses with baggy pants and messy hair then they are worldly. using this same logic lets turn it around. if you wear a button down shirt with some tan pants then you look just like the doctor i saw on tv last night who does abortions for teenage girls. abortion is murder therefore you dress like a murderer. if you wear a shirt and tie then you look like the car salesman who sells cars that have had the mileage rolled back to make the car look less used. therefore you look like a liar. if you dress with a suit and tie, then you look like the pastor i recently met who just got arrested for child molestation. therefore if you dress like that, you must be a child molester. if you have a beard then you look like a muslim. some muslims have been known to blow up airplanes therefore you look like a terrorist. do you see the ridiculous logic in all of this. so, to all of you murdering, lying, cheating, child molesting, terrorists out there, welcome to the club. you might want to change the way you dress. the truth is, we all look worldly. because worldly is all encompassing.
God doesnt care what you look like on the outside. he cares about your heart. he wants you to use whatever you do to reach people.
now, if you are a stripper and you take your clothes off on stage and show a tattoo on your chest that says john 3:16 then you might want to rethink your clever evangelistic strategy.
what does worldly really look like? if someone dresses with baggy pants and messy hair then they are worldly. using this same logic lets turn it around. if you wear a button down shirt with some tan pants then you look just like the doctor i saw on tv last night who does abortions for teenage girls. abortion is murder therefore you dress like a murderer. if you wear a shirt and tie then you look like the car salesman who sells cars that have had the mileage rolled back to make the car look less used. therefore you look like a liar. if you dress with a suit and tie, then you look like the pastor i recently met who just got arrested for child molestation. therefore if you dress like that, you must be a child molester. if you have a beard then you look like a muslim. some muslims have been known to blow up airplanes therefore you look like a terrorist. do you see the ridiculous logic in all of this. so, to all of you murdering, lying, cheating, child molesting, terrorists out there, welcome to the club. you might want to change the way you dress. the truth is, we all look worldly. because worldly is all encompassing.
God doesnt care what you look like on the outside. he cares about your heart. he wants you to use whatever you do to reach people.
now, if you are a stripper and you take your clothes off on stage and show a tattoo on your chest that says john 3:16 then you might want to rethink your clever evangelistic strategy.
posted by Life with Brock Gill at 12:58 AM
21 Comments:
God is concerned only by a person's heart. If the way that person dresses or the people around them is going to hinder the attention of their heart, then that is a time to be concerned.
The whole idea of "the hope we have in heaven" is that we have this time on earth to please God, and we should constantly have that mindset because we know what kind of reward awaits us in heaven if we do. Francis Chan, an incredibly awesome pastor and speaker, gave the illustration of our time on earth being like a gymanist on a balence beam. We can crawl safely across it, and still make it to the other end, or we can do tricks and crazy stuff to get across, and at the end either way we have to jump off and stand in front of the judges who will judge our performance. So if we live constantly trying to impress those judges, we'll be living not for ourselves but to please God, and that's always a good thing
That's awesome, Brock!! I've always loved your logic. :)
I'm reading the 2nd link and I'm confused... skateboarding's a sin?
They're claiming that it's too worldly. Which is ridiculous.
Everything is worldly if you care to dissect it that way. I mean, c'mon. Me sitting at this computer could be considering worldly and sinful if you follow their logic.
There's no right way to evangelize. There are wrong ways, but there's no one right way. Sheesh.
Oh and maybe i just missed it because I skimmed, but I'm surprised no one brought up how worldly the freaking internet can be. Maybe those uptight ultraconservatives should stop posting on the internet, unplug their computers right now and sit in a log cabin, reading the Bible by candlelight.
Candlelight can be seductive... The unmarried should guard their eyes from it.
Candlelight can be seductive... The unmarried should guard their eyes from it.
Hmmm in that case the should just go sit in a field... in the dark... and do nothing.
well....i know im not a christian er anything
but when people claim to be a christian...i dont like it when they are stuck up people who are "better" than you because they believe in God. I think its actually better when they are like....normal people, but there's just somthing different about them, like....where you can see that there is somthing in their lives...(ive seen that in alot of christians, that normal people dont have) i dont know what it is....but like...if a nun came to you, you expect them to like...be stuck upish....but if you see just some guy like....skating, that doesnt like...tell you hes better than you or act like it. then its like....you kinda feel more open to talk to them about....everything...and like....more important to them
i know this is dumb cuz im not "saved" er whatever...but......thats what i think
Just as the people who posted about his "evangelical methods" seem radical - in that it seems they think the only way to get a message across is the old-fashioned way, Brock's response is a little radical. He takes things way out of proportion to make a point, which I didn't really feel is necessary. It's okay to defend your friends, your message, and the way you deliver your message, I don't think that calling them " murdering, lying, cheating, child molesting, terrorists" is the way to go about it. I know he doesn't mean it literally and he was making a metaphor - but for the people to understand his position and defense, he has to think in their mindset. Those kinds of people definitely will not understand the point he's trying to get across otherwise.
It's still a really cute exaggeration. Silly overstatements aren't going to show everyone what he's say, and an angry person isn't going to understand it
brock... this blog is awesome, i love how it all ties in to a good message. this is amazing and you do great things for God's kingdom. thanks, god bless. amy
Excellent blog! I couldn't agree more. I personally am tired of people being so judgemental and always assuming "this" and "that" about someone based on looks alone. That is so unfair to them. What if God chose who he wanted to love and bless based on someone's looks? I'm glad that we have a God who loves us unconditionally. Appearance doesn't necessarily reflect the heart...it reflects interests and style. Our actions are what reflect our heart
I think this is a great blog...being a Christian does not mean conforming to a uniform of what someone thinks we should look like...it means changing our hearts to suit how God wants us to live our lives...I think you point is very clear...and people should think about the inside before judging the out!
BROCK! Great to read your comment.
Okay, I "unkempt doo" replied to these people judging the Asphalt Assault ministry. I was poking fun at their judgmentalism; something they cling dearly to. But here's the bottom line for discussion.
Does the METHOD we use to communicate the MESSAGE of Jesus' saving grace affect the MESSAGE?
Ultimately, when taken to an extreme, it can. Brock's "stripper" illustration helps us understand that. (We don't have to be involved in drug use to reach those in drug business to receive Jesus.) So, extreme methods can affect the message. On the other hand, using your skills (skating, bmx tricks, illusions) can be great points of connection for an audience that many are not reaching. (remember, Jesus met the "woman at the well" and even talking to her - which was culturally wrong for righteous Jews - was creating a connection for Him to later share His message).
The balance? Examine your hearts. Let true purity flow from your spirit and let God's grace transform your mind and lifestyle. That done, you can still live culturally relevant and enjoy your skills and gifts; in fact, give them to Jesus to use!
Asphalt Assault does all of that. Their METHOD is very cool, and it allows their MESSAGE of Christ to penetrate hearts of those often rejected by fundamentalists.
Well done, Brock and AA team!
-Doug
Well said Brock. You wrote out so well what I was having trouble communicating to those guys.
i'm totally agree with you.
did you know that in japan the people don't criticize the way you dress or act... That's really free will.
That makes me sad to read what those pastors did.
Sometime I wish I lived in ol' Western days when you settled things by fist fighting.
I loved this blog. Typical Brock with a little sarcasm thrown in. I agree 100%. Worldliness in the Bible is defined as things that go against God. This can include improper dress but obviously Brock's point is right, these people don't even see their own worldliness by how they dress "to impress". Their logic falls apart.
Certainly there can be heart issues with how you dress. Pride and vanity are sins... but a skater's outfit does not imply vanity any more than a pastor's suit.
The key issue to me is the hearts of those that are upset with the skaters for their dress. Just like all of us, they want to boil the beauty of Jesus Christ into a set of easy to follow rules. Rules are much easier for us than a real relationship with a powerful God because you don't have to worry about how the rules may impact you. You can keep a set of rules easily without thinking or depending on others much but if its about a real relationship, than what happens when God asks you to go witness to a group of skaters, or fly to Africa, or give away your possessions? Rules are much easier because they keep God at a distance.
The Pharisees (like me and like most of you), loved to create rules to make them feel better about their sinful hearts. I know that they looked down on Jesus for who he hung out with and I bet they did for the way he dressed. But rules keep us away from the true joy of knowing Jesus personally and listening to him.
Maybe this blog was for someone (like me) to look at ourselves. Look at our own lives and how we judge others. Maybe my outfits (although I'm a pretty conservative dresser) are a reflection of my own pride... my own need to impress.... my own love for my appearance. If so, I need to repent of that, ask God to forgive me, and seek to live and dress in a way that honors Jesus.
i agree w/ u brock. we shouldn't care how others look. looks are not important. the only guidelines God gives us in the Bible about clothing is to be modest. that is the only important issue
WOW!! Brock i love your logic it really made me think.. i actually printed it out and shared with my youth group and we have a 2 and half discussion over it with my pastor there who always has something to say about our holey jeans or our hair or something.. i am glad you posted this because it make him rethink his perception of us.. i hope thanks for all your inspiring words.. keep it up!!.... Kelli
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