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How to Reach Those Who Make Up Their Own Faith

Understand the evolving spiritual landscape, bridge belief gaps, engage in meaningful dialogue, and reach out effectively, while upholding Christian exclusivism in a pluralistic world.

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How to Reach Those Who Make Up Their Own Faith

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  1. How to Reach Those Who Make Up Their Own Faith Monte Cox

  2. TWO BIG CONCERNS • 1. Are we underestimating the width of the chasm between believers and non-believers? • 2. Are we presently equipped to lay our lives across that chasm as messengers of the gospel?

  3. WE NEED TO KNOW THAT . . . 1. In the present pluralistic climate, people prefer customized worldviews pieced together from an ala carte menu of worldview options. “convergent spirituality” “JewBu” Star Wars “Zen Christianity” Baha’i

  4. WE NEED TO KNOW THAT . . . 2. Even churchgoers are engaging in recreational “mixing and matching” in the religious laboratory. believe in astrology (22%) read weekly horoscope (24%) have consulted a fortune-teller (12%) believe in reincarnation (20%) believe in channeling (11%) 3. This is not as new as we might think.

  5. COMMON SPIRITUAL THEMES AMONG UNCHURCHED AMERICANS 1. There is an experiential core common in all religions. 2. That core is spiritual energy, described in personal terms by some (as God or Allah or Brahman) and impersonal terms by others (as “vital force” or “chi” or “atman”). 3. Human beings have unlimited spiritual potential which must be actualized to achieve success in life.

  6. COMMON SPIRITUAL THEMES AMONG UNCHURCHED AMERICANS 4. Individuals have a duty, not just a right, to establish their own criteria for believing. 5. Experience, not truthfulness, is the proper test of any worldview. 6. Spirituality has more to do with a general “openness” to multiple spiritual realities than a commitment to a particular set of creeds.

  7. COMMON SPIRITUAL THEMES AMONG UNCHURCHED AMERICANS 7. Those who are “spiritual but not religious” are very suspicious about institutional religion. 8. An emphasis on holism repairs the rift between the physical and the metaphysical, a consequence of modernity.

  8. CAN WE STILL BE EXCLUSIVISTS IN THIS PLURALISTIC CLIMATE? 1. Exclusivists believe that: a. Jesus is the unique incarnation of God, fully human and fully divine. b. Salvation is found only in Him. c. Bible is true, unique, authoritative revelation. d. Claims incompatible with the Bible must be rejected as false.

  9. CAN WE STILL BE EXCLUSIVISTS IN THIS PLURALISTIC CLIMATE? 2. Inclusivists believe that: a. The basic claims of Christian faith are true, and Jesus is unique. b. BUT God reveals Himself and, through Christ, saves people through other religions as well.

  10. CAN WE STILL BE EXCLUSIVISTS IN THIS PLURALISTIC CLIMATE? 3. Radical religious pluralists believe that: a. Jesus is NOT unique. b. God reveals Himself in all religions and saves all pious people. 4. Universalists believe that: All people will be saved regardless of what they know or how they live.

  11. SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE 1. We must begin with the question of truth, not pragmatic experience. 2. We must be more informed about the alternatives. 3. We must stress the uniqueness of Christ and his “exclusive” kingdom without ridiculing other religious figures or beliefs.

  12. SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE 4. We must replace the traditional “monologue” approach to evangelism with genuine dialogue. 5. We must live lives that are consistent with the truth. 6. We must not overstep our authority as messengers; we are not judges. 7. We must bathe all of our efforts in prayer.

  13. A FINAL WORD FROM PAUL “Devote yourselves to prayer being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.

  14. A FINAL WORD FROM PAUL Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:2-6)

  15. 1. Devote yourselves to prayer . . . for open doors 2. Being watchful and thankful . . . when they open

  16. 3. Make the most of every opportunity... by: a. Proclaiming it clearly as you should b. Being wise in the way you act toward outsiders c. Letting your conversation be full of grace, seasoned with salt

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