Reclaiming A Public Witness In A Watching World
Certain religious groups can easily be identified by their distinct attire. However, several decades ago, a cultural shift occurred within some traditionally conservative evangelical groups. In an effort to move away from rigid legalism and place a higher value on faith, strict dress codes were relaxed, and church members were allowed to wear more contemporary clothes in line with fashion trends among the public. As a result, many Christ followers can no longer be identified by the type of clothing they wear and can effectively blend in with society. In his book, “Quest for Piety and Obedience,” Carlton Wittinger referred to this shift as a transition from being the “visible church” to the “invisible church.” This raises an important question: How can an invisible church have a positive influence and make a Godly impact on the world?
Scripture provides a clear answer. A logical inference that can be drawn from James 2:14-26 is that our faith in Christ must be tangibly and visibly manifested in our actions. Likewise, in his first epistle, Peter encourages believers to manifest their faith through Godly living, regardless of the consequences. When our outward appearance no longer sets us apart, there is a risk of blending in with society. Consequently, there is a great responsibility to ensure that our lifestyle and conduct clearly reflect our faith in Christ. When we follow Jesus, he leads us to approach life and respond to circumstances in ways that are obviously different from a secular mindset. When that difference is noticed, 1 Peter 3:15 instructs us to always be prepared to explain our faith in Christ and why we adamantly hold fast to our Christian values in all circumstances.
Living a transformed life and expecting people to ask about our practices and values is a passive form of evangelism that has some merit, but falls short of the expectations expressed by Jesus in some of the last words he spoke to his disciples as recorded in Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:46-48 and Acts 1:8. These scriptures provide a very clear mandate to actively engage in sharing the Gospel. In Christian circles, we often refer to this mandate as “The Great Commission.” Hudson Taylor, who spent more than 50 years ministering the Gospel in China and founded the China Inland Mission, is often credited as coining the phrase, “The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed.”
That is why our ministry is devoted to obeying Jesus’ command, and we are convinced that God has directed us to focus most of our resources and efforts on sharing the Gospel and making disciples in communities around the world where the general population has limited access to the Gospel. One of the primary ways we share the Good News of Jesus is through broadcast media such as radio and television. With a current portfolio of programs in over 30 languages, we’re able to reach millions of people in multiple countries across three continents. Thousands of lives are being transformed as men and women hear the Gospel in their own heart language.
Yet even as we proclaim the Good News abroad, we must recognize a growing challenge at home. The prevailing secular mindset promotes the misconception that religion, especially Christian faith, is strictly a private matter to be internalized and only practiced in the confines of church buildings and religious gatherings. If we accept this concealed view of faith, we risk leaving the church invisible in the very culture we’re called to reach. Consequently, our public interactions and conversations revolve around all other aspects of life, such as work, family, sports, entertainment and many other topics, but fall short of including any spiritual element or expression of faith in Christ. America needs the beneficial influence of a visible church.
Scripture makes it clear that our faith in Christ should permeate every aspect of our lives and that believers are to be very intentional about not only living out their faith but also connecting unbelievers with Jesus. That is why discipleship, leadership development, church planting, and short-term mission trips are also an integral step towards boldly bringing our faith to the forefront. When we unashamedly follow Jesus, live out Christian values, and invite others to experience God’s grace, the church ceases to be invisible. Together, we become an increasing number of ‘living stones’ that are the visible edifice and ‘unmistakable expression of the otherwise invisible church.
Don Shenk is the Executive Director of The Tide® ministry and has been serving the ministry since 2001. Through twenty-eight years living in Zimbabwe, and numerous visits to Africa, Eastern Europe and India as a ministry administrator and resource person for church conferences and leadership training events, Don has acquired a wealth of international, cross-cultural ministry experience. As the world becomes more and more of a global village, Don’s greatest passion is to reach people for Jesus Christ and to bring them into the Church.
