I was reminded of a very important lesson in a humbling way today. It is the responsibility of the person communicating the Gospel to speak a language that the audience can understand. I had no translator today because all of the pastors present are highly educated and well versed in English. Notice I said well versed in English, not Texan!
Five minutes into the lesson I knew I was in trouble. I might as well been a visitor from Mars. Jokes and stories told in Hawassa that evoked laughter, smiles and enthusiastic head bobs sunk like a lead balloon. The more they looked at me with blank faces the harder I worked which I meant I energized my teaching with passion and a faster pace. The more excited and more enthusiastic I got the more they looked totally lost. Failure! My spirit sunk and I was ready to head for the airport right then.
I didn’t understand what was going on and then it hit me. The same material in Hawasssa worked because I had a translator who used a vernacular and images the audience could understand. In a sense, the translator acted as the Holy Spirit clarifying what I said so the listeners could understand this guy teaching in a foreign tongue, Texan. Eureka! It is my responsibility to speak the language of the listener.
One of the greatest challenges of the church today, is doing church in such a way that the unchurched, the lost and those turned off religion can understand the message of Jesus. Many American denominations are struggling because we are not working hard enough to communicate in a medium that the unchurched can grasp. It is not that they are disinterested, each of us are created with a need for God. It is just that we are not connecting.
Please join me in listening for the Holy Spirit to guide and teach us how to not only better communicate with one another, but to those who need Christ. It is an exciting challenge and one worth pursuing because it is right on with our purpose and mission. We don’t have to go to Ethiopia to do the Lord’s work. There are hundreds of people living around each of us who need a Savior and a church family.
After the break, I slowed down my delivery and teaching style. The content was exactly the same; what changed was my language and my means of communicating. Instead of using jokes I told real life stories about being a pastor, husband and a dad. I repeated lesson points over and over again in different ways. The end result was smiles, enthusiastic head bobbing, claps, laughter and most of all an understanding that the Holy Spirit used to change lives. By the end of the day, no one wanted to leave because they were learning so much. Humbling.
God left the perfection of heaven to live among a sinful people to help us understand how much He loved us. He spoke a language everyone can understand. He allowed someone he loved very much to die for our sins. That is a language all human beings can understand, love, death, loss.
How far are we willing to go to communicate the message God taught on the cross through his Son? And in case you forgot the message was and is….”I love you.”
Keep sending Dallas and me your prayer emails. We are taking seriously the opportunity to pray for you and your families.
Eager to see you this weekend in worship!
"I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some."
I Corinthians 9:22
Rick
