In the book of Acts, the apostles of the first century had a God-centric passion for the truth, and they proclaimed in no uncertain terms. The following words define the method by which they communicated their message (these words may be found throughout the book):
- Expounded – to lay out what is being said in an orderly sequence.
- Testified – to declare emphatically and authoritatively.
- Persuaded – to convince with a view to change.
- Reasoned – to mutually question and investigate.
- Preached – to proclaim truth publically and without apology.
- Taught – to give assurance and confidence.
Fast forward to our post-modern Western culture, and you will find that something has been lost in the translation. We seem to be characterized by a pathological man-centered devotion to superficiality as shown in the following:
- Sharing – a “show and tell” experience. Are we at play or at war?
- Entertaining – a presumption that the Bible is boring leads to “fad surfing.”
- Abbreviating – a decision to only “highlight” from Scripture.
- Wooing – an accommodation to political correctness so as not to offend.
- Intellectualizing – a tendency of becoming the experts on questions that no one is asking.
- Marketing – a culture of religious programs and celebrities.
A.W. Tozer stated, “The world is waiting to hear an authentic voice, a voice from God – not an echo of what others are doing and saying, but an authentic voice.”