Change ISN’T Compromise

I think one of the reasons pastors are so unwilling to change is because they equate change with compromise. They feel if they change the style of music, start using an update translation of the Bible (don’t get started on this one), start making their messages relevant to those in their community, or any number of other crazy man made rule the church in implemented that they are compromising the Gospel.

The problem with that line of thinking is the Gospel has NOTHING to do with the type of music we play, the type of clothes you wear, what version of the Bible you use, etc.

I always get a kick out of pastors who talk about sticking with the “old paths.”  What they really mean by “sticking with the old paths” is sticking with what we did in 1950.  For some reason those who are unwilling to change look at this time in the church as the Biblical standard for the church.

Most churches are still dressing like the 50’s, playing music like the 50’s, doing activities from the 50’s and to top it off they are using a Bible version from the 1600’s!!!!  But talk about changing any of these things and you are compromising.  I don’t understand that.

The thing that is crazy to me is the men who are now the leaders of these movements at one time were innovative.  Go back and study out some of the great men of fundamentalism and you will see they were rebels, they were trying outside the box stuff, they were doing things that no one else was doing AND they were looked down because of it.  Now years later those their innovation has become tradition.  Their innovation has become the standard.  If you don’t follow in their footsteps you are compromising.

When you update the music at your church, change the building, start wearing clothes from this decade, you aren’t compromising the Gospel. You might be compromising from man-made rules, but you aren’t compromising the message of Jesus Christ.

I would venture to say when you DON’T change you are compromising the Gospel. Because your church is so out of touch, so stuck in its ways, so driven by tradition that the Gospel doesn’t advance.  That is true compromise.

• Christ didn’t die for the King James Bible
• Christ didn’t die over drums on stage
• Christ didn’t die for Sunday night church services
• Christ didn’t die for Sunday School
• Christ didn’t die for man-made dress standards

So why do churches keep dying over them?