Navigating Well in These Times

Society has shifted and sadly, in turn, so has the church.  The growing influence of secularism is taking such a toll upon our nation and barring any revival, it is going to get worse.  In some ways, we have gotten to this place because Christian leaders have not navigated the changing landscape well.  Evidence of navigating this landscape well is not found in how big one grows a church or ministry, but rather in how well we grow disciples who authentically walk with God.  The crisis we face now is whether or not we will lead in such a way that keeps people grounded firmly in the truth, regardless of the shifting of our society.  How does one do this?  Here is what Paul said to  Timothy:

¹In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: ²Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. ³For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ⁴They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. ⁵But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Could the reality of so many walking away from the faith and not persevering stem from our failure to preach the Word in every season?  Since we live in a day where people want to be told what they want to hear, we must "keep our head in all situations, endure hardship, and do whatever it takes to fulfill our ministry".  This is no easy task today, especially when people do not want sound doctrine.  Doctrine means embracing truth and postmodernism says there is no real truth but our own.  Since Jesus is the truth, it is he who must remain the center of all we do.  We must embrace our calling to do all of our duties of our ministry.