“It’s almost like we’ve developed a world without Jesus, a church without Jesus, and Christians that take His label but don’t look a lot like Him.”
Has the American church has gotten away from knowing who Jesus really is? According to Pastor Ray Johnston dangerous cultural trends are pulling Christians away from reflecting the heart of the gospel.
After working with teenagers for decades, Pastor Johnston says that something has been lost over the years. He speaks to the loss of innocence that started in the 1950’s and its ripple effect in America.
“You cannot be emotionally healthy, spiritually healthy, psychologically and relationally healthy without innocence, without some sense of authority, without love.”
“In the 1970’s, Americans were starving for love and settled for sex and it’s never gotten back.”
These trends have influenced Christians, especially in terms of values.
“It’s almost like these cultural trends are sweeping us up and carrying us with them.”
We now live in a world where narcissism and instant gratification are the ‘norm,’ and Christians around the world are falling under cultural traps.
“When you lose innocence you end up with hedonism. When you lose authority, you end up basically with humanism. When you lose love you end up with individualism, which is just all about me.”
Pastor Johnston warns us of the current condition of our culture today,
“We have more knowledge and less discernment than ever.”
As Christians, we need to stay true to our inherent beliefs and convictions, while sharing the heart of the gospel and allowing Jesus to transform future generations.
