I guess I can understand a Christian not wanting to be around people that do un-Christian stuff a lot but doesn't the Bible command Christian to reach out to those types of people?
Not really, no. It tells us to preach the Gospel to them, but the idea is that they're the ones who are supposed to respond to the Gospel, not that we're the ones who are supposed to follow them around like a bunch of puppy dogs.
Paul said that he "became all things to all men" that he might save some. The problem is that people today misinterpret this. Paul only meant that when he was around Jews, that he was careful not to do things that offended Jews, and when he was around Gentiles, he was careful not to do things that offened Gentiles.
But some people today take it to ridiculous extremes. For instance, people decide that they're "called" to one group or another and they go so far to imitate that group that they end up making sport of the Gospel.
Honestly, if I had a nickel for everytime I've heard, "But we've got to have rock music to reach the young people!" or "I can't wear a jacket and tie when I preach because it will turn the unsaved off."
This is why you have fifty-something year old women dressing like teenagers and acting like bad Beverly Hills 90210 versions of teenagers to "minister" to teenaged girls. I have doubt that they mean well, but they make fools out of themselves.
I forget the guy's name but, on Wretched Radio, they recently talked about a guy who was a preacher who wanted to reach heavy metal fans and so he grew his hair long, got a bunch of tatoos, an earing, started dressing like a slob, etc. He acted like a fool and the Gospel was devalued as a result.
Like I said, I'm sure they both meant well, but they turn evangelism from the presentation of the Gospel and a call for the unsaved to repent, to a circus act where they try to attract the unsaved to themselves, rather than letting the preaching of the Gospel and the conviction of the Holy Spirit attract them to Christ.
Recently, a church in our area told an elderly couple that they could no longer be in charge of the church's youth ministry. Why? Because they weren't doing a good job? Because they fell into some sort of ongoing sin or heresy? No. It was because they were too old and the church was afraid that it would turn kids off.
The problem is that the couple had led countless teenagers to the Lord and had mentored kids in the faith who later became pastors, teachers, missionaries, doctors, and even a state legislator.
But the church was more interested in image than obedience.
I've preached to crowds that had everybody from businessment to bikers to other preachers to the town harlot. I never changed the Gospel for any of them. I didn't change the way I dressed for them or the way I acted for them. I'm pretty much the same guy whether I'm preaching on Sunday Morning or doing street preaching in Battery Park in NYC.
I don't have to change and I don't have to change the Gospel that I preach because it's all about preaching the Gospel and letting the Holy Spirit convict, not about trying to convince them that I'm cool or relevant or one of them.
aahhhhh, I was just seeing if you guys knew.........
