In my post “Surging Evil: What’s Our Response,” I challenged us to contend against various cultural issues, such as cancel culture, Big Tech censorship, and gender confusion. I wrote, “In America too, there is an intense battle before us—a battle with sobering realities. It is a battle we did not seek but is a battle that has come to us. And I can hear Jesus responding to my prayer about what can we do by calmly and confidently replying, ‘We fight.’”
In doing so, we fight for the good that remains in our families, churches, and nation. Chief among this good is truth. Truth is worth fighting for. I was reminded of this when I read a recent article by Shane Idleman, senior pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Southern California. Urging Christians to follow God’s Word he writes, “As the church, it is our responsibility to stand against the deceptions rather than surrender [to them].”
Thought-provoking, concise, and bold, Shane Idleman’s article is well worth the read. I encourage you to read his article below as a practical illustration of my challenge in “Surging Evil.” This is what contending for truth in today’s culture looks like.
Why I Disagree with Andy Stanley: Churches Should Open (by Shane Idleman)
In a recent interview, Andy Stanley, pastor of Atlanta’s North Point Community Church, said he is “‘embarrassed’ by churches that engaged in ‘spitting matches’ with state and local governments over COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, lamenting that far too many churches ‘abandoned the mission for the sake of the model.’”
No, we haven’t abandoned the mission, because the mission is to be salt and light, to bring truth to a lost and perishing world, and to stand boldly for the Word of God. We need to abandon fear and stop believing falsehoods leveled by those with an agenda to silence the pulpits and stop the spread of the gospel.
What makes me think it is an agenda? I don’t have time to go into all the inconsistencies, but let me present just a handful.
