21st Century Evangelism

Repost from October 29, 2007

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I received an email this morning from the local Christian radio station (of which I'm affiliated with, so I won't name which one it is, even though it shouldn't be too hard to figure out). Here is a snippet of what it said (station and number blocked out, but otherwise, this is what it says) :

Will you help us pick the music you hear on ****?

If you qualify, you could be invited to a session on Saturday November 10, where we'll play some music and ask your opinion about it. You'll be in a group of about 50 other women with similar tastes. The session will take about an hour and a half, and at the end you'll be paid $50 cash for your time and help.

For this session if you're a female between the ages of 30 and 45, you may be eligible. Call ***-***-**** and we'll ask you some quick, simple questions to make sure you're qualified. The sessions are at 10am<>

If you're able to help us, want to have a lot of fun, and make $50.00 while doing it, please call ***-***-**** and someone will see if you're qualified.

Thanks again for your help. We hope to see you there!

You might be thinking ("What's the problem?").
Here's the problem: This shows that the radio station is specifically targeting women, most likely women with small children and paying them to say what type of Christian music they like. Perhaps there is nothing wrong with that in itself, but an affiliate of this radio station in another town recently stated that they are specifically targeting women age 25-45 in their music playing because if they can reach the women in the home with the Gospel, then they can win the family.

Do you see the problem yet? I certainly do. Here's the problem, where are the men? Why not target the men in the home? Are not the men supposed to be the spiritual leaders in the home? Did not God create men first? Have we become such a woman and child-centric society, that we forget the men? Men are to lead in the church, they are to lead in the family, and they should lead in the marketplace. Now this probably sounds completely chauvinistic, I'm sure, but let's look at some scriptures to specifically show that I don't have a beef with the radio station because I didn't get offered $50 to give them my musical tastes.

(Gen 2:15 ESV) The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.
(Gen 2:18 ESV) Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."
(Gen 2:21 ESV) So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
(Gen 2:22 ESV) And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.
(Gen 2:23 ESV) Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."
(Gen 2:24 ESV) Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

We should know these verses well, but look at this. Woman was created to be a helper to man. She was created for man, not man for woman.

(1Ti 3:1 ESV) The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.

(1Ti 3:2 ESV) Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,

(1Ti 3:3 ESV) not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.

(1Ti 3:4 ESV) He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive,

(1Ti 3:5 ESV) for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?

(1Ti 3:6 ESV) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.

(1Ti 3:7 ESV) Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

(1Ti 3:8 ESV) Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain.

(1Ti 3:9 ESV) They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.

(1Ti 3:10 ESV) And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless.

(1Ti 3:11 ESV) Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.

(1Ti 3:12 ESV) Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well.

(1Ti 3:13 ESV) For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

These are even stronger verses I believe in favor of targeting men with the Gospel. The leaders in the church are to be men, not women. This is not say that women cannot lead women, but men are to be the elders, the pastors, the deacons in the local churches. If we are not targeting men with the Gospel through our "Christian" radio stations, then I think we are missing something important. We think that perhaps the wives will lead their husbands to Christ. This is a misnomer in that only God will bring anyone to Himself, but we need to appropriately target the right people. To only target women or to only play a certain style of music means we are alienating the ones who need it the most. "Christian" music in recent years has gotten stale. No Gospel message. No scripture. That's not to say the Passion movement hasn't been good, because of their music is based on scripture. But what about music that is only there to make me feel good. That's great that my sins are cast as far as the east is from the west, but what does that really mean for me? Does that mean I can keep on sinning? No! May it never be. That would be what John MacArthur calls "cheap grace" and it's a lie from Satan himself that we can keep on sinning because our sins are covered.
(Rom 6:1 ESV) What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?

(Rom 6:2 ESV) By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

(Rom 6:3 ESV) Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

(Rom 6:4 ESV) We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

(Rom 6:5 ESV) For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

(Rom 6:6 ESV) We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

(Rom 6:7 ESV) For one who has died has been set free from sin.

(Rom 6:8 ESV) Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

(Rom 6:9 ESV) We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.

(Rom 6:10 ESV) For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.

(Rom 6:11 ESV) So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

(Rom 6:12 ESV) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.

(Rom 6:13 ESV) Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.

(Rom 6:14 ESV) For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

So, what shall we do?
Three Challenges:

1. Stop ordaining women to be pastors of churches. If your church has a woman pastor, it's not being Biblical and you need to either demand that she is removed, or find a new church.
2. Find a church that has a Men's Bible Study and attend if you're a man. If you're a woman, encourage your husband to attend.
3. Finally, let's target men with the Gospel. Women can be effectively led to the Gospel, but I believe men are more accountable to God for spiritual things and can be much more effective in leading their family to Christ.

That's all I have to say for now. Thoughts?