Christian Living

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Christ the Center

On the eve of prostate cancer surgery, John Piper wrote an article titled “Don’t Waste Your Cancer.” He wrote,

What Is Written

The meaning of “worldly” is a matter of some controversy. This is true even among people strongly committed to Christian living as defined in Scripture. Most agree that “worldly” means being like the world and that being like the world isn’t good. But from there, confusion multiplies.

The reasons for this confusion are several. The most important for our purposes is that the meaning of “worldly” depends on the meaning “the world,” and many are confused regarding what “the world” means. What exactly is it that disciples of Christ should not be “like”? How much does it have to do with garments, music, hairstyles, or theaters?

(See Part 2, Part 3)

In fundamentalist parlance, the word worldly nearly always refers to matters of fashion and entertainment. It involves how a person dresses; what sort of places he goes; and the things he reads, views, or listens to. Consequently, many feel that if they just stay away from certain things, they are safe from worldliness.

In chapter one of John Goetsch’s [1] book, Homiletics from the Heart, he wrote,

One Saturday I was preparing reception food at a friend’s wedding. The pastor’s wife and I were rolling pieces of roast beef when one of the church leaders rushed into the kitchen to speak to her. “The Senior Saints are upset that the tables and chairs in their Sunday School class are missing.”

The pastor’s wife replied, “I know they get upset when we bother their room. Please tell them that we will be careful to put everything back the way we found it in time for church tomorrow. We really need those tables and chairs for the wedding reception.”

“I already told them that, but they still aren’t happy.”

Note: This two-part article is a chapter from the book Teach As He Taught by Robert Delnay. Published by Moody Press in 1987, the chapter is reprinted by permission.

Note: This two-part article is a chapter from the book Teach As He Taught by Robert Delnay. Published by Moody Press in 1987, the chapter is reprinted by permission.

So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
—Luke 14:33

The goal of our teaching is to make disciples. To make disciples we must make demands. A veteran missionary was explaining his success in planting several churches: “We have not been afraid to make demands on our converts.” Nor was Jesus.

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