Speaking to the Secularized Mind
Bill Hybels
Unchurched people today are the ultimate consumers. We may not like it, but for every sermon we preach, they're asking, "Am I interested in that subject or not?" If they aren't, it doesn't matter how effective our delivery is; their minds will check out.
—Bill Hybels Driving home from church the other day, I pulled behind a guy on his Harley-Davidson. I noticed a bumper sticker on the rear fender of his motorcycle, so I pulled closer. It read: screw guilt. After the shock wore off, I was struck by how different his world was from the one I'd just left —and even from the world a generation ago. In my day, we felt guilty, I thought. Now, it's not only "I don't feel guilty," but "Screw guilt." I find that the unchurched people today, whom we're called to reach, are increasingly secular. There was a time when your word was a guarantee, when marriage was permanent, when ethics were assumed. Not so very long ago, heaven and hell were unquestioned, and caring for the poor was an obvious part of what it meant to be a decent person. Conspicuous consumption was frowned upon because it was conspicuous. The label "self-centered" was to be avoided at all costs, because it said something horrendous about your character. Today, all of that has changed. Not only is it different, but people can hardly remember what the former days were like. Why We Need a New Approach
Many churches, however, still operate with the understanding that non-Christians are going to come through the doors, feel pretty much at home, understand the sovereignty of God and the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, and in one morning make a complete transition from a secular world view. Even twenty years ago, that was a reasonable hope. The secular world view wasn't that disconnected ...
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