Everyone has an agenda.

Ever since my days in the business world I have always been one of those people who has questioned the motives of others, when I am being asked to pay for something I don't want, but according to the seller will change my life forever. Or I am presented with a proposition or proposal that  will revolutionise everything I ever thought on the subject. I am by nature sceptical of instant success or monetary gain. I believe these last two things are to be gained only by hard work and initiative.

Everyone has an agenda. It doesn't matter if you are in journalism, politics, business, the gay rights movement, health and safety or even the church, everyone is pushing his or her agenda. Eat me, buy me, read me, vote for me,  your attitude must change for me, we are right we are the only church that is right! Every year those who shout the loudest or make the most fuss get heard, listened to and in a lot of cases surrendered to.

Every day we are bombarded with these things, The newspaper, the TV, the Internet, and the church newsletter, everybody else's agenda is being pushed onto us and like the proverbial lemming we dive over the cliff of bland mediocrity, just to avoid being pressured. We live in a world where having an opinion that is different to someone else is frowned upon.

It is wrong to wear a crucifix in public as an expression of your faith and religion but OK to wear a headscarf or burka to express another faith. It is wrong to declare that you are white, heterosexual  and married lest your gay black, living in a civil partnership, neighbour is offended and believes you to be a racist homophobic bigot. It is wrong to let members of your immediate family play with your children unless they have all had their CRB clearances but OK to let them climb over the fence and play with the neighbours kids even though the adults haven't been CRB cleared. It is OK to let your Child climb trees or climb on and walk on the tops of walls. As long as they have done the three day health and safety course down at the local town council offices. Ample warning of at least two weeks is given to all authorities, friends and neighbours of the possible tree/wall climbing event. The said climbers must wear crash helmets knee and elbow pads and are covered in bubble wrap and there is safety airbeds and barriers around the said tree or wall to protect them against falling.

Of course the examples I have given above are generalisations and are little tongue in cheek digs at the world. How then should we as Christian leaders who are trying to build the church deal with and counter these agendas and arguments. There is two ways of doing this. One we can like to proverbial Ostrich  bury our head in the sand and pray for the soon return of Jesus. Or we can be absolutely sure of our own unfailing God who has everything in control and wants us to get on with that to which we are called to do.

So what is our Christian agenda:

1) Go into all the world and make disciples of all peoples. Matthew 28: 18-20. Our agenda has and       always will be missional. It has never changed. The message given to us over two thousand years ago has never changed. The method of presentation though has changed.

2) To prepare God's people for works of service. Ephesians 4:12 We do this in order for people to do number 1.

3) It is not by might, nor by power but by my Spirit says the Lord. Zechariah 4:6. In our own strength we cannot build the church. God builds and fills the church.

4) We have presented ourselves to God as an act of worship and our views ideas and concepts that were once conformed to the pattern ideas and agendas of this world have been renewed and changed. Romans 12: 1 and 2.

5) Whatsoever is lovely and right and good and noble, think and act on these things. Philippians 4: 8,9 God has changed us. The way we think and act is a light and beacon to a dying world. The bible tells me that with the fruit of the Spirit there is no law against them even though others tell us ways that are contrary.

Lastly let me say this, we as Christian leaders need to stay on point and not get sidetracked by the vain arguments and pointless agendas put forward. There will always be health and safety agendas that wish to take and dictate how we should live. There will always be a gay agenda pushed by the media and the Politician's. There will always be other gods and religions pushing for prominence.

 But we are called to be both salt and light to a dark and lost world. Salt was used for two things in bible times, as a food additive to flavour and preserve, but it was also used to mask really bad odours coming from the cesspit outside. We still flavour the food but we let the smell get really bad before we do anything about it. A light hidden under a basket cannot be seen. A church that does not have community outreaches or services that invite and are friendly to those that are seeking, or training to send out disciples into the highways or byways are not displaying the Light of Christ. We need to train equip and send out our people to spread the good news to all who will listen and stay away from vain petitions and don't let anyone sell us anything we don't want or need. That is our Agenda, the Church of Jesus Christ and its message is still relevant despite what this messed up identity confused politically correct smelly old world tries to tell us.