Speak Plainly

Yesterday I delivered a sermon on a topic that is near and dear to my heart. Taken from Acts 2:1-13 and dealing with the topic of evangelism, it dealt with the issue of speaking in a fashion that people can understand.

Why is it that many Christians insist on speaking in some sort of church-based language and form that comes off as being snooty or downright gibberish to people who are not Christians? Is it because there is a level of Christian experience that simply cannot be stated any other way? Is it because speaking like this gives us some sort of 'elitist high'? Or is it because we simply don't realize how we appear to the unchurched?

My kids used to get a kick out of it when I would (purposefully) shift into my 'fundamentalist' voice. It was a caricature of those people we see on TV sometimes and who are so very annoying. The sad thing is that even my family, all of whom are churched, recognized the stereotype and laughed at it.

Paul said in 1 Cor 14:9 (NIV), "So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air." Here he is addressing the topic of 'speaking in tongues', but it applies anyway. What good does it do to talk about God and Jesus Christ in such a way that the unchurched simply don't know what we are saying? The only one getting anything out of it is ourselves.

The first step in correcting this is to be consciously aware of how you are speaking when you are talking to people. Ask yourself, are there words or concepts here that they will not understand? Does the tone come off as being 'churchy' or 'preachy'? Can I say the same thing in a way which will not sound so bad or carry stereotypes?

Speak the Truth plainly and see what the Lord might do!

"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'" Romans 10:14-15 (NIV)

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