Was Jesus “seeker friendly?”
1. The Range of Ideas
Yes. Maybe. No.
Yes.
Jesus was the most seeker friendly preacher and church leader there has ever been. He ate and drank with the lowest in society, getting down to their level and not worrying about what anyone thought or said. Jesus met people where they were at spiritually and knew exactly what to say to impact each person and move them toward salvation.
Maybe.
Jesus was seeker friendly in that he fellowshipped with the lower casts of society and presented the gospel to them as much as to anyone else. He did not favor anyone or suck up to any one group or socioeconomic class. Jesus also was not afraid to tell the truth, even when it offended some. He was seeker friendly equally to all but also equally truthful and willing to offend to all. Jesus seemed to be very compassionate to unbelievers and wanted nothing more than to share the truth with them in a meaningful way that spoke to them. Jesus used parables as a means of being seeker friendly to the common man. He made a point not to use pomp and circumstance or grand speeches to sway people, rather the simple truth and compassion.
No.
Jesus was not seeker friendly. He was anything but seeker friendly. Jesus was a bold, offensive truth teller. He offended the religious leaders every time He opened His mouth. He openly challenged and provoked the leaders and teachers, causing conflicts and even pushing angry so hard with truth that they tried to stone and kill Him on numerous occasions. Jesus was very unlike our modern church leaders, who are only concerned with numbers and funding. Jesus had none of these cares or concerns. His pin point focus was on presenting the truth of God and salvation to people and then calling them to make a decision, chastising them if they remained lukewarm or sat on the fence afterward. Jesus meant business and had no time or reason to tip toe around trying to draw a crowd just for the sake of drawing a crowd. This seeker friendly movement in the church is destroying it. Our seeker friendly churches are the lukewarm church spoken of in Revelations that will be spit out because it is neither hot nor cold. God says its better to be cold or hot rather than lukewarm. Seeker friendly = lukewarm. The church needs a revolution to point it back toward presenting the truth without worry of offending. Truth offends, period. God, Jesus, they offend. There is no way to sugarcoat or water down the truth. To be seeker friendly is to compromise the message of Christ. The gospel is not meant to be seeker friendly, rather to rattle peoples’ bones and alert them to the hard, scary, and wonderful truth, that salvation is free through grace, but to reject this free gift from Jesus is to choose eternal hell, damnation, and separation from God.
Ummmmmm
Some questions to help you get started.
Who did Jesus associate with, spend time with, and minister to?
Did Jesus draw any lines or limitations with who he would speak to or how far he would go to share the gospel and the truth?
How does the Bible describe Jesus’ ministering style, demeanor, attitude, and characteristics?
Did Jesus change the gospel message depending on the audience?
Did Jesus pander, appease, or try to appeal to the crowds that gathered?
Did Jesus speak above people’s heads?
Did Jesus start conflicts or provoke others with His truths?
Did Jesus dilute or water down the gospel message ever?
Does the Bible’s accounts of Jesus’ preaching parallel how modern preachers present their messages?