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As a high school freshman, in my first World Cultures class, I heard a story about Adlai Stevenson that I have never forgotten.  Stevenson was the U.S. Ambassador in the early 1960’s, during the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis.  At one point, in a public meeting still available online, he confronted the Soviet Ambassador, Valerian Zorin, regarding the USSR’s installation of missiles in Cuba. When Zorin dodged the question, Stevenson continued to press, and then he declared how long he was willing to wait for the ambassador’s reply:

“I am prepared to wait until hell freezes over for an answer.”

A powerful reply, if you understand what hell is. However, if you are raised in an atheistic culture that may not have an image of hell, the message loses some of its punch.  Our teacher explained that the translators discussed the matter and finally translated the phrase into Russian. They simply explained that the Ambassador was willing to wait a very long time, not quite the punch that Stevenson had in mind.

The story illustrates our challenge as we share Christ’s good news with a culture that is increasingly losing touch with its traditionally Christian heritage.  We have a powerful message to deliver, but if we don’t choose our words carefully, that power may get lost in the translation.

1. A Relevant Message

Last week we began a new series called, “First Things: Paul’s Opening Words to a Church Called to Serve.” We focused on Paul’s sense of mission. His encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus changed his entire point of view.  His whole life was not missional. He was completely devoted to a new purpose.  This week, Paul takes us deeper into his thinking.  Why is he so passionate about getting to Rome?  What drove His vision?

It turns out that he wants the church to understand its important mission, to share a relevant message in a meaningful way: 

“I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.” (Romans 1:14–15)*

Paul chooses strong language in these verses.  The obligation he feels is more literally a debt that he owns, one that must be repaid urgently.  This is not something that can wait on a back burner until he has more time to think about it!  He didn’t even know the people in Rome personally, yet he still felt he owed them this message.

Paul is aware of the multi-cultural dimensions of his Roman world.  “Greeks and non-Greeks” are probably euphemisms for “cultured and non-cultured,” analogous to “the wise and the foolish” that he also mentions.

He is not necessarily endorsing these human labels.  If anything, he is rejecting them.  We humans tend to put people in boxes, but God has a different plan.  He really doesn’t care about the labels we attach to people or the boxes that we put them in. His message is for everyone.

2. An Effective Message

Paul emphatically that this message from God is genuinely effective for anyone, regardless of the cultural boxes into which we press them:

““I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes…” Romans 1:16

“Salvation” is another church word that may have lost some of its punch through overuse.  However, to those who truly need saving, the word can be immensely powerful. 

• If we are drowning, we need a rescuer.
• If we are overwhelmed with debt, we need immediate relief.
• If our family is in chaos, we need to calm the emotional storms.
• If our life is spinning out of control, we need someone to anchor us.

Paul is telling us that the message of Jesus has that power. It saves. It restores. It brings hope.

If this message is so powerful, however, why aren’t our churches packed?  Why aren’t people lined up outside our doors to hear this powerful secret?

A couple thoughts come to mind.  Maybe people don’t think they need to be saved. Maybe they believe they are fine.  They are not dying, so they do not need a doctor.

While this may be true of some, others are keenly aware of their need.  Life is overwhelming for them.  Peace and contentment elude them.  They have lost both purpose and meaning.

Sometime even these folks, who realize their need, are not finding saving solutions in our churches.  Perhaps that is because we are not presenting the message in a way that makes sense to them.  We may use Christian language—like “salvation,” “grace,” or “holiness”—but we forget that these words may mean very little to someone outside the church. Just like Adlai Stevenson’s fiery words got lost in translation, our message can lose power if we’re not speaking in ways that connect.    

3. A Hope-Filled Message

One way to connect to ensure that we emphasize the hope contained in this message of Jesus.  Paul says:

““For in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last.”” Romans 1:17

“Righteousness” is another Christian word that can easily lose it’s meaning in our post-modern context. To often it is equated with “self-righteousness,” the believe that we are better than someone else, as if we somehow decide what is right and wrong.  Biblical righteousness, however, has precisely the opposite meaning.  In scripture, God ultimately decides right and wrong. He determines the right way and the wrong way to live.

So how do we get on God’s path, going His right Way, doing things His right way.  Paul uses another church word, “faith”.  Faith is ultimately a relational word.  It is about trusting someone.  It contains truth, but this truth is sometimes beyond us. As another New Testament writer puts it, faith believes things we confidently hope for, though we do not see them. (Hebrews 11:1)  We have that confidence because we can fully trust the One who holds the future in His hands.

When we have lost our way, when we need a Savior to lead us our of our mess onto God’s right paths, that’s when we are ready to feel the power that Jesus offers in His Good News.

So, What’s the Point? 

We began with a story about a powerful message that got lost in translation.  By reflecting on a few verses in Paul’s letter to a Roman church, we can hear his challenge to ensure that we avoid a similar mistake.

We are called to share the good news of Jesus with as many people as possible in a way that’s meaningful to them.

This message is too important to keep to ourselves.  We must do our best to translate this message in meaningful ways, in multiple contexts, for people who are keenly aware of their desperate need for someone, something more powerful than themselves.  We owe this effort to them.  We owe it to the God we claim to serve.

Next Steps: Where Do We Go from Here?

Here at Roser Church, we have a simple, powerful mission: Loving Christ. Sharing His grace. Serving all. This statement, however, must be translated into action.  Each of us must reflect on our role in this translation effort:

• Who in our life needs to hear this good news?
• Are we speaking their language, or are we only using our church words?
• Is our life communicating the hope of Jesus; do we live a life that demonstrates our trust in Him?

And as a church, we’ll keep asking these questions, and we will ask them together. Because the world doesn’t just need more words. It needs a message that changes lives.

That message is Jesus. Let’s joyfully share that message together.