What Questions are People ACTUALLY Asking?

The other day I came across some research by Ed Stetzer that was and is fascinating. If you grew up like I did, you know the typical question you are suppose to ask "lost" people... "If you were to die right now, where would you go?" I always thought that this question was obviously permeating the minds of all the sinners walking the streets... why else ask it? However, according to Stetzer's research this question is the wrong question to be asking... simply because people really just don't think about it... let's look at his stats...

Interestingly, "Will I go to heaven when I die?" is not a question most Americans ask themselves with much frequency.

I think it is pretty clear what the results were. There are a good number of people who ask that question and do so frequently, but most do not.

Perhaps in previous generations people were asking questions about life after death, and so evangelistic approaches that focused on that issue were contextually appropriate. But the times - they are a-changing.

It appears that more people are thinking about meaning and purpose than life after death. (And it is important to note that the Bible provides the answers to all these questions.)

More people are thinking about is the purpose of life. People are looking for and thinking about purpose: perhaps one of the reasons that Purpose Driven Life has been such a best seller.

Why are we here? How can my life have meaning, value and significance? Explaining what the gospel says to these questions will more readily demonstrate just how relevant the gospel is to their lives. What happens after death is eternally important, but the world isn't always ready to see that. But they are somewhat prepared to consider that because we are made in God's image we have infinite value and dignity; that sin is what robs us of experiencing the reason for which we have been made - to glorify God and enjoy him forever; that Jesus alone is our only hope of redemption - that in him our sins are forgiven, the image of God is restored in us and by him we can glorify God and enjoy him now and forever.

This is the work of contextualization. Answering the questions the world is asking from God's word, pointing them back to the gospel. This is why I value research (asking questions, and really listening). Let's be about the business of making the gospel clear. To do that you will have to do more than speak. You'll need to do some listening as well.

So... instead of just awkwardly asking someone if they DIE... (a great way to start a question) where would they spend eternity... Let's answer the questions people are actually asking. The Bible has answers for purpose driven questions not just eternal security.

What do you think....

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