Irresistible: Reclaiming the New that Jesus Unleashed for the World

Description

A fresh look at the earliest Christian movement reveals what made the new faith so compelling...and what we need to change today to make it so again. Once upon a time there was a version of the Christian faith that was practically irresistible. After all, what could be more so than the gospel that Jesus ushered in Why, then, isn't it the same with Christianity today Author and pastor Andy Stanley is deeply concerned with the present-day church and its future. He believes that many of the solutions to our issues can be found by investigating our roots. In Irresistible, Andy chronicles what made the early Jesus Movement so compelling, resilient, and irresistible by answering these questions: What did first-century Christians know that we don't-about God's Word, about their lives, about love What did they do that we're not doing What makes Christianity so resistible in today's culture What needs to change in order to repeat the growth our faith had at its beginning Many people who leave or disparage the faith cite reasons that have less to do with Jesus than with the conduct of his followers. It's time to hit pause and consider the faith modeled by our first-century brothers and sisters who had no official Bible, no status, and little chance of survival. It's time to embrace the version of faith that initiated-against all human odds-a chain of events resulting in the most significant and extensive cultural transformation the world has ever seen. This is a version of Christianity we must remember and re-embrace if we want to be salt and light in an increasingly savorless and dark world.

Communicator, author, and pastor Andy Stanley founded Atlanta-based North Point Ministries in 1995. Today, NPM consists of six churches in the Atlanta area and a network of more than 70 churches around the globe that collectively serve nearly 118,000 people weekly. As host of Your Move with Andy Stanley, which delivers over seven million messages each month through television and podcasts, and author of more than 20 books, including The New Rules for Love, Sex & Dating; Ask It; How to Be Rich; Deep & Wide; Visioneering; and Next Generation Leader, he is considered one of the most influential pastors in America. Andy and his wife, Sandra, have three grown children and live near Atlanta.

'For years Roma and I have endeavored to be noisy Christians. Noisy, but thoughtful. Andy has captured both ideas with a single word, 'irresistible.' But as you are about to discover, he's done more than that. In Irresistible, Andy reacquaints us with the original version of our faith. The version that was irresistible indeed! We love this book!' * Mark Burnett, television and film producer * 'I've been a Christ follower for more than thirty years and perhaps no other book I've ever read has caused me to wrestle with the very foundations of my faith like this one. In Irresistible, Andy Stanley challenges us to rediscover the gospel and reclaim the version of faith that ultimately transformed our world. This provocative book could potentially disrupt the core of your theology. And when it does, it may very well change how you read the Bible and live out your faith forever more.' * Tony Morgan, founder and lead strategist at The Unstuck Group * 'It's time for the church to rethink how it presents a timeless gospel to this generation. In Irresistible, Andy Stanley challenges us to make sure we handle the Scriptures with the kind of integrity that compels everyone to seriously consider following Jesus. Any Christian who reads this book will suddenly find themselves embracing the mission of Jesus with a new passion.' * Reggie Joiner, author; founder and CEO of Orange * 'People rarely reject Jesus as he truly is. Instead, they reject a distorted view of who they think he is. In his new book, Irresistible, pastor Andy Stanley takes you on a historic journey to rediscover the first-generation passion of what it means to faithfully follow Christ. This book will knock you off center, push you out of complacency, and reawaken an unshakable faith that cannot be ignored.' * Craig Groeschel, pastor of Life.Church and author of Hope in the Dark-Believing God Is Good When Life Is Not * 'Irresistible is like a once-in-a-generation shot across the bow. Andy Stanley takes a lifetime of accumulated insight and wisdom about the Christian faith, history, and why the church isn't connecting with our current culture, and combines them together in a masterpiece work. Succinctly, powerfully, and convincingly, Andy shows us how so many Christians have misunderstood what Christianity is and helps us recapture what Christianity originally was. I pray we have the courage to live out the ethic of the early and accurate Christian faith Andy so capably describes. The world just might come running if we do.' * Carey Nieuwhof, author and founding pastor, Connexus Church * 'Warning: This book will set you and your ministry back--back to the first century and the approach to advancing the gospel modeled by Jesus and the apostles. Andy reminds us that the resurrection was at the center of the first-century apologetic. Then he challenges twenty-first century believers to reclaim it as the center of ours as well. I agree with Andy--this approach changed the world once. I'm convinced it could do so again. Read and apply now!' * Frank Turek, Christian author, public speaker, and radio host * 'More than any other book I've read in years, Irresistible has stretched my view of Scripture. I can't hear or read a passage from the Old or New Testaments without thinking about Andy's provocative insights. If you and I take this book seriously, our lives and our churches will never be the same.' * Kara Powell, PhD, executive director of the Fuller Youth Institute and coauthor of Growing Young * 'This book challenged me to rethink my thoughts about the Old Testament, discuss with fellow believers what I was learning, do more connecting and less correcting of others, and be salt and light, making things better and brighter. I love how Andy loves people . . . ALL of them.' * John Maxwell, author of The 360 Degree Leader * 'Andy Stanley believes that the gospel of grace is an irresistible message. So why do so many resist it, reject Jesus, and rebuff the church? Perhaps the fault lies not with Jesus but with a burdensome set of rules and regulations that have been added to the simple ethic he taught in the great commandment: love God and love others (Matthew 22:36-40). Biblical in its basis, provocative in some proposals, convicting in its challenges, this book makes an important contribution to the ongoing conversation about the mission of the church, as she seeks to reach a pluralistic culture with the good news of the gospel.' * Glenn R. Kreider, professor of theological studies, Dallas Theological Seminary *