Book Review: City on a Hill

Let me paint a picture for you:  Imagine

You are traveling west bound with your family, on your way to the beach.  You decided before your trip that you would try a different route:  a little more remote but it saves you 2 hours of travel time.  As you are driving, the sun is setting.  The purple and golden wisps of clouds lingering in the sky shift in and out of view.  The interstate corridor that you are following is increasing in curvature and slope.  As you round a bend in the highway you see it.  Perched high on a hilltop a white cross lit by the backdrop of the setting sun complimented by the ambient light of the city below.  The city as you pass by the exits is swelling with activity.  You decide to exit for pit-stop to refuel and eat.  As your pumping gas you begin to notice that this city is different you don't smell the heavy fumes of smog and no siren in the distance.  The people at the station were very friendly, almost to friendly.  Saying things like..."have a blessed night", and "may God bless you and your family".  As you continue on the interstate you notice that the billboards are not cluttered with the usual liquor, gentleman's clubs, and decadent advertising.  On the contrary, you see signage with a message about sacrifice, joy, fulfilment, and worship; almost as if it had a hidden message.  As the lights of the city become more of a shine in your rear view mirror, you wonder what that message could be.

Obviously, no city, town, village, community, or church is perfect, and as long as we humans are in the picture then that will continue to stay in such a way.  The 9 points within this book are not about finding the right programs to reach the lost or find ways to grow our churches.  Dr. Ryken and Dr. Dever's book, 9 Marks to a Healthy Church, have a strong continuity and should be read together as each book has many similarities and expound upon each other. 

Dr. Ryken points out in the beginning and throughout his book that narcissism and relativism are rampant in every corner of society and our churches have adopted these philosophies.  With certainty, this book will bring to light many faults that today's evangelical Christians have adopted.  In post-christian times, we as small local church bodies and the church body as a whole need to come to that stark realization that we are not in control of even the smallest of things and that there is an absolute.  There is a right and wrong, there is Heaven and Hell, and there is a Creator who is actively involved with his creation.  This Creator has made a way for humans to have access to Him and acquire a loving and thriving relationship with Him.  This access can be obtained through one and exclusive way:  JESUS.

A search can be performed on the Internet of exclusive clubs and each one has list of verifications that a member must adhere to before becoming a member of the certain club or society.  Yet, we as Americans and humans in general really do not have a problem with this...BUT when Jesus is proclaimed as being the ONLY exclusive way to the Father and His Joy, we find all kinds of ways to be angered and disturbed.