It is no good blaming the lost for failing to turn up. It is no good bemoaning the drift of our nation away from Christianity. "Our persistent 'come to us' mind-set suggests that we really believe that people who refuse to come in the front door are beyond the reach of Christ." A farmer cannot blame his crops if he fails to sow and reap. Sunday morning in church is the one place where evangelism cannot take place in our generation, because the lost are not there. Evangelism will not take place until we go out to connect with them where they are, where they feel comfortable, on their territory. We cannot assume people will come to us.. We must go to them. (377-385)They argue that the church as we see it now must continue to preach the Gospel to those who "come in the front door." In other words, we don't stop everything we have done. However, they push us to look beyond the walls toward the estimated 84-100 million people in the United States who have no connection with a local church or intention of ever having one.
What do you think about their call?
What does that mean for the way most every church thinks about its ministry and its focus?
I think we spend too much time in self loathing and self condemnation and not enough time looking at the promises of God.
ReplyDeleteProverbs 11:30 ~ The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.
John 15:8 ~ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Instead of condemning one another for ‘not doing enough’ we should encourage one another that when we obey God it benefits all, especially our selves! Frankly, I’ve seen what the American church does as a whole, especially when it comes to supporting foreign missions and it’s outstanding! And I’ve also seen churches that focus on the blessing of God how they are so excited about God’s grace that they can’t wait to share it!
Our choice is this, magnify the problem or magnify God. It’s not hard to tell which people are doing by which they talk about.
~Nesher
In Mark 16:15 Jesus says, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. As believers in Christ, I sometimes wonder if we haven't become too smug in our salvation and security in Christ. I once heard a friend ask "why do Christians always seem to blame the world for doing what the world does, or put another way, why do we blame sinners for sinning. How can we, who have a knowledge and, . . . presumably / hopefully a 'relationship' with Christ, expect them to know they need salvation, if we never talk to them about God's plan for humanity.
ReplyDeleteRomans 10:13-15 says it best.
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent?
We don't have to be ordained "preachers" or even excellent speakers to be sent, we only need to be willing to go, with a desire in our hearts to share God's plan with others.When something wonderful happens to us, we are excited to share it with others. Knowing Jesus is a wonderful thing, yet we are not always so excited to share Him with others, If we ask, God will expose the roots of our reluctance and . . . by His Power He will help us overcome that reluctance for God does not desire that any should perish 2 Peter 3:9 affirms it!
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
James 1:5 says If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
If we are willing to go, and desire to share the "good news of Christ" with a lost and dying world, God will equip us. All we need do is ask, desire and be willing. I believe our God will take it from there.