How often after a church service do we complain about how we don't fit in? How many times do we go to church and gripe about decisions being made that we disagree with? Is it safe to assume that if we feel this way that maybe some others are feeling the same way? Some others in the same church? And Others in the same CHURCH? It's a big church, and yet it's so hard to find any group of people acting like a body. Kookie will tell you: Non-christians work well together. They don't worry about who's right wrong or left, they do their jobs and do them well. Nobody's perfect. Everybody complains, but only christians dump thousands of dollars into their local church group in an effort to draw more people into the group and then act so judgmentally, divisively and just plain unfriendly or dumb that they wonder why their new 64 channel sound board doesn't sound any better than the old one and there are more people leaving the church than are joining the fun. What's the problem? The music is great! the preaching is good...we have sunday school for all ages, a nursery for the little kids, snacks after the service, and church picknicks once a month. Ooh, and don't lets forget...endless prayer meetings. Somewhere, somehow we must be making a difference.
How's this for an idea. The Apostle Peter said in his first letter (chapter 3): 8Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 9Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. 11He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. 12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
13Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." 15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
I bet you anything that if the leaders in the church would teach people to focus on doing good with a readyness to give an answer to everyone who asks for the hope we have, rather than teaching the "you've got to get people saved" message that gets pounded into new believers, that we might actually make a real difference. To sum it all up, I believe that if Christians would focus on being christians rather than makeing more christians, that more people would want to be christians.
Thistle Gall Fly
1 month ago
7 comments:
I don't disagree at all. You have a very good point, butch. Not that is should take away from the fact that our second purpose on this earth (second only to worshiping and glorifying God)is to spread the gospel. How that is done is many times the issue. Do you remember Uncle Floyd? He spent years is Austria were he believed the "friendship evangelism" was the best way. I think that many times people need to truly "see Jesus" in us and not just hear our words which may or may not be hypocritical.
please allow me to respectfully (and lovingly) disagree.
Being a Christian has nothing to do with what we want (your last sentence), it's about what we believe.
God commands us to pray. God commands us to spread the gospel. These are the very 2 things you've pointed to as being "bad".
You say the church should teach "do good, and be ready to give an account", but they shouldn't teach "get people saved". How do you get people saved? - You do good and be ready to give an account. The very thing you say we should be doing. So what's the difference? Ultimately this world is going to pass away - and only the saved are going to be happy when that happens.
Whether you call it "doing good and giving an account" or "getting people saved" - we're all working in the same field, shoulder to shoulder.
I really see your point, Morgan. I also see Milo's point, but I think it's a bit of a misinterpretation of your wording, more than anything else. I know what you're getting at, though, and I agree.
Spreading the gospel is important, but I think it's also quite important to remove the planks from our own eyes, so we can see clearly to remove the speck from our brother's eye... I think somebody really important said that... oh, yeah, Jesus!
I have more I could say on that, but it's in my blog, so I won't bother.
Milo, my point is simply that we as a church need to change our focus. If we get from point a to point be, we figure that we are "right" but God has a better plan, and it is important how we get there. Our attitude, and the focus we have on our journey is more important in affecting those around us than our destination. That's my opinion. I appreciate your comment, however I don't think we disagree. You are right when you point out that God wants us to pray and to spread the gospel. My point is simply that His command (emphasis on Command) is to love God and our neighbor while the way we should do that is (partly) to pray and preach. The focus should be on the loving, not on the praying and preaching.
The Focuse should most definately be on all three... Praying, and Preaching are every bit as important as Loving!
my mom said jesus is cool and i should love him. amen
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