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There came a point, six months ago, in which I no longer had a great desire to sit down at my computer and work on this blog. Not because I no longer had anything to write about, but because I wondered if sitting behind a computer to proclaim the Gospel was the only way that I could get involved in the Great Commission. I used to be terrified if I opened up my life to outreach missions, that I would end up wanting to take my family overseas, knowing full well that this would not sit well with my wife. I’m not saying that this will not happen, but I cannot fathom how God would have these things come about with consideration with my current life in the United States. And besides, I have learned that the most fruitful mission trips are those that are long-term in nature. The people proclaiming the Gospel are primarily indigenous to the country they are proclaiming the Gospel in. I have read many stories about American Christians going off to foreign lands, to provide humanitarian efforts, in which the Gospel of Christ often becomes left behind. Decades later, the fruit of the humanitarian efforts might be evident through schools, hospitals, water resources, but when asked how many individuals accepted Christ as their personal Savior, the result is almost null, in which no churches are found. The American Christian mission trip has kind of become like a badge of honor. Sometimes subconsciously saying: “look at me, look at all of the good I am doing for God”. I hate having to write this, but when I look at the pictures from such mission trips, it looks more like a vacation then a mission trip. From the best hotel in the area, to plush tables of food, and the occasional pictures of several Americans hugging little children. IS THIS REALLY THE GREAT COMMISSION WE READ ABOUT IN THE BIBLE? Best part of it all is that these vacations are usually paid for, through fund-raising. When asked how did it go with sharing the Gospel, they look at you with a very puzzled look.
No thank you. I do not want to be part of such a vacation, nor do I want to sponsor one. What I want to do is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is the goal, plain and simple. Sure when the people are hungry, or thirsty, or needs medical care this should not be overlooked, but the Gospel of Christ should not be left behind, but it should be at the forefront of it all. The people you are helping should know why you are helping them and they should hear the hope of the Gospel message, and should have the opportunity to accept the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.
It is my opinion that somewhere down the line the message of the Gospel has been lost in the church. If not lost, it has been watered down to fit into the lifestyle of the World, so that more people will not be offended and might join the church, therefore making the church bigger and wealthier. But are they really learning about the Gospel and becoming Christians or are they simply joining a church building? As a result, many of the resources devoted to properly train Christians on how to evangelize the Gospel are lost. Instead, we have a building full of cool technology, stain glass windows, and a group of people who come to the building to be entertained.
Let us first make sure that we ourselves understand the Gospel and are thoroughly trained on how to evangelize by teachers ordained by the Holy Spirit. We then build up indigenous leaders or find current Christian leaders in the ministry field. These leaders will then establish and maintain the flock. This worked for Paul in the early Christian Church. Why do we need to reinvent the wheel?
The American Church has abundant resources that could be used in evangelism that would advance the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Why do we waste it on mission vacations that are not fruitful, but simply build an overactive ego? I say we stop all of the nonsense and find the well established organizations that do follow a biblical model of evangelism. The Church could then pool all of the resources into such organizations. Perhaps 10% of the church tithes and offerings could be offered to this sort of evangelism. Think about it: billions of dollars to outreach ministries and missionaries who will actually share the Gospel.
No thank you. I do not want to be part of such a vacation, nor do I want to sponsor one. What I want to do is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is the goal, plain and simple. Sure when the people are hungry, or thirsty, or needs medical care this should not be overlooked, but the Gospel of Christ should not be left behind, but it should be at the forefront of it all. The people you are helping should know why you are helping them and they should hear the hope of the Gospel message, and should have the opportunity to accept the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.
It is my opinion that somewhere down the line the message of the Gospel has been lost in the church. If not lost, it has been watered down to fit into the lifestyle of the World, so that more people will not be offended and might join the church, therefore making the church bigger and wealthier. But are they really learning about the Gospel and becoming Christians or are they simply joining a church building? As a result, many of the resources devoted to properly train Christians on how to evangelize the Gospel are lost. Instead, we have a building full of cool technology, stain glass windows, and a group of people who come to the building to be entertained.
Let us first make sure that we ourselves understand the Gospel and are thoroughly trained on how to evangelize by teachers ordained by the Holy Spirit. We then build up indigenous leaders or find current Christian leaders in the ministry field. These leaders will then establish and maintain the flock. This worked for Paul in the early Christian Church. Why do we need to reinvent the wheel?
The American Church has abundant resources that could be used in evangelism that would advance the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Why do we waste it on mission vacations that are not fruitful, but simply build an overactive ego? I say we stop all of the nonsense and find the well established organizations that do follow a biblical model of evangelism. The Church could then pool all of the resources into such organizations. Perhaps 10% of the church tithes and offerings could be offered to this sort of evangelism. Think about it: billions of dollars to outreach ministries and missionaries who will actually share the Gospel.