Hello all! It has been some time since I last blogged. However, I have something I believe needs to be written down.
A few weeks ago, we were in a small group Bible study discussing the importance of actually talking to people about Jesus. I want to stress what I am saying here. It seems many, many of us (American Christians) have fallen prey to the idea that if we invite people to church we are fulfilling the Great Commission that Jesus gave to each of us. While it is important to invite people to church … this is serving as a pathetic excuse for all of us to stay quiet when it comes to witnessing (me included). We need to open our mouths and share.
After this small group study, I was reading a book called “Encountering John” by Andreas Köstenberger. I came across a section that I want to share which will help illustrate this thought better. He writes:
Many of our Christian brothers and sisters in other parts of the world suffer persecution today. In our own country, suffering for the faith is still not so overt as to be an issue of primary concern. Still, we may sometimes wonder if the reason why Christians in the United States do not suffer more is because they do not clearly and openly identify with Christ. Evangelical Christianity has developed into an almost self-contained, self-sustaining subculture, complete with Christian bookstores, TV and radio stations, Christian celebrities, be it pastors of mega-churches or best-selling authors, and the list could go on and on. Just look at a recent issue of Christianity Today! Or look at the Shepherd’s guide, a listing of Christians in business. Many Christians live in a cocoon that enables them to go through life almost completely insulated, without ever having to deal with non-Christians. Yet as a result, we frequently fail to fulfill the function of salt and light in our culture (cf. Mt 5:13 – 16). We must remember Jesus’ warning that salt, once it has lost its saltiness, is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men (Mt 5:13).
In our highly pluralistic, postmodern culture, it will be increasingly unpopular to proclaim the biblical message that “there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” but Jesus (the message of Peter and John in Acts 4:12). We will be labeled as intolerant, mocked as narrow-minded religious bigots, or even suffer social or economic ostracism. Are we willing to suffer socially, economically, or otherwise for our faith? This does not mean that we must invite suffering like the church father Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, who deterred his friends from rescuing him from martyrdom in order to increase his heavenly reward. But we must be faithful and courageous and have our priorities straight. As Jesus said, “You cannot serve both God and Money” (Mt 6:24). Our Christian faith must be the core commitment at the center of our lives rather than an addendum. Like Abel, we must give God our very best rather than bring a token offering like Cain (Hb 11:4). If this involves a decisive break with our past, so be it. (Köstenberger, 163 – 164).
With that thought in mind, let me encourage you (and me) to get out and actually speak what we believe.
Go with God,
Donald B
I agree. We sometimes forget that the commision was given to us as individuals to “go and make disciples.” We shirk our individual duty to witness and just pay someone (pastors) to do the work for us.
I sometimes fall into the trap of just “living like a Christian.” As if I just live right, then my example is enough of a witness. I need to actually proclaim it and live it. One without the other is not enough.