reTHINK: Evangelism

Jesus earned the right to talk to people and invest in their lives. He always filled a physical need then solved the spiritual one.

While most churches have outreach programs, it is too much based solely on trying to convert them. People coming to Christ is never bad thing, how many times is it that our only objective? It should definitely be the ultimate objective, but if we live life trying to win people to Christ, but never invest in their lives, were probably not going to be all that successful.  If they turn us down, we stop talking to them. How can they embrace the love of Christ when the love of Christ’s followers isn’t even genuine enough to have a relationship with them?  I’m not saying street evangelism is wrong, I’m just asking, is it right?

Church should never HAVE to plan special outreach events. Wouldn’t a true church of God naturally have the desire to serve the people around them? Maybe if our churches spent more time outside the walls of the church building, all of our money wouldn’t stay inside the church.  You invest your money where you invest your time.  If all of our time is spent inside a church, why wouldn’t we want a huge church with all the bells and whistles?  I feel like if Jesus had a church, it’d be a tent.  He might have an acoustic guitar and He probably wouldn’t have chairs.  Chairs would send the wrong message; chairs cause comfort.  I think Jesus might be against chairs.  Maybe people in the world would be more attracted to a God whose followers follow Him by going into the world helping those who can’t help themselves; the sick homeless widowed strangers.  Healthy people don’t need a doctor, sick people do.

If an outreach event takes place within the church building, its not an outreach, its an “in-reach.” When it comes to reaching new people, we need to stop waiting on people to come to us and we need to go fill their needs where they are, just as Jesus went. Correct me if I’m wrong, please, but shouldn’t meetings in the church building should only be for discipling the saved.  We’ve put way too much pressure on the pastor to lead all these people to a relationship with Christ.  A pastor’s job is to disciple the believers so that they can go out and bring in new sheep.  If a church isn’t growing, the congregation should look at themselves and ask, are we living our lives in a way that causes people to want a relationship with Christ?   Isn’t that biblical?

Just some thoughts.

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