I generally try to write thoughtful and thought-provoking articles for this blog. Not today. Today I have a rant. Yet, it's a very important rant that I hope will positively influence others.
This all started a few weeks ago. With the end of the spring semester, the university becomes relatively empty and my favorite witnessing spot dries up. This summer, I decided to try a slightly different evangelistic style. I'm working my way around the city door-by-door, but not door knocking as I have done in the past. This time, unless someone is visible, I'm just leaving a tract on the door and moving on. If I meet someone outside, I'll try to strike up a conversation. The goal is to get as many tracts out as possible, while still being open to divine appointments.
I'm keeping track of my progress on a city map. It makes me realize how big of a job it is to preach the gospel. It takes a good 3-4 hours of work just to mark off a few square blocks. I look at the map and think “man, I'm hardly making a dent in this city”. It's overwhelming at times, because I know how badly the gospel is needed in my city. Forget the 40/10 window. If you live in C-U or any other average American city, I can guarantee that 98-99% of the people you meet are not Christians, and maybe 95% of the people you meet do not know the gospel, and likely have never been confronted with a Biblical gospel message. I have no survey to cite, but this is my estimate after 7 years experience.
For the last few days, as I realize how much work there is to be done and how little impact I can make, I can't stop thinking, where are all the other laborers? There are dozens and dozens of churches in this town that at least know and supposedly stand on a Biblical gospel (heretical churches are disqualified). Yet, it's extremely rare for me to find evidence of others preaching the gospel. Where is everyone? Is there no concern for souls? No compassion? No love? Anything remotely Christ-like in these supposed Christians and their churches?
Perhaps it's there and I'm just not seeing it? I don't think so. You see, I've also visited a good number of churches over the last year. At each church, I ask around about outreach. Of course, there's typically some sort of homeless ministry or something, but the church does not officially go out and preach the gospel. For every church I've visited, I would be willing to bet that I could throw a rock from their parking lot and hit the house of someone who has never heard the gospel. That fact alone should have you in tears, dear reader. Of all my visits, I still know of only one church in town that has a weekly gospel outreach time – and even that is quite poor. On average, only 2-3 groups go out, and each group will visit only 4-5 houses. From what I've seen, that's the most “passion” churches in this town can muster. Absolutely pathetic. I thank God that in my visits I have found a few rare individuals who are interested in personal evangelism. However, they each struggle against an infection of passivity due to the church culture around them.
Now, dear reader, how about you? Have you lifted a finger to point a lost soul to Christ this week? This month? Are you blind to the reality of heaven and hell? Or are you consumed in a fake world of TV, movies, and sports? Are you content to go through life enjoying wasteful hobbies while others march to destruction? Worse yet, perhaps you've been convinced that your “calling” is to teach Sunday school,or AWANA, or some other church ministry. You think that's your spiritual duty, so you don't really need to focus on evangelism. Here's the thing, if you don't even have a moderate passion for evangelism, you haven't grasped Christianity 101. How could you teach others about Christianity if you don't even have the basics down? Men, how do you expect to raise Godly children if you don't even attempt to set an example of Christ-like compassion for souls?
If God answers my prayer, someone will read up to this point and will be feeling awful, maybe even angry. That's good, you should be upset. Do something about it. Don't squirm out of it by trying to rededicate yourself, or by reading your Bible more, or praying more. You're feeling bad because you've been disobedient to the great commission. You can't get out of it by trying to be more obedient in other areas. Go preach the gospel. Now. Or as soon as possible. And please contact me. If you're in the C-U area, I would be happy to provide you with training, tracts, encouragement, and support. Whatever you do, don't ignore the conviction to preach the gospel.
