I am reading a wonderful book "purpose driven church" (Rick Warren) which gives a vivid example on "Why outreach?"
This question is always raised in a context that people are actively (or passively) growing in spirituality while placing little focus on the emergency to outreach.
Example in the Pupose-Driven Church book p.105:
"Imagine we are Doctors who discover the cure for Aids or Cancer We will for sure do our best and do everything to spread out the good news.
Now, we are Christians who discover the Salvation- solution to eternal death and torture (even worse than Aids/Cancer) and many more things e.g. solution to why bad things happen to good people, etc
Our holy mission commanded by God is to preach the salvation to everyone. (Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:47-48, John 20:21, Acts 1:8)"
Example in Pupose-Driven Life p.295:
"A church/fellowship/small group/Christian that doesn't want to catch more non-believers and grow in numbers are saying to the world 'I don't care, you can go to hell and die'"
When I first read it, I feel uncomfortable. But, after all, I can't deny it, coz it's hard truths by our dear God Almighty.
God bless everyone of us and use us in his blessings and be a good witness of him today. Give thanks to God. Amen
Cheers
__________________
The Fear of the Lord is to hate evil & to shun evil. Whoever walks in the counsel of the wicked lacks judgment, little knowing it will cost him his life...
Yes, indeed. Outreach is an extremely important part of a Christian life. Think about how many people who have not yet heard of the good news! What would happen to them after they died?? We bring the most glory to God not when we sit comfortablely at church and hanging out with other Christians, but when we go out and spread the gospel to the non-believers! As Jesus said in the great commasion, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely aI am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28. 18) Without outreach, we are like the Pharisees who merely study the bible but do nothing about it. But worse, we don't even know the bible well!! So, I see that today, at least we can follow the wonderful bible reading plan designed by Michael, and reach out to your non-believer friends. Tell your friends the good news, they'll thank u for it!
In a book I read recently, there are at least 1/3 of the world's population who can identify with Christianity. In order words, for every 3 people, at least 1 of them would be Catholic, Protestant, or eastern Orothodox. If u think about it, then it's really not that hard to talk about God with other people. A pastor once told me that the most difficult part is mentioning the name of God, then God will take over and work miracle to that person. We just have to work as a bridge between God and that perosn. It's really not hard at all!! As Jesus said, " whoecer acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my father in heaven " Matthew 10: 32 So, dear brothers and sisters, let's work hard together and spread the gospel of the lord!
In Christ,
Jane
__________________
Psalm 84:11
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
coz it's hard truths by our dear God Almighty.
