While it's simple to notice a lack of quality teaching from most pulpits, it's also too easy to place blame on any particular pastor or leader in a local church when the fact is the entire Body must bare the guilt as well. Seriously, we (the people of Christ) are the Church. The Church is not a place or building; it is fluid and living according to the Bible. Every person in the Body of Christ is supposed to study the Scriptures to be able to rightly divide the Word of Truth (2Timothy 2:15). We are also to be able to give a reason for our faith at any time (1Peter 3:15) to anyone. Not only should pastors leading the congregations be able to explain the validity of God's word and the teachings within it, but every mature Christian should be able to do the same... which brings us back to Joe.
Joe has been surrounded by Christians in the church over the past 10 years. Many of those Christians I know personally, and several are considered leaders and mature Christians within that particular local church. I truly wonder why they would feel it was wise to not speak to Joe about God in order to help make him feel comfortable. I understand the concept of "relationship evangelism," but after 10 years, enough opportunity for relationship had been given. What was lacking greatly was the actual sharing of the Gospel message with Joe from those he considered his brothers in the Church. The Holy Spirit inside a Christian is an enemy of the Spirit of the flesh inside a nonbeliever. The two are at war spiritually, and the conflict is felt in the physical plane. Most people are either repulsed or attracted to the Spirit of God after spending time in the presence of God's people. I'd never met anyone like Joe, who had spent 10 years around the family of God as a nonbeliever and came away believing he was part of the family. Obviously, the Church has failed Joe! The Truth of Scripture was never been spoken clearly, because Joe had never been told Light has no fellowship with darkness. Joe cannot be in darkness retaining a hostile spirit of anti-Christ and think for a moment he is our brother, an equal heir in Christ. Why we would even allow him to do so is absurd! Unfortunately, Joe was deceived by the Church as a whole in a most grievous way. We allowed Joe to believe the delusion that another commonality in life was a foundation for fellowship with us and God. Each Sunday, we encouraged him to believe he was safe with God, welcomed to be one with us through our ideal social chit-cat and talk of subjects that had nothing to do with God. It was only natural Joe would think he had a "home church," even though Joe never was part of THE Church and never a member of the Body of Christ. Joe's rational was logical. He should not be blamed for coming to his conclusions about the Church or his position in it. After all, we treated him as a brother, as an equal, and had no real relationship or deep conversation with him to understand his spiritual deprivation and need. We gave Joe the appearance of fellowship and the lingo of Jesus without ever truly knowing Joe or trying to help Joe grow in Christ. We expected if Joe was interested, he would save himself, feed himself milk from the Word, and grow up.... all without a mentor, without a guide to help him. So the next time you greet someone at the church door, in the foyer, or are directed to greet your neighbor in the pew beside you, don't be satisfied to simply shake their hands or say hello. Ask yourself these questions:
The Church is called for more than silent witnesses to those on the Highway to Hell. We are called to boldly proclaim from every aspect of our lives the Love of God, the Truth of God's Word, and salvation from sin. Never be content to withhold the gospel, because you don't want to make someone uncomfortable. I guarantee you, there is no comfort in Hell! While ultimately the decision of whether to reject God in Jesus rests squarely upon Joe's shoulders, the Church as a whole plays a big part in how Joe experiences God. The bible is clear... "How then can they call on Him (God) in whom they have not believed, and how can they believe in Him (God) whom they have not heard, and how will they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14) I challenge Believers everywhere to understand that "preaching" is more than a Sunday sermon, falling solely on the shoulders of one man in a congregation. Preaching the Gospel includes your living example. It includes your discipleship of unbelievers into the family of God and mentoring of new Believers. It's your life: your actions as well as the words you speak from the Bible. We are the living love letters of God (2Cor 3:2) for Joe and the world to read as a witness. What's your letter really saying?
Wondering how to improve your witness?
Here's a good book to learning how to witness.
0 Comments
As you read Joe's story in part one, you might be thinking isn't it nice that Joe feels so comfortable going to Church as a non-believer? Isn't it wonderful that the Church is a safe haven, where anyone can come, fit in, and feel like they are part of the family of God? Maybe you are happy Joe found a niche within the Church that spoke to him, in this case it was a Christian biker group. If Joe hadn't found a group he felt comfortable with, he might have left and never come back.
I can assure you, while talking to Joe, my heart was anything but happy or at peace. There was a great grieving within my spirit for Joe who had been going to church for 10 years and never learned anything about God. Joe honestly believed he as a nonbeliever had the same eternal blessings in Heaven as those who are in Christ. Joe's false security in the Church is actually leading him strait to hell. Hell is a real place, with real people suffering in it. Perhaps you are thinking the Church did everything they could do to tell Joe the gospel message. After all, 10 years of Sunday sermons should have made an impact right? Some church leaders would say it's Joe's hard heart and refusal that is solely responsible for his path to destruction. I'm sure there are many who would quote Scriptures to back up their positions that it's all Joe's fault for where he currently is in his walk of faith or lack there of. But, after talking to Joe for less than 45 minutes, I can tell you honestly, it's not all Joe's fault. Joe truly doesn't understand the Scriptures or the history behind the Bible. He has no knowledge to base a foundation of faith upon. He has no understanding that the Scripture can be trusted to be the Words of God and that they are not the words of men trying to control others. Unfortunately, biblical teachings on the firm foundations of the validity of Scripture are not the typical Sunday sermons preached. Most sermons are preached from the basis that those in the pews already believe the Bible is the word of God. Therefore, the pastors rarely seek to educate the congregation on this simple fact, assuming they already know it. Most sermons, at this church like so many others, provide superficial Scripture in a theatrical performance with a little personal anecdote added to connect the listener to the topic in a "relevant way." The entire Sunday service lasts for approximately 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. The first 30 minutes is usually worship music, announcements/videos, and a short prayer. The second half hour is the sermon with the common notation among Churches being most people in the congregation cannot stay focused beyond 30 minutes. Meanwhile, these are the same people who will spend 3 to 4 hours diligently watching the Super Bowl or other sports event. Many in a congregation will play a video game for hours on end or watch a 2 hour movie without hesitation. What's the difference? Is it truly our limited attention span or ability to focus for 30 minutes, or is it our passion and love for what we are focusing on? There is no way 1 hour a week in a highly structured Sunday service environment is enough to know God, understand His word, and build a relationship with him. The responsibility for Joe's ignorance does not fall solely upon the failures of a traditional Sunday sermon or any pastor of the church. ... to be continued in Part 3
Wondering how to improve your witness?
Here's a good book to learning how to witness. I spoke with a man last month while at a friend's house. I'm going to call him, Joe (not his real name). Joe was definitely NOT a Christian, a fact he was very proud of. Ironically, Joe asked me where I went to church. This was a question, which led to Joe telling me how he and his wife had been going to a specific church for 10 years. Apparently, his wife was a woman of faith, but he had no belief or faith in Jesus or the Bible. Yet, he called this specific church, "his home church." While I can not fully articulate the animosity Joe had against Jesus in this article, I can tell you, he recoiled from any mention of God and was very hostile to the concept of anyone quoting or using of the Bible. He stated the Bible was a tool written by men to manipulate and control others... obviously not the inspired Word of God viewpoint many Christians hold. Surprised, I asked Joe what he liked about that particular church since he didn't believe in Jesus, the Bible, or the "other nonsense" being spoken from the pulpit as he put it. He response was mind-blowing. Over the lyrics to Highway to Hell by AC/DC playing on his stereo, Joe explained, "I like the biker group at the church and the music. The music is usually fast and good." He went on to say that he really enjoyed hanging out with his "Biker Brothers" before or after church service. Joe really liked the fact he could dress like a biker to go to church. He was so glad to have biker brothers to watch his back while he was out on the road after church too. Joe explained the Christian biker group were really good guys who took care of his bike after he was in an accident last year, and it flipped. When I asked him about whether or not the Christian biker group focused on Jesus, his response indicated a negative. Apparently, being "biker brothers" was by far more of a mutual bond than being "Christian brothers," at least in his mind. Joe's view had been reinforced by the fact none of his church biker brothers had really tried to talk to him about God. He stated they knew he wasn't into God and left the topic alone. Joe said he was very glad he could hang with the church's biker group and no one bothered him about God while he was with them. That made him comfortable to be at that church. The notion of God was real to Joe, but God was a vague concept that existed somewhere in the great beyond. Joe's God had no real tangible connection to his daily life. To him, God was "the man upstairs" that he would meet one day after Joe died. Additionally, Joe was convinced there was a test on Earth that he had to pass to please God. Once he had passed the test, Joe could "move on" to be with all his deceased family members and live happily ever after in Heaven. When I asked Joe, what was the test he had to pass, he replied, "I don't know, but as soon as it's done, I'm outta here." WOW! to be continued... Inspired by Ms. Cowman, I've been thinking about the Christian walk and how it relates to the Emmaus Road experience of those first two disciples and to me personally. The result of my mediation is my own original poem entitled The Emmaus Road for obvious reasons. I wrote it in a formal rhyming couplet pattern with a syllable 12-13-12-13 design. I was originally thinking of the power of the numbers 12 and 13: 12 for the original disciples and 13 for the disciples plus Jesus. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! The Emmaus Road by Sharon Aubrey © 2018 Lord, we walk in blindness on the Emmaus Road, Emotionally wounded, our hearts a heavy load, Confused we move forward, each step a precious ache; Life’s journey moves us forward, for no one it will wait. We walk towards a city, our destination clear, But first we travel valleys with frustrations and fear. Our path winds onward, up steep temptations and strife, Then trudges slowly, the beaten tracks of daily life. We see a rest stop, where we pause to be refreshed, A glimpse of truth is given; we gain a second breath; The road along the heights of victories we walk, Exploring bits and pieces, of puzzles we do talk. Drawing near to the house, we turn to ask you in Humbly you entered, as one without burden. The meal satisfied more than body by the bread, For breaking it we saw you had risen from the dead. Our hearts filled with great joy, we hurried to our feet Returning to the former path, we walked down the street. No more are hills and valleys, no more heavy loads, For Christ was among us on the Emmaus Road. Our path is now made strait, from a perspective change, A shift into the Spirit, temporal things are strange. A secret we will carry deep within our hearts, Our Savior is alive; nothing can keep us apart. His love an endless spring from which we draw supply, His eternal Spirit now dwelling with us inside. Our joy unspeakable, no worldly man can take, Our mouths proclaim His glory, not even Hell can shake. Bold with every step, we walk the road unafraid Looking for other sheep that have turn aside or strayed. The Good News we proclaim to all who will but hear, Jesus Christ the risen Lord calls all of us come near. Come to Him for salvation, forgiveness of sin; Don’t delay! The God of Love is welcoming you in. Nothing you have ever done or could ever do Is stronger than the precious blood of Christ shed for you! © 2018, Sharon Aubrey
Part of living a life with Christ is giving back to others in your community. This weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to volunteer to teach Kindergarten through second grade students how to write a good story, the parts of a story, how to identify problems, and find solutions. The Young Writer's Conference was held at Sherrod Elementary School in Palmer, Alaska. Students from all over the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District came to participate.
I ended up teaching 54 students in three groups, who came with their parents and grandparents to the event. I began by sharing the story Mimsy Mouse Searches for a New Home by Linda N. Walz and Stephan Linton. Students learned about the three parts of a fiction book: the beginning, middle, and end. Each section was later broken down to help students identify the problem, the turning point, and solution. All the students fell in love with Mimsy's story and who wouldn't; it's a wonderful tale of friendship.
After explaining what makes a good story to the kids, I brought booklets for each student to create his/her own story. Perimeters were given to help students focus on writing their stories in the given amount of time. The stories had to be about a main character that was a moose. The moose had to have some problem based on a desire or talent the moose had that was not "normal" for other moose. I gave the examples of maybe the moose wanted to play the piano, ski down a mountain, or ride a bicycle. Then the students began the creative writing process.
In the end, I loved all the different stories the children created. There was a moose who lived on the sun and wanted to move because he was so hot. He moved to Antarctica and was much happier. There were two young ladies in the last group that really surprised me by working together. None of the other children had thought about coauthoring. These two girls attended the same school and were friends. When the first little girl started her story about a moose, named Bilmy, that was scared of everything and lived in a cave to feel safe, the second little girl made her story about a friendly girl moose, named Emily, who befriended Bilmy to teach him the world isn't scary when you have a best friend. Together the young ladies wrote a very touching story of friendship, which displayed their own good hearts as well.
It was wonderful to share with the kids and watch them learn. I also laughed a lot at their imaginations: from moose going to the moon to driving trucks or ice skating, these kids had endless ideas for problems and solutions. I also loved that every time I asked as question, they jumped right in to answer. Every child thought he or she was a great artist. They all tried their best to draw moose, even when their skills were not as well-honed as others. Most children thought they were good writers too. Every student believed he had something to share. Saturday made me wish many adults would go back and capture their child-like hearts, when they believed in themselves so completely as these kids did. Somehow adults lose sight of their abilities and imaginations. Trials have made us stop believing in ourselves or start comparing our gifts to others, who have are "better" than us. These kids didn't have that problem. Each child worked diligently on his drawings and story, regardless of whether other students were better or worse in those talents. Spending time with children can help bring our own childlike qualities back to our lives. We can learn to believe in ourselves again and use our gifts without comparison to others. We can not only have childlike faith, but childlike confidence too. Yes, you can write a book. It might be as crazy as a moose on roller skates, but it would be fun and creative. Judging from the 54 students I worked with on Saturday, we are all born with creativity. Don't let the world steal your joy from you!
Years ago my friend told me that I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Mind you, this came at a time in my life that was one of my lower points... my husband was broken physically, and I was carrying a HUGE load of additional responsibilities. I didn't believe it at first and complained that was not okay, because this was not where I wanted to be. Heck, it was a serious of terrible events that had brought me to this point in life. My wise friend told me to stop fighting the moment. She assured me that God knew exactly where I was, and I was where He wanted me to be for the moment. She told me to accept where I was at this point in life, embrace it because when I did that, I would finally understand the power of the moment I was in.
Well, I didn't truly understand her advice that day, but I pondered on it. How could it be that I was supposed to accept and be grateful for the horrible moment in my life? How could I believe this painful place was exactly where God wanted me to be? Surely, God wanted better for me than this, I thought. It took me years to fully understand, but now I see my friend was 100% right. There is great power in embracing where you are at this moment in life. However you got to this moment doesn't matter. Whether was a freak accident, series of mistakes or bad choices, or a series of good decisions or unexpected blessings, you are exactly where you are supposed to be at this moment. When you accept where you are without blame or ridicule for past mistakes and are not bound by the desires or dreams of the distant future, you can experience great power in the moment of now. Living in the present can empower and inspire us to change the future from a more realistic vantage point. We need to remember we are not forsaken. We have not been abandoned, nor did this moment surprise the God of Heaven who watches over us. He is still with us, and in this present moment, He is blessing us and helping us. Be mindful of the power of living in the present moment. Do not despise its small blessings, for in them tomorrow's future begins. If you need encouragement for the small blessings in life, Our Daily Bread put out a great book on it. I've included it below.
"Do not despise these small beginnings,
for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin..." Zechariah 4:10
Today I visited my friend with stage 4 cancer who is struggling immensely with chronic pain, the poverty associated with a catastrophic illness, and the overwhelming discouragement of life where everything seems to fight against you. She's has battled clinical depression and suicidal thoughts for over 30 years; now facing death she deeply longs to continue living. To be perfectly honest, I myself have been battling depression lately as my daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumor within the past month. Wondering about whether she might live or die in her last year high school year was beyond discouraging. Not having any solid answers from the doctors makes it worse. While we trudge through the minefield of life with one explosion after another wounding us, it is often easy to lose sight of our eternal hope because we are overcome by the darkness of depression. My beautiful friend reminded me how being in the refining fire like gold is preparing us for better things and to keep hope alive in my heart. Seriously, I said to her, "I don't care about being pure gold, or having pure faith... I don't mind being partly corrupted or tainted, just so long as this fire stops now." She laughed and said, "Sharon, but we must go through it. God has a better plan; you will see." Intrinsically I know I can't stop the fire or the trial, but neither do I truly want to continue through it either. The pain is too intense at times. Yep, this is the crappy part of life, where we have to remind ourselves and each other that thanks to Jesus, this is as close to hell as we will ever experience. Heaven is waiting when we are through finished. The glory prepared for us will be eternal, and this shall pass away, no longer to be remembered. I admit, it's not easy to say some days, and at times it's even hard to remember, but any present evil in your life will stop. It will not last into eternity. You and I will be free of the pain, the sorrow, and the burdens of this life because Jesus lives and made a way for us to enter in to His Kingdom.
For I know that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy
to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18 |
Sharon Aubrey
An Alaskan Author, Prospector, Homeschool Teacher, Ordained Minister, I welcome your comments! Before you post, please see my
Comments Policy. Categories
All
Archives
March 2019
Some of the links on this blog are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Also, some of the books and products featured on the blog I received free or heavily discounted for the purpose of review. All the opinions are my unbiased thoughts. I only recommend products or services I use and believe will add value for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.
|