Saturday, December 17, 2005
No Apology Necessary
Rob over at "Miscellanies On The Gospel" has a post about doing evangelism like Jesus would, and for reasons that completely escape me, he kind of apologizes for it. Rob's talking about that fact that the reach sinners with the good news we, uh-oh, have to go be with them where they are, you know places like bars. Gasp, sputter....
Oh, you say, I'll send tracts and preach on street corners, and maybe have a television show. Is that how we are supposed to do it? Then why did Jesus come 2000 years ago before we had all those capabilities like the printing press or electronics?
This is the time of year we celebrate the Incarnation -- God becoming a person. The Word became flesh. Think about that -- the Word, God's word, was not sufficient to bring God's grace to us - it was necessary that that Word take fleshly form for salvation to be complete. Fleshly form that could touch and feel, that loved and cried and laughed, was tempted, and HURT. Jesus was God - fully human.
How dare we think that if God could not accomplish His goals with merely a word that we possibly could. If God felt the need to "press the flesh," how can we do this any differently?
Oh, but you protest, "My church is 'seeker sensitve' we invite them in." Yeah, but what about those that aren't seeking? - Or who think they "found it" already" (Yes that is a purposeful allusion to one of the worst evangelistic schemes of all time) DO you think the gospel message is only for the seeker? IT'S FOR THE WORLD.
Why did the Apostle Paul travel all over the known world? Heck, he coulda just written letters.
OK, settle down, I'm going into full rant mode here.
The world is a dirty place, it's full of hurting people. Those hurting people do not have what it takes to get clean -- it simply does not exist for them. They will never get clean unless we are willing to walk around in the dirt pile a bit. We need to have the faith to know that God will keep us clean while we are there.
Sorry if it makes you feel uncomfortable reading it...and sorry if it is offensive.Anybody who would codemn Rob for the situation he describes and the actions he took, really has a problem. Think about how completely selfish it is to have the best news in the world and to stay inside some little Christian community. More, I think it means you don't really believe the news is all that good -- If you really believed it was that good, you couldn't possibly not go out there and share it.
Oh, you say, I'll send tracts and preach on street corners, and maybe have a television show. Is that how we are supposed to do it? Then why did Jesus come 2000 years ago before we had all those capabilities like the printing press or electronics?
This is the time of year we celebrate the Incarnation -- God becoming a person. The Word became flesh. Think about that -- the Word, God's word, was not sufficient to bring God's grace to us - it was necessary that that Word take fleshly form for salvation to be complete. Fleshly form that could touch and feel, that loved and cried and laughed, was tempted, and HURT. Jesus was God - fully human.
How dare we think that if God could not accomplish His goals with merely a word that we possibly could. If God felt the need to "press the flesh," how can we do this any differently?
Oh, but you protest, "My church is 'seeker sensitve' we invite them in." Yeah, but what about those that aren't seeking? - Or who think they "found it" already" (Yes that is a purposeful allusion to one of the worst evangelistic schemes of all time) DO you think the gospel message is only for the seeker? IT'S FOR THE WORLD.
Why did the Apostle Paul travel all over the known world? Heck, he coulda just written letters.
OK, settle down, I'm going into full rant mode here.
The world is a dirty place, it's full of hurting people. Those hurting people do not have what it takes to get clean -- it simply does not exist for them. They will never get clean unless we are willing to walk around in the dirt pile a bit. We need to have the faith to know that God will keep us clean while we are there.
