How the Lack of Faith in America is Drowning Our Nation
"Why the Mandate?" Where's the Gospel?
From thirty thousand feet, it's excruciatingly obvious that our world is sinking into depravity and Christians are sinking into paralysis for the very same reason: we've left our first love, and we're no longer doing the first work. Most Christians are focusing on doing good things to please God rather than focusing on God and His purpose. And it's the empty satisfaction from merely doing good things, that has robbed the church of its joy.
We feel good about counseling young people on how to success in life, encouraging new mothers on how to be good mothers, supporting candidates who share our values, giving money to help feed the poor, and on and on. But you can do all of that and more without impressing God. Being a good person, doing good things, doesn't get you or anyone else into heaven. In fact, the world is full of good people doing good things that have nothing. to do with God.
Matthew 6:19-21 puts it in perspective: "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be" (NLT).
When you treasure God, when you hold I'm as your first love, the desire of your will be to do the first work: to please Him, to love Him, to live for His Purpose, to tell everyone you can about Him. We're here on earth long enough to figure out who God is, commit our lives to Him, and lead as many people as possible to Him before we see Him face-to-face.
Here's our reality check: "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ" (2 For. 4:4). This is the only explanation for all the lunatic decisions today. This is spiritual warfare, and it cannot be fought with politics and the minds of men and women.
Sharing Our Faith Isn't For Clout or Honor. It's to Change the World for God's Holy Purpose.
So how can unbelievers become believers when they're not going to church? That's where the Great Commission comes in. That's our (your) job. The only hope for unbelievers is us! This is exactly what Romans 10:14-15 is saying: "But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tell them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?" (NLT). Our problem, pastors, is that you're not sending us!
One of the impediments to our being sent is that our pastors aren't sharing their faith. It's all but impossible to tell people how to do something that you don't know how to do yourself. Here's the enigma: most Christians believe faith sharing is their pastors's job while most of our pastors never think about it.
How often I've been told by pastors that they don't have the opportunity to share their faith because they're surrounded by Christians. To which I reply, "Oh, you don't go to Starbucks, or the grocery store, or restaurants, or waiting rooms, or speak to operators on the phone?" Pastors, you need to model in your life what we should be doing in ours. Great church services are worthless if they're not provoking us to action. I know this is letting the chips fall! But church, we have to start being the church and stop sitting on the bench, watching and complaining how the game is being played from the sidelines! Every on of us should be changing our worlds!
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