Welcome
20 Dec 2007 02:55 pm
Welcome to the Evangelism and Discipleship Blog. My prayer is that this will encourage and challenge you to become more and more like Jesus; reaching, discipling, and serving.
Please comment. Ask questions, add your observations, and edify others who may be reading. I pray that this will be a tool to make an impact in the world for Jesus Christ. -KD
"Follow a rabbi, drink in his words, and be covered with the dust of his feet."
"There's a story behind every number"
29 Feb 2008 05:36 pm
A few weeks ago, Dr. Troxel handed me a compilation of videos entitled "There's a story behind every number." I've just now had the chance to sit and watch it.
Occasionally, I'll see or hear the comment that we're too "focused" on numbers. While I understand the point, I think there's a bit of errancy involved in the reasoning. After all, our God is interested in numbers. Let me tell you what I mean; what these videos so vividly portrayed.
The videos point out that "We live in a world of numbers. Numbers tell us things about life. Numbers count our days. Numbers always tell us a story." In Acts 2:47, we see our Lord's concern with numbers; numbers of people that know Him. "And the Lord added to their NUMBER daily those who were being saved." Don't you think that He's counting? He's is interested in 100%. "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone–for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants ALL men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." (1 Tim 2:1-4) In Matthew 18:2, He is concerned with the number "1" when He said, "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?"
The video goes on. "Some numbers are good. Some numbers are terrifying...some break our hearts." Let's look at some numbers in our world from the videos.
~"In 1960, 75% of all Americans believed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God AND went to church."
~"Since 1991, the number of adults who DO NOT attend church has (almost) doubled; rising from 39 million to 75 million - up 92%"
~In "2007, 75% of Americans believe there is a God. 40% believe in Jesus but say He is NOT the only way."
If you took "The Truth Project," you'll remember the Barna study that discoverd only 4% of Americans have a Christian worldview. Sadly, only 9% of Christians had a Christian worldview.
George Barna wrote the following. "Christianity is losing its grip on American culture. Christians are more attuned to matters of culture and entertainment that to matters of faith." You may remember when John Lennon, speaking about the Beatles, said "We're more popular than Jesus." I would say that there may be a number of entertainment vehicles that may make the same claim today. Christians need to note the words of CS Lewis when he wrote, "Christianity, if false, is of no importance and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important."
We live in a world today that "the only absolute allowed is the absolute insistence that there is no absolute." (Francis Schaeffer) That is a scary thought for our nation because as believers we know that there is one absolute truth. Thomas Jefferson once wrote, "Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that His justice cannot sleep forever."
As Christians, "we are ambassadors for Christ, as though He were making His appeal through us." (2 Cor. 5:20) Do we remember this? Do we act on it? Do we realize that time is short; that "2 people die every second" and most will not be going to heaven. Does it concern us? Do we look on the crowds and have compassion on them as Jesus did in Matthew 9? Or are we what is written in Revelation3:17; "You say, 'I'm rich, I have become wealthy and need nothing' and you don't know that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked."
Here's another couple of numbers from the videos. There are "44000 Southern Baptist Churches and America is home to the 4th largest number of lost people on the planet."
Does that shock you? It shocked me. So what do we do?
WE GO! Luke 14:23 says, "...Go out...and compel them to come in." Matthew 28 says, "Go and make disciples..."
The video noted "They are not coming to us. We live in the mission field. We have to go to them."
Praise the Lord that we serve in a church that is going! That we have a pastor who goes! We go overseas! We go in our neighborhoods! Here's a number for you; we've had 31 salvations because of Jesus Christ going though our FAITH teams! That's 31 people going to heaven and not to hell. 31 people becoming disciples. 31 people to lead more people to saving grace through our Lord Jesus Christ!
In a time when things can look so bad, praise His Holy Name that He is using us, this church, to impact His kingdom in such a mighty way! - KD
(If you have not been FAITH trained, please consider taking part as we go into summer visitation and prepare for a new semester in August!)
By : Kevin | Category: Evangelism | Comments [2]
Media in Ministry
06 Aug 2008 12:51 pm
In our church, we spend a portion of our resources on media. We have for some time. In fact, we'd like to upgrade our equipment and replace our sound system. Over the last few months, I've encountered a few people who do not understand why that is necessary or why we would desire to spend resources on it. I thought I'd take some time to explain.
Let's reflect on Paul. Now, Saul was a “Hebrew of Hebrews.” He was “circumcised on the eighth day” (Philippians 3) He was a student of the rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22). He was Jewish and certainly viewed the pagan culture of Asia Minor and Greece as an abomination. Upon receiving Christ, I'm certain Saul still view their practices that way, but now had a desire to reach them for Christ.
Now Paul has a difficult task. He has to take gospel into a culture that is not Jewish in any way. Somehow he has to communicate who Christ is, what He's done, and how to be a disciple, in a way that the people of a pagan & polytheistic culture will be drawn to it and understand. So how is he going to do it?
As I stated above, Saul was a student of Gamaliel. Now, according to what I've studied, Gamaliel was a rabbi who taught his disciples about the Hellenistic culture so that they could engage that culture. So, Saul is trained to understand how the Greeks and Romans think and understands what's important to them. Paul knew that pagan/polytheistic temples and athletic games were prominent in that culture. So Paul uses their language to get their attention and communicate the gospel.
Paul uses temple analogies over and over again. He uses terms like “running the race” and “fought the good fight” because this is Olympic/arena language that their culture will understand. He talks of the the church being a runner who is cut off. In Hebrews he talks of the great cloud of witnesses, like the crowds in the stands who witness the runners running. For example, in 1 Corinthians 9, Paul writes,
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
Paul uses anything in their language that he can to communicate the gospel of Christ in a way that they'll get it. He in NO WAY approves of the fact that the games declared Caesar to be god in that culture. He doesn't support the temples to false Gods. But he will use the language around those things to communicate the truth of Christ.
If we were spending money at this church on media just to entertain Christians, I might have a problem with it. However, that's not the case. In fact our church has decided to simplify everything we do. If what we are involved in as a church is not reaching, discipling, or serving, we're not going to continue doing it. No more entertaining Christians or spending time on what I've denoted “shotgun” discipleship programs. Time to focus.
That said, we are still spending money on media. Why? Because it is the language of the culture in which we live. We may not like it. We may not support that our culture is so wrapped up in entertaining, flashy media. But not liking it doesn't change it. We must engage them in a way that will draw and impact them. As Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 9:19-23,
“Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”
And this is why we are willing, even eager, to use media. To become what they need so that we would be used to save some. Incidentally, how many thousands (perhaps millions at this point) have been spent on the “Jesus” film? We cannot deny the results of this video in the far reaches of the world. Missionaries around the world find ways to get laptops, projectors, VCR's, DVD players, generators, whatever it takes, into far away, dark corners of the world. All to have the opportunity to present the gospel in a way that draws the interest of the people there and impacts their lives. I would doubt that many would say that it wasn't worth the money considering the masses of people who have accepted Jesus upon seeing this film. But I'd be willing to bet that there may have been resistance when it was first proposed.
I think that we also need to keep in mind that we have been blessed as a church. We had been faithful with a little, and now we've been entrusted with a lot. The use of media is an opportunity and a blessing that this church has been given. I believe that God wants us to continue to use his blessings to reach the world with the love of Jesus Christ. Few churches are given the blessings and opportunities that our church has.
I believe it's absolutely essential to communicate to this generation in a way that will grab their attention and impact their lives. As Paul said, “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I may save some.” - KD
By : Kevin | Category: Evangelism | Comments [0]
