May I add a thought? Most churches don't actually obey the Great Commission. Jesus said to make disciples and to **teach them to obey everything He commanded.** We accept converts as the Spirit moves, then endlessly teach people some of what the Bible says, rather than teaching them to obey what Jesus commanded.
Were we better at this - I'll call it 'training in righteousness' - we would collectively be more mature, stand out from our neighbors, and be ASKED about the hope we have in Christ. We would be prepared to give a gentle and respectful answer, which truly is evangelism.
We put pressure on people to share their faith, but we don't help them grow very well. That's not putting the cart before the horse... it's expecting the cart to deliver you without any horse at all.
This, forever. We can't make disciples any other way, yet we fail to teach men and women that being deeply involved in each other's lives is exactly how it works.
Spot on brother. I once heard a sermon that addressed this and it changed my life. Its ok to not do anything big for the Lord, we are however to be faithful in all things (which are usually the most boring).
“The most extraordinary thing in the world is an ordinary man and an ordinary woman and their ordinary children.”
I can see how evangelism may not be a talent for every "average" Christian out there, since we are all different members in one body, the church.
However, we also need to be reminded of what's more important in this life as a Christian in which is to bring lost souls to Christ, stated in the great commission ( Matthew 28:19-20).
This is not a preacher-only commission; it is the commission commanded for all Christians.
Despite some who may have this talent, to use it more effectively, such as preachers or any Christian evangelist, the whole point of the talents is to use them for God's glory, whether for the church, for work, or even for normal everyday living.
However, sometimes I personally struggle in this position as well, not being too evangelistic or feeling guilty for not spreading the gospel as I should have in my early days as a babe Christian. I believe this to be some sort of "falling away" when it comes to living the Christian life ( Revelation 2:1-7).
When trials come in, this could be common for most Christians because they can experience some sort of hindrance in the way that they can't go on, whether having to do it by themselves, health issues, fear, etc.
I liked the reminder in your post that doing everyday mundane things is a way to start small before starting big accomplishments in a spiritual sense.
I believe I just have to examine myself or remind myself to become what God called me to be in the first place before I start the big spiritual goals, and this can be true for all Christians.
"Maybe the Christian man who succeeds in business doesn’t need to give it up to go to preaching school or become a missionary… maybe he’s the guy with the resources to support others."
This.
As it turns out, the "big stuff" that the church needs to do costs money. Got to be folks who grind it out everyday who can support those works.
This is a wonderful reminder that in the smallest ways the Christian life is lived to be helper in the Body of Christ. We are the Vessels, the blood cells, the deepest parts that may go forgotten but is all too important for the church to continue to thrive! And in the end, we are His bride that seeks to serve Him. So even if we aren't some incredible preacher going out and evangelizing, we can still be in Him and bare much fruit.
You make a good point!
May I add a thought? Most churches don't actually obey the Great Commission. Jesus said to make disciples and to **teach them to obey everything He commanded.** We accept converts as the Spirit moves, then endlessly teach people some of what the Bible says, rather than teaching them to obey what Jesus commanded.
Were we better at this - I'll call it 'training in righteousness' - we would collectively be more mature, stand out from our neighbors, and be ASKED about the hope we have in Christ. We would be prepared to give a gentle and respectful answer, which truly is evangelism.
We put pressure on people to share their faith, but we don't help them grow very well. That's not putting the cart before the horse... it's expecting the cart to deliver you without any horse at all.
Amen to that. To your point about the Great Commission, I'm right there with you. I wrote on church's "enforcing" their teaching here - https://jackwilkie.co/p/how-do-churches-enforce-their-teaching
"Close contact disciple making."
This, forever. We can't make disciples any other way, yet we fail to teach men and women that being deeply involved in each other's lives is exactly how it works.
SO TRUE! Wish all young people could read this. Christian every day living simply explained.
Spot on brother. I once heard a sermon that addressed this and it changed my life. Its ok to not do anything big for the Lord, we are however to be faithful in all things (which are usually the most boring).
“The most extraordinary thing in the world is an ordinary man and an ordinary woman and their ordinary children.”
― G.K. Chesterton
I can see how evangelism may not be a talent for every "average" Christian out there, since we are all different members in one body, the church.
However, we also need to be reminded of what's more important in this life as a Christian in which is to bring lost souls to Christ, stated in the great commission ( Matthew 28:19-20).
This is not a preacher-only commission; it is the commission commanded for all Christians.
Despite some who may have this talent, to use it more effectively, such as preachers or any Christian evangelist, the whole point of the talents is to use them for God's glory, whether for the church, for work, or even for normal everyday living.
However, sometimes I personally struggle in this position as well, not being too evangelistic or feeling guilty for not spreading the gospel as I should have in my early days as a babe Christian. I believe this to be some sort of "falling away" when it comes to living the Christian life ( Revelation 2:1-7).
When trials come in, this could be common for most Christians because they can experience some sort of hindrance in the way that they can't go on, whether having to do it by themselves, health issues, fear, etc.
I liked the reminder in your post that doing everyday mundane things is a way to start small before starting big accomplishments in a spiritual sense.
I believe I just have to examine myself or remind myself to become what God called me to be in the first place before I start the big spiritual goals, and this can be true for all Christians.
"Maybe the Christian man who succeeds in business doesn’t need to give it up to go to preaching school or become a missionary… maybe he’s the guy with the resources to support others."
This.
As it turns out, the "big stuff" that the church needs to do costs money. Got to be folks who grind it out everyday who can support those works.
This is a wonderful reminder that in the smallest ways the Christian life is lived to be helper in the Body of Christ. We are the Vessels, the blood cells, the deepest parts that may go forgotten but is all too important for the church to continue to thrive! And in the end, we are His bride that seeks to serve Him. So even if we aren't some incredible preacher going out and evangelizing, we can still be in Him and bare much fruit.