We live in fast-pace world. We only have 52 Sundays a year, we have time that requires urgency and there are things we believe that are with great urgency and priority.
The latest data from Pew shows a decline in religious affiliation and belief in God among U.S. adults between 2007 and 2017. A growing portion of young, religiously unaffiliated individuals call themselves, “none” are driving changes in Americans’ religious attitudes, reshaping the religious composition. And the gap is growing.
We live in an interesting time. We live in the new category of, “New Atheist”. These are the new fastest growing group as the, “nones” – the non-religious affiliation. We have a small number of people who identify themselves as an, “atheist” and the number has not grown and they are getting more vocal, but the number truly lies in those who tell themselves, “I don’t know”
How did we get here? What is at stake? These are the most fundamental question we must ask and I believe these are the three biggest lies that Christians believes that lead us to where we are today.
1. The Great Commission is the Great Suggestion.
For many of us, the Great Commission has instead become the Great Omission.“It’s a command. Go already (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15).”
So how are you doing with your part in fulfilling the Great Commission? Are you going into all of your world? The commission is not to wait for the world to come to us; it is to go into all of world. Whatever we do, we must not treat the Great Commission like it’s the Great Suggestion.
As William Tyndale said, “The Great Commissions is not an option to be considered. It is a command to be obeyed.”
2. It’s OK to be silent about our faith.
Albert Mohler in his book, We Cannot Be Silent said it well “Christians cannot be silent—not because we are morally superior, but because we know that God has a better plan for humanity than we would ever device for ourselves.” There’s too much at stake for those around us.
“Preach the gospel with all your life. If necessary, use words” (St. Francis of Assisi) Well he got it wrong. You cannot give the gospel without preaching it. Yes, it’s just as important to represent Jesus by how we live, but someone can’t respond to the Good News without hearing it … and they can’t hear it if no one opens their mouth (Matthew 10:27, Romans 10:14-15).
Ministry to open doors? Serving people’s need? That is all good and needed. We have a lot of organization UN (Human trafficking), Federal government (HIV), Agencies (Water reclamation helps with poverty). There are bunch of people who are working in those areas, those are all wonderful! Those happen over and over again. There is one thing we do that no one can do it. Somebody has to be dedicated to it. “The poor you always have with you” Jesus said. If you get sucked into the making taking care the poor, you will never get back around preaching the gospel. This is the one thing we must do. We are the only institution that are responsible for it!
As Ralph Moore said it well, “How is it so easy to set up camp while ignoring the simple command to Go!”
3. Live life as if everyone is going to heaven and nobody’s going to hell.
Jesus died so the whole world could be saved, but He said the path to heaven is narrow and few find it. And for the record, He preached more about hell than heaven … but He did it without using a bullhorn and manipulative scare tactics. (Matthew 7:13-14).
They are not in danger of losing their reward in heaven, they are in danger of hell!
Our task and our work is never finished until it has assured its continuation in the lives of those redeemed by the Evangel. – Robert Coleman
The Rise of The Nones: Understanding and Reaching the Religiously Unaffiliated
Many pastors criticize me for taking the Gospel so seriously. But do they really think that on Judgment Day, Christ will chastise me, saying, ‘Jonathan, you took me way too seriously’?
No more mere, intellectual, casual, nominal acceptance. This gospel enlist total abandonment. This gospel beckons for us to abandon dreams, plans priorities, treasure and pleasure in this world. God is worthy so much more than casual comfortable christianity which is no biblical christianity at all.
Absolute submission to his person, absolute surrender to his purpose to the glory and praise to the ends of the earth. You will be totally consumed by this reality of the cross of Jesus!
“That is for the mature, not for me” This is basic elemental for Christians! This is Luke 9:23. This is what it means to follow Christ. We have Christians have right to deny ourselves. All our time, all our money, all our life is belong in the hands of God!
Let us proclaim the simplest message of the gospel of Christ.
Jesus God’s Son died in the place of sinners and rose, so that all who love him supremely might be forgiven all and have eternal joy in God.
Convicting truth.