Well...just said good-bye to some good friends. They will board a plane tomorrow to continue Mission work overseas. While it is a great joy to know the Gospel is heading to UPG (unreached people groups), it's never easy to let them leave. Please keep them in your prayers.
As I watch my friends pack up what they can and head back out, it's caused me to do a lot of thinking.
Why is it strange to us to think that people would abandon everything in order to share the Gospel?
Why are there so many in the American church who are not willing to do the same?
I don't want to be critical here but let's be real. There are hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of people in America who claim to be "Christian." Now...I'm not an idiot. I realize that not all those who claim to know Jesus are actually true followers of Christ. However, I cannot help but consider what the world would look like if all of us who claim Jesus as Lord of our lives got serious about our faith. Imagine the change that would take place in our own country!!!
Maybe I'm in this train of thought since I just left a Missions Conference. Maybe it's because I have been reading a book that talks about reclaiming the Gospel from the American Dream. Or maybe it's because I have come to understand the lostness around us and that God left us with the responsibility of spreading the Good News. Regardless of the "Why?" that has got me to thinking this way, why don't you join me.
Consider the entertainment factor that we have built into our current church services.
Consider that there are multitudes of believers who gather around the world in shacks, jungles, and "safe havens" just to be able to fellowship around the Bible.
Consider how many have given their lives for the sake of the Gospel.
Consider the current state of the American church and how we do not shape our culture.
Consider...
I just read a story about a man who picked up a Christian publication not long ago. On the front cover were two pictures with two headlines. On one side you have a church that was celebrating their "New $23 Million Building." On the other side you read how a certain denomination "Raised $5,000 to Send to Refugees in the Sudan." I hope you caught the stark contrast in dollar amounts. Can you imagine? Only in America would we spend this type of money to build a building and let refugees suffer. Only in America would we consider putting down new carpet over feeding the hungry. While I am not condemning the fact that we have buildings, nor the fact that there is maintenance to take care of; it does bother me to think that anyone would spend that kind of money on a facility.
I know we live in America and we have the freedom to operate this way. We can purchase land, have buildings, etc. But do we really need all this stuff? Folks, it's time we consider some of these things. When will we consider that in the days of "The Great Depression" that many churches did without heat so that they would be able to keep missionaries on the field while the statistics tells us that most churches send less than 10% of their budget to fund mission work? WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE CHURCH?
Think about it: You know how costly it is for you to chase after "The American Dream"...cars, houses, vacations,etc. Imagine how costly for the church if it does the same thing. Not only does it hurt the church but it endangers the souls of the countless millions without Christ.
Last question: Isn't Jesus worth losing everything for?
Only you can answer for yourself.
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