What ARE we doing???? (Post from class by me)
{This was a post from my current class "Dynamics of Evangelism and Missions." I wrote this in response to the question "Discuss how the 2 Great Commandments and the Great Commission intertwine with each other." I am choosing to post this response to the question because it is something that we need to hear. Not just non-believers, but believers as well. For me, this was painful to write because I fail here too...May God help us to be bold in sharing Jesus.}
If all of God's commands flow down into 2 Great Commandments, Love God and Love others, then the Great Commission has to be involved somewhere. I mean, how can we profess to love God and love others if we don't share the Gospel? I love how Bowland said on page 22 of "Making Disciples", "After all, it is the Great COMMISSION, not the Great SUGGESTION." I immediately thought, oh no...he didn't just say that. Well, um, yes, he did. I had to laugh...but the truth is, I laughed because I KNEW it was true. Way too many people in the world, as we've been talking about already in this class, are very "me" oriented. Make "me" comfortable...prosperous...rich...heathy...etc. Where in the 2 Great Commandments was Love me, myself and I???? It says to "love your NEIGHBOR as yourself" not "love yourself INSTEAD of your neighbor."
If we truly, honestly and deeply love God, we are going to want to undertake the Great Commission by "making disciples". Therefore to "go, baptize, and teach." Not only are we going to want to evangelize for the sake of obeying the God we love, but if we love others, we are going to want to save them from the hell fire pit that they are destined for. Why are we so afraid of rejection as Christians??? The rejection they give us isn't HALF of what they will get in rejection from God when they find out the stories of Jesus were actually true. The rejection they face is much more dire than what they give us...why don't we realize it? WHY????? Well, I'll tell you why. Because we DO NOT love others as we do ourselves. Simple. Plain. Straightforward. I have one phrase that applies to myself and everyone else in Christianity..."Get over yourself." My wife says that I am too harsh when I say that...but in this case...we truly need to hear that. "Get over yourself." Because truly, that is where our problems lie.
Now, on the other hand, we aren't all bad. Christianity hasn't gotten to where it is in the world by us sitting on our keisters doing nothing. We're great at reaching out to 3rd World countries. We do a phenomenal job at it. We can spread the Gospel to the tribes of Africa, the Chinese people, Korea, Haiti, Vietnam, Thailand and all those other places. Most sincere Christians do very well at evangelism. We financially support missions and evangelism, we just have a hard time speaking up to Bill who lives next door, Janice the widow down the street, or Joe Schmo we pass in the grocery store every week. Why not strike up a conversation? Remember...the rejection they give you is MINOR compared to the one they will get from God if they do not believe. Instead of lining up to rally against abortion, homosexuals, drug addicts, alcoholics, rapists, murderers and adulterers, let's show them the kind of Love that made us fall to our knees and cry out for the Father and Savior we needed. We do well with handing over money and doing missions in 3rd world countries...now...let's focus on our TRUE neighbor....and "Get over ourselves." Love God and love others plays directly into the hands of the Great Commission. To "take up our cross and follow" we just need to Love our God and love others and put ourselves last. The Great Commission then comes much easier.
{I pray that God uses us to preach the Gospel to all those we run across...to be bold when we need to; to have the right words to say when we do; and to show the love of Christ with everyone...believer or not. We all fall short in this area...may God help us.}
If all of God's commands flow down into 2 Great Commandments, Love God and Love others, then the Great Commission has to be involved somewhere. I mean, how can we profess to love God and love others if we don't share the Gospel? I love how Bowland said on page 22 of "Making Disciples", "After all, it is the Great COMMISSION, not the Great SUGGESTION." I immediately thought, oh no...he didn't just say that. Well, um, yes, he did. I had to laugh...but the truth is, I laughed because I KNEW it was true. Way too many people in the world, as we've been talking about already in this class, are very "me" oriented. Make "me" comfortable...prosperous...rich...heathy...etc. Where in the 2 Great Commandments was Love me, myself and I???? It says to "love your NEIGHBOR as yourself" not "love yourself INSTEAD of your neighbor."
If we truly, honestly and deeply love God, we are going to want to undertake the Great Commission by "making disciples". Therefore to "go, baptize, and teach." Not only are we going to want to evangelize for the sake of obeying the God we love, but if we love others, we are going to want to save them from the hell fire pit that they are destined for. Why are we so afraid of rejection as Christians??? The rejection they give us isn't HALF of what they will get in rejection from God when they find out the stories of Jesus were actually true. The rejection they face is much more dire than what they give us...why don't we realize it? WHY????? Well, I'll tell you why. Because we DO NOT love others as we do ourselves. Simple. Plain. Straightforward. I have one phrase that applies to myself and everyone else in Christianity..."Get over yourself." My wife says that I am too harsh when I say that...but in this case...we truly need to hear that. "Get over yourself." Because truly, that is where our problems lie.
Now, on the other hand, we aren't all bad. Christianity hasn't gotten to where it is in the world by us sitting on our keisters doing nothing. We're great at reaching out to 3rd World countries. We do a phenomenal job at it. We can spread the Gospel to the tribes of Africa, the Chinese people, Korea, Haiti, Vietnam, Thailand and all those other places. Most sincere Christians do very well at evangelism. We financially support missions and evangelism, we just have a hard time speaking up to Bill who lives next door, Janice the widow down the street, or Joe Schmo we pass in the grocery store every week. Why not strike up a conversation? Remember...the rejection they give you is MINOR compared to the one they will get from God if they do not believe. Instead of lining up to rally against abortion, homosexuals, drug addicts, alcoholics, rapists, murderers and adulterers, let's show them the kind of Love that made us fall to our knees and cry out for the Father and Savior we needed. We do well with handing over money and doing missions in 3rd world countries...now...let's focus on our TRUE neighbor....and "Get over ourselves." Love God and love others plays directly into the hands of the Great Commission. To "take up our cross and follow" we just need to Love our God and love others and put ourselves last. The Great Commission then comes much easier.
{I pray that God uses us to preach the Gospel to all those we run across...to be bold when we need to; to have the right words to say when we do; and to show the love of Christ with everyone...believer or not. We all fall short in this area...may God help us.}
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