The road to the comfortable going through the uncomfortable.
Right, smack, in the midst of this season of evangelism we need to stop and think about the stuff that we would rather not talk about. The uncomfortable.
I know, you'd rather not talk about it.
And, who am I to talk about it? I'm the self-ordained, king of comfort food, here.
Why would I want to talk about "the uncomfortable".
Maybe it's that scripture where Jesus says he "came not to bring peace, but a sword". (Matt. 10.34)
Maybe it's because we know it as soon as we think about the word evangelism.
Somebody is not going to like what we have to say. Somebody is going to have an opposing view.
The truth is simply that not everybody is going to want to be comforted. Not everyone is going to understand or be ready to accept the message that Christ dies for them and offers grace & forgiveness. The truth is also that we need to be ready "...to give an account of the hope that you have..." (1 Peter 3.15) Regardless of what others think. In spite of what the outcome is.
Christ gave it all so they we could be free.
Christ gave all he had so that you and I could in turn give our lives for the cause. To seek and to save the lost. To share the message of hope and mercy with a world who needs to it so badly.
No truer words could be brought to light than Paul's words to the Romans.
Right, smack, in the midst of this season of evangelism we need to stop and think about the stuff that we would rather not talk about. The uncomfortable.
I know, you'd rather not talk about it.
And, who am I to talk about it? I'm the self-ordained, king of comfort food, here.
Why would I want to talk about "the uncomfortable".
Maybe it's that scripture where Jesus says he "came not to bring peace, but a sword". (Matt. 10.34)
Maybe it's because we know it as soon as we think about the word evangelism.
Somebody is not going to like what we have to say. Somebody is going to have an opposing view.
The truth is simply that not everybody is going to want to be comforted. Not everyone is going to understand or be ready to accept the message that Christ dies for them and offers grace & forgiveness. The truth is also that we need to be ready "...to give an account of the hope that you have..." (1 Peter 3.15) Regardless of what others think. In spite of what the outcome is.
Christ gave it all so they we could be free.
Christ gave all he had so that you and I could in turn give our lives for the cause. To seek and to save the lost. To share the message of hope and mercy with a world who needs to it so badly.
No truer words could be brought to light than Paul's words to the Romans.
Romans 10:13-14
New International Version (NIV)
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
Now, the first thing going through many a person's mind as they hear this passage is most likely this...
"Nuh, uh. Not me" You ain't getting me to preach the message to anybody. That's your job preacher man. To which I reply, "Nuh uh, it's everybody's work."
Not that Paul's message is to everyone. To a general audience. To any and all believers that can read or hear his words. It is not written to a group of pastors or preachers. It's written to Christians in Roman lands. Any believer reading or hearing these words is now given a charge. Go and share.
Paul does not say, "Hey if there's anybody you know that doesn't know Christ, make you send them my way so I can talk to them." Lets talk a walk through our past in America. A time when church and religion were the social norm. It was the socially acceptable thing to do to; going to church. Through the early part of the 20th century religion was a staple of our society. Therefore, evangelism was over simplified to be thought of as what the preacher did. You came to church, you heard the preacher speak. The people got on with their lives and the pastors took care of the daily rigors of religion.
Following that path is deadly. The genuineness of our faith is lost if the only person we expect to see anything genuine out of is the person who stands behind the pulpit. A genuine person of faith has a message to share. People are looking at us everyday. They want to see something. Something truthful and honest. Paul's words are true as ever. They can't call on one they don't believe in. They can't believe in someone they have not heard of. They can't hear without someone preaching to them.
And, your preaching doesn't always have to be words. The simple choices that we make in front of others, especially those closest to us, preach words louder than a chorus of angels. That is work that everybody can take hold of.
More uncomfortableness can be found in the matter that people are not going to always like our actions. I say actions instead of words, because that is the emphasis found here in Matthew 5. Lets think about the word righteousness for a moment and let this passage sink in.
Matthew 5:10-12
New International Version (NIV)
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
We absolutely have to look at that word closer. Webster's stands at the ready.
Definition of RIGHTEOUS
— righ·teous·ly adverb
— righ·teous·ness noun
So, what is righteousness? The way we live our lives. For God. Not self-righteousness (the emphasis there would be on self.) It's not about us, as we mentioned last week. Look at the definition again. Now, put it within the framework of evangelism. Not just telling others about Christ, but the things we do to share the love of God with others. Could be as simple as handing out a hot dog. A bowl of mac n cheese to share the Love of God. Or, maybe a bit deeper. Our stance on the social issues of the day. Things we do to support those in need; the homeless or those caught in addiction. That can put us in a hard place with others who do not share the same sympathy.
But, let us take this passage straight to the heart. "...for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Why? Because of the message that they shared! Elijah would probably be our best example. The poor guy was doomed right from the start. His name means "My God is Yahweh". In the midst of a culture that was trying to find "god" is anything and everything, a prophet had the work of bringing people back to a center. To help people find their way back to God.
And, I know what you're thinking. "I'm not a prophet." Well, I don't necessarily think I am either. But, think about it this way. A prophet's work is to provide direction. "If you choose this path, this will happen. If you choose to go this way, these will be the consequences." What parent hasn't raised a child and tried to help show them the landscape ahead? Not a prophet, you say? Sometimes, a pastor has to provide that kind of direction to a congregation. To help the people to see where they need to go and how God wants to work in their midst. It isn't always met with raves reviews. Your children don't always give you thumbs up either.
Focusing all this back to Christ and evangelism, we have to stand firm in what believe regardless of what the world thinks. Already knowing that the world would not like the message, Jesus tells his followers these words recorded in Luke.
Luke 12:8-12
New International Version (NIV)
11 “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”
Public confession of Christ used to be a huge thing. Our altars lay bare now. People used to come and line them. To come and confess Christ in front of a congregation, to kneel and accept Him, the first move we make as a new Christian is to tell the world around us that we have ask him to enter our life.
It seems as if we have taken the wording "personal" Savior a bit to far. We keep our faith to ourselves. Our business is our business. Our faith is our faith. It's not for the sharing. Nobody else needs to know. Maybe there has been a bit to much sharing of dirty laundry. People think they need to share every single detail about what life was like before Christ entered. TV is no help. Stop by "The Jerry Springer Show" or "Maury" for a few seconds and you'll see why. We don't need a three ring circus revolving around our personal lives.
SO, we clam up. We keep it all inside. We focus on ourselves. We don't mingle with the outside world because it's too bad out there. But, lets get the central focus of this Luke passage here. It's going to happen. People are not going to like the message that Christ is the only way. "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14.6) We will have people wanting us to explain what we believe, to help them make sense of it all. In Gospel times, this was maybe very violent. Our country has many safeguards in place to protect ones religious beliefs, and yet, not everyone agrees or is tolerant.
There are moments where we have to stand up for what we believe. And, here is the comfort. We are not alone. "...for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say." The greatest fear and misconception about evangelism is that we will be on our own. We have to figure out what to say. We have to understand too much theology. We have to be like these guys on radio and TV, who speak well and always have the answers.
One of favorite examples is my old boss, Dave Hoover.
Dave owned an appliance and electronic store in the heart of my hometown. But, earlier in life, as they were getting the store on it's feet, Dave worked in a hard, factory environment. Tough nosed, mean spirited guys worked there. To make matters worse, Dave worked everyday along side a Jehovah's Witness man who loved to shove his beliefs on to Dave and raz him about his own Christian beliefs. One day as we delivered appliances to folks, he told me how dealt with this man.
All he did was simply tell him about accepting Christ as his Savior.
"I just told him that there was a day where I got down on my knees and I asked Christ to forgive me for my sins. That started a brand new life for me and I don't regret it one bit."
And, that was it. The JW fella walked away and never bothered Dave again.
Evangelism is uncomfortable. It's not easy and people won't always accept what it is we are sharing. It requires us to stand up for what we believe and even endure some persecution.
But, it's worth it. To see one person find the Lord. To hear words like, "Well done."
You are the vessel, the messenger. And, you're not alone.
"I will never leave you, nor forsake you."
"Don't be afraid."
"My peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you."
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself, a great man once said.
The only thing we need to do is trust the one who gave us the message in the first place.
And, pass it on.
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