“Go and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”
~ Jesus ~
These were the marching orders—the “great commission”—for Jesus’ followers as they took up his mission of healing and wholeness. This was to be the central characteristic of Jesus’ church, the overarching mission by which all future plans, directions, ideas, and visions were to be measured. Of course, entire books and collections of books have been written about the church and what it means to be the church. But at the heart of it all is a simple message: “Go and make disciples…”
“Making disciples” means helping all people
grow in a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ. For some people, this
will mean going deeper in their existing relationship. (I’ll come back to that
in a few weeks when we look at our fifth mark of the church, “Growing.”) For
most people, though, it starts with “Reaching.”
But what does this mean? What does it look
like? Why is it so difficult? I want to approach these questions by suggesting
five reasons we aren’t “reaching” out to the people around us.
1. We
Don’t Know How
I think this has to be the number one
reason people give as to why they aren’t reaching out to people: “But I don’t
know how!” This response assumes there’s a special way we reach out to people,
something for which we aren’t skilled or knowledgeable enough.
But “reaching” starts with simply making
connections with people outside the church. Jesus was interested in people,
which led him to love and serve them. That’s what would open them to hearing the
truth about God, which Jesus always shared. As one of Jesus’ closest friends,
Peter, would later write, “Always be ready to give an answer for the hope that
is within you, but do so with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3.15). Notice
that this assumes an existing relationship. “Reaching” grows out of the soil of
relationship.
Okay, so “reaching” means connecting with
people, which is something we all do already. Pretty easy so far! But it also
means purposefully drawing them closer to Jesus. I’m not going to try to give a
lesson here today. And besides, I’m probably as much in need of the lesson as
you are. But here are a few books and other resources I’ve come across that I’ve
found helpful.
Books that help us understand and begin to practice “reaching” out:
·
Evangelism Without Additives, by Jim Henderson.
·
More Ready Than You Realize, by Brian McLaren.
·
Evangelism for Normal People, by John Bowen.
Videos available on the web to watch with or suggest to your seeking
friends:
·
Alpha
·
My Hope
Don’t know how? That’s okay. But we can learn.
2.
We’re Not Seeing, Or Looking For, God at Work in Our Day to Day Lives
We mustn’t only look at the commission of
Matthew 28.19 and miss the promise of the following verse: “And surely I am
with you always.” Jesus has promised to be with us in every moment, every
circumstance or our lives. He doesn’t just show up at church, or when we pray,
or read our Bibles. He gives the Holy Spirit to every disciple, everyone whose
trust is in him (John 14.15-21).
So why aren’t we seeing and experiencing
his presence with us? Why aren’t we seeing opportunities to speak about our faith?
To—gently and with respect—point to the reality of Jesus’ loving presence in
our lives? Is it because Jesus is not present? No. We can trust his promise. So
maybe it’s because we aren’t seeing him. Maybe it’s because we aren’t in the
habit of looking for him in all our relationships and circumstances. Jesus may
be with us, but we also need to be with him.
3.
We’re Not Praying For Opportunities to Share
More than anything else, this is what will
open our eyes to the chances we have to “reach” out. If we aren’t seeing God at
work, we can ask Him to show us. For some, this will mean a daily practice of private
prayer. For some, this will mean a greater mindfulness and prayerfulness as
they go about their daily lives. But it can also be both! Regular times of
personal prayer can help us be more mindful and prayerful throughout the day.
It isn’t simply something to do in the morning and then forget about. No, pray
that God will show you where He’s at work as you go through your day. And then don’t
forget to pay attention! I believe
that this is a prayer God loves to answer.
4.
We’re Too Busy
Believe me, I can relate to this one. By
the time I get home from work, take the kids to their games/practices, try to
keep up with work around the house, have dinner with the family, etc., I’m
ready to just watch a show and then fall into bed. It’s not easy. I get that.
But I’m not necessarily talking about including
a new item in your daily agenda (although that may sometimes happen). Rather, I’m
talking about including God in every item already in your agenda. Ask Him to be
in it all and then, once again, pay
attention to what He’s already doing.
And besides, isn’t it true that we’ll find time
for the things we think are important? Well, this is at the heart of God’s
mission for the church, which is you and me. It’s important.
5.
We’ve Lost Sight of the Need
I think this, more than anything else, is
at the heart of the church’s trouble with “reaching” out. We forget that all
our wonderful neighbours, family members, school friends, teammates, and co-workers
desperately need Jesus. It might not look like it on the surface, and they might
not feel it, but that doesn’t make it any less true.
“For God so loved the world that he gave
his only Son…” That’s the good news, the very heart of the Gospel. “Yes, Jesus
loves me – the Bible tells me so.” And he did what loves does à he gave himself for us.
But the Gospel also calls for a response: “…that
whoever believes [trusts] in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John
3.16). Life, true life, is found only in Jesus Christ. Everything, and
everyone, else is “perishing”.
What do you think? Are there other reasons
we aren’t “reaching” out? Are there other resources you’ve found helpful? Please join the discussion.
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