The Greatest Need in the world right now
As we look on the confusion,
distress, rising violence, and desperate needs of our twenty first century, it
may be difficult to know where quite to start in trying to find answers.
However, the call of Jesus Christ
rings out across the centuries, telling us to follow him, and he will make us
fishers of men: he will teach us to catch men alive for his kingdom.
If ever there was a time for
evangelism, it is now!
The early church had none of the technological
inventions and wizardry that we are afforded today, neither did they have the means
of travel or communication that we take for granted from morning and through the night. However, simply by word of mouth,
through child-like testimonies and a primitive form of evangelism, passionate
people achieved rapid, far-reaching, and unparalleled results that shook
Paganism to its foundations.
The gospel flew from lip to lip from new believers who did not even have a New Testament, let alone a Bible. They just talked about what Jesus meant to them. It was a gossiping of the good news, a story-telling of their encounter with a risen Christ, who having not seen, yet they loved, and rejoiced with joy unspeakable!
Within a century they
had turned the world upside-down.
These were not apostles or
preachers, neither were they Bible college students. They just somewhat imperfectly, and actually quite unprofessionally, spread the wonderful message that had set their souls on
fire. They never knew doctrine nor theology, but they did know Jesus.
And I guess that is what makes the
big difference between the church of then, and the church of now.
We build nice meeting halls and
churches, try to lure people inside through whatever we think may attract them,
and then think of even more ways to keep them there. After a few years, (if perhaps
they are still with us), we may get them into some sort of evangelism school,
or a three year course to make sure they are good enough to participate in some
Bible study or ‘worship’ group.
But when did any of them ever
lead a soul to Christ, or go out and become a fisher of men?
We would sooner spend all the
money and energy on the sound system, the carpets, the comfortable seating and
dimmed lighting to make things attractive, rather than infuse people with a
passion and urgency to go catch some fish from the turbulent and dreadful ocean
of lost humanity.
If every believer here in England
were to win one soul to Christ every two months for the next year, there would
not be room in all of our church buildings to contain the catch. The population
would be impacted by a new generation of believers who themselves would turn
things around and stamp the kingdom of God on a perverted and prodigal nation
that forgot God.
But only passionate people really
care anything about the perishing people.
A sterile church is as useless as
a car with no wheels and no engine. It is not moving, and it cannot go
anywhere. It may be polished and look very futuristic; it may have nice seats and
a good radio, but it is just a show and a place for the gang to hang out and
drink coffee.
Passion is the engine, and
love-for-souls are the wheels that make the church fit for purpose. If those are
missing, then it is nothing more than an edifice, another building on the side
of the street.
It is the gospel, the preaching of
the cross, that changes lives: not the architecture, nor the band, neither the
best looking auditorium; and not even the smooth-talking preacher on the
platform.
Pilgrim Warrior 2022
