Through the media and over the airwaves we often hear angry Christian leaders ranting and raving while pointing their fingers at us and saying that the moral decay of our nation is our fault because we have not become angry enough to do something about it. If you have been upset and swayed by such, please allow me to use this note as equal time to make an effort to communicate where I believe perhaps more of the truth on this matter lies.
If we are a majority rule nation, i. e. the party or person who gets the most votes wins, then it stands to reason that the answer to our democratic dilemma is in seeing the majority of our fellow citizens become fully devoted followers of Jesus. Do the math; more Christians will produce more Christians voting. (This is not a hard concept nor is it a new one).
In spite of what modern Evangelicals want to believe, it is obvious that the majority of our fellow citizens are not true disciples of the Lord Jesus. I know this can be hard to swallow but those who do not realize this point, risk living in denial and time wasting frustration. The sooner we see this fact, the sooner we can change our ways. (Maybe some of our Evangelical anger is due - in part - to our being disillusioned by misleading polls* and/or perhaps an over confident political effort called the Moral Majority).
I suggest that if the moral decline in America and her policies are the fault of local churches, it is not because we aren’t angry enough but simply because we are not evangelistic enough. By our not being evangelistic enough, I am not talking about needing to do more outreach efforts that produce little fruit; like sidewalk confrontations with strangers, high pressure sales pitches and massive crusades.
We must unite and discover who is being most effective in evangelism - while humbling ourselves enough - to learn from them and becoming willing enough to change any and all unbiblical traditions that are in the way of true New Testament evangelism, which also must always include discipleship.
Speaking of *polls; some statisticians are saying that 71% of today’s converts had a relationship with a caring Christian friend which was the single most important factor in their conversion, (outside the role of our sovereign saving God of course). They go on to say that 86% of today’s converts came to saving faith over a process of time. If this is true, then we have work to do and time to spend getting busy.
May God help us to repent and change our ways! No more wallowing, whining and finger pointing; let’s get started today and do something about America ourselves by forming genuine friendships with some unbelievers.
SURVEY: Name 5 unbelievers with whom you have a genuine friendship with.
1. ______________________________
2. ______________________________
3. ______________________________
4. ______________________________
5. ______________________________
Pray and strategize – with other believers - about how to minister to these dear friends as well as how to increase their numbers.
1 CORINTHIANS 9:19-22
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
