THIS IS SERIOUS


Everyone is familiar with what is referred to as "The Great Commission" (Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 1:8)  and would even say they agree with it (at least in principle). Yet we are told that only one third of those who claim to be evangelical Christians have ever witnessed to anyone. I guess that is because we have hired someone down at the church whose job is to save the lost, and fear that if we try to witness we might get in an uncomfortable situation that God cannot get us out of.
 
As one who receives over a thousand emails a week, most immediately are deleted. Some I reply to. A few I save, or save facts from, for future reference. Once in awhile one really hits me, and not only makes me think about my shortcomings - but causes me to  pray for laborers in the harvest field.  Here is one that really got my attention:
 
THIS VERY DAY, among some 300 million Americans...
The number of people identified as "nonreligious" or having "no religion" will grow by 10,337.
The number of Mormons will grow by 1,787.
The number of Jews will grow by 1,063.
The number of Muslims will grow by 414.
The number of Buddhists will grow by 406.
The number of Hindus will grow by 288.
The number of Wicca followers will grow by 115.
But how many, this very same day, will decide to follow Jesus?
(From Missing in America, p. 9)
 
How will these people learn about Jesus?  Who will teach them His Word?  The news will not, the entertainment industry will not, the public schools will not! Only Christians will share the gospel with others.  There is a very big difference between agreeing with the Great Commission and applying it as our lifestyle. God is interested not only in our hearing His commands - but in our obedience to them - James 1:22-23, I John 2:17. This is serious. The eternal destiny of some depends on our obedience to telling them about Jesus. We seldom take large numbers personally but some in these categories are our relatives, friends, neighbors, classmates, or people where we work.

Our task, as believers in Jesus Christ, is not to save the world. Jesus did that.  Our job is to bring it to an awareness of who Jesus is, and when men and women come to that awareness they will do one of two things: They will either accept Him and be saved, or they will reject Him and continue in the lost condition in which the world continually exists.  World evangelism is the attempt to give every man an opportunity to make an intelligent choice of whether to receive or reject Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.

Into all the world did not mean each believer going somewhere else. If they all left someone would have to come there. Someone was also to evangelize Jerusalem, Galilee, and Samaria. We can be Christians who are not called to the heart of Africa, India, remote China, or the jungles of South America. We may be called to the business community, nursing homes, inner city, college students, neighborhood children, prisoners, factory or office workers. We have a mission field and need workers right here in America.

These are only figures for America. His command is for us to take His Word to the whole world. How obedient are we???  No one can do the job alone even in their immediate community. We must not try to do anything on our own strength - John 15:5.  But we must be obedient and present ourselves for His service.
 
John Pemberton first introduced Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Georgia. The pharmacist concocted a caramel-colored syrup in a three-legged brass kettle in his backyard. He first "distributed" Coca-Cola by carrying it in a jug down the street to Jacob's Pharmacy.
 
After little more than 100 years, surveys show that 97% of the world has heard of coca-cola. 72% of the world has seen a can of coca-cola. 51% of the world has tasted a can of coca-cola. All due to the fact that the company made a commitment years ago that every one on the planet would have a taste of their soft drink.
 
The point is not that Coke, MacDonald's or other companies are being greedy or trying to take over the market for their product. The point is that after 2,000 years the church has not placed the Bible into the hands of millions of people, and 97% of the world's population do not know about salvation through Jesus Christ. No one will spend eternity in hell because they have never had a Coke or a McDonald burger. People will spend eternity in hell because the church has failed to obey its Lord and this is serious!

 

By Ron