SUCCESSFUL EVANGELISM: ON COMMON GROUND
Successful evangelism: On Common Ground
People ask why I serve as a Kairos team member. Here's one answer to that question.
One of my takes on this verse from the New Testament Book of Acts:
"I consider my life of no value to me; my only purpose is to finish my own course and complete the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace."
Acts 20:24
Religious people tend to view church growth, and whatever evangelism missions they are participating in, as progressing from one victory to another victory. I mean to say they measure the victories and try to forget about the failures. But when it comes to being a Christian I believe it should be measured differently. For the apostle Paul and for the church throughout the ages, it has always been about finding a victory in the midst of failures, hardships, persecutions, and defeats. In Kairos we face all these things as a team, and we face pagans, witchcraft, gangs, Islam, and every sort of false Christ's. And we face these things with grace.
Friends,
A mark of spiritual growth is knowing that we all have a long way to go in this faith race. It's an endurance race. It's not a sprint. Longsuffering discipline, staying focused and keeping our armor of light fueled up, helps us to build up structures that will enable us to experience and participate in sanctification. Especially in this age where unstructured undisciplined behavior in the culture exposes the churches to poor spiritual eyesight.
If our riverbank runs counter to the prevailing culture, we can be sure it's Christ's River of Life. So we resist seducing spirits and doctrines of demons for a reason. To protect the gospel message of God's grace from being bastardized by the cultural norms of the age. We are not ministers selling clouds of lofty notions and expressions, or nice speculations, we are conscientious witnesses to the very real and living truth of Christ's work in our lives. We share Christ's divine light. We do the work he has set before us. We obey the message he gave us. We are saved by faith. We obey because we are saved. We keep his commands because we are saved. We are more than forgiven, we are employed by Christ to live according to his commands and follow him. Faith is the means by which believers come to God and put their trust in Him for salvation. We come to God. We put our trust in Him. And we obey Him.
And we do this because he told us we should.
“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Revelation 22:14
I'll see you all in The City of God.
I hope.
I pray I'll see you all.
If you finish your race, come to the tree of life and look for me, I'll be there leaning back against the tree, fishing in the river.
But meanwhile we fish for men, together, we do the things Christ commanded of us. We minister his lambs. We teach them about his grace and forgiveness as one spirit, unified in Christ's authority. One mind, one Spirit, one Jesus.
God bless you all and may God's peace be with you.
Amen