I've had a recurring thought run through my head for the last three weeks since we attended Awaken 2008. Erwin McManus was talking about reaching the lost. He said, "I would rather piss off 1000 Christians in order to lead one person to Christ." I keep thinking about this brave comment. Having a broad perspective of the kingdom of God, and knowing that we are all called to go into the world and make disciples, (Matt. 28:19-20)I must say I have to agree with this statement.
Now, I'm not saying we should try to upset 1000 Christians, since we are all called to live peacefully with others, but if you had to choose between upsetting 1000 Christians, who are already going to heaven, and saving one person from an eternity in hell, which would you choose?
Are you such a people pleaser that you would choose the former choice? What if you were that one person? Wouldn't you rather someone stick their neck out for you, risk their reputation, so that you could live eternally in paradise?
Some of you might think this is radical faith. I hope this is the norm of attitudes. It's time we stop living safe in our cozy Christian worlds and step out to minister to the broken, the dirty, the unlovely, the diseased, and the poor.
If you watched ABC's Extreme Home Makeover last night, you saw a man who moved his family to a neighborhood called The War Zone. Gunshots every night were common place. Since they've been there, crime has decreased by 50%. They give away 3000 pounds of food a day. They give people a place to stay and and hand up. This family has a true heart for the lost. It was a great 2 hour episode. I recommend watching it to stir your heart.
So, the question today is, would you piss off 1000 Christians in order to lead one person to Christ?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment