Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Present the Gospel



In the US I have noticed a lot of what we preach tends to be like " Please please get saved, Jesus will fulfill your every need He's great" and so some are "coaxed" into an emotional decision to "accept christ".

Then 3-9 months down the road when trial and storm hit they say "where's Jesus to make my life all better" and Jesus says i didn't promise to make life all better but that I would never leave you. so that person gets discouraged, embittered, condemned, depressed, and eventually leaves the church that "no one obviously cares about me".

An alternative approach:
Take the ticket you get at the movies theatre, we loose, forget, decline to use the word Redeem. Redeem defined is 1 a : to buy back : REPURCHASE b : to get or win back
2 : to free from what distresses or harms: as a : to free from captivity by payment of ransom b : to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental c : to release from blame or debt : CLEAR d : to free from the consequences of sin.

in order to redeem something someone must pay the cost or penalty in order to take possession
There is a penalty or cost for Sin= God's Wrath and Judgement but Jesus paid the penalty for us by being perfect and not only dying but raising from the grave. So He gave up His life to gain a life with us His creation. Now when you "accept" the free gift available to you you are redeemed from the penalty of Sin. this means you now belong to Jesus because He redeemed you. You are not your own and you can not live your life how you want...

Presenting the Gospel is important how we do it, or rather what we include or not. Paul thought so when he says,
Gal 1:8 _But_ even if we or an angel out of heaven shall himself be proclaiming a gospel to you* besides [or, contrary to] what we proclaimed to you*, let him be accursed [Gr., anathema]!
and also
1Th 2:4 Rather, because we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, we speak as we do, not trying to please people but God, who tests our motives.

Sounds to me like it is important to include the motive in which one should "accept" Christ not only the necessity. We should just as much implore people to be moved as we should be honest and integral about our proclamation.
For what good did we do if someone 'accepts' Christ and has never truly repented of their sin? Haven't we created an empty tomb? a religious person who knows of but does not Know God?

Just thoughts...