Leaving 99 for 1!

 

Photo Credit Ernie Haase

In this blog domain, ‘liferedefined4god’, our constant emphasis is on the mission of the Church and individual.  The growing concern nowadays is that the focus of evangelism is becoming more a program and an activity inside the four walls of the Church. We focus so much on the Christian activity but less on Christ’s mandate given to us. Churches and individuals are becoming less effective when it comes to taking the gospel outside the four walls. People are not trained enough to provide a convincing defense of their faith to the world. Carey Nieuwhof puts it beautifully,  “Churches that become passionate about people outside their walls will be far more effective than churches that are passionate about keeping the few people they have inside their walls”. Christians and Churches tend to forget that all our activity should and must finally culminate to one activity i.e., to reach out to the people living outside our Christian circle and who have no clue about the gospel. We constantly display Christianity as a religion with a Church building, than pointing people to the cross.

By and large, the big questions in the Bible remains unanswered. Let us review few big questions that are of concern and desperation:

1. Isaiah 6:8 “..Who will I send? Who will go for us?

2. Matthew 9:37 – “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” (In other words, who shall go?)

3. Romans 10:14-15 “..And how shall they hear without a preacher?  And how shall they preach unless they are sent?”

These age-old questions are used mostly in mission conferences for various reasons, one of which is to primarily mobilize resources for mission work. Unfortunately, it is not the resources we need but for people to go. We as Christians are either too timid or inadequate to present the good news to the desperate world. The ones who consider the questions seriously either become a pastor or a missionary. The ones who do not want to respond or comment on the above questions assume the place for them is to be faithful member of the Church and give full attendance. As Pastors and leaders does this concern us? Or are we happy we have regular crowd that gives an identity to a Church. There is no place for anyone to remain idle. Whether it is your career or a mission, reaching out with the gospel is the only priority.

If heaven is waiting to rejoice over the one lost sinner, what are we focusing on?

Church, who is your priority 99 or 1? Technically we would want to manage the 99 effectively, especially when we know we have less control over the 1. The waywardness of the one person is too insignificant for us or it is hard to convince the person to change. We want to give the gospel in a new package to the same old 99 who have received it. In the parable of the lost sheep (Matthew 18:10-14), Jesus emphasizes so much on the one, because that one soul matters to Him. What matters to Him should technically matter to us. Let us not forget 99 will be safe with or without you. If the 99 is not safe, then it means he/she needs seriously reconsider the salvation experience. Everyone who made a commitment to follow Christ is promised with a comforter/ counsellor who will be with him/her forever (John 16:7-8). Even in 1 John 2: 27 says, “As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you. Instead, his anointing teaches you about all things and is true and not a lie.” Is our 99 a real comrade for your gospel work? What are we going to do with the 99? Can we focus on the 1 and sensitize also the 99 to focus on the 1?

Click here  You can follow on Twitter