“Do something for the Lord”

 

Anytime when Christians are not living up to the standard of God’s expectations, they end up living with cheap alternatives. Religiosity will overtake and have full control of them. Today, Christians are part of Church institutions where mere visits and offerings are felt like a great service to God (Luke 18:12). And in addition, when they happen to be huge financial contributors for the Church, then the Church sees them as a great resource and a pillar of the Church. Most of the decisions of the Church are taken only with their approval. The church looks at them as a faithful dignified member of the congregation.

We are in a time, with no scarcity for counterfeits, superficialities and dilutions. Christendom is overflowing with it. Unfortunately, Churches fail to clear the heresies and mess. Week after week, sermons are delivered from the pulpit customized to suit and entertain people’s ears, and eventually lull them to Christ’s mission in all sense. Do you know what people are hearing too often? “Do something for the Lord.”. I am hearing it, since ages. The moment people are given a choice to do something for the Lord, they end up doing nothing or do whatever “they” feel like and call it service to the Lord. And most of the time this “something”, happens to be a church program that satisfies all.

Why do people downplay the Great Commission and the substitute Great Commandment (Matt 28:19; Acts 1:8)?  Was Jesus ambiguous in His Mission and in His Commission? Not at all!  It is the Churches and Christian leaders constantly in the limelight who are using the Great Commission to their benefit. And how are they successful? They just have to convince people that they are reaching the nation on their behalf and that they have to be part of the mission by committing to give offering and be relaxed from their responsibilities. And then to spiritualize it,  they are asked to pray along with paying.  A tele-evangelist, probably a millionaire, was pleading for money saying, “Your support helps us to go to the end of the world with the gospel.”.  In fact you would get to hear this from many who are in the forefront. It is possible that they are actually reaching out in big numbers, but they fail to engage the lay person towards the unfulfilled mission.

In many cases the Churches, Christian leaders and celebrities are freeing people of all the crucial mission responsibilities. The failure to the obedience to the Great Commission is because Churches in most cases have robbed the congregation members of Christ mission and purpose, and substituted with an alternative. Hardly a lay Christian has an audacity to share the gospel today. The need to present the gospel is never demanding and rarely compelling. People have no clue how to present it.

Christians are coaxed into thinking their attendance and positions in the Church by themselves are the fulfillment to Christ’s Mission. Paul in the book of Romans declares, “But not all obeyed the gospel”. Romans 10:16. And in verse 15 of the same chapter questions, “And how can they preach unless they are sent?”.  Yes, it is so true that most of the Christians are not sensitized enough or educated enough to lead a person to Christ. The other problem is most of them are never sent. I don't mean to tell you to send all people to some towns and villages but at least be informed enough to share the gospel to people under their influence. They forget that their workplace and other regular area of engagement in their daily life is a mission field. Sadly, they are misled into thinking that supporting a place 1,000 or more kilometers away from their home is a mission field.

There are no alternatives to the Great Commission. Every single person who finds Christ is commissioned to be a witness to the gospel,  preach the gospel and make disciples. Therefore, doing something for the Lord doesn’t directly or indirectly lead a person to Christ. It is a false mission. There are no ambiguities in the gospel and in the Great Commission whatsoever. Both the clergy and the laity, in other words pastors and lay people need to get this right. Can we commit our obedience to reach out?  Church, can you start sending or releasing your people for the sake of the gospel. Let's not forget, everywhere we turn we encounter people without Christ, especially in a country like ours. Therefore, our doing “something” cannot save a soul from eternal fire, but our clear message of the good news, will.

 

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