Word of Encouragement – Word of Challenge

The Problem
Wow! What is going on in the world right now is, literally, breathtaking. Immediately, all of the current political scandals come to mind (NSA, Fast and Furious, Benghazi, IRS, Obamacare, spying on world leaders, foreign policy debacles). But that is only the tip of the iceberg. In fact, these are only symptoms of the real problem that we face. The real problem is a spiritual issue that begins in the core of every individual then spreads out to affect the operation of society as a whole. It is evident in so many things:

– in the gross sexual immorality which is now part and parcel of the culture (pornography, adultery, sleeping around, people living together outside of marriage, homosexuality, polygamy, polyamory, wide acceptance of sexual immorality on TV and in the movies).

– in the mass murder of babies in the womb (well over 1 billion abortions worldwide since 1980, and almost 57 million in the U.S. alone since Roe vs. Wade was decided [with nearly 1 million already this year]).

– in the breakdown of the family (divorce has been normalized, the number of single parent homes is epidemic, the legalization of homosexual marriage).

– in the loss of individual liberty (attacks on expressions of faith in the public square, attacks on individual businesses which insist on conducting business according to their religious beliefs, attacks on military personnel who speak out about their religious faith).

– in the acceptance of damaging behavior (doctor assisted suicide, legalization of drug use, wide abuse of alcohol)

And the list could go on. I don’t know about you, but the more these things happen the more disturbed I get.

I have been thinking a lot lately about the direction of our nation and what I can do to make a difference. And frankly, the problem seems so overwhelming that it is tempting just to throw up my hands and give up. Why don’t I go out and get myself a regular job, accumulate what money I can, and just make my life as comfortable as possible as I live it out? Seriously, that would be the easier thing to do.

But as truly tempting as that thought is, I just can’t do it. Even if it means continuing to sacrifice financially while facing rejection and even hatred, I can’t do it! Following God and his leading in my life is more important to me than all of the material comforts. For some reason, he has called me to be on the front lines and I feel compelled to fight on.

The Solution
And if you are a Christian, this is what he has called you to, as well. The work of your particular calling is, no doubt, different than mine. That said, your God given goal is the same as mine – to bring Christ to a very lost world.

Here are the truths you need to know (and I won’t sugar coat it):

– No matter how bad things are now, God wins in the end. If you are on his team, the final outcome will be victory.

– God loves every one of the people who are wallowing in all of the sinful practices mentioned above, and is already working in their hearts to win them over to his side. To do that, he has specifically called on ALL of his team members (all Christians) to get out into the world and share the good news of Jesus Christ.

– Doing this work means slogging into the gutter and getting our hands and feet dirty. We will be reviled, spit on, cursed, hated and persecuted. It happened to Jesus himself when he did it. How could we think it would be any different for us? While in many ways this may not be enjoyable, it is the work of God and what we are called to. We have to change our attitude from one which wants to keep ourselves at arms length from the sinful mess, to one where we willingly wade into it in order to drag people out. We must go into the political arena, the ghettos, the prisons, the houses of ill repute, the street corners, the gambling dens, the abortion clinics, the halls of government, the school board meetings, and every other place where anti-god beliefs are being promoted, in order to take in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Without a willingness to storm the gates of hell, we will never be a successful or faithful follower of Jesus Christ.

– Effective interaction with the world means we have to become capable disciples. This means, first of all, walking the walk. We have to make sure our personal relationship with God is where it needs to be. Next, it means putting out the effort to learn the things which make us effective in sharing the gospel. It involves gaining specific knowledge and skills. Christians are supposed to be disciples of Jesus Christ, and a disciple is one who learns from the master in order to become like the master.

So what do we need to learn? Specifically, we need to master the gospel message and how to share it. We need to learn the principles of worldview in order to understand and effectively communicate with those we wish to reach. We need to learn the knowledge which allows us to penetrate the specific areas of the world God has called us to enter. And we need to learn the skills necessary to effectively express the gospel to the lost in the specific places we have been sent.

The Challenge
Sadly, most Christians (literally) do not see the work of God in the world to be their responsibility. As such, they sit in the bleachers watching what is going on as mere bystanders. This is not what we are called to do, and all who are doing that are breaking God’s heart. It is time to redouble our commitment to Christ and get out into the gutter where the fight is. It is dirty. It is smelly. It is downright unpleasant in many ways. But that is where the lost are who are creating all of the havoc in the culture.

What would happen if the millions of Christians who are sitting in the bleachers would suddenly get into the game? I’ll tell you what would happen. There would be a massive turn in the direction of the nation as the gutter got cleaned out. Of course, not everyone is willing to be rescued, but the number who would be rescued would be so massive that it would literally change the direction of the nation.

So, what about you? Are you equipped to get into the game? Do you have the will to get your hands and feet dirty for the sake of the gospel of Christ? If so, the only thing left is to get off of your duff and get going. I promise, God will use you in a mighty way.

How We Can Help
MarketFaith Ministries has some fantastic resources to help you on your path, and we want to help you in every way we can to become effective in your calling.

– There are tons of articles, videos, podcasts and other free resources that you can read right on the website (www.marketfaith.org) or download to your own computer.

– There is a certification course you can take.

– There are numerous books and audio products available for sale.

– Tal and I are available to come to your church or Christian organization to do live, in-person training.

You can contact us directly by phone (850-383-9756), through the website (www.marketfaith.org), or by e-mail (info@marketfaith.org) to discuss the possibilities. We want to see you in the game. We want to see you succeed. We are excited to be your teammates on God’s team as we serve him out in the lost world.