And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
In the Great Commission, Jesus told us to go “into all the world” and make disciples. The church in America has been eager to send missionaries overseas, but reluctant to view America as a mission field. Christians today need to see ourselves as missionaries to our own cities. And we need to work our mission field using the same methods a foreign missionary would use in a third world country.
What methods do foreign missionaries use? He learns to speak the native language. He lives among the native people and establishes relationships with them. In other words, he doesn’t spend all of his time socializing with other missionaries. He studies the spiritual beliefs in the country and learns to demonstrate the superiority of his Christian faith.
He doesn’t have many successes at first. In fact, he may work for months or years to win the first convert. But the missionary also realizes that he is not responsible for the results; he is only responsible for witnessing to the Truth. God is responsible for the results.
Turning on the light in our society requires a similar approach. We must be able to express ideas in terms the secular world can understand. We must understand the prevalent spiritual beliefs or lack of belief and show who Christianity is Truth.
As much as we enjoy Christian Fellowship, we cannot win the lost until we get out among the sinners. We need to form relationships with unbelievers. Remember that the critics of Jesus attacked him for “eating with sinners.” Jesus is our example! He was a beacon of light to those whose lives were stumbling in darkness.
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