A Dying World

I was at a conference this past weekend for a local ministry. It was a training conference for student leaders from the local schools and I was invited to join them to get a better understanding of what their ministry was all about. Here is their purpose retrieved from their home page:

The EDGE is an on-campus evangelistic ministry of the local church, initiated and led by students.  The EDGE exists on a secondary school campus (middle schools & high schools) for the purpose of sharing the Gospel with every student on every campus.  Youth workers are crossing denominational lines and forming strategic youth ministry partnerships to more effectively support students as missionaries to their school.

For lack of a better word, this is awesome. Most of us can look at this and think that this is the goal of most ministries right, to spread the good news to all the world. However, few of us truly take the opportunity to evangelize (myself included) even to our closest friends. When I even hear the word evangelize, immediately I think of television or handing out pamphlets on the streets, you know something all those crazy people do. 

The closing speaker at the conference (I really wish I remembered his name, but let's call him John so I don't have to call him "that guy"), told a story that really knocked me down and I hope it at least makes you think about our role in the Kingdom.

John was a gifted soccer player and was given the opportunity to play for a team in Europe. The soccer team spent their time after every game at the local pubs regardless of what time of day it was, but John never went. The whole team knew he was a Christian and that was how he made his stand. One day he noticed one of his teammates hanging out in his room reading a Bible. John thought, great, another christian, but to his surprise the man was an atheist who thought he needed to know what he didn't believe. A couple weeks later, John is confronted by this man. The next part word for word as I remember but, he asked John if he believed that he was going to hell. John stepping up to be a brave Christian, said something like "Yes, I believe if you don't except Christ as your savior, you will go to hell." The man stood up and said to him "How dare you. If I knew the people around me were dying I would get down on my hands and knees and crawl over broken glass to make sure that they knew."John never spoke to one of his teammates about his faith, he didn't put himself in the atmospheres that challenged him.

I was in awe after hearing this story. During my sophomore year of college, a good friend and I started a Bible study, because we didn't feel we got into the scriptures enough and it was challenging. We realized at some point that we hadn't even shared our faith with our closest friends. We had no idea where their hearts were. Jesus says very clearly "...I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).

Without the love of Christ within us we are bound to death, because there is no freedom or forgiveness for our sins (Romans 6:23). The life that Jesus gives is eternal and full of grace (John 3:16). Previously I have written about our judgment towards people who think differently than we do and the divisions in the church but I think the issue of evangelism is much deeper. Most of us are afraid to offend someone with our faith. We keep it in our hearts and in our churches and we stay away from the pubs after the games so people will look at us and know we are Christians, but Christ didn't just live as an example to those around them. He met them where they were by building relationships with them. God reaches people in so many ways. He may initiate that relationship through a tract, a fire and brimstone sermon, a friendship, sharing a meal, a smile, or a multitude of other ways, but we must be aware of God's work in the world and how we can consistently be working to further the Kingdom.

There is a world out there that is dying because we are either too consumed by our own troubles or too afraid of what the other person will think instead of being concerned for someone else's life beyond this world. I know there are people in all of our lives that need ministered to and we have been afraid to do so. I write as one guilty of this myself, but take that step because the reward is eternal. If you have ever lost a friend or anyone who has died that you were close to, you know that feeling of emptiness and hurt when they are gone, so don't stand and watch the world around you die. You will be left wondering if there was something more you could have done or said. You may not even have to start the conversation right away. Pray for them diligently first. Ask God to open up their hearts, but do something. It's not enough to walk around with your head held high because you know where you will be on the day of Judgment. Bring your friends, acquaintances, enemies, and people you may only see once with you to worship the one true King.