The ads say, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!" Unfortunately, the church seems to have taken the same approach.
Inside the walls of the church building people talk freely about the Lord. They give testimonies and ascribe His majesty. The benediction is given, they file out to join the rest of the world and become silent about the works of God.
Are they ashamed of God? That certainly carries an indictment. Jesus said if we are ashamed of Him, He will be ashamed of us.
Are they afraid of what they should say? Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would give us the words to say.
Do they think that a faith in the Lord will be seen as weird? No, the Bible tells us that the gospel is foolishness. It's more than weird to the outside world.
Are they afraid they will not live up to the expectation of what the world thinks of a Christian? That is probably the most legitimate excuse. There are so many public Christians who are cheating on their wives, embezzling their companies funds and living despicable lives that silence may be the best testimony they can give. Did they think that the Christian life was only to be lived inside the church buildings?
No, true faith is a revelation from God to the individual. A testimony is the story of God coming to the individual to develop a relationship with Him. It is an developing relationship. It should progress to a greater intimacy, knowledge and devotion in the Christian's life. It should make the testimony dynamic so that the Christian doesn't only tell a testimony of when they came to know Christ for the first time but what the Lord is currently doing and revealing to him.
I believe that most Christians are silent because there is nothing going on in their lives to tell. They go to church but they are not growing spiritually. They know Jesus is the savior but they do not talk with Him daily nor do they see the events in their lives as His opportunity to connect with them. So, what happens in church stays in church because that's all that is happening.
Christians' own efforts to grow in the Lord must escape the boundaries of the church buildings. They must see Him daily; not just on Sundays in church. They must speak to Him, read His word and listen to what He says. They must see the events of life in a larger perspective. God is working all the time around them. They must see Him working and it must become part of their testimony. They must grow in Him so that they have something to tell the outside world.
What happens in church must get outside the church if the church is to be the church.
Do you have something to say to the world?
No comments:
Post a Comment