For a better life and a better eternity
I’ve been a Christian for nearly 30 years. I’ve been working as an evangelist for over 20 of them. I confess that in the last month, I’ve realized I have had evangelism exactly backwards. I discovered this from one of the most well-known parables, which I’ve read over and over and over for years. Perhaps it is because it was so familiar to me that its real message was lost on me. Please, allow me to explain.
“You’re such a Pharisee!” he said with a sneer.
Why don’t we ever hear the same thing said about being a Sadducee? Why aren’t we worried about a Sadducaic influence the same way we are a Pharisaic one? I am increasingly afraid that we are so concerned about the leaven of all the potential Pharisees out there, that we are letting the leaven of all the potential Sadducees slip by unnoticed.
The more I’ve worked with addicts and dealt with my own sins, the more I’ve realized that most churches are falling short in a very important area–freedom from sin. Oh, don’t get me wrong. Most churches teach freedom from sin. Most command freedom from sin. But very few are helping people become free from sin. Most of them simply tell people to quit sinning and then slap them on the wrist when they catch them sinning again or belittle and shame them for doing so. What can we do about this?
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Have you ever read “The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom” written by Thomas Jefferson? Many believe it is the basis for the freedom of religion clause in our Constitution’s Bill of Rights. Amazingly, some have used this notion of freedom of religion to mean that none of us should actually talk about what we believe. Our modern pluralistic society asserts that the only real sin is to discuss, debate, or argue about any point of religion. Amazingly, if Jefferson were to hear that being fostered in the name of his Statute, I believe he would roll over in his grave.
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Okay we’ll try posting this again. Sorry for the misfire for everyone who already tried to look at this.
As someone commented on the YouTube page, it is a shame something this good is being used to market a marketing company. But then, perhaps they are a marketing company because they know how to come up with something this good.
I just couldn’t help but wonder if the way we spoke the Gospel might not change the way folks hear the gospel sometimes. What do you think? Click the following link to add your input: Post a comment.
For my e-mail and RSS subscribers, if you can’t see the video, click here.
I am certain you want to be involved somehow in saving souls. I know you want your congregation to grow because everyone is involved in that work. But if you’re like me, you’ve been hindered by a faulty model and a slight misunderstanding of Jesus’ teaching. I am convinced that if we can undergo a slight paradigm shift, we will get rid of the #1 hindrance to saving souls and pursue the #1 key to getting the job done.