We continued our discussion about evangelism this month. During the first month of conversation, I have started to hear different ideas and worries bubble up from this series. It was truly a blessing for me to be able to hear real stories from Sonya and Jacob and from Ser Darji - about the work they do to tell people about Jesus.
If we love Jesus, then it should be a joy to talk about him. My greatest hope for this series is that during this time we can identify the things that stop us from sharing about Jesus and once we see them, we can get them out of the way. I have said in my sermons that much of what stops us from sharing about Jesus is bad theology. We have been given ideas and concepts about God that don’t match our experience of God in our lives.
Often times we have been told by pastors and elders of the church about what we “must” say about Jesus, but many of these things aren’t even in the Bible. We have taken one verse here, and one verse there - and stitched it all together into a God that is ready to punish all of creation just because they haven’t said the right words.
The church has done great harm, and has made “evangelism” a bad word for many of us. The church has often gone out into the world and dumped shame and inadequacy on people walking by. But, the work of the church, the evangelism we see in the Gospels and in Acts and even in Paul’s letters is one of invitation into the Kingdom of God. Paul assumes that no one on Earth has been left without witness (Acts 14), and in light of that assumes that God loves all people. God has opened wide the doors to Christ, and told us to go spread the word.
Jesus loves us, and he loves you too. No buts. No exceptions. God loves you, right now. You don’t have to do anything, in fact you can’t do anything, to make God love you any more.
Let us proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Come with me as we bring the joy back to sharing Good News.
- Bob Brown, pastor
If we love Jesus, then it should be a joy to talk about him. My greatest hope for this series is that during this time we can identify the things that stop us from sharing about Jesus and once we see them, we can get them out of the way. I have said in my sermons that much of what stops us from sharing about Jesus is bad theology. We have been given ideas and concepts about God that don’t match our experience of God in our lives.
Often times we have been told by pastors and elders of the church about what we “must” say about Jesus, but many of these things aren’t even in the Bible. We have taken one verse here, and one verse there - and stitched it all together into a God that is ready to punish all of creation just because they haven’t said the right words.
The church has done great harm, and has made “evangelism” a bad word for many of us. The church has often gone out into the world and dumped shame and inadequacy on people walking by. But, the work of the church, the evangelism we see in the Gospels and in Acts and even in Paul’s letters is one of invitation into the Kingdom of God. Paul assumes that no one on Earth has been left without witness (Acts 14), and in light of that assumes that God loves all people. God has opened wide the doors to Christ, and told us to go spread the word.
Jesus loves us, and he loves you too. No buts. No exceptions. God loves you, right now. You don’t have to do anything, in fact you can’t do anything, to make God love you any more.
Let us proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Come with me as we bring the joy back to sharing Good News.
- Bob Brown, pastor
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