Evangelism, Part 2

Evangelism, Part 2
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” - Matthew 5:14

I know. You thought (hoped) I wouldn’t mention “the E word” again. Sorry, but it cannot be helped. You see, not only are we doing this book in Sunday school, but the fact is that without evangelism, the Church is not the Church. I mean, building the Church, making disciples, raising disciples, teaching and proclaiming and all of that is what we are here for. If we aren’t doing that, then we’re really not doing anything worth doing. Without leading people to Christ and teaching them all that that means, everything else is pretty pointless.
 
I saw a most disheartening video online a while back. This guy who says he is a Christian was going on and on, ranting about how pastors have a responsibility not to let non-Christians into the church. Yep. You read that right. In his somewhat warped point of view, the church and worship are for Christians. Somewhere (I have no idea where—certainly not the Scriptures) this man has gotten the idea that worship is supposed to be “safe” and “comfortable” for believers, and it isn’t when there are people there that aren’t Christians.
 
Ummmm….What??
 
Now, I am the first one to say that what goes on inside the Church should not be the same as what goes on outside the Church. Jesus loves us right where we are, wherever that may be, but He doesn’t leave us there. So I’m not suggesting that we should affirm sinful behavior in the Church. But loving and affirming are not the same thing. The notion that they are the same thing has pulled a whole lot of churches off the rails. But if we don’t invite unbelievers to church, where will they hear the gospel? Christ himself said he came to seek and save the lost, right? That whole thing about healthy people not needing a doctor, and all of that. Yeah. I have no idea what Bible that guy has been reading, but I think somebody tore out a few pages or something. His notion is just…weird.
 
A few years ago, we did a Professional Development event at my school. The leader was a guy who specialized in the development of adolescents—how their brains work (or sometimes don’t), what makes them tick, that sort of thing. And do you know what research has shown is the number one marker for good mental health and later success in teenagers? Wait for it…It’s…hope. Yep, that’s right. Not high test scores, athletic prowess, good self-esteem, or any of the other things you might think. It’s hope. Plain and simple. And we as believers have that to offer, don’t we? The greatest hope there is, is in Jesus Christ. Why would we not share that?
 
I can tell you from experience that the two newest generations, whom we call Gen Z and Gen Alpha, are desperate. They have grown up in a world that was first airbrushed, then CGI-created, and now AI-generated. They literally have no way of knowing, sometimes, what is and is not real. They are starving for anything that is genuine and authentic. They want true. They want real. They want hope in an ever-more-dystopian world.
 
We baby boomers remember when a lot of the things we now have—cellphones, laptop computers, microwaves, electric cars—were just the future that we imagined. It was exciting and bright and full of promise. A future so bright, we had to wear shades, as they say. We live in that time now. What used to be a far-away and imaginary future is here now; and yet our young people are more depressed and anxious than ever. This is largely a result of the very technology that seemed so wonderful and impossible sixty years ago. So let’s offer them the real that they so very much need. Instead of making fun of them because they can’t identify an old-fashioned ice tray and have no clue about a rotary phone, let’s listen to them. Because if we will listen to them, they will listen to us. And then we can give them what they need more than anything.
 
Sure and certain hope.
 
Peace.
Jackie