Friday, July 17, 2009

Why We're Here

I had a very meaningful talk with my dad the other night about something that has been troubling me for quite a while. To preface what is to come, please allow me to start by saying (don't you love how I start backpedaling before I ever say anything at all? lol) that I am soundly convinced of the validity and truth of reformed doctrine and practice concerning worship and theology, but I have noticed an interesting trend in the reformed church of late that bothers me greatly. I have noticed that we seem to be for the most part a comfortable small body of intellectuals with lots of head knowledge about Scripture and theology, who come week to week to get our fill of edification from the pastor then come back the next week ready to repeat the process. This in and of itself is not a problem so long as we remember that knowledge for its own sake saves no one, but rather what I do find troubling is the "comfortable" aspect.

This past year I have had the blessing of working with several brothers and sisters from different parts of the Kingdom than my own. This has been a wonderful experience from which I have learned a lot. One such thing that I have learned is that our co-laborers from other camps (particularly the pentecostal church) have a zeal that is simply not seen in our own body to a large extent. Let me tell you, those guys can recruit!

And that's where my dad and I's conversation comes in to play, because you see brothers and sisters I have also taken notice of how richly God seems to be blessing other parts of the Kingdom, while our little RP district remains as it always has and nobody really seems to desire or really expect that to change.

I would like to encourage us as a body to resist the temptation to adopt a "what will be, will be" outlook on evangelism despite our views on predestination and election. We have been incredibly blessed with men whom God has seen fit to raise up to shepherd us with the truth of His Word yet we do little to invite others in. If indeed we have been given so great a gift, should we not desire to share it with all that we encounter? Let us remember how short a time we have been given in which to do much work and then let us set to that work with joyful hearts as stewards of the time we have!

I would even go so far as to ask you to share an account of somebody that you have witnessed to this very week be it outspoken or subtle. Please encourege your weaker brother (me!) with news of the spread of the Gospel to a dying and thirsty world and give me hope that we have not forgotten our comission!

1 comment:

Laura said...

Good food for thought. In my own little, personal bubble, it is so easy to focus on my own life and responsibilities. Outreach is difficult and requires work. Your post is challenging.

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