I mean that thing is good; I wanna be friends with it.
One of my favorite verses, and most convicting, is Matthew 5:16, the context of which is the Sermon on the Mount where Christ explains to His followers that they are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, explaining that light should shine.In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.As I am teaching through The Sermon on the Mount with the youth Sunday school class at Providence Church, I've come across some helpful reading. One quote in particular is from a sermon on this verse by Richard Baxter, author of the superb book The Reformed Pastor.
Christ here intendeth that we must abound especially in those good works which the world is capable of knowing to be good, and not only in those which none but Christians themselves approve. If believers and unbelievers agreed in no common principles, we were not capable of preaching to unbelievers, nor convincing them, nor of conversing with them. (emphasis mine)The key point I want to highlight is his perception that these works/deeds in question are to be of the genre that even the non-Christian would recognize them as "good" when such deeds are performed.
-Richard Baxter, What Light Must Shine in Our Works?
Christians tend to think of "good deeds" as reading our Bibles or telling folks about Jesus or praying, all of which, of course, are good to do. However, those are not actions that have any intrinsic value in the mind of the non-Christian, for he/she does not have the spiritual ability to see them as such.
However, caring for the sick, feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, and visiting those in prison (for example) are actions which the world would recognize as good deeds. Of course, so would the Lord Jesus Himself.
What's the point of all this? Christians will get the attention of the world and channel praise to our Father in Heaven when the world sees us outdoing the non-Christians in good deeds. In other words, we must out-do the do-gooders.
There are, naturally, qualifiers like what constitutes a deed that is truly good, but we need not complicate matters to the point where we are not shining our light since there is an overlap between what God defines as good which is in the realm of what they can understand as good. To do so would mean that God is not glorified in, by, and through us.
Are Christians perceived as the most loving, the most joyful, the most peaceful, the most patient, the most kind, the most good, the most faithful, the most gentle, and the most self-controlled? They should be as they exhibit the Fruit of the Spirit.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. -Jesus in Matthew 5:16As folks see us as agents of God's grace in the communities in which we live, they will see the difference Christ makes. They will say of Christianity, "I mean that thing is good; I wanna be friends with it."
posted by GUNNY @ 02:47
5 comments
5 Comments:
This is the real gut-check question for the Church: Are Christians perceived as the most loving, the most joyful, the most peaceful, the most patient, the most kind, the most good, the most faithful, the most gentle, and the most self-controlled? Sadly, no. But, we may pray and act so that this is the case.
Gunny, you're so wise. You're like a miniature Buddha, covered in hair.
Amen. We've got to get beyond the idea that if you didn't preach a sermon or sing a hymn or share the gospel, then what you did is not Christian. We must be good Samaritans. We must be willing to stoop down and help the ones in need for the sake of displaying the glory of God's grace in Christ. God is glorified in the display of mercy and grace, even when the one helped does not come to faith, though we should pray ferevently that they do, and take every God-given opportunity to share.
In Dr. Pyne's Soteriology class we were cautioned not to pull a "bait and switch" on folks. Don't offer folks help with "no strings attached," lure them into a particular place and then bust out the Bible and sing Cum Ba Ya. That's deceptive. That's what Amway salesmen do. God is not dependent on our crafty sales ploys to convert souls. He simply wants us to love him, love one another, love our neighbors, and share the gospel with every creature. None of that can really be done through a "bait and switch model," because that kind of model is equivalent to lying. How is can lying be glorifying to God, when God hates it?
I'm all for sharing the Gospel fiercely, but tell people up front that's what you plan to do. Don't tell them "We're just going to let the kid's play ball," and then try and sneak a devotion in here and there. How would we feel if a Mormon or Muslim group was doing the same with our kids?
Don't tell them "We're just going to let the kid's play ball," and then try and sneak a devotion in here and there.
like Upward Basketball?
***gasp***
Upward? Come on now!
First, in defense of Upward- if people can't figure out that if they bring their kids to a CHURCH and let them play ball that the Bible isn't going to be thrown in, shame on them. I definitely wouldn't send my child to a mosque to play a sport or anything for that matter.
In some ways, I don't see it any different than feeding the homeless. You're still meeting a need (perceived or otherwise). Surely it's ok to feed someone who is hungry, truly hungry, and give them the gospel? ;)
***
Interesting, Spurgeon's Mornings and Evenings. On Sept. 5, the morning reading said, "let your goodness be the only fault they can discover in you". Let any occasion against me be in using the word of God against me. And Sept. 6th's reading had to do with being light too. ;)
And todays-
"If hunger for bread can break through stone walls, surely hunger for souls is not to be hindered in it's efforts...O Lord, make us quick to suggest methods of reaching thy poor sin- sick ones, and bold to carry them out at all hazards."
by grace,
a (and no, not the previous anonymous. ;) I was hoping no one would mention upward.) -who is cleaning her house to the glory of God.
I could see how some parents might feel that Upward pulled the bait & switch on them, but I don't think you could necessarily put Upward in the category of sneakiness.
Sure, they meet in a church, but in our area they meet at the Salvation Army and many folks probably don't realize that's a church.
But, it's not like Upward comes with the evangelistic stuff out of the blue, like a tAnk rolling over them out of the bushes.
A parent wanting to check it out could easily do so. From the Upward page linked by Anon: "Upward offers an evangelistic sports ministry specifically designed for kindergarten through sixth grade boys and girls that promotes salvation, character, and self-esteem in every child."
(Of course, it helps to understand the terms "evangelistic" and "promotes salvation," but many may not. Evangelistic may be as vague as ministry to the non-Church lingo savy person.)
I'll be the first to admit, there's probably enough lattitude in Upward's design that it could be done in a manipulative fashion or done in an upright manner.
But, even with Upward, they do spend the vast majority of the time playing ball. That clearly is the primary activity, with the spiritual being the garnish; though I'm sure those involved would tell you the roles are reversed with regard to their priorities.
The thing I wonder is if those in such activities would (unfairly, in my mind) criticize a church that had a gym and just let kids play basketball in there as they are blessing others with that which God has blessed them.
Is that still doing ministry, being salt & light? I think it is.
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