by John Grant
“So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.” Luke 9:6
We had an election recently, an important one… one where voters selected from among candidates for Governor, Senators and a host of other offices right down to the local board that oversees our school system. The voter turnout was as low as fourteen percent in some counties and just above twenty percent statewide.
Now, let’s work the math. First, consider that only about half of the adult population is registered to vote, so if only one in five registered voters turns out, that represents one in ten of those who could vote if they bothered to register and vote and since half of those voting plus one vote can decide any election, that means that a scant five percent of the people can decide any election. How much more complacent can we become about our opportunity to influence the direction of our nation?
But, let’s transition from elections to Christian evangelism and the figures only get worse. A recent study determined that ninety seven percent of professing Christians never share their faith! Why is it that only Mormons and Jehovah’s witnesses come to your door? Why don’t Christians?
In fact, according to the Barna Research Group, only fifty five percent of born-again Christians even believe it is their responsibility to even share their faith at all, much less do it.
How can we question our responsibility to share Christ? If we believe what we say we believe–namely, that Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him–and if we truly believe there is a heaven and a hell, and that there is no such place as purgatory, then we can’t go on ignoring the spiritual condition of the people around us!
Imagine seeing a group of firefighters polishing their engine outside a burning building with people trapped on the top floor! Nothing is wrong with cleaning a fire engine—but something is wrong with cleaning a fire engine while people are trapped in a burning building! Instead of ignoring their cries, the firefighters should have an overwhelming sense of urgency to rescue them. That’s the spirit that should be behind the task of evangelism.
The world is on fire and people are trapped in sin and dying. Do you have a compelling desire to rescue them or will you sit in a comfortable pew and polish your pretty Bible? (a thought on life from John Grant )
You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughtsaboutgod.com/blog/2010/09/19/jg_care-enough/
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney
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