I am reading a great book right now, written by Michael Horton, called Christless Christianity.

     One of the subjects that Horton addresses is the notion of the modern evangelical churches using the line from Francis of Assisi, “preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words”.  Horton specifically describes emergent leaders like Dan Kimball and evangelicals like Joel Osteen who continue with this thought, saying “our lives will preach better than anything we can say”.  Which Horton says is very bad news to us in the church.  This is because it has been shown that statistically, the people who attend church do not look any different from those who don’t.   For, as Horton describes himself and others, that even despite our best intentions, we are not exemplary creatures.  “Our best examples and instructions, or even the best doctrines, will not relieve the battle within us of indwelling sin until the last breath is drawn.  And even our best day, especially if someone would  have access to hidden motives, thoughts, and attitudes,  will always let down those who would become Christians because they think I and my fellow Christians are the gospel”(page 123).  We are Christians not because we think we can walk in Jesus footsteps, but because He is the only one who can carry us.  We are not the gospel,  Jesus Christ alone is the gospel.  His story saves us, not only bringing justification, but by baptizing us into His resurrection life.

      So let’s speak up and share the gospel.  Our lives, no matter how good we think we are, will not save anyone.  God uses the proclamation of His Word to save those who believe(Romans 1:16).   For we are “included in Christ, when we heard the Word of truth, the Gospel of our salvation, and believed”(Ephesians 1:13).    

          “For what we have proclaimed is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord.”( 2 Corinthians 4:5).      

Robert, Joe, Dave and I went to Prospect Lake today to share the gospel with the local folks.  Another beautiful day.  Lots of folks down there and we shared with many.  Many Catholics and lots of Spanish talkers too.  The first girl I talked to was a Catholic, and said that she goes to church every once in a while, and will go to heaven if she “confesses her sins”.  That is very typical.  Anyway, we explained the law and the requirements that God requires, and how she still must pay the penalty of “death”(Romans 6:23) for her sins.  We moved on to the grace of God and the sacrifice Jesus made to pay the penalty we deserve.  Because she was a Catholic, I don’t like to spend a lot of time on the law, as this is hammered into them at church.  As we talked, she seemed very concerned and wanted to know more.  I gave her a bible and asked if she would take it home and read the book of John, and think about what we talked about. I explained the need for repentance towards God and trust in Jesus to become a “new creation in Christ”, and be seen as perfect on the day of judgment.  Something that the church or anything else she could do, could.  It was a great witness encounter.  Robert said his day was about the same on the other side of the lake.

I got a shot of Joe sharing with some guys….he spoke some Spanish, so it was a good thing.

Joe sharing the Gospel at Prospect Lake

It is true the the churches in the United States send missionaries all over the world.  But there is an incredible mission field right here in the US.  In fact, recent Barna research shows that North America is the third largest English speaking mission field in the world.  The report shows….

According to George Barna:  “With its 195 million unchurched people, America has become the new mission field. America has more unchurched people than the entire populations of all but 11 of the world’s 194 nations.”*

According to Lost in America, by Tom Clegg and Warren Bird, 2001:  “The unchurched population in the United States is so extensive that, were it a nation, it would be the fifth-largest on the planet. . . . Researchers and analysts describe North America as the world’s third-largest mission field.”

According to Os Guiness, in World Evangelization, Vol. 18, No 65, 1993:  “The three strongest national challenges to the Gospel in the modern world are Japan, Western Europe, and the United States.”

According to George Gallup in 1997, only ten years ago:  “More than 44% of American adults 18 and over are unchurched; 120 million Americans have no substantial Christian memory.”

Barna affirms Gallup. Consider:  “America’s secularization has gone from only 15% in the 1950s up to 40% in 2001; and headed for 60% percent by 2010!”  (Secularization means basing the decisions of one’s life on a secular humanist, relativist moral world view. Judeo-Christian values and the Bible are no longer the moral foundation of decision making in life for the vast majority of Americans.)

According to America: An Emerging Mission Field in World Christian Encyclopedia, Second Edition p.27:  “In 2000, the United States sent out 118,200 missionaries, but it also received 33,200. Ironically, the world’s largest missionary-sending country has now become the world’s largest missionary-receiving country.” Not to mention:

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  • The world’s largest Buddhist temple is located in Boulder, CO, USA!
  • The world’s largest Muslim training center is in New York City, USA!
  • The world’s largest training center for transcendental meditation is in Fairfield, Iowa, USA!

According to Leighthon Ford, evangelist and Christian leader, “North America is now the largest mission field in the English-speaking world” (Cities’ and surrounding areas’ concentrated populations make them obvious targets for sharing the Gospel).
The number of churches in Chicago has decreased by 900 in the last 10 years! In many cases what were once churches are now condominiums.
England, the once great Christian missionary-sending nation for centuries, before America, now has more mosques than churches, and must itself be reached all over again with the Gospel! We are on this same path.

Even within the churches are many false converts, who have never been “born again”, but have “accepted Christ” or “prayed a prayer” or “raised a hand”.  These unregenerate people will follow the biblical example of those who fall away, and leave the entertainment focused churches in the US (and especially here in Colorado Springs).  We talk to folks like this all the time, who say they are Christians, but think they are heaven bound because they are “good people”. 

Another article expresses this appeal for missionaries to come to the United States.             A hope for all of evangelicalism is a “rescue mission” from the world Christian community. If all of evangelicalism could see the kind of renewal that has happened in conservative Anglicanism through the Anglican Mission in America and other mission efforts, much good would be done. It is time for missionaries to come to America from Asia and Africa. Will they come? Will they be able to bring to our culture a more vital form of Christianity? I do not know, but I hope and pray that such an effort happens and succeeds.

A powerful clip showing the absurdity of post modern “christianity”

Tracy, Robert and I met downtown today to witness to the lost at the St Patricks day festivities.  Parades are wonderful to hand out tracts. Especially the “red and blues“.  Got to share the gospel with a few folks.  One guy, especially, was moved by the gospel, even though he had been convinced that he was good enough to go to heaven if he just “confesses”.  I did explain to him that confession was a part of the bigger picture of offending God because of sin and repentence was the key.  Then a trust in Jesus to save you and that you become a new creation…a child of God.  Knowing you will be with Him when you die.   Anyway, he was moved, and I pleaded with him to investigate it further.  

Robert was busy with many other folks…this is a picture of him with a “big guy”.

Robert sharing

Saw a guy at Walgreens last night with a cross hanging off of his shoulder.  I went over and talked to him, and he said that he carries it with him all the time.  It starts conversations about religious stuff and he shares the gospel a lot with people.  He was in the first aid aisle getting fixed up with a brace for his knee, and he is showing me the cross…”carrying it like an M16″.  Now that is a GREAT “ice breaker” to share the gospel.