Daily Planning

It has been almost seven weeks since I've started my sabbatical and I thank the church and its leadership for granting me this refreshing time.  I've been working on a great deal of school work since I've started and I have spent some precious time with my family.  I am bringing to completion my current doctoral seminar and hope to work on the completion of my ordination with the Free Church before returning.  This will mean writing another twenty pages to be added to my doctrinal statement.

In the midst of all my planning each day to juggle all the things I see as important, I regularly ask myself, "why am I here"?  The easy answer is to say "to glorify God" and that would be correct but how do I glorify Him.  Most Christians live a very inward focused life and spend almost all of their time time around only Christians, perhaps signing up for another Bible study group or discussing the value of theology.  The greatest theology Jesus Christ asks us to share is called the Gospel, found in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).  When was the last time we verbally shared the Gospel (that Jesus Christ died and rose again to forgive sinners) with another person.  The reason I ask is because this is living out our theology.  Jesus Christ clearly tells believers what their lives ought to be immersed with.  We often pray for the lost but do we share the Gospel with the lost--I mean ourselves and not a missionary or a pastor?  We can live moral lives and feel good about ourselves but I don't believe God feels as good about us as we do ourselves especially if we don't share His plan of redemption.  Plain and simple, when was the last time we told a lost person about the One who came to save their soul from Hell?  Is it part of our daily practice or planning?  Wouldn't it be great if we were obsessed with  sharing this Good News to the point that we awoke each day with our day built around this mission.  Imagine what our churches would look like if we not only believed the Gospel but SHARED the Gospel???  WOW!

Each day I strive to spend time with God first, reading His Word, and praying through my prayer journal which serves as a great start.  I am personally working harder each day to bring the Gospel to each person I connect with because they are not coming to me to hear the Gospel--besides, Christ told me to go and tell and not for others to come and listen.  I don't want to fulfill the Great Omission, NOT sharing my faith.  This is the largest job we have been commissioned to do.  One characteristic of inward focused churches is that the programming serves only us which leads to declining churches. The church has neglected its calling and we are the church.  Sometimes we allow ourselves to be busy just going to church but we need to be the church to a lost world--share the Gospel.

Genuine Christians who are obedient, according to Scripture, will verbally share the Gospel to a lost and dying world--if they really understand the Gospel!  Let's be careful not to pomp ourselves in how spiritual we are if we are not sharing the greatest, transforming news that Jesus Christ died for sinful man.  Please email me if you would like to share how God is opening doors for you to share the Gospel.  This would encourage me and others as well!

Together for the Gospel,

Pastor Gary