wow, interesting. I think them wanting to bring back to church is indicative of a huge problem plaguing the Church. Here’s the problem: because we sit down in pews each week and listen to sermons and don’t do anything, don’t use our gifts, don’t participate - just give money, we don’t think we have any ability, or responsibility, or inclination to do anything.

I think it’s AWESOME that Saddleback tried to empower their people like that! and I think it’s sad that they chose to do what they always do - avoid responsibility, and not do good works themselves.

But it’s not their fault, it’s what our mega church culture has taught them to do. I think we need to transition our focus from sunday morning to small groups of people that meet to encourage each other, teach each other and all use their gifts to do ministry together - I think this will result in a much more active and healthy Church.

Nothing against mega church pastors, I do love what they’re doing, but I think this article exposes a fatal flaw that must be addressed!

I think that giving is tricky if you take the feelings of those in need into account.  It may be more satisfying for me to give, face to face, but it may not be more satisfying to the person in need, who may feel shamed. 

I know a bunch of folks who have lost jobs, too, but they are still managing to feed their families and would be more than taken aback if I pressed a sack of groceries (of my choosing) on them.  I think that many people in need of groceries would prefer to go to a Food Bank and not feel that their friends think they are needy.  So I also would (and do) make my food donations to my church to hand out in a dignified way to those who ask.

We have been passing out empty bags for over 8 months. It has been a tremendous success. In fact people are writing in letters stating how blessed they feel. Others are starting to come to church to pick up a bag themselves. The beauty of this is that it takes away the shame and builds love between friends and community. I have personally been to the food pantries, and that is so humbling and alone. But when a friend brought me food, I felt loved and cared for.

How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time!  This is a tangible way in which all can participate in reaching out and taking a bite out of need, hunger and poverty in our community.  We might just use this idea in the coming weeks.  Enough churches multiply this idea and the 10,000 bags handed out will be 100,000 in no time. 

this is servant evangelism on a large scale. 

I love it.

Isn’t sharing the gospel sharing love? God uses us in so many different ways. Some are to send others are to go. We need to remember that blessed are the poor in spirit. Let’s share his love how ever we are able. Stop judging and look inward to our own hearts. I love the comment “we must be lead by the holy spirit” by Shawn and AZDoug, one part of the elephant at a time. Just make a point to love someone today how ever you are able. I know that this week it was 10,000 and soon it will more than double. Because our God is El Shaddai, the God of more than enough.

Shawn:

Answering your last questions first…

“Have you ever helped someone who needed help?  Do you share the gospel EVERYWHERE you go?  Really?  How bout at the drive thru?  In the bathroom with the guy in the stall next to you?  How about when you are stuck in traffic jams.  Do you get out and go window to window?”

I hate saying this for fear of sounding proud or boastful, but actually I do try to share the Gospel directly about everywhere I go.  I have given Bible tracts and/or spoken with just about everyone with whom I interact on a daily basis.  Take today, for instance.

I left home this morning to have my car serviced.  I gave the family that owns the shop a Gospel tract.  I went to work today, and I have already spoken with all of my coworkers and boss about my faith.  This afternoon I will go to two banks.  I have spoken with all of the lady tellers there about Christ and given them tracts, too.  When I grab lunch, I will give a tract to the person who gives me my food.  Later today I will go by the gym, and I have given most of the trainers there tracts, too, in addition to sharing with some of the other people working out.  This evening I will go by the hardware store and do the same.  And I will swing by the park where I regularly minister to the teenagers who hang out there, to whom I give water, food, positive relationships, and share the Bible on a weekly basis.

I take it very seriously that without the knowledge of Jesus Christ and repentance and faith in Him that people will go to Hell.  I lived as a false convert for many years, and looking back and realizing that had I died during that time, I would have gone to Hell.  I want no one else to be perched on that edge of eternity, and I will do what I can to be an agent of God in sharing His love and grace with them.  I do not take this as a game or a notch to be put on my belt, but that souls, each unique and special, will not go to Heaven without the message of Jesus Christ being given to them.  And I show the love of Christ through regular acts of charity and kindness, too, as a testimony of my faith.

“However, why do we think that people aren’t sharing the gospel when they do this?”

I’ll be blunt with this one--It’s Saddleback, and based on most of what I have seen come from there, I doubt that a direct Gospel presentation is a part of this effort.

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CS

Wendi:

“but I must admit that the statements about “sharing the gospel” with every single act the church does is so tiring (and I believe, not supported by scripture).”

Perhaps you have a different interpretation of Mark 16:15 which says, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

“Jesus had many, MANY interactions with people when He didn’t tell them to admit their sin and make Him lord of their lives. “

That’s right.  First, he always gave the Law to the proud and Grace to the humble, so he wouldn’t always tell people to admit their sin (James 4:6). And second, He was God in human form, which means that He knew everything about them and exactly what to say; we don’t have that liberty.

“He makes it very clear that we serve Him when we care for the poor, sick, in prison and disenfranchised. Demonstrating care for physical and social needs IS sharing the gospel, because that is what Jesus told us to do.”

Your first statement is right (Matthew 25).  Your second statement is wrong, because the Gospel is a message that is shared by words (Romans 10).

“To reduce the gospel down to a few points about admitting our sinfulness and acknowledging Jesus as savior, diminishes and disrespects Jesus’ redemptive work.”

Would you call Paul’s reduction of the Gospel down to a few verses in 1 Corinthians 15 disrespectful?

Here’s my deal: there will be millions who will go to Hell due to their sinfulness, and it is only through the Gospel message being communicated that people will be saved.  Why wouldn’t we want to share this fantastic news as much as possible?  Why shouldn’t we be sharing the message of eternal life from the rooftops?  Could you imagine someone in Hell saying, “Oh, I understand how uncomfortable it would have made you to talk to me directly about God.  But, hey, thanks for the free groceries.”? 

The most hateful thing a Christian can do is to deliberately not share the Gospel with someone.

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CS

Dave Z:

“In the episode of the sheep and the goats, the only apparent difference between the groups is their actions, which sound a lot like caring for the needy, or not caring for them.  There is no mention of a verbal gospel presentation.”

Remember that in my zeal to communicate the Gospel, I also desire that we do acts of goodwill and charity.  I am not excluding one act in favor of the other.  The Gospel without action can ring like empty words.  Action without the Gospel may satisfy earthly needs, but misses the larger spiritual need of salvation.  I’m only focusing so hard on the Gospel here because of the absence of it being mentioned by so many of these churches who are engaging in these acts.

That said, while there is no explicit mention of a Gospel presentation here in Matthew 25, there is so much elsewhere of the need to share the Gospel that I cannot see a separation of the two activities, but that they are integrated and intended to be together.

For example, you mentioned Galatians 2, where Paul wanted to get back to the poor.  Why?  In verses 2 and 7, we see that he has the Gospel to take to the Gentiles.  He wants to get out to those poor people with the message of life eternal.  Kind of like how Jesus mentioned it was preached to the poor in Matthew 11:5. 

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CS

Good points Grady.  We must base our lives on loving God and loving others, and that’s waht you’re describing.  Some would say that truly loving others is to tell them they’re going to hell without Jesus, but I have a hard time limiting love to that concept.  I think when we act towards others with love, we are laying the groundwork for true evengelism, in small steps.  Watering where others may eventually reap. 

I’ve heard that it takes anywhere from 20 to 60 positive interactions with believers for someone to become a Christian.  I can’t document those figures, but I do feel that my kindness to an individual may be interaction #1 or #19.  The bag of groceries is in there somewhere too.

Sounds like we’re kinda on the same page with this idea.  Last year our church started something called the “March of Plenty”, over the month of March.  We went out and bought “Home Depot” buckets and distributed them. We asked our congregation to tak extra buckets and challenge their neighbors to get involved too!  That night with our youth we went door to door in the community sharing what we were doing, and asked if it was something they would be interested in participating in.  The response we got from people was overwhelming. They were so excited to hear that the “church” was doing something like this.  Obviously there were people who were skeptical and said no, but the large majority hopped on board.  In the community we handed out a DVD, bucket, and a sheet with drop off information and everything they needed to know.  The drop off is during a sunday morning and we’re hoping people will come out and stick around for the service.  We do a collection sunday where the food gets brought in and piled in the front of the church.  It’s extremely exciting to see the response of people, and very humbling when you see people who can’t afford it bringing in as many buckets as people who can easily afford it. 
This is the second year we’ve done this, but the first time we’ve involved the community and are truly hoping God opens up doors for us to minister to them, and that maybe we’ve sparked some curiosity. 
As our lead pastor likes to say “it’s time the church stopped underwhelming people and started overwhelming them.”