Christian Living

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[This describes churches in a city of about 60,000 in Australia where I live. Hopefully it is different where you live.]

Have you thought about the Church Bulletin lately? Have a closer look. What is in it? Usually, everything the church is doing.

Look, there’s a half-page ad for the national conference. Then you’ll see the home groups listed. The heading “Coming Events” tells about this month’s star attraction, a visiting speaker from Wherever. Then you’re told not to miss the Women’s Afire Explosion celebration at $100 a head. Book now, it screams.

Flipping the page, there is info about the Women’s Bible Study, the Men’s Breakfast, the Candlelight Dinner. All the pastors will be listed of course, with their phone numbers.

Wait, what’s this; you see a large panel headed “Our Strategy.” It stresses the importance of proclaiming the Word. Ah, now you’re thinking evangelism. You’re expecting to read of a pastor leading an outreach team into town on Saturday. You look hard but you don’t find it. As for actually proclaiming the gospel outside the church - no activities will you find. You then realize the aforesaid panel must mean proclaiming the Word insidethe church.

The bulletin is full of self-centredness. The people outside the church doors don’t seem to exist. There is no mention of how the church intends reaching them. There are no ventures listed that might prevent most of the general public going to the lake of fire.

If anyone is doing anything about the world outside, it will be one or two individuals (not listed in the bulletin) who examined their Bible. They have read Mark 16:15 and Matthew 28:19-20. They decided they wouldn’t follow the crowd and do what the church does; they go public with the gospel - doing what Jesus told them to do.

Church members clean the premises, staff the Opportunity Shop (where no tracts are given out, incidentally) work in the church office. The problem, brothers and sisters, is that people serve the church but not Jesus. They promote the organization - but not the real head of the organization - who is Jesus.

Do you see that all those activities don’t impact those headed for the lake of fire? The Lord will surely not ask how many times you cleaned the church (someone has to do it) but He will want to know what you did about lost sinners!

Another aspect is that most churches are busy socializing but are not about the Master’s business. While the members stuff themselves with sausages and soft drinks at the church picnic, the rebels choose to be in town giving out tracts and sharing Jesus.

Dear friend, if your church has no outreach program, then start one yourself. “Oh, you haven’t got the covering,” the “leaders” will bleat. Don’t worry, you will have Jesus’ covering. If you want a justifying scripture: “The Lord is… not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9. People outside the church won’t come to repentance if no-one takes God’s Word to them. Let that someone be you.

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