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The Joy of Disciplemaking
But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too."
What is a Christian? A Christian is someone who has put his or her faith in Jesus Christ, and Christ alone, as Savior and Lord and God. And according to the apostle Paul, a Christian is someone who has turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God (see Acts 26:18).
I think that because we have a lot of anemic, shallow preaching today, we also have a generation of people who think they are Christians but really are not. These are people who have been told to believe, but they never have been told to repent. They have been promised heaven, but they never have been warned of hell. They have been told that God wants them to be happy, but they never have heard that God wants them to be holy. I wonder whether a lot of these people even know what the genuine gospel message is. I read recently that 7 in 10 American adults have no clue what John 3:16 means. And barely one-third of all adults know the meaning of the term, "the gospel."
It is not for me to decide who is a Christian and who is not. That is ultimately up to God. But what we don't need more of today are sort-of Christians. What we need are no-doubt Christians—people about whom you could say, "There is no doubt in my mind that person is a follower of Jesus Christ." The fact is, what is considered as Christianity by many today would not even qualify as such in the first century.
That is where you come in. God wants you to share the gospel and make disciples in your own sphere of influence. This is what the early church did, and the world was a different place because of it.
I think that because we have a lot of anemic, shallow preaching today, we also have a generation of people who think they are Christians but really are not. These are people who have been told to believe, but they never have been told to repent. They have been promised heaven, but they never have been warned of hell. They have been told that God wants them to be happy, but they never have heard that God wants them to be holy. I wonder whether a lot of these people even know what the genuine gospel message is. I read recently that 7 in 10 American adults have no clue what John 3:16 means. And barely one-third of all adults know the meaning of the term, "the gospel."
It is not for me to decide who is a Christian and who is not. That is ultimately up to God. But what we don't need more of today are sort-of Christians. What we need are no-doubt Christians—people about whom you could say, "There is no doubt in my mind that person is a follower of Jesus Christ." The fact is, what is considered as Christianity by many today would not even qualify as such in the first century.
That is where you come in. God wants you to share the gospel and make disciples in your own sphere of influence. This is what the early church did, and the world was a different place because of it.
TODAY'S RADIO PROGRAM:"Christ's Call to Courage — II"
TODAY'S BIBLE READING: 2 Samuel 17, Psalm 71,Matthew 26
