Are we failing to answer the call?

If we’re honest with ourselves, most of us will answer, “yes.”

Christians often misunderstand and/or misuse biblical terminology. For instance, most Christians believe “Church” is the place they go on Sunday (a building) or something they do (I’m sure you’ve heard others say, “we’re gonna do church,” or something similar). The fact is, the word translated “church” in Scripture, the Greek word εκκλησία (ecclesia), means “called out” or “those who are called out.” The word refers to Christians themselves - not a place. When we read in epistles the phrase “to the Church at…”, the writer is addressing the Christians, the body of Christ, in the city to which it is addressed. This is the point: we are the Church, the body of Christ.

Likewise, Christians generally misunderstand, or simply ignore, Jesus’ call to us.

But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:16-20 (NASB)

We all have a responsibility to preach the gospel to unbelievers. That doesn’t mean we all need to be professional evangelists or host thousands in a stadium to have them hear the good news; we are called to be witnesses, witnesses of the good news of Jesus Christ and what He has done. This entails two things:

1. Understanding and sharing the basics of the gospel; and

2. Sharing what Christ has done in your life.

The gospel is straightforward. Paul laid it out in his first letter to the Church at Corinth:

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

We need not make the gospel more complex or convoluted. We are all sinners (Rom. 3:23); none of us follows God (Rom. 3:11-12), and therefore, we have earned condemnation (Rom. 6:23). Christ was born of a virgin, as the Old Testament prophets foretold. This also is evidence of divine intervention and divine origin. He lived a sinless life, that life we could not live ourselves, and as in the Old Testament Jews sacrificed “spotless” (outwardly, superficially) lambs to cover their sins, Jesus was sacrificed as a truly “spotless” (inwardly) lamb, unblemished by sin, to take away (not just cover) the sins of the world (John 1:29). He rose from the grave on the third day as evidence of His divinity and our justification before God (Rom. 4:25).

We need not earn the right to share the gospel. We don’t need to perform some charitable work before the good news is preached. It is not our job to convince or convict anyone of the truth of the message; that is the place of the Holy Spirit. Ours is simply to tell, and to do so boldly. This is why Paul says:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Romans 1:16

Salvation is through the gospel. People cannot be saved if they do not hear, and it is our job to make sure they do hear.

As well, as witnesses, we are called to share personal experience. This is, after all, what witnesses do - they tell of what they have seen. If you are truly saved, then Christ has done great works in your life, works that should be shared that others might know. Works that have brought us through difficult times so that we too may help others through similar difficulties.

I do not say any of this in judgement - I am as guilty as the next person in regularly failing to live up to this duty. I say this as a reminder. Inviting the unsaved to “church” on Sunday is not how people get saved; it is not the biblical model. As a matter of fact:

At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s portico. But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem. And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number

Acts 5:12-14

In the early days of the Church, unbelievers wouldn’t dare associate with the Christians who gathered. There is nothing in the gathering for them. It is not intended for them (the purpose of our gathering is a topic for another article). The pastor’s job is to shepherd the flock; this means to lead and feed Christ’s sheep, believers. If the pastor is spending time trying to save unbelievers, wrangling the goats so to speak, then he will not be able to perform the work to which he is called and the sheep will starve and/or stray. As in the verses cited above from Acts, believers are added without joining our gatherings. There is only one way this happens - believers go out and share the gospel.

Considering the times in which we are living, and the difficulties we know lie ahead, it is more important than ever that we be preaching the gospel, and that to the ends of the earth. We need to start at home and work our way out. If we want to hear from Him the words, “well done, thou good and faithful servant,” let us not fail to answer the call.