Evangelism is the mission of the Church. Why is evangelism so important to the church? It might help first to look at this from a secular perspective.
Everyone needs customers to stay in business. A case in point is the failing retailer, Kmart. A while back I decided to stop in at a Kmart and observe the signs of decline myself. There were outdated cash registers, shelves with limited stock, and dirty worn floors. Were the poor conditions the cause of the lack of customers or was it the reverse? In either case, there are just not enough customers to keep Kmart thriving.
The mission of the church is not just about filling the church with consumers of religion. It is much more than keeping the church, as a business, solvent. God entrusts His Church with the greatest message for all humanity. Having received the love of God, we are given the privilege to proclaim God’s love to the world.
God wants people to share His love with others. We were created to return to God’s heavenly family for all eternity. We do this through our belief in Jesus Christ who was crucified and rose for us.
How then do churches become mission-centered? It happens when God’s people respond to His grace through Jesus Christ. Responding to God’s grace, leads us to a place of saying God’s priorities are also my priorities.
This response to grace works perfectly in a perfect world with perfect people. However, we are at the same time sinner and saint. Our sinful nature can cause us to focus on what the church can give us. We can replace God’s mission with ourselves. When this happens, we make our personal preferences paramount.
When we lose our way, God wants us to go to the mirror and really look at our reflection. Do we see a person who is not exhibiting the love of Jesus? The mirror helps us recognize our failings. And His grace renews us, so we are once again empowered to be mission-centered.
May God continue to bless us as we work to put Him and the mission of the Church as our priorities.
