Most Christians not sharing the Gospel

[Bible guild Mule]

Most Christians not sharing the Gospel  

[real eyes realize]

I wonder why they're making a link between "feeling comfortable sharing your faith" and whether or not you "shared with someone how to become a Christian". Just because we share our faith, it doesn't mean any of them are actually interested in becoming one. In order to have the "how do I become a Christian?" conversation, that interest or curiosity needs to be there.

When it comes to what I hear from sermons/pastors, I rarely hear them addressing this aspect of becoming a Christian: one has to carefully assess what they're about to get into. That's probably why there exists so many false converts: people who want to be justified in the eyes of God, but then don't actually repent. And they think they are Jesus' disciple despite not denying self and the things of this world the way Jesus asked us to:

Quote:

Luke 14:28-33 (NIV)

28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

To offer my perspective as someone who grew up as a non-believer, when I did go to a church in that state of mind, it didn't do much for me. I didn't actually believe in anything and I didn't go with any intentions of finding God, just to accompany my mother who was kind of / sort of searching for God; I went because my aunt guilt-tripped me into going, "if she sees you go, that will encourage her to keep pursuing" and at the time my mom was emotionally unstable because of my step dad's death and she turned to alchohol. So unless the desire to become a Christian or to find God / explore the spiritual is there, I don't know how effective inviting a person to church is. I would say it's very effective for someone who is seeking. Though, my mom was a false convert because she was acting out of emotion, not carefully assessing what it meant to be Christian. It probably wasn't until a year or two later, when I started reading the bible and showing her things, that she actually started repenting of sin.



The gospel, in case people are unsure, is:

Quote:

1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (NIV)

1 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas,[b ] and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

Footnotes:

a. 1 Corinthians 15:3 Or you at the first
b. 1 Corinthians 15:5 That is, Peter

Quote:

Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Question though: is the "gospel of the kingdom" in Mt 24 a reference to teaching about the millenial reign? and not so much about the atonement sacrifice, death, burial, his resurrection from the dead and ascension? because we're suppose to be teaching the "gospel of the kingdom" too and that's something I never heard from Christians as a non-believer.

Quote:

Matthew 24:10-14 (NIV)

10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.