Building Credibility
Jesus told his followers that they were the “…light of the world.” He challenged them do good because others are watching. He told them that people “…may your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16) The gospel is about delivering good news but credibility is the key in developing trust in relationships. If we are say we are of Christ then we must also be a reflection of that which He is!Sharing love with those in need is one way we express authentic representation of the Christ we follow. In the book, “Going Public with the Gospel” by Lon Allison and Mark Anderson we are challenged to proclaim the gospel with authenticity.
The authors write:
The church was the primary influence in government, education, science, the arts, entertainment and almost every sphere of life, but over time this changed. The church slowly ceased being the influence in society and grew content with a separate culture of their own. (pg 32)
The implications for this are seen almost every day as people continue to migrate away from faith and religion to other places of involvement. Churches have seemingly lost their place of relevant influence. How can it get it back?
I believe that through compassionate ministries the church can recover and become a welcomed resource once again in society. We can do this by effectively sharing our resources with those who are in need. I have seen the welcome mat given to the church as we participate in providing compassionate ministries to needy people. The authors tell us that the world must be persuaded. “Today gospel speech will not stand on its own in convincing a lost world. It never has. Wesley, Moody, Graham or Booth – evangelist realize that demonstrating the gospel is critical. Ministries of compassion, development, and justice go hand-in-hand with proclamation.” (pg 122) The results of such a change in method will testify of the light Jesus referred to. It is through our witness of love in the lives of people that we can build trust in relationship so that our words will have meaning.
The challenge for churches to day is to change our motif of simply attendance and proclaimation evangelism only and become a welcoming and compassionate group of people that builds credibility and positive relationships. Many churches have become just places of social interaction like country clubs. While social connectedness is important to the life of the local church we must also mobilize our efforts and gifts and serve people in need. Jesus demonstrated that sharing love is pretty important if we are to become relevant to the needs of people. “…Jesus went around doing good…” (Acts 10:38) So should we. In this way “…they might see our good deeds and praise (our) Father…”
posted by Rev. Rick Carder '87 / ' 03 @ 7:48 AM
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