Last week on September 11th, we had a preaching lab and we had pastors, preachers and lay leaders from a variety of church join us. The speaker is Pastor Greg Kilgore from First Baptist Church in Oakhurst. He is currently working on his PhD in this topic and brought a great introduction to this topic to us.
It is not an understatement to say that abortion may be the most divisive issue of our generation. The deep emotion that clouds this issue tempts us to lose reason and truth in a forest of political ideology. Further, the church cannot avoid the question about its own role on this issue because of the politics, emotion, or past abuses. Even when churches and pastors decide not to engage, they have taken a side, often the side of cowards. And while most political support for the prolife cause comes from Catholics and Evangelicals, it is sadly true that most churches do very little to engage on the abortion issue, especially at a spiritual level.
For some Christians, cultural issues like abortion are THE mission of the church. In my opinion, this is a mistake as well. The church has a mission to testify to the truth of Christ and through this, to make disciples. And while our good works also play an essential role, we cannot escape the New Testament emphasis on speaking the word of God to every creature. The church is the pillar and ground of the truth (I Tim 3:15). We are to make and teach disciples (Matt 28:18-20). We are to witness to the risen Christ (Acts 1:8)
But we have to see that the gospel is only good news if there is a problem to be remedied. Mercifully, the gospel always comes with a call to repentance. It is a call to trust in Christ, and to stop trusting and serving our idols (I Thess. 1:9-10). If we are to be like the apostles, we must call all people to “repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:32). Because of this, any church that perpetually neglects the abortion issue is failing to call the culture (and the church) to repent. And it is failing to offer the healing medicine of the gospel to areas of guilt and shame that need it most. Men and women who are suffering from abortion as part of their past are betrayed when the church is silent.
At Free Grace Church we have been committed from the very beginning to engage on the abortion issue in ways that are wise, compassionate, prayerful, materially-supportive, bold, and grace-filled. In addition to supporting and partnering with prolife organizations, each year on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday we take time to address the abortion issue directly. We address it at other times, but we feel it is important to come back to speak truth against one of the darkest sins of our generation.
We welcome you to join us this Sunday as we address the issue again. We will be looking at why abortion is wrong, and why you don’t even need a Bible to see this. Our services start at 10am on Sunday morning, and we meet at 3385 E. Shields Ave near First St. (next to Target). You can find more info here.
We would also like to offer these free messages from previous years to help you think through the issue.
Is Abortion Selfish? This is a controversial question and even asking it is offensive to our generation. But what if we take seriously what prochoice authors themselves say about their motivations for abortion? Listen to the message here. http://bit.ly/1OqpMTt
Abortion and Lies? Our society is awash with misinformation and falsehoods when it comes to the abortion issue. What are the foundational lies that abortion culture is built on? Listen here. http://bit.ly/2jNubcG
Also, several years ago we preached on "Abortion and the Charge of Hypocrisy" and that resulted in a discussion on Life Report with Josh Bram. You can listen below.
Another Planned Parenthood video was released today. It is linked right here, and embedded below. If you have been following them, you know that the revelations to our collective conscience are more and more disturbing. So the great question is, "what can I do?" In addition to your personal prayers, acts of love for men and women affected by abortion, and donations to quality pro-life organizations like this one, I would like to let you know about several more opportunities.
Here are a few things in the near future that you can do to stand for the lives of the unborn. Feel free to share this info with friends.
Laboring with and for you,
Pastor Matt
Here is the most recent video. It is disturbing, as we would expect any faithful depiction of abortion to be:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE #PPSellsBabyParts PLANNED PARENTHOOD ABORTED BABY'S HEART STILL BEATING IN LATE-TERM ORGAN HARVESTING CASE Whistleblower Who Harvested Aborted Baby Parts Inside Planned Parenthood Clinics for StemExpress Describes "Most Difficult Experience I Had There" In Latest Documentary Episode Contact: Peter Robbio, probbio@crcpublicrelations.com, 703.683.5004 LOS ANGELES, Aug.
Last week I preached at Redeemer Church in Modesto. You can listen to the message here.
I have listed the main points with a little description below.
9 Principles For Making Friendships As Means To Share The Gospel
Friendships are a key element to the spread of the gospel in the New Testament. This was true for Jesus (Luke 5:27-32) and Paul (I Thess. 1:5, 2:1-8), as well as others. Building relationships in our current context can be difficult. We face more cultural disintegration and social distrust than ever before. Many Americans don’t know the people in their community, and they don’t want to know them. It’s too scary. The following suggestions are offered to help you in overcoming obstacles and building trust.
Please note, this NOT a simple recipe for success. These are just some principles from scripture, tools to help you love people. And these are certainly other ways to do this. But here is some good news: These things are completely within your reach. You don’t need any special training or a degree. If you are a Christian, you can do this!
1. Have no agenda but love.
This may seem counter-intuitive. But people are very perceptive. They know when they are a just a “project.” Years ago a pastor friend of mine developed an acquaintance with a Jewish Rabbi. Their friendship blossomed in many ways, and they often discussed the OT together. At one point the Rabbi asked my friend, “Did you only become my friend because you wanted me to become a Christian?” This was a sensitive question and my friend answered with skill and wisdom: “I would want to be your friend even if you never became a Christian.” This should be our approach. We love people because they are valuable and made in the image of God. Of course we want them to hear the gospel and come to know Christ. The agenda of love includes this, but it is much bigger.
2. Look for people that God is preparing.
Throughout the New Testament there is a theology of the “open door.” For example in Col. 4:3-4 Paul says, “At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.” This means that God is at work in people’s lives long before we arrive. We should be sensitive to this and look for people who display openness to spiritual things. Too often we are trying to pick fruit that is not ripe. James McDonald calls this “green apple evangelism.” We should look for ripe apples. One way to tell if a door is open is that people are willing to listen and talk about Christ. Doors often open during crisis. This means we don’t have to rush a friendship or force a conversation prematurely
3. Look for natural opportunities
Our society is full of social distrust. We are easily annoyed and suspicious of people that “aren’t supposed” to be talking to us. Just think of the guy pushing samples at the mall, or the salesman that walks up to you while you are at the park with your family. However, this distrust often disappears when we are in natural situations such as our kid’s soccer game, the gym, work, etc. When we connect with people in these situations, their cultural defenses are often down and people are willing to talk. They might be open to build a friendship that they wouldn’t consider in other circumstances.
4. Serve people.
We should be doing this anyway. This is our identity as Christians, we are servants. We are last. We follow the one who is the “king of slaves.” He came “not to be served but to serve and give his life” a ransom for many. When you truly love people you help them, you meet their needs. And we should not only serve the people around us, we should serve alongside them! This also means allowing them to serve you when you are in need. This is just part of being a decent human being! But even more, it is a great opportunity to display God’s work in us.
5. Look for repeat exposures
Most likely there are people in your life that you will see again and again. Those are the people you should befriend. Work on developing trust and depth where possible.
I have a friend that used to be a missionary in Bagdad. Once I asked her, “How do you share the gospel over there (in such a hostile place)?” She answered, “The same way you should be doing it, we go to the same grocer every day, we go to the same shops and build trust with people and then look for opportunities to share Christ.” I was convicted at the simplicity of the suggestion. Be deliberate and be focused. The apostle Paul operated this way. He would go to the same marketplace every day. He would go to the same synagogue week after week.
In many places in scripture, sharing the gospel is compared to the work of a farmer. This job includes planting, watering, tending, and then reaping. Many people who talk about evangelism only talk about reaping. But in reality, most of the work that farmers do is NOT reaping. Harvest is a couple of weeks at the end of the season. You should work on planting, watering, plowing in your friendships.
If you are going to survive in this kind of endeavor, you will need to take the long view. Pray for reaping, but don’t worry about it, and don't rush it. Take your time, pray and trust God.
6. Eat with people
This suggestion is so simple it may seem like a shock. Be like Jesus! He ate with all kinds of people. You are going to eat anyway. And so are they. Look for opportunities to share a meal. Invite people into your home and into your life to get to know them. This can be a very easy way to learn more about someone’s life and story. My wife and I have even done this when homeless people ask for food. If I have time I will tell them I will be happy to buy them a meal if they will eat it with us so we can talk. This pretty quickly weeds out the scammers vs. those truly in need. It also provides a chance to do something more important than throwing money at a problem.
7. Ask Questions and listen!
This is very much like Jesus! The book “Questioning Evangelism” by Randy Newman shows the way that Jesus used questions in his ministry. He was always asking questions! Scholars estimate that he asked hundreds of questions. One author says the number is “307.” The occasions where Jesus is interacting without the use of questions is certainly the exception.
When we ask questions several important things can happen, IF we ask sincerely, and IF we care enough to listen to the answer. First, it shows a degree of humility. It says “I care about you.” Second, it helps you to understand the person. And if you work at this, you will find that people are truly interesting! Third, The right kinds of questions can be disarming. Even in conflict questions can help to lower a person’s sense of threat. Finally, good questions can help people come to grips with what they already believe. In my experience, the right question can bring someone to wrestle with their own beliefs, perhaps for the first time. I have found this true in casual settings as well as “formal” events like street evangelism.
8. Look for Common Ground
We all have common experiences, common spaces, and common interests. This is one of the best ways to connect. People are often willing to open up based on their hobbies, their reading interests, place of birth, favorite cuisine, their sports team, etc.
One of the greatest areas of common ground is found in our weaknesses and struggles. We are all sinners. When Christians paint themselves as “having it all together,” it is not only a lie, it destroys a sense of common ground. All of us have had times where we can’t pay the bills or face an untimely car problem. So, if you find out that a neighbor is struggling with their teenagers or marriage, one of the best things you can do is talk about your own struggles in similar areas. This may lead to a very concrete way to talk about a very abstract topic like grace or redemption.
9. Pray
This is not an afterthought. This is one of the most important things, and we should do it at the beginning, middle and end of the process. Why? Because God is the one who changes hearts.
Sunday we looked at God’s word and my goal was that you would make it your resolution to pray more in 2015. We had lots of great questions and the sermon will be uploaded soon. We are planning to deal with this topic again this coming Sunday because it seems there is more to say, and you have lots of lingering concerns.
I had a handout to encourage you in some practical areas of prayer. You can download the handout here.
I referenced a few resources and wanted to share them with you:
The Handbook for Prayer by Kenneth Boa is available on Amazon Kindle for around $10, if you want a hardcopy you can buy it at his website here for more money. I bought a used one for cheap on Ebay. But there aren't a lot of those floating around.
I mentioned the ACTS prayer method. If you want to explore this more, RC Sproul has this to say
Pastor Matt
Photo by Dopiaza used by permission, some rights reserved
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