The Blog of E. Dale Nixon

It is so easy for a body of believers to emphasize either the corporate gatherings for Bible study, discipleship and worship or the missional expansion into the surrounding communities. Often emphasis in one area causes neglect of the other. Over the past few years, the methodological boundary lines have felt like the front lines of some evangelical civil war zone with cannon shots fired back and forth while the lost world looks on with their ears covered. As a Church, we must recover our fundamental identity as missionaries and begin assimilating a balance that unites the divided methodological extremes with the singular motivation of loving other’s into the Kingdom of God and urge all Christians to focus on the mission of Jesus both in the sanctuaries and in the streets.

Authenticity places more than a few uncomfortable demands on our lives; presuming that authenticity is still a desirable virtue. Authentic relationships, for example, don’t have ulterior motives, hidden (undisclosed) agendas, neither do they have tactics, strategies, presentations or the right to be heard. I think most people, even the children can sense when they have become someone’s “project.”

What this means is that our evangelism really needs to be the “Good News” without any strings attached. Instead of building a relationship with someone in order to share the Good News (the word version), be the Good News—be the living presence of God.

You see, we have built much of our philosophy of ministry on the idea that we can persuade people to consider the Gospel as recorded in ancient scriptures and to accept the life changing power of God’s redemption through repentance, baptism and discipleship. We do that by focusing on what Jesus did 2000 years ago…but the reality we so easily overlook is that Jesus Christ is present in us and among us right now.

As long as our evangelistic efforts are tied to this idea of bait (I’ll be your new friend) and switch (for Jesus [the church, or religion] as your new friend), we have not only missed the point, we have mistaken God’s intentions in order to (selfishly) relieve ourselves of the commitment and responsibilities of building authentic relationships with others.

If we are going to love people, we must love them as we love our own selves; not because we think we can influence them to become Christians like us; but because it’s our calling.