What is going on with the Church, Christian Statistics, Self and The Good News

Studies have shown that 80% of unchurched people say they will engage in a faith based conversation.

So, with 8 out of 10 people willing to have a conversation with us,

Why don't we engage them?

The answer is mostly Self.

This is why, when it comes down to being a Christian who walks in freedom and shares The Good News, we must tear down and bury our old house of sin and self and say Yes, to the Savior building a New house block by block on the Right foundation.

It starts with Christ The Cornerstone and stays maintained

By inviting The Holy Spirit to take the keys and full ownership.

Looking at Luke 6:46-49, HSCB, Jesus says, 46 “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?

47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to Me, hears My words, and acts on them:

48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the river crashed against that house and couldn’t shake it, because it was well built.

49 But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The river crashed against it, and immediately it collapsed. And the destruction of that house was great!”

The point is this

We must dig deep and become unshakable if we don't want to become a negative statistic.

We must die to live and the deeper we bury the old self, the higher we will rise in this New Life of freedom with Christ.

Then, because we pick up our cross and follow Jesus, we become a positive statistic and one who is not ashamed of Jesus Christ or His teachings.

In partnership with Seed Company, Barna conducted a small study in the United States and found that

51% of American church goers don't know what The Great Commission is!

When asked, have you heard of the Great Commission? 25% said Yes, but I can't recall the exact meaning.

Only 17% knew what it was and the rest were not sure.

This is interesting because a separate study shows 83% of Americans don't attend church and that only 17% regularly attend normal services.

This is why we should see the importance of Ephesians 4:11-15, NKJV, where The Word of God says, 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,

15 but, speaking The Truth in Love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ

Studies show 64% of Christians who share their faith, think sharing Jesus is optional.

Let's look at what Galatians 2:20, KJV, says, 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.

Galatians 5:1, HCSB, Says, Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.

In Mark 8:38, NKJV, Jesus says it this way, 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My Words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him The Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with The Holy Angels.”

Does this sound optional to you? Of course NOT!

Life-Way held a survey which revealed

52% of Americans say good deeds help them earn a spot in Heaven.

But we know Galatians 2:21, KJV, Says, 21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Listen,

The thought of trying to be Holy in order to somehow get to Heaven by our works

Instead of The Works that Jesus Christ completed and then having Him reward us for it.

This is not His Teachings!

The Word of God shows us,

The Holiness is His and He is The One who brings it, by The Grace of God,

Through Faith, to reside in the heart forever.

Ephesians 2:8-9, NLT, puts it this way, 8 God saved you by His Grace when you believed.

And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

This is about as straight forward as it gets.

So what do we do with this new found Grace and Freedom?

How do we dig deep and become Unshakable?

How do we die with Christ so we can abide in Christ?

How do we get over ourselves to become bold and share The Good News?

We must get over, deny, and die to SELF!

If you want the freedom to share The Good News anytime and anywhere.

If you want to wake up tomorrow in more Freedom than you had today.

Then you must move towards Freedom from Self and Sin.

Now, How do I know this is the main opposing factor?

How do I know the Self is such a great hurdle for many?

How do I know we're not as Free as we're called to be?

First,

Specifically the Teachings of Jesus Christ and all Scripture.

Secondly,

My life lived and the countless encounters with people.

And, Lastly,

Information collected by Billy Graham and Bible.org.

We are no longer in the shallow water. We have ventured into the deep.

This is where you alone can only tread water for so long before you start sinking.

This is how I know so few in recent history have ever really lived a life of complete Freedom in Christ.

This is why we must die to Sin and Self and have Communion \ Co-union with Christ.

This is why the only way we can keep our head above the water, is to always abide in

The One who is The Way and Walks on Water.

So how do I know we have an issue with Freedom from Self and Sin and this hinders us from being able to share The Good News about Salvation and our Savior?

Right now Islam is growing faster than Christianity and even faster 81% of ALL Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus don't even personally know a Christian.

Only 5% of Christians ever personally lead even 1 person to Jesus Christ in there entire life time.

This means 95% of Christians live there entire life time

Without ever personally leading even 1 person to Jesus before they go to Heaven.

This also means when they get to heaven, there's a good chance it will be very obvious who they lived there life for and much of it may have just been for Themselves!

I understand the above statement is a tough one and there are exceptions to the rule. Like giving and serving.

I also understand we are all part of the Body.

But,

I also understand we're ALL called through Jesus Christ

To live The Great Commandment and The Great Commission.

What I'm saying is this.

If we love. Then we'll speak!

It's time for the Church to grow and mature. And the first step is, no more Self-ish Excuses.

The sad part about all of this information is this.

When we read 1 Corinthians 3:6-7, KJV, we see that, God is the Only One who brings the Increase.

We must understand this is a Co-mission

and

As Christians who have been raised to New Life with Christ.

Our position is to genuinely love and genuinely share The Good News.

We were created to love and called to share!

This one statement can be summed up by,

The Great Commandment in Matthew 22:37-39, NKJV, and

The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20, NKJV.

Here we see our Co-mandate and our Co-mission.

Here we find our Purpose to Love God and Share His Goodness and Good News!

Yet we still find Only 3% genuinely share The Good News

and

Only 2% actually Share there faith more than once every 6 months.

In Mark 8:34-35, NKJV, Jesus Says,“Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and The Gospel’s will save it.

We also find this teaching in Luke 9:23-24, Where He adds, to take your cross daily.

If I could impart 1 thing in this section, from these Scriptures and Sobering Statistics it would be this.

With such a small statistic and number of people willing to love and share The Good News.

We can be certain of this.

If you Go, God will Show, and The Holy Spirit will Flow

God is waiting for the 2%.

The ones who will stop making Self -Focused excuses and commit to do His Will.

He has much to do and is waiting for those who will rise up

and

Become everything Jesus Christ died and rose from the grave for.

Then because you're such a small percentage.

When you Speak and Act in the Love of Jesus Christ,

ALL of The Kingdom will be there to back you up every time if your motive is right.

Isaiah 55:8-11, KJV, says, 8 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith The Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from Heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11 So shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Simply stated: The Word of God reveals that The Word of God will not return void.

We also know The Holy Spirit was given to us as a witness to The Good News. Acts 5:32, KJV, confirms this.

If we would seriously die so we could live as Jesus teaches.

Then others will live as a result of our life lived.

In an instant through Jesus Christ, they can have New life and a Way through the curtain or veil.

And,

People would be brought out of darkness and into The Light.

Hebrews 10:19-20, affirms this.

This is what happens when someone who has sat in Church for years, makes a real decision to follow Jesus. They begin to understand Truth and we know, The Truth will set you Free.

John 8:31-32, KJV, upholds this Truth.

This is very important because many people have heard the Truth will set you Free.

But, when looking a little closer at John 8:31-32, we find there is something more to the above statement.

That it's Understanding the Truth that will set you Free.

Because when you Understand something you can apply it.

So what can we do so others can begin to Understand The Truth and become Free?

Through The Savior and with the Help of The Holy Spirit

We must die to Self, Rise up, and begin living in the fullness of what Jesus Christ attained for us.

Jesus Establishes this in John 12:24, NLT, When He says, 24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone.

But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.

And, in John 15:4-8, HCSB, Jesus says, 4 Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.

6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If you remain in Me and My Words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples.

Notice: Jesus backs up John 12:24, and expounds on His teaching in John 15:4-8.

Jesus explains if we will remain in Him and His Words remain in us. The Father will be glorified because we will produce much Fruit and it will prove we are His disciples.

Billy Graham was known for sharing The Good News and was definitely part of the 2%.

He lived to be almost 100 years old and traveled the world for 50 years.

And, no one ever shared their Christian faith with him.

Not even one time, in his entire life.

I can hear the encouragement of Paul in Romans 8:1, KJV, when he said;

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after The Spirit.

And in Romans 12:1-2, NLT, when he expressed these Words.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him.

2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

We need to rise up everyday and hold ourselves accountable to God for everything we do and say.

This way everything we do and say brings glory and honor to God

and

Our lives lived become a shining example of all that Christ Jesus died for.

In Matthew Chapter 10, NLT, Jesus gives instructions to His 12 disciples. Peter, Andrew, James, John, Phillip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James, Thaddaeus, Simon, and Judas.

And, towards the end of His teaching in verses 37 thru 39, Jesus once again establishes how important it is to put God first and die to Self in orders to live and have the freedom to share The Good News.

Even in Philippians 2, NLT, The Word of God starts off with questions about encouragement, comfort, fellowship, and compassion.

Then, in verses 3 thru 5, we are given this instruction in order to have one mind and purpose.

Paul says, Don't be Selfish, don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interest, but take an interest in others too.

But here is the best part. Verse 5 says, You must have the same attitude that Christ, Jesus had.

And, then, Verses 6 thru 8 speak about being humble, obedient, and giving up privileges.

See the question is,

Did you become a Christian for your well being or for The God who brought you into being?

Are you going to church to be loved or to become love?

Our reason for being a Christian must be right

If we are to walk in The Light as He walks in The Light in order to be a light

That draws others out of the darkness and into The Light of freedom.

1 John 1:5-7, NKJV says, 5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is Light and in Him is no darkness at all.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice The Truth.

7 But if we walk in The Light as He is in The Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

You know, even after Scripture and sound advice, sometimes people still don't believe

Sin and Self are one of the greatest road blocks when it comes to Sharing The Good News.

So, I would like to say this.

It's not just Billy Graham who never had anyone share The Good News with him.

There are countless others who will never know unless you go.

How do I know this?

Well, for one.. I have lived my entire life in the bible belt with a church located on just about every city block and make myself very accessible to the public because, I'm out of the house often and to this day,

No one has ever shared The Good News with me.

Knowing this fact, along with all the other facts about Billy Graham and countless others who attest to this same notion, including myself and Knowing the statistics, but more importantly knowing what the Scriptures say about these issues,

I have found it's very easy to come to the conclusion that there are many goodhearted, loving

Christians living in fear instead of the fullness and freedom of what Jesus Christ died to fulfill.

In Revelation 12:11, we see the children of God who keep His commandments and maintain their testimonies for Jesus. Loved not their own life unto the death.

We see in 1 Peter 2:21-25, that Christ is our example and we should follow Him.

In 1 Peter 4:1-6, it explains that we should have the same mind as Christ, cease from sin and live for God.

2 Corinthians 4:7-18, Explains death and life, temporary and eternal things.

Ephesians 4:17-24, gives justification for casting off the old Self and putting on the new and instructs us to renew the spirit of our mind.

2 Corinthians 5:15-21, establishes that we no longer live for Self. That we are a New Creation and have become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

The Great Commandment and The Great Commission go hand in hand

In Mark 12:30-31, Luke 10:27, and Matthew 22:37-40, NKJV, Jesus teaches us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. And, to love our neighbor as ourselves.

And, we find by doing so, the rest of the law and all the teachings of the prophets are taken care of when we live out and apply these Two Commands.

In order to effectively share The Good News, we must know who we are.

But, in order to know who we are, we must know who God is.

Only when we know who God is, can we know who we are.

Then because we know who we are.

We will have the ability to help others see who they are.

Please don't hear what I'm not saying!

I'm not saying if we don't know. Then that's a good excuse to not share The Good News.

We should never let what we don't know,

Keep us from moving forward in what we do know.

God will meet us right where we are. We must have faith. It is our position to stand strong and move forward.

Our eyes, ears, nose, mouth, face, hands, arms, legs, and feet all face forward.

This is the direction we're naturally created to supernaturally move in.

There's no armor of God for the back because God has that covered.

So as we move forward. Let's look at who we really are..