Not sharing the Gospel? - Then you are not grounded & rooted in Christ ...

[Tim]

Another comment that entered my ears today.

Not sharing the Gospel? Suffering for Christ? - Then you are not grounded & rooted in Christ ... you are not like Christ, you are living for self.

Thoughts?

 

[JrChurch]

Would you give bread and water to a starving man?

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

It is called compassion.

 

[Recovering IFB]

Another comment that entered my ears today.

Not sharing the Gospel? Suffering for Christ? - Then you are not grounded & rooted in Christ ... you are not like Christ, you are living for self.

Thoughts?

What was the context of not sharing or suffering? Did he mean people weren't out knocking on doors? People weren't making others mad at work by trying make it a Christian workplace?

 

[praise_yeshua]

Another comment that entered my ears today.

Not sharing the Gospel? Suffering for Christ? - Then you are not grounded & rooted in Christ ... you are not like Christ, you are living for self.

Thoughts?

What happens when you face people that who have continually rejected the message of Christ their entire life? Those who'd rather hear a message about a fictional character than come face to face with the reality of Christ?

Being "rooted in Christ" is more than just endlessly blasting "your neighbor" with a message he doesn't want to hear.

Everyone is hearing something.... Much of its coming from "dry" windbags.... No water.

 

[praise_yeshua]

Another comment that entered my ears today.

Not sharing the Gospel? Suffering for Christ? - Then you are not grounded & rooted in Christ ... you are not like Christ, you are living for self.

Thoughts?

What happens when you face people that who have continually rejected the message of Christ their entire life? Those who'd rather heard a message about a fictional character than come face to face with the reality of Christ?

Being "rooted in Christ" is more than just endlessly blasting "your neighbor" with a message he doesn't want to hear.

Everyone is hearing something.... Much of its coming from "dry" windbags.... No water.

That thought was addressed by bring up the word "compel" and the idea that service to Jesus is work, not play. We can casually invite, or we can work at saving that soul from hell. The thought of helping a person in danger, and the selfish soul that turns the other way is presented.

Compel? What do you think the word "compel" means?... and how do you apply it to the Gospel message?

Jesus told his disciples to brush the dust off their feet...... The apostles.... LEFT the cities that rejected their message.

I think you misunderstand the message of "compel".

 

[Walt]

Another comment that entered my ears today.

Not sharing the Gospel? Suffering for Christ? - Then you are not grounded & rooted in Christ ... you are not like Christ, you are living for self.

Thoughts?

Context probably matters here - as well as definitions -- is "sharing the Gospel" knocking on strangers' doors while they are at dinner and then attempting to manipulate them into saying a prayer?  Or does it mean being ready to share with someone the reason of the hope that is in us?

And what is meant by "suffering for Christ"?  Beaten, whipped, and/or thown in jail?  Doing without luxuries that your friends have in order to support missionaries at home and abroad?

C'mon - there is a sense that we are never going to be "like Christ" in that we will never pay for the sins of the world.  Crucifixion is pretty rare these days -- don't think anyone will be "like Christ" in His death.  But we CAN be like Him if we try to glorify the Father without lives - by what we say and do.

Such statements annoy me, since they usually REALLY mean: "You're not a good Christian if you're not doing what I'm doing."

 

[The Rogue Tomato]

Such statements annoy me, since they usually REALLY mean: "You're not a good Christian if you're not doing what I'm doing."

Sort of like what Peter Piper was saying about movies.

 

[Walt]

Another comment that entered my ears today.

Not sharing the Gospel? Suffering for Christ? - Then you are not grounded & rooted in Christ ... you are not like Christ, you are living for self.

Thoughts?

What was the context of not sharing or suffering? Did he mean people weren't out knocking on doors? People weren't making others mad at work by trying make it a Christian workplace?

The basic context was the sufferings Paul faced as an example for us today. Paul stating that his sufferings were basically nothing compared to knowing Jesus Christ and doing his will. What was shared was basically that we today have nice homes, food .... and we hold back the gospel and don't live for Jesus Christ ... when we shouldn't care about self, nice homes, vacations ... we should focus on sharing Jesus Christ no matter the cost.

Why take Paul as an example?  Why not Abraham (who was both rich and powerful), or Barnabas, who seemed to be well off and a giver in the New Testament.

Each of us lives our own lives before God; He has a plan for each one of our lives that will never be an exact duplicate of someone else's life.  Where does the Scripture  say that Paul is our example?

Also, the Bible was not written for American culture, but for all cultures through all times.  Yes, believers have it relatively easy in America, so I'm afraid that some people, in order to feel "persecuted" become obnoxious.  Let's stop focusing on ourselves and whether or not we are sufficiently persecuted, and focus on living for Jesus Christ.