Both the urban and the rural churches hope to be influential, especially in this era of end times. Actually, nowadays there are many church like the church of Smyrna, who love God and loyal to Him; there are also some like the church of Ephesus, who has forsaken their first love.
Just like a famous pastor’s description of the churches in the ending time: “The society is full of iniquities. People's living are corrupt. Churches are secularized, without spiritual life and vitality. Ministries are formalistic, and no many real conversions.”…
Church need to be influential. This is an anxious voice today. Below is my thinking about ways to become an influential church.
1 Be influential outside the church.
Jesus said in the Sermons on the Mountain, “You,” means we Christians; “You are salt and light of the world,” means we are salt and light. If the salt loses its saltiness, it’s no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
For us, the saltiness means influence, which can be among the non-believers and the community.
The light gives light to everyone in the house. That’s influence, too. The church’s light should not be within the church, but influence the neighbors spiritually.
Can we spiritually influence others for the Lord? It’s not good to be a church that lively inside with Reading Scriptures and Prayers yet not influential outside.
2 Be influential on social caring
Lay Christians care so little about social caring. They neglect social caring, thinking that social caring has nothing to do with the church, which has only one purpose: evangelizing and disciplining. This kind of attitude cut down the relations between church and the unreached people.
We can read from the episodes that Christians should also conduct well as a citizen, love their country. Isn’t the particular conducts of patriotism caring for the souls of our compatriots?
Look at Jesus’ ministry recorded in the Gospels: He teaches, heals, and preaches. He meets the need of souls, and heal the physical illness to cease their painfulness. He grants eternal life to those who believe him.
If we Christians show no care to society, how can the non-believers tell that we are preaching the good news? We should go out of the church and care the society, care those unfortunate and those who are in need.
3 Steps in details
First, join the team of love. Once a warden named Louis took charge of a prison in the US. That prison used to be the toughest, yet become the most humane one. Many people tell the warm testimony of the story of the warden’s wife, a mother of three, Katherine. Because she treats the prisoners as human, with love, and put her trust in them.
Only sincere won sincere. As Christians, we could encourage more people to join the team of love. Eventually, you’ll find the powerful influence of love. In the traditional Chinese, the character of love contains a character of heart, which conveys a deep meaning. Love comes from one’s heart, and flow into another’s.
Second, go into those unfortunate. What Mother Teresa had done are things that everyone is capable: taking care of dying patients, wash their foot, wrap their body, respect and love them. Those who are in need are long for spiritual comforts, and human respect, which can be satisfied from a Christian.
Third, learn from oversea that establish a comprehensive and complete system of public assistance and social welfare system. We have seen many cases that poor college students supported by overseas Christian training projects. Those Christian ministries/projects care not only financially but also spiritually.
Out whole society should act together to care the vulnerable groups, for whom care means strength to get rid of predicament. Actually, there are so many things we can do: care for children left behind, parents who lost their only child, and people with disabilities. Care, out of love, their soul will feel the good news and eventually know Jesus.
Conclusion: our church today should not be self-satisfied. We should uphold the missionary vision. There are so many people in need around us, awaiting us to care, to love, to support, to bring them hope and warm, and the best gift in the world to them.
Translated By: Alice Wang
