According to Harold Camping a large earthquake was to hit the entire earth on May 21, 2011 and all true believers would be raptured. Then the world would end in October of that year. I didn't put any stock in Mr. Camping's prediction for several reasons. Since you are reading this, you know that his prediction failed and his understanding of the scriptures was faulty, but it raises a valid question. If Jesus is coming back, how should we live?
Matthew 28 is the record of the resurrection. Matthew's account is an exciting, fast paced account. He records in 20 verses what Luke and John each take over 50 verses to describe. In Matthew Jesus rises from the dead and an angel announces it to the women. They then have a brief encounter with Jesus, the guards run off to report to the Chief Priests, and the disciples go to Galilee. What does this have to do with Harold Camping's prediction? Just this, Harold's followers quit their jobs, left their homes, and are spent what they expected to be their last days driving around in RVs passing out literature about the end of the world. In contrast, Jesus words were, "Make disciples, baptizing and teaching." There is no last minute, panicky literature distribution. There is only one plan: Get involved in the lives of people.
This chapter is an exciting, fast paced conclusion to the story of the King. He has now called us, in the activity of life, to be about the business of the King. A few chapters earlier Jesus warned us not to go rushing off to find him if we hear that he has returned. Neither, I believe, are we to just start distributing as many leaflets as possible. It’s not that God can't use leaflets, but the primary directive the King left us with is, "In your going make disciples."
Now before you read my concluding paragraph I suppose I need to write a disclaimer. For my good friends who have written, printed, and/or passed out tracts for years, please understand that I have nothing against printed literature. My concern arises when tracts become an excuse for impersonal evangelism that misses the whole concept of what it means to make disciples. So keep printing and distributing the literature. Just don't limit your efforts to that.
Father, I confess that I could do this better. Forgive me for the times I have substituted sermons, tracts or some other impersonal communication of the gospel for relationships that lead to disciples. Forgive me for the times I have been more interested in decisions than disciples. May my life be characterized by your prime directive. Open my eyes to see how you are at work in my neighbors' lives. Don't let me be satisfied with watching from a distance.
Matthew 28 is the record of the resurrection. Matthew's account is an exciting, fast paced account. He records in 20 verses what Luke and John each take over 50 verses to describe. In Matthew Jesus rises from the dead and an angel announces it to the women. They then have a brief encounter with Jesus, the guards run off to report to the Chief Priests, and the disciples go to Galilee. What does this have to do with Harold Camping's prediction? Just this, Harold's followers quit their jobs, left their homes, and are spent what they expected to be their last days driving around in RVs passing out literature about the end of the world. In contrast, Jesus words were, "Make disciples, baptizing and teaching." There is no last minute, panicky literature distribution. There is only one plan: Get involved in the lives of people.
This chapter is an exciting, fast paced conclusion to the story of the King. He has now called us, in the activity of life, to be about the business of the King. A few chapters earlier Jesus warned us not to go rushing off to find him if we hear that he has returned. Neither, I believe, are we to just start distributing as many leaflets as possible. It’s not that God can't use leaflets, but the primary directive the King left us with is, "In your going make disciples."
Now before you read my concluding paragraph I suppose I need to write a disclaimer. For my good friends who have written, printed, and/or passed out tracts for years, please understand that I have nothing against printed literature. My concern arises when tracts become an excuse for impersonal evangelism that misses the whole concept of what it means to make disciples. So keep printing and distributing the literature. Just don't limit your efforts to that.
Father, I confess that I could do this better. Forgive me for the times I have substituted sermons, tracts or some other impersonal communication of the gospel for relationships that lead to disciples. Forgive me for the times I have been more interested in decisions than disciples. May my life be characterized by your prime directive. Open my eyes to see how you are at work in my neighbors' lives. Don't let me be satisfied with watching from a distance.
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