The Casual Christian

Like most of us, Timothy, the pastor of the church at Ephesus, had a problem with courage. He was timid by nature. Yet the Holy Spirit had imbued him with a remarkable spiritual gift for ministry. The Apostle Paul took Timothy under his wing and helped him develop this gift. He had invested a considerable amount of time and energy mentoring this promising young pastor, but now Paul found himself in prison in Rome awaiting his execution. All his supporters except Luke had deserted him. He was deeply concerned that the one who would inherit his mantle, young Timothy, would retreat in the face of opposition.

Paul knew that Timothy would need to be courageous in order to survive the attacks of the enemies of Christ. The consequences of failure would be devastating for the kingdom of God. Backing away from the gospel under the withering fire of Christ’s enemies would mean disgrace and major setback. So Paul spent his final days on this earth urging Timothy to fearlessly carry on in his absence.

In James 1, the brother of Jesus encourages the Jewish Christians scattered about the Roman world of his day to hold fast to their faith in the face of increasing adversity. This letter was written in 45 A.D. just one year after the beheading of James the Great, the brother of the Apostle John. Public sentiment had turned against the Christians and some of the Jewish believers were getting nervous for good reason. The church was about to embark upon over 230 years of intense persecution that would see Christians stoned, crucified, beheaded, scourged, speared, soaked in wax and set on fire, and sewn in animal skins and then fed to wild dogs. In this context, James said to his readers, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (Jas 1:2).

Can you imagine your pastor encouraging you to stay the course in the face of such intense persecution? He is far more likely to tell you God wants to “bless” you, which means giving you everything you want. In all my years at church, I cannot remember a Christian leader even admonishing his flock to sacrifice Sunday Night Football, much less life or fortune for Christ. Maybe pastors don’t want to scare potential converts away. Or perhaps they are reluctant to urge others to make sacrifices they themselves aren’t willing to make.

What Holds Us Back?

In an article entitled, “Ten Reasons We Fail in Evangelism,” Jerry Harmon shares the following statistics:

• Ninety-five percent of all Christians have never won a soul to Christ.
• Eighty percent of all Christians do not consistently witness for Christ.
• Less than two percent are involved in the ministry of evangelism.
• Seventy-one percent give nothing toward the financing of the Great Commission.
• Sixty-three percent of church leadership, including deacons and pastors, have not led a single stranger to Jesus in the last two years.
• Forty-nine percent of Christian leaders spend zero time in an average week ministering outside of the church.
• Nine percent of leaders have no time reserved on their list of weekly priorities for going out to evangelize.
  
  

How can we expect God to pour out His Spirit on us if not even our religious leaders are prepared to share the gospel? After giving honor to God’s name, spreading the kingdom was the second most important item in the Lord's Prayer. Where does it fit on your prayer list? Have you asked God to grant you boldness to share your faith? Be assured, that is what He wants for you. If you ask for it, He will grant you boldness like you have never known. What have you got to lose?

Paul said to Timothy, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline” (2 Tm 1:7). We need not fear the threats of men, the loss of prestige, or bodily harm. God has given us the resources we need to stand firm against the stiffest opposition, anticipating the day when we will bow before Him and He will pronounce the words, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.” It is time to stand up to the enemies of Christ and let our loyalties be known.

The Casual Christian pp. 100-102