Articles

I would never want to be a monk. I love my wife too much. I like watching college basketball and Sportscenter too much. And I definitely have never looked good in a robe. However, as John Stott has said there is always a temptation fot the church to "withdraw into a kind of closed, evangelical, monastic community." Ouch, but true.

How do we become church monks? Well, we withdrawal from the world around us by sending time with just us. We only spend time at church bible studies, church gatherings or at fellowships of believers. And when we are not with the church? That's time for us to focus on our family. So we pull into the driveway of our homes or parking lot of our apartment complex and lock the door from the outward world.

The biggest barriers for unbelievers to hear the gospel is believers not engaging with them and loving them with the gospel.

You say, "Well, I don't have a seminary degree." Or "I am not a pastor or a leader at my church." Too many people feel ill-equipped to engage people with the gospel so they remain silent. However, don't be deceived. God gives all believers all they need to be on mission - every believer has the same Spirit, the same access to God in prayer, and the same powerful, saving message about Jesus. 

So what does it look like to every single day be on mission for Jesus. It's doing ordinary things that you do everyday with gospel intentionality. It's talking with a co-worker about their struggle with their marriage in light of the Bible. It's sharing life with someone at the gym by being a friend and speaking about how God is blessing you. It's spending more time outside with a neighbor helping serve them rather than spending time in front of TV. Or if you are going to watch a game, invite friends and coworkers to watch with you.

It's simply resting in this powerful gospel that is "the power of God for salvation to everyone believes" (Romans 1:16) and giving room for God to move in your everyday life. 

Tim Keller says everyday gospel minisry has four aspects:

  • Organic. It happens spontaneously, outside of the church's organized programs.
  • Relational. It is done in the context of informal relationships
  • Word deploying. It prayerfully brings the Bible and gospel into connection with people's lives.
  • Active, not passive. Each person assumes responsibility for being a producer rather than a consumer of ministry.

That's the heart of Christ Fellowship. Ministry doesn't ONLY take place at 10:30am or ONLY during a community group on Wednesday nights. Ministry takes place when God's people engage people with the gospel next door, at the gym, at elementary schools, at the park, in the company break rooms, over lunch with a friend, on Facebook, in the middle of an aisle in Target, with the cashier at Mcdonald's and everywhere in between.  

It's organic. It's relational. It's filled with God's Word. It's active. It's everyday gospel ministry. It's our church being the church that God calls us to be.