The Crux of Evangelism
It comes down to this: Do you care? Do you value lost people? Do you have the same compassion for them that Christ had for you (John 3:16; Romans 5:8)?
A Global Pandemic—We Were Made for This!
By Michael C. Mack
During times of crisis, the church has typically responded sacrificially for the good of society. Over the last several weeks we’ve seen ample evidence of that happening today. Christians are serving their communities, loving their neighbors, and caring for the needs of others. In the midst of a global pandemic, the church is taking action and God is being glorified.
This is who we are! As one minister said, “We never would have prayed for this, but we were made for this!” We love others because God first loved us. We serve others because our Master came as a servant. We have compassion for people around us because we’ve seen Jesus” compassion. And we live sacrificially because our Savior sacrificed himself for us.
Paul said,
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:1-8).
The Lord’s Supper helps us remember what Jesus did for us on the cross, but it also reminds us about who we are as his followers. So let’s eat the bread and drink from the cup . . . and let us remember that we too are called to humbly value others above ourselves, to not look to our own interests, but to the interests of others.
Michael C. Mack serves as editor of Christian Standard.
Michael C. Mack
Michael C. Mack is editor of Christian Standard. He has served in churches in Ohio, Indiana, Idaho, and Kentucky. He has written more than 25 books and discussion guides as well as hundreds of magazine, newspaper, and web-based articles.
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