Why are Christians ashamed of doing ministry?

Question

Shouldn't your church be sending you out in droves to share in the salvation work? Becoming fishers of men and stuff!

action girl, all very nice but did Jesus just go about being a good man or did he teach also?

intrigue, how is giving the hope of everlasting life and truth be considered bugging people?

Did Jesus tell any of his followers just go to church and not do ministry because others can do it for you?

Jessika, now we are getting to the reality not the so far excuses of why.

Answer 1

Preaching Publicly and From House to House

The disciples knew that they were to preach the good news and "make disciples of people of all the nations." (Matthew 28:19, 20) But they did not know how thorough a witness would be given, and they did not know when the end would come. Neither do we. These are matters for Jehovah alone to determine. (Matthew 24:36) When the witness is given to Jehovah's satisfaction, he will bring an end to this wicked system of things. Only then will Christians discern that the preaching work has been accomplished to the extent Jehovah purposed. Those early disciples could hardly have envisioned the magnitude of the witness that would be given in this time of the end.

The Witness in the First Century

6 In the first century, the Kingdom-preaching and disciple-making work produced astounding results. On the day of Pentecost 33 C.E., about 120 disciples were in an upper room in Jerusalem. God's holy spirit was poured out upon them, the apostle Peter gave a stirring talk explaining the meaning of this miracle, and some 3,000 became believers and were baptized. That was only the beginning. Despite the determined efforts by religious leaders to crush the preaching of the good news, "Jehovah continued to join to [the disciples] daily those being saved." Soon, "the number of the men became about five thousand." After that, "believers in the Lord kept on being added, multitudes both of men and of women."-Acts 2:1-4, 8, 14, 41, 47; 4:4; 5:14.

7 The year 36 C.E. saw another significant development-the conversion and baptism of Cornelius, a Gentile. In directing the apostle Peter to this God-fearing man, Jehovah indicated that Jesus' command to "make disciples of people of all the nations" was not limited to Jews in various lands. (Acts 10:44, 45) What was the reaction of those taking the lead? When the apostles and older men in Judaea discerned that the good news was also to be taken to those of the nations-non-Jews-they glorified God. (Acts 11:1, 18) Meanwhile, the preaching work continued to bear fruit among the Jews. Some years later, possibly about 58 C.E., there were in addition to Gentile believers "many thousands of [Jewish] believers."-Acts 21:20.

8 Though numerical increase among first-century Christians is impressive, never should we forget the individuals whom the figures represent. The Biblical message they heard was powerful. (Hebrews 4:12) It dramatically changed the lives of those embracing it. Individuals cleaned up their lives, put on the new personality, and became reconciled to God. (Ephesians 4:22, 23) The same is true today. And those accepting the good news all have the marvelous prospect of living eternally.-John 3:16.

Fellow Workers With God

9 The early Christians did not take credit for what was being accomplished. They recognized that their work as ministers was supported by "power of holy spirit." (Romans 15:13, 19) Jehovah was the one responsible for spiritual growth. At the same time, those Christians knew that they had the privilege and responsibility of being "God's fellow workers." (1 Corinthians 3:6-9) Consequently, in harmony with Jesus' admonition, they exerted themselves vigorously in the work they were assigned to do.-Luke 13:24.

10 As "an apostle to the nations," Paul journeyed thousands of miles on land and sea, establishing many congregations in the Roman province of Asia and in Greece. (Romans 11:13) He also traveled to Rome and possibly even to Spain. Meanwhile, the apostle Peter, entrusted with "the good news . . . for those who [were] circumcised," traveled in the other direction to serve in Babylon, an important center of Judaism at that time. (Galatians 2:7-9; 1 Peter 5:13) Among the many others who labored in the work of the Lord were such women as Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Another woman, named Persis, is said to have "performed many labors in the Lord."-Romans 16:12.

11 Jehovah richly blessed the efforts of those and other zealous workers. Less than 30 years after Jesus foretold that there would be a witness to all the nations, Paul wrote that the "good news" had been "preached in all creation that is under heaven." (Colossians 1:23) Did the end then come? In a sense, yes. It came upon the Jewish system of things in the year 70 C.E. when Roman armies destroyed Jerusalem along with the temple. Yet, Jehovah had determined that a far greater witness would be given before he would bring an end to Satan's global system of things.

The Witness Given Today

12 During the latter part of the 19th century, after a long period when religious apostasy prevailed, pure worship was reestablished. The Bible Students, as Jehovah's Witnesses were then known, well understood the command to make disciples in all the earth. (Matthew 28:19, 20) By the year 1914, there were about 5,100 who actively participated in the preaching activity, and the good news had reached some 68 lands. However, those early Bible Students did not grasp the full significance of Matthew 24:14. By the late 19th century, the Bible, which contains the good news, or gospel, had been translated and printed by Bible societies in many languages and distributed around the world. Thus, for some decades, the Bible Students reasoned that a witness to the nations had already been given.

13 Gradually, Jehovah gave his people a clearer understanding of his will and purpose. (Proverbs 4:18) The Watch Tower of December 1, 1928, said: "Can we say that [the] circulation of the Bible accomplished the foretold preaching of the gospel of the kingdom? Decidedly no! In spite of this Bible distribution it is still necessary for God's little band of witnesses in the earth to print literature explaining God's [purpose] and to call upon the homes where these Bibles have been placed. Otherwise the people would be left in ignorance as to the setting up of the Messianic government in our day."

14 That issue of The Watch Tower further stated: "In 1920, . . . Bible Students came to a correct understanding of our Lord's prophecy contained in Matthew 24:14. They then realized that 'this gospel' which was to be preached in all the world for a testimony to the Gentiles or all nations, was not a gospel of a kingdom yet to come but a gospel to the effect that the Messianic King has begun his reign over earth."

15 That "little band of witnesses" in the 1920's did not remain little. In the decades to come, "a great crowd" of "other sheep" was identified and began to be gathered. (Revelation 7:9; John 10:16) Today, there are 6,613,829 proclaimers of the good news in 235 lands of the earth. What a marvelous fulfillment of prophecy! Never before has "this good news of the kingdom" been preached on such a large scale. Never before have there been so many faithful servants of Jehovah on earth.

16 Together, this vast throng of Witnesses have been busy during the 2005 service year. Over a billion hours were spent in proclaiming the good news in 235 lands. Millions of return visits were made, and millions of Bible studies were conducted. This work has been accomplished by Jehovah's Witnesses, who have freely given of their time and resources to share God's Word with others. (Matthew 10:8) By means of his powerful holy spirit, Jehovah continues to empower his servants to accomplish his will.-Zechariah 4:6.

Working Hard to Give a Witness

17 Though nearly 2,000 years have passed since Jesus said that the good news would be preached, the zeal that God's people have for the work has not diminished. We know that by our endurance in doing what is fine, we reflect Jehovah's qualities of love, mercy, and patience. Like him, we do not desire any to be destroyed but desire that people repent and become reconciled to Jehovah. (2 Corinthians 5:18-20; 2 Peter 3:9) Aglow with God's spirit, Jehovah's Witnesses zealously continue to proclaim the good news to the ends of the earth. (Romans 12:11) As a result, people everywhere are accepting the truth and conforming to Jehovah's loving direction. Consider a few examples.

18 Charles was a farmer in western Kenya. In 1998 he sold over 18,000 pounds [8,000 kg] of tobacco and was awarded a certificate that named him the Best Tobacco Farmer. At that time, he began to study the Bible. Soon he came to realize that a person involved in tobacco production violates Jesus' command to love one's neighbor. (Matthew 22:39) Upon concluding that 'the best tobacco farmer' was really 'the best killer,' Charles sprayed his tobacco plants with poison. He progressed toward dedication and baptism and is now a regular pioneer and a ministerial servant.

19 There is no doubt that Jehovah is rocking the nations by means of the global witness being given, and the desirable things-people-are coming in. (Haggai 2:7) Pedro, who lives in Portugal, entered a seminary when he was 13 years old. His goal was to become a missionary and to teach the Bible. After a short time, however, he left the seminary because the Bible received so little attention in his classes. Six years later found him studying psychology at a university in Lisbon. He lived with his aunt, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, who encouraged him to study the Bible. At that point, Pedro was not sure that God existed, nor could he decide whether to have a Bible study or not. He spoke to his psychology professor about indecisiveness. The professor said that psychology teaches that people who cannot make decisions tend to be self-destructive. At that, Pedro resolved to have a Bible study. He was recently baptized and is now conducting Bible studies of his own.

20 We still do not know to what extent a witness will be given to the nations, nor do we know the day and hour when the end will come. We only know that it will be soon. We rejoice that the preaching of the good news on such a vast scale is but one of the many indications that the time is near for God's Kingdom to replace human governments. (Daniel 2:44) With each passing year, millions are being given an opportunity to respond to the good news, and this glorifies our God, Jehovah. May it be our determination to remain faithful and along with our brothers worldwide to keep busy in the work of bearing witness to all the nations. By doing so, we will save both ourselves and those who listen to us.-1 Timothy 4:16.

Answer 2

All Christians are called upon the share the Gospel. You do that by using the gifts that God gives you. Not all are given he gift of evangelism. But no matter what gift you have you can share the gospel.

Now I am assuming you are not a believer. If I wrong correct me. But I have known many people that are not believers who ask the same thing. Then when you want to share the Gospel they call you a Bible thumper or do not want to hear what you have to say.

Answer 3

How many doors have you shut on a JW that came to your home? I believe that there is nothing so loud as the word of God, whispered into the ear of someone that is ready to hear it. Most Christians live a life of Christianity. A story I am fond of tells of a time when St. Francis of Assisi took an acolyte to town to preach one day. After walking around the town all day, greeting all they met, helping out when and where they could, the acolyte turned to St. Francis and asked, "When are we going to start preaching?" St. Francis replied, "We have been all day! In all that you do preach the Love of God, and if you have to, speak."

Answer 4

Well don't paint with such a big brush. This answer program here is a terrific venue for expressing faith, for standing up for Jesus and answering tough questions.

I get your point though. Many churches today seem to be more interested in their own agendas than getting people saved, and that is too bad. But I am only responsible for me not them and so why worry about it?

Answer 5

Some Christians are afraid of what people will think or that they will lose their job, friends, or reputation. Others don't really know what they believe and are afraid of being asked a question they won't know the answer to. That's why some have online ministry where they can be safely anonymous.

Answer 6

Unfortunately the church buildings don't coach the Kingdom of God so that they have no idea the well information. They coach the lie of Heaven or Hellfire because the present after dying. Obviously they don't learn, permit on my own research their Bible. The one character I had at my door was once misplaced. She didn't understand why she was once there rather then to ask me to her church. How actual the phrases of Jesus at Matthew nine:36. On seeing the crowds he felt pity for them, due to the fact that they have been skinned and thrown approximately like sheep with out a shepherd. Porcelain Vessel may be right, they don't have Jehovah's Holy Spirit to advisor and direct them.

Answer 7

Not everyone is called to minister. Check out 1 Cor. 12, that talks about how different people have various spiritual gifts.
Plus, some do minister indirectly by caring for the sick/poor and in less that visible ways.

Answer 8

Christians are ashamed of telling other what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for them because they have not studied God's Word. They don't want to be called religious nuts and not excepted by their friends. They have never been taught that God ordained us when we believed that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, to do good works. Ephesians 2: 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Answer 9

I wasn't aware Christians were ashamed of doing ministry. There are some organized religions who practice proselytizing more than others.

Answer 10

Tho we are all commissioned to teach, we do not all have the same kind of calling or anointment of God..... If you know the story of Moses , that is a very good example..... He could not speak well so he ask God to let Aaron, his brother do the speaking..... there are MANY ways to spread the Word..... go in peace....... God bless

Answer 11

Christians do speak to others about savation and God. We are not required to ride bikes and bug the crap outta of people because a number of visits/house calls/religious rituals won't get you to heaven. God doesn't tally up a score to let you in.