Christians: Serious question?

Question

when I was a kid (and went to my mother's evangelical church), I remember that evangelizing was paramount. Converting someone from atheism or another religion (or even another sect of Christianity) was A number 1 God's work.

But increasingly on here and elsewhere I hear Christians saying they don't give a damn about converting anyone and they don't even seem to understand why I would think that's part of their religion.

What's happened in the past 30 years? Are people just too lazy these days?

Answer 1

        I still believe that the Gospel Commission is the #2 duty of the Christian.

Mat. 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Mat. 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat. 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

        The first duty, of course, is to be right with God yourself. You cannot be an effective witness for Christ if Christ is not truly in your life. This is not a one-time (once saved, always saved) kind of thing, either. Paul agrees with this:

1Cor. 9:26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
1Cor. 9:27 But I keepunder my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

1Cor. 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

God bless.

Answer 2

The problem is that the church has become liberal in its thinking and has watered down the gospel. The typical person today does not really understand the extent of what Christ did for us. If they did then there would be a burning desire to share this good news with our friends and associates.

Many (probably most) "Christians" today cannot express what they believe in. This is mostly due to a post-modern culture that believes in relative truth where you can believe what you believe and I can believe what I believe and both are equally valid. This is a serious breech of logic and common sense.

Since they themselves don't know what they believe then how can they tell someone else? Since they don't really believe in anything at all, there isn't any good news for them, so they have no desire to tell anyone else.

The church has seen a shift during this time from being Christ-centered to being self-centered. There are a lot of "feel good" sermons out there that teach how God can make you rich and how he can make you all you can be. This is not the true gospel. The true gospel teaches our wickedness, our dependance on God and obedience to God. These are not popular topics so many pastors are leaving them out.

The good news is that God always has a remnant. There are some very good churches out there, although NONE are perfect. Some of them are even large, megachurches.

Answer 3

That is true. But remember that for the pat 30 years or so everything American and not just Christian evangelism has been under assault. Leadership and authority by man was considered fashionable. Which naturally translated into challenging the leadership to God. The mission prescribed by Jesus Christ to go into the world and preach the gospel has been pushed aside to appeasement and social acceptability and political corruptness I mean correctness.
God wants salvation to continue to be the mission for the church.

Ironic that people think the Bible,in Isaiah, is so outdated should describe with perfection the dominating thought prevalent all nations in the world today.

Isaiah 5: 20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Answer 4

It is many things. Some people are lazy. Some people are so busy busy busy that they hardly have time to spend on their own children let alone their lost neighbors. Others are taught that it isn't necessary and that Jesus was really talking about "lifestyle evangelism", where a believer just lives for God and people will come to know Jesus from watching these people (which is kinda dumb....how will people know about Jesus if we never talk about Him?). And a large number of people are just apathetic. We know what the Bible says, we know these people need to know Christ, and we just don't care. It is so sad. Others are too afraid (that's me far too often!). When the opportunity arises to tell someone the gospel, we chicken out and get all afraid and let the moment pass. And yet another reason - because we are constantly bombarded with the message that witnessing is judgmental and intolerant, and people will call you a hater if you are an outspoken Christian (and that sucks...it get so depressing after a while). There are many reasons why nobody evangelizes today. None of them are good reasons, and I really think that we Christians will have to answer to God one day and explain why we withheld the Truth from those who needed it.

Answer 5

I would like to try to address this.. In my humble opinion:

Christians are suppose to spread The Good News, or The Gospels. We can NOT convert. We plant the seeds and God tends the garden.
For every Generation the spreading of the word has changed to be able to communicate in their times, what the Good Word has to say. The message didn`t change. The way the messages are being delivered has.. God is the same today , Yesterday and Tomorrow.

Just because they call themselves by that name, doesn`t make them a child of God.. Many will claim to know him. But he knows them NOT..

Contrary to popular belief, We did not get a packet of *INSTANT HOLY* and a bottle of * INSTANT GOD`S KNOWLEDGE* the second we decided to follow God.
No one has ALL the answers. You don`t become a brain surgeon after reading the first book. You don`t know how to fix a car without learning how.. Have patience... We are a work in progress. God isn`t finished yet...

It is all in HIS time. For HIS purposes.. Judge NOT, lest ye be judged..

Peace & God bless from Texas. <><

Answer 6

Christians are to go tell of the Good News as talked about in the Great Commission in the Book of Matthew.. The Holy Spirit will do the converting. I can't answer for those that "don't give a damn", but true christians know what they are supposed to do to stay in God's will.

Answer 7

You grew up with evangelicals. Many of us Christians consider them extremists, loonies in a sense. No offense to your mother. But Protestants, Catholics, and Eastern Orthodox do not proselytize. We think the person should choose their own path. I really do no give a damn if a person is a Christian or not. We have free will. Evangelicals make it a priority to convert others, they are similar to Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses in this case. The rest of us Christian aren't going to knock on your door or damn you to hell if you are of a different religion. I, personally, dislike those people who forcefully try to ram their beliefs on another person's throat. No one in my church has ever evangelize. It's the denomination that you grew up and few others that do this. Frankly, we are all sick and tired of them.

Answer 8

For me, caring about others is paramount to being a Christian.
Jesus came to save the world, it's up to Christians to share that message.
Trying to do that in a nonjudgemental way is hard, especially when we're put on the defensive 9/10ths of the time.
I would pray that God would soften the hearts of people who say they believe in Christ but don't care about converting others. If they were listening to Him, they would know that loving the world through Christ is what is expected of us.

Answer 9

You can't convert the unwilling or the one who does not want to listen. It is scriptural to try but if the unbeliever does not turn to Christ then it is upon themselves.
A Christian does not have to chase after unbelievers.
The way you think about how a "religion" should be has absolutely no bearing on a person's belief.
I get the feeling you are still young and believe no one can tell you anything. That is the way of youth these days, impetuous.

Answer 10

Evangelizing is simply sharing the Word of God.
As a Christian Preacher, writer and Evangelist I do that by answering question honestly and to the best of my ability.
It is also done through my web-site.
But the converting of a person is something that only the Holy Spirit can do.