"But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?" - James 2:20
The truth is, about half of the people on this planet haven't had an adequate presentation of the Good News. Undoubtedly, there are millions in your own country who haven't heard the Good News either. Why is that? Is the Church immoblized?
The reasons for Christian inaction are probably many. Some Christians are admittedly not doing as much as they should. But I think the more serious problem is that, in spite of Y'shua's (Jesus') clear commands from scripture, Christians are buying into certain ideas and misconceptions that are allowing them to cast off much of their sense of responsibility.
Whatever the reasons may be, I believe that any excuse for inaction is, frankly, a cop-out. The bottom line is that these following ideas are crippling Christian initiative. Remember - there's nothing Satan wants more, than a complacent, inactive Church.
Clericalism
Clericalism is the idea that the religious professionals - the "clergy" - are supposed to do all of the religious stuff. This turns the congregation into spectators, instead of participants. All Christians are gifted for ministry by the Holy Spirit, and we should not leave most of God's work for a few already overworked Christian professionals. The Church needs desperately to rediscover God's design for the Body of Christ. We all need to be doing our part. Ideally, pastors should serve as facilitators for a working congregation. (See also Our Weak Body & Organized Religion.)
Evangelism - Drawing the Line
Uncertainty kills initiative. And when it comes to evangelism, many Christians aren't sure where to draw the line. The line seems to be blurred between what our job is, and what God's job is. I think that for many Christians, this ambiguity causes many to become hesitant and unsure about becoming involved in evangelism. So let me try to clear this up and help you become more confident in sharing the Good News:
It is our job to preach the Good News. We must communicate the message, and help our audience understand it. We must attempt to persuade, with sensitivity to the person's situation and cultural background.
Once a non-Christian has understood the Good News, the responsibility shifts away from us. Once a non-believer is convinced intellectually of the truthfulness of the Good News, it is up to him or her to make the plunge. It is up to them to deny themselves, their friends and their possessions and put their trust in God and Y'shua's sacrifice. Only the non-Christian can make the decision to yield to God, to have faith, and to follow through. If a Christian tries to pressure a non-Christian to yield, this is manipulation, and can potentially bear false fruit. We don't need to "sell" the Good News.
Fatalism
Fatalism is the idea that God's will happens no matter what. Everything has been predetermined, and there's nothing you can do about it. The fatalist says, "God's going to do what He's going to do; so why bother?" or "Let go, and let God. I'm just going to sit back and watch God guide me along into destiny." Well, obviously that would kill just about anyone's motivation.
While the idea of a set plan, or the sovereign will of God is true, there's more. God doesn't need us, but He wants to use us. The question is: do we want to be used by God? If we are not obedient, He will fulfill His plans some other way, but at our expense. If we are disobedient, God will not be inconvenienced, but He will allow our society to fall into moral depravity.
Mysticism
Most Christians today seem to believe that God has a personal, specific plan for their lives that He reveals through heart impressions, or "the still small voice" of God. In other words, many Christians believe that God speaks to them often, and gives them answers for life's many decisions, such as what university to go to, what career path to take, and who to marry.
I do not agree with that view. I believe it's unbiblical, and personal experience has strongly reinforced that belief. Not only do I think this view is wrong, but I also think it's harmful for the Church, particularly when it comes to taking action. And let me tell you why:
It makes Christians passive. Instead of taking charge, coming up with ideas, and being proactive, Christians will sit around and wait until something happens or until they "feel led". Some Christians even lay dormant for their whole lives, waiting to be "in-tune" enough to feel led in the first place! We do not need to wait for instructions - we have them in God's Word!
If this view is in fact false, then Christians are wasting their time. Christians like me have squandered years of their lives feeling lost and directionless, when they could have been ministering through faithful obedience. If this view is false, then we should be doing everything in our power to make the most of God's biblical commands right now! We should understand the great responsibility that our Master has given us, and the sufficiency of His Word to make us fully-equipped for every good work (2 Tim 3:16,17).
For a more in-depth refutation of the doctrine of the individual will, click here.
Prayer - the magical fix-all?
Can we really expect God to bless our work if we don't put our best efforts into it? Can we expect God to just patch-up the holes in our outreach campaign if we didn't take the time to do it right? I have seen many examples of Christians throwing together an outreach event at the last minute, after procrastinating for weeks, and then thinking that a little prayer will make everything OK. That kind of thinking and planning is not going to get us far. Prayer can never be a replacement for good planning, thorough research and hard work. Can we expect God to bless our halfheartedness? We should take evangelism very seriously, and we should realize that our impact is only going to be as strong as the work and prayer that we put into it. Let us pray that God can help us take His purposes seriously, and fulfill them with the wisdom and discernment that He can give us!