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Today at the Mid-South Baptist Association Ministers Conference, retired pastor D.C. Cobb brought a great message on who Jesus reached. He pointed out that Jesus personally ministered to the following:
Truly the fields are white for harvest (John 4:35). We just need to follow the Lord's example and get out there and engage people!
There is a lot of talk to today about race relations. But the more I study people and history the more I realize things don't really change. Throughout ancient history there have always been conflicting opinions surrounding this volatile topic. In the first century, people in Palestine debated whether Jewish Christians and Gentiles Christians could co-mingle. Here are 3 attitudes from then, that are still with us today.
Thankfully, attitude number three prevailed in the church in Antioch. A multi-cultural, missionary church then changed the course of Christianity and the world (see Acts 13:1-3). Will you and your church be the next history changing congregation?
What is more important: Multi-cultural worship or cross-cultural missions?
It is exciting when different people groups come together for worship. The diversity can be uplifting. It is exciting to see different kinds of people touched by God's love.
Unfortunately, building a multi-cultural church is not easy. Societal customs and language barriers may be difficult to overcome. People tend to be comfortable with their own kind and Sunday morning is still the most segregated hour in America. This is not good, but it is reality.
Well-meaning Chrisitans may debate the merits of a multi-cultural church; but, there is no question that God has called all churches to cross-cultural missions. In the Great Commission our Lord tells us to "go and make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19)." This means that every obedient congregation has to figure out how to take the gospel to a people unlike their own.
Too many churches are stuck in a pattern of only reaching their own kind of people. This is disobedience to the Great Commission.
The Lord didn't say we had to change our church and make it multi-cultural; but, he did say we are to make disciples of all ethnic groups. This may involve prayer-walking in a different neighborhood, starting a remote Bible study, sending out mission teams, or planting a new church.
Multi-cultural worship is optional. Cross-cultural missions is not.