We know just how important it is to be a witness in places like pubs. Yes, we need to be alert and ready to give an answer for the faith we confess to follow as it says in 1 Peter 3 v 15:
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
The concern in today’s church culture we have is this. Are Christians going into the places that are deemed to be toxic? IT IS NOT HARD TO GO AND FIND PLACES TO WITNESS. You will never find it hard to find a person with problems, you just have to find a pub.
Why do people who have no hope or joy in Jesus turn to a pub? It is because they turn to alcohol, to fun music and are in search of some kind of community that they can be a part of to block out the problems they have in this fallen world. Pubs numb the senses to people’s problems temporarily, however, when waking up in the morning they are not just faced with their problems once more, they face them with a whopping hangover.
For the past three years we have made it our mission to go into pubs, to be a witness of the good news of Jesus beyond the four walls of the church building. We have spoke to many people and have seen Jesus breakthrough in peoples lives.
Considering how many churches are in the local area, it is staggering to see the lack of Christians in pubs within the Canton area. How do we know this? Because we have been able to see this with our own eyes.
It raises questions! Such as this, are leaders leading by example? They preach from the pulpit to go out and witness for Jesus, all the while they are being paid vast sums of money, yet you never see them in so called toxic environments!
Another example. A homeless ministry we served and witnessed time and again, and yet leaders who said go out and serve the poor, did we ever see them there themselves while serving the poor, NOT ONCE! While being paid vast sums of money.
We must PRAY and PRAY some more for our leaders who practice the faith in false humility who are wrapped in self-deception. They call themselves Christians, they smell like Christians, they talk like Christians, but they are never around in so called toxic environments.
Christians who enjoy the experience
There are many Christians who enjoy the experience of being a Christian, they are in it for the experience, we are talking about the Christians who would rather hang out in airports, and relax on a plane 50,000ft in the sky making the excuse their mission is global and Jesus’ mission is global travelling thousands of miles, yet they cannot venture less than a mile from the four walls of their church to witness to people who desperately need to know Jesus.
Jesus was not afraid to call out churches as we know in Revelation 3, as He did calling out the churches in Sardis and Laodicea. Churches who appeared alive but were in fact dead, or churches that were lukewarm.
Churches like the one in Sardis and Laodicea were probably to busy introducing destructive heresies and manipulating the true word of God, leading people astray. However, the good news you can take from Revelation 3 was this, Jesus gives those churches a chance to repent and to look into their hearts to assess them in order to change. We believe that this is still open to churches who have become misguided.
Jesus specifically said that when He returns, He will take the few who have not soiled their garments from churches dealing in self-deception, few! So, pray for these churches and let’s see God advance His kingdom in churches dealing in false humility, because with God He can change these churches.
Pray that these churches go into pubs where the harvest is ripe day in and day out, in pubs that are less than a mile down the road from their church entering so called toxic environments to witness for Jesus.
Let there be light in the places where sinners can easily be found.
Pray they be saved and will know that eternal life can be there’s and they can be forgiven for their sins, be in Gods good love and provision.