Good deeds such as tidying and painting the community, running homework clubs, holding BBQ�s etc are being used as outreach. There is no doubt that these activities can and do draw some people to Christ. They also allow less confident Christians to develop skills in sharing their love for Christ in a comfortable social setting.
Recently, I heard a comment that challenged me about these various forms of outreach � �Where in the bible and the life of Jesus Christ were these types of activities undertaken in order to share the good news?� I couldn�t give an answer at time but started to search the bible to see in I could find any examples of Christ doing or instructing his followers to these types of outreach.
I found that far from organising events to draw people, Christ simply way out sharing the gospel and doing miracles and this is what draw people to come to him.
At the end of parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) Jesus said, �Go and do likewise�. The Samaritan helped an injured man while he was going about his everyday activity. He was not an accident rescue service for injured people and Jesus did not encourage his listener to set up a hospital for injured people.
Jesus and the early Christians did not need to be a rich man to reach a rich man (Mark 10:17-31 The Rich Young Ruler), a soldier to reach a soldier (Luke 7:1-10 The Roman Centurion), a prostitute to reach a prostitute (Luke 7:36-50 Sinful woman washed Jesus� feet).
So how are Christians meant to outreach to all type of people with differing life styles?
Jesus made in clear and simple. His calling and anointing was to preach the gospel (Luke 4:18-19;43). Jesus commission people who want to be his disciples to share the gospel in the same way that he was called and anointed to do. John 20:21 records that Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." The you refers to all Christians! As Jesus was sent to share the gospel, we as Christians are meant to do it in the same way.
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