Tag: Great Commission
Can Christians Support a National Travel Ban?
Posted on July 26, 2017 in Public Policy, Theology by Nathan Cherry
My first thought was, “how can Christians think biblically about this issue?”
As I conversed with Christians about this topic it was clear that many are in the same boat I am. We want to be biblical, we want to prioritize the Gospel, and we want to be loving to foreigners coming to America. But, we also want to protect our families and the lives of those around us from people that would seek to do harm.
Let’s establish some basic thoughts and then we can discuss the issue and hopefully come to some conclusions.
The Great Commission: Talking the Talk Without Actually Doing Anything
Posted on June 17, 2014 in Theology by Nathan Cherry
Chuck Lawless, writing at Thom Rainer’s website, shares some insight on why many churches talk about the Great Commission but rarely do anything or follow up their talk with action. These points by Lawless are very much worth considering and perhaps, unfortunately, more true of our churches than we care to admit. But without first admitting there is a problem we won’t seek to correct it. So let’s be honest, admit there is a problem, the figure out how to make it right.
In seventeen years of doing church consulting, no church leader has said to me, “Our church really doesn’t want to do the Great Commission.” I’ve worked with many churches, though, that proclaim the Great Commission but never get around to doing it. Here are my conclusions about why churches so often fit this description.
Church leaders talk the language without letting the biblical texts “sink in.” They speak about the Great Commission because the Bible so obviously commands it (Matt. 28:18-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:45-47, John 20:21, Acts 1:8). I suspect many leaders, though, echo the words out of evangelical habit more than out of heartfelt burden. When we proclaim the message without obeying the command, the words have not settled firmly in our heart.