more thoughts and questions

In the New Testament I read a lot about Christ, Paul etc. calling those they passed to repent. "The Kingdom of God is at hand."

Experience shows us that pointing the law, their sins, out to the world seems to push them away.

(I'm just thinking out loud here)

Tracts and big 'evangelism' events and going to see the Passion aren't any kind of a 'tool' outside of a relationship with the Church. (you/me in mission with them) Loving relationships. Compassion. A listening ear. My/our seeing there need or needs. Isn't this what Christ did?

I know he is already at work in people's lives that none of us are in relationship with, but it seems to me that Christ did more meeting the needs of people, loving them, healing them, eating with them, traveling with them, dieing for them and accepting them than he did ?preaching? to them. I do believe He was continuously teaching though.

When I look at the early Church I see that Paul always had return visits.

The Church emerges somewhere and there are those who remain there to be in relationship with those in the surrounding community. There is no way that all that were converted in a particular community were the only ones to come into the Church. "they added to their number daily."

They will know us by our love for one another.

He WILL add to our numbers daily.

I'm not sure why I needed to right all this down for myself...

I did see late last night on a 'Christian' TV channel (whatever that is) someone quoting Martin Luther and saying something about sects within the Christian community that do not call for fear of the Law. (I can't remember what the quote was, but it was from his commentary on Galations and probably from chapter 2. Now that I do a little reading, I think they misquoted him or really took the quote out of context and turned it around.) The people on TV pointed out how Christ used the Law as a mirror to show people why they needed to repent and be forgiven.

I don't know. All I do know is that those around me are only going to see some validity in my message if I am living that message out. Keeping in mind God is always at work in their lives.

I think my job is to be loving (the kind of loving that is only learned from Christ), accepting and compassionate and allow Christ to convict the hearts of those outside of the Church. Making my message oral only in the midst of relationships. Otherwise I am just another guy with another view trying to tell people how to be. Ya know? How close those relationships have to be is not something to presume. God will open that up. If I try and be too strategic about anything I just step all over myself and make a mess.