Is a Christian's purpose to lead people to Christ?

[Angeleyes7715]

In the Bible Jesus tells his disciples to go and preach to all nations and baptize.

In church I was always treated like my life didn't matter and my job was to get other people to Christ and church now that I have the Holy Spirit and have already been baptized.

In all honesty I always felt like a little sales person or something.

Is that really all we are here for and good for is to make converts?

Is this what God wants from us? I realize we are supposed to live a holy life and love God and demonstrate a Godly life for other people, but is this enough. Are we bad Christian's if we aren't going around making converts?

 

[mukk_in]

Not just coverts, but disciples. Don't worry, He'll make you fishers of men (even if you feel like you're not gifted) .

 

[Uber Genius]

Is that really all we are here for and good for is to make converts?

Are you new to Christianity?

The gospels talk about Jesus and the disciples ushering in "The kingdom of God."

What does that look like?

For more read any of the Synoptics or just type in KOG in scripture into a Google search.

Evangelism is a natural entailment of living by the power of the HS. Destroying Satan's kingdom is an entailment. But why did your particular church not teach you these basic doctrines? Time to find a new church that teaches the scripture that is unless you are new to Christianity.

 

[Tree of Life]

A Christian's purpose is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. In the process of glorifying God a Christian will likely teach others about God but this can look different for different people.

The simplest way I know of to explain what it means to glorify God is that your life ought to tell the story of God's power, majesty, patience, grace, mercy, goodness, gentleness, wisdom, etc... Is your life telling that story? Are you telling that story? This is what God wants to do through your life.

 

[Ken Rank]

In the Bible Jesus tells his disciples to go and preach to all nations and baptize.

In church I was always treated like my life didn't matter and my job was to get other people to Christ and church now that I have the Holy Spirit and have already been baptized.

In all honesty I always felt like a little sales person or something.

Is that really all we are here for and good for is to make converts?

Is this what God wants from us? I realize we are supposed to live a holy life and love God and demonstrate a Godly life for other people, but is this enough. Are we bad Christian's if we aren't going around making converts?

I don't believe so at all. The Great Commission is a call to teach, NOT a call to make converts. God draws men unto Himself anyway (John 6:44) so our job is to worship and serve HIM and in the process, reflect His character attributes (love, peace, joy, patience, etc.) to the world around us through our words and deeds. And once He draws them, and they begin to seek/ask questions (one only finds when they seek)... THEN we can fulfill the GC which is "make disciples"... students... i.e. TEACH.

 

[timewerx]

Not really....."The commission" is not a blind commission.

I agree about "making disciples". But disciples are special. When Christ called out to them, they didn't think twice.

Those are the people to look out for. Those who are resistant, don't waste time on them (Matthew 10:14)

Even Christ had to speak in parables because not everyone has to hear. Christ and the disciples exercised great discernment over those to share the Gospel.

It is really sad almost nobody does this anymore that's why we have so many false teachers today. Christ didn't care for numbers especially if huge numbers are of bad quality, it would still fail. Worse still, the bad apples could mislead many to the wrong path.

 

[Dave-W]

The Great Commission is a call to teach, NOT a call to make converts.

Actually there is more than one instance of the Great Commission to deal with.

First you have Acts 1: Be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, ends of the earth ...

Next you have Mark 16: Preach the gospel - baptize those who respond, both with water and the Holy spirit.

Third you have Matt 28: baptize, teach and disciple.

At a conference this past weekend, Dr Rich Freeman pointed out that this was given directly to Jewish believers. It is in keeping with Israel's command to be a light to the nations. And then he listed another verse which he termed "The Gentile Great Commission:"

Romans 11:11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.​

His point was that according to Romans, the gospel is "to the Jew first." That is not just historical, but ordinal - it is JOB 1.

So the question is to all us gentile believers: what are we doing or what do we have that when a typical Jews sees it would make them jealous for what we have of THEIR God?

Discipleship is Jewish

 

[Another Lazarus]

In my country all religions must tolerate each others and should not force their religions to others uninvited. this is to prevent wars between "the knights in shining armours".

It has happened that some woman pastors tried Preaching an old muslim woman on the street,
the pastors out of nowhere grab her hand and told her "Jesus is the Saviour would you believe Him?", their action was filmed by another muslim man who told them to behave themselves and is put into youtube videos. shame on them.

people have rights to choose their religion, those pastors attitude will make people even mock the Bible. they preached the Bible to strangers uninvited.

We should not create wars and disputes by forcing our religion to others.



Missionaries visit a foreign country usually by invitation from a church for revival,
or to establish a new church or a christian institution,
they open their new church/revival to public who wish to hear the gospel, no pastors preach gospel in public place such as restaurants, garden etc.

It happened in my neighbourhood two people came from church yelling repeteadly "Salvation unto this house" on the street, people shut the door, nobody wish to meet them. Just because they are christians they think they were the knights in shining armour coming to establish the truth.

For us Bible is more precious than gold, but for the unbelievers, religion is cheap.

Peter established the first gentile church by the invitation from Cornelius the Roman, Peter never came to gentiles shouting "Salvation, Salvation"

 

[RaymondG]

The best witness you can give is your own life. Live for God and you let God speak....you wont have to say a word. But be prepared to give a message when people flock to you because they want to get what you have.

 

[Ken Rank]

Actually there is more than one instance of the Great Commission to deal with.

First you have Acts 1: Be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, ends of the earth ...

Next you have Mark 16: Preach the gospel - baptize those who respond, both with water and the Holy spirit.

Third you have Matt 28: baptize, teach and disciple.

At a conference this past weekend, Dr Rich Freeman pointed out that this was given to Jewish believers. It is in keeping with Israel's command to be a light to the nations. And then he listed another verse which he termed "The Gentile Great Commission:"

Romans 11:11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.​

Discipleship is Jewish

I am not really disagreeing Dave even if what I am about to say sounds like it. What you said I agree with IN BALANCE WITH the rest of Scripture. And by that I mean this... we can be witnesses, preach the gospel, baptize others, and teach... but the other side is that God must first draw them (John 6:44), and that they must be seeking first (Jeremiah 29:13 and Matthew 7:7) and we cannot force them into learning.

I cannot comment here on Romans 11:11 ... I have a different interpretation that is far closer to what you just shared and much different than the common Christian interpretation. But... rules are rules.

 

[Dave-W]

And by that I mean this... we can be witnesses, preach the gospel, baptize others, and teach... but the other side is that God must first draw them (John 6:44), and that they must be seeking first (Jeremiah 29:13 and Matthew 7:7) and we cannot force them into learning.

Yes God must draw. But in my experience, God's drawing extends to everyone who is hearing the gospel - with the exception of those who have repeatedly resisted that draw.

But you have to agree that only AFTER someone responds to the draw can they truly seek first the Kingdom, His righteousness and His teachings.

 

[DarthNeo]

God does draw all men - through the HS, through His word, through OUR witness, through nature...

 

[Ken Rank]

Yes God must draw. But in my experience, God's drawing extends to everyone who is hearing the gospel - with the exception of those who have repeatedly resisted that draw.

But you have to agree that only AFTER someone responds to the draw can they truly seek first the Kingdom, His righteousness and His teachings.

Yes, they must respond and that isn't to us, it is to HIM. Blessings Dave.

 

[Dave-W]

Missionaries visit a foreign country usually by invitation from a church for revival

What church in North Korea or Saudi Arabia is going to invite a missionary?

Does that mean that missionaries should not go there?

 

[Another Lazarus]

What church in North Korea or Saudi Arabia is going to invite a missionary?

Does that mean that missionaries should not go there?

God has his way to reach His people there.

 

[Dave-W]

God has his way to reach His people there.

Here is His way:

Rom 10.14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?
15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”

 

[Another Lazarus]

Here is His way:
15 How will they preach unless they are sent?

Missionaries are sent to preach in church or Revival, they never preach on the streets to strangers as that will create intolerance, riots and unstability of a nation, further they are not street vendors selling food for money. Bible is the most precious to us but religion is cheap for the unbelievers.

The word of God/Bible is available everywhere, at the book stores, or in the internet, a chance for people to learn if they are interested. No need to yell "Jesus is the saviour would you believe Him" on the streets to strangers as some female pastors have done it in this country and created negative responds from unbelievers.
Better keep our pie hole shut instead of wanting to become a teacher for every one uninvited.

 

[Dave-W]

Missionaries are sent to preach in church or Revival,

Missionaries are sent to people that have no access to the Gospel to bring them to faith in the Lord. They plant churches from their converts.

Do you think the first missionaries to North America in the 17th and 18th centuries and worked among the Natives went to already existing churches? Or that the Natives had access to the WORD in their own language, or could read it on the internet?

How about sub-Saharan Africa? East Asia? Pacific Islands?

 

[Dave-W]

they never preach on the streets to strangers as that will create intolerance, riots and unstability of a nation,

Is that not EXACTLY what Paul did - stir up intolerance, riots and instability?

 

[Another Lazarus]

Is that not EXACTLY what Paul did - stir up intolerance, riots and instability?

Not at all, read your Bible again.
a statue maker was jealous because his business was down as more people had become christians, this man provoked people to create riot.
by greeting a stranger on the road and yelling Salvation you are provoking anger instead of making the Bible appreciated.