JACKSON, Tenn. — April 4, 2003 — The dean of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary鈥檚 Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth, called on Christians to share the gospel of Christ with the same intensity and force used to rescue former prisoner of war Jessica Lynch.
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| Thom Rainer challenges Union students and faculty to be more aggressive evangelists. |
鈥淛essica Lynch was rescued 鈥� injured, but alive and well,鈥� said Thom Rainer during an April 2 address to more than 1,000 students and faculty at 51社区. 鈥淐an you imagine the courage it took to go in and save her life? The resources? One life is that important temporarily and one life is that important eternally.鈥�
American Special Forces led a team of Marines, Army Rangers, Navy SEALs and Air Force pilots on a rescue mission to save Pfc. Lynch. Lynch had been held captive by Iraqi soldiers since March 23 when members of the 507th Maintenance Company took a wrong turn in the desert and were ambushed.
Rainer, a noted expert in church growth and evangelism, compared the mission of Christians to that of the soldiers who rescued Lynch. He also spoke to approximately 250 pastors gathered on campus for the university鈥檚 PreachingPoints Conference.
鈥淲e are called to build God鈥檚 house,鈥� Rainer told the students. Referencing Haggai 1:1-8, Rainer noted that God鈥檚 call to rebuild his house was uttered in 520 B.C. 鈥淕od said, 鈥業 want you to rebuild my house.鈥� He speaks to each of us who have received him and tells us to build his house by seeing God鈥檚 people added to it, by going to share the message of salvation.鈥�
Relating the passage to the New Testament, Rainer referred students to Acts 1:8 where God says, 鈥淕o build my house.鈥�
Rainer related a chance encounter with former heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman on an airliner as an example of witnessing moments.
鈥淚 got on that plane and all I wanted to do was sleep,鈥� Rainer said. 鈥淏ut God reminded me about a promise I had made to a friend that I would share Christ each week. We would ask each other, 鈥榃ith whom have you shared the love of Christ in the last week?鈥欌��
Rainer said after he found his seat he felt a large presence behind him 鈥� it was the hulking Foreman. Noticing Rainer鈥檚 book, Foreman asked the seminary professor if it was a Bible.
鈥淚 said it was and he said, 鈥楰eep reading it,鈥欌�� Rainer said. 鈥淚 did what I was told.鈥�
Later, another man sat down beside Rainer and struck up a conversation about the Gospel of Christ. 鈥淓ventually I asked the man if he wanted to become a Christian and the man became very antagonistic,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淚 backed off but George leaned over the seat, told the man to shut up and to listen to the Gospel. He did.鈥�
Rainer said there were three obstacles to sharing the gospel of Christ 鈥� conflict, comfort and commitment.
鈥淚n Haggai the people said it was not time to build the house,鈥� Rainer said. 鈥淭hey had opposition on the outside and division within. They had never done it this way. Have you ever been reticent to share the love of Christ because you fear opposition?鈥�
Fear, Rainer said, was the reason the Jews didn鈥檛 build the house.
鈥淐omfort is another obstacle,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen the King of Persia allowed them to return, he allowed them harvest trees for the temple, but they used them for homes. They were more concerned about not getting out of their comfort zone than they were about building God鈥檚 house.鈥�
鈥淕od says don鈥檛 get too comfortable,鈥� he said. 鈥淒on鈥檛 get too complacent.鈥�
Rainer said a good way to avoid complacency is through mission work. 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 go far away to a mission field, there is a mission field here 鈥� dorm mates, neighbors, family.鈥�
Rainer also cautioned the students to remember their commitment to Christ. 鈥淭he Bible tells us that those in Haggai鈥檚 time were doing a lot of good things but they were not doing their best,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey did things that were not mandated by God.鈥�
鈥淒on鈥檛 let the good replace the best,鈥� he challenged the students.
鈥淛esus told us to go and be his witnesses,鈥� Rainer said. 鈥淲hen we are called upon to tell the Good News, God does not say, stay. He says go. You know what a precious possession has been given to you. Don鈥檛 you dare withhold it from others.鈥�
