I've been getting involved in a local church fellowship that I
felt is a breadth of fresh air - this church is heavily involved in community related
services. What! A church actually doing good works! There's free community
meals, free mother's group, free financial counselling, free English classes
for migrants. They're involved in justice movements, freedom from poverty
advocacy and the likes. Mind you, the community meals even have table cloths
and a three course dinner. What impressed me is, finally, here is a church that
strives to be a light of the world and the salt of the earth. How many churches
can say that they make a real impact to the local community? This one
does. Sadly, the majority of churches would not be noticed by the local
community if the church disappeared over night! Ask yourself, if your
local church disappeared overnight, would anyone outside the four walls feel
it?
The things I mentioned are all good things that churches ought
to be doing. So what's wrong with these? Don't many Christians wish their
local church leadership would get off their comfortable high chairs and
initiate even one of these?
However, I began to notice something - most if not all these
activities do not go beyond 'good deeds'. I observed that there are many volunteers who would happily carry plates of hot meals to these guests, but hardly any would actually sit down and talk with these guests. Yes, it’s good to do community
meals and feed the hungry. However is that all there is? What
about sitting down with those who come, listen to their stories and problems,
and really caring for them. What about sharing the gospel
with them so that they have a real permanent hope to cling on to once they
leave the meal table?
Doing good is important, because without it, out faith is on
questionable grounds. However doing good for doing good's sake is pointless. It
must be done so that the glory goes back to God. We need to rely on the Holy
Spirit to point these people to Jesus; because once they connect with the living
God, He will take care of them and transform them permanently. We can feed the
belly, but little more. The real good works is to point them to the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Supporting advocacy for justice, anti-slavery and fair trading are
all good things to be involved in. But these must end up with giving God the
glory and not become an end in itself. How many great organisations
started out as Christian charities but end up being just another 'do goody'
organisation that lives to promote itself. Christ is forgotten from the agenda. Their aim has become purely materialistic - keep promoting the organisation to get more money.
Satan has succeeded in infiltrating his devilish agenda into these organisations - don't fight them, just point them to another direction. What better means to defeat the enemy than to get the enemy to divert all its energies and resources away from God's agenda. This way no one gets into the kingdom of heaven and precious money is diverted from the real needs.
You may as well go support
the RSPCA and say you've done your part for the Kingdom of God.
