The reason we go to the hellish places on earth is so that we can transform hell into heaven.
Hell on earth can be redeemed, restored, and brought under the dominion of Jesus Christ.
Just as every person who believes in Jesus for eternal life is transferred from the living under the power of darkness and brought into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (Col 1:13), so also we who have been so delivered are to take the Kingdom of Heaven with us into the dark and hellish places on earth, so that those who are entrapped and enslaved can also be rescued and delivered.
Where is Hell?
We must not fall into the devilish trap of thinking that hell is only a place in the afterlife for the unredeemed. Hell is a very real place for millions of people who live right now on earth. Children are sold into sex slavery. Women are raped. Boys are forced to march and kill as soldiers. People are infected with HIV/AIDS or other terminal diseases. Millions face the hellish existence of extreme poverty, dirty water, infection, injustice, malnutrition, abuse, neglect, and violence.
There is only one good thing about the fact that so many people live in hells like these: they can still be rescued.
Invite People to Hell
So let us go! Let us stop going to church, and take the church to hell instead. How about preaching this message: “We’re going to hell! Want to come along?” or “So you want to follow Jesus? Go to hell!”
The church must find the most hellish places on planet earth, where are the gates of hell the strongest, and boldly go to such places in the name of Jesus.
Who will Go?
Who will go up? Who will walk forward in the strength and light of Jesus, and batter down those blackened walls and set the captives free? For far too long, the church has thought that it is our responsibility to meet the spiritual needs of people, while it is the government’s job to meet the physical needs of people. We preach to rescue people’s souls, while the government provides for their food and housing through social welfare programs.
We preach the gospel while the government is supposed to care for the poor, the homeless, the oppressed, the disabled, or the sick…
What would happen if, instead of waiting on Uncle Sam to solve social issues, the church took responsibility? What would happen if kingdom people honored Jesus’ command not to own anything (Luke 14:33) and followed the kingdom principle of giving to those in need and taking in those who are without a home (Luke 6:30-31, 35-36; 10:29-37; Rom 12:13; Eph 4:28)? What would happen if wealthy suburban congregations took it upon themselves to build affordable housing for the poor? What if we actually took seriously Jesus’ teaching that we are to treat everyone in need as though they were Jesus himself (Matt 25:34-46)? (The Myth of a Christian Nation
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Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down there! You’re “moving” so fast you’re making my head spin (or is that my “world view”?).
Surely our Messiah (a carpenter by trade?) is a supporter of capitalism?… I guess he didn’t seem like much of one though, eh? He wasn’t exactly building any kind of empire/organization of the earthly realm (in it, not OF it though).
He didn’t even have his own transportation (donkey)! He supported giving away your coat (even the silk screened leather one?) AND your shirt… to anyone who asked?
That’s not government regulated som; that’s self-sacrificing communism (or perhaps the “term” Love is more appropriate… I just like to rile people up by using political terms somethimes).
The apostle Paul, our entrepeneurial self-employed tentmaker, seemed to get all excited when encouraging and testifying about the different assemblies and individuals giving to those in need.
The “Christian” church (big “C”?), whether institutional or not, has historically been the initiator of hospitals, schools and orphanages (not always without corruption, of course).
Individuals like miss Theresa (no disrespect intended) no doubt ministered and nurtured many as only a true “mother” would… but to those not her own, but she chose to make them her own – through Love (as Sam alluded to yesterday).
I’ll slip down off my soap-box now.
– M.
I agree. We can take the Kingdom into the dark places. Just a few days ago we passed a church we occasionally pass, a giant mega church. For all I know, they may do exactly what you’re suggesting. However, like most people I know, we don’t know what they do. We only see their huge piece of real estate, covered with huge buildings that had to cost a fortune. Looks to us like they built themselves a country club and call it a church.
That said, I really do know there are churches and followers of Jesus who do care about those in the dark places. We have met a few on the streets, and have friends who know others. We often feel like there are only a few of us.
We have ten thousand plus homeless people here in San Diego. Father Joe’s village houses hundreds. But here is still a huge need with no simple solution. No amount of money will ever solve the problems. Loving our neighbor must be a better way, according to THE authority on the subject. Of course that probably includes more than building comfy churches.