9-1-17: Passion for Reaching the Lost is Waning

Sep 27, 2017

QUESTION #2: Is the church is still passionate about winning the lost, or has that desire declined with the increasing secularization of society?

Answer:

Dave Kistler:

“…I’ve been in the ministry now for 33 years, going on 34. Two of those years was actually in a youth ministry in Florida, the rest of the time has been as a traveling evangelist traveling the United States of America as well as around the world…I would say as a general rule, the passion and commitment to evangelism as a general rule now is less than when I started out 34 years ago.

Let me say this. That is a general statement. However, there are spots around the country, there’s spots around the world where the commitment to evangelism and the passion for it is greater than it has ever been. It goes back to some of what we’re watching right now with this terrible tragedy that’s happening and still unfolding down in Texas and Louisiana. When things like this happen, the ears of the church tend to perk up and if we have spiritual mindedness at all in our congregations, people realize this is an opportunity, not only to meet physical needs, this is an opportunity above and beyond all of that, though that is important, it’s an opportunity to meet spiritual needs.

As we move closer and closer to what I believe is going to be sooner rather than later our Lord’s return, the chances are we’re going to see more of these kinds of disasters, natural disasters, things like that, opportunities for God’s church to step up to the plate and be highly engaged with the gospel.

While the statistics are disheartening on one level, I think this ought to be an impetus and a motivation to us in the church to say, look, this is the time for us to get it in gear, this is the time for us to get focused on what is really important, and that is the presentation of the gospel and the sharing of it, and this can be our greatest hour rather than our worst hour if we really understand the time in which we’re living.”

To listen to the entire program, please click HERE.