"There's a story behind every number"
29 Feb 2008 05:36 pm
A few weeks ago, Dr. Troxel handed me a compilation of videos entitled "There's a story behind every number." I've just now had the chance to sit and watch it.
Occasionally, I'll see or hear the comment that we're too "focused" on numbers. While I understand the point, I think there's a bit of errancy involved in the reasoning. After all, our God is interested in numbers. Let me tell you what I mean; what these videos so vividly portrayed.
The videos point out that "We live in a world of numbers. Numbers tell us things about life. Numbers count our days. Numbers always tell us a story." In Acts 2:47, we see our Lord's concern with numbers; numbers of people that know Him. "And the Lord added to their NUMBER daily those who were being saved." Don't you think that He's counting? He's is interested in 100%. "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone–for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants ALL men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." (1 Tim 2:1-4) In Matthew 18:2, He is concerned with the number "1" when He said, "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?"
The video goes on. "Some numbers are good. Some numbers are terrifying...some break our hearts." Let's look at some numbers in our world from the videos.
~"In 1960, 75% of all Americans believed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God AND went to church."
~"Since 1991, the number of adults who DO NOT attend church has (almost) doubled; rising from 39 million to 75 million - up 92%"
~In "2007, 75% of Americans believe there is a God. 40% believe in Jesus but say He is NOT the only way."
If you took "The Truth Project," you'll remember the Barna study that discoverd only 4% of Americans have a Christian worldview. Sadly, only 9% of Christians had a Christian worldview.
George Barna wrote the following. "Christianity is losing its grip on American culture. Christians are more attuned to matters of culture and entertainment that to matters of faith." You may remember when John Lennon, speaking about the Beatles, said "We're more popular than Jesus." I would say that there may be a number of entertainment vehicles that may make the same claim today. Christians need to note the words of CS Lewis when he wrote, "Christianity, if false, is of no importance and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important."
We live in a world today that "the only absolute allowed is the absolute insistence that there is no absolute." (Francis Schaeffer) That is a scary thought for our nation because as believers we know that there is one absolute truth. Thomas Jefferson once wrote, "Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that His justice cannot sleep forever."
As Christians, "we are ambassadors for Christ, as though He were making His appeal through us." (2 Cor. 5:20) Do we remember this? Do we act on it? Do we realize that time is short; that "2 people die every second" and most will not be going to heaven. Does it concern us? Do we look on the crowds and have compassion on them as Jesus did in Matthew 9? Or are we what is written in Revelation3:17; "You say, 'I'm rich, I have become wealthy and need nothing' and you don't know that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked."
Here's another couple of numbers from the videos. There are "44000 Southern Baptist Churches and America is home to the 4th largest number of lost people on the planet."
Does that shock you? It shocked me. So what do we do?
WE GO! Luke 14:23 says, "...Go out...and compel them to come in." Matthew 28 says, "Go and make disciples..."
The video noted "They are not coming to us. We live in the mission field. We have to go to them."
Praise the Lord that we serve in a church that is going! That we have a pastor who goes! We go overseas! We go in our neighborhoods! Here's a number for you; we've had 31 salvations because of Jesus Christ going though our FAITH teams! That's 31 people going to heaven and not to hell. 31 people becoming disciples. 31 people to lead more people to saving grace through our Lord Jesus Christ!
In a time when things can look so bad, praise His Holy Name that He is using us, this church, to impact His kingdom in such a mighty way! - KD
(If you have not been FAITH trained, please consider taking part as we go into summer visitation and prepare for a new semester in August!)
By : Kevin | Category: IMPACT - Evangelism/Apologetics/BFG's | Comments [2]
Comments
Interesting Outlook
By Heather 07 Apr 2008 12:57 pm
I personally at times believe that we as God\'s people lose focus on what is truly important and what our goals really should be on. Saying that, I would not find myself watching that video nor any other \"informational\" videos that cover the same topic. I do agree completely with the point that Kevin has spoke about. I believe that numbers are important to God, as they should be to us. Now you always have people out there that just don\'t have much to do and go to the extreme. That is not the goal. However, we should focus on the fact that today who have we helped? Who have we touched as an individual for Christ? Every time we go to the grocery store or Best Buy for the guys we walk by so many people. Do you every stop and think, \"Wow, out of the 150 people in the store right now, how many do you really think will be going to heaven?\" It puts a whole new perspective on the importance of numbers. Even looking deeper into your closest family, your children do numbers seem important to you then? Don\'t you want 100% of your family and children to enter into the Kingdom? God has made a way for all to enter into his Kingdom, but God works through His children...US! So we must strive to add to God\'s family...to our family every opportunity God allows. Thanks for the insight, it helps to remember just how important our efforts, thoughts and walk is to Salvation for many.
Numbers
By Ben Canada 08 Apr 2008 08:40 am
The numbers thing is very interesting. Statistics have always had a way of illustrating how good, or bad, things seem to be at the time. The most disturbing number was that only 9% of Christians had a Christian worldview. That begs the question, are we building up those that are already within the church walls? Are we holding each other accountable to God\\\\\\\'s truth?
Luke 14:23 says, \\\\\\\"...Go out...and compel them to come in.\\\\\\\" Matthew 28 says, \\\\\\\"Go and make disciples...\\\\\\\"
Based on that statistic that I cited above, maybe we should spend more time \\\\\\\"going out\\\\\\\" into our own churches to reach those in need. Imagine how much more effective our one church would be if 100% of us had a Christian worldview when we were sent out into the world. Evangelism to the lost is equally important within the church walls.
Luke 14:28-30
28\\\\\\\"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30saying, \\\\\\\'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.\\\\\\\'
2 Peter Ch. 1:3-11
3His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
10Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall,
11and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We have got to make sure that the Christians in our church are exercising these principles daily. Are they constantly progressing from faith to goodness to knowledge to self control to perseverance to godliness to brotherly kindness, and then ultimately to love in every thing that they do? Peter goes on to say that we MUST do these things in increasing measure in order to be productive and effective in our knowledge of Jesus Christ.
If want to truly reach a lost world to tell them that Jesus saves, alot of times we don\\\\\\\'t need to look any further than the next pew.
The \\\\\\\"world\\\\\\\" that God is talking about extends from about an inch (roughly...in my mind) past your fingertips to the other side of the planet. The latitude and longitude of a person has nothing to do with their need for a savior. Everyone needs a savior. While other nations need to hear about God\\\\\\\'s Word as well, this nation that God has chosen for us is crumbling. This State that God has placed us in is crumbling. This county that God has placed us in is crumbling. What everyone needs to ask themselves is whether or not the crumbling stops there, or does it continue inside of them. If it is, then we need to start there as a group, building each other up. With the ever increasing opposition to Christianity, it is increasingly more important that we follow those principles laid out in 2nd Peter.
Here\\\\\\\'s another couple of numbers from the videos. There are \\\\\\\"44000 Southern Baptist Churches and America is home to the 4th largest number of lost people on the planet.\\\\\\\"
My first question would be how many people attending those churches are lost? If you have lost people teaching lost people, what do you end up with? This isn\\\\\\\'t exclusive to any one denomination. There is an overall lack of appreciation for who God is, what He wants from you/me, and what He has done for you/me.
While the number of people saved is very important to Christ, I also believe that those people striving to give 100% of themselves to Him is equally important.
We believe in Him so that He can work through us to love and save. According to Peter, we must work through those steps so that we might be available/prepared for God to love through us.