There are so many causes (distractions) that the Church is involved in today, that we’ve lost sight of our primary calling to the world. I’ve listed below three causes that many in the Church are wrapped up in, and are all distractions. (Please read the entire post before forming an opinion and commenting).

THE DISTRACTIONS:

1).The environment: As you can see from this previous post, the young professing Christians in the video are very concerned about the environment, but something is missing. Something very important.
2). The Poor: A highly commendable cause to be involved in is ending world hunger. Many professing Christians are involved in such secular campaigns as One.org and other anti-hunger organizations.
3). AIDS: Yet another commendable endeavor is fighting the spread of AIDS. Rick Warren heads up a huge conference on AIDS each year in an effort to end this disease.

THE REALITY:

I am a conservationist; I turn off lights when I leave a room, I don’t leave water running, I even reuse napkins when applicable. There’s nothing inherently wrong with being a conservationist or caring for God’s creation. However, when we put an unbalanced overemphasis on saving the environment, inevitably our primary responsibilities become neglected.

We should also be concerned for those in the world who suffer from poverty and AIDS (many times they go hand in hand). Jesus took pity on and had compassion for those who suffered. Likewise as Christians we should do the same (although many times we’re more concerned with keeping up with our neighbors than caring for our neighbors).

Where I differ from many of these idealists is here: In so many instances the Christians championing these causes have lost sight of the most important aspect of our dual purpose here on earth: To glorify God and to preach the Gospel. Jesus commanded us to make disciples, not save the environment, end world hunger, or fight AIDS.

Anyone who disagrees with that either has no concept of Hell or has chosen to dismiss the reality of Hell. Why do I say this? Because those who grasp the reality of Heaven and Hell understand that this life is temporal and the next life is eternal. There will be many in Hell who would have rather died of hunger or of infection knowing Jesus Christ, than to have been preserved on this planet a little while longer (only to die later like everyone else), and spend an eternity in Hell because they died without Christ.

Regarding the planet, the Bible tells us that in the end times there will be cataclysmic happenings in the environment. It’s going to happen no matter how many things you do–or don’t do–to preserve the environment. Those who worry about this need to spend some valuable time away from the recycling centers and in the study of the Scriptures. An honest review of the Scriptures will reveal to you that God is still in control and will continue to be in control. He is not wringing His hands wondering what to do because he didn’t foresee problems in the environment. The environment should never be the primary focus of the Christian. Leave the earth worship to the pagans, Wiccans, and New Agers. As a Christian your hope is not in this earth, but in the life to come, and your mission is to spread the Gospel.

Regarding poverty, Jesus told us that we will always have the poor with us (Mark 14:7) and there will be famines (Matthew 24:7). This is a sobering reminder that no matter how much effort we exert in ending world hunger, it will never cease to exist.

If you really want to know how to make a dent in world hunger you must consider this: The majority of the causes of poverty in the world is corrupt government. If we change the hearts of the people with the Gospel, we change the governments. If we change the governments, we do great things in the cause of world hunger. However, any true student of the Bible knows that as the end draws nigh, things will only get worse. With that said, we should still do what we can for the poor, but like the environment, this should not be our primary focus. Our main concern should not be their physical needs, but their spiritual needs.

Regarding AIDS, remember that Jesus told us there will be pestilences (Luke 24:11). It’s not like diseases, and especially AIDS, has taken God by surprise. Theses are things that will take place no matter what we try to do to stem them. Again, where is our focus? If it’s first and foremost to share the Gospel with the sick and dying, then we’re fulfilling the Great Commission. If it’s anything else first and foremost, then we’re feeding our own desires to feel good about ourselves for doing something which just so happens to be the acceptable and politically correct thing to do.

AIDS is primarily a behavioral disease. Again, change the hearts of man with the Gospel (not a government or social program) and you impact the AIDS epidemic considerably. But, will this happen? No, because mankind is fallen and corrupt and we will always sin and there will always be consequences for that sin.

Thus my point of this post: We’re spinning our wheels trying to fix heart problems with social programs that we already know (by God’s Word) will not work.

In every cause that we take up, it’s rather easy to determine what it is that is driving us. First, ask yourself, “What is my primary purpose? Is it the social cause or the Gospel of Jesus Christ? ” Don’t simply pay lip service to this, genuinely ask yourself this. Then review whether or not your actions reflect what you believe.

Secondly, do you compromise the Gospel or your faith in any degree for these causes? When Compassion International, for example, sends out their packets and the majority of their work is presented as making life more comfortable for people rather than the sharing of the Gospel, I have concern. When they team up with Rick Warren for his AIDS summit, I have REAL concern. By doing this, Compassion International has just compromised the true Gospel and aligned itself with the social gospel which does not save.

At last year’s conference, Rick Warren invited pro-homosexual, pro-abortion presidential candidate Barack Hussein Obama to speak. Now before you get in a tizzy because you’re happy with what the AIDS summit accomplished on the surface, I recommend you check out this podcast from the show Cross Talk in which reporters who attended the conference revealed what really took place there in comparison to Biblical Christianity. You can also watch the video below of Rick Warren justifying his philosophy on compromise.

And finally, for those who say something like, “We need to set our differences aside and come together for such worthy causes,” you have already shown that your priority is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ and you’ve already compromised the very faith you claim to represent.

If you truly believed the doctrine of Hell and the wrath of God that will befall those who die without Christ, then you would be compelled to make sharing that Gospel your first and highest priority.