My Idolatry of Evangelism
I have a confession to make. I have made an Idol out of Evangelism. Sin is a two-sided coin with unrighteousness on one side and self righteousness on the other. Idolatry is unrighteous and idolizing evangelism is self righteous. I have taken something good and substituted it for the best. I now see in my life the “fruit” of self righteousness.

One of the “fruits” of self righteousness is my critical spirit. I often look down on others who share the Gospel particularly if they don’t do it the way I do. Now that I stop to think about it I can’t believe I do this. These people often share the Gospel out of much better motives than I do. While they share out of a sincere love, I often share out of selfish ambition and empty conceit. I often fail to share with someone because I am concerned for them but instead just to jack them up with the truth. Do I share out of my passionate love for Jesus or to get to the next seed sower level? In Philippians Paul makes it very clear that we are not to judge other’s motives, but then he says to do nothing out of selfish ambition and to esteem others as being better than myself.

Another fruit of self righteousness is pride and I have that too. I not only actively share my faith obviously putting me in the top 2% of Christians but I also use the law which obviously puts me in the top echelon of that 2%. What rot! The world doesn’t need me any more than it needs another grain of sand at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. The world needs Jesus! I will only change the world to the extent that I allow Jesus to shine through me. And right now pride is obscuring the glow. How dare I look down on others because they don’t share their faith! How dare I condescend to those who don’t use the same methods I use.

I shutter to think of what my response would have been to overhearing Jesus share the Gospel with Nicodemus. He didn’t use the law! I must get Jesus a HBKS CD so He can learn how to do it the “correct” way. God forgive me of this pride! How can I get it through my head that I am no better than anyone else, even others who don’t share the Gospel?

Jesus did more than preach the Gospel. He also gave to the poor and healed the sick. I must confess I do very little for the poor. I justify it because I do evangelism. But, pure religion is not sharing the Gospel with everyone I interact with, "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." Jam 1:27. I have offered up a cheap substitute for the real deal.

Just as Biblical scholarship is no substitute for sharing the Gospel so Evangelism is no substitute for holiness. Evangelism is only a part of holiness. When it becomes an end; it becomes an idol. God wants the whole package, He wants obedience, passionate love and Godly character. Obedience is no more a substitute for love than prayer is a substitute for evangelism. I must have both. Why does my soul not desire God like a deer desires water? Why have my passionate feelings been replaced by empty numbness? I never want to be a husband who loves his wife with his actions but his heart chases after other women. But that is just what I am doing with evangelism. In my actions I share like I am supposed to but my heart has grown cold, I don’t feel the passion of my younger days. I have grown to love something else, evangelism, more than I love Christ. Am I loving evangelism too much? No! I am loving Jesus to little!

My Idolatry of Ray Comfort
I have made an Idol of Ray Comfort. Ray is no Pope, he does not have a monopoly on the truth nor are his words infallible. But why can’t I think of anything that I disagree with him on? Could it be that he only speaks the truth or have I made an idol of him so that I don’t question his words? I am ashamed to admit I eagerly waited in line to get Ray and Kirk’s autograph in my Evidence Bible. Am I no better than a Catholic whose Bible signed by his Pope? Yet, my Bible was signed by my Pope! God have mercy! Some days I spend more time listening to Ray’s Teachings than I do reading the Word of God! When Ray talks about his short comings it makes me swoon just as Catholics swoon when they hear how the Pope goes to confession every week. Ray may be an amazing man of God but he is no substitute for Jesus! Jesus has the words of eternal life, not Ray Comfort. No one can come to the father except through Christ!

My Idolatry of Mark Cahill
In the same way I have made an Idol of Mark Cahill. He is the one who got me started in evangelism and for the longest time I saw him as infallible. I deeply admire his zeal for the lost, his fasting, his holiness and how he treats money like it is not his. I find myself trying to become just like Mark! No! I should be trying to become just like Jesus. Mark, while a great man of God, is a poor substitute for the Lamb who was slain as a substitute for me. I should passionately desire to become just like Jesus, not Mark.

My Idolatry of the GNN
Since joining the GNN, part of me feels like I have finally arrived. The GNN is everything I desired but didn’t have during my first year of sharing the Gospel. But the GNN is only a means not an end to making Jesus happy. The day the GNN became an end, is the day it became an idol.

I am trying to repent from these sins but it is hard. None of the things are inherently bad. It’s like repenting from gluttony (something I also struggle with). Food is not inherently bad, but eating too much of it is sin.

When we hold anything up above Christ that becomes an idol. I am reading the book Surprised by the Power of the Spirit by Jack Deer and in it he talks about how we can make idols of things that are good. Its not that these things, or people, are necessarily bad. But, if I hold them up above Christ, that is bad. There is nothing wrong in admiring God’s handiwork in a lion, but making an idol of a lion is sin. I recommend this book. I thank you for reading this and I thank God for you all.

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If you look back through church history you see this is a new expectation. Back in the day, the Christians who went out to preach the Gospel had already died (to themselves). They saw their lives as nothing.

The Moravians packed their luggage in coffins as they went out to the nations of the earth. Sometimes they even sold themselves into slavery to reach “unreachable” slaves. They didnt expect to come back. They expected to change lives.

Do we as modern Christians not trust our King to keep us safe, until He sees fit to bring glory to His name through our passing?

Or do we bow to a different throne?

Both the early church and the modern Chinese church pray not for safety when they send their missionaries out. They pray instead for boldness. This prayer represents a different value system. The early church considered the martyrs crown a badge of honor. Why do we try to avoid it at all costs?

Living a dangerous life does not make you more righteous. Danger and risk are foolish goals. But, making safety a goal is idolatry. The only goal for Christians is Christ and His Kingdom.

Those who change the world for Christ take risks. They act in ways the world and the lukewarm church may consider reckless. But they change lives while those watching from the sidelines wonder why God isn’t moving.

There is an old word for this idolatry we don’t use much any more. The word is cowardice. Cowards idolize safety. Heroes are those who do what is dangerous despite their fear to help others.

I have been taking teams to the bar district in Austin for nearly four years. When I invite people to come they almost always ask, “Is it safe?” Normally, I explain how no one I have taken has ever been hurt or robbed. But inside I want to shout, “Why does it matter? Is the point of Christianity not to bring glory to God by shining His light in the darkness? We must go to dark places to shine His Light there. These people are dying! Do you only care about your own safety?”

Of course I don’t say that. I just bottle up my frustration and smile hoping they will come anyway. Sometimes they do. But only because I convince them it’s safe.

What are we living for? Which Kingdom are we trying to build? Our bodies will pass away. The Kingdom lasts forever. Why not pour out our lives for the Kingdom?

I know not what course others may take. But as for me, I would rather live a short life devoted to my King than a long one filled with the lukewarm pursuit of safety.

What do you think? Do you make safety an idol? Have I gone to far? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

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The world says, “you can do anything you put your mind to.”
Jesus says, “you can do nothing apart from me and all things through me.”
The world says, “look out for number one.”
The Word says, “think of others as more important than yourself.”
The world says, “believe in yourself.”
Jesus says, “believe in me.”
The world says, “you deserve it.”
The Word says “you deserve hell for breaking God’s law.”
The world says, “trust your feelings.”
Jesus says, “trust in me.”

The world says, “enjoy entertainment.”
Jesus says, “enjoy me.”
The world says, “follow your heart.”
Jesus says, “follow me.”
The world says, “have fun and enjoy your best life now.”
Jesus says, “Deny yourself, pick up your cross, and come follow me.”
The world says, “you’re a good person.”
The Word says, “your heart is deceitfully wicked.”

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After several days, Pagiel joined several other pilgrims who were also on their way to Jerusalem.

“What is your name young traveler?” A large man asked.

“Pagiel, son of Tola” Pagiel replied.

“Tola?” The man’s eyes brightened. “Of the Shelah clan?”

“Yes! Do you know him?”

“We fought in the war together. My name is Elizur” the man smiled.

“God asks little of us Pagiel son of Tola. He pours blessings on those who know how to make the right sacrifices. I have gone to Jerusalem every year and never has my family gone without food. Ba’al brings the rain and The Lord God keeps the Philistines away.”

“You sacrifice to Ba’al?” Pagiel asked, surprised.

“Of course young man as did your father. Ba’al is the king of the winds and the rain. If you want a fertile soil you sacrifice to him, everyone does.” An awkward silence followed. Pagiel expected someone to confront Elizur but no one did.
Elizer had never seen as many people as he did on Mount Zion. He followed Elizur through the city to the temple.

“That is an Asheroth Poll” Elizur said pointing to a tall wooden poll that stood outside the temple walls. “That’s where we make sacrifices to Ba’al.” Pagiel stared at the intricate carvings that covered the length of the poll. The people around it were smiling and seemed to be having a great time.

“Welcome to the sacred meeting place, would you like to make an offering?” Pagiel turned to see a young veiled woman. Pagiel stammered not knowing how to respond. “Have you ever offered a sacrifice to Ba’al before?” The girl asked with a smile in her eyes.

“Uh, no” Pagiel replied, not wanting to appear ignorant.

“We ask Ba’al for blessing though both offerings and a demonstration of what we wish him to do for us.” The girl looked Pagiel in the eyes. “What would you like Ba’al to do for you?”

“Can he really bring rain and make the soil fertile?” Pagiel asked. The girl laughed.

“Of course! Why else is everyone here? Give me your lamb and we will ask Ba’al together.” She led him through the crowds to a tent attached to the outside of the temple wall. Come, lay with me and we will show Ba’al what we want him to do for your farm. Let us drink our fill of love and fulfill all righteousness. She took off her veil revealing to Pagiel one of the prettiest faces he had ever seen. He wanted to say “no” but everything in him cried “yes.” His field needed rain and this was just too easy not to try.

The next morning Pagiel felt nothing but a cold numbness. The girl gave him a wooden figurine that she said would allow Ba’al to find him for blessing. Pagiel tucked it into his saddlebag as he led his donkey into the temple courtyard. He gave the grain offering to the Levites who looked somewhat surprised that he didn’t have a lamb but they didn’t say anything about it. “I guess I can please both gods.” He thought as he headed for home.

As he headed for home he passed a disheveled man shouting in the streets about idolatry, the wickedness of temple prostitutes and a coming judgment. Everyone ignored him and Pagiel decided to do the same.

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