http://www.wordsarenotenough.com/2009/05/13/the-gospel-immunization/ [live... from planet earth] Sun, 11 Sep 2011 02:01:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.wordsarenotenough.com/2009/05/13/the-gospel-immunization/comment-page-1/#comment-421 Heather Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:59:45 +0000 http://www.wordsarenotenough.com/?p=2812#comment-421 Joe, I've had that same struggle and frustration with the SBC (and other non-SBC churches). I think a lot of our churches are already filled with non-believers because this type of thinking isn't all that new. I think that may (at least in part) be why the church is where it is today. It's filled with non-believers from the pulpit on down. Here's a thought though, one that I've been wrestling with. While I think the way the genereal population of the SBC is going about evangelizing is wrong and ultimately ineffective, I don't know that I'd call it inocculation. Calling it inocculation takes God out of the role of being the one who saves men and places it back on us. If it were really inocculation, it would mean that our clumsy (even foolish) attempts at sharing the Gospel were the final word on whether or not a person becomes a genuine believer, that the Lord is unable to work in spite of the wrong ways we sometimes go about His work. I also don't like that we always come back with the "stats" of mission trips because they are not what the Lord emphsizes. The Lord emphasizes changed hearts and lives and the fruit of His Spirit work on people, and these aren't things we get to stick around to look for. I think it's more than possible for someone to genuinely come to know the Lord through a camp/mission trip like this, but those aren't numbers I would celebrate. I would celebrate that the Gospel was preached and there were hearers present. Sorry. That was a kind of discombobulated thought. I hope it made some senses Joe, I’ve had that same struggle and frustration with the SBC (and other non-SBC churches). I think a lot of our churches are already filled with non-believers because this type of thinking isn’t all that new. I think that may (at least in part) be why the church is where it is today. It’s filled with non-believers from the pulpit on down.
Here’s a thought though, one that I’ve been wrestling with. While I think the way the genereal population of the SBC is going about evangelizing is wrong and ultimately ineffective, I don’t know that I’d call it inocculation. Calling it inocculation takes God out of the role of being the one who saves men and places it back on us. If it were really inocculation, it would mean that our clumsy (even foolish) attempts at sharing the Gospel were the final word on whether or not a person becomes a genuine believer, that the Lord is unable to work in spite of the wrong ways we sometimes go about His work.
I also don’t like that we always come back with the “stats” of mission trips because they are not what the Lord emphsizes. The Lord emphasizes changed hearts and lives and the fruit of His Spirit work on people, and these aren’t things we get to stick around to look for. I think it’s more than possible for someone to genuinely come to know the Lord through a camp/mission trip like this, but those aren’t numbers I would celebrate. I would celebrate that the Gospel was preached and there were hearers present.
Sorry. That was a kind of discombobulated thought. I hope it made some senses

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