Salesmanship vs. Relationship

Spirituality Column #158
November 17, 2009
Current in Carmel - Current in Westfield - Current in Noblesville
(Indianapolis north suburban home newspapers)

Salesmanship vs. Relationship
By Bob Walters

Shortly after Christ’s resurrection He met His 11 remaining disciples in Galilee, instructing them to “go and make disciples of all nations.”

This is “The Great Commission” of Matthew 28:18-20. These final words of the Gospel of Matthew tell Christians for the ages that it is not enough just to go to church. Our faith must have the actions of outreach, baptism, teaching and obedience.

Understand: faith isn’t about going to church; faith is about being the church.

It was the solidarity of the relationships among the early believers, as described in Acts 2:42-47, that reflected the faith and showed outsiders a picture of a caring community based on Christ’s love and service. People were drawn to it.

The first Christians were filled with awe, and Acts 2:47 says the fellowship of believers enjoyed “the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

Couple of important things to note. First, my Sunday school teacher Steve Hall recently pointed out that Christ didn’t tell his disciples to go into the world and make “converts.” He told them to make disciples. That’s a great point and key distinction.

“Converts” are made by salesmanship, while “disciples” are made by relationship. We might sell or be sold the story of Jesus, but it’s the relationship of believers, the relationship of the Holy Trinity, and the human-divine relationship Christ enabled by His death, burial and resurrection, that we are to share with “all nations.”

I resisted every “sales pitch” about Christ ever presented to me. It was when I learned about and wanted a relationship with Christ – because I saw smart, caring Christians – that I became a Christian.

Second, Acts 2:47 says “the Lord added to their number.” Ever been asked “how many souls” you have saved? The correct answer is “zero.” In our obsessively “measurable” modern society, the sales function is about numbers, and marketing is about packaging. I’ve spent most of my professional career in public relations, where one’s best friend is the truth, and the goal is to build relationships.

I don’t want to “sell” or “package” Christ. I accept Christ as the truth, want a relationship with Him, and love telling others what I know.

Just remember: the Holy Spirit closes the deal (Acts 2:47).

In Christ, I don’t keep score. A loving relationship is victory enough.

Walters (www.believerbob.blogspot.com or email rlwcom@aol.com) spent several years as a sportswriter; where scorekeeping is a big deal.

Big City, Big God Problem

Spirituality Column #32
June 19, 2007
Current In Carmel (IN) newspaper

Big City, Big God Problem?
By Bob Walters

The Economist, that staid yet cutting edge British magazine of business and trends worldwide, reported last month that 50 percent of human beings now live in big cities.

In 1800, the number was 3 percent; in 1900, 13 percent.

This shift toward cities will affect how Christian missionaries will fulfill Christ’s “Great Commission” (Romans 28:19-20) to “baptize … and teach all the world” about the love of Jesus. The thing is, no one is sure exactly how to do that.

History teaches us it is difficult to evangelize cities.

The Economist article notes that cities originally were organized around farming, commerce, transportation, water, security and, significantly, a religion or temple. Yet considering a list of cities in the Bible – Babylon, Ninevah, Tyre, Sodom, Gomorrah – makes me think God isn’t much of a fan of big cities.

The article says that today cities are organized around and nurture secular culture. In the megacities – think New York, Tokyo, Mexico City, New Delhi, Sao Paulo, etc. – religion’s influence has all but disappeared. The organizing community expression is culture, not God.

It occurs to me that culture, in this sense, is the culture that provides enjoyment – the arts, museums, urbane pleasures, 150 cable channels, broadband and the like. Bigger cities equals bigger culture equals bigger enjoyment.

The Christian religion would call that kind of big culture “temptation.”

A Christian’s hope and faith, a Christian’s joy, is in the Lord; in working our faith and being involved in it; in personally engaging and endeavoring to produce spiritual fruit.

This rush toward cities, even in the poorest cultures where urban squalor is preferable to rural hopelessness, shows that people simply banding together – whether for richer or for poorer – has little to do with producing spiritual fruit.

To figure out how to evangelize megacities, it will take a greater power than us.

Hey, now there’s a thought …

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com), a Carmel resident, doesn’t think having more people standing on busy street corners shouting about Jesus is the answer.