What is the role of the church toward the world?

Yesterday we began a discussion about salvation, and what is the role of the church toward the world, the unsaved. We being like God should desire that none perish and that all come to the knowledge of Christ. First let me emphasize that I did not say lost. For according to the scriptures the lost are those that know truth or say that they know truth but are not following Him. He gave the examples of the two sons, one stayed in the house while the other spent his inheritance on riotous, wanton living. His Word says to the one brother, "your brother was lost and now is found", therefore the brother was in the house, he left and was lost by his own actions.  In another place Jesus says to the woman seeking healing for her child, that "He(Jesus) is sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and that it was not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."  He was sent to seek that which was lost. And again when He sent out the twelve disciples he told them to go to the lost sheep and instructs that they not go into the way of the Gentiles and that they not enter a city of the Samaritans. Therefore, the world is not the lost. The lost are those that are accounted as His, yet have lost their way. We do have commandments toward those and we will discuss it at another time. Today I will speak of the world.

The world is the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men/women alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ, the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments riches, advantages, pleasures, etc, which although hollow and frail and fleeting, stir desire, seduce from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ,  and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government. However, God so loved the world that He gave His son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Remember that we were once Gentiles in the flesh, that at that time we were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Yet, the churches' view is darkened by wrong teachings. We have mistaken God's word and misunderstood and therefore we are unfruitful in our actions toward the world. We attempt to led men to Christ in our own strength and thoughts. In this He has truly spoken, can the blind lead the blind? If we have no understanding of how men are to be saved do we not labor in vain? So the question remains what is the role of the church toward the world so that they (the ungodly) might be saved?

Jesus said "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." He also said, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." The light of the life of Jesus is to shine so brightly within us that men would be drawn to glorify God.  This is the role of the church toward the world. We are to be separate from the world in our hearts, minds and deeds. Yet we are in the world. Our lives are to be lived in such a manner that men will want to know our God. Understanding that His Word says that "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day."

We are the church of the first born, the body of Christ. I think that we hear the words I just wrote but fail to digest the depth of them. We are the body of Christ. He is ours and we are His! If the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in us, and we live as His light in this world, would they (the world) not see His goodness and beg to know the God that lives in us? Then we would have no need to bring them to a preacher or to church which is the custom of most, for we should be the ones that the scripture is written about as it says: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!"

We would truly have no need to tell them the steps to Christ. We would simply share the testimony of Christ in our lives expounding on the light of His life in us. How by His great love and longsuffering with us He endured until we cried out to Him and He saved us and translated us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His Son, Jesus. How He received us through the blood of His Son washed us and reconciled us unto His Father and ours and that now we call Him Lord and God. We would rehearse how He has washed our minds by His Word and set our feet on a different path and that our destination is eternal life. This is salvation!

We would have no need to say close your eyes, hold my hand, repeat after me, for as we were declaring His glorious might and power that He worked in us, their hearts would be pricked and prepared by His Spirit. For He promised that "He would convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment; of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged." Perhaps they would cry out, tell me, what must I do to be saved?

When was the last time someone begged you to share who is the God that you serve and why is your life so different than theirs? When has someone inquired of you what is the light within you? If it has happened, I am sure you easily remember it was glorious!

Church we are truly going about this the wrong way. You are bringing people to church and allow them to hear teachings that are meant for believers, which they are not, then asking them to accept this Jesus whom they do not know of and have not see in you. Nowhere in the scriptures were unbelievers brought to the church to hear of God. Then they begin to go through the unfruitful works of attendance without a conversion of heart unto salvation, all for naught! Is this the role of the church toward the world? I think not.