Doing the Gospel

I think one of the most profound books I have read regarding understanding the mindset of our culture has been "UnChristian" by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. The book provides a lense into the perception of people about Christianity. If you have not read it let me encourage you to pick it up and read it. It will definitely give you good insight into what those who are not Christians think about Christianity. After each chapter the authors provide insight from other writers who offer thoughts and ideas on how to change the perceptions. The other day I was revisting the book and looking at some of the things I highlighted. I would like to share a lenghty portion of Chuck Colson's thought regarding the gospel after the chapter on "Get Saved."
Consider the rise of Christians during the Roman era. People were drawn to Christians, not because of their evangelistic outreaches or crusades, or through mass media-those didn't exist. The church grew because Christians were doing the gospel and had a community - a local church - where people really loved each other. During the great plagues that swept Rome in the second century, all of the doctors fled, but the Christians stayed and took care of the sick. They embodied what Christians are called to do. Although many Christians died because they took care of the sick, pagans were drawn to Christ because they saw both the love of Christians and Christianity itself as a better way of life.....One of the things I do when I meet people is ask them, 'What is Christianity?' Undoubtedly half will respond, 'A relationship with Jesus.' That is wrong. The gospel cannot be merely a private transaction. God didn't break through history, through time and space, to come as a babe, be incarnated, and suffer on the cross just so you can come to him and say, 'Oh, I accept Jesus and now I can live happily ever after.' That's not why he came...Jesus came as a radical to turn the world upside down. When we believe it is just about Jesus and yourself, we miss the point.