If we are to show a picture of the gospel through our love for one another, this must take place in a local congregation with people who have made a covenant together in love to be a church. It is not an abstract love, but a love for people who live in the real world. I can't tell you how many times I have heard from non-believers that the church was strange to them, but what attracted them to the fellowship was the love that existed among its members.
But the gospel is projected not only through our love. Have you ever thought about how many biblical instructions God has designed for the church that, if followed correctly, serve as proclamations of the gospel?
In seeking a culture of evangelism, we do not redesign the church for evangelism. Instead, we allow those things that God has already designed for the church to proclaim the gospel. Jesus did not forget the gospel when he built his church.
For example, baptisms are images of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. These images show how his death is our death and how his life is our life. The Lord's Supper proclaims the death of Christ until he returns and leads us to confess our sins and experience forgiveness once again. When we pray, we pray God's truths. We sing of the great things God has done for us through the gospel. We give financially to advance the gospel message. The preaching of the Word presents the gospel.
In fact, the preaching of God's Word is what makes up the church to begin with. And, once formed, the church is given the task of making disciples, who are then sent out to preach the gospel to form new churches. This cycle has been going on since Jesus ascended to heaven and will continue until he returns.
Excerpted from The Evangelization of J. Mack Stiles
