Am I right to say that an externally-focused ministry must think about the kingdom, and not have a church mindset?
Someone has said (and appropriately so) that the Lord is more interested in building up souls than He is in building up churches. Sometimes, we can get so fixated on increasing church membership that we neglect the spiritual welfare of those we fellowship with. True evangelism will focus on the salvation of precious souls, no matter where they are, no matter what the are involved in. In one of the Lord’s parables about the Kingdom of Heaven, He instructs us, “Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.” (Matthew 22:9). It is too easy to get into the mentality where we reach out to those that we think will ‘fit in’ with the rest of the church group. The Lord instructs us in Mark 16:15, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to EVERY CREATURE.”
Let’s look at what the Word of God says about the TRUE church. We read in Acts 2:47, “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (NKJV). While it is possible to join a local church without being a true Christian, ONLY those who are saved will the Lord add to His church. The TRUE church is occupied with TRUE believers. The TRUE church is so precious to the Lord that we read that “Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” (Ephesians 5:25). In reality, you cannot join the TRUE church. The Lord will add you to it when you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior.
There are many false professors of faith…those who say they are saved but are not. Those who falsely claim to be saved will be exposed one day. We read in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” It’s not the PROFESSION of faith that saves. It is the POSSESSION of faith that saves. The Lord is the One who “knoweth the secrets of the heart.” (Psalm 44:21).
An ’externally focused ministry’ is one that will desire to see souls saved. While we do not all have the gift of an evangelist, all who are saved can do the work of an evangelist as we read in 2 Timothy 4:5, “But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, DO THE WORK OF AN EVANGELIST, make full proof of thy ministry.” As Paul instructed Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine”, so should we all do. May we, as children of God, be busy in learning God’s Word and doing God’s will so that we might add to His kingdom by winning precious souls to the Lord through the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. (355.4)