Written by Stephen Cox
Big Question, Real Answers
The New Testament makes it clear that Christians in general are to seek the salvation of their friends and neighbours. It reveals that seeking the salvation of others does not involve dying for sins and evangelising the whole world (as it did for Jesus and the Apostle Paul). It involves something far less scary, far more manageable and far more basic – it involves a mission mindset (Or in language that we might be familiar with – growing in our affections for God).
The Apostle Paul states it like this in 1 Corinthians:
‘So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God — even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.’
1 Corinthians 10:31 – 11:1
Just as Paul followed Jesus in seeking the salvation of others, so we should follow him in the same task. Jesus’ friendship with sinners gave people a tangible sign of the welcoming grace of God. The Bible focus’ on God’s gracious movement to save a desperately needy world that is in rebellion against him and which stands under his judgement. It reveals a loving God who reaches out for the lost, who sends his servants, particularly his beloved Son, to achieve his gracious purposes of salvation. In response to his great salvation, our lives – our words, our actions, our social lives – should demonstrate the Lord’s desire to have fellowship with sinners.
All of us are wired differently and have different opportunities to convey God’s grace to others. God is not asking us to become superstar evangelists who preach the gospel to everyone we meet (though, if you are wired that way, go for it!). What counts is that our entire existence be informed by the quest to bring honour to God and salvation to others. It is not an optional extra for us in the Christian life.
To help us in our quest to honour God and bring his salvation to others, WWEC has been running a brief questionnaire. The purpose of this short questionnaire is to try and understand what our community thinks about God and engage with them where they’re at. It’s designed to promote our sermon series and our church, change people’s views of what Christians are like, but it also gives all of us an opportunity to talk about Jesus with those we know.
The Results are in…
We all have questions we’d love to have answered. Questions that matter to us.
Questions that deserve answers. Questions that we’d like to ask God. Recently many of our friends and family let us know what they would ask. As we serve the Wagga Wagga community and beyond, we would like to thank those who let us know what you’re asking. Here is a summary of the results:
Question groups | Count |
About suffering, including: War/Peace Poverty Sickness | 33% |
Life/Death How do I get to heaven/Will I see my family? When will I die/Why let people die? Is their Life after death | 17% |
Purpose in Life Why am I here/What is the meaning to life? | 13% |
Other Religions | 13% |
About God’s Sovereignty | 7% |
God’s Existence Why don’t you make yourself more obvious? | 5% |
General questions about Christianity | 5% |
Specific social issues | 3% |
Others Why do I suck at golf etc? | 3% |
We’ve picked the most commonly asked questions, and will tackle them from the Bible as part of church each week. We’re going to run a sermon series, “Big Questions, Real Answers.”
September 7thWhy does God allow suffering?
September 14th What happens when I die?
September 21st What is the meaning of life?
And of course, why not invite your friends to come to church and hear God’s answers to these questions? It might very well be the last step in their journey to putting their trust in Jesus and accepting God’s offer of salvation.
In Christ
Stephen Cox
