Take a second (if you don't mind) and define "kingdom work". What does that look like? What does it not look like?
We were recently at a meeting where we met several dozen missionaries from all over Africa and got to hear their stories about what type of kingdom work they do in their places of service. It's amazing how God has given so many different ways for people to get the gospel out there, but let me just mention some of the things we're doing:
Working with victims of abuse. Traveling into unreached parts of Congo. Showing the Jesus Film in remote areas.
Now, what if my ministry with abuse victims was simply to bring them to the shelter and hand them what we call a "home-stay kit" (toiletries, set of clothes, wash cloth, etc), say "Sorry this happened to you," and then get in the truck and leave?
Or, what if Nicholas went through all of the hassle of getting into Congo and just drove through the villages without stopping, shouting, "Jesus loves you!" out the window?
What if, after showing the Jesus Film, we just packed everything up and went on our way without speaking to anyone?
... It would all be pointless.
As Christians, ministering to those with physical needs must go hand-in-hand with ministering to their spiritual needs. Sharing the gospel is not crying out, "Jesus loves you!". And, letting people see/hear the story of Christ, but not giving them the chance to respond to it is pure foolishness.
We can do a lot of good things in this world, but let me just say this: the lost people of this world have got the "good things" covered. All of the secular, relief organizations... the motivational speakers... the abuse counselors? That's some good work right there, and I will never knock what they do. But, we have to do more. We must do more, because we can do more. We can go beyond what is good and get to what is great, and that is bringing the awesome news of salvation to people.
Why am I showing love to you? Because Jesus showed love to me by dying for me.
Why did I travel this long, hard road to reach you? Because I want to tell you the story of how Jesus traveled a long, hard road to reach me.
Why is what you just watched (or heard) important? Because how you respond to it determines where you will spend eternity.
It isn't kingdom work unless the gospel is preached. If the gospel is absent... well, then it's just work.
I don't know when Christianity started becoming some watered down lifestyle. Definitely longer than my thirteen years as a Christian, and likely longer than my twenty-nine years on this earth. But, it would thrill me to no end to see a day when "Christian" isn't just a title that is slapped on any person who behaves like a decent human being.
The other day I sat in a small living room talking to two young women... two sisters. One is still in secondary school, and the other couldn't have been more than twenty years old. Anyway, I sat there and shared the gospel with them, and then asked if they had ever received salvation. They both smiled nervously and said they had. And I said, "Okay, cool. See you in Heaven."
Not really.
I told them that it was okay to say they didn't have salvation. I told them that a lot of people only say that they're Christians to make other people happy, but that our salvation isn't for other people. Then, I told them my story and shared the gospel again. Still, they said they had salvation. But, towards the end of our visit when I asked if there was anything they wanted me to pray for, the oldest sister said, "You can pray for that salvation."
I'm quite certain they still did not understand what it truly means to be saved. Hopefully I'll get another chance to visit with them and share some more.
But, isn't that just the way it is these days? In Zambia... in America... there is such a huge misunderstanding of what it really means to be a Christian -- so much so, that it's not just enough to convince a lost person that they need salvation. You have to first convince a person that they're lost, then convince them that they need salvation!
What does it mean to be a Christian? Just look on any social media site and you'll get a few answers.
Pictures and videos of people handing out food to the homeless with the hashtag #jesuslovesyou.
Posts with angry rants bashing certain political figures (or praising them) coupled with Bible verses.
Sunday morning church selfies.
People re-sharing and re-tweeting anti-LGBTQ+ posts (and adding in their own commentary about why God hates them).
These are today's "Christians". And anyone can be just like them.
You know what's missing from those posts?
Handing out food and taking a picture with the homeless man you helped lead to Christ. Hashtag reads #newbrotherinchrist.
Sunday morning church selfies with the teenager you're discipling.
Deleting political and anti-anything posts, because, frankly you're not going to convert anyone that way, so you should just post funny memes instead.
I'm being facetious with that last one, but c'mon y'all!
Here's the thing:
We can do good works and never mention Jesus and still think God is pleased with us.
Or, we can mention Jesus without doing any good works and still think God is pleased with us.
But, neither of those is right.
"What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
We don't work for our salvation. We work because of our salvation. And those works should always be combined with the goal of sharing Christ.
Let me encourage you to make a point in starting up a spiritual conversation the next time you do something good for someone else, and pray that it will lead to the gospel. Remember that the person you help physically may need something more important... spiritual help. Life on this earth is very, very temporary in the grand scheme of eternity. Let's make sure that we're not only investing in the temporal, but also in the eternal.