Just as we need to discipline ourselves to eat healthy food, so a new convert should discipline himself to daily desire the Word and apply the tools God has provided to grow in his faith.
December 21, 2022
The word “worldview” has been overused in recent years. But we shouldn’t discard it, because our worldview is extremely relevant when it comes to our concern for the lost. Take, for instance, the issue of Christmas. If our worldview has little or no concern for the lost, the reason for the season will be a time to come apart from the world because it’s a pagan festival rather than something rooted in Holy Scripture.
Let me share the worldview that determines my attitude toward all worldly holidays—to Christmas, Easter, Halloween, July 4th, etc.
“We have become so accustomed to the celebration of Christmas that we’ve forgotten that this is when the sinful world celebrates the birth of our Savior.”
I see those within the Christian Church as survivors of the Titanic. We are in a lifeboat, and all around us people are quietly groaning in terror because they know that they are about to drown. What am I going to do as I look at such a sight? Perhaps I could polish the brass on the boat. Or maybe I could get a deck of cards out of my pocket and play a game of solitaire to fill in time. These are insane thoughts in such a scenario. If I am any sort of human being, I will, in every way, try and pull those dying people into the safety of the lifeboat. If I can grab an oar, reach out to some, and pull them into the boat, I will do it. If I can find a rope to throw out and pull in multiple people, I’ll do that with all my might. God forbid that I should be distracted from the sobering task that is before me—to pull precious human beings into safety. That’s my worldview, and that is what shapes my convictions when it comes to the season of Christmas.
Instead of it being a pagan festival that should be ignored, I see it as a huge chunk of rope that I can throw to those who are perishing. We have become so accustomed to the celebration of Christmas that we’ve forgotten that this is when the sinful world celebrates the birth of our Savior. It’s when they sing that He was born that man no more may die—born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth. In the light of that, how could I withdraw and play solitaire?
If you study our ministry’s materials, you will find that every item that we have produced is designed to reach out to the lost. Whether it is books on insomnia or panic attacks, devotionals (like Wisdom for Life), or even humorous books (such as 101 of the Dumbest Things People Have Done and 101 Things Husbands Do to Annoy Their Wives), all of them contain the gospel—because we are horrified that human beings are sinking into Hell. Even The Evidence Study Bible—which is written primarily to equip Christians to share their faith—is filled with gospel presentations. And, of course, we have dozens of gospel tracts that can be used to reach the unsaved.
“Even though Christmas is seen by some as being a time of pagan worship, we can still use it as a time to show our loved ones, our friends, our neighbors, and boozing sinners that we care about them by giving gifts at a time when gifts are expected.”
Many years ago, when I was a youth pastor back in New Zealand, I organized a Christmas outreach to the local booze drinkers that filled pubs. We took a flat deck truck and one rotund brother in Christ—upon whom we put a Santa Claus suit—and then we stopped outside of these pubs and sang Christmas carols. And guess what? Those who heard the carols came outside to listen to us sing, and then some stayed for a quick gospel presentation that explained the meaning behind the celebration—that Jesus came to destroy death and bring life and immortality to light through the gospel (2 Timothy 1:10).
Even though Christmas is seen by some as being a time of pagan worship, we can still use it as a time to show our loved ones, our friends, our neighbors, and boozing sinners that we care about them by giving gifts at a time when gifts are expected. You might even consider getting our books in bulk and blanketing your neighborhood or getting the gold Ten Commandments Keychain and giving these as gifts to the unsaved. It’s no time for solitaire. Please use Christmas as an oar to pull the lost into the safety of the Savior. We exist as a ministry to serve you for this purpose.
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