Free Hugs will not save you. Might as well hug a tree. Or visualize whirled peas. None of these things will hurt you, but neither will they provide anything but a warm and fuzzy feeling.
Instead we are called to:
Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:2-5)
Our core team: David, Mark, Dean, Sai, Jack & Steve heeded the call to fulfill CBC's ministry to the lost sheep of Burbank. Significantly, at the next day's service, Pastor Tim Carns, who had just returned from a mission trip to the Philippines, spoke passionately about the need for our Church to be engaged in the work of evangelism. The following link will open a new window and download Sunday's sermon to your computer:
Philippines Trip
This can either be saved to your hard drive, or listened to directly. It is approximately one hour long. If for some reason the link above does not work, you can find this file at the CBC Website by clicking on "Listen - Sunday's Sermon" and navigating to the sermon dated 2/10/2013:
CBC Website
"Religious people think that; 'If I go to church, if I help old ladies across the street, if I give out free hugs, God will like me.' No! You need to be made righteous in the sight of God. You need to have your sins atoned for."
Never seen anyone giving out free hugs :/
ReplyDeletePraise God the gospel is going forth!