The Evangelical Capitalist
July 30, 2008
How you are born is how you will die.
This, at one time, was the general idea of class and economics in most of the known world. Class and economic systems were fairly rigid with little opportunity of improving one’s status. In some cases, people would work, slave, and save over a long period of time and advance their status in small ways. And, every once in a while, prodigies of art, athletics, politics, writing, or military would storm ahead from poverty to world class status. This type of advancement was — by far — the exception.
In the 1700s the birth of Industrial Revolution began in England and Europe. From the development of mechanical inventions, came the idea that — if one could develop a better invention — then he or she could promote it, sell it, and quickly gain wealth. The birth of capitalism saw investors take this idea one step further. If one found a new and better invention, then the old could be rendered obsolete and the new would earn wealth for the one promoting it. Investors looked to capitalize on every opportunity, and capitalism was born. The 8-track-tapes of the 1970s, became the cassettes of the 1980s, which became the cd’s of the 1990’s, which are becoming the Mp3 files of the new millennium. This is how capitalism works. Investors capitalize on each opportuntity to advance as it comes along.
WHAT IF BELIEVERS BECAME EVANGELICAL CAPITALISTS?
In John 4 Jesus capitalizes on five different evangelistic opportunities in a series of a few days. He presents salvation and personal evangelism as follows: a well (4:1-26), a wheat illustration (4:27-38), a stay in an unlikely city (4:39-42), returning home (4:43-45), and the healing of a child (4:46-54). Each of these opportunities is totally unique to the others.
Note the flow of evangelism from the Master. Not the variety of soul-winning, the sensitivity to the moment, and the awareness of surroundings. Each moment is efficiently used so that the setting, the occurances, the experiences and the details of the day go toward winning lost souls. Jesus CAPITALIZES on every moment and every experience to advance the Kingdom and the message of salvation.
Are you as sensitive and effective in the use of your surroundings in pointing people to Christ? Every single day of your life provides a myriad of experiences and events that can move toward introducing the lost to the Savior. The question is not one of opportunity, but it is one of CAPITALISM.
GOD MAKE US EVANGELICAL CAPITALISTS! HELP US CAPITALIZE ON EACH INDIVIDUAL MOMENT AND EVENT TO POINT PEOPLE TO YOU!
