We don’t care that people are going to Hell. I know this because we’re doing little to keep them going there. We don’t care the cashier at the grocery store is going to Hell, because we didn’t tell her about Jesus. Sure, we smiled, were pleasant, and hopefully even offered an encouraging word, but that will not keep her from Hell.
We don’t care that the plumber is going to Hell. I know this because we didn’t tell him about Jesus. The reality is billions of people on this planet today are heading for Hell, and we don’t care. If we cared, we would do something about it. If we cared, we would live out the Great Commission. But we don’t care.
One way I know I don’t care about people going to Hell is I’ve been hoping we are in the last days, as so many writers and speakers have proclaimed. I’ve been ready to go home for about thirty years now. I want to be with Jesus and for all the mess of this world to be gone. I love the Lord beyond anything I can explain, so want to hurry and begin eternity with Him already. This may sound like a good and noble goal, but it is incredibly selfish. If the Lord comes back today, billions of people will go to Hell. That’s not His will, but apparently, it’s mine. I want him to come now and take me out of the pain, but that means billions of others will suffer. How selfish is that?
The world is darker and more evil than at any other point in my lifetime. The natural response is to look for the escape hatch. But that is the response of a person who has not met Christ. It is the response of someone who has not been commissioned to help build the Kingdom of God. You and I have a mission. We are to go into all the world sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20). We are to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, give shelter to the homeless, and visit those in prison (Matthew 25:31-46). But we don’t care. Our comfort is more important than our obedience.
When was the last time you told someone about Jesus? If you have to think about it, it’s been too long. When the love of Jesus is real within us, we cannot help but talk about Him. Won’t that make people think we’re weird? Yep, I can all but guarantee it. It’s okay. Jesus died for weirdos like us. Being called a Jesus freak should be the greatest compliment we ever receive.
Why do we find it so hard to tell someone about Jesus? It’s our ego and pride. We don’t want to be seen as weird or be laughed at. We want to be liked, to be cool. Really? Is that why you follow Jesus? Is that the reason He died? We have the greatest news anyone could ever hear. The bad news is we have rebelled against the holy God. The good news is He sacrificed His Son to pay the penalty for our sin and rebellion. That is the gospel. It is good news for everyone. There is not a person on this planet who doesn’t need to hear how they can be saved. But we don’t care.