The church desperately needs both good gospel works and good gospel workers for the Good News message. The apostle in his letter to Titus makes a clear connection between faith and practice. Why is this so important? Our faithful obedience to God’s word ensures that “in everything,” we can “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior” (Titus 2:10, ESV throughout).
Evangelistic churches know the place of good works in Good News proclamation. Because Jesus has cleansed us and made us his own, we’re to be “zealous for good works” (2:14). There should be a zeal and longing for Christians to do good in their communities.
Jesus wants his churches to be people who “learn to devote themselves to good works” (3:14). Paul uses the word learn because it’s not natural for us to do good works. Our nature is selfish, cynical, and judgmental. Even in our new born-again nature, we have to learn how to be good-works-doing people. The only way we learn is to look to God’s word and to God’s Word—to the Scriptures and, supremely, to the Son of God whom they reveal.
When we read the Gospels, we see Jesus’ humility, patience, and urgency to spread his kingdom. He does this by word and works.
It is striking that right after the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7), Jesus demonstrates the power of the gospel through good deeds connected to the Good News. Jesus wrapped up this sermon and immediately showed compassion to a leper and healed him (8:1–4). When a Roman soldier asked Jesus to heal his servant, he did (v. 5–13). He fed thousands, healed hundreds, raised people from the dead, and gave time to those whom police officers today classify as “living a high-risk lifestyle.” Jesus demonstrated the kingdom of God even as he declared it.
There are two dangers to avoid when it comes to mercy ministry and evangelism. First, we must not treat mercy ministry as the same as, or as a valid alternative to, evangelism. People need to hear about Jesus crucified and risen to be saved. We pray people will say, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner”—it is not enough for them to say, “Lord, your people are good people and make an impact on this community” (though that is a good start).
But second, we must not treat mercy ministry as optional or as a distraction from the real work of the church. It was vital to Jesus’ ministry, and must be to us. If it weren’t, he would have just preached about repentance and salvation and would never have taken time to tell us a parable about a good Samaritan helping his dying enemy as instructive for loving our neighbors.
Yes, the accomplishment of redemption and the proclamation of the gospel are the major notes of Christ’s ministry. He came to destroy the devil’s works, give himself as a ransom for many, and proclaim good news to the captives. But the minor keys—essential to his music—are his works of mercy. These acts of mercy flow from the heart of Jesus for people. We must maintain that doing good works is itself good.
The fourth-century Roman emperor Julian, who was pagan and vehemently opposed to Christianity, “became fearful that Christianity might take over the Roman Empire … as a result of the good works of Christians,” writes David Gustafson. Christians in Rome were supporting thousands of needy people per day. They established hospitals, food programs, and orphanages. Their love for the community was clear and tangible.
Many people in our communities are averse to going to church or even talking about Christianity—and, often, their reticence is because of Christians. Public scandals involving people who claim to be Christians have soured unbelievers toward us. Media outlets and Hollywood often give a poor representation of the church. Social media adds fuel to the fire. We’re misrepresented by celebrities and best-selling authors who claim to be for Jesus but are clearly self-focused. And, let’s be honest, we ourselves are sometimes guilty of leaving people with a very wrong impression of what Jesus wants his church to be.
That’s why it’s crucial for local churches to prepare the ground around them—to do good works so that people might be ready to receive the Good News. And good works are a commentary on the transforming effects of the true gospel.
Seventeen centuries after Julian wrote of the power of good works, I saw this happen on the block in Philadelphia.
I was serving at a church in the Kensington section of the city, and we had set up a street clean-up outreach for our neighbors. Early in the day, a lady walked by, looking noticeably sad, troubled, and exhausted. My wife, Angel, approached her, asking, “Are you okay, ma’am?” She was clearly annoyed and answered (with a profanity added for emphasis), “No!” Angel still engaged her in conversation, seeking to care for her. She asked her if she needed food or water. Her response was telling:
“What do I gotta do to get it?”
I stepped in and told her, “Nothing—it’s free.”
I explained what we were doing. This angered her further, because she realized we were part of a church. She’d been deeply wounded by a church in the past and clearly wanted nothing to do with us. She suggested that we would make her join our church before she could get our help. I made it clear this wasn’t the case—that our offering was genuinely free.
She left that conversation with food and clothing. We thought we’d seen the last of her, but after about half an hour she appeared again. Her posture was different this time. She had come back to thank us.
She told us that a few hours before she had walked past us that morning, her father (who lived with her) had stolen all her money and food stamps. She was 22 years old, and she had four hungry kids at home. When she had met us earlier that day, she’d actually been on her way to sell her body for money to feed her kids. Now she would not do so.
We prayed with her and cried with her, offering a tangible expression of the gospel.
Our church helped this young woman and, by God’s providence, kept her from trouble that day. I don’t know if she ever obeyed the gospel and came to faith, but we did hear around the neighborhood that she’d been talking about us, saying, “They love people who don’t even go to their church and aren’t Christians.”
A lady in Philly and a Roman emperor saw the same thing. Good works make an impression.
How about your community? What do people living around you think about your church? What does your mayor, police chief, or city council think of your church? Redeem the rumors. Win a hearing for Christ by showing people in what you do what he is like.
Here are five practical steps to help prepare your neighborhood for gospel growth.
Cultivate prayerfulness.
This is where it starts. Pray corporately and individually for the lost people in your city, and for the Holy Spirit to open their ears to hear the Good News.
Cultivate the people of God.
It isn’t enough to encourage the people of your church to do good in the community. They have to understand why their good works are an essential part of evangelism. Without proper biblical preaching, teaching, and training, people will be wandering around with a misplaced sense of purpose.
Consider doing a sermon series, class, or seminar looking at the relationship between good works, loving our neighbor, and sharing the gospel. Make these points regular applications in your sermons, classes, or lessons. Make sure people understand that good works and the Good News are mandatory, both for individuals and for the church.
Cultivate a plan.
Research your city. Study the people and the culture. Find out what motivates them. Find out what troubles them. Communicate this to your church. Create opportunities for the people of your church to regularly engage with the lost and the least in your community. Don’t fall into
the well-meaning trap of seeing evangelism as an isolated singular event. Mix it in with good works, year-round, around the clock. Talk with community leaders, neighbors, and police officers who can give you a sense of the social and spiritual climate of your community. And then talk together as a church, or as a leadership, and plan on how to engage.
As you do this, consider collaborating with others. You want to feed the homeless? Partner with your local homeless shelter. Find ways to come alongside the work they’re already doing, and seek to be a gospel presence while meeting a tangible need. Want to serve underprivileged kids in your neighborhood? Connect with a local school and get a list of supplies they need. When you value the work of others, you’re making connections and building trust.
Get going—and be patient.
After praying, learning, observing, brainstorming, and planning—get to work. Put the diaper drive and the delivery for the pregnancy center on the calendar and in the announcements, and make it happen. Recruit the teachers and mentors needed for the free financial class or resumé-building seminar you will host for the community. Do lawn care for older neighbors near your church’s building, open a clothes closet for foster and adoption families, minister in prisons. Whatever it is, get going.
And then be patient.
People will be excited about these ventures. But people will also need to have their expectations adjusted. There is a reason our Lord used agricultural analogies for the spread of the gospel. Planting, tending, watering, growing fruit, and harvesting take lots of time. Amid the initial excitement, prepare people (including yourself) for the plodding nature of kingdom work.
Leaders, all of this begins with you. Initiative and endurance are the qualities needed here. Be the first to sign up, first to show up, and last to leave. While you cannot neglect the ministry of word and prayer, you can also be like the apostle Paul, who did not need to be told to remember the poor by the apostles in Jerusalem, for it was “the very thing [he] was eager to do” (Gal. 2:10).
There was zero doctrinal or internal conflict for Paul between the ministry of the word and the ministries of mercy. Your eagerness for good works should flow from a primary point: your discipleship with Jesus.
We have the power and promise of Christ, so why wouldn’t we do all we can to ensure the people around us see it clearly too? It’s time to let our light shine. Your community needs to see a church shining bright and offering real help to those in need—practical and temporal help, spiritual and eternal help. Truly evangelistic churches are zealous to do good works out
of love for people and to win a hearing for the gospel that saves people.
J. A. Medders is director of theology and content for Send Network and a preacher, podcaster, and author.
Doug Logan Jr. is the president and dean of Grimké School of Urban Ministry and pastor of church planting at Remnant Church in Richmond, Virginia.
This article is an excerpt from The Soul-Winning Church: Six Keys to Fostering a Genuine Evangelistic Culture by Doug Logan Jr. and J. A. Medders. Learn more at thegoodbook.com/soul-winning.
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