- Matthew 4:23-25 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.
It is always true that only ‘those who need something’ wait [for what they need], seek it, be anxious over it, and like it. Let’s say that there is a pile of trash in your house. Only a house with [a pile of trash] will anxiously wait for a truck that will take away the trash and delight in it. A house without trash will not even think about it, and they will not even be interested in it even if it is mentioned to them. In this way, only ‘those to whom it pertains or those who need it’ wait for it, seek it, are anxious over it, are interested in it, and pay attention to it. People are not interested if they don’t need it or if it doesn’t pertain to them. Therefore, their thoughts are on other things and they live consumed with their daily lives. People who are not in need do not seek God nor the savior, and do not wish to listen to the Word.
God’s salvation history, the savior sent by God, and the gospel of the time period are needed by everyone regardless of who they are. However, since people don’t know that at first, only those who are in need seek God and the savior. People are even less willing to seek the world of salvation because this time period is developed and they are eating well and living well. That is why only one or two people say they will believe even if you deliver the gospel to hundreds of people. The reason people don’t go to church in this time period is not because there is a lack of people to guide them [to church]. If they themselves had wanted it, they would already have gone to church on their own by their freewill.
People of this time period live in an advanced world doing what they want. That is why they are far from the gospel and are not interested in living their lives while believing in God.
People of this time period have things they are doing as they live their own lives whether they are in their teens, twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, sixties, etc. They learn various things, make money and are living their lives finding, enjoying, and doing things that are beneficial to their lives. More than 90% of people are tied down to them and seek things that will benefit their lives and desire some help in those areas. They consider faith as secondary and live making a living and the things they want immediately as their most urgent priority. Then they go to church when the time comes, and they seek God and seek church only when they find themselves in need as they live. Some people say, “I want to live a relaxed life of faith if I have time.” And some people say, “I live with respect for God in my heart.” That is why you have to preach ‘the gospel of the time period’ while examining the state of this time period.
Look at the world! People only like the things they like. They are not interested in other things. They don’t have the time or the room for other things. People who like rocks pay huge amounts of money to buy rocks. But people who don’t like rocks say that they would rather spend that money on buying a car and make money while using that car for 3~5 years. The same is true with faith. The people of this time period are very busy with their own lives. But if you take all their time, say only what you want to say and keep them from doing the things that are valuable to them, they will not follow. Therefore, you have to introduce them to the gospel while treating them in ways that are appropriate for their lives. You have to instill faith in them while helping them with things they need in their daily lives!
Everyone has to live their day-to-day lives. Therefore, you should not take [time away from] their day-to-day lives and only try to instill faith in them. If you accompany them in their daily lives and instill faith in them, they will try to accept it because it helps them with living their lives. Don’t just talk about faith no matter what. Instead, if you accompany their lives at a high level and talk to them, they will immediately accept those words and teachings.
You have to preach the gospel while examining this time period to see what it is like. You have to instill ‘faith’ in their daily lives and teach them ‘the gospel’ while joining them with the arts of the time period and each of their lives and while helping them from a higher level than them. Those who are preaching the gospel also must know the flow of this time period and do things in ways that fit the times. Then many people will follow. That is why you have to step into their daily lives and lead them while telling them things that are helpful in their lives from a higher level than them. You should evangelize according to the flow of the time period!