Christians have a critical responsibility to impact secular society. It is tragic for the culture to be without Christian influence. But God is gracious to nonbelievers. He sends sun and rain and a many other good things for all people. Likewise, God shows grace to the non-believing world through the good acts of His own people. Christians together are to impact society for the overall good. They are not to just watch out for their own good and get the reputation of being self-centered and self-serving.

It is in being useful to those outside of the faith that Christians earn the right to evangelize. If we do not prove our usefulness on the turf of our non-Christian counterparts, why would they listen to our witness or think that we have anything useful for them? We have to at least outdistance nonbelievers in loving actions to gain their ear. And we can do so, especially by acting together as the church. Two or more people loving and serving in the Lord’s name by the power of the Holy Spirit can get some really good things done and catch the eye of non-Christians.

Be Salt Together in a Bland, Tasteless World [44]

Be Wise and Win the Respect of Outsiders [45]

Trinity Church doesn't mind being on a mission of mercy for the Lord Jesus Christ. They really love non-Christians. Both as a total congregation in fellowship and in their small groups they are a strong witness for Christ in their community.

Trinity provides a soup kitchen and free medical clinic for the poor and homeless. Additionally, each of their small groups takes on a project once a year to better the community. The members of Trinity Church are always looking for new ways to love the people of their community. [44]

One of the reasons that the members of Trinity Church are tolerated in their city and respected by community leaders is that they take the time to be careful about how they act with nonbelievers. Even though the non-Christians of their community know they are very different morally and spiritually, the members of Trinity never act better than others. In fact, in the larger congregational fellowship, they will act out scenarios of dealing with outsiders and discuss alternative ways of handling the sticky situations that can arise with non-Christians. But it is probably in the small group communities that individuals wrestle with the negative reactions of nonbelievers and find from one another wisdom to continue on with a strong love. [45]

**Matt 5:13**; Luke 6:35; John 17:18; Heb 13:13-16; 1 Peter 2:12

Make life better for those who do not believe. Go to secular society with God's demonstration of mercy. Alleviate human misery in God's power.

Christians are ordered by the Lord to make life better for those who do not believe. While this is the worst life Christians will face, for the non-Christian this is the best they will ever experience. As God's expression of mercy, we are to go into the world together alleviating human misery in God's power.

God provides good things for all people, not just his own people. The sun rises and sets and the rain falls for the unjust as well as the justified in Christ. Since all good things come from God, even Christians come from Him to make life better for others. One very loving salt-of-the-earth Christian makes an impression. However, the non-Christian world has their lone heroes as well. But when a group of Christians goes way out of their way to make the life of an unbeliever or an unbelieving family or some aspect of secular society better, and they do it consistently, they will be powerful seasoning for a hurting and destructive culture.

God has given us power in community to be the salt of the world. When we do so, we worship God by reflecting back to Him his own gracious love and concern for those who do not believe in Him in order to make their life better.

Every Christian should care deeply about a number of non-Christians that they are close to. While we do not identify with non-believing friends and relatives, we are still to love them, denying ourselves for God's will in each situation.

The small group is the perfect size for being the salt of the earth for individual and family needs. The small group that wants to be obedient to this command should be one that can be mobilized for the individual needs of non-Christians when they are discovered by members of the group. Christians in small group community should be on the look-out for friends at work and in their neighborhood, as well as non-Christian relatives, who need the particular skill of one or two group members. This is a difficult world to live in. Non-Christians do not have the power of God within them to escape the cultural traps of our decadent society. The kind of help we are talking about is not help with chores such as raking leaves (except to possibly help the handicapped). There are many deeper needs such as providing advice for dealing with rebellious teenagers, sharing food with an unemployed family, helping watch a sick person through a crisis in the hospital, helping a single parent budget resources, or taking food during a family medical crisis. There are thousands of possible ways that individuals and families in the community might need loving Christian care.

A whole church can work on projects to improve community life. The mere fact that over ninety percent of its members get involved in a service project is quite a witness to the community, even when the emphasis is not so much on evangelism as in helping.

Some community needs require large groups of volunteers to accomplish humanitarian purposes. These are tasks for large churches. Examples of projects for the big church include a soup kitchen or a clothes closet for the very poor, a battered women's shelter program, an environmental stewardship library, a day care center, a blood bank, an abortion alternatives counseling center, and an on-going program of parenting seminars.

Smaller churches can turn out en masse at least once a year to accomplish such projects as cleaning up areas of litter, planting trees, fixing broken porches and stairways where the elderly live, helping to prevent drunk driving on Prom night, and publishing and distributing a booklet to the community on how to have happy family times together.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if a church was so obviously helpful and could be mobilized at a moment's notice (as Christians ought to be mobilized) that community leaders would call upon it immediately during a time of crisis? People would readily come to that church for help just as individuals, in desperation, sought out the Lord Jesus Christ when He walked this Earth.

1. How much do you enjoy mixing with nonbelievers? Does their swearing and their non-Christian behavior and values bother you? How can you get over this discomfort so that you can be the salt of the earth?

2. How much would you really like to be the salt of the world, making life better for those who may never accept Christ as their Savior?

1. Each group member tell the others where and how his or her life touches secular society. Then the group member tells the group what kind of salt he or she is in that environment. Finally, the group gives encouragement and counsel.

2. Using the secular situations group members are in, brainstorm the ways the group member plus one or two more Christians could truly make those places and situations better for nonbelievers.

Matt 5:16; **Col 4:5**; 1 Thess 4:12; 1 Tim 3:7

Work together with other Christians to solve confusing situations involving non-Christians. In doing so, God's name will be glorified. Use God's wisdom in dealing with non-believers.

Christians are commanded to work together to solve confusing situations involving non-Christians. God's wisdom can help individuals deal with difficult situations involving non-Christian peers and family members. As this happens, God's name is glorified by the actions of His church. Using God's wisdom in dealing with non-believers leads to respect for His church and more open doors for the Gospel.

If Christians would fully embrace their forgiveness in Christ, they could freely come to one another with their sinfulness or ineffectiveness and get advice and help. This alone would make each Christian one of the wisest people at his or her place of employment. Respect from nonbelievers would follow.

God has given us knowledge and wisdom in community to be wise and win the respect of outsiders as a group. When we do such things as not return evil for evil, be always truthful in a helpful way whether or not it is received that way, solve problems rather than get even, and always act for the other’s good which is agape love., we worship God by reflecting back to Him his own nature of consistently righteous behavior.

Close contact with non-believers will generate many confusing situations to the individual Christian, the Christian couple, or the Christian family. Mixing with non-Christians requires God's wisdom. It is in the small group that individuals can come and seek the advice of others on how to deal with perplexing situations involving those who do not believe.

How should a couple handle the visit of the wife's mother who will continually blaspheme the Lord with her foul language? The guys at work want a young group member to go out with them after work to golf and drink a couple of beers. How should he respond? One family's neighbor wants to split the cost of a very expensive fence, one they could afford but feel is extravagant and not the Lord's will. What should they do? One woman in the small group has been attacked at work for her beliefs and people are now giving her the silent treatment. What should she do? These are all concerns that need the intimacy of small group community to discern God's wisdom through the minds of His people as they take His Scripture and apply it to life.

Rarely does a church confront a community with wisdom and leadership. Unfortunately, it is usually individual Christians who take on causes or try to straighten out situations, often with negative results. A church taking on leadership to solve problems is a much more powerful witness. Non-Christians often believe we have nothing to offer them except our theology and our harsh, unloving judgments of their life-styles. If a church wants to win respect, it must offer solutions, not blanket condemnations. A church might offer a solution to a community problem through a letter to a local newspaper. The community would then see a different kind of wisdom. Even if they did not agree, the citizens of the community would at least respect the people of God for trying to do something beyond complaining.

God wants His people respected by others, whether or not they agree. The Israelites were well respected by the neighboring pagan nations when they were obediently marching into the Promised Land. More importantly, the neighboring nations revered God, something which He desired. The respect for Israel is reminiscent of the day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.

1. What kinds of righteous behaviors will win the respect of nonbelievers? What can impress them? What kinds of "together" behaviors between Christians would astonish them?

2. What kinds of behaviors will gain their disrespect? Especially what kinds of excessive Christian behaviors will turn them away and ruin the chances for a good presentation of the gospel?

1. Group members mention the kinds of nonbelievers that they don’t care respect them. The group should analyze the answers and provide approval or counsel as appropriate.

2. Group members name outsiders who seem to respect them and why they think this is so.

3. Name some secular groups that this group could interact with in order to gain respect?

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