Now, the third point of Cru's montra -Win, Build, Send- is Send. Cru's heart is to send out disciples in the same way that Jesus sent out disciples in both Matthew 10 and 28. Cru trains believers to not only grow in their faith, but to also preach the gospel wherever they go.
For many, this point draws out contempt and a little animosity. You see, Cru is daring enough to promote what we call "intentional evangelism." No, intentional evangelism is not knocking on someone's door, asking if they've "heard the good news," and leaving them with some pamphlets about their unavoidable doom. Intentional evangelism simply means that in the process of forming relationships and loving-on others, there is an attempt to verbally share the gospel.
In my experiences with Cru, I have gotten to share the gospel while passing out food to families in poverty, talk about Jesus with students after taking one of our faith surveys, answer difficult questions with non-believing friends who accompany me to church, and evangelize to my friends in my dorm, classes, and student organizations.
What makes this different than other Christian orgs? What often turns people off to Cru's method of evangelism? Honestly, it's the "sharing the gospel" part. I can say that with confidence because I myself was not a huge fan of Cru's evangelistic style as a freshman.
Have you ever heard the saying, "Preach the gospel, and if neccessary, use words"? If not, it is an old saying attributed to St. Francis of Assisi (though no historical or legal evidence supports this attribution). In recent years, it has become the rallying cry of Christians in their approach to spreading the gospel in a world pretty pissed off with religious bigotry.
Why do people love this? Why was I willing to live and die by this saying?
Simple, it's easy.
It seems that the church has allowed itself to adone a gospel presentation that consists only of smiling 24/7, being very loving and kind, and doing a lot of good works. Now, many of these things are not bad in and of themselves. Paul himself wrote that "faith without works is dead" (James 2:26). Furthermore, it is true that one would have a difficult time sharing the gospel with friends if one's own life did not reflect that very gospel. However, this does not make living a good life an evangelistic strategy.
Here's why. Let's set the scene:
I am with some of my non-believer friends. We are at yet another fraternity party and once again they are slowly losing all self-inhibition sipping on that magic stuff and grinding up some lovley ladies. I, however, dressed in my hipster-esque, leather flip-flops, washed-out jeans, button-down shirt, and WWJD braclet, sit calmly at the side of the room, smiling politely and denying any offer of alcoholic beverage. Seeing this pattern in my life, my friends have always wondered what makes me different. They all suddenly deside to stop dancing, walk over to me, sit at my feet, and accept Christ.
What's wrong with this picture? I bet a life truly living out the gospel will be noticed. I bet it will make people think. We hit the snag, first, at the coexistant culture we currently dwell in. Remember, there is no universal truth anymore. The idea of our society is "what works for me may not work for him" or essentially "my idea of truth may not work for his idea of truth." Being different is no longer different anymore! (Sorry hipsters).
Secondly, the gospel has, essentially, four main points:
1. God is our creator and has a plan for our lives.
2. We have sinned and separated ourselves from Him and His plan.
3. Jesus died so that God's just nature could be satisfied and we could reenter a relationship with Him.
4. In order to do this, we must be willing to give control of and the rebellion in our lives over to God.
The problem with refusing to go past living a gospel-centered life is that there is NO WAY a person just watching you is ever going to understand these four points. They may see that Jesus gets you through hard times or that He has helped you become a better person, but how are they supposed to lead themselves down the path of thinking listed above? At some point, you have to open your mouth and say the J-Word!
Romans 10:17 - So, faith comes by hearing, and hearing from the Word of Christ.
To "Send" in Cru is the idea of sharing this message, intentionally and lovingly, with the people the Lord has placed in our lives. For some, this will mean traveling across the world. For others, this will mean sharing the gospel with their own families. Either way, Cru hopes to raise up workers for the Kingdom, disciples unafraid to proclaim the Word of God.
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