Matthew 23:15 Proselytes

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves." [Matthew 23:15 NASB]

The time from just before to just after Christ' time on earth, marked the greatest era of Jewish evangelism in history. They went to great lengths to convert Gentile pagans to Jewish monotheism. The problem is that they didn't preach faith in God, but a formalistic adherence to the Law. This was a Law that the Jews were unable to keep (thus the continual sacrifices for sin).

These proselytes were taught about tithing, ritual cleansing, adherence to the Sabbath, and such. But they were never taught the weightier matters, such as faith, righteousness, and mercy. How could they learn these traits when the Pharisees never modeled them?

Jesus condemned these false missionaries as well as the people who were converted by them.

When we are talking to non-Christians about Jesus, it is important that we don't talk about our religious beliefs, or doctrinal differences. Unbelievers don't need to know the difference between free will and predestination. The timing of the rapture - pre, mid, or post tribulation - isn't their concern. Paul said, "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." [1 Corinthians 2:2 NASB]

Jesus should be the focus of our message. How He was born of a virgin, lived a perfect sinless life, died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin, then rose again on the third day. He lives today, seated at the right hand of the Father, and He lives in our hearts through His Spirit.

Salvation is found, not by joining a religion, nor by being good enough. On the contrary, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;" [Romans 3:23-24 NASB] "Justified" simply means that our sins are forgiven. We have been tried in God's court and found "Not Guilty". "Redemption" means that whatever guilt we might have had was paid for by Jesus.

He said, "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;" [Romans 10:9 NASB]

This, in a nutshell, is the Gospel. 

Our concern shouldn't be the number of people who walk through the church door, but the salvation of their souls.