Get Your Pretense On!

150 • Get Your Pretense On!

relate to. Your mission (and please, do accept it) is to represent Christ with honor in the place where he has placed you, among your family, friends, associates, and relationships. Of course, there will be many in any given oikos who will simply not be open to the Gospel, and will repel the one who seeks to penetrate its ranks with it (Matt. 10.34-39 with Micah 7.6; Mark 13.12; Luke 21.16). We see too, in the Scriptures, if the Gospel is rejected by the leading members of an oikos , it may make it extremely difficult to continue to share within it. Those who are devoted to their oikos may even try to interfere with the new found allegiance of an oikos member to Jesus Christ (see John 12.42-43). Regardless of the issues and challenges, you must begin to both think and pray oikos ! The word oikos is related to our modern word “economics.” Think “economically” in every personal relationship you make and cultivate. Make a list of the members of your oikos , and begin to pray by name and need for each one. Do not worry if you do not see the immediate impact of sowing seeds within your oikos . Simply pray for those in your oikos , sharing the Good News as God allows opportunity. In your planning and prayer, ask God to give you the entire circle! Pray for your friends, your family, and your associates. Pray for boldness to share with them, and ripe opportunities to draw attention to your hope in Christ. Become an Andrew to members of your oikos – remember, Andrew found Peter (John 1.40-42), and Philip found Nathanael (John 1.43-44). Expect God, the Holy Spirit, to move the message of the Good News naturally through the oikos relationships of the converts you see. Conclusion As ambassadors and agents of Jesus Christ, the oikos concept for evangelism and discipleship informs us how to proceed. We ought to pay careful attention to the oikia (plural of oikos ) making up